Chapter Fifty-Three: The Ancient Burial Clan

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“The drone has entered the combat zone, image transmission is normal, over.”
“Confirm the location of our personnel, thirteen kilometers from the target area.”
“Report: the assault team has assembled and is ready to move at any time.”
Inside the command room of the Chinese aircraft carrier Hainan, a flurry of activity filled the space. Every officer was at their post, while a constant stream of battle reports and operational orders echoed in the air.

The carrier captain, Colonel Wang Ruihan, dressed in navy camouflage, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression as severe as ever as he watched the live drone feed on the holographic screen. In a calm voice, he said, “Approved.”
“You may take off.”

Under the guidance of the ground crew, two Y-9 carrier-based transport planes slowly moved onto the runway.
“Deck cleared, ready for takeoff.”

With a roar, the Y-9s leapt into the night sky and vanished into the darkness, followed by four J-15 jets that took off to escort them.

Then, several Z-20 helicopters lifted off one after another from the carrier, loaded with soldiers bound for the Kubakbu region.

“Hanzi, how do you feel about this mission?” Political Commissar Xiao Zhenbo spoke up from the side.

Wang Ruihan glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“Our opponents aren’t human,” Xiao Zhenbo said, hinting at something deeper.

Wang Ruihan was silent for a moment, then gestured at the fleet surrounding them, smiling faintly. “Our enemies face more than just men.”

The two exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

In the darkness, two jeeps raced across the desert, raising a cloud of dust behind them like two earth dragons surging through the sand.

Luo Longyu sat in the jostling vehicle, silent. His mind was filled with thoughts of his mother. He couldn’t help but wonder if, in this foreign land, he might somehow encounter her.

“Xuan One calling, Xuan One calling. We have reached the designated location and await orders, over.” On a rocky outcrop, the jeeps halted. Long Shaoxian pressed the comm and contacted the carrier strike group.

Elsewhere, a squad of marines in desert camouflage parachuted into the Kubakbu region. Long Shark assault team leader Xing Yao pressed his earpiece. “Long Shark calling South Sea, we have reached the designated location, awaiting further orders, over.”

Two miles southeast of Kubakbu, several helicopters hovered as marines fast-roped down. “Blue Shark calling South Sea, we have reached our location, requesting permission to proceed, over.”

Meanwhile, not far from both teams, the Chinese Marine armored units had also quickly assembled via airlift and ground transport. The Chinese Type 15 light tanks and Type 03 airborne infantry fighting vehicles were ready for action.

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“Commence the operation.”

The simple, forceful order came from the carrier. Long Shark and Blue Shark teams swiftly closed in on Kubakbu, while another unit, Tiger Shark, had already approached within a mile of Kubakbu by helicopter. Their members wore masks, goggles, and night vision gear. Captain Sun Chengyi used a locator to lock onto the Cangshou encampment ahead, speaking in a low voice: “Cangshou position detected, coordinates sent. Requesting fire support, over.”

Everything fell silent, as if time itself had paused. Moments later, a shriek pierced the night sky: dozens of fire trails streaked from the horizon and crashed into the Cangshou stronghold. Instantly, the encampment was engulfed in flames, deafening explosions booming one after another.

“Attack!” At Sun Chengyi’s order, Tiger Shark surged forward with the force of kings of the sea. Blue Shark and Long Shark also discovered Cangshou strongholds in other locations. In a moment, Kubakbu was ablaze with gunfire. The Chinese marines’ sudden appearance and overwhelming firepower left Cangshou reeling.

Within a hundred miles, chaos erupted. The marines, leveraging their superior firepower, drove forward relentlessly. Cangshou’s armed fighters converged from all directions, and the marines were soon locked in fierce, bloody combat.

Amid the rocky terrain, Long Shaoxian gripped the Dragon Halberd, his expression grave as he watched flashes and explosions in the distance. “It’s our turn now. Make haste!” With that, he transformed into a beam of light, soaring toward Kubakbu. Froyar vanished hot on his heels without a word.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Watch Sister Long fight!” Luo Mengxuan cheered excitedly as she saw Long Shaoxian and the others charge toward Kubakbu, waving her hands like a child.

Luo Longyu, however, could not share her enthusiasm. He felt something was wrong, but with the operation underway, he had no time to dwell on it. The Corpse Wheel manifested beneath him and he vanished, gliding low over the ground.

“Wait for me!” Luo Mengxuan shouted as Luo Longyu disappeared. She flickered and vanished as well.

In the blink of an eye, only the Green Wolf action team remained. A soldier stared at the spot where the others had vanished and couldn’t help but say, “My god… Just what kind of people am I working with…”

“They’re not even people. Get in—we can’t sit idle either.” Xiao Yuan laughed, quickly hopping into the vehicle. The two jeeps revved and sped off in a cloud of dust toward Kubakbu.

Gliding just above the ground, Luo Longyu could already see figures scurrying around the Cangshou camp, all heading toward the marines’ assault. Clearly, the marines’ attack had thrown Cangshou into complete disarray, perfectly achieving the goal of disrupting their deployments.

