"Oh no… that roar…" Chu Lian's expression changed instantly. The oppressive force sweeping across the battlefield could only come from something nearing the Earth Level—a being of terrifying power.
Unlike her darkened, berserk self—Dark Chu Lian—her current power level had yet to reach its peak. She stood only at mid-Spirit Level, barely touching the threshold of high-Spirit Level. To face a pseudo-Earth Level opponent now was nothing short of madness.
Even with the Seven Illusions Bow in hand, victory was impossible. Not even Inori Yuzuriha's ultimate weapon, the Void Greatsword, when fully enhanced, could match such an enemy. At best, Inori could reach the pinnacle of Spirit Level—still leagues below a pseudo-Earth Level being.
The difference between Spirit and Earth Level was vast—most clearly shown in their command over force and natural energy. Spirit Level cultivators could only draw surrounding Spiritual Energy to themselves for use. Earth Level experts, on the other hand, could directly manipulate the world's ambient energy. Their control was faster, their attacks stronger, and their range exponentially greater.
Just look at that white-robed youth from before. With a single sword strike from kilometers away, he had grievously wounded a dragon. Unless one possessed a divine weapon like Chu Lian or Inori, even the most powerful Spirit Level fighter could barely attack beyond three hundred meters. Earth Level beings could annihilate Spirit Level opponents without ever needing to approach.
The disparity was like that between primitive tribes armed with bows and arrows facing a modern army with machine guns—an utterly one-sided massacre.
Even a pseudo-Earth Level might not rival a true Earth Level master, but its power still vastly exceeded the peak of Spirit Level. To think one could bridge such a gap through talent or equipment alone was pure fantasy. Against overwhelming power, the weak could do nothing—the instinctive fear of facing a higher life form was something no amount of courage could erase.
"What do I do? Why would something this strong even appear here? The most powerful of these zombies shouldn't have even broken past the upper limits of Spirit Level—so why is there one approaching Earth Level?!" Chu Lian forced herself to stay calm. She was the core of this group. Anyone else could panic, but not her. If she lost control, everyone here would die.
"The U.S. military couldn't possibly have forced a near-Earth Level zombie out of its own territory. Not even their strongest superheroes could achieve that—unless one of their top few intervened directly to teleport or restrain it. Otherwise, the creature would turn on them and drag them down with it."
She didn't doubt that zombies could develop intelligence. In fact, any being—undead, beast, or plant—that had reached Spirit Level or beyond would inevitably gain awareness. Even those once mindless became capable of reason, instinct, and strategy. The stronger one became, the sharper their mind grew. Many high-level beings were far more intelligent than the greatest human geniuses.
This near-Earth Level zombie must have undergone countless cycles of devouring and evolution to reach its current strength. Just imagining how long it had survived—and how much it had consumed—was enough to prove it wasn't some mindless monster.
"Wait a second… did I get something wrong before? System—open!" Her eyes narrowed. Doubt flickered through her mind as she summoned the system interface and reread the quest details line by line.
"'Experimental subjects… exile… research… experimental subjects… exile… research…'" She muttered, her frown deepening. "Of course! Why didn't I see it before? If these zombies were really America's experimental creations, then why not keep them in laboratories—or build underground containment bases for them? Why dump them here?"
Even if this valley's information had been wiped and all detection technology rendered useless—even if every monitoring system was jammed and surrounded by heavy troops—how could they possibly hide something like this from other global powers? Especially Huaxia, the military superpower that already resented America's provocations. There was no way they weren't watching every move the U.S. made.
This operation might have been classified and hidden from the public, but for Huaxia's special forces—experts in infiltration and intelligence gathering—finding an internal informant to obtain details about this site would have been child's play. So-called secrecy and external lockdowns were effective only against ordinary people. Against powerful nations and experts, there had been little real precaution.
"Then…" Chu Lian's eyes widened as a terrifying realization dawned on her, overturning her earlier assumptions yet feeling far closer to the truth. "This place… and these zombies—they must have appeared recently, but the U.S. military suppressed the news and decided to confine them somewhere. This valley—it's their containment zone, a prison for these uninvited visitors from another world."
"They must've paid a heavy price to bring so many of them here. That near–Earth Level zombie must be one of their leaders…" Her heart sank. No wonder this quest had been rated Nightmare. Four hours of defense, no casualties, and the elimination of three hundred thousand undead? Could such a thing even be achieved?
What once seemed possible now felt utterly hopeless. This explanation fit too well—almost too perfectly—to be coincidence. It had to be the truth.
She closed her eyes, concealing her momentary despair. "No wonder the system's reward noted that the [Daughter of Fate] quest would advance to a Perfect Evaluation… So that's it. It's because of you…"
"The two undead from the Otherside—those who once held Heaven Level strength—belonged to the zombie race. Naturally, they would have interacted with this world's corpse-type beings, even if the latter were far inferior in ability and growth potential. To them, zombies like these would be little more than food or servants."
"So, knowing we would come here, they must have prepared in advance—constructing something to open a sub-dimensional gateway to another world. They forcibly summoned a swarm of zombies from that realm into this one. It all makes sense now."
"Yes… these creatures were summoned by those two seemingly weak Otherside elites—together with that fallen warrior. They used their blood as the medium, combining three sources to perform the summoning ritual. They were desperate—willing to weaken themselves just to ensure success."
"Their plan was likely to time the summoning perfectly—so the undead would arrive right as the battle reached its peak. They intended to capture you and your team first. Then, when the zombies appeared, they could use the chaos to mask their escape and fend off your potential reinforcements. Once surrounded by the undead horde, they could vanish completely."
