Inside the cabin.
"Jiang Li, you're supposed to be the strongest person on this planet, yet your fighter jet is even worse than that planetary-level guy's just now?"
Babata's voice was full of disdain for Jiang Li's aircraft. "Hey, didn't you natives build some kind of virtual space? Why can't the AI on your jet even connect?"
"You mean the Zhanshen Palace."
Jiang Li raised his brows slightly, smiling faintly. "I cultivated too fast. Didn't have time to join."
"Even a smart lifeform like me can barely keep up with you, and you expect the Palace's low-level AI to handle it?"
Babata froze.
Damn it!Was that… supposed to be a compliment?
Late at night, the dark-blue fighter passed the Hongning Base's security verification and descended onto the landing platform at the Extreme Martial Hall headquarters.
Yang Hui had already been waiting, having received the notice ahead of time.
"Teacher Yang?"
When Jiang Li stepped out of the fighter, Yang Hui looked flattered and a little panicked. "Inspector Jiang, I wouldn't dare have you call me 'teacher'!"
Jiang Li: "…"
"Xiao Hui?!"
Even someone as composed as Jiang Li couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Haha, just kidding!"
Seeing that Jiang Li didn't put on any airs, Yang Hui laughed and said, "I don't dare take the title of 'teacher.' If Inspector Jiang doesn't mind, you can just call me Old Yang!"
As a special envoy and a teacher at the Elite Training Camp, Yang Hui had seen all sorts of people.
Since Hong wasn't currently at headquarters, Jiang Li followed Yang Hui back to the Elite Training Camp. It was a good chance to say goodbye to Shi Jiang and Zhao Ruo as well.
Beep.
When they reached the door of Jiangnan Pavilion, Yang Hui transferred 4.5 trillion directly to Jiang Li. "Inspector Jiang, I didn't even take a single coin for running this errand!"
Not that he didn't want to — he just didn't dare!
"You're a good man, Old Yang."
Jiang Li smiled faintly as he watched Yang Hui's relaxed figure walk away.
Beep.
"You have received a transfer of 100 billion Hanxia coins from Jiang Li."
The sudden transfer notification made Yang Hui's entire body jolt. He turned around in shock—at that moment, the lights in Jiangnan Pavilion blazed to life, and Zhao Ruo's surprised cry rang out immediately after.
"Jiang Li!!!"
Wearing pajamas, Zhao Ruo jumped straight down from the second floor, her beautiful eyes misty with emotion. "You bastard, you finally decided to come back?!"
"Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?!"
"What happened later in Australia? Teacher Yang said you suddenly lost contact!"
Shi Jiang was calmer, but equally curious. He stared at Jiang Li wide-eyed—something about him felt… different.
But he couldn't quite say what.
"I heard after we left, there was a brutal battle in Australia."
"Dozens of Zhanshen were killed, and even three beings beyond Zhanshen fell."
In Jiang Li's living room, Zhao Ruo was clutching her chest, still shaken.
"There should've been five councilors who died," Jiang Li said with a light smile. "Let's not talk about that. Give me your martial artist account IDs."
The two exchanged confused glances. Zhao Ruo blinked. "Shouldn't you be the one giving us your account? We already turned in the six Spirit of Vegetation we found, and the training camp rewarded us a lot of Hanxia coins and treasures…"
"Haha, I don't really need money."
Jiang Li smiled. "Did you forget my ninety-nine SS-grade Blood Shadow War Swords?"
Shi Jiang, Zhao Ruo: "(O▼O)"
When it came to wealth, even if you added up all the trainees in the Elite Camp, their net worth couldn't compare to Jiang Li's.
Beep.
"You have received a transfer of 100 billion from Jiang Li!"
Beep.
"You have received a transfer of 100 billion from Jiang Li!"
Oh my god.
The sudden flood of money left both Shi Jiang and Zhao Ruo frozen in disbelief.
One hundred billion — what did that even mean?A Zhanshen would have to hunt beasts tirelessly for nearly ten years to save up that much. Even the third-ranking figure in the HR Alliance's Hanxia branch—Vinina—had a total fortune of only around 150 billion.
To Shi Jiang and Zhao Ruo, still just trainees, that amount was astronomical.
"Whew!"
"This… this is…"
"I…"
They were both speechless for a long time.
"Money doesn't mean much to me," Jiang Li said, smiling. "You two are some of my few real friends. If anyone gives you trouble, just drop my name—but it might not help."
!!!
Jiang Li had originally planned to stay the night at the Elite Camp, but Yi contacted him in the middle of the night.
"Inspector Jiang!"
"The coastal line near City 003 is in crisis! Seven King Beasts have followed the Long River into the Hanxia heartlands—the Level One Beast Tide has officially escalated to Calamity Grade!"
Jia Yi's voice was urgent, tinged with sorrow.
A Level One Beast Tide already meant an endless flood of monsters.
If King-level beasts were involved, it became a Calamity-grade tide.If a Beast Emperor joined in—then it was a Hell-grade tide.
Since the Great Nirvana Era, Calamity-grade beast tides had occurred only a few times—and there had been only one Hell-grade tide in history.
That time, Hong and Thor had joined forces against a Beast Emperor in an earth-shattering battle. The fight ended in a draw, and the two sides established a temporary "peace."
"…I'm heading there immediately!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Li's figure flashed—and he soared from the Elite Training Camp straight toward the Extreme Martial Hall headquarters.
"Jiang Li… he just flew off—without any equipment?"
Zhao Ruo and Shi Jiang ran out just in time to see Jiang Li disappearing into the sky, stunned.
Before long, at the Extreme Martial Hall headquarters, a dark-blue fighter took off, turning into a brilliant streak of light that split the quiet night as it raced toward City 003.
"Jiang Li, I really overestimated you…"
Easily taking control of the fighter, Babata howled to the heavens. "You don't even have your own personal spacecraft!!!"
"Don't argue!"
"I know, I know—you cultivated too fast, so your aircraft couldn't keep up!"
Jiang Li: "(O▼O)"
You really are a mature Babata.
An hour later, Jiang Li's fighter crossed half of Hanxia. As it neared the Long River battle base—
The hatch opened. Jiang Li gripped Zhuxian tightly and dove straight down from the sky.
At that moment—
Everyone saw it.A crimson streak blazed across the heavens like a descending god, hurtling straight toward the Long River gorge—the very heart of the monster swarm.
"Look!"
"Brothers, someone beyond Zhanshen is here!"
"Who is that—charging straight for the gorge?!"
"That crimson light!"
"It's Inspector Jiang!!"
The Long River battle base, built on the delta, was already riddled with scars of war.
On the extended platforms where laser cannons once stood, blood had dried—some bright red, some black, some fresh, some dark and crusted.
Severed limbs littered the ground.
"So this is war between humans and beasts…"
Even after his fights in the wilderness zones, seeing this—tens of thousands of soldiers clashing with millions of monsters—Jiang Li couldn't help but draw a deep breath.
"Rumble!!!"
Amid the deafening roar of artillery, Jiang Li descended like a streak of crimson lightning—straight into the heart of the battlefield.