Chapter 199: 199. Chapter 197: Dharma Treasure vs Thermal Weapons

199. Chapter 197: Dharma Treasure vs Thermal Weapons

Under the night sky, the sea was like spilled ink, the seawater and sky completely merged, making it impossible to discern their boundary; the usually calm sea surface now churned with huge waves, and countless undercurrents surged beneath the water.

After Wilson learned that the animals' destination was the sea beyond, he smiled with an inscrutable expression.

The closer they got to the sea, the fewer the surrounding buildings became.

"Report, Colonel, those animals have all jumped into the sea!"

The soldiers constantly scouting ahead immediately relayed the latest intelligence.

As for this result, Wilson was not surprised, merely amazed at their intelligence and racial habits.

You must know, most of them are land animals, yet they know to jump into the sea to escape, and they seem unafraid of seawater?

But thinking about their current behavior, it suddenly made sense.

"Trying to escape by jumping into the sea is practically suicide."

Although the sea is vast, this means the animals can shake off most of their pursuers behind them.

Armored vehicles naturally cannot pursue, but they still have helicopters.

Most importantly, having left the city's bustling streets means they no longer need to worry about nearby residences and can unleash large-scale destructive weapons.

Earlier, these animals leaping back and forth between building walls had left Wilson's side helpless, but here they can act without any restraint, even heavy weapons can be used.

"Boom—!"

A tremendous engine roar came from midair, as a number of armed helicopters waved their steel wings and swiftly flew into the air above the sea.

The Northeast Tiger floated on the water surface, also sensing an unprecedented danger, instinctively lifting its head to gaze at the sky.

Several steel birds now had no reservations, the gusts they stirred up made them all feel chilled.

Although the animals had spiritual aura protecting them, their cultivation level and realm were still insufficient; they were merely mortal flesh, not steel and bone—even if Ye Qin were here, one could not say they could withstand a direct hit, let alone them.

They possessed Dharma Implements in their hands, but the numbers were few, making complete blockade somewhat difficult, just as the Northeast Tiger was contemplating a countermeasure.

One of the helicopters, relying on its high altitude, assumed these animals posed no threat, flew a bit lower—only tens of meters above the sea—intending to open fire.

The Northeast Tiger's beastly pupils flashed with a sharp light.

"Roar!"

The next moment, a deafening roar was heard.

The mountain-sized tiger suddenly leapt out of the water, kicking up huge waves; with unbelievable force, it pushed off the old turtle's shell and vaulted into midair.

Facing the looming shadow, the crew stared wide-eyed: "How can a tiger jump that high? What does it intend to do?"

The companion beside him turned pale: "Not good! Ascend quickly!"

All this happened in the blink of an eye; by the time they reacted, it was already too late.

A massive beast's paw slammed into the fuselage with the force of a thousand jin, as if a towering mountain were pressing down; the struck area dented inward by more than half.

The fuselage shuddered violently, while sparks flew from the control panel and an alarm sounded.

"Warning! The fuselage has suffered major damage; please take immediate action!"

The operators panicked, staring at the huge red exclamation mark on the display, fumbling to pull the lever to raise the helicopter.

Yet the tiger's slap was too fierce—not only did the fuselage sustain severe damage, but internal components also malfunctioned, with some controls failing outright.

The helicopter lost balance; instead of climbing, it began to plummet downward.

No one expected the tiger to have such a move; its speed was astonishingly fast and effortless, as if it had swatted not a helicopter but a small bird.

Others wanted to intervene, but it was already too late: "Call A-11! How's your situation?"

The helicopter pilot transmitted no response; like a bird without wings, the fuselage kept belching thick black smoke, fluttered a few times, traced a parabola in midair, and fell into the sea.

"Bang!"

On the sea surface, huge splashes and sparks erupted, with plenty of wreckage debris floating atop the water.

Wilson also observed the scene ahead through his binoculars, his face instantly turning grim to the extreme.

"Damn it!"

