Chapter 522: The Might of the Bombardment Gun

Lei En's eyes quickly adjusted to the light, and a wave of heat poured into the cavern from the opening; the air grew stifling and hot, making one unwilling to stay any longer in the cramped space.

"It's safe outside."

De Jike surveyed the world outside, then turned back and shouted, "Kin, my lord, everyone may come out now."

The minotaurs rode Kodo Beasts toward the light, sprinting up the stone path and out of the cavern.

The Extreme Warriors followed.

Lei En's Kodo Beast reached the far end above the stone path, slowly stepping out of the cavern's gate, revealing a desolate landscape.

Looking up, the sky was shrouded in endless darkness, with not a single star visible; the profound blackness seemed to devour the world, evoking an indescribable dread and oppression. The only light source was the sun, yet it appeared to be swallowed by the terrifying darkness, its color dimming like a slanting sunset barely above the horizon, ready to set at any moment.

This sun, outlined in black, cast a afterglow that tinged everything on the ground with a layer of red.

The soil was red, the rocks were red, and the gravel was red as well.

There was nothing else.

Lei En extended the range of his Soul Eye to its maximum and found the world appeared "flat"—the ground had no curvature, no modest hills could be discerned, and the view was unobstructed, reaching hundreds of li.

The darkness above was abnormal; it was the Void!

True Void is the distant space between planes, not empty but filled with raging, chaotic energy; getting lost within it is almost impossible to return, exceedingly dangerous.

Ai Lun E Si's world has only a single sun.

No matter which plane one looks from, the sun is the same; the solar anomaly seen here is not a problem of the sun but of the plane itself.

Lei En guessed that some rule of this plane had been twisted or incomplete, causing the sun to appear anomalous when observed from within. Unsurprisingly, the cause of the plane's fragmentation and rule distortion was the battle between the God of Blazing Sun and the Sun God over ten thousand years ago!

"So it is the shattered Remnant Sun..."

Lei En let out a sigh in his heart, simultaneously stunned by the deities' earth-shattering power.

This world reminded him of the Martian photos he had seen in a past life—barren, dry, lifeless—but unlike Mars, the Remnant Sun Plane was scorching, with temperatures around thirty‑five degrees despite the sun seeming far away, and not a breath of wind, oppressively hot.

Fortunately, Lei En had enchanted his Extreme Warrior armor with a temperature‑regulating spell; otherwise the heat would be unbearable, draining stamina and reducing combat effectiveness.

The Sunwalker tribe's minotaurs were accustomed to the environment and began urging their Kodo Beasts forward.

Lei En turned to look at the cavern exit, situated at the foot of a low, rock‑strewn hill; after De Jike and the others emerged, they moved the boulder back to block the opening.

"My lord, we should set out," De Jike said.

"Very well."

Lei En nodded; earlier De Jike had mentioned that the teleportation array was far from the God of Blazing Sun's tomb, and riding a Kodo Beast straight to the target would still take over ten days.

If danger or battle arose en route, it would require even more time.

A Kodo Beast's speed is not outstanding among mounts, but it excels in steadiness, can bear two to three thousand pounds, and has lasting stamina, able to run continuously for a day and night, adapting to most harsh environments.

Soon after, the party moved away from the hill where the teleportation array stood.

De Jike thoughtfully dispatched several Sunwalkers behind the party to conceal the Kodo Beasts' footprints, earning Lei En's silent praise for his meticulousness.

They advanced while observing the surrounding environment.

The Remnant Sun Plane is extremely water‑scarce, oppressively hot and dry, yet scattered vegetation stubbornly grows among the gravel and stone cracks, with a fair variety. They are desert plants with deep, extensive root systems, thick, water‑storing stems and leaves exposed above ground.

In any area where plants grow, nearby hidden crevices and underground caves host creature activity, including formidable monsters.

The Voice of All Things heard the screeching sounds of their movement.

The Remnant Sun Plane is far more vibrant than its barren surface suggests, though most life hides underground, unseen.

After moving a short while, Lei En noticed a phenomenon.

The Remnant Sun on the horizon moved.

But its direction differed from that of the Prime Material Plane; it neither set nor rose, but moved laterally, seemingly circling along the horizon, never setting nor ever climbing overhead, as if eternally unchanging.

