But as the two worlds drew closer, their numbers swelled. They grew stronger, and their Divine Weapons became more potent.

Firearms were clearly losing their effectiveness.

They had all just witnessed the attack helicopter go down.

That was an attack helicopter.

Even on a proper battlefield, those things were considered heavy hitters. And yet, a group of "Aliens" had taken one down with ease.

A sight like that would unsettle anyone.

Half an hour later, at a border defense encampment, the only two surviving members of a patrol team managed to make it back.

"Attack helicopters are no longer a threat to them. Their Grandmaster Realm Martial Artists have made a move."

The surviving soldier looked utterly horrified.

He had watched with his own eyes as a heat-seeking missile from the helicopter suddenly lost its lock right before impact, veering off aimlessly and slamming into the ground.

"Damn it! Are the people at the Court’s research institute just freeloaders? After all this time, they still haven’t developed a True Qi-tracking seeker head."

A man who looked like an officer said with resentment.

By all rights, humanity, with its mastery of modern technology, shouldn’t have to fear Martial Artists.

But the reality was the complete opposite.

As the anomalous zone gradually permeated their world, the density of True Qi, or Spiritual Qi, across the globe steadily increased.

This influx of foreign energy had an indirect consequence: at high temperatures, nuclear fission reactions could no longer be sustained. The chain reaction would break, drastically reducing the power of nuclear explosions.

Furthermore, the magnetic field along the entire front had become erratically and intensely chaotic, preventing electronics from functioning properly.

Even if the power of nuclear weapons hadn’t been diminished, they weren’t as effective as one might think against True Qi imbued with Dark Energy.

Unless a Martial Artist was right at ground zero, the shockwave and high radiation alone wouldn’t be very effective against a High-tier Martial Artist protected by True Qi.

Drone attacks faced a similar problem to missiles. Between the magnetic interference and the enemy’s True Qi shielding, if a drone couldn’t acquire a target lock, it was little more than an electronic toy that could be swatted from the sky.

The enemy wasn’t stupid, either. They were human, too. The Spiritual Qi Revival had been going on for a long time, and they had begun their infiltration long ago.

They had agents in many nations, hidden within political, commercial, and even religious organizations.

As the two worlds connected and began to merge, these hidden forces started to reveal themselves.

This was the true reason for the crisis on the Northwest Border.

Because Huaxia possessed a legacy of the Martial Dao, it had spent years relentlessly developing it. The nation’s borders were guarded by elite martial soldiers, while within, renowned sects worked to purge the homeland of hidden enemies.

Overall, the situation was relatively stable.

This was in stark contrast to the smaller nations of West and Central Asia, which had long been corroded from within, leaving them riddled with vulnerabilities.

Moreover, this erosion was happening in the shadows, and the Huaxian Court was powerless to intervene.

"I hear the Court has already summoned local Martial Artists to be stationed at the border. If we can just hold on a little longer until they arrive, the pressure on us will be much lighter."

"Let’s hope so!"

Several officers in the camp wore grim expressions. They were on the absolute front lines of this war; no one understood the enemy’s capabilities better than they did.

Their Martial Arts were formidable, and they moved like ghosts. The circulation of their True Qi made them difficult to detect with electronic equipment. The Divine Weapons they wielded, infused with Attribute True Qi, could unleash power far exceeding that of conventional arms. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Some of the enemy could even use the Divine Soul Sound Wave Technique, inflicting unseen injuries that were impossible to guard against.

If you weren’t a Martial Artist, in a face-to-face encounter, even holding a rocket launcher, you were just a lamb to the slaughter.

"Commander, good news, good news! The first batch of Martial Artists summoned by the Court has already arrived at Wushi Base. They should be assigned to the camps within a month."

Just then, a communications officer hurried in, saluted, and swiftly relayed the intelligence.

"Good, they’re finally on their way. Everyone, heighten security for the time being. And break out... yes, break out the Empowered Weapons from our stockpile."

"Commander!"

"Our men’s lives are more important!"

"Yes, sir!"

...

News of the border crisis had not reached the country’s interior. While undercurrents of turmoil flowed beneath the surface of the Court, public life remained an image of peace and prosperity.

