Chapter 104: Standing Firm (Third Update, Please Support with Votes)

“Sixfold Thunder Slash!”

Amidst the horde of zombies, Ke Bei suddenly let out a fierce roar, his muscles rippling like waves.

Swish!

His broadsword flashed like lightning, six streaks of silver light cutting through the air in an instant. These six faint silver gleams converged into one, their dim glow suddenly intensifying to a blinding brilliance.

Boom!

Without invoking any internal energy, relying solely on his raw strength amplified by the Sixfold Thunder Slash technique, Ke Bei’s power now rivaled that of nearly a thousand ordinary men!

Such force, even compared to a full-strength strike from a high-level Divine Being, was scarcely inferior. The blade tore through the air, generating a shockwave that sent all zombies within three meters flying.

Though the blade hadn’t touched them directly, the terrifying air currents cleaved every zombie within that radius to pieces.

“Hahahaha! The Sixfold Thunder Slash is mastered!”

A trace of joy lit up Ke Bei’s face. He had been cultivating the Ninefold Thunder Slash for over a month, but given his talent, he had only managed to wield the fifth level. Whether the sixth could be unleashed depended on luck—and poor fortune might mean dozens of failed attempts.

“But actual combat is far more effective than solitary practice,” Ke Bei mused, a subtle smile playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He hadn’t expected that after battling the zombies for a while, he would suddenly manifest the sixth level of the Thunder Slash—and wield it with such ease.

A faint intuition stirred within him: he seemed to have discovered the key to executing the sixth level perfectly. With one more strike, he was confident—nine out of ten—that he could unleash the technique again successfully.

“Let’s try once more!”

Ke Bei smiled faintly as he slowly lifted his broadsword. Just as he prepared to strike again, his gaze sharpened. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a group of Divine Beings charging towards him.

“Heh heh, finally can’t resist making a move, huh?”

A cold killing intent burst forth in Ke Bei’s eyes. Those Divine Beings daring to charge now were most likely high-level.

“Roar!”

Leading the charge was a high-level Divine Being with a grotesque scar across his forehead. He howled fiercely into the sky. At his roar, the zombies surrounding Ke Bei ceased their growling and slowly backed away. Tens of thousands of zombies retreated in unison, their terrifying momentum like a raging tide suddenly receding.

As the zombies withdrew, over ten thousand low-level Divine Beings, indistinguishable in appearance from humans, slowly encircled Ke Bei, forming a ring roughly five hundred meters in diameter. The low-level Divine Beings stood on the outermost edge, nearly a thousand mid-level Divine Beings formed the inner ring, all with solemn expressions fixated on Ke Bei, ready to strike at any moment.

Ke Bei stood calmly in place, allowing them to encircle him. After a brief pause, the ring parted slightly. Ninety-eight high-level Divine Beings, faces radiating regal arrogance like emperors, strode in formation, creating a fan-shaped encirclement that tightly surrounded Ke Bei.

“Hahaha, no need to put on such a grand display to welcome me, right?”

Ke Bei’s smile deepened, his killing intent growing ever stronger. This was exactly the outcome he desired.

If the Divine Beings had scattered, killing them would have been difficult. Now, gathered together, it would be much easier.

“Hmm? Wait, one high-level Divine Being is missing!”

Ke Bei’s eyes swept coldly over the fan-shaped circle. There should have been one hundred high-level Divine Beings at the stronghold. Having slain one, ninety-nine should remain, yet only ninety-eight were visible now.

“Human!”

Just as Ke Bei furrowed his brow in confusion, a cold, low voice suddenly rang out.

“Daring to offend our Divine Tribe alone—I admire your courage…”

The high-level Divine Being with the scarred forehead took two slow steps forward, his gaze icy as he looked at Ke Bei, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

“But sometimes such courage only leads to death!”

“I relish the torment of human geniuses like you!”

The scarred high-level Divine Being grinned wickedly and suddenly stepped forward.

“So you should feel lucky—lucky to die at my hands!”

“Brothers, attack together!”

Though boastful, the scarred Divine Being was cautious. He dared not get too close, for Ke Bei had just killed a high-level Divine Being. Exchanging glances with his companions, he suddenly shouted a cold command.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

At his shout, the ninety-eight high-level Divine Beings surrounding Ke Bei sprang into action simultaneously.

“Come then!”

