Chapter 309

The subordinate continued reporting the situation, Shangguan Ying's expression grew grave, and she gradually fell into deep thought.

After M Guo dissolved and formed the Holy Pu Empire, this new country, although it had lost the ability to suppress the world, its domestic livelihood was bleak, yet its military strength was increasing in a strange way.

This is highly abnormal.

Because after M Guo dissolved, to prevent the Holy Pu Empire, which inherited M Guo's mantle, from regaining hegemony, Huaxia Guo joined most of the world's countries in imposing resource controls on it; the Holy Pu Empire had no justification nor the capability to continue developing its military strength.

But the facts developed in the opposite direction.

Over these many years, Huaxia Guo has tried every means to investigate the cause.

But the Holy Pu Empire directly imposed a self‑blockade, forbidding any of its ordinary citizens from leaving and preventing any foreign personnel from entering.

To this day, it has virtually severed all contact with every country in the world.

Huaxia Guo has become the world's most technologically advanced nation, yet even so it cannot peer into the current situation inside the Holy Pu Empire.

On one side the Holy Pu Empire imposes total self‑closure; on the other, the Descent Society wreaks havoc everywhere, its destructive power growing stronger each time, and the weapons and equipment it uses becoming ever more advanced.

All these unusual signs indicate that a huge conspiracy is brewing behind the scenes.

Fifteen years ago, after the accident that occurred at M Guo's secret base in the Pacific and affected the whole world, Huaxia Guo did not fail to track and investigate.

But that mysterious and massive base simply vanished from the Pacific, taking the island with it.

The explosion of abnormal energy wiped away every trace cleanly, leaving no clue for anyone to find.

Over these fifteen years, we have indeed captured armed personnel sent by the Descent Society to sabotage various places around the world, but after being caught, they either try every means to commit suicide, or they themselves do not know who is directing their actions.

Thus, the joint investigation by Huaxia Guo and several countries into this organization has yielded almost no useful information, and we still have not figured out where the Holy Pu Empire obtains its resources.

Only the senior officials and research teams of Huaxia Guo have conceived a certain possibility.

That is, the secret experiment conducted by M Guo on the Pacific island years ago likely involved a Spacetime Portal, and there is a high probability it succeeded, obtaining a large amount of resources from another world.

Those vast resources from other worlds, after M Guo's dissolution, were secretly hoarded by the Holy Pu Empire, enabling it to continue developing its military even after imposing self‑closure.

But this is merely speculation; no relevant evidence has been found.

Without solid evidence, Huaxia Guo cannot launch a large‑scale military intervention against the Holy Pu Empire.

Otherwise, the hard‑won new global order would be destroyed again.

Nowadays, aside from the Descent Society of the Holy Pu Empire wreaking havoc everywhere, the world has seen none of the former wars and has entered the most peaceful period in human civilization's history.

In international public opinion, half the voices call for simply wiping the Holy Pu Empire off the world, while the other half say that carrying out such an extermination would push human civilization back into an era of war and chaos.

Each side has its own justification, and neither can convince the other.

Even though Huaxia Guo ranks first in comprehensive national strength worldwide, the same holds true.

The senior leadership of Huaxia Guo must not only take into account the voices of domestic and foreign positions, but also consider all possible consequences.

Even if Huaxia were to strike with all its might and grind the Holy Pu Empire to dust, it would likewise suffer damage to its vitality; should some countries take advantage of the situation to loot, it would bring another bloody disaster upon Huaxia and the world.

"General Shangguan?" the subordinate shouted, "Did you hear what I just said behind me?"

Shangguan Ying came to her senses, "Sorry, please say it again."

The subordinate said: "In the past week, among the twenty‑plus armed attacks that occurred in various overseas locations, three cases showed…… uh…… superhumans."

"Superhumans?" Shangguan Ying exclaimed in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"We have not yet figured out exactly what they are; these beings have a human form but also some animal traits, they are violently bloodthirsty, their physical quality is extremely terrifying, and for now we call them superhumans."

The subordinate spoke while displaying a video clip.

Shangguan Ying watched and watched, her brows gradually knitting together.

In the video, the humanoid creatures had ferocious faces, grotesque appearances, and varied body sizes.

Some moved as fast as cheetahs, bursting with unbelievable speed in a short time to launch surprise attacks.

