In the urban ruins after humanity's retreat, monsters ran rampant, and the corpses of Mortals were left on the roadside, gnawed by wild beasts.
Between the gaps of towering skyscrapers, colossal trees grew tenaciously, their branches and leaves spreading, gradually engulfing the steel jungle. Vines entwined around the broken walls, with white bones occasionally exposed.
The roars of monsters echoed, one after another. They freely roamed this ownerless land, becoming the new Dominators, their eyes reflecting a red glow.
In this desolation, in front of a dilapidated skyscraper, Liu Yun also had to be careful. He had stealthily infiltrated this place, searching for the rare Materials he needed.
However, what was somewhat interesting was that Liu Yun no longer relied on the auxiliary computing power of the Automaton Race core. He was now entirely fighting monsters with his rough Moves, not to the point of being unable to Move, but with a hint of danger.
The Battle Blade he gripped tightly shone with a cold, sharp light in the afterglow of the setting sun. A sparkling crystal hung on his chest; this was the Mechanical Race Clone, and this Clone was desperately suppressing Liu Yun's power, which in turn greatly restricted his Battle Intent.
At this moment, a monster resembling a white fox suddenly darted out from the ruins. Its figure was agile, its fur as white as snow, but its eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty red light.
As it moved, gusts of wind swirled around, kicking up countless dust and gravel, charging ferociously towards Liu Yun.
Facing this beautiful yet ferocious monster, Liu Yun showed no fear; instead, his Battle Intent grew stronger, and his Cultivate of the Dao began. He flashed, skillfully dodging the monster's pounce, while simultaneously swinging his Battle Blade, drawing a brilliant blade light that aimed directly at the monster's vital point.
However, as the overlord of this ruin, the white fox's speed and cunning far surpassed that of ordinary monsters. It seemed to see through the flashiness and lack of substance in Liu Yun's Move. Just as Liu Yun's Battle Blade was about to strike, it suddenly made an agile turn, easily avoiding the sharp blow.
Not only that, but the white fox used this opportunity to adjust its position, preparing to launch a fatal strike.
A true Martial Artist's strength lies not only in the contest of power but also in their keen perception of the rapidly changing battlefield and their corresponding strategies.
Facing the white fox's surprise attack, Liu Yun did not choose to confront it head-on. Instead, he leveraged the momentum, lowering his body again, skillfully brushing past the white fox's offensive, while simultaneously stirring the Psychic within him, which was also severely suppressed.
"Go!" Liu Yun roared in a low voice, and seven Reverse Scale Flying Daggers seemed to respond to his call, instantly shooting out from a special device on his waist, transforming into seven silver lightning bolts that streaked across the sky, heading straight for the white fox. Controlled by Psychic, these flying daggers seemed to possess sentience. They flexibly changed trajectories in the air, ultimately piercing the white fox's body simultaneously from different angles.
The white fox let out a mournful shriek, the bloodthirsty red light in its eyes instantly dimming. Its massive body, under the impact of the flying daggers, crashed heavily to the ground, unable to Move again. A faint scent of blood permeated the air, interweaving with the metallic rust and unknown biological odors of the ruins, creating a unique atmosphere.
Liu Yun stood still, his gaze cold and profound. He gently put away his Battle Blade and flying daggers, clearly still analyzing the gains and losses of the recent encounter.
"What a pity, that first blade strike missed. My Martial Skill is still too loose! But if the Mechanical Race Clone hadn't been suppressing my power, then there would have been no need for such an effort..."
He was very concerned about the blade strike he had been so sure of earlier, which had missed its mark, giving the Beast General-level monster an opportunity. This filled him with immense disgust.
He knew that in this perilous world of ruins, every oversight could be fatal.
So Liu Yun had already begun to Cultivate by suppressing his strength. His footwork was rough, which was a big problem, and he had to Cultivate from his original strength.
Liu Yun did not want to completely rely on the computing power assistance of the Mechanical Race Clone. He also had the heart of a Martial Artist, wanting to find the secret of human strength progression. Only in this way could he avoid being assimilated into a human carrier for the Automaton Race.
Liu Yun always believed that true power was not strong Martial Skill, but an unyielding heart. With such a heart, one could achieve a boost in strength through arduous belief! Everything would get better.
"I want every swing of my blade to be an unavoidable death sentence." Liu Yun murmured to himself. This was his first battle without computer assistance, and the result wasn't bad, considering he hadn't used his full strength.
Just then, a sudden change occurred in the sky. The originally dim sky was pierced by a dazzling flash of fire. A Flame Birds, engulfed in raging flames, descended from the sky. Its wings spread like two burning infernos, illuminating the entire ruin in a crimson glow.