Although the helicopter was no match for a fighter jet, being swatted down by a single tiger was enough to astonish anyone, forcing one to marvel at the combat prowess of these mutant animals.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Prepare the personnel on the armed helicopters, give it your all, do not let these animals escape!"

No matter the cost, this group of animals must not be allowed to leave!

The rotary machine gun began to warm up, even the surrounding air producing distorted ripples; aimed at the animals below, its dark muzzle seemed to hide a beast that devours people.

Having the previous helicopter, smashed by the tiger's slap, as a warning, the others increased their altitude.

The pilot watched the small red dot on the instruments; the crosshair indicator accurately locked onto it above.

The next instant, a barrage of large-caliber destructive rounds fired; under the high temperature, even the air twisted, tracing brilliant arcs across the black sky.

In a flash, fire trees and silver blossoms appeared, looking extraordinarily splendid—provided one ignores the lethal power of those bullets.

Before one could finish speaking, the ancient patterns suddenly appeared on the sea surface, emitting a greenish light full of ineffable mystery; upon closer look, it was unmistakably a gigantic turtle shell!

All the animals hid behind the turtle.

The turtle is naturally famed for defense; although the old turtle's combat strength falls short of the Northeast Tiger's, in terms of protection it can be said to be unsurpassable, and all those shells were blocked by its shell.

The greenish light was not conspicuous, almost blending with the surroundings.

The firelight blurred the vision of the helicopter crew, and being over the sea, they did not see the gigantic turtle shell.

Under such firepower, even if these animals had bronze skin and iron bones, they would have nowhere to bury their deaths.

A sky-full of fiery meteors rained down into the seawater, turning the water itself crimson; the whole scene looked spectacular to the extreme.

Watching the soaring light ahead, Wilson lowered his binoculars, wore a satisfied smile, and inquired about the situation with the helicopters.

"Have those animals been completely wiped out? Check if any survivors remain."

The helicopters adjusted their altitude, cautiously approaching the sea surface; as the firelight gradually faded, upon seeing the scene below clearly, the pilot couldn't help but widen his eyes, suck in a breath of cold air, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.

He couldn't help but blurt out, "How is this possible!"

On the sea surface, the animals were unharmed! Only a small part of their fur showed signs of being scorched, as they swam forward with all their might.

Report, Colonel! None of these animals suffered any casualties.

That giant turtle blocked the bullets!

Hearing the words from the other end of the communicator, Wilson's smile froze at the corners of his mouth, for a moment even thinking he was experiencing auditory hallucinations.

This is impossible!

Originally thinking victory was in hand, who could have imagined these animals would be completely unharmed?

Wilson's vision went dark; he still underestimated these animals, 'Increase the firepower!'

Seeing that ordinary shells posed no threat to these animals, Wilson pondered for a moment and said, 'Fire the newly developed AGQ-2 missile; I don't believe they can still escape!'

At this point, the animals had already fled to the deep sea; Wilson on land could not see the situation ahead even with a telescope, and could only rely on real-time feedback from the helicopter.

The radar has locked onto the target!

Three!

Two!

One!

The monsters sensed the dangerous aura behind them, heavier than before, almost making their hair stand on end; the face of the northeastern tiger also grew a few shades more solemn.

This time's power was such that even the old turtle could not resist; if it tried to withstand it head-on, its shell would likely be pierced, yet it still did not retreat, using its shell to shield all the animals, with the resolve to advance and retreat together with everyone.

Roar!

The other animals roared in anger, their eyes showing determination; none wanted to abandon their companions and flee alone, and if they pooled all their strength, they might still find a chance to survive.

With the firing of the shells, the deafening commotion made the sea surface tremble. Red waves of heat exploded across the sea, looking from afar like layers of blazing lotus blossoms, yet revealing killing intent, sharp edges exposed, chilling to the bone.

But just then, a white light suddenly tore through the dim horizon, the black curtain ripped open a huge gap, and from the east it surged forward at great speed!

At that moment, night became like day, illuminating half the sky, even the sea water reflecting dazzling light; white and red divided the heavens, splitting the sky into two clearly distinct sections.

