Chapter 48: The Core’s Demise and a New Threat

“Hey! There’s a Zodiac Meteorite above!”

“You little punk, watch me send it right back!”

Immediately after the words left their lips, a figure shot skyward, colliding with the colossal stone descending from above and shattering it instantly.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the shattered fragments seemed to possess a will of their own, re-aggregating towards a central point and trapping the individual who hadn’t managed to evade them.

“Good heavens, did they forget that wasn’t just a simple rock?”

Even as they spoke, the others didn’t neglect to swat away the approaching monsters.

Some time had passed since the formation was dispelled, and the ability users, no longer needing to maintain it, chose to descend to the ground.

There, they engaged in battle with the ceaselessly emerging synthetic monsters, buying precious time and allowing their most powerful compatriots to focus entirely on confronting their primary adversary.

Although they were still relatively young compared to their esteemed predecessors, having never experienced the previous waves of anomalous beasts, they had certainly lived through the aftermath.

They were perpetually prepared with strategies to face a major conflict like the one unfolding before them.

This explained why, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, they could still engage the synthetic monsters in a back-and-forth struggle.

The only exceptions were a few hot-headed fools who, without assessing the enemy’s capabilities, rushed headlong into danger.

However, if they continued at this pace, it would only be a matter of time before they suppressed these synthetic monsters.

The greatest challenge, though, remained the individual creating and commanding them.

****

High above the battlefield, Yu Menghua and other high-level ability users were seen besieging a green-haired woman clad in a cloak.

While appearing to be a siege, it was, in reality, an evenly matched combat.

Qing Na had modified her own body, not only possessing strength and regenerative abilities far surpassing those of her peers, but also capable of spontaneously growing multiple arms, swords, and even eyes—truly embodying the literal meaning of ‘three heads and six arms’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom describing someone with extraordinary power and capability, often depicted as a deity with multiple heads and limbs).

“Damn it, shapeshifters are truly troublesome!”

An ability user wielding a massive axe cursed loudly, then brought it down in a powerful cleave.

A tremendous shockwave, laden with erupting flames, carved a fiery red streak through the air.

Yet, Qing Na merely transformed a shield into existence, effortlessly blocking the attack.

Not only that, but even an assassin who seized an opportune moment to strike from her side was casually fended off by an arm she extended, which had morphed into a blade.

Her physical resilience wasn’t the only thing that had drastically improved; her sensory acuity had also heightened significantly.

Even the stealth of a peak D-rank assassin was easily seen through by her.

“With so many buffs, how are we supposed to fight?”

“Unless we have overwhelming power, enough to brute force our way through with sheer might, it’s going to be incredibly difficult.”

Even these battle-hardened veterans struggled to discern Qing Na’s obvious weaknesses.

Aside from overpowering her with brute strength, the only other viable solution seemed to be a war of attrition.

…Oh, wait, there was another method, but given the current circumstances, it was quite unrealistic.

“If she had a core, it would at least alleviate a lot of pressure.”

Many anomalous beasts with powerful regenerative abilities possessed a core within their bodies.

This core served as both the fount of their power and the most concentrated point of their life force.

It could be understood as a crucial part of their biology, including vital organs, being centralized and heavily protected in the safest possible location, ensuring they wouldn’t lose mobility simply by lacking internal organs or limbs.

Due to this characteristic, excluding those who had completely transferred their life force into their core and could survive solely on energy, anomalous beasts that lost their core would generally lose their combat capabilities, or even perish outright.

Moreover, many materials used to craft ability-enhanced items were derived from these anomalous beast cores.

Naturally, some ability users also possessed similar characteristics.

However, if Qing Na’s life form had ascended to a state beyond that of a mere core—essentially transforming her entire body into a core, capable of regenerating even from a mere remnant—then the situation would become far more troublesome.

“Overthinking won’t help; let’s just get it done!”

Until confirmed, it was all just speculation; better to focus on the fight at hand.

The assassin, whose attack had initially been parried, threw a volley of bombs, which Qing Na’s blades promptly sliced apart.

Yet, the moment they ruptured, the bombs unleashed a dense cloud of smoke.

“This is useless against me.”

Mere smoke was ineffective against Qing Na, whose sensory perception had been greatly enhanced in all aspects.

With a casual flick of her hand, she struck several ability users who were attempting a sneak attack through the smoke.

Strangely, despite being pierced by the blades, not a single drop of blood flowed from their bodies.

“You’ve fallen for it, haven’t you? These are all clones!”

The ability users, who had seemingly been impaled, transformed in a flash into masses of spiderweb-like material, tightly adhering to Qing Na’s mutated arms and being forcefully pulled by several strength-based ability users in the distance.

While she was unable to use her arms, the remaining ability users collectively launched their attacks.

Flying drills, lightning, magical arrows, venomous sword energy… a barrage of diverse attacks swiftly enveloped her entire body, as if to preempt any special resistances or defensive measures she might possess.

“…Still performing futile actions.”

Qing Na merely uttered these words softly, and then her body violently split open like the gaping maw of a colossal creature, unleashing a powerful shockwave that repelled all attacks and even the people themselves.

Some of the deflected attacks inadvertently injured nearby Weichangzhe members.

“What the f*ck! What kind of Muzan (TL Note: A reference to Muzan Kibutsuji from Demon Slayer, known for his demon forms and grotesque transformations) is this!?”

“What did you say!?”

The shockwave was so potent that even the eardrums of those nearby were damaged, and those with insufficient physical resilience suffered internal bleeding from the vibrations, rendering them temporarily unable to fight.

“Hahaha! You lot can’t possibly defeat me!”

The gaping maw of Qing Na’s split body roared with maniacal laughter, mocking everyone’s efforts.

It was at this moment, however, that an immensely powerful sword intent locked onto her.

“Found it.”

Yu Menghua unleashed a sword strike she had long been charging.

Before Qing Na could even react, the hidden core within her body was severed.

Indeed, all that had transpired just moments ago was merely a smokescreen, designed solely for this one sword strike.

“Ugh!?”

Feeling her core shatter, Qing Na swayed unsteadily, losing her balance.

Yu Menghua, seizing the advantage, continued to press her attack, swinging her sword at her.

One swing, an arm severed; two swings, shattered into fragments; three swings…

“…Enough!”

Qing Na roared, and simultaneously, a colossal surge of energy erupted from her.

“Have I been too lenient with you all? How dare you do this to me!?”

“Are you a sore loser?”

“You!? Never mind, the game is over.”

No sooner had the heavily wounded and mocked Qing Na finished speaking than the ground began to tremble once more.

But unlike previous tremors, this one was felt distinctly throughout the entire Tiangong City.

The next moment, a gigantic monster burst forth from beneath the earth, swallowing Qing Na whole from the air.