“It’s our turn now. The entrance to hell… I’m actually looking forward to it...” Luo Longyu thought, spurring the Corpse Wheel to even greater speed. But just then, a tremendous sense of danger surged within him.

Before he could react, the sand ahead exploded upward. Two short blades shot out, slashing for his throat.

Startled, Luo Longyu instinctively caught the daggers. The force behind them was immense, sending him flying backward. He skidded across the sand for dozens of meters before regaining his footing.

As the dust settled, a tall, thin figure in a black robe stood before him, a vast hood obscuring his face.

“You… are you Satan?” Luo Longyu asked tentatively, eyeing the unexpected attacker.

The figure did not move. “Leave at once. You do not belong here,” came the flat reply.

Luo Longyu studied him, suddenly recalling the black-robed figure he’d seen wandering the city at night days before. “You were the one from that night?”

“Leave,” the figure repeated, ignoring the question. In the next instant, he moved. Two fingers slashed sideways, tearing open the void. The spatial passage of Tong Wusha and Baili Zhuixun was destroyed, and the two tumbled out, looking utterly disheveled.

A sharp flash split the night—

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A cold gleam tore through the darkness as Zuo Baixing suddenly attacked from behind the figure. His blade swept sideways, but the figure flipped through the air, landing a kick on Zuo Baixing’s shoulder that nearly sent him sprawling. Zuo Baixing hastily spun around, but the figure landed smoothly ten meters away.

Tong Wusha and Baili Zhuixun landed beside Luo Longyu, frowning at the mysterious, unfathomable figure. After a moment, Tong Wusha spoke in a low voice, “You’re a Burying One!”

“What’s a Burying One?” Luo Longyu quickly asked, seeing Tong Wusha’s deep frown.

Tong Wusha remained silent, but Baili Zhuixun explained, his voice grave: “A race from the Third Epoch—not human. They’re simply called the Burying. In the Third Epoch, they were known as the Bone Gatherers.”

Zuo Baixing rubbed his aching shoulder. “So you’re one of the legendary Burying. Weren’t your people wiped out?”

The figure looked at Zuo Baixing. “According to legend, the Heaven-Sundering Hermits were wiped out too, yet here you are. And you, Divine Void Walker—by legend, you shouldn’t exist either,” he added, glancing at Baili Zhuixun.

“Damn, seems like he knows a lot about us,” Zuo Baixing muttered, retreating to Baili Zhuixun’s side.

The figure removed his hood, revealing a young man with slightly messy long hair and dull, lifeless eyes that sent a chill through anyone who looked at him. His face was gaunt, and a faint gloominess seemed to flow from him.

“I am Zang Wusheng. My advice: you will find nothing here but death. If you know what’s good for you, withdraw now,” he said coldly, as if stating a simple fact.

“That’s our concern, not yours. Why are you, a Burying, here? And was it your divine sense that scanned us that night?” Tong Wusha, looking young but sounding mature, pressed on.

Zang Wusheng cast his gaze downward at Tong Wusha. After a moment’s silence, he said, “If your eyes were fully awakened, you might be qualified to enter. As you are now, you have no right to set foot here.”

A mile behind Zang Wusheng, a sudden stone cliff jutted from the desert—this was the legendary entrance to hell, the most heavily guarded Cangshou stronghold. If not for the marines’ sudden assault, Luo Longyu’s group would not have made it this far without encountering any Cangshou members.

Gunfire thundered in the distance as more Cangshou fighters rushed to intercept the marines. The marines, though reinforced by armored units, J-15 jets, and attack helicopters, were beginning to falter under the mounting pressure.

Long Shaoxian and Froyar had already reached the base of the stone cliff, where a large number of Cangshou fighters still held their ground, refusing to leave and instead defending the site. Machine gun bunkers spat fire at the two, the din of shouting and gunfire blending together.

Froyar held back, but Long Shaoxian had no such patience. Wielding the Dragon Halberd with sweeping force, he shattered bunker after bunker. Cangshou fighters fell in droves, blood staining the desert, shattered bone and flesh spraying everywhere. Watching the combat-machine-like Long Shaoxian, Froyar couldn’t help but cross himself and murmur a prayer for forgiveness.

After kicking an armed fighter flying, Long Shaoxian pressed his earpiece: “Wusha, Baixing, Zhuixun, report your positions, over!” But only static answered him.

Froyar shook his head. “It’s useless. The magnetic interference here is too strong—communications are down. Don’t worry, with their skills, these Cangshou fighters won’t stop them. We’d better get to investigating.”

Long Shaoxian thought for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right. With all this commotion, the demons must be aware. But it’s odd—none have appeared.”

Froyar, equally wary, scanned their surroundings. “That’s what worries me most—why haven’t the demons shown themselves?” He walked over to the cliff, where a fist-sized hollow exuded a chilling aura. Froyar reached out, sensing for a moment before frowning. “That’s not right… the seal here has been… artificially repaired…”