Chapter 230: The True Holy Father

Chapter 230 The True Holy Father

“Boom! Boom!”

The relentless roar of explosions rang ceaselessly beyond the imperial capital’s walls.

Under the command of Unit One, three 107 rocket launchers, with razor‑sharp precision and a firepower dense enough to shatter everything, hurled twenty‑seven smart‑guided rockets in an instant.

Like a luminous iron chain binding the artillery line to the wall, when the bright chain burned out, the three monsters’ speed faltered in an instant.

Yet even so, the suppressing fire could not utterly eradicate the three beasts.

They were too swift.

They were too clever, too agile.

When they sensed that fire from an unknown source could not fully blanket them, the three monsters instantly altered their tactics.

They scattered, sprinting and leaping along the imperial wall.

Against their nearly five‑meter height and prodigious muscular strength, the low wall was no obstacle at all, even serving as a shield against the direct fire of the Huaxia troops.

The aerial drones had exhausted their ammunition and were forced to return to the convoy for resupply.

Deprived of aerial fire support, the monsters moved with even greater recklessness.

Chen Jian had already pushed his exoskeleton to its maximum power; he raced back toward the capital, and at that moment a voice not belonging to this battlefield whispered in his ear.

“Commander, this is Zeng Yi!”

“Those three monsters look just like the Level‑2 beasts I once saw, the mountain goblins!”

“But they are certainly not full‑form; they should only possess Level‑3 strength!”

“Do not chase them! They have a blood‑thirsty instinct!”

“Where crowds gather, go there; they will run into them themselves!”

“Understood!”

Chen Jian answered immediately, then issued his orders:

“Everyone, disperse!”

“After entering the city, seek densely populated areas and wait!”

“These monsters are too fast; we cannot possibly catch them!”

“Let them come to us; we only need to block them!”

“Understood!”

At the sound of the command, the Holy‑Blooded followers trailing Chen Jian instantly scattered, each sprinting toward a different direction within the city.

At that moment Chen Jian was less than three hundred meters from the wall, and behind him there was no one.

He did not slow his pace because of it.

He knew that if he did not arrive in time, the damage these three monsters could inflict on the capital and its civilians would be irreparable!

He had to be swift!

The exoskeleton’s motors roared madly as Chen Jian unfolded the weapon rack on his back, clutching a grenade launcher and charging forward.

When he was less than five meters from the wall, he vaulted upward, slammed onto the rampart, used its leverage, and sprang upward again.

With a flip, Chen Jian found himself atop a wall nearly six meters high.

From the drone’s perspective, a monster was already charging toward the fleeing civilians at the city gate.

Without a hint of hesitation, Chen Jian raised his grenade launcher.

Only the fire‑control system guided his arm, and moments later—

“Bang!”

A 15 mm micro‑grenade burst from its barrel, striking the monster’s torso at an inescapable velocity.

The explosion cracked instantly, shrapnel flew, piercing deep into the creature’s flesh and bone.

Chen Jian had thought that against such a small beast, a single shot would be enough to end it.

To his surprise, after taking that hard hit, the monster emitted a harsh screech and staggered toward his position!

Its speed was terrifying.

With less than two hundred meters between them, Chen Jian had under three seconds to react.

He pulled the trigger; the massive recoil, transmitted through the exoskeleton, pinned him firmly to the ground.

It was a fight with no retreat; if he could not finish the monster before it closed in, his fate would be the same as the civilians’—split in two.

His heart hammered, yet his grip on the launcher was steadier than ever.

Grenade after grenade flew, the monster raised its arms to block the frontal assault, but even its hard chitinous plates could not withstand the terrifying power of modern firearms.

Time seemed to crawl.

Chen Jian watched, eyes wide, as the exploding grenades peeled the creature away piece by piece.

First vanished were the long claws that shielded its face; broken plates were flung into the air, turning to dust carried by the wind.

Next came its two forepaws.

