Gunshots rang out, and the first arriving demons were caught completely off guard and were riddled with bullets.
As demons fell one by one, it seemed like things were going in a favorable direction.
However, everyone remained serious, not daring to be complacent, as they knew this was just the beginning.
Just as they suspected, this situation didn't last long. After dealing with two waves of demons, even more powerful ones arrived.
Spirit-level and even Profound-level demons appeared.
Facing ordinary-level demons, firearms still had a decent effect, but against spirit-level demons, their effectiveness was greatly reduced. Even powerful sniper rifles could only kill them with a precise shot to a vital spot.
When it came to Profound-level demons, all firearms became useless decorations.
Even magical and psychic-type demons couldn't harm them, and even heavy weapons could only wound them at best, without being able to deliver fatal blows.
Not to mention when facing physical-type demons!
Against physical-type demons, even powerful heavy weapons couldn't land a hit!
Failing to kill the demons immediately naturally resulted in their retaliation.
Against the onslaught of Profound-level demons, the defensive lines established by the military were unable to hold, eventually being torn apart.
Without the suppression of firepower, ordinary-level and spirit-level demons finally had the opportunity to launch attacks on the surrounding soldiers.
Ordinary people were no match for these demons; as soon as they came into contact, many were injured, and the battle was brutal.
"Boom!"
Finally, accompanied by a deafening roar, flames shot up into the sky.
A massive missile was launched from an aircraft in the sky.
However, before the flames could subside, angry roars resounded, and colossal figures burst out from the flames.
This was a psychic-type demon skilled in soul attacks. It struck silently, and many couldn't even react before being killed by the demon.
Human weapons had little effect against Profound-level demons!
This scene was nearly unfolding all over the world.
Spatial portals continued to appear, not only in mountainous areas but also in plains.
Areas guarded by the military were relatively safe.
In places without the military's presence, after demons arrived, they turned into human hellscapes.
People panicked and fled, cries of despair filled the air.
In front of demons, ordinary people were no different from ants.
The only consolation was that there were many players now, and even though the vast majority were ordinary-level, when gathered together, they could barely deal with spirit-level demons.
Many players gathered together, forming a significant force.
"Don't be afraid, these spatial portals can't remain open indefinitely; they are shrinking as time goes on."
Someone noticed the changes in the spatial portals and quickly spread the message.
This undoubtedly served as a morale booster for everyone, giving them hope of defeating the demons.
At the foot of Mount Song.
The man named Qi Hong stood with a group of soldiers, silently watching Mount Song, prepared for battle at any moment.
Fighter jets circled in the sky, monitoring the changes in the various mountains.
Fortunately, Mount Song remained calm, showing no abnormal signs, but in the distance, the sound of gunfire continued.
"Team Four reports that a spatial portal has appeared ten kilometers north of here, with over a dozen demons running out and entering the city. The most powerful one among them is a late-stage spirit-level demon."
Qi Hong spoke in a deep voice, "Late-stage spirit-level? No need to worry; Team Four has the strength to deal with it."
The others nodded, not too concerned.
In the game, it would take some effort to hunt down a late-stage spirit-level demon, but in reality, it wouldn't be so troublesome.
However, not long after, several urgent messages arrived in succession.
"Team Five requests reinforcements; they are facing a peak spirit-level demon."
"Peak spirit-level?" Qi Hong's expression turned serious upon hearing this.
And it didn't end there; in the next few minutes, several more messages for help arrived, and the situation was not looking good.
Compared to them, the situation elsewhere was even worse.
"A Profound-level demon has appeared in Da Chuan City!"
"A Profound-level demon has appeared in Da Yang City!"
"..."
In a command center in the capital, reports of demon appearances from all over the country were rapidly coming in.
Seeing the increasing number of demons, everyone was alarmed.
"We can't continue like this. To deal with these Profound-level demons, we can only use those high-yield missiles."
"If we let those Profound-level demons enter the cities, the consequences will be catastrophic. We must do whatever it takes to keep them in the mountains."
Finally, the people in the command center stopped hesitating and gave the order to use high-yield missiles.
As the orders were issued, many saw streaks of fire rising into the dark night, crossing the sky and heading in all directions across the country.
At the foot of Mount Song.
As time passed, everyone watched the minutes tick away and breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems that there won't be any spatial portals appearing here."