Some possessed strength exceeding that of an African elephant, able to effortlessly lift several‑ton trucks.

Others had skin like armor, their bullet‑proof capability surpassing that of ordinary armored vehicles.

Moreover, most of these humanoid beings possess visibly rapid healing; ordinary firearms can injure them, but it is hard to kill them quickly.

And these "superhumans" kill on sight, slaughtering ordinary people as easily as chopping vegetables.

The local forces deployed to deal with these monsters were just as unable to withstand a single blow.

Even the fully armed combat battalions that Huaxia urgently dispatched suffered heavy casualties and had to employ considerable heavy weaponry before they could wipe out these monsters.

"This is hardly superhuman; it's outright a monster!" Shangguan Ying's face darkened, "Have they performed tests and analyses on the monster corpses?"

The subordinate nodded, "Some, genetic testing shows that their bodies contain only about fifty percent human genes, while the other half is mixed with large amounts of mutant animal genes, and some are even from unknown species, which gives them different and powerful abilities."

"Has the Holy Pu Empire or the Descent Society made any response to this?" Shangguan Ying continued to ask.

"The Holy Pu Empire is as before, with no movement at all; on the contrary, the Descent Society issued a proclamation saying this is their newly developed humanoid weapon, which they are showing off to the world."

"What are their demands? Or have they not said?"

"Well…… they haven't said."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ying lowered her head and rubbed her temples hard.

Even if the Descent Society had demands, at least we could communicate through them and figure out what they actually want.

This approach of only causing destruction without stating demands is, ironically, the most headache‑inducing.

"General, the leaders of the military department held an emergency meeting; since you are here responsible for Miss Ning's actions, we did not notify you to come over. The meeting contents have been recorded, and you can review them later. Moreover, a leader suggested, could we ask Miss Ning to take action? If we could capture alive a Descent Society 'superhuman,' perhaps it would help us find a countermeasure more quickly."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ying lifted her gaze to the treatment room, where Ning Jinli, having just finished treatment, was peacefully asleep.

After a few seconds of thought, she said, "I will first hold a meeting with my team to review the emergency meeting's contents together, and then I will speak with the higher‑ups."

"Yes, General Shangguan."

In the following days, Ning Jinli remained asleep.

On Shangguan Ying's side, the research team, relying on the monsters' remains, worked day and night to produce a response system.

Combining satellite surveillance with biotechnology, they search the globe 24/7; once detected, they dispatch an unmanned combat team to launch a lethal assault.

Whether it be drones or other land‑, sea‑, and air‑series intelligent weapons, all are equipped with ammunition specifically designed against monsters.

Thus, this can greatly reduce casualties among combat personnel.

But this method of immediately exterminating and destroying after detection, while more effective at protecting civilians and combat personnel, cannot capture monsters alive.

To study them in depth, we still need to catch them alive.

Catching them alive means we cannot rely entirely on unmanned combat systems.

Inside a certain conference room.

A group of national‑level senior officials wore solemn, exhausted expressions, their eyes bloodshot.

Considering the monsters' terrifying combat power, even deploying the country's best special forces to capture them alive could result in heavy casualties and might cause even greater civilian losses.

"Let me go," Shangguan Ying said calmly as she pushed the door open, "If I lead the team myself, we can catch each one."

All the members here are the highest echelons of Huaxia Guo, with no outsiders present.

When Shangguan Ying entered the conference room, they all stood up together and saluted her.

Obviously, her position is not the highest, but her true identity and status are far more complex than they appear.

"We must deploy the special task force, but..." a senior official began, "but you cannot go; that would be too dangerous."

"You also said a special task force must be deployed; then, aren't the warriors who take part also in danger?" Shangguan Ying retorted.

The senior officials fell silent.

Shangguan Ying said, "I'm not putting you in a bind; I also know you fear for our soldiers even more than I do. Precisely because of that, they need me to lead them."

The seniors still did not make an immediate decision.

Shangguan Ying looked around, fixed her gaze on an elderly man with completely white hair, and called out, "He Jianhua, what do you think?"

The elder, due to physical limitations, had just been sitting while saluting Shangguan Ying.

Hearing Shangguan Ying call him, he immediately braced his hands on the chair armrests, trying to stand.

A nearby senior leader hurried to assist him.

Shangguan Ying moved with a gust at her feet, took a few steps to his side, and said, "No, you stay seated."

