Chapter 121: The National Strength of Great Xia!

Lin Fan’s expression, however, remained grave. He spoke into his walkie-talkie, "Next, the God-Chosen—those who possess the power of gods—will appear. They are the conduits between the gods and their believers. They have been granted power by the gods. If we kill them, these believers will be unable to manifest here! All the sea beasts will be forced back into their master god’s divine realm and will not be able to return!"

"God-Slayer Regiment, First Squad, charge and kill that God-Chosen!"

The God-Chosen. Lin Fan had already explained the concept to the God-Slayer Regiment. They were individuals among the believers selected by a god, serving as the bridge between the divinity and the faithful race. The faith gathered by the race was channeled through this bond to nourish the divine fire within the god, transforming into the god's power. In return, these selected individuals were bestowed with divine gifts. Though they were not gods themselves, they possessed immense power, effectively holding the strength of demigods.

In an instant, the members of the First Squad surged forward.

Mo Bujie of the Confucian School laughed heartily, reciting, "I regret not having seen the ancients, and I regret that the ancients could not see my madness!" A surge of scholarly aura erupted, stirring the heavens and the earth. Clad in his Confucian robes and clutching a scroll of poetry, he charged toward the target pointed out by Lin Fan, enveloped in the overwhelming pressure of nature itself.

At the same time, "Ten thousand paths of the Dao." Dao Wanqian murmured softly. Holding a talisman in one hand and the Executioner of Immortals Sword in the other, he dashed forward, shrouded in the essence of the Dao.

"Amitabha." The Compassionate Master chanted a Buddhist mantra, brandishing a nine-ringed monk's staff as heavy as Mount Tai. With the phantom of a white-robed monk appearing behind him, he strode forth.

Xingye vanished silently from his spot, a cold glint of steel flashing through the air.

Gongshu Ban gestured silently, and a massive wooden bird carried him into the fray. Behind him, dozens of wooden birds filled the sky like clouds, while scores of steel rhinoceroses and combat puppets stomped across the surface of the sea, crushing everything in their path.

"As for that god..." Lin Fan stood atop the fortress wall, "Leave him to me."

He looked up at the sky.

*Crack!*

Suddenly, a rift tore open in the sky. Lin Fan knew this was the omen of the god’s imminent descent. Behind that rift lay the god himself.

"You've arrived?" Lin Fan pulled out his Green Dragon Blade with a cold smile. "Perfect. You can get an early look at this strike of mine!"

An immense blade intent rose from Lin Fan’s body. The terrifying pressure distorted the very space around him, and the concrete beneath his feet cracked under the weight of his aura. This was a blade intent that had spanned a millennium—the blade intent of the Martial Saint!

The aura of loyalty and righteousness surged around him as the phantom of the Martial Saint materialized behind him. The moment this silhouette appeared, everyone’s eyes widened; the world seemed to fall into a dead silence.

It was... the Martial Saint! The great general of Great Xia, Guan Yu! His appearance was unmistakable: the crimson face, the long beard, the phoenix eyes, and the inverted grip on the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Lin Fan held his own Green Dragon Blade in the same manner. The blade vibrated, an unstoppable momentum manifesting within the weapon and within himself. This momentum grew ever more intense.

*Hum!*

The Green Dragon Blade roared like a dragon. At that moment, the green dragon engraved on the blade seemed to come alive, roaring toward the heavens.

"We are ready. Are you?"

Lin Fan slowly raised the blade, pointing directly at the rift in the sky. As the blade reached its zenith, so did his momentum. A brilliant, dazzling blade light erupted in an instant!

"Roar!"

It sounded like the cry of a dragon. Lin Fan leaped off the Steel Great Wall, his entire being turning into a blade as he struck toward the rift. The blade light streaked across the sky, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. From a distance, the youth looked like a green dragon diving upward, his cold blade serving as the dragon’s bared fangs.

Behind him, the Martial Saint’s phantom also swung his blade. For a split second, the brilliant light seemed to freeze time and space. As the blade passed, the world fell into total silence. It was as if nothing remained in existence except that single flash of cold steel. Even the explosions and fire from the artillery faded into insignificance.

*Boom!*

Lin Fan’s Green Dragon Blade slammed into the rift. From afar, it looked like a green dragon tearing into the crack in reality. A terrifying blade intent surged forth, pouring directly into the rift.

"Ugh."

A muffled groan came from within the tear. The god behind the rift had actually been wounded by this blade strike! A demigod striking a god! This was a blow that crossed the barriers of dimensions.

Inside the rift, Lin Fan looked like a madman, his eyes bloodshot as he pulled his blade back, inch by inch, roaring, "This is Great Xia’s greeting for invaders!"

"If you don't want to die, turn around and leave. Otherwise, even gods shall fall outside the gates of Great Xia!"

"Hmph." A cold snort echoed from behind the gate, followed by two words: "Kneel."

Lin Fan remained expressionless as he withdrew his blade. Back on the Steel Great Wall, he picked up his walkie-talkie. "This exercise is now concluded."

In an instant, the roaring dragon fell silent. The artillery ceased, the firepower stopped, and the world returned to stillness. Such was the terrifying, iron-clad discipline of Great Xia—one order, and all was silent.

Lin Fan spoke into the walkie-talkie, "All officers at the regimental level and above, and all members of the God-Slayer Regiment, report for a summary meeting to review the shortcomings of this exercise."

...

The broadcast ended.

The leader of the Freedom Federation and the leaders of various other nations sat in their chairs, frozen in shock. They had remained in that posture for three hours, completely unaware of the time.

Five minutes after the broadcast ended, the leader of the Freedom Federation finally raised his head, trembling. "Which idiot suggested we take this opportunity to invade Great Xia?"

His plump face was drenched in sweat, his eyes filled with dread. Silence reigned. Before this, every leader present had assumed that Great Xia’s national strength had been drained by the construction of the Steel Great Wall.

But just now, Great Xia’s public exercise had taught them what true national strength meant. That Steel Great Wall hadn't drained their strength; it was a guardian dragon, a roaring beast sitting watch over their borders! When the cannons roared and the dragon hissed, even the heavens trembled! With such an insurmountable barrier, let alone a god, even if all their nations attacked together, they wouldn't stand a chance of taking a single step into Great Xia!

"I asked, which fool said we should take this opportunity to invade Great Xia!" the leader of the Freedom Federation slammed the table in a rage. He was furious—furious at how powerful Great Xia had become.

Still, no one answered.

His secretary, unable to bear the tension, whispered, "Sir, the fool who suggested invading Great Xia... was you..."

The leader froze, his face turning a deep shade of crimson. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "It doesn't matter who it was. The truth is, none of us expected Great Xia... to be this ruthless."

The leader of Australia stood up, his expression complex. "I now suspect that what Great Xia said about the gods descending is true. Otherwise, they wouldn't be this serious, nor would they have deployed such firepower on their wall. If what they say is true, and the gods arrive in three days... I suggest we start preparing as well!"

As he spoke, the expressions of the other world leaders shifted, and it was clear that they, too, were filled with uncertainty and doubt.