Chapter 132: The Azure Dragon Descending from Heaven, the Thunder Like Divine Punishment

Meanwhile, near a nearby ruin.

In a dark corner, Zhao Ming tightly clamped his hand over his mouth, breathing so faintly he barely moved, his back pressed against the cold cement wall, legs numb from prolonged crouching, yet daring not to shift an inch.

“Thud. Thud.”

Heavy footsteps approached from outside the ruin, accompanied by labored breathing—getting closer, until they stopped right outside the ruin where he hid.

Zhao Ming could smell the stench of blood and rot; through a crack, he saw a massive scaled claw gripping the broken wall, sharp nails scraping concrete with a grating, teeth-chilling sound.

“Don’t come closer. Please, don’t come closer.”

He frantically prayed in his mind, sweat sliding down his temple, soaking his already filthy collar.

Just last night before sleep, everything had been normal—he’d put on earplugs as usual to block out noisy neighbors and drifted into dreams.

But when he woke up, the world had changed.

Empty streets, shattered windows, distant howls of beasts rising and falling—and bloodstains everywhere.

He’d thought hiding inside his home would keep him safe, but soon, a mutated creature smashed through his security door.

He could only run—run as hard as he could.

But no matter where he hid, mutated creatures could always smell his scent.

No place was safe.

“Crack—”

The sound of crushed rubble came terrifyingly close.

Zhao Ming’s pupils shrank instantly, every muscle in his body tensed to its limit; through the crack, he saw a huge vertical pupil pressed against the fissure, peering inward.

The monster had found him!

“Roar—!”

With a deafening roar, the entire wall was violently torn open; blinding sunlight flooded in, and Zhao Ming finally saw the monster’s full form: a mutated giant lizard, its scales like metal, its body as large as a human’s, its long crimson tongue flicking constantly.

Despair surged like a tide; Zhao Ming collapsed to the ground, too drained even to flee.

He closed his eyes and prayed desperately in his heart.

Immortals, Buddhas, angels, demons, God—anyone! Whoever you are, please, save me!

When no one else could save him, he could only place his hope in the divine.

The mutated lizard opened its bloodied maw, a foul stench rushing toward him; Zhao Ming squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for death to come.

At that moment, a dragon’s roar echoed through the heavens, followed by a cataclysmic explosion!

“Boom—!!!”

A violent gust of wind surged forward; Zhao Ming felt a force shoving him backward—if he hadn’t been pressed against the farthest corner with nowhere left to retreat, he had no doubt he’d have been blown away.

When he finally forced his eyes open, the sight before him left him utterly frozen.

The mutated lizard had been reduced to a pile of bloody flesh and shattered fragments—scales cracked, bones pulverized, as if crushed by some terrifying, immense force!

Beside him, an unfamiliar tall figure had appeared out of nowhere.

“It’s over.”

“You’re safe.”

Gu Che retracted his spiked club and looked at the man before him, speaking softly to comfort him.

Zhao Ming’s lips trembled violently, his eyes instantly reddening.

He recognized the man—the former #2 on the Supernatural List, now #3, the “Azure Dragon Fruit” user, who, according to the recent Shuanshu Bureau announcement, had entered the Third Stage: Gu Che.

“Y-You why—”

“Why didn’t you come sooner!!!”

His voice was hoarse beyond recognition; his fingernails dug deep into the flesh of his palm.

These words were like a dull blade, tearing open the fear and despair he’d buried for so long—tears mixed with blood and grime rolled down his face as he screamed hysterically:

“Aren’t you heroes?! Aren’t you holders of celestial relics?! Aren’t you the future pillars of the nation?!”

“If you’d shown up sooner—if you heroes were truly as powerful as they say—”

He pointed at the bloodstains on the ground, at the ruins behind him.

“Qingshan County wouldn’t have become this way. So many people wouldn’t have died. I wouldn’t have had to hide like a rat!”

Gu Che’s figure paused slightly; he looked into the survivor’s eyes and saw the complex emotions within.

Gratitude—yes—but mostly anger, grievance, and profound helplessness.

He understood the man’s emotions; after enduring prolonged terror and despair, the moment of rescue inevitably unleashed pent-up feelings.

But understanding didn’t mean he accepted it.

“We’re not gods—we can’t arrive the instant disaster strikes.”

“And I’m not a hero.”

“True heroes—”

“Died the moment the beast tide broke through the defenses.”

Gu Che took a deep breath. He was no hero. The Shuanshu Bureau warriors who fought to the last, refusing to retreat a single step, in Qingfeng Mountain and before Qingshan County, deserved the title of “hero” far more than he did.

At least, for the people of Qingshan County, that was how it should be.

He was merely a late-arriving avenger.

A distant explosion roared; Gu Che spun around instantly, saying nothing more, his body transforming into a dragon of azure light as he shot toward the fiercest part of the battlefield, leaving only these words drifting in the wind:

“Hide. Survive.”

On the street.

Three people stood back-to-back in a circle, dozens of beast corpses at their feet, yet more mutated creatures continued to advance.

Mutated wolves, mutated spiders, mutated giant lizards, mutated—God knew where so many mutated creatures had come from.

“How much ammo left?”

The team leader asked in a low voice; his right arm hung unnaturally, clearly broken.

“Enough for two more rounds.”

The teammate beside him replied.

They’d brought plenty of bullets—after all, as psychics, their main strength came from their own abilities; firearms were only auxiliary. But they hadn’t expected so many mutated creatures.

Both sides watched each other warily; the air grew thick, almost solid.

The mutated beasts circled, waiting—for the moment these humans slipped.

“Roar—!”

Suddenly, a massive mutated wolf lifted its head and howled!

The beast horde erupted—surging forward like a tidal wave!

They gripped their weapons, readying for their final battle.

“Boom—!!!”

The sky ripped open—a blinding bolt of lightning, like divine punishment, struck down!

Lin Ruoxi’s figure emerged amid the lightning, her long hair whipping wildly as thunder wrapped around her body; she landed, her gaze cold as she scanned the beast horde, slowly raising her longsword.

“Zzzt—!”

In an instant, thousands of lightning serpents erupted from the blade’s edge!

Blinding electric currents surged down the entire street; wherever they passed, mutated creatures didn’t even have time to scream—they carbonized and shattered in the searing heat.

The air reeked of acrid burning; the ground was carved with countless black grooves.

(End of Chapter)