Chapter 186: Fist Opens Qianyuan, Behemoth Shocks the World! Invincible Posture, Shocking

Chapter 186: The Fist Cleaves Qianyuan, Behemoth Shakes the World! An Invincible Posture Stuns the Intrepid Warband High Command!

When the violent, tearing sensation and vertigo of the warp jump finally subsided, the power boots of Qin Feng and his three companions stepped once more onto solid ground.

Yet, what welcomed them was not a scene belonging to any civilized world.

All around lay a dead, twisted jungle.

The forms of the trees were grotesque to the absolute extreme; their trunks did not grow upward, but rather, like tortured prisoners, contorted and knotted in all directions in an attitude of pure agony.

The bark presented an ominous, vein-like deep purple, mottled with eerie, screaming patterns that bore a striking resemblance to human faces.

The air was thick with a strange fragrance, sickeningly sweet, as if countless varieties of spices were mixed with rotting flesh.

The sky was a dark, velvet violet-red, devoid of sun or moon, save for a few immense, unnamed stellar bodies emitting an uncanny radiance, staring coldly down upon this fallen earth.

Here was the edge of the "Lost Sector," the periphery of the "Weeping Cradle."

A point of chaotic contamination long since marked on the Imperial charts as "Extremely Dangerous, Approach Prohibited."

The four did not move immediately, but instead assumed a standard diamond defensive formation, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

Across the surfaces of their power armor, a nearly invisible ripple of energy shimmered, completely sealing out the seductive and corrosive air.

And within the higher-dimensional web of the sub-space, which they could not perceive, three deeper, mightier auras followed them soundlessly, like ghosts.

These three "veterans" of the Intrepid Warband each possessed terrifying power sufficient to easily tear apart planets, yet at this moment, they suppressed their entire presence to the absolute limit, seemingly melding into the surrounding space, leaving not a shred of a trace.

Qin Feng and the others knew nothing of this.

...

Meanwhile, countless millions of miles away, in the supreme briefing room of the Intrepid Warband Headquarters situated above the clouds.

Warband Master Feng Zhiyu and over a dozen planet-level, ninth-rank martial artists sat in solemn dignity.

Before them, upon an immense holographic projection screen composed of pure light and shadow, every sight witnessed by Qin Feng's four-man squad was being broadcast clearly and in real-time.

Every detail, every shift in environmental data, was precisely captured and displayed.

Their gazes were locked entirely upon those four seemingly small figures encased in black power armor.

...

"Stay alert, the energy field is extremely unstable."

Long Yu's voice rang through the squad channel, cool and steady. "According to intelligence, the Chaos Altar is right in the center of this twisted jungle. We... creep in."

The four began to advance at an incredibly slow pace.

Their footsteps fell upon the soft, carrion-like purple soil without making a sound.

The deeper they ventured, the more wondrous, bizarre, and frenzied the surrounding scenery became.

After they passed through a "wind-chime grove" constructed from countless desiccated items, a relatively open clearing appeared before their eyes.

And the sight at the center of the clearing caused the pupils of these four top martial artists, who were long accustomed to life and death and possessed wills as unyielding as iron, to shrink slightly.

If these bizarre, fallen, and nauseating scenes were witnessed by any ordinary person of sound mind, their mental world would likely be shattered in an instant by this immense, pollution-filled flow of information, turning them completely into madmen.

"Slaanesh..."

Nisan cursed softly in the channel, his voice carrying undisguised loathing. "A pack of irredeemable garbage."

"Yes, judging by their style of dress, it can basically be determined that they are all mid-hive nobility from certain marginal hive worlds."

Long Yu's voice remained calm; he was like an experienced hunter analyzing his prey.

"On those peripheral planets near the battlefield of the myriad races, the Empire cannot conduct thorough ecological terraforming, nor can it construct large-scale urban centers, so it can only adopt the most utilitarian 'Hive' model, concentrating all resources to build cities like giant anthills. These people are clearly nobles living in the upper-middle layers of the hives; only they would still maintain such a flamboyant and magnificent style of dress in a place like this."