Such a scene was simply shocking, even Wilson and the others on shore were affected.

What a blinding light, what's going on?

Boom—

Before they could even react to what had happened, with the deafening sound, the white light and the fired missile collided violently in midair!

The two forces met head-on; invisible ripples spread outward from the white light, affecting the helicopter crew's vision, making it impossible to discern the movements below.

Even the surrounding magnetic field was affected, causing the instruments to malfunction somewhat, and the red dots representing the animals lost their trace.

Facing Wilson's inquiry over the communicator, the helicopter crew also said they weren't quite sure what was happening.

We don't know either; it seemed a white light suddenly sprang up from the sea, then collided violently with the missile.

Hearing the crew's message, Wilson couldn't help but frown; a sudden white light?

First, observe the situation on the sea surface.

Since the white light had not dissipated, the situation remained unclear; considering the mutant animals' endless tricks, Wilson did not rashly issue orders.

But if at this moment he sent people to dive into the sea, they would discover that several human figures had suddenly appeared out of nowhere here.

These people were all dressed plainly, travel-worn, and were either young or middle-aged, with honest faces.

At this moment, they were protected by the treasure 'Water Spirit Pearl', their bodies enveloped in a transparent ring of light that held back the seawater, while also allowing them to breathe normally underwater.

Some held dharma implements as white as jade, while others held porcelain plates; ancient patterns appeared on these implements, as if gathering starlight from the heavens.

However, these Dharma Implements now bear cracks of various sizes, some even completely shattered.

Sensing the familiar aura, the animals that had been baring their teeth retracted their claws, and their furry beast faces showed delighted expressions.

The monsters recognized them at a glance—they were actually the villagers of Longyuan Village!

"The Mountain God sent us to meet you."

Seeing the animals' gazes, the villagers all broke into smiles and surfaced.

Although Ye Qin was far away, thousands of li distant, everything remained under his control; through the talismans on the animals he kept watch over this side, and had the village chief contact the villagers still here to come meet the animals.

At the critical moment, they barely arrived; under the missile's threat, there was no time to think, so they could only gather all the Dharma Implements in their hands together, thereby erupting with a formidable power.

It was precisely that white light that split the sky!

Only then did that scene just now happen.

However, the grade of these Dharma treasures is ultimately limited; given Ye Qin's current Realm, they cannot be as powerful as legendary Dharma treasures, nor do they possess any miraculous abilities.

Barely blocking the power of a single missile, they have already reached their limit.

Upon seeing the villagers' arrival, the animals all breathed a sigh of relief and instantly became much more relaxed.

The Dharma Implements share the same origin, resonating with each other; they were quickly activated on their own, Spiritual Power infused and gathered into the white light, and although some of the villagers' Dharma Implements were damaged by the aftermath, they could barely hold on for a moment.

"Let's withdraw from here first; our Dharma treasures are insufficient to withstand another attack, we need to leave quickly."

"Yes, first return to Longyuan Mountain, and wait for the Mountain God to avenge you."

"Howl howl howl!"

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The villagers and the animals exchanged a glance, communicated briefly, and then, in perfect unison, ran toward the deep sea.

Taking advantage of the fact that the aftermath of the Dharma Implements had not yet dissipated, under the cover of the white light they swiftly dove into the sea and vanished into the distance.

……

By contrast, the atmosphere on the other side was not so good.

After the white light completely dissipated and the magnetic interference ceased, the helicopter rushed over immediately to assess the situation.

The recent battle left this sea area unsettled, with the water surging wildly and occasionally throwing up huge waves.

They had expected to see the animals' corpses, but upon gazing at the empty sea surface, everyone was dumbfounded.

Aside from the wreckage of the previously crashed helicopter, the sea was completely empty—nothing at all!

Report! They've all disappeared!

Hearing the crew's report, Wilson's face darkened once more; even missiles were dispatched, yet they still failed to retain those animals.

Search! They must be nearby; I don't believe so many animals could have all run away.

