Chapter 343: A Cataclysm Unleashed
by xennovel“Ah, ah, ah…!!!”
A strangled scream lodged in his throat, jolting everyone from their stupor.
With the sound of bones shattering, there came a wet ‘thwack’—Zhang Teng’s lower half was blasted into the hard concrete like a tomato crushed by a giant hammer.
Debris flew everywhere.
His legs shattered, and a searing pain blasted from his broken shoulder blades. In an instant, Zhang Teng’s eyes went completely white as unbearable agony overwhelmed him into unconsciousness.
Amid the chaos,
scalding blood splattered into Chen Feng’s agape mouth. Reflexively, he licked the blood, only to have his face drain of color the very next second.
The bitter tang of iron rust hit him, and he instantly grasped the gravity of the situation.
No… no!
How could this be!!
Why did the system announce this?! And why are there still monsters on the loose?!
The sudden onset of a secondary catastrophe completely upended all his plans.
With his wits, he never could have imagined what was coming next…
It’s over. Everything is over!
Meanwhile,
under the crushing dual impact, every Awakener instinctively stepped back two paces. In the intimidating aura unleashed by Liang Lie, even breathing became a struggle.
No one could fathom the sheer terror of Liang Lie’s power.
Just one punch had left the high-level Zhang Teng grievously injured.
Perhaps Zhang Teng had never expected anyone to dare strike him; or maybe his mind had been solely focused on Li Hai.
Or perhaps… like everyone else, he was shaken to his core by that cold system notice.
But one thing was clear to all…
Everything had turned upside down. The grand multi-faction brawl had ended in an absurd twist almost as soon as it began.
Now, the stage was occupied by nothing but the steadfast youth.
Yenir was right.
A disaster significant enough to merit a system alert had proven everything.
An A+ disaster, a Peak Third-Stage Sea Beast, a Battle Zone mission…
Together, they formed a catastrophe that the Huaxia Battle Zone had not seen in twenty-seven years.
The destruction of the East Sea had already been too costly—a loss that could never be allowed to happen…
It had all come down to whether the explosion was premature or if there was still a chance to save it.
Though a single word—possible or impossible—would decide the outcome of everything.
If there was no reason to destroy the East Sea, then Yenir’s actions would be considered unforgivable—condemning a million survivors for his recklessness and demanding severe punishment…
But if the East Sea had to be sacrificed to halt the Sea Beast’s pursuit…
Then Yenir stood calm in the face of crisis, decisive and prioritizing the people’s safety—an undeniable hero of the East Sea Battle Zone!
Even if theoretically there was still a 99% chance of salvaging the East Sea without total destruction.
That one reason would silence any criticism!
Who would dare criticize? Who would say Yenir was wrong? Who would claim that the East Sea mattered less than human lives?!
Anyone stepping forward would face righteous attacks from all sides!
And precisely because of that, the moment the announcement rang out—even if Yenir temporarily lost his protective status—Liang Lie still chose to act.
He knew full well that it wouldn’t be long before the Military restored everything Yenir had lost at record speed!
All allegations would be wiped clean, and public opinion would swiftly pivot to crown Yenir as a hero!
Such is the nature of politics.
Once the decisive outcome was reached, the previously aggressive factions would instantly fall silent, becoming as docile as maidens awaiting harvest.
Like a row of dominoes, even the neutral or indifferent high-ups would quickly switch sides, ruthlessly stomping down the most outspoken opposition.
Taking down those already down is something many excel at.
“Whap!”
He extended his right hand.
Facing a crowd too intimidated to strike him, Yenir stepped on Zhang Teng’s body and strode up to Chen Feng. He grabbed Chen Feng’s collar without hesitation.
Locking eyes with him, Chen Feng’s previous arrogance had drained away, replaced by the trembling terror of a forsaken stray dog.
“You can’t lay a hand on me… you can’t hit me!”
“It was Committee Member Lu who sent me… I’m serving the Military…”
“Screw your service!”
Smack!
