Chapter 84: The Great Era

YueGui, undeterred, drew another short sword and struck at the golden light shield once more!

This time, he aimed with the sword tip.

Crack—!

With a sharp sound, the tip of the sword broke off a chunk, but the golden light shield remained… completely undamaged.

YueGui: ...

"Sorry, I have this [Yaoguang] protection on me. This kind of thing can't hurt me!" BaiLi PoPo said cheerfully, pointing at the necklace on her chest, then adding, "By the way, its serial number is 171, ranked as a high-risk Superpower!"

The next moment, the golden shield surrounding BaiLi PoPo gathered together and transformed into two rapidly spinning light wheels, hurtling toward YueGui from both sides!

YueGui quickly retreated, his form blurring as he vanished into the air.

"Invisibility?" BaiLi PoPo raised an eyebrow, pulling an old monocle from her pocket and putting it on her nose.

The lens of the monocle flashed a faint blue glow, and BaiLi PoPo tilted her head, waving her hand gently. The two light wheels pierced through the air!

Clang clang—!

Two short swords emerged from the void, blocking the light wheels. YueGui staggered, looking at BaiLi PoPo in surprise.

"You can see me?"

"[True Vision], serial number 315, designed to break illusions and falsehoods." BaiLi PoPo pushed her monocle up, grinning.

"...You're the young master of the BaiLi family?" YueGui seemed to realize something.

"Please don't call me young master, I'm just an ordinary kid from a regular family," BaiLi PoPo replied seriously.

YueGui: ...

"Cough, cough, seeing them all so fired up, it's time for me to contribute a bit too."

BaiLi PoPo reached into her pocket, and with YueGui staring in disbelief, pulled out...

A broom!

Not a regular house broom, but a large street-sweeping broom made of tightly bound twigs!

BaiLi PoPo swung the broom hard toward YueGui!

A gust of wind, crackling with electric arcs, shattered the brick debris ahead, but the wind didn't weaken. Instead, it surged toward YueGui with even greater force!

YueGui: =????(???????)WTF=????(???????)━damn!!!!

No time to think, YueGui's body turned into moonlight, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, the wind didn't die down and rushed straight toward the chaotic battle between Molly and Rose!

The hammer and katana collided several times, and both fighters turned around in alarm, seeing the furious storm of thunderous winds, and shouted "Crap!"

Immediately, they ran in the opposite direction!

"Fatty! Can't you aim properly?!" Molly shouted at BaiLi PoPo.

"Cough, cough, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…" BaiLi PoPo repeatedly bowed and apologized, then quickly put the broom back in her pocket, pulling out a big sword instead!

YueGui: ???

Are you Doraemon?!

"[Thunderstorm] is out of the question, so I guess I'll have to use this," BaiLi PoPo said, mimicking Doraemon's pose, raising the big sword high. "[One Transforms into Three Thousand]!"

Whoosh—!!

The big sword in BaiLi PoPo's hand split into countless shadowy forms, densely hanging in the air, their tips aimed at the ground where YueGui stood, radiating a chilling gleam.

YueGui swallowed nervously.

Is this... the heritage of the Forbidden Item Museum?

Isn't this cheating?!

BaiLi PoPo lightly swung the sword in her hand, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Kill!!"

Three thousand sword beams rained down like a storm, gathering into a dragon of swords, roaring toward YueGui!

YueGui also took a deep breath…

And shouted:

"Vortex, save me!!"

At the same time, Vortex, who had been struggling with Shen Qingzhu, twitched his mouth, seizing the opportunity to sprint toward YueGui. Shen Qingzhu narrowed his eyes and followed closely, using wind manipulation!

Just as the sword dragon was about to engulf YueGui, a purple vortex opened, devouring most of the sword shadows. YueGui seized the chance and dodged.

But the next moment, a blade, burning with black flames, flew past his head!

YueGui turned around, only to find Cao Yuan, looking like a demon, standing behind him with a grim smile.

"Balance, save me!!"

…

Underground.

The instructors watched in stunned silence as the battle unfolded, looking like gods fighting in the ruins.

Vortex, Rose, Balance, YueGui, BaiLi PoPo, Molly, Shen Qingzhu, and Cao Yuan were caught in a chaotic melee, with attacks flying everywhere. The screen was shaking so violently that it almost cut out.

Bang—! A loud crash came from above, and dust started to fall from the ceiling. The lights in the monitoring room flickered.

Instructors: ...

"...Should we move to another place? Won't they collapse the whole structure?"

"They shouldn't… This is ten meters underground. How could they…"

"Do you think this level of combat could come from a bunch of dim-witted people?" One instructor pointed at the screen. The room fell silent again.

"I suddenly feel that the commander's decision to send the [Mask] squad to hold the line was really wise!"

The instructors all nodded furiously!

If they had followed the old methods, having the instructors fight the new recruits, that would have been a disaster.

"Such talent has emerged during a training session…" Yuan Gang slowly leaned back in his chair, a smile curling on his lips. "Maybe in a few years, the vacant fifth special squad will be formed."

"Commander… Do you think they could form the fifth special squad in the future?" one instructor asked in shock. "You hold them in such high regard?"

"In these past two years, mysterious events in Great Xia have grown more frequent and powerful. Besides the Nightwatchers stationed in various cities, the four special squads have been stretched thin. The higher-ups in the Nightwatchers have already started planning to reorganize the fifth special squad."

Yuan Gang's fingers drummed on the table as he continued, "After the Blue Rain squad was destroyed, the fifth special squad has been vacant due to the lack of candidates. But I see hope in these kids."

"Fate is unpredictable. Some of them may fall in battle, some may retreat to distant lands, but there will certainly be those among them… who will grow to become the true pillars of the nation and form the fifth special squad."

Yuan Gang finished, his gaze falling on a specific screen.

"Perhaps… a great era is about to begin…"

…

As dusk deepened and night fell, the battlefield grew quiet.

Standing on the edge of the ruins, Wang Mian observed the distant scene, as if an outsider.

There, a young man, holding a sword, was slowly walking toward him.

Wang Mian smiled slightly as he saw the figure.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."