He Jianhua waved his hands, indicating no assistance was needed, then stubbornly relied on his own effort, stood up straight, and said, "Sister Ying, if my body weren't failing, I would still hope to fight beside you again."

The elder was estimated to be over a hundred years old, yet he addressed Shangguan Ying as Sister Ying.

Even more astonishing, everyone else present saw nothing odd about his way of addressing her.

"Leaders..." He Jianhua's already clouded eyes still bore a fierce look, "If you don't agree, Sister Ying, I'll go farm in the countryside tomorrow! Don't even think of sending anyone to bring me back for retirement!"

At his words, the others were taken aback.

"No way, Mr. He!"

"You are, apart from Senior Shangguan, the only living top‑tier combat hero in our nation; if we don't take good care of you, how can we answer to the country!"

"Mr. He, please don't act rashly; consider my words..."

Facing the crowd's frantic pleas, Mr. He snorted and said, "No one knows Sister Ying's abilities better than I do! She can still lead soldiers into battle herself, so you should support her! Let me ask you, in this world, who has more combat experience than her? Having her lead the team better ensures the safety of our young soldiers, doesn't it?"

Shangguan Ying smiled, "Indeed, as expected of the troops I trained; they understand perfectly."

A few senior leaders who held decision power exchanged glances, then finally decided, agreeing to Shangguan Ying's proposal.

Soon, a combat unit personally selected and led by Shangguan Ying was formed.

The unit was small, but each member was an elite among elites, equipped with various high‑tech gear and backed by a technical team of over a hundred people, simultaneously gathering intel on possible humanoid monster sightings, intensifying simulated training, and awaiting the next monster emergence.

Meanwhile, after regaining her physical condition, Ning Jinli continued to search parallel worlds one after another.

A little over a month later, humanoid monsters reappeared.

The first time, there were only eight humanoid monsters, and they launched a surprise attack on an ordinary city in an African nation.

When they appeared a second time, they headed straight for the multinational alliance research base that Huaxia Guo had established in Antarctica, and this batch numbered over thirty.

Shangguan Ying swiftly led the combat unit to the Antarctic landmass.

In another world.

Ning Hai's trans‑oceanic corps, aboard warships, reached the Dongyi Archipelago region, swiftly occupying several uninhabited islands and rapidly constructing a cluster of military bases.

Within a week, the corps' combat personnel were assembled and, under Lu Xingfeng's command, marched straight for the longest, largest island among the archipelago.

At that moment, on the island that would later become the Dongyi Island nation, the indigenous residents of various tribes were still living their ordinary daily lives.

Young men hunted with stone tools; young women made Ceramic Jars or wove clothing from plant fibers; children, under elders' guidance, learned hunting and crop‑cultivation.

Some collaborated to build Thatched Huts, while others engaged in simple carving creations.

At the same time, some tribes were fighting over territory, slaughtering each other in bloody combat.

No one on the island could imagine that their apocalypse had already arrived.

"President Lu, should we conduct an amphibious assault or blanket the area with artillery?" a officer on the flagship asked Lu Xingfeng.

Lu Xingfeng replied, "Against a bunch of savage natives, there's no need to waste artillery; our soldiers probably also want to savor the thrill of slaughter."

The officer's eyes brimmed with blood‑thirsty desire, his pupils flashing an excited red glow.

For many years, from officers down to soldiers, their inner savagery has been fully awakened; they once slaughtered and conquered the entire Americas, and now, after more than three months without tasting blood, they are on the brink of madness.

"Yes, President, I understand!" the officer said immediately, "I will now order the entire army to land on the island!"

Soon, wave after wave of fully armed, crazed soldiers carrying melee weapons and individual firearms stormed the beach, eyes gleeful as they rushed into the forest.

Lu Xingfeng, via Drone, sat in the command room, drinking and watching.

He had lost interest in such slaughter, as the narrow island was merely a stepping stone for his assault on the Asian Zhong Yuan region.

"Ye Zhiqiu, Ye Zhiqiu, we will meet soon," Lu Xingfeng said, looking up through the window toward the distance, a cold grin forming, "Not even the Tian Shu Sect, even Xuan Guo, can survive a single finger of mine. When that day comes, I will make you crawl at my feet and watch me become the supreme king over Huaxia! Hahaha!"