Flesh and blood sprayed like mud statues washed away by a flood; the monster’s arms melted and fell away.

Finally came its torso, its entrails, its bones.

When the beast, propelled by its forward momentum, crashed to the ground less than thirty meters from Chen Jian, only a blood‑smeared skeleton remained.

Chen Jian exhaled deeply, swung his barrel without pause, and aimed at another monster leaping across rooftops hundreds of meters away.

——

But it seemed he need not fire.

Li Shi, a bit clumsy and lagging behind everyone, finally arrived.

When the roar of the 301 heavy machine gun echoed, any talk of ‘agility’ or ‘speed’ became a joke.

He did not need pinpoint accuracy.

Because as long as a single bullet found its mark, the ensuing hail of fire would crush the monster where it stood.

Li Shi trudged forward with heavy steps, his gun barrel already glowing hot, even red, still spitting bullets outward.

When he finally broke through the obstacles and faced the massive beast, the blood torn by bullets had already painted the ground within dozens of meters crimson.

Only one remained.

That monster was being besieged by Xie Liu, Ji Xing and a few others.

A breathtaking arc of light flashed; Chen Jian watched as Xu He, described by Ji Xing as ‘far surpassing ordinary source‑blooded warriors,’ fell from a height.

A strike that cleaved Mount Hua!

The oddly anachronistic, almost overly classical fighting style produced astonishing results.

The long sword sliced at a flawless angle, carving a deep gash across the monster’s chest.

Immediately thereafter, the 201‑class rifles in Xie Liu and Ji Xing's hands roared in unison, and the bullets slipped through the freshly cut fissure, piercing straight inward.

In an instant, blossoms of blood erupted across the monster's back.

A few seconds later, as if unable to bear the weight of the projectiles, the creature staggered and fell to its knees on the ground.

"All cleared!"

"I'm done here!"

Through Chen Jian's headset came reports from other squads, while in the distance, Lei Jie, having successfully completed the interception, sped back in his 30A tank.

Smoke, explosions, and flashes of fire.

Blood, toxic fumes, and slime.

The imperial capital's walls, inside and out, lay in utter ruin.

When Chen Jian led his squad to slay the last solitary monster and returned to the city, he beheld a crowd in rapturous revelry.

Everyone celebrated the swift yet jarring triumph, rejoicing that they need not abandon their homeland.

Yet he knew with stark clarity that this was not the end.

"The first wave of beasts numbered only twelve, all of them fourth‑grade or lower,"

"It was merely a test; even without our aid, the Holy Blood Hall could withstand it and safeguard the capital." "But the second wave is already on its way,"

"Those two beasts marching northward from Ander City form part of the second, perhaps third, wave,"

"We cannot afford delay, nor do we possess the power to hold this city here,"

"Take me to see the Holy Father; I demand that everyone here withdraw southward at once!"

As he hurried alongside Xie Yuan toward the Holy Blood Hall, Chen Jian spoke in a rushed tone.

"Understood."

Xie Yuan nodded immediately.

After the fierce battle, he shed his previously measured, courteous demeanor, revealing instead a crisp, decisive bearing.

This shift gave Chen Jian a sliver of confidence in the Holy Blooders; it showed they were not merely opportunistic rangers, but warriors capable of withstanding high‑intensity combat.

The two pressed onward, and civilians and Holy Blooders alike offered reverent salutations to the squad that seemed to descend like saviors.

Gratitude and respect were etched on their faces, yet Chen Jian cast them no further glance.

His mind raced, pondering what strategy might persuade the lofty Holy Father to heed his counsel in the forthcoming audience.

But it was evident that, in such a hurried setting, no superior plan could be conjured.

Perhaps, simply eliminate him?

Chen Jian's brows furrowed slowly, and at that moment the true "Holy Blood Hall" unfolded before him.

It was a structure of stark, utter mundanity.

Square and plain, devoid of ornament, its only hint of religiosity lay in the uniform hue of its outer walls and the occasional crude mural.