"If not for their misjudgment of your group's strength—if they hadn't lost one of their own so early—they might have succeeded. But their rage at failure drove the fallen warrior to unleash his armored transformation, hoping to end the fight quickly. That haste led to disaster—they were slain before the zombies arrived, turning all their contingency plans into uncontrollable chaos." Ayase's voice carried a trace of sighing pity, as though lamenting the collapse of such a meticulous strategy.
"I have to admit, their planning was extraordinarily precise. Even when circumstances changed—like when the dragon appeared and was lured away—they immediately adapted, realizing your strongest ally was gone and striking without hesitation. That decisiveness is something you could learn from, Lian'er." Ayase lifted her glass of red wine, pouring it slowly onto the ground.
"They must've realized they couldn't possibly match the dragon's power, and since you were both the dragon's target and theirs, they feared losing everything if you were taken. So they struck early. The timing of the zombie appearance makes that clear—it was all too sudden, too rushed." She smiled faintly, murmuring softly, "Rest in peace…"
"Did you notice? These zombies arrived nearly two hours after your battle ended. They were late—by far more than a little. Although part of that was due to the U.S. Army's quick response and interference from superheroes, their delay of over an hour was clearly a miscalculation. Such a brilliant scheme, yet it failed to achieve its perfect curtain call… how tragic."
"Ayase, so our true enemies… are these zombies from another world?" Chu Lian opened her eyes again, all traces of despair gone, replaced by steely resolve. "If that's the case, then we fight. The Chu family has never feared battle. Not two thousand years ago, and not now."
Her strength of will didn't come solely from pride in her lineage—it came from her determination not to repeat the same helplessness she had felt before. She refused to let her friends, who trusted and followed her, suffer because of her own weakness.
They were not just her companions—they were her family, her partners for the road ahead. She would not let her task, her doubt, or her despair endanger them again.
"They shouldn't have had to face such danger. All of this began because of me. So I'll be the one to end it." Chu Lian stood with her bow in hand, her long hair rippling in the soft wind. Bathed in faint blue light, she looked every bit like a beautiful Valkyrie—one who would face overwhelming odds just to protect those she loved.
Then, a series of system notifications rang out, freezing her in place.
"System Notification: [Innate Spiritual Body]—Phase One complete. Host's total spiritual power increased by 10%. All attributes +1."
"System Notification: The host's unwavering will has resonated with the latent divine energy within. All attributes +2. Total Spiritual Power increased by 20%."
"System Notification: Host's strength has advanced to High Spirit Level. Cultivation Method revealed—mastery and usage knowledge automatically synchronized."
"Cultivation Method: [Divine Spirit Art]. A mysterious scripture that has been operating within you since the beginning, though dormant until your strength reached High Spirit Level. Now fully awakened. Please refer to the memory in your mind for details. Basic Effects: Strength +15, Endurance +10, Agility +10, Spiritual Perception +15, Spiritual Power +50%. Note: The technique carries a special will named 'Battle Soul.' Exercise caution."
"Current Attributes: Strength 65, Endurance 44, Agility 49, Spirit 60. Spiritual Power / Magic Power / Mana / Inner Power: A+ / B / B / B."
"System Notification: Host's power has ascended to the peak of Spirit Level. Certain attributes are nearing triple digits—Earth Level advancement imminent. Keep it up~ Mwah~ ❤"
At first, Chu Lian was elated by the flood of stat increases and the appearance of a divine cultivation technique—but the system's final line made her twitch helplessly. "Really, after all this time, you choose now to act cute? Way to ruin the mood."
Lowering her bow, she clenched her fist. A surge of indescribable power coursed through her body, a torrent so fierce it felt as though a single punch could shatter the heavens themselves.
"So this is the power of the [Divine Spirit Art]... Amazing. You've taught me how to use your strength, yet sealed away the parts I'm not ready for, leaving only what I can handle. Still... thank you for appearing now, when I need you most."
Her immense growth banished any lingering fear of the monstrous pressure in the distance. The dread was gone. The trembling ceased. All that remained was a burning will to fight.
"Battle Soul: The Soul of War—fearless and unyielding. Even against enemies countless times stronger, even in the face of certain death, you shall not retreat. This spirit amplifies your strength based on your resolve and desire to protect. Passive Effect: Physical strength is exerted at 200% efficiency."
"Two hundred percent efficiency…" Chu Lian raised her bow again, a grin spreading across her face. "Even if I'm not Saitama, even if I'm no Super Saiyan—at this point, I might as well be a walking bug in the system."
"Why, why, why do I suddenly crave battle so much? As expected... yes... yes..." She opened her mouth, speaking softly at first, then burst out laughing, her voice filled with wild joy. "Yes—fighting really is the best!"
She loosed her arrow—"Unstoppable"—toward the source of the roar. Chu Lian declared war before the enemy even appeared. Whatever it was, no matter how massive, she believed that in her current state, she could tear it apart with her own hands.
"So what if you're pseudo–Earth Level? So what if you're stronger than me? I am the daughter of the Chu family!" she shouted. For reasons unknown, as her power grew, so too did the meaning of "Chu family" within her heart. It became her source of drive—her pride, her strength, her reason never to yield.
She didn't know whether this "Chu family" was tied to her mysterious past or merely to the body she now inhabited in this world—but she regarded it as her honor.
"The Chu family—a legend that never falls!" Lowering the [Seven Illusions Bow], she whispered softly, then pushed off the ground, calling into the air, "Inori…"
How could Inori Yuzuriha not sense her intent? Turning with a faint smile, she spread her arms wide and leaped into the air toward her. "Lian… use me."
In midair, the two girls embraced. A pillar of blazing white light shot toward the sky, and once again, the Void Greatsword descended upon the world—peerless and unrivaled…