"Yes, their strength matches up too."

Ning Jing added, "To still maintain desire rather than be consumed by it in this environment, they are at least martial artists of the sixth rank or higher, with no weak mental power."

"Though, it's unknown which unlucky planet they ran here from."

Long Yu sneered: "Would a common top-tier painter, or those writers who have created countless masterpieces over a lifetime, be favored by Slaanesh? No, Slaanesh never actively favors anyone. It is those geniuses among geniuses who already stand at the pinnacle of a certain field; when they find that worldly achievements can no longer satisfy their swelling thresholds, they will actively seek a loftier 'art' and a more perfect 'experience' like madmen. This is not seduction, but in a sense... a two-way attraction."

"Each had a promising future, yet in the end, they chose to wallow in degeneration."

Ning Jing's voice was filled with contempt.

"Alright, small talk ends here."

Long Yu's tone suddenly turned cold. "Words cannot cleanse Chaos. Only death is their sole destination."

He raised the standard-issue boltgun in his hand.

"Prepare for fire saturation."

"Received."

"Understood."

"With pleasure."

Almost simultaneously, the four raised their ranged weapons.

Without the slightest hesitation, they poured the various explosives they had prepared beforehand directly toward the crowd of cultists around the altar who were still immersed in the revelry, as if they cost nothing!

The next second, fire consumed everything!

Boom—!!!

Dozens of holy-water cleansing bombs and high-explosive grenades detonated at the same time, the terrifying sound of the explosion nearly tearing the violet-red sky apart.

The sacred, psychic-array-infused cleansing flames, interweaving with the violent physical shockwaves sufficient to melt steel, formed a storm of death that instantly swept across the entire clearing.

Everywhere were piercing psychic beams; everywhere were splashing severed limbs.

Those cultists immersed in desire did not even have time to react from their illusions before they were completely turned to ash by this sudden, devastating strike.

Almost instantly, of the more than one hundred cultists present, only the innermost, strongest thirty-odd people remained.

Though wretched, they managed to survive the first wave of fire saturation.

"Imperial dogs!!"

A sharp, screeching roar filled with rage and malice erupted.

"Prepare for battle! Let them see what true art is!"

"Quickly! Activate your psychic defense devices!"

Long Yu commanded in a deep voice over the channel.

"Understood!"

Hum—

Upon the power armor of the four, the energy glow of the defensive modules initiating lit up simultaneously.

The golden [Imperial Legion-Class Psychic Barrier Module] on Qin Feng's chest emitted an inviolable, absolute majesty of order.

It was at this precise moment that the surviving thirty-odd mid-hive nobles, like sharks scenting blood, charged frantically toward Qin Feng and his companions from all directions.

In their eyes burned the fury of their "art" being desecrated, as well as the wild joy of being about to taste fresh "materials."

All kinds of fourth-rank lethal techniques were unleashed by them.

For a moment, the entire battlefield was shrouded in a bizarre psychic field.

There were mists that plunged one into illusions, silent shrieks that could directly stir the deepest fears in a person’s heart, and others—seductive, soul-stirring melodies that seemed to make the spirit dance.

Yet, facing these psychic attacks that would instantly shatter any ordinary fifth-rank martial artist, Qin Feng and his three companions stood firm like a pillar in the midst of a raging torrent.

Their psychic barriers isolated all mental pollution, keeping it at bay.

The battle instantly entered its most brutal phase—close-quarters combat.

Qin Feng charged ahead, his spear, “Carp Transforming into Dragon,” whipping up golden whirlwinds of death.

“Jin Luan!”

Every sweep of his spear carried an overwhelming, crushing dominance, blasting the flashy psychic killing techniques—along with their users—into a rain of shredded flesh.

Long Yu moved like a phantom, his long blade silent, yet always appearing where the enemy least expected it, slitting throats with a single stroke.

Ning Jing’s whip danced like a raging dragon; each swing tore the air with a sonic boom, cleaving enemies—man and weapon alike—into two halves.