The Flame Birds, to Liu Yun's astonishment, suddenly swooped down, its sharp talons grasping the white fox's corpse, then flapped its wings and soared away, instantly disappearing into the sky.
"Damn it! Little Red, get back here, I still have use for that fox's corpse!"
Liu Yun was furious, calling the Flame Birds Little Red. It turned out this Flame Birds was the Undying Bird's egg from before.
The white fox's strength was also at the Beast General level, so its corpse was naturally very valuable. Liu Yun had planned to keep it to sell for money. The holes in its fur were a bit troublesome, but such a powerful fox could still fetch a good price.
Who knew it would be snatched away by the Flame Birds? This Flame Birds, named Little Red by Liu Yun, had been tamed by his Psychic and became his battle pet, always helping him fight here.
Just as he was complaining, a familiar flapping sound approached from afar. Little Red had flown back, still clutching the white fox in its sharp beak.
It seemed to be showing off its "trophy" to Liu Yun. Seeing this, Liu Yun couldn't help but laugh wryly, and most of his anger instantly dissipated.
"You little rascal, you're truly both lovable and hateful." Liu Yun gently chided, his eyes filled with doting affection.
He extended his hand, and Little Red lightly landed on his arm, gently rubbing the back of his hand with its warm beak, as if apologizing or seeking forgiveness.
Liu Yun had a flash of inspiration and thought of a solution that would please both of them, a saying that there's enough for everyone.
"Little Red, in this world, only you and I rely on each other. I can only trust you! Since you like this fox so much, let's enjoy this feast together."
Among the ruins, Liu Yun confided in this Flame Birds. He didn't trust many people. Besides his sister, who was still studying, there was only this fledgling bird.
Monsters were often more reliable than humans. Liu Yun no longer cared about grand ambitions; those things were ultimately empty titles that couldn't sustain a person for long. Only a little bit of zest for life could help him regain the power to Cultivate the Dao.
Little Red seemed to understand Liu Yun's words, excitedly chirping, then flapped its wings and soared, leading Liu Yun to a relatively safe corner of the ruins. There, a pile of dry wood and discarded metal sheets happened to form a natural barbecue grill.
Liu Yun quickly got to work, building a simple bonfire with Materials from the ruins and carefully igniting the flames. Little Red, meanwhile, was busy nearby, adding fuel to the fire with its scorching flames. The flames danced, reflecting the busy figures of one man and one bird.
Soon, the white fox's corpse was placed over the bonfire. Little Red's flames enveloped it perfectly, and its skin gradually turned golden and crispy, exuding a rich aroma. Liu Yun, meanwhile, processed the fox meat, cutting it into edible sizes and sprinkling it with aged spices found in a supermarket ruin. Although simple, it had a unique flavor. Spices are generally long-lasting; mummies were made with them and could last for thousands of years, so eating them now was fine.
Just at this moment, a blurry signal suddenly came from Liu Yun's communication watch. Liu Yun frowned; it was Grinda's contact.
"Great Liu Yun, God of War? You finally have time for me. You didn't even tell me you were taking on a mission! I'm calling to inform you that we've collected all the Materials you needed, and we even have double the supplies."
This was Grinda's unique clear and somewhat Western-sounding China accent. Usually, Liu Yun didn't pay much attention to Grinda's attempts to recruit him, but this time, he was filled with joy upon hearing her words.
"Really? That's great! My humble Ms. Grinda, just put them in my villa's basement!"
Liu Yun said excitedly to the voice-only watch. With one more upgrade, he could become an invincible God of War, and even becoming an Alliance member wouldn't be impossible.
This was truly effective. Those supplies were quite expensive in this chaotic era. Liu Yun even felt a bit grateful to Grinda, but his emotions were too obvious in his words, and Grinda, upon hearing him, immediately began to take advantage of Liu Yun.
"... (Signal interference) ..."
"... Yes, yes, just in your... basement... We... Mid-level War General..."
The signal here was poor, and Grinda's words to Liu Yun were intermittent. Liu Yun, because of the double supplies, had to patiently listen, and he also developed a bit more approval for the HR Alliance, as he had managed to get a good deal from them.
"We've found four teammates for you, all Mid-level War Generals from prominent Families. Remember to take care of them!"
Grinda, seizing the opportunity before the connection was completely lost, spoke these words, then ended the call without giving Liu Yun a chance to respond.
"What? Mid-level War Generals? What's the use of that, they're only a bit stronger than I am now!"
Liu Yun frowned upon hearing this. They were too weak. However, it was truly difficult for him to become a God of War; all Gods of War had deep connections! Considering Grinda's supply of Materials, Liu Yun couldn't flat-out refuse. He could only think of ways to make these unfortunate kids retreat later on.