It was now more than ten minutes past midnight, according to the information they had received. The peak time for spatial portals to appear had already passed.
Although spatial portals continued to appear from time to time, their numbers started to noticeably decrease.
Even some of the initial spatial portals were rapidly disappearing.
"Captain, Team Six has requested backup. It seems like we won't have any immediate issues here. Should we go support them first?"
Qi Hong remained silent for a moment and said, "Leave ten men here to guard, and the rest come with me to support Team Six."
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Qi Hong finally decided to go support the other teams.
However, before he could finish speaking, a sudden rumble shook the earth.
Rumble...
The deafening noise made everyone stumble and almost fall.
"Not good!"
Everyone's expressions changed drastically as they realized the danger, instinctively looking in the direction of the sound.
They saw a small mountain suddenly appearing only a kilometer away from them.
The mountain was not tall and appeared minuscule compared to the massive Mount Song.
However, the appearance of this small mountain put everyone on high alert.
Demons had arrived, with more than a dozen of them appearing on the small mountain.
Seeing the soldiers below, the demons excitedly charged toward them.
"Let's not open fire yet; listen to my orders," Qi Hong said with a serious expression. At this moment, the demons were still far away, and it wasn't the right time to start shooting.
Opening fire now would not effectively kill the demons and might even alert them prematurely.
Their goal was to leave no demon behind and keep them all here, rather than let them escape.
The dozens of demons scattered and approached the group from all directions.
Eight hundred meters, seven hundred meters, six hundred meters...
"Open fire!"
Finally, when the demons entered effective firing range, Qi Hong decisively gave the order.
The sound of gunfire was like a rain of bullets, and the demons in the front were instantly killed by concentrated fire.
After witnessing the effectiveness of firearms, the demons behind them slowed down their pace, and some even hesitated, trying to turn and escape toward the large mountain.
Unfortunately, how could over a hundred well-trained soldiers let them get away?
They were not only well-trained but also had integrated bloodlines, making it easy for a hundred of them to deal with a dozen demons.
In just a few breaths, over a dozen demons were easily eliminated.
Even one spirit-level demon was killed with concentrated fire.
"Thank goodness, there are no Profound-level demons."
Seeing that no more demons were emerging from the spatial portal, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Qi Hong didn't relax; he still spoke seriously, "Don't let your guard down, it seems like the arrival of the game in reality is far from over."
As if to confirm his suspicion, the earth suddenly trembled, and another mountain suddenly rose from the ground.
This mountain was right next to the main peak of Mount Song, half the height of the main peak but still much taller than the surrounding mountains.
In an instant, the entire topography of Mount Song changed.
"This..."
Everyone looked up at the tall peak, their faces filled with shock.
However, what made them even paler was a massive spotted tiger standing on the mountainside of the tall peak, looking down at them.
This demon didn't come through a spatial portal; it had been on top of the mountain and descended with the mountain itself.
The tiger demon's eyes were like huge bells, and its gigantic body was like a small mountain. Even on the towering peak, they could still see it clearly.
At this moment, everyone felt like they were facing a god high above, their breaths stagnating.
"Roar..."
The tiger's roar was deafening, and under its roar, the gunshots in a radius of tens of kilometers paled in comparison.
Originally, those who were still fighting demons couldn't help but stop, subconsciously looking towards Mount Song.
"A Profound-level demon!"
"This is definitely not an ordinary Profound-level demon! It's a peak Profound-level demon!"
After a brief moment of shock and fear, the soldiers showed determination on their faces as they prepared for the impending sacrifice.
However, in the distance, some players were already scared out of their wits. Without hesitation, they turned and ran, fearing that they would become the tiger's prey if they were too slow.
"Requesting support, requesting long-range firepower support!"
Qi Hong knew that with the strength of his group, they were no different from ants in the face of such a powerful demon.
There was no other way but to request stronger firepower support.
The tiger demon moved its limbs and rapidly descended from the mountain.
"Stop it! We must not let it leave here!"
The hovering aircraft in the sky opened fire immediately, unleashing a barrage of missiles at the tiger demon.
Clearly sensing the danger, the tiger demon let out a low roar, and with a leap, it appeared dozens of meters away in an instant.
Fast! Too fast!
While the tiger demon's speed might not match that of missiles, its reaction time allowed it to easily evade them before they hit.