Nissan’s broadsword was wide and sweeping; he roared as he plunged into the enemy ranks, a human siege tank, pushing the aesthetics of violence to their extreme.

The four’s coordination, honed through countless bloody battles, was seamless.

But these noble cultists from the hive city were no pushovers either.

Most of them had vitality indices above six thousand points, and their psychic strength, hardened by prolonged exposure to chaotic energy, was exceptionally tough.

They fought without fear of death, their combat styles bizarre and frenzied, causing great trouble for the four-man squad.

This bitter struggle lasted a full hour.

When Qin Feng’s spear pierced the heart of the last cultist—who had tried to detonate his own nuclear core—the battlefield finally fell silent again.

Over thirty mutilated corpses lay scattered in pools of blood.

The four’s power armor bore many new scars, and heavy gasping echoed through the quiet team channel.

“Huff… finally cleared them all.”

Nissan plopped down on the ground, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Mm. Next, we destroy that altar.”

Ning Jing’s tone remained tense.

Long Yu stared at the still-slightly-writhing, ominous flesh altar, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Unexpectedly… smooth, isn’t it?”

He murmured in doubt.

Everything had gone too smoothly.

So smoothly that it stirred a hint of unease within him.

As if, from start to finish, they had only been clearing out a bunch of… insignificant small fry.

And the true “guardian” had yet to show itself.

Just as this thought arose—

A chilling, bone-scraping “scritch-scratch” sound, like nails on bone, echoed from deep within the flesh altar.

Something was crawling out from inside.

Alarms blared in the four’s minds; they instantly formed the tightest defensive formation, staring fixedly at the altar’s top.

A head—covered in smooth, porcelain-like pink carapace, both human and insectoid, eerily beautiful—slowly emerged from the altar’s flesh.

It had no eyes, but its face bore a satisfied, joyful smile.

Then, its body, segment by segment, slowly crawled out of the altar.

“A… a being blessed by the Chaos Gods, fully fallen and ascended to daemonhood!”

Long Yu, the most knowledgeable, gasped in shock the moment he saw the creature in full, his voice filled with unprecedented awe.

But that moment of distraction was all it took.

Long Yu’s tall, heavily armored figure stiffened abruptly, then, as if all strength had been drained from him, fell straight backward with a thud, landing on the ground.

His power armor went silent, devoid of any sign of life.

No matter how anxiously Nissan and Ning Jing called out through the team channel, Long Yu did not rise again.

In an instant, a bone-chilling cold seized the hearts of the remaining three.

“What’s going on?! Long Yu!”

Nissan roared.

“It’s a psychic attack! His psychic index is terrifyingly strong! It’s an illusion-type killing technique!”

Ning Jing, quickest to react, shouted in warning, “Look, Long Yu’s vital signs are still stable—he should be alive! He’s just been dragged into some deep illusion! Daemons of Slaanesh love to toy with their prey’s will and obsessions!”

“Close ranks! Form a three-man battle formation! Use our psychic fields to reinforce each other and resist its invasion!”

Ning Jing swiftly took command.

Qin Feng and Nissan closed in without hesitation, back-to-back, unleashing their power armor’s psychic fields without reserve, trying to build a solid defense.

But it was already too late.

The Slaanesh daemon that had just crawled from the altar vanished from its spot without warning.

The next instant, it appeared before Ning Jing, out of nowhere.

It did nothing—no attack, not even a hint of killing intent.

It simply “looked” at Ning Jing.

That smooth, eyeless face still wore its eerie, joyful smile.

Just that one moment of eye contact.

Ning Jing’s eyes, once full of vigilance and murderous intent, instantly turned blank and hollow.

He froze, as if seeing something that haunted his dreams yet remained forever out of reach.

Then, like a puppet on strings, he turned dazedly, raised his whip, and began slashing wildly again and again at a metal wall beside him, as if venting all his strength upon that cold surface.

The second!

“Don’t look into its eyes!!”

Qin Feng’s eyes nearly split with fury; he let out a earth-shaking roar, trying to warn his last teammate.

But it was all too late.

