Two Demon Warriors, one to the left and the other to the right, charged at him, their intention clear: a pincer attack from front and rear. If he employed conventional combat strategies, Wang Lan, a Star Martial Warrior at the Starlight Stage, would stand no chance of surviving such an assault.
Even at that moment, Wang Lan had already prepared himself for certain death.
A newly awakened Star Martial Warrior, fallen into a Demon Clan trap, facing a group of their warriors while protecting a bus of twenty-five children.
It would be extremely difficult for anyone in Wang Lan's situation to survive.
I'm a transmigrator, my legendary life hasn't even started yet, how can I die just as the story begins? Such thoughts had no place in this dire situation. Since it's death either way, I might as well take one down with me.
As this thought crossed his mind, the two Demons attacked from front and rear.
Wang Lan's advantage was that, although a newly awakened Star Martial Warrior, he had been diligently practicing for years; his combat skills had not fallen behind his peers. In fact, his close-combat skills were even superior to those of some at the Star Shine Stage.
Even without relying on Star Martial Skills, Wang Lan was formidable. And since the lower-level Demons lacked the talent for Star Martial Skills, this narrowed the gap between them.
The Demon in front aimed to pin Wang Lan down while the one behind prepared a killing blow. Such combat coordination was ingrained in their very marrow. Thus, as the Demon Armor in front thrust towards Wang Lan, the Demon in the rear suddenly accelerated its own thrust.
Wang Lan's body moved instantaneously. He executed his Bronze-level movement technique and, moving faster than the Demon, dodged the incoming armor spine. He then closed in on the Demon's chest and hurled a punch.
BOOM—
The terrifying internal energy of the Inch Strength Fist exploded within the Demon's body. At that moment, Wang Lan dared not hesitate, as the armor spine of the Demon beside him had already pierced his shoulder. Instantly, he spun around. With his left hand, he tore off the armor spine that had pierced him, transforming it into a streak of cold light. This light stabbed into the eye socket of the sneak-attacking Demon, piercing through the eye and exiting from the back of its skull.
This exchange lasted only five seconds. Wang Lan's arm was drenched in blood, having traded an arm for the lives of two Demons.
In just a short amount of time, three Demon Warriors had been dispatched.
The remaining six Demons began to re-evaluate Wang Lan. Based on an assessment of his strength, Wang Lan should be at the lowest tier among Star Martial Warriors.
But could a bottom-tier Star Martial Warrior really kill three Demon Warriors in such a short time? Have we Demons regressed over the years, or have humans progressed this rapidly?
Inside the bus, Song Jia's eyes were swollen from crying. When she saw the blood flowing down Wang Lan's arm like a stream, she closed her eyes, unable to watch.
Inside the bus, Qin Weimin watched Wang Lan with bloodshot eyes, his jaw clenched tightly and veins bulging on his forehead.
Those two exchanges—Wang Lan had performed beautifully. Truly beautifully!
In terms of raw strength, Wang Lan could barely hold his own against a single Demon Warrior. But in those fleeting seconds, Wang Lan had killed three with lightning speed.
This was an achievement far beyond what Wang Lan should have been capable of.
If it weren't for this desperate situation, if Wang Lan didn't have to face so many Demons alone, I would be seeing the sapling of a future towering tree, Qin Weimin thought.
Moreover, the sight of Wang Lan's slender yet upright figure continuously brought to Qin Weimin's mind faces deeply buried in his memory.
"Commissioner Qin, rest assured, I'll definitely bring you back."
"Commissioner Qin, go that way, keep going, don't stop. After twenty kilometers, someone will meet you... I'm sorry, I misspoke... My brothers have all honored their duty, and now it's my turn... This medal, please give it to my parents for me, tell them I didn't bring disgrace to the Lao Niu family..."
That time, Qin Weimin had been ambushed by international mercenaries, forced to land outside the borders of Jade Country. An escort team, outnumbered and with insufficient ammunition, had safely escorted him back to the country while pursued by the mercenaries.
But that escort team... not even their bodies had made it back to the land they cherished.
Weren't those men back then so very similar to the young man before me now?
Wang Lan's arm was injured; he could no longer execute the splendid desperate counterattacks he had managed earlier. Perhaps in the next second, he would vanish like an exploding firework.
"Wang Lan..."
Another two Demon Warriors suddenly charged at Wang Lan. This time, they didn't split up for a pincer attack. With one arm incapacitated, the Demons believed Wang Lan no longer possessed the strength to kill them.
A mere Starlight Stage Star Martial Warrior has actually killed three of our Demon Warriors!We'll savor eating this detestable human bit by bit later, just like eating spicy strips, the Demons had already decided.
Two armor spines stabbed at Wang Lan's vital points. In the next second, he would be skewered like a string of candied hawthorns. But in an instant, Wang Lan's body vanished.
Just as confusion flickered in the Demons' minds, a surge of intense pain shot through their lower abdomens. Wang Lan had somehow crouched down, unnoticed. Still agile enough to dodge their attacks from this position, he then launched an upward assault, both fists striking the abdomens of the two Demon Warriors.
BOOM—
"Impossible..." The Demon Warrior's blood-red eyes bulged, its face a mask of disbelief.
