Dead wood

The meticulously painted black battery missed its mark.

At that precise moment, the form of the withered shadow began to flicker, transitioning into a virtual state. The battery "pierced" through its ephemeral body, crashing onto the ground a short distance away, erupting into a colossal inferno. The explosion sent earth and debris flying, illuminating the surrounding area as if it were daylight.

Witnessing this inexplicable spectacle, many onlookers were left dumbfounded. Could that truly be a battery?!

The dry shadow cast a fleeting glance at Su Chen before abruptly changing direction, taking a step towards his position.

Simultaneously, it shifted from virtual to corporeal once more, just as Lin Mo launched a fierce attack, delivering a thunderous blow.

Su Chen, rising resolutely before the dry shadow, brandished his heavy machine gun, unleashing a torrent of fire akin to a dragon's breath.

From Su Chen's hand, flames seemed to spew forth from the muzzle of the heavy machine gun, forming an unbroken stream of projectiles spanning the hundred-meter gap between them. A dense barrage of bullets assailed the dry shadow, challenging the limits of its perception field. For a fleeting moment, an unfathomable state emerged—a defensive layer resembling an eggshell enveloped it, withstanding the relentless onslaught of Su Chen's magical heavy machine gun, capable of tearing through the body of a black scale monster with ease.

Meanwhile, it extended its hand to confront Lin Mo on the opposing side.

Su Chen narrowed his eyes, observing intently.

Within his perceptive realm, the dark energy in the surrounding space surged and fluctuated, converging towards the dry shadow's location. Utilizing its unique manipulation, it manifested as an "invisible barrier," resembling an impregnable fortress. It defied Su Chen's magical heavy machine gun, which could effortlessly rend the body of a black scale monster to shreds. However, this barrier relied not on direct employment of dark energy but rather the activation energy states of the surrounding matter in the real world. Such mastery demanded not only formidable control but a profound understanding of physics.

Nevertheless, the rate at which it could extract dark energy from the surrounding space within a given timeframe must have its limits...

As long as...

Several deafening explosions reverberated from the ground.

Flames soared into the sky.

Su Chen and Lin Mo, united in purpose, vanquished the withered shadow, leaving no room to tend to the colossal giants on the ground.

Two colossal giants, towering over twenty meters high, collided head-on with three air-to-surface missiles, instantly engulfed in a conflagration.

In the midst of the explosion, the upper portion of one of the colossal giants, stretching over ten meters in length, vanished without a trace. The blood-soaked rain and tissue in the sky rapidly evaporated under the scorching heat of the detonation. The two legs, resembling grotesque appendages, collapsed to the sides like toppled pillars.

The other giant suffered the impact of three missiles striking its leg, waist, and chest. The sheer force of its high-speed charge propelled it through a path of flames and billowing smoke. Only half of its body remained, engulfed in an inferno of searing flames, dense smoke, and charred flesh and blood. Gradually, it knelt forward upon the scorched earth, causing the very ground to tremble.

In that moment, it appeared as if divine providence had delivered a merciless executioner to the earth.

And within the vicinity of the third colossal giant...

The military's ground tactical squad drew ever closer.

Aware of the presence of these diminutive humans, the colossal giant bellowed, raising its massive foot and hurtling towards them!

Yet, none of the soldiers were trampled beneath its colossal foot. The troops on the periphery deftly evaded its strike, while at the center...

Two hands stood firm against the weight of its foot, carrying the force of ten thousand jun.

The lead veteran withstood the impact with his colossal body. The equipment adorning his frame creaked and groaned, while bloodshot eyes and copious sweat streamed through the crevices of his attire and gear.

Moments before the foot descended, the veteran injected himself with three full vials of a potent nutrient solution—the wellspring of his strength.

This elderly figure bore the name of Mu Wenshan, the foremost individual within the military's hierarchy of talents. Codenamed "Rotten Wood," he possessed an S-level talent.

As one of the gifted individuals identified before the cataclysm, Mu Wenshan had participated in numerous tests and experiments. Though the scientific researchers remained puzzled as to how dark energy granted him this extraordinary ability, he himself had come to comprehend its operational mechanics. Under the influence of dark energy, the mitochondria within his cells, far surpassing those of ordinary humans, unleashed incredible power, providing ceaseless energy to every inch of his muscles and every cell within his organs. This enabled his metabolism to far exceed that of his peers, allowing him to unleash unparalleled, terrifying might. However, in exchange, he required timely and substantial nutritional supplementation to maintain his full combat potential. Otherwise, in the midst of a fierce battle, the countless mitochondria within his body would voraciously deplete his fat and protein stores.

As he valiantly resisted the impending blow, the other talented fighters by his side had already opened fire, soaring skyward before launching their assault in a seamless display of precision.

In the blink of an eye, with impeccable coordination, they surgically severed the entire foot of the colossal giant, as if conducting a meticulous operation on an operating table.

The massive colossal giant teetered precariously, threatening to crumble at any moment.

Mu Wenshan, known as Rotten Wood, cast off the severed foot and drew a labored breath, beads of sweat mingling with the blood on his brow.

In the annals of battles fought in Yuanliao City, twenty-meter-level colossal giants had only appeared twice before, but now three of them loomed before them. Despite their valiant efforts that had halted nearly half of the sacrificial process in Yuanliao City, the relentless tide of low-level monsters with their insatiable appetite for "flesh and blood" continued to surge toward them.

The smaller colossal giants closed in, ready to absorb the spilled blood and grow stronger.

The last remaining twenty-meter-level giant writhed and bellowed in agony, while ominous, pitch-black figures appeared on the horizon, multiplying with each passing moment.

Mu Wenshan couldn't help but lift his gaze, his eyes fixed on their ultimate target in this campaign—the enigmatic dry shadow hovering in the sky.

The dry shadow's existence and its utilization of dark energy surpassed human comprehension. Analysis from the expert advisory group suggested that it possessed vast knowledge, making it a formidable adversary.

Its terrifying power paled in comparison to the sheer terror of its knowledge.

The dry shadow had become their primary objective, surpassing all colossal giants and dark giants in importance. It posed the greatest challenge, and had it not been for the blockade of Yuanliao City and the deployment of nuclear weapons, these monstrous creatures would have been eradicated. But here they were, breaching the supposedly stringent blockade, converging to intercept and eliminate the dry shadow. Even before clashing directly, the fighter formation and Mu Wenshan's talented squad found themselves embroiled in a desperate struggle. Their original plan now seemed inadequate to confront the dry shadow head-on, casting doubt on their ability to accomplish their mission.

However, an unexpected development transpired in the sky. Two figures, independent of the military, engaged the seemingly invincible dry shadow in a fierce battle.

They not only held their ground but also seized control of a strategic vantage point, suppressing the dry shadow's movements.

Earlier, when they embarked on this fight, experts speculated that these two individuals might have come to eliminate a powerful human target. At the time, such a notion was dismissed as excessive speculation amidst the chaos of battle.

But now...

These exceptional individuals, through their sheer strength, demonstrated that human beings possessed formidable powerhouses capable of rivaling the favored ones.

With their presence, the odds of this battle had shifted in their favor.

Mu Wenshan inhaled deeply, tearing his gaze away from the sky. He turned, sprinting toward the remaining colossal giant behind him.

Since the dry shadow was no longer their responsibility, they had to eliminate the peripheral threats and prevent other monsters from bolstering their favored one.

Meanwhile, high above...

Su Chen executed a peculiar and intricate strategy to suppress the relentless adversary.