I Can Replicate Martial Arts

With the retreat of the Great Zhou’s army of Exotic Beasts, the Central Plains enjoyed a brief period of peace.

Thanks to military support from the Central Plains, Southeast Asia was able to hold on, although most of the region was left in ruins by the Exotic Beasts.

Under their governments’ direction, the people of these regions emerged from their shelters and began to rebuild their lives and resume production.

At the "invitation" of the Southeast Asian nations, the Central Plains also dispatched troops to remain as a garrison, guarding against another Exotic Beast raid.

At that moment, the entire world order was turned upside down.

Over the vast South Pacific Ocean!

A sky-blotting swarm of Flying Beasts shrieked overhead. A dozen massive Exotic Beasts served as draft animals, pulling enormous warships that sailed majestically across the ocean.

They were escorted by countless smaller Exotic Beasts weaving through the air, their roars and shrieks rising and falling in a constant cacophony.

A man stood at the prow of the giant warship. He had a strange appearance: his eyes had overlapping double pupils that faintly twinkled with starlight, and fleshy tendrils grew where his eyebrows should be, resembling squid tentacles that danced on their own in the wind.

"General Nangong, Fei Lian Guest has failed in his mission. I await your punishment!"

Just then, a streak of light shot in from the distance, landing swiftly on the prow.

The light faded to reveal three figures kneeling on one knee—the very same three from Great Zhou who had previously attacked the Fuzhou region.

The words had barely left his mouth when the fleshy tendrils on the man’s brow suddenly transformed into a long whip. It appeared abruptly behind the three men, and with three sharp cracks, struck each of them.

Expressions of extreme, suppressed pain crossed their faces, yet they dared not make a sound, merely lowering their heads even further.

"You underestimated the enemy and rushed in recklessly. Do you have any complaints?"

The man with the fleshy tendrils spoke coldly, without turning his head.

"The fault is mine. I deserve to die ten thousand times. Thank you for your leniency, General!"

The bushy-bearded man calling himself Fei Lian Guest cupped his fist in a salute, his attitude one of utmost respect.

"Get up. Don’t let it happen again!"

"Thank you, General!"

Fei Lian Guest and the two men behind him scrambled to their feet.

"Report. What happened?"

"Yes, General."

Fei Lian Guest then recounted the events of their failed Exotic Beast assault.

’It seems the Martial Artists of the Great Song and these so-called Divine Weapons of the Central Plains complement each other perfectly.’

General Nangong’s eyes were icy. As he spoke, the very air around them seemed to grow colder.

"According to my observations, the Central Plains has some rather mysterious aspects. For instance, their method of long-range surveillance is a divine artifact floating beyond the Cosmos. It looks down upon the world, and no detail, no matter how small, escapes its sight."

"There is another Divine Weapon that can generate extreme heat, melting metal in an instant... Fortunately, while this weapon is powerful, it is not fast,"

Fei Lian Guest explained in a solemn tone.

"The strength of the Central Plains is actually so formidable. That is beyond my expectations," General Nangong said coldly. "What of the Great Shang?"

"They’ve mastered quite a few Divine Weapons, but they’re a far cry from the Central Plains and lack these ultimate armaments. However, there is a region tens of thousands of miles away that is said to possess numerous Divine Weapons. They are currently engaged in a fierce struggle with the Wilderness Alien Race."

"Oh? How lively. As expected, an age of great change is always full of surprises."

A faint smile played on General Nangong’s lips as he spoke.

Hearing this, Fei Lian Guest dared not reply. He lowered his head slightly, quietly awaiting the general’s command.

"Relay my order: all forces, advance! Target: the Central Plains."

As his command was given, a resounding horn blast echoed from the warship. Its deep, heavy tone sounded exceptionally clear and far-reaching under the setting sun.

「A little over a month passed in the blink of an eye.」

The peace was short-lived. After a month of respite, space-based satellites once again issued a warning: the army of the Great Zhou Dynasty was approaching.

This time, for the deep-sea engagement, warships and aircraft were dispatched in full force. A massive battle pitting modern technology against Exotic Beasts erupted in the waters near Southeast Asia.