"Extreme Day phenomenon?" Lei En was unsure, after all this was not Earth.

He nudged his Kodo Beast a bit closer to De Jike, running side by side, and asked aloud, "Chief, does Atas's sun travel sideways?"

"My lord has noticed," De Jike laughed, "Atas's sun forever hangs on the horizon; the world revolves around it, making direction hard to discern, but that does not trouble us Sunwalkers."

Lei En showed interest, "How do you determine direction?"

"Two methods," De Jike said, extending two massive fingers. "First, observe the sun; its shape changes subtly over the day, discernible only to those who wield Holy Light. Second, observe the plants—Atas's vegetation grows under the sun's influence in regular patterns; careful study reveals direction, a technique commonly used by the locals."

Without waiting for Lei En to ask, he volunteered, "I can teach the second method to my lord."

Then De Jike gave a detailed briefing on seven or eight common Atas plants and how to use them for navigation. He also covered general information about Atas, hazardous zones, monstrous beasts, and indigenous races.

Lei En listened attentively, when suddenly the Voice of All Things heard an incomprehensible language.

The sound came from several li ahead, vague but discernible, involving over a hundred individuals; he caught fragments that resembled troll speech.

"Desert trolls?" Lei En guessed.

De Jike had just mentioned the race; desert trolls are Atas's primary sentient beings, ferocious in nature. Lacking metal and tools, they survive by hunting beasts and insects, their tenacious vitality allowing them to thrive in sizable, primitive tribes across Atas.

As they drew nearer, the Voice of All Things heard a strong heartbeat.

Each was no less formidable than a transcendent, some even of high‑tier strength, hidden behind the low hills, ready to ambush.

"Stop," Lei En commanded.

The Extreme Warrior immediately halted the Kodo Beast, but the minotaurs were puzzled, and the party instantly split into two groups.

"Kin, cease advancing," De Jike shouted, then turned to Lei En, who noticed nothing amiss.

Lei En gave no explanation, calmly saying, "Prepare for battle."

As he spoke, a mass of figures appeared on a hill over five hundred meters ahead, brandishing bone spears as they charged down.

"Desert trolls!" the minotaurs shouted.

These trolls had brown‑gray, cracked skin from chronic dehydration, emaciated limbs, bare torsos, a strip of leather or grass rope around their waists, and some were completely naked, their snarling bodies swaying at the hips.

They could not wait for the target to enter the ambush zone, shouting chaotic war cries, baring mouths full of black fangs.

Lei En knew some troll tongue, but the desert trolls' language differed greatly from the Prime Material Plane's troll speech; he could only grasp a few words.

"Meat!"

"Kill... eat meat..."

The desert ogres saw one kodo beast after another, their murky eyes seeming to glow. Their bodies were gaunt, standing over two meters tall when upright, with long arms and legs, and they ran extremely fast; within a few seconds, several stronger ogres had surged a third of the distance.

The minotaurs, after the initial surprise, did not fall into panic.

They leapt off the kodo beasts, shielding their mounts behind them, forming two orderly rows, their bodies radiating golden holy light to empower themselves and their kin; under the leadership of two legendary Sunwalkers, they fearlessly faced the ugly enemies that outnumbered them severalfold.

De Jike stayed at the rear to command, not acting immediately.

Over a hundred poorly equipped desert ogres could be dealt with by the tribe alone.

He looked at Lei En beside him and saw that the lord also had no intention to act, but among the heavily armored warriors, ten raised their weapons. He had heard that the Empire popularized a weapon called the Soul Gun, and thought this must be the Soul Gun.

At such a distance, it was unlikely to kill the desert ogres with their strong regenerative ability.

Before De Jike's thought could settle, the gunfire sounded.

Boom!

Boom boom boom boom boom...

It sounded like countless thunderclaps right by the ears, explosions merging together, nearly shaking De Jike off the kodo beast's back, his eardrums stinging.

The Sunwalker at the front of the formation was startled, turned back in shock, and saw the Extreme Warrior's weapon spewing crimson flames, heat waves rolling.