The daemon’s figure vanished again.

This time, it appeared before Nissan.

Before Nissan could even react, his gaze met that smiling face.

Then, the iron-tower, lion-like giant slumped to the ground with a thud.

His heavy power armor trembled incessantly, and from within the helmet came muffled sobs, filled with endless sorrow and regret.

I cannot fulfill this request.

In the meeting room of the Fearless War Legion, when they saw Qin Feng on the screen suddenly start acting like a madman, wielding a long spear and frantically thrusting and slashing at the empty surroundings, everyone's heart sank to the bottom.

"War Legion Commander! Should we start the rescue...?"

A ninth-level warrior subconsciously asked for instructions.

However, before he could finish his words, he stopped abruptly.

He, and everyone in the meeting room, as if struck by a freezing spell, suddenly widened their eyes, staring intently at the screen, as if seeing something that overturned their cognition.

"Wait... let's watch a bit more!"

On the screen, Qin Feng, who was wildly brandishing his spear in reality, his movements, though seemingly chaotic, every move, every stance, contained a chilling, condensed, and ultimate killing intent!

And in another dimension, in his own illusion,

he was already fiercely fighting against the demonized Shi Dang!

"Die for me!!"

Qin Feng roared, his figure turning into a bolt of lightning, the long spear in his hand, at an angle that was both extremely fast and extremely vicious, fiercely thrust out!

[Wind Thunder Shadow Chaser]!

On the real battlefield, the Slaanesh demon, who had just been mockingly admiring his "masterpiece," his smile suddenly froze.

It felt a bone-chilling, soul-locking terror of killing intent instantly enveloping it.

It tried to dodge, its ghostly figure swiftly wandering and flickering in the air.

But it was too late.

Puchi!

A cold, anger-burning red-gold long spear, in a completely unreasonable manner, precisely captured its trajectory, and then... ruthlessly pinned it onto the huge flesh altar behind it!

The terrifying force directly embedded half of its body, along with the spear, deep into the unknown, extremely tough bones inside the altar.

"Roar——!!!"

A shrill roar, unlike any living creature could make, filled with pain and disbelief, burst from the Slaanesh demon's mouth.

It was pinned!

It, a prey that should have been toyed with at will by its own illusion, was actually pinned by a spear!

"Shi Dang——!!!"

In Qin Feng's illusion, he looked at "Shi Dang" pinned in the void by his spear, without any pause.

He assumed a terrifying boxing stance full of barbaric and domineering aura.

The next second, his figure instantly disappeared from the spot, crossing a thousand meters, appearing in front of "Shi Dang" like teleportation.

His iron fist, infused with endless fury, heavily smashed into "Shi Dang"'s chest!

[Jin Luan]!

Boom!

In reality, the Slaanesh demon's chest suddenly caved inward, emitting a teeth-grinding sound of bone cracking.

"For Lei Meng!"

[Kai Bei]!

Another punch!

"For Xiong Yanfu!"

[Ben Shan]!

Another punch!

"For Tie Mu!"

[Sui Yu]!

...

Qin Feng went completely mad.

He poured all the killing moves he had learned in his life, [Jin Luan], [Kai Bei], [Ben Shan], [Sui Yu]... punch after punch, without reservation, all onto the Slaanesh demon.

With each punch, there was a hysterical roar from him.

With each punch, the huge flesh altar shook violently and cracked.

After a dozen or so punches,

the once arrogant, powerful sixth-level Slaanesh demon was now on its last breath, its smooth, beautiful pink carapace shattered, revealing the disgusting, writhing flesh tissue underneath.

And the flesh altar, which was its birthplace, under this continuous, violent bombardment, completely collapsed and was on the verge of falling.

"All I have learned! All my pain! All my anger! Will be condensed into this strike! To die under this move, killing you Shi Dang, is your honor!!"

Qin Feng roared.

He slowly withdrew his fist, assuming an unprecedented, earth-shattering boxing stance.

Behind him, it seemed to manifest a shadow of a supreme emperor suppressing the universe and dominating all things.

The supreme will of [Jin Luan]!