It stood in stark contrast to the intricate, opulent aesthetic of the Mechanical Cult.

Yet even more divergent was the manner of the so‑called "Holy Father."

He stood outside the central edifice, silently watching the squad approach from afar.

When Xie Yuan led the group to his presence, intending to bow, the man raised his hand and cut them off outright.

Immediately, he spoke:

"Guests of the Huaxia army, follow me."

"The rest, stay outside."

"Xu He, you stay as well; do not enter."

Having said that, he turned and walked away.

Chen Jian hesitated a heartbeat, then matched the man's stride, while the others trailed closely behind.

Xu He seemed inclined to follow, but before the Holy Father's authority he finally halted.

The group entered a room shrouded in darkness; Chen Jian activated his thermal imager.

The "Holy Father" moved through the gloom as if intimately familiar with his abode, advancing steadily deeper underground.

Echoes rang through the cavernous tunnel; Chen Jian tried to speak several times, yet he could not summon a question.

Perhaps letting him speak first was the wiser choice?

The thought flickered through his mind, and almost simultaneously the man ahead broke the silence.

"I know what you have come here to seek."

"You pursue the truth of the genetic progenitor."

"In fact, we too chase that same truth, yet we have never truly found it."

"We do not know who fashioned us, nor the true intent of the 'Holy Father' who created us."

"But we are clear that we bear an indelible mission."

"So now, come forth."

"I have waited far too long for you."

"Now, fulfill our purpose."

Having spoken, the man halted before a stone wall.

He thrust against it with force, and the fragile, barely bonded bricks crumbled instantly.

Amid a cloud of dust, the man stepped inside.

Chen Jian followed closely, but the scene before him left him rooted to the spot.

A vast passage.

Heavy isolation doors sealed tightly in the distance.

He had seen such a sight countless times before.

Project 001.

He had assumed that after confronting this so‑called "Holy Father," countless words would be required to earn his genuine cooperation.

But he never imagined the man would usher him straight to the greatest secret of the Holy Blood Hall.

How could this be the entrance to Project 001?

The ruins of the Imperial Capital lie about forty kilometres from the city; so this must be—

"Underground nuclear facilities."

Leijie, standing nearby, spoke:

"This is the entrance to a nuclear‑defense complex, not to Project 001."

His words hanging in the air, the man ahead glanced back with a hint of puzzlement, then relaxed.

“ I have no idea what kind of structure this is, nor the entrance to what treasury.”

“ Yet I have stood sentinel over this construction for an age beyond measure.”

“ I have attempted countless means to breach this vault, but have never succeeded.”

“ And when you opened the treasure of the Jinling ruins, I knew you were the ones I sought.”

“ You will surely open this edifice and unveil all its secrets.”

“ This is what I seek.”

“ Now, officers of the Huaxia forces.”

“ Open the treasury.”

“ I do not know whether the answer you pursue lies beyond this door.”

“ But this is all I can do.”

Having said that, the Holy Father stepped aside.

His expression was solemn, yet tinged with a faint relief.

Chen Jian stepped forward, fixed his gaze upon the man's eyes, and then asked:

“ Do you know what the situation outside is? Do you know that the Beast Tide threatens the Imperial Capital?”

“ I know.”

The Holy Father nodded slowly, then said:

“ The Beast Tide is irreversible; a fleeting victory does not herald the final outcome.”

“ If the truth behind it remains hidden, this battle will never cease.”

“ It is precisely for this reason that I hastened to bring you here.”

“ Because I know this city is doomed to be abandoned.”

“ And before we depart, nothing here should be squandered.”

“ Understood.”

Chen Jian let out a soft sigh.

Then he asked:

“ What is it you truly wish to know? What lies beyond this door that draws you?”

The Holy Father stared silently at Chen Jian; after a long pause, he finally spoke:

“ I only wish to confirm one thing.”

“ Are you. the Holy Father we speak of?”

(End of Chapter)