Watching Chen Feng, now flustered and at a loss for words yet still daring to threaten him, Yenir sneered coldly. With his left hand, scarred by torn gauntlets, he let out an ear-piercing shriek and delivered a savage slap across Chen Feng’s face.
“Weren’t you all cocky just a moment ago?! Huh?!”
“Am I guilty?!”
Smack!!!
“I’m sorry for the East Sea?”
Smack!!!
“Am I a heinous criminal?!”
Bang!!
….
One slap after another; in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen slaps rained mercilessly onto Chen Feng’s face.
Thanks to his equipment’s special effect, each slap left afterimages overlapping, turning Chen Feng’s face into a pig’s snout as blood sprayed in a graceful arc.
Even though his level was a notch higher than Yenir’s, he now looked dumbfounded, trembling uncontrollably.
As the Military soldiers witnessed Yenir’s brutal assault, they couldn’t help but feel a chill—they even forgot to intervene in their bewilderment.
In truth, they no longer knew what to do.
Their leading representative dared not issue further orders; caught off guard by the sudden reversal, they were at a loss.
So arrogant… so domineering…
What a tragedy…
Instinctively, several soldiers, who had joined Chen Feng in apprehending Yenir, took several steps back, their necks tensing up.
Their slightly open mouths betrayed the sheer terror they felt.
Just as the rumors said—the kid was ruthless when seeking revenge. No matter who it was, he’d go all out!
They might have thought capturing Yenir was an honor before, but now…
With Zhang Teng battered into a state between life and death and Chen Feng being beaten by Yenir,
they all wished they could run away immediately, terrified of being targeted by Yenir. If he shouted ‘Liang Lie’ once more, they were sure they’d be beaten into the ground!
No—being caught and thrashed by this kid was absolutely out of the question!
“Ahhhhh!!”
“I’m… gonna be screwed!”
Perhaps finally snapping back to reality, Chen Feng—his face half shattered by the blows—went into a frenzied state. Under Yenir’s colossal humiliation, his eyes turned bloodshot, and as if losing all reason, he prepared to strike.
Mumbling incoherently, he drew a slicing wind blade with a twisted grimace and leapt to hack at Yenir’s head.
Chen Feng, the esteemed representative stationed in the capital, had never endured such disgrace!
Each slap from Yenir seemed to crush his very dignity! In his shattered mind, all he could think of was killing this bastard!
Yet faced with an utterly berserk Chen Feng, Yenir merely sneered. With a deft sidestep, he reappeared right behind Liang Lie.
You wanna fight me to the death?!
You think you’re worthy?!
Casually flicking off the dried blood from his hand, Yenir shouted without a hint of remorse:
“Uncle Liang! Get him!”
His face twitched.
Even Liang Lie, usually as unmoved as wood, couldn’t help but flinch.
But without much emotion, he chose to act.
Boom!!!
A powerful punch sent a fresh mist of blood arcing into the air.
Like Zhang Teng earlier, a struggling Chen Feng was instantly slammed into the ground, his fate uncertain.
From the sky, the two looked like carrots violently jammed into concrete, a vision of utter misery…
………….
One minute later.
Rain pelted down like soybeans as a torrential downpour began.
Rain washed over, creating ripples tinged with blood.
Under the darkened sky, Yenir hovered slightly above the ground, surveying the scene.
He looked down at the mass of Awakeners too intimidated to meet his gaze and softly asked:
“Who’s next?”
In the next moment, the Awakeners surrounding him slowly retreated in silence, their actions speaking volumes.
Seeing this,
with a slight chuckle, Yenir suddenly turned his head toward Li Hai as if struck by an idea:
“Captain Li?”
“Care to come with me for a ride?”
A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the young man’s side profile.
Looking up, Li Hai seemed momentarily stunned before, as if compelled by fate, he muttered:
“Alright…?”
…………….
Whoosh-whoosh—whoosh-whoosh
At the standby airport, everyone stared in disbelief as Yenir and his group took flight, the deafening roar of engines slicing through the air.
Only when the dark speck vanished did several mid-level Awakeners, their expressions conflicted, begin reporting the situation.
They had no idea where Yenir had disappeared to.
But they knew…
The heavens had changed.