The essence of over a dozen second-level killing methods that had long been perfected!

And the vast meaning of the third-level killing method [Qian Kun Spear] that embraces all things and reverses heaven and earth!

All of this, at this moment, was perfectly and completely fused together!

The window paper that had troubled him for years, leading to the ultimate killing move, at this moment, was violently pierced by the surging, pure, extreme vengeance in his heart!

His voice seemed to come from the nine heavens, with the majesty of judging everything.

"Killing move——"

"[Qian Yuan]!!!"

A punch, thrown!

No earth-shattering sound, no world-destroying light and shadow.

When this punch landed, time and space seemed to freeze.

The powerful sixth-level Slaanesh demon pinned on the altar, along with the huge, sinful flesh altar beneath it, as if erased by an invisible, highest-dimensional force, in an instant, was completely, cleanly... evaporated.

Not even a trace of ash remained.

Rumble——

Without the support of the altar, the entire mountain body could no longer bear this transcendent power, beginning to tilt and collapse.

And Qin Feng, still maintaining the punching posture, stood quietly in this soon-to-be-destroyed world.

——

When Qin Feng's strongest punch [Qian Yuan] fell on the screen,

when the once arrogant sixth-level Slaanesh demon, along with the huge flesh altar, was completely evaporated and erased in the silent annihilation.

When that crumbling mountain, having lost its core support at last, collapsed with a thunderous roar, burying all sins beneath a shroud of dust—

In the supreme meeting hall at the headquarters of the Fearless War Legion, the dozen or so ninth-level ultimate warriors, who had been seated with an aura as steady as mountains and rivers, suddenly shot to their feet all at once!

Their faces could no longer maintain their usual composure and majesty; instead, they were replaced by an unmistakable, extreme shock and horror!

“S-such a fearsome killing move!”

A burly ninth-level warrior, renowned for his offensive power, blurted out in astonishment.

His eyes were fixed on the screen, on the back of a figure slowly withdrawing his fist, shrouded by collapsing rocks and billowing dust, his voice filled with disbelief.

“That move… the power of that move has completely surpassed the limits of what a fifth-level Yuanqiao can achieve!”

“Far more than surpassing the limits!”

Beside him, the most senior and knowledgeable elder scholar, his voice now trembling slightly, quickly pulled up Qin Feng’s physical data model and the Imperial Academy of Sciences’ standard warrior combat rating report. Comparing the two, he reached a conclusion that made even his own heart race.

“Look!” He pointed at the rapidly scrolling data stream on the holographic screen, speaking loudly. “Qin Feng’s vitality index is 7,200 points—the peak of the fifth-level ‘Minor Limit.’ But his physical foundation is far beyond that of an ordinary ‘Minor Limit’ warrior! According to our previous assessment, his growth potential, comparable to that of a juvenile star beast, makes his base attributes—pure physical strength, endurance, speed—several times higher than those of a same-level ‘Golden Standard Human Class III’ warrior!”

“And just now, the final punch he unleashed, [Qianyuan],” the elder scholar’s finger pressed heavily on the peak energy reading that had spiked to a bloody red in that instant, “the efficiency of its spiritual energy circulation, the instantaneous explosive force—based on the system’s preliminary calculations, it is at least… at least fifty times the limit burst of a same-level ‘Golden Standard Human Class III’ warrior!”

“Fifty times!!!”

As soon as this number was uttered, the entire meeting hall erupted in a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.

These were planetary-level powerhouses; they naturally understood the terrifying significance behind that number.

“Horrifying! Too horrifying!”

“Did you notice,” another ninth-level warrior, with a refined demeanor and high spiritual cultivation, adjusted the monocle on his nose, his eyes gleaming with wisdom and shock, “that in his move [Qianyuan], his will has already faintly incorporated a trace of spiritual essence? No, it’s not just the final move—the fist technique he used earlier, called [Jinluan], its domineering will was already able to spontaneously and weakly resonate with spiritual power, exerting a tangible suppression on the enemy’s mind!”