Recently, the renowned director Wang Ping had been commissioned by a relevant Government Office under the Court to produce a heroic television drama about passionate young people resisting a foreign invasion to defend their homeland.

He wasn’t the only one; several other famous directors and authors had also been invited to create films and novels on similar themes.

"Divine Envoy, I... I feel really awkward shooting this project!"

In a scenic manor nestled by a mountain and a lake, Wang Ping looked at Luo Min with a troubled expression.

The woman before him no longer resembled the demure young girl she once was. Now, she was draped in black gauze, her face was chillingly cold, and a frigid light glinted in her eyes.

She was so intimidating that one dared not meet her gaze.

"Shoot it. Why wouldn’t you? Not only should you make this film, you should make it well. Make it meaningful."

Luo Min said in a cold, eerie voice.

"This..."

Wang Ping couldn’t quite grasp the Divine Envoy’s meaning, and he hesitated.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes! Divine Envoy!"

Wang Ping bowed solemnly in agreement, then turned and left the grand hall.

Not long after he left, Luo Min went to a secret chamber. In the chamber was a stone statue, the very one she had obtained from the bottom of the deep pool.

The stone statue was emitting an eerie glow, seeming even more supernatural.

"The time is nigh. Phantom Envoy, you may move when the opportunity presents itself. Occupy the region of Ganzhou and quietly await the descent of our Holy Sect..."

"The Phantom Envoy will humbly obey the edict!"

Luo Min’s eyes narrowed slightly as she respectfully knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times.

Once the eerie glow faded, she rose to her feet, her expression grim, and left the secret chamber.

Meanwhile, after leaving the manor, Wang Ping sat in his stretch limousine, casually browsing through the music on his phone.

After searching for a short while, a song caught his eye.

"Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty?"

"Lyrics and music by Zhao Rui?"

Wang Ping tapped play and started listening. A moment later, his eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. He immediately dialed Zhao Rui’s number.

"Hey, my friend! I just took on a new show, and I happened to stumble upon a song you wrote a while back... ’Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty,’ isn’t that it?"

"Yeah, that’s one of mine. What about it?"

"I think it’s fantastic. I’d like to use it for the theme song. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the price is more than satisfactory."

"Oh, the price isn’t an issue. Do you have the script? I’d like to take a look at it."

"There’s no script yet."

"No script yet, and you’re already asking me for a song?"

"Haha, what can I say? Your songs always strike a chord with me, my friend."

"Alright, alright!"

"Then it’s settled!"

"Okay."

After that, the two ended the call.

「Dongqi University, Mingcan Courtyard.」

Zhao Rui put away his phone, folded his arms, and watched two of his junior brothers sparring in the Martial Arts Arena.

This year’s crop of recruits was quite good. Two of them were already at Level 8 as freshmen—true geniuses, without a doubt.

At this rate, Dongqi University was on track to achieve even better results in the upcoming collegiate Martial Dao tournament.

"Senior Brother? I heard people say that recently, Exotic Skills and Techniques have become much easier to cultivate than before. Is that true?"

One of his junior sisters leaned in curiously and whispered to him.

Zhao Rui turned to her, intrigued. "There is some truth to that," he replied. "But while Exotic Skills and Techniques are powerful, it’s very easy to suffer from cultivation deviation when practicing them. It’s best to have a Guardian present."

"Oh! Is there any way to reduce the risk of cultivation deviation, then?"

Hearing how specific her question was, Zhao Rui couldn’t help but give her a second look.

The girl avoided his gaze.

She was clearly hiding a secret.

However, since she didn’t volunteer anything, Zhao Rui didn’t press the issue.

He simply answered her question.

"Thank you for the clarification, Senior Brother."

"You’re welcome!"

The girl gave Zhao Rui a smile and then slipped back into the ranks as if nothing had happened.

Zhao Rui didn’t think much of it, either.

’It’s not like I’m short on Exotic Skills and Techniques, so I couldn’t care less about whatever minor Cultivation Technique she has her eyes on.’

’Sooner or later, it’ll all be mine anyway!’