Countless missiles, trailing plumes of fire, streaked toward the Great Zhou Fleet under radar guidance.

"These are the Divine Weapons you mentioned?"

Watching the variety of missiles screaming toward them, General Nangong barely lifted an eyelid. Without raising his right hand, he flicked a finger.

Instantly, rows of what looked like mechanical ballistae emerged behind him. Operated by a group of soldiers, they instantly fired countless bolts.

These bolts didn’t fly toward the missiles. Instead, they struck the air in front of the warship and exploded with a ROAR.

Billowing clouds of mist spread out.

Soon, the entire sky above the fleet was shrouded.

The incoming missiles plunged into the mist and suddenly lost their guidance signals. Like headless flies, they either crashed into the ocean or flew far wide of the fleet.

"General! It worked! You are truly incredible, General!"

Fei Lian Guest, overjoyed at the sight, spoke in a fawning tone, his thick beard trembling with excitement.

General Nangong gave a faint smile. "Attack!"

With the order given, thousands of soldiers mounted on Flying Beasts took to the air, charging toward the human warships.

The entire sky instantly darkened, as if covered by a moving storm cloud.

The sheer scale of the assault was horrifying.

The forces of the Central Plains, not to be outdone, scrambled their own aircraft. Fighter jets and helicopters lifted off from the warships to meet the oncoming swarm.

Ship-based anti-aircraft guns spat torrents of incandescent shells, sweeping the skies ahead.

The Exotic Beasts were just as formidable. Many possessed their own Lifebound Divine Techniques, granting them incredible speed or immense physical durability. Some could even spew corrosive venoms, fire, frost, or lightning.

Goaded by their riders, a storm of True Qi swept across the sky. It converted into various forms of Energy, all blasting toward the human fleet.

The space between sky and sea filled with an unending cacophony of explosions and the shrieks and roars of Exotic Beasts.

The very heavens seemed to change color.

At that moment, a contest between technology and Exotic Beasts unfolded before humanity in all its brutal detail.

The great battle lasted for a full two hours before it finally ended.

Countless human warships and aircraft were destroyed, and innumerable Exotic Beasts were sent to watery graves.

In the end, neither side could claim victory, and both suffered grievous losses.

On the human side, the few surviving warships and dozens of aircraft fled back to their naval port in a panic.

The Great Zhou forces, for their part, also suffered heavy losses among their Exotic Beasts and warships. General Nangong called off the pursuit. After finding an island to rest and regroup, he turned back and returned to the Pangu Continent.

News of the battle’s outcome quickly reached the Central Plains, and the staggering losses caused a public uproar.

Panic spread through the population. Online, doomsaying and defeatist sentiments were rampant.

In the real world, many people abandoned their normal jobs and lives, frantically stockpiling supplies and searching for safe shelters.

Some unscrupulous individuals even became lawless, using the chaos to commit crimes.

Chaos erupted in many parts of the Central Plains.

The government acted decisively, immediately declaring wartime martial law. Masters of the Martial Dao from various sects and schools led patrols, and anyone found breaking the law was subject to military justice.

These harsh measures quickly brought the riots under control.

However, the feelings of helpless, apocalyptic panic did not diminish, continuing to fester quietly in the hearts of many.

When it rains, it pours.

At this critical moment, a violent explosion suddenly echoed from the sky. Immediately after, several meteor-like objects were seen plummeting to earth, streaking lines of fire across the sky.

They either crashed to the ground or disintegrated in midair.

"Is that a meteor shower?"

Many people who saw this were stunned.

"No, those are satellites!"

An expert recognized them at a glance.

"Satellites?"

Before their horror could subside, a fleeting shadow of light appeared in the sky, resembling a massive, coiling dragon in flight.

Its body was wreathed in a red halo.

The enormous figure was incredibly fast, flashing through their field of vision before vanishing without a trace.

"The satellites are gone?"

Everyone, whether government official or ordinary citizen, was dumbfounded. ’Could this dragon-shaped creature be a new type of Exotic Beast from the Great Zhou?’

An Exotic Beast that could traverse the Cosmos and survive in the vacuum of space!

’How are we supposed to fight that?’