Getting Stronger By Fighting

A wave of information that only the Beast Nest could receive began to sweep across the entire Federal Land.

Like an electromagnetic storm, countless precision instruments were disturbed. Throughout the Federation, even in state capitals not directly affected by the Beast Nest Sky Curtain, people began to feel the panic spreading from beneath it.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Alarms blared everywhere. All departments were on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy, their expressions grim.

"Irregular code detected! Irregular code detected!"

"Attention, attention! An irregular electromagnetic wave has passed. Our database has no matching data..."

"The code is undocumented in Federation records; the information can't be deciphered..."

"Boss, they've created a new coding system that we can't crack. In other words, we've been rendered blind!"

BOOM! That night, heavy roaring sounds echoed from countless locations and hidden corners.

Similarly, this anomalous surge of electromagnetic information also startled many venerable figures and reclusive masters hidden within the Federation's giant cities.

「In the slums of a giant city.」

An old man resting at his divination stall had his eyebrows twitch slightly as he opened his eyes a little. A star-like brilliance seemed to sparkle within them, vanishing in an instant, and his eyes returned to their ordinary, kind appearance, as if it were an illusion. He glanced around. Buildings seemed to dematerialize within his gaze, distances vanished from his sight. Finally, it all resolved into a silent smile and a faint sigh as he whispered, "Each generation is worse than the last... Luckily, the will to fight our enemies is not yet dead. The Federation still has hope..."

「In an upscale residential area, there was a small, quaint bookshop.」

The white-haired, long-browed old man who owned this bookshop was engrossed in a book of anecdotes and strange tales. Suddenly, his long white eyebrows, which drooped beside his cheeks, twitched slightly, and his brow furrowed. He slowly closed the book. Its ancient, worn pages exuded an aura of vicissitude, and a title was inscribed upon them:

Getting Stronger By Fighting!

"He can fight, he can kill, he can take a beating. His skills are indeed impressive, quite like the protagonist in this book... But what does it all mean? I can't help but feel uneasy..." he muttered to himself, though it was unclear whom he was speaking of.

He rose unhurriedly and silently opened the small door to a secret chamber. Bending down, he slipped inside, revealing another world entirely—a vast library. The books, all faintly glowing, were meticulously categorized on the shelves.

Finally, the old man stopped at a bookshelf. He turned his head to look at a small, crimson-glowing booklet on the shelf, seemingly steeped in the scent of blood, and reached out to take it.

Beast Nest Phonetic Foundation Teaching!

It appeared to be an elementary textbook for an ordinary species, but the old man was instantly engrossed. His body was motionless. Aside from the sound of pages turning, one might have mistaken him for dead, devoid of any sign of life.

Elsewhere, without exception, many of the Federation's true hidden strengths, those who sensed the strange disturbance in the air, opened their eyes. Some searched, some observed, some closed their eyes in thought, some sighed in sorrow... Their only commonality was a profound love for the Federation and a willingness to use their aging bodies to eternally safeguard Earth.

Yet, for some unknown reason, even amidst the tragic scenes unfolding as the Beast Nest Sky Curtain returned, they did not intervene, merely observing the Federation's passage of days and nights in silence.

While some were perplexed and others strove to uncover the mystery, things were also happening elsewhere.

「In the Black Market District of Chu State City.」

A fat man with pointed, wide ears suddenly shrieked. Ignoring the strange looks from those around him, he fled towards the outskirts of the Black Market District as if for his life.

"No… Don't! Don't..."

"I don't want to know! I really don't want to know! Don't come after me! Don't come after me! I'm innocent! I'm innocent..."

As the fat man ran, his face contorted grotesquely, as if in immense pain. Just as he reached an alley, his legs gave way, and he stumbled and collapsed, truly losing control of his bodily functions in terror. Only by muttering like a madman, in frantic, broken phrases, could he vent the fear that made his body tremble uncontrollably.

"I don't know! I don't know anything! Please don't come for me! Please don't come for me..."

It was unclear whether his words had jinxed him or if someone had been lying in wait.

The TAP-TAP-TAP of footsteps echoed. A petite and pretty young girl stood before him, elegant and poised, her head held slightly high, like a proud Phoenix.

"Fatso, my master wants to see you. Come with me!"

The young girl's charming voice was like that of an oriole. But to the fat man, it sounded like a summons from Hell itself, plunging him into a dread akin to sinking into black flames. His eyes immediately rolled back, the whites reflecting the girl's white stockings and her clear, rouge-like complexion.

"I don't know! I know nothing! Don't come looking for me... Don't come looking for me... Don't bother me..."

The young girl lowered her head slightly, glancing at him.

"Alright."

She seemed about to give up, but then she abruptly produced a rope, looped it around the fat man's neck, and began to drag him away as if leading a dog.