Ke Bei smiled coldly as the high-level Divine Beings charged in from all directions. This was exactly the moment he had awaited. If he could annihilate these high-level Divine Beings with thunderous force, the remaining mid- and low-level Divine Beings would pose no threat.

Boom!

Ke Bei slowly plunged his broadsword behind him, clenched his fists tightly, and unleashed the full, unrestrained might of his Nine Suns Divine Art from his dantian.

Boom! Boom!

Dozens of sonic booms erupted simultaneously as dozens of fists, carrying terrifying gale-force winds, pounded against Ke Bei’s body.

Whoosh!

Ke Bei’s expression turned grim. He instantly pushed the Limbo Step technique to its limit, his body dissolving into multiple afterimages, moving with blinding speed. Yet even so, the high-level Divine Beings were no slouches. Though the Limbo Step was mysterious and elusive, twenty-nine of the howling fists still struck him within a moment.

Boom!

Ke Bei was blasted backward. At the same time, the scorching internal power within his fists struck four Divine Beings, causing their spiritual cores to shatter instantly. The four staggered, their pupils dilating before lifelessness claimed them.

Bang!

As the four fell, Ke Bei slammed hard onto the ground. Struck simultaneously by twenty-nine high-level Divine Beings, the force was overwhelming. His body was driven into the earth, almost completely submerged.

“Human, die!”

Within an instant, four comrades had been slain by Ke Bei. Furious, the remaining high-level Divine Beings surged forward, stomping viciously on Ke Bei’s half-buried form.

Boom!

Just as they were about to trample him, a tremendous explosion erupted. Ke Bei slammed his palm onto the ground, unleashing a burst of Nine Suns Divine Art energy. The massive recoil thrust his body upward over ten meters.

“Die!”

Ke Bei’s body crashed down like a meteor, all his internal energy pouring into a single palm strike aimed at six high-level Divine Beings beneath him.

Invisible internal force surged like a hurricane, crashing into the stunned Divine Beings’ bodies.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The scorching power shattered the spiritual cores of all six instantly.

Within two breaths, ten high-level Divine Beings had fallen to Ke Bei.

Dressed in black battle attire, broadsword slung on his back, Ke Bei resembled a grim reaper from hell. After slaying six high-level Divine Beings, he did not pause. Pushing Limbo Step to its utmost, he darted into the midst of the enemy, leaving afterimages in his wake. His clenched fists hammered the high-level Divine Beings relentlessly. Whenever struck, a searing internal force surged into their bodies, shattering their spiritual cores at the brow.

Ke Bei paid no heed to their attacks; his goal was to swiftly eliminate all high-level Divine Beings. Thus, he relied on the invincible defense of his Vajra Body, absorbing blow after blow.

Each time Ke Bei’s fist connected with an enemy, he was simultaneously struck by a dozen or even twenty to thirty powerful punches.

The high-level Divine Beings were maddened. Their proud and sturdy bodies counted for nothing against this human. They began to suspect Ke Bei was some demon cloaked in human skin.

Their defenses were extraordinary, yet from the start of the fight, they had relentlessly pounded Ke Bei over a thousand times. Still, his expression remained unchanged, as if those devastating blows had not even touched him.

Watching their comrades fall one by one, the remaining high-level Divine Beings felt unprecedented frustration. Their furious assaults were futile; they could only helplessly witness their brethren’s demise.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

After slaying three more high-level Divine Beings, Ke Bei took a sudden step back using Limbo Step, creating distance between himself and the others.

“Phew~”

He exhaled softly. Though he had slain seventy high-level Divine Beings during that fierce onslaught, his vast internal energy was nearly depleted.

Twenty-eight high-level Divine Beings remained, along with roughly a thousand mid-level and nearly ten thousand low-level Divine Beings. Ke Bei could no longer afford to push himself, or he would exhaust his internal energy completely. Facing such overwhelming numbers of Divine Beings and zombies, escape would become impossible.

Though unwilling, Ke Bei had no choice but to retreat for now. With the Nine Suns Divine Art, he could restore his internal energy fully within an hour. He would wait until then to resume the slaughter.

Even if the Divine Beings sought reinforcements from other strongholds, they would not return within an hour.

“Today, I’m not playing with you anymore.”

Ke Bei laughed wildly, pouring the last of his internal energy into his legs. Pushing Limbo Step to its limit, his form became a blur as he shot into the air. With a leap, he vaulted beyond the encirclement, vanishing in an instant.

(To be continued)