Chapter 124: Fierce Battle

"It has begun!"

In a small corner of the battlefield, Fang Qingyun and Zhao Junhong stared at the chaotic scene, their eyes glowing with intensity.

"Is this what a large-scale battlefield is like?" Zhao Junhong muttered to himself.

With hundreds of thousands of warriors on each side, the total number of combatants neared two million. Artillery shells streaked across the sky, and warships wreathed in flames plummeted toward the earth. In the face of such carnage, individual power felt insignificant.

No!

Zhao Junhong and Fang Qingyun shifted their gaze in another direction.

The Serpent King and three others were locked in combat there. Immense spiritual energy had formed a massive spatial storm. Rifts in space were spreading continuously. The ground was being torn apart, and the sky turned dark, as if it were weeping. Even standard battleships found it difficult to approach that area.

"God-General," Zhao Junhong whispered. "I believe it now—when the Serpent King dealt with us, he was just toying with us."

"That’s not necessarily true," Fang Qingyun said softly. "Don’t forget, the Serpent King is among the strongest even within the rank of God-Generals. If we were facing an ordinary God-General, we might be able to wound them."

"Wound them, perhaps," Zhao Junhong replied, shaking his head. "How are we supposed to intervene in that?"

"The usual method."

Fang Qingyun slowly drew a bullet and aimed at a Monster race commander. The creature was in a frenzy, cutting through the battlefield, tearing human soldiers apart with his bare hands. As his killing spree reached a fever pitch, he tossed several human soldiers into his mouth and chewed. Blood ran down his body like a demon.

"Die!"

*Bang!*

A bullet flew out. The Monster sensed it instantly, let out a roar, and swiped at it.

*Bang!*

The bullet pierced the Monster's palm and struck him in the head. A hole appeared. The creature swayed and collapsed to the ground.

A Tier 2 bullet!

"Beautiful!" Zhao Junhong exclaimed.

"Let’s go!"

"What?" Zhao Junhong was startled, but the next moment, he was grabbed by Fang Qingyun and dragged away, covering several hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

"Why are we running so far?"

"Don't be ridiculous. If we don't move, what happens if the Monsters send reinforcements?"

This answer nearly made Zhao Junhong’s jaw drop. Are you serious? You just said we could hurt a regular God-General, and the moment you fire a single shot, you run away? In such a massive battlefield, who would notice you? Is this really necessary?

Faced with Zhao Junhong’s bewildered expression, Fang Qingyun remained calm.

*Bang!*

Another shot rang out. A high-ranking Monster warrior was killed on the spot. Fang Qingyun immediately fired again, taking out a seventh-tier Monster before grabbing Zhao Junhong and changing their position once more. They ran another few hundred meters before stopping to fire again.

Zhao Junhong stared at Fang Qingyun, dumbfounded. He felt that his friend had become increasingly cautious lately. Are you still the Fang Qingyun I used to know?

Fang Qingyun spoke very seriously. "I’ve realized recently that we were too reckless before. When we can play it safe, why take risks? That’s irrational behavior."

"But..."

"No 'buts'," Fang Qingyun said firmly. "You just stay by my side and protect me, understand?"

"I'm supposed to protect *you*?" Zhao Junhong wanted to cover his eyes. You could knock me out in a few moves. What am I protecting you from?

"What if someone sneaks up on me while I'm not looking? Having you there adds an extra layer of insurance!" Fang Qingyun sounded as if he were stating a profound truth. He had truly reached enlightenment.

"Fine!"

Although Zhao Junhong desperately wanted to charge into the fray, he knew that even if the Monsters didn't kill him, his own side might attack him. How could an unknown individual just jump into the battlefield and expect to be accepted by either side?

And so, the battlefield hunter Fang Qingyun continued his work.

One shot after another!

While there were many snipers on the battlefield responsible for taking out high-ranking enemy commanders to sow chaos in their command systems, none possessed the efficiency of Fang Qingyun. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Monster experts had died by his hand.

The Monster forces in this sector were in disarray. Not only had they lost their commanders, but they were also panicked—where were their own experts? They watched as enemy commanders and high-level warriors slaughtered their ranks, yet their own powerhouses were nowhere to be found.

They were completely baffled. This entire sector was being suppressed.

"That’s enough for now." Fang Qingyun put his gun away. He checked his ammunition; these were supplies he had swiped from the Northwest Military Academy before leaving. Since he had already performed such great feats, the academy would reward him anyway. He was just collecting his prize early to save everyone the trouble.