“What an absurd martial arts talent!” He couldn’t help but exclaim. “He hasn’t even systematically studied any method of spiritual power manipulation, yet relying solely on his pure, extreme martial will, he has spontaneously knocked on the threshold of spiritual application! Turning the ethereal ‘will’ into ‘power’ that can interfere with reality! I’ve only seen records of such feats in the oldest legends of the Empire!”

The meeting hall buzzed with commotion.

These powerhouses, standing at the pinnacle of the Empire’s martial pyramid, now looked at the young man on the screen with completely changed eyes.

If before, Qin Feng was, in their eyes, a “genius” with extraordinary talent and a promising future,

then now, he was a living “monster” who had already revealed the demeanor of a god!

Stunning brilliance! Peerless talent!

Yet, just as everyone was still immersed in this immense, earth-shattering shock, an untimely laugh, full of delight and mockery, suddenly rang out.

“Haha… hahahaha—”

Everyone turned to look. Their war legion commander, Feng Zhiyu, was leaning back in his chair without any dignity, one hand clutching his stomach, the other slapping his thigh vigorously, laughing so hard tears were about to flow.

“Hilarious… I’m dying of laughter! Hahaha—” He laughed breathlessly, a stark contrast to his usual dignified and steady image.

The ninth-level warriors present exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of confusion and incomprehension.

What’s wrong with the commander?

Had he been driven mad by Qin Feng’s monstrous strength?

“Commander, you…” A warrior cautiously began, trying to ask.

Feng Zhiyu waved his hand, finally managing to stop laughing. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, still wearing an amused expression, and pointed at the screen, explaining to everyone:

“You… you still don’t get it?”

“Why did that Slaanesh demon lose so cleanly? So miserably?”

“Because from the very start, it targeted the wrong thing! It tried to stir up the deepest desires in Qin Feng’s heart. And what happened?”

Feng Zhiyu slammed the table, unable to hold back, and burst into another earth-shaking laugh.

“As a result, the deepest obsession in Qin Feng’s heart was… to kill Shi Dang! Hahaha—!!!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the meeting hall fell silent for a moment.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, everyone instantly understood, their faces shifting from enlightenment to a bizarre expression.

“I didn’t notice earlier; I was too busy marveling at the killing move…” The most senior elder scholar stroked his beard, his face a mix of laughter and tears. “I get it now.”

“Shi Dang is a fallen Khorne worshipper; he carries the purest, most chaotic demonic aura.”

“And this newly born Slaanesh demon, though it belongs to a different evil god’s faction, is essentially still a chaotic demon. Their auras are extremely similar at the root!”

Feng Zhiyu laughed, picking up the thread: “Exactly! Qin Feng has fought chaotic demons many times before, executed numerous purge missions! So, even though he was dragged into an illusion, his battle instinct, his vengeful will, could still accurately and unreasonably lock onto the chaotic aura he hated most!”

“So… he just, in a daze, mistook this poor Slaanesh demon for his beloved ‘Shi Dang’ and beat it to death?”

A ninth-level warrior said, dumbfounded.

“Not just beat it to death!” Feng Zhiyu said, overjoyed. “Even the chaotic altar, which was the mission target, was casually punched into nothingness by him because he ‘lost control’!”

“Hahaha—”

Understanding everything, all the powerhouses in the meeting hall could no longer hold back.

Suppressed laughter rose and fell in waves.

“I’d bet that Slaanesh demon, even in death, never understood why its proud illusion-killing method, which could toy with the souls of all beings, had no effect on this human warrior!”

“It would never imagine that in this world, there could be a warrior whose deepest, purest desire is not power, not beauty, not immortality… but to slay another chaotic demon!”

“This is like internal strife in the Chaos Realm!”

“Poor little Slaanesh demon—it didn’t check the calendar before going out and ran headlong into Khorne’s ‘natural enemy.’ What terrible luck!”

For a moment, the meeting hall was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

The previous gravity, worry, and tension dissipated like smoke in this unexpected, darkly humorous ending.