"Boom!"
Several tremendously powerful missiles exploded, sending flames soaring into the sky, but they didn't harm the tiger demon in the slightest.
"How... How are we supposed to fight this?"
The strength of the tiger demon left everyone in shock.
The attacks from the aircraft had angered the tiger demon, and it opened its large mouth filled with sharp teeth. Several massive fireballs streaked across the night sky, illuminating the ground as they headed straight for the aircraft.
This was a demon with fire-controlling abilities!
"Quick, evade!"
Everyone shouted, but unfortunately, the gigantic fireballs were too fast, not giving the aircraft's crew a chance to react.
Boom!
The roar echoed, and without exception, all the aircraft turned into fireballs and plummeted to the ground.
"Damn it! We'll fight it to the death!"
The anger of the group knew no bounds as they prepared to face the tiger demon head-on.
However, their intentions were admirable, but reality was extremely cruel.
Before they could take any action, the tiger demon's eyes, like giant bells, looked down at them. In the next moment, it opened its massive mouth, and countless fireballs rained down.
"Dodge!" Qi Hong shouted hoarsely, his voice barely audible over the roar of the fireballs.
The fireballs fell, each one as powerful as a missile, causing rocks to explode and shower down like rain.
In just one round, over a hundred soldiers were severely injured and lost their ability to fight.
"It's over!"
"The city is finished!"
The despair was palpable; the tiger demon was just too powerful, and no one could stop it.
Once the tiger demon entered the city, it would be a devastating blow to the entire city.
Even if the authorities wanted to use heavy weapons, they would have to consider the consequences.
"Run! Run quickly!"
"The tiger demon is coming! Everyone, run!"
Everything happening on the mountain was clear to many players who were watching from a distance, and they hurriedly fled.
As for the ordinary people who didn't know what was happening, they could still guess from the commotion and the panicked players around them that something terrifying had occurred.
For a moment, the entire city descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, just as the tiger demon was attacking.
No one knew that at the summit of Mount Song, Su Nan opened his eyes.
At this moment, he had undergone a significant transformation.
His burnt and blackened flesh had all fallen off, replaced by skin that shimmered with golden light.
Sitting cross-legged there, he looked like a golden statue.
"Not bad, I've finally grasped the basics of the Great Sun Golden Body Sutra."
Feeling the changes in his body, Su Nan smiled.
At this moment, whether it was his speed, strength, or physique, they had all undergone a comprehensive increase.
Even though he was still in the early Profound level, he had the confidence that, relying solely on his physical strength, he could contend with a peak Profound-level opponent without using his bloodline or racial talents.
He couldn't imagine how strong he would become with the added power of his bloodline.
"The first layer of the Great Sun Golden Body Sutra is called the Golden Skin Realm. As the name suggests, this layer focuses on the skin."
"My skin is golden now, but it's only in the early stage. It will only be considered complete when I've fully cultivated it. Only then can I move on to the second layer of cultivation."
Just as the Great Sun Golden Body Sutra initially coalesced, the subsequent cultivation methods appeared in his mind.
According to the records in the Great Sun Golden Body Sutra, each layer of cultivation in the Great Sun Golden Body required a lot of effort.
Take the first layer, for example; the amount of time each person could withstand the burning of the Great Sun Flame on their body was different, leading to different effects and time requirements for cultivation.
To cultivate the Golden Skin to perfection, it might take as little as two or three months, or as long as three to five years.
"Even if it takes two or three months, it's still quite long. I wonder if I can use demonic energy to accelerate cultivation in the game?"
Thinking about demonic energy, Su Nan couldn't help but wonder if it could be used to boost his progress. Even if it required a substantial amount of demonic energy, it would still be better than spending two to three months.
After cultivating the Golden Skin to perfection, advancing to the second layer required a spiritual item called the Golden Leaf Spirit Ginseng, as well as the assistance of one thousand drops of blood essence from spirit-level demons.
"A thousand drops of blood essence from spirit-level demons, equivalent to a hundred drops of profound-level blood essence, shouldn't be difficult to obtain. But I have no idea where to find the Golden Leaf Spirit Ginseng."
Su Nan was planning ahead and intended to start looking for it once he entered the game.
With the golden light on his body receding, he stood up and looked at the newly formed peak not far away.
"A peak Profound-level demon, how interesting!"