"Tsk, tsk, your speed is..." Zhao Junhong remarked, shaking his head.

"Let’s go, next one!" Fang Qingyun led Zhao Junhong away from the area.

***

They arrived in another sector. No sooner had they entered than Fang Qingyun’s expression shifted. He pressed Zhao Junhong’s head down and rolled to the side.

*Whiz!*

A bullet flew right over their heads.

"A sniper?" Zhao Junhong whispered. He felt a complex mix of emotions. He hadn't felt anything at all, yet Fang Qingyun had reacted instantly. Was the gap between their abilities really that vast?

He didn't know that Fang Qingyun hadn't actually spotted the sniper either; rather, his Origin Points had triggered. The sudden gain of two Origin Points warned him of impending danger, so he had dodged instinctively.

"Leave this to me!" Fang Qingyun’s massive spiritual sense swept out, instantly locking onto the opponent. It was a Monster sniper, a high-ranking commander. Furthermore, the enemy was arrogant and didn't even bother to conceal himself, standing out in the open. The sniper seemed surprised that his first shot had missed and was already raising his rifle to aim again.

Fang Qingyun retreated a few meters and signaled to Zhao Junhong, who was still hiding in place. Zhao Junhong nodded slightly and held his great saber out.

*Bang!*

The shot rang out almost simultaneously. Zhao Junhong felt a massive force hit his saber, nearly knocking it from his grasp and sending him flying.

"Damn it!" Zhao Junhong cursed under his breath. *Even a peak commander-level sniper is at this level?*

*Bang!*

Fang Qingyun seized the opportunity to leap up and fire at the sniper. The sniper, having just fired, instinctively dropped low, narrowly avoiding Fang Qingyun’s bullet.

"Damn it!" Fang Qingyun’s heart sank. He knew they were in trouble.

Sure enough, after that exchange, the enemy became significantly more cautious. He stopped appearing in the open, keeping his sights locked on Fang Qingyun and waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Fang Qingyun would have liked to settle in and duel this guy properly, but human soldiers were falling in droves. Even with the support of the Black Tooth Military Academy and Duke Song, their numbers were limited. If the fighting continued like this, they wouldn't just be facing a pyrrhic victory—defeat was a distinct possibility.

Among the three great races, the humans were the weakest. If the Demon race was a ten, the Monster race was a six. The humans had at most a four. In many scenarios, humans had to align with the Monsters just to contend with the Demons. However, when humans and Monsters fought each other, the humans were at a clear disadvantage.

In such moments, a sniper like Fang Qingyun was critical.

Fang Qingyun gritted his teeth and whispered, "Old Zhao, buy me some time!"

"Got it!" Zhao Junhong agreed without hesitation. His body began to swell.

Frenzy!

This time, after his transformation, Zhao Junhong’s strength increased significantly, nearing that of a high-level commander.

"I am the strongest!"
"I am the strongest!"
"I am absolutely the strongest!"

Zhao Junhong took a deep breath and charged to the side like a bolt of lightning. As soon as he moved, he rolled along the ground.

*Bang!*

A bullet grazed his ear.

"Damn!" Zhao Junhong broke into a cold sweat. *Is this what it feels like to face a sniper like Fang Qingyun? This is terrifying!* He had changed his trajectory the moment he moved and never stopped, yet he had still almost been hit. No wonder Fang Qingyun was so accurate against those Monster experts on the battlefield.

Thinking quickly, Zhao Junhong took off his outer garment, stuffed it with a few rocks, and tossed it out.

*Bang!*

The gun fired. Zhao Junhong gritted his teeth, preparing to rush out and unleash some blade energy at the sniper. At the last second, he stopped and threw himself back down.

*Bang!*

Another bullet grazed his scalp.

"Holy shit!"
"I nearly pissed myself!" Zhao Junhong cursed. The only reason he had stopped at the last second was out of concern for Fang Qingyun. His priority was to stall for time, not to engage directly. He needed to stay by Fang Qingyun’s side to protect him. Who would have thought that this thought would end up saving his life?

"Old Fang, thank you for saving my life again!" Zhao Junhong glanced at Fang Qingyun and froze. *What is going on with him? Does he look poisoned? No, that can't be it! He must be charging up a major technique. Wait, why is he practicing sword forms? Is this part of the preparation? Yes, that must be it! Even though it looks a lot like basic training...*

With that thought, Zhao Junhong grabbed a few more rocks and swiped them away with his great saber.