His arm was clearly disabled! That armor spine definitely pierced his shoulder! With a pierced shoulder, his fist shouldn't be able to generate any force! But how could he still deliver such a punch? And with both hands simultaneously?
Sitting inside the vehicle, Qin Weimin also widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief. He was a weapons expert and also an expert on human anatomy. Only with a clear understanding of the human body could one design powerful personal weapons suitable for human operation.
This was especially true for the exoskeleton armor he was currently researching, which demanded a complete understanding of human muscle kinematics.
With Wang Lan's shoulder pierced, Qin Weimin believed it impossible for his arm to even be raised, let alone throw a punch. Yet, the scene unfolding before him clearly showed Wang Lan not only punching but also, in an unexpected instant, killing two Demons.
In the next moment, Qin Weimin's eyes lit up again. He saw that although Wang Lan's arm was still dripping, the blood flow had stopped. The originally gruesome wound had vanished, leaving not even a scar.
A Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior?
In an instant, this thought flashed through Qin Weimin's mind like lightning.
He isn't just a perceptive, genius Star Martial Warrior, but also an extremely rare Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior? Damn it, why did such a treasure have to fall into these dire straits? If Wang Lan can survive, his value is far greater than my own...
At that moment, Qin Weimin wished he could have taken Wang Lan's place.
ROAR—
Angry roars erupted as the remaining four Demons became furious.
A low-level human had actually killed five of them—five!
And not by stealthy ambushes, but killed in direct combat! If their opponent had been a powerful warrior, they might have accepted it. But this was just a despicable, low-level warrior!
The Demons were enraged. Shamelessly, all four charged at Wang Lan simultaneously.
Face? Demons had no need for such a thing.
With all four Demons charging at once, the previous hit-and-run tactics were no longer effective. But regardless, even if he died, he could still take one down with him.
A murderous gleam shone in Wang Lan's eyes; each Demon was a target to drag down with him.
You! The one charging at the very front!
Instantly, Wang Lan moved. A knife-hand strike parried one Demon's armor spine, and he landed a fierce punch on that Demon's chest.
BOOM—
PFFT—
Simultaneously, another Demon's armor spine pierced Wang Lan's back.
The stabbing pain, far from inciting despair, instead triggered something wild within Wang Lan. He twisted his body, muscles clenching around the embedded armor spine, and snapped it. Then, he threw a punch that exploded the head of the Demon who had ambushed him.
PFFT—
PFFT—
Two more armor spines plunged into Wang Lan's chest, embedding themselves over an inch deep.
Blood gushed from his chest, drenching his torso in a warmth like the sun.
"KILL—!" Wang Lan's eyes instantly became bloodshot as a thunderous roar erupted from him.
His roar momentarily stunned two Demon Warriors. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Wang Lan, fueled by lingering fury and summoned potential, threw two punches, killing both Demons on the spot.
Nine Demon Warriors, all killed by an early Starlight Stage Star Martial Warrior. If word got out, no one would believe it.
Yet, this incredible feat had truly unfolded right before Qin Weimin's eyes.
At that moment, Qin Weimin could no longer care about the danger. He leaped from the bus and rushed to Wang Lan's side.
"Brother, how are you?"
Wang Lan's legs gave out, and he collapsed against Qin Weimin. The wounds to his chest and back would have been fatal for any other Star Martial Warrior, but not for Wang Lan. He possessed Healing Star Martial Arts.
Unfortunately, he had too little 'blue' left. He had just managed to stabilize the fatal wounds when his energy reserves bottomed out.
"Soul Bead... Soul..."
Qin Weimin understood that for a Star Martial Warrior, a Soul Bead was a life-saving Dan. But without a blade, he couldn't crack open the skulls of Exotic Beasts to retrieve Soul Beads. To make matters worse, three more Demon Warriors had arrived. Though initially cowed by Wang Lan's killing spree, they now began to slowly advance as Wang Lan fell.
Qin Weimin snatched up a nearby stone and stood protectively before Wang Lan, exuding the gallant spirit of 'a single brick in hand, and the world is mine.'
"Brother, this time, I'll buy you time! You have Medical Attribute Star Martial Arts, right? Heal up quickly! I might not be able to hold them off for long."
At this moment, Wang Lan just wanted to say, Cut the melodrama! Just give me a few Soul Beads, that's what's real!
No sooner had this thought settled than three Soul Beads suddenly landed in front of Wang Lan, rolling into his hand.
Huh... did I make a wish to the Dragon God?
Wang Lan looked up in confusion. Floating silently above him was a mysterious woman in a tactical vest and white mask.
"Wind Blade Net!" Her voice, like a judgment from heaven and earth, accompanied a gale that erupted from her, forming a tornado. Crescent-shaped wind blades swirled within the tornado, instantly rushing towards the three Demon Warriors.
When the tornado passed, the gravel on the ground had turned to sand. Where the three Demons had stood, only three Soul Beads now remained.
"What are you still dazed for? Do you want to die?" the woman in the sky chided in a low voice, seeing Wang Lan still stupefied.
"Um... how do I absorb a Soul Bead?" Wang Lan asked, a question so basic it nearly made the woman plummet from the sky.