Chapter Seventy-Seven: Challenging an Army Alone, Slaying Liu Qiang

Inside the warehouse, Gu Sha was busy taking the corpse cores stored in those glass cabinets and placing them into a large chest. He found the whole process rather troublesome. The Barrier Center had preserved these corpse cores with great care, each one kept in a special container, yet Gu Sha considered all this caution unnecessary.

He had dealt with corpse cores countless times before. Unlike origin pearls, which could be ruined if not handled delicately, corpse cores were relatively sturdy—about the same texture as the glass marbles children played with. As long as they weren’t intentionally damaged, they were unlikely to break, making such meticulous preservation quite superfluous.

But that was only for now. In the future, no one would pay such attention to storing corpse cores, except perhaps for the higher-grade ones, which were indeed precious. In those later days, a single eighth- or ninth-tier corpse core could buy you an apartment within the Barrier.

As Gu Sha gathered the cores, a sudden voice echoed through the warehouse: “Gu Sha, you are surrounded. Let me inform you: the firepower outside the Barrier right now could arm a force of three thousand men.”

Gu Sha acted as if he hadn’t heard a word, continuing to place the corpse cores into the heavy iron chest.

The Liu family patriarch spoke in a grave tone, “Gu Sha, out of respect for your extraordinary contributions to the Barrier, I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. If you come out now, I can plead for leniency on your behalf, you—”

“Idiot!” Gu Sha interrupted, snatching a few steel pipes from the shelves and hurling them around, smashing all the surveillance cameras in the warehouse.

Outside the building, the Liu family patriarch, holding a tablet, watched as his screen went black. His expression darkened, brows knitting together. “Gu Sha has truly chosen not to repent!” he said, signaling quietly with his hand.

Immediately, several Awakened surrounded Han Ze.

Han Ze erupted with anger. “Liu Qiang, what are you trying to do?”

The Liu patriarch’s voice was stern. “President Han, it no longer matters whether what Gu Sha said about the earthquake is true or not. You’ve seen his conduct—reckless, utterly unrestrained, and with no bottom line. Previously, I admit I acted rashly, but now there’s no turning back. With his vengeful nature, if he walks out of here, he will surely bring terrible retribution to the Barrier. I cannot let him live!”

With that, Liu Qiang gave the order, shouting, “Blow the building up!”

Han Ze roared in outrage. “Liu Qiang, you—”

But the Awakened had him surrounded, and none of the surrounding soldiers were his men—no one would listen to him. He shouted, “You’re acting for selfish reasons! You’re just afraid of facing retribution for your own mistakes. Don’t use the Barrier as your excuse. Liu Qiang, stop! You’ll only get more people killed for nothing!”

But Liu Qiang ignored him completely.

“Boom! Boom!”

In an instant, dozens of howitzers unleashed their firepower upon the central tower. The earth shook, flames blazed skyward, and the entire building shattered in moments.

Terrifying shellfire swept across the sky like a black cloud, engulfing the central tower in a raging inferno.

“Fire again!” Liu Qiang bellowed.

At once, another volley of shells crashed into the ruins of the once-grand building. The thunderous explosions sent debris flying, as if a colossal wave were sweeping through the devastation.

Then, in the very next moment, everyone was stunned.

Gu Sha strode out of the flames unscathed, a large chest slung over one shoulder, a backpack on his back, and in his other hand, a bone club glimmering with light. As the flames and wreckage approached him, an invisible force shielded him from harm.

“How is this possible?” someone gasped.

Before hundreds of soldiers, Gu Sha’s very hair was untouched, his stride steady as he walked through the thunder of explosions and the mountainous ruins—like a god emerging from destruction.

Every face bore the look of having seen a ghost.

Liu Qiang felt as if his heart were being crushed in a giant’s grip. He howled, “Hit him with artillery! Kill him with the jets!”

Immediately, every howitzer turned and opened fire on Gu Sha. Overhead, the circling aircraft unleashed a torrential downpour of bullets.

But when the shells and hail of bullets reached within a meter of Gu Sha, every last one froze midair.

With a faint tremor of his hand gripping the bone club, a surge of runic power erupted. With a soft hum, bullets and shells alike reversed their course, scattering in all directions.

“Take cover!”

Dozens of shells flew back toward the troops, bullets whistling through the air.

“Boom! Boom!”

Explosions erupted everywhere, cries of agony filling the air. The aircraft above plummeted, crashing in a sea of fire.

Gu Sha pressed forward, his pace swift.

Covered in dust and grime, Liu Qiang was petrified, screaming, “Fire! Shoot him! Shoot!”

At once, a horde of soldiers opened fire on Gu Sha, but every bullet flew back just as wildly.

“This can’t be! It’s impossible!” Liu Qiang’s eyes bulged as he stumbled into a tank, yelling, “Crush that monster!”

Seven or eight tanks rumbled forward.

Gu Sha didn’t dodge—he simply strode toward them. As the first tank reached him, he slammed the bone club down with all his might.

With a thunderous bang, the dozens-of-tons tank was sent flying, crashing into another.

Gu Sha leaped high, then dropped down onto a tank, landing with a deafening crash. The vehicle caved in deeply, its treads shattered and wheels flying off in all directions.

Standing atop the ruined tank, Gu Sha looked toward the one where Liu Qiang sat, a faint smile on his lips.

Inside, Liu Qiang was taut with fear, face drained of color as he gave orders.

In a flash, Gu Sha charged forward, still carrying the heavy chest on one shoulder, bone club in the other. He landed in front of the tank and with a mighty swing, sent it toppling.

Liu Qiang, by some stroke of luck, managed to crawl out of the wreckage, staggering as he faced Gu Sha and shouted, “Gu Sha, do you even know what you’re doing? Are you insane? We can sit down and talk this through. Look at what you’re doing! You’re making enemies of all the noble families!”

Gu Sha sneered, swatting aside the bullets flying at him as he walked toward Liu Qiang.

Liu Qiang stumbled backward, shouting to Han Ze nearby, “Han Ze, talk to him! Gu Sha’s lost his mind!”

But Han Ze simply stood in silence.

Gu Sha was already before Liu Qiang, a dreadful aura of murder enveloping him. Liu Qiang grew paler, wanting to say something more, but Gu Sha gave him no chance. With a mighty swing, the bone club smashed down.

Liu Qiang’s head burst like a watermelon, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere.

(End of chapter)