***

It had to be said, this tactic startled the sniper. The blade shattered the rocks, sending fragments flying like bullets into every corner. With Zhao Junhong’s strength, which was only a hair’s breadth away from a high-level commander, these shards actually possessed considerable lethality. However, once the sniper regained his composure, this attack was negligible. It was impossible to hit him. It was simply the most effective attack Zhao Junhong could manage without exposing himself.

Meanwhile, Fang Qingyun...

[Origin +1]
[Origin +1]

He swallowed the prepared antidote and watched his Origin Points climb.

*Faster!*
*Faster!*

Fang Qingyun was anxious. He knew Zhao Junhong couldn't hold out much longer. He had kept a reserve of Origin Points, but he hadn't expected that leveling up his sword techniques would consume so many. Of course, because his physical attributes were now exceptionally strong, ordinary toxins had no effect on him, and he had developed a certain resistance to potent ones. Even if poisoned, he could endure it without changing his expression, and he could hold out for a long time.

He began practicing his sword forms. He needed to make his body better adapted to his current strength. In truth, he had held some points back as a precaution, but he hadn't anticipated that increasing his sword skills would also boost his other attributes, forcing him to re-acclimate to his body. Fortunately, later on, he started using spiritual energy to shield himself, saving some physical strain.

As time passed, the sniper on the other side clearly grew impatient. He began to attempt attacks, but Fang Qingyun was waiting for him. Though he let Zhao Junhong block the front, he wasn't doing nothing. Whenever the sniper exposed himself, Fang Qingyun would fire a shot. The sniper, relying on keen intuition, barely managed to dodge, and the fear kept him from showing himself again, leaving him to stay in place and watch Zhao Junhong smash rocks.

*At least let it be known I was here.*

Finally, after half an hour.

[Origin +1]
[Origin: 5000]

Seeing this, Fang Qingyun didn't hesitate and poured the points into his marksmanship.

[Origin -5000]
[Marksmanship +1]
[Marksmanship: Advanced]

In an instant, countless insights regarding shooting and firearms flooded Fang Qingyun’s mind. Simultaneously:

[Strength +1]
[Speed +1]
[Physique +1]
[Strength: 43]
[Speed: 43]
[Physique: 43]
[Origin: 0]

The three basic attributes had all increased by one.

"Lower than last time?" Fang Qingyun was slightly stunned. "If I upgrade my blade skills or something else, won't it increase at all? That's fine. My body is already at its limit anyway. If it had increased by six points all at once, my body might have collapsed!"

Fang Qingyun opened his eyes and stared at his opponent, a confident, murderous smile curling his lips. *Let’s see if you survive this time!*

He stood up, slowly slid two bullets into the chamber, and walked forward.

"What are you doing?" Zhao Junhong was startled. "Old Fang, are you crazy? Get down!"

"Don't worry!" Fang Qingyun waved him off and strode forward.

"You're courting death!" The Monster sniper saw this, a cold glint in his eyes, and fired at Fang Qingyun without hesitation.

*Bang!*

The shot rang out. Fang Qingyun’s ear twitched. He tilted his head slightly, and the bullet whistled past, slicing off a single hair that drifted silently to the ground.

"How?" The Monster sniper was stunned and fired again.

*Bang!*

Fang Qingyun tilted his head again, dodging the bullet once more. Having pushed his marksmanship to the advanced level, Fang Qingyun could dodge such bullets simply by relying on sound and intuition. His gaze had also become sharper, allowing him to track the bullet’s trajectory completely.

"My turn now!" Fang Qingyun gave a cold laugh, flowing his spiritual energy into the gun.

*Bang!*

A bullet was fired toward the Monster sniper. The sniper scrambled to dodge.

*Bang!*

Fang Qingyun fired a second shot. Because this shot was infused with more spiritual energy, it was faster and actually caught up to the first bullet. The two collided and deflected.

Just at that moment, the third bullet flew through the air, instantly burying itself in the Monster sniper’s head.

*Bang!*

The Monster sniper stared blankly at Fang Qingyun before slowly collapsing.

*What kind of technique was that?* Even in death, he couldn't understand why Fang Qingyun had undergone such a earth-shattering transformation in an instant.