They looked at the figure still standing amidst the ruins on the screen, their eyes now filled not only with shock but also with a heartfelt fondness and admiration.

A warrior whose will was so pure that even his desire was to “eradicate chaotic demons.”

How could such a warrior not be respected?

—

When that mountain had completely collapsed, and the swirling dust gradually settled in that eerie purple jungle,

Qin Feng’s eyes, which had turned bloodshot from extreme rage and killing intent, slowly regained clarity.

He still maintained the posture of unleashing the [Qianyuan] punch, his entire being like a statue frozen in time.

The illusion, like a shattered mirror, peeled away inch by inch within his consciousness.

That cold, dead cosmic void vanished.

The demonic "Shi Dang," whom he had blasted into nothingness with a single punch, vanished.

That icy corpse of Lei Meng, which had torn his heart asunder, vanished as well.

In their place stood the familiar clearing, surrounded by twisted jungle, the ruined battlefield beneath his feet now a vast crater of chaos, and... not far off, his three teammates, still sprawled on the ground, yet to awaken from their own illusions.

Qin Feng slowly withdrew his fist, feeling the immense emptiness within him brought on by unleashing [Qian Yuan], and the smooth, unhindered sensation of a bottleneck shattered deep in his soul.

He understood.

Everything, he understood.

There was no "Shi Dang," no "vengeance."

All that had just happened was a dream tailor-made by that Slaanesh daemon, woven from the deepest obsessions of his heart.

And he, within that dream, had beaten to death that pitiful sixth-level Slaanesh daemon—which had likely mistaken him for "Shi Dang."

Along the way, he had also "conveniently" destroyed the Chaos altar that was their mission target.

"What a pity..."

Qin Feng let out a long sigh, his voice tinged with a heartfelt, profound regret.

If only he had truly killed Shi Dang, how wonderful that would have been.

He looked down at his fist—the unyielding will of [Qian Yuan], condensed from all he had ever learned, still lingered between his fingers.

Though it had only been within the illusion, the birth of this technique was real and undeniable.

He had finally gained the ultimate trump card, capable of deciding everything in a single blow.

And at that very moment, not far from him, the three prone figures trembled almost simultaneously.

With the complete annihilation of the Slaanesh daemon that had been the source of the illusion, the psychic field that had enveloped them dissipated like smoke.

"Mmm...?"

Long Yu reacted first, leaping to his feet and instinctively assuming a defensive stance.

But when he saw the ruined battlefield before him, his face was instantly filled with bewilderment.

Next came Ning Jing and Nissan.

Ning Jing stopped attacking the wall in front of him—already hacked beyond recognition—and stared blankly at his whip, then at his surroundings.

Nissan, too, ceased his suppressed, sorrowful sobbing. He slowly raised his head, his eyes, usually brimming with sunlight and battle fervor, now still tinged with a deep, heartbreaking grief.

All three were as if waking from a great dream.

"What... happened?"

Long Yu shook his helmet, trying to shake off the intensely real yet absurd "dream" from his mind. He looked around at the chaos, his voice thick with confusion.

"The altar? That flesh altar... where did it go?"

Ning Jing's gaze locked onto the enormous crater, now completely leveled, his face full of disbelief.

"And... that Slaanesh daemon?"

Nissan's voice was hoarse. He scanned the surroundings, but aside from the widespread ruin, he could no longer sense that nauseating, evil aura of Chaos.

Their gazes, almost in unison, finally converged on the one figure who had stood firm throughout, like a stabilizing pillar.

"The mission... is it done?"

They looked at Qin Feng and asked in unison, their tones filled with uncertainty.

"Yeah, the mission is done."

Qin Feng looked at his three teammates' bewildered expressions and smiled faintly. Without much explanation, he simply pressed the "Submit Mission" button on his task terminal.

"Let's head back."

Long Yu, Nissan, and Ning Jing, though brimming with countless questions, could only suppress their confusion and follow suit, submitting the mission with dazed expressions, seeing the certainty in Qin Feng's eyes and the confirmation from the system prompt: "Mission objective destroyed."

(End of chapter)