Chapter 452: 452 Chapter Defying the Heavens to Seize the Moon (First Update)
 

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Swoosh.

A crossbow arrow flew across the sky, its high-strength carbon fiber tip piercing directly into the body of a giant beetle before exploding with a bang, obliterating it into pieces.

Zhang Chu was startled and turned his head to look.

He saw An Qing sitting on the roof of a distant SUV, holding a high-tech crossbow. When she met his gaze, she nodded slightly.

But in the moment of his distraction, a giant centipede suddenly burst out of the ground and lunged straight for Zhang Chu’s back.

Before Zhang Chu could react, Cheng Hao rushed over from afar, smashing the upper half of the centipede with a punch, then said coldly, “If you’re tired, go and rest!”

Red-faced but aware that without Cheng Hao’s rescue he would have been injured, Zhang Chu muttered a thankful, “Thank you!”

Cheng Hao didn’t respond to him but simply raised his hand and commanded sternly, “Annihilate them!”

Following his order, the entire Fire Phoenix team instantly formed an encircling ring and began to methodically annihilate the Insect Tribe within.

The speed of progression was so fast that Zhang Chu was left somewhat dumbfounded.

A short while later.

This wave of the Insect Tribe was completely eradicated.

Immediately people came forward to clean up the battlefield, while the members of Fire Phoenix moved to the side, those who needed to eat ate, those who needed to drink drank.

Zhang Chu watched with mixed emotions.

The people of Fire Phoenix had arrived only a day ago.

Yet this day’s interactions had vastly broadened the horizons of Zhang Chu and the others.

Whether it was individual capability or team cooperation, Fire Phoenix achieved near perfection.

This made Zhang Chu, who had once boasted that he would surpass Fire Phoenix, deeply ashamed.

Because after this comparison, Zhang Chu truly realized the huge gap between his Blood Qilin and Fire Phoenix.

“Captain, these insects are really damn tough to deal with!” Zou Yi complained.

Cheng Hao also wore a grave expression.

After a day of battle, Cheng Hao finally understood why Commander Hu would set aside his pride to seek reinforcements.

The attacks of the Insect Tribe were growing more fierce with each wave, and they fought desperately.

Only an elite among elites like Fire Phoenix could withstand such a siege; any other would have already collapsed.

At this moment, the sun set in the west as the moon rose in the east.

Observing the full moon, Cheng Hao had a sudden thought.

“What day is it today?”

“It’s the middle of the month!” Zou Yi said.

Cheng Hao’s expression grew more solemn.

The Spell Decree he had practiced was bestowed to him by Xue An, and after more than a year of diligent training, he had reached the Heavenly Being Cultivation Level.

Hence, he was particularly sensitive to the aura around him.

He had a feeling… that there was something off about tonight’s full moon!

It wasn’t just him, Zhang Chu also looked up at the unnaturally large full moon, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

“Everyone get ready, tonight is going to be tough!” Cheng Hao said in a deep voice.

All the members of Fire Phoenix were shaken.

Zou Yi said with a frown, “Boss, don’t scare me!”

Cheng Hao glared at him, “Have I ever scared you? Buck up!”

“Yes!”

Cheng Hao hesitated for a moment then walked over to the SUV, “An Qing, the battlefield will be even more dangerous at night. How about you go to the command post in the rear? It’s safer there.”

An Qing was sitting on the SUV’s roof rack, her long legs swinging, and she laughed lightly when she heard this.

“Dangerous? The crossbow in my hand isn’t for show!”

An Qing, aware of her own meager strength, had started from scratch to practice archery with the crossbow and discovered that she had astounding talent for it. In a very short time, she mastered a peerless technique with the crossbow arrow.

Then she spent a fortune to have this hand crossbow custom-made.

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The crossbow automatically cocks and fires multiple arrows in quick succession, a force more powerful than that of a standard sniper rifle—it’s truly a great weapon of destruction.

This time, knowing the danger of the task, An Qing had installed pressure-sensitive explosives on the arrowheads.

So, throughout the day, the number of demon insects killed by An Qing’s arrows was no less than that of anyone else.

Cheng Hao, watching An Qing who seemed to shine more brightly under the moonlight with her clear eyes and white teeth, felt his heartbeat slightly quicken before he quickly lowered his head, “Alright! But remember, An, don’t get too close!”

“Understood! Go now!” An Qing said cheerfully.

Just as Cheng Hao was about to turn around,

he felt a violent shaking beneath his feet.

Earthquake!

That was the first thought that crossed Cheng Hao’s mind.

Then a very ominous premonition arose in his heart!

Indeed, the severe tremor cracked open a crevice in Insect Immortal Mountain.

Dark energy scattered in all directions, and a wave of insect tribe members surged out—ten times more than usual.

Many people were so frightened by this scene that they were practically petrified.

Cheng Hao’s thoughts raced, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Call the rear, ask them for covering fire!”

Now, while these demon insects hadn’t charged over yet, was the perfect time for a barrage.

At the command, someone immediately notified the command center in the rear.

Commander Hu had already seen the situation on the ground through the drone and said with an ashen face, “These damned bugs! Flatten that area for me!”

“Yes, sir!”

Dozens of missiles flew up and in the blink of an eye, they reached above the swarm of demon insects, then burst open with a deafening explosion.

The shockwave knocked people hundreds of meters away to the ground.

But when the smoke cleared,

a sight that struck horror into everyone’s heart emerged.

Above the insect tribe, layers of black fog appeared, incredibly blocking the missiles from outside.

And with this delay, the insect tribe had already charged forward.

Cheng Hao heaved a silent sigh, knowing the opportunity for covering fire was lost.

He spoke in a stern voice, “Teams of three, attack!”

“Yes, sir!”

The people of Fire Phoenix quickly formed into teams of three and began to encircle and eradicate the insect tribe.

But upon contact, Cheng Hao was horrified to discover that even with his own strength, he could no longer kill these insects with a single punch.

Zhang Chu’s eyes were blood red at this moment, because in just one encounter, his Blood Qilin force had lost seven or eight men.

Seeing the forces he’d painstakingly built on the verge of complete annihilation, Zhang Chu’s heart bled.

“What’s going on? Why have these insects suddenly become so powerful?” Zhang Chu shouted in rage.

Ah Fei smashed a giant insect with one strike, then said coldly, “Look at the sky!”

Zhang Chu looked up and saw the once bright moon had turned an eerie red at some point, casting a crimson hue over everything.

In Zhang Chu’s eyes, this was practically a surge of demon energy.

“A Demon Race powerhouse is reversing the heavens to seize the moon!” Zhang Chu yelled in despair.

Reverse the Heavens, Seize the Moon!

A term that had only appeared in ancient texts.

In ancient times, the powerful among the Demon Race would use a mighty secret technique on the night of a full moon to change the moonlight to demon energy, creating a temporary Demon Realm, which facilitated the conquests of the Demon Race.

This was equivalent to giving the Demon Race a buff—a universal one at that.

But wasn’t this secret technique long lost?

How could it suddenly appear today?

Just then, within the full moon, a giant butterfly slowly spread its wings.