The kodo beasts under the Extreme Warrior struggled with the Bolt Gun's recoil, but thanks to years of training they were not startled; their hooves dug into the ground, bodies lowered, and their massive weight absorbed the powerful kickback.

The moment the Bolt Gun fired, desert ogres that had rushed within two hundred meters seemed to be hit by shells.

The Explosive Shell easily pierced their bodies and detonated inside.

The towering desert ogre instantly shattered, its high‑temperature flame and metal shards tearing its flesh and injuring a neighboring ogre severely. Before the wounded ogre could fall, it was struck by another Explosive Shell, exploding into a heap of gore.

In the deafening gunfire, a dozen desert ogres were brutally struck head‑on, leaving no remains.

Yet this was only the beginning.

The Extreme Warrior adjusted the barrel, sweeping toward the ogres behind; each Explosive Shell, like a death‑bringing reaper, instantly crossed hundreds of meters to strike the ogres.

The power of any Explosive Shell equaled a Three‑ring Spell, firing rapidly and densely; the ogres were reduced to fragments before they could react. This devastating damage rendered their Regeneration Element useless, leaving no chance to flee.

After a few seconds, the gunfire ceased.

De Jike and the minotaurs were stunned; their eyes, already the size of copper bells, widened even more, taking a long time to recover.

Over a hundred desert ogres, none remained standing.

On the distant ground, no intact limbs could be found; blood soaked the soil, then was scorched black by the heat, as if bombarded by spells.

"Anse is above!"

"This!"

"Such power, such range..."

"Too terrifying!"

De Jike was profoundly shocked, feeling the hair on his head stand up. Putting himself in their shoes, if he and his tribe faced such an attack, aside from himself and the two legendary Sunwalkers, probably no one would survive!

Even a novice legendary, if focused on by these warriors, couldn't endure more than a few breaths!

The minotaurs stared at the Extreme Warrior, their gaze fixed on the Bolt Gun emitting white smoke, faces full of amazement and deep reverence. Even Bo Erqi, who saw a Bolt Gun for the first time, was dumbfounded, his scalp tingling.

De Jike sharply looked at Lei En, trembling as he asked, "Lord, is this the Empire's Soul Gun?"

"Not all Soul Guns possess this power," Lei En explained modestly. "This is a Bolt Gun I recently succeeded in creating; fewer than thirty exist worldwide."

De Jike let out a sigh of relief.

If Soul Guns were all this powerful, it would be terrifying, making him doubt what the outside world had become and whether he was outdated.

"So it's called a Bolt Gun... only thirty of them, surely very precious," he said, giving Lei En a deep look. A wizard capable of forging such a powerful weapon, worthy of being a student of the Holy Soul Wizard, was fortunate to be on his side.

Beside him, Bo Erqi could hardly contain himself, "Boss, could you give me a Bolt Gun?"

"Here you go."

Lei En took a Bolt Gun from the Nebula Ring and casually tossed it to Bo Erqi. While explaining how to operate it, he encoded Bo Erqi's soul‑wave frequency into the gun's spirit‑engraved stone, unlocking firing permission.

Bo Erqi hadn't expected Lei En to be so generous; his face lit up with delight as he eagerly began studying it.

De Jike saw the scene and his pupils instantly contracted.

Such a precious weapon, and Lei En handed one out so casually—it was unimaginable. Not only him, the surrounding minotaurs whispered among themselves, some feeling stirred.

Lei En noticed the reaction and smiled inwardly.

The cost of a Bolt Gun plus the ammo in its dimensional magazine alone was eighteen thousand Gold Shields; fewer than thirty exist in total. Normally he wouldn't be so generous to Bo Erqi, but showing generosity before this group of minotaurs might serve as an effective recruitment tactic.

De Jike finally restrained his questions, letting the minotaurs reorganize their formation and continue onward.

Along the road ahead, the murmurs of all things occasionally carried the Sunwalkers' whispers; their eyes kept turning to the Extreme Warrior and the Bolt Gun, making Lei En grin slyly, clearly having taken the bait.

However, this was only the beginning; they were still far from successful recruitment.

Lei En focused his mind, opened the phone interface, and the Soul Power Pool's reserves rose after a long time, all converted from the souls of those over a hundred desert ogres.

(End of Chapter)