Soon, personnel with professional diving equipment went into the sea to search; helicopters kept using radar to detect continuously; meanwhile, the dispatched warships and submarines finally arrived, boosting search manpower and intensity.

Now that the warships have arrived, there's no longer any fear of those animals, yet they have vanished without a trace, as if they had evaporated into thin air.

Colonel, we haven't found those animals.

Hearing the report from his subordinates, Wilson's face turned as black as charcoal: 'How is that possible! So many animals, how could they not be found?'

Upon hearing the news, the navy was equally furious, dispatching several more gunboats to launch a dragnet search, yet still found no clues.

These people didn't realize that the animals had already fled far away.

After a night of turmoil, darkness gradually faded, revealing a faint fish-belly whiteness in the sky; the azure sea, blown by the wind, made splashing sounds, raising white waves.

At some point, the red sun rose from the sea, hanging in the clouds, radiating light, dyeing the layers of cloud sea orange-red and bright.

Like a mass of flame boiling.

A huge turtle shell floated onto the sea surface, its ancient patterns shining in harmony with sea and sky; the turtle's back was crowded with humans and animals, and beside it were ship-type Dharma Implements.

Fortunately, the Dharma Implement's capacity was large enough; even with the villagers added, squeezing in still worked.

The villagers' faces were full of excitement: 'Wow, no wonder it's a nation's military might; such a display of long spears and big cannons is still quite intimidating.'

'Those armored vehicles and helicopters—I'd only seen them on TV before; this is my first time seeing them in reality, but their firepower is truly fierce.'

'Indeed, but no matter how formidable, they still can't compare to our Mountain God—fighting foreigners and escaping encirclement by the local government's armed forces; who'd believe that if told? This life is worth it.'

It's no wonder the villagers are so excited; know that initially they were ordinary farmers facing the loess soil with their backs to the sky—who could have imagined they'd one day stand on the international stage, even fighting the Y-country government.

Of course, they also know that, whether it's themselves now or the monsters, they are no match for the military's hot weapons; they can only passively flee.

But even so, it's enough to make people excited.

After all, everyone just escaped from heavy weapons; that thrilling feeling is exhilarating!

The villagers chatted animatedly, interspersed with the animals' low growls; everyone was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

Although the two sides couldn't understand each other's language, after spending so much time together, plus the animals' gestures, communication posed no great problem.

And after this joint battle, the distance between villagers and animals grew closer, with a hint of mutual sympathy.

……

On the other side, after Wilson and his team's search came up empty, they could only return empty-handed.

If those animals had been hit by missiles, given their huge size, they couldn't have completely vaporized; there would necessarily be some debris left.

But since nothing was found, the only conclusion is that they all escaped.

When the superiors learned they hadn't captured a single animal, nor recovered any relics, they flew into a rage.

"Colonel Wilson, your abilities are well known, which is why I assigned you to handle this emergency, yet you've disappointed me greatly!"

Facing the superiors' reprimand, Wilson lowered his head, his expression somewhat stern.

They even deployed missiles, those hot weapons, yet the animals still escaped; once the news spreads internationally, it will surely make other countries laugh.

"Sir, this situation is somewhat special; I suspect these animals are genetically mutated creatures developed by another country, powerful, causing casualties among our personnel during the pursuit and even destroying a helicopter!"

Hearing Wilson's report, the superior frowned: 'Are you saying this is very likely a plot by another country against ours?'

"Investigate! It must be thoroughly investigated! I want to see just who is so bold."

One leads to another; the Y-country leadership worries even more, wondering what to do if the mastermind gets a taste of success and sends these animals again to harass.

"Who do you think is most likely behind this?"

"In recent years, M-country has been dedicated to researching gene mutation technology; according to rumors, they've already mastered partial gene programming code, making their likelihood high."

"Moreover, there was that earlier white light; we still haven't determined what weapon caused it."

M-country's science and technology leads the world; although Y-country has always looked to M-country as a model and relations are decent, their likelihood is high, but other countries could also be responsible.

"No matter who it is, we must ferret them out!" (End of chapter)