The fat man grunted and choked, nearly suffocating from the rope. His eyes rolled further back as he struggled to gasp out, "I... I want to see Wang Zhan! If I don't see Wang Zhan, I won't tell you anything!"

He was a faithful follower of the Deity within the Federation. He had meticulously tracked his way to Chu State, hoping to find the footsteps of his Deity. In the context of the 'god-making' movement, Wang Zhan was that undefeatable and invincible Deity. He never imagined that with just that one step, he would enter the hunters' sights. By merely using his bloodline talent a few times, he had stumbled directly into their dangerous gaze.

The petite girl paused, turned back, and asked curiously, "Wang Zhan? Do you know him?"

The fat man could finally catch his breath. He lay prostrate on the ground, his hands, feet, and face covered in scrapes. Yet, the terror in his heart seemed to gradually dissipate as he uttered Wang Zhan's name. He immediately lifted his head, his gaze firm and solemn as he said, "I am his follower. I came to Chu State to pursue him. If you want to know the truth, then bring him before me. I will tell him everything. Of course, you must not deceive me. I know where he is right now..."

"What if he's dead?"

"...If he's dead, then I will die too. Weren't people like us, those with bloodline inheritances, always destined to be test subjects for the Federal Laboratory? Since I'm going to die anyway, why should I tell you?"

The fat man was no longer afraid; he was increasingly taking the initiative.

His enhanced hearing was driving him mad. He could hear everything, from any corner, even the sound of ants. Any vibration would send ripples through his ears, which were usually as calm as a still lake. A moment ago, he had truly thought he was going to die. That wave of sound, though inaudible to ordinary people, had felt like an entire ocean roaring in his ears. A tempestuous, pale sea, an interweaving of whole jade and shattered fragments, threatened to engulf his consciousness.

Wang Zhan likely had no idea that someone, just to see him, had journeyed all the way to Chu State, even finding the old but clean home where he had lived for over a decade.

Currently, his only desire was to kill more beasts and, while at it, break through the System's limitations. His attribute panel had been stuck at 3,599 points for so long that he had almost begun to think it was merely decorative.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"You beasts! Die for me!"

"You killed my brothers! I swear I'll be your mortal enemy for life, irreconcilable!"

"Kill them! Go to hell! If you have what it takes, drag me down with you!"

Not only Wang Zhan, but everyone around him had gone berserk. Every one of them fought with reckless abandon, charging in one direction, desperately trying to break out of the beasts' encirclement.

However, the beasts had also gone into a frenzy. Perhaps their minds remained clear, but their bodies instinctively followed the commands from the Beast Nest, raging wildly. They allowed the Human Race's blades and fists, attacks raining down on them like a torrential downpour, to strike them, determined to halt Wang Zhan and his companions.

"Die!"

Wang Zhan's wrist twisted. Though trembling slightly, he landed another heavy, precise blow squarely on the head of a leader-level beast.

Just then, a sudden palpitation gripped Wang Zhan's heart. It felt as if a sense of being spied upon permeated the air. Though fleeting, it nearly caused Wang Zhan's taut focus to waver.

What is this?

His expression changed, and he instantly turned his head toward the Four Symbols Formation. He saw the various Martial Emperors and four of the Federation's great elders, including Old Master Zao; their auras surged with the appearance of that energy wave.

It was because the Beast Nest's aura was also surging. Its white light, like a sun rising from the horizon, grew increasingly brilliant. Translucent white flames even condensed on its surface, resembling some bizarre deity from Hell.

"I've told you many times, you can't stop me. Rather than seeking death, you'd be better off returning now."

The Beast Nest roared with laughter, its words laced with an untamable arrogance, looking down upon Heaven and Earth.

The more intense its light became, the greater the pressure on the Four Symbols Formation. This was especially true for those maintaining the great formation: Yun Tianyi, Edward, Wei Daoming, Mu Dongjun, and the other 'old undying ones'. Their faces, directly crushed by the overwhelming aura, changed drastically, growing increasingly pale and ashen—a sign that their vitality and spirit were stretched to the absolute limit. Yet, they showed no sign of stopping, disregarding any long-term consequences as they continuously poured their Essence Energy and mental energy into the Four Symbols Formation, struggling to maintain this situation where they held a sliver of initiative.

However, only Wang Zhan knew what it was they were truly about to face. A mere glance filled him with an intense sense of crisis and a suffocating pressure that rendered him immobile, as if he were trapped deep within a Water Prison.

Compared to the ambushes surrounding him, what Wang Zhan sensed from the direction of the Four Symbols Formation was true, utter despair and a deathly stillness. The sheer terror of it paradoxically snapped his cowering senses back to alertness.

But did he have any way to save them right under the nose of the Beast Tide?