Qi Feng wanted to pull off a move known as "drawing the snake out of its den," and Mei Li had exactly the same thought—indeed, they were perfectly aligned in their strategy. The only difference was that Qi Feng chose Europe as the site for his scheme, while Mei Li selected the Chinese realm. Moreover, she had taken the initiative first, thereby securing the upper hand. The battlefield was alive with explosions, and the army was pressed down, unable to lift its heads. Fortunately, the female demon's objective was simply to draw Qi Daxiao and his companions toward her. Since the main focus wasn't a direct confrontation with the army, and she also had to remain vigilant against the inspection team launching attacks from behind, she had not issued orders to eliminate them completely. Otherwise, these people would have been wiped out entirely. Heh heh... Several figures, each riding on flying swords from the east, approached. Leading them was an elderly man with white hair and beard, his eyes blazing with fire. "You magi," he declared, "have dared to invade our Chinese realm and slaughter our people—this is nothing short of inviting your own doom." The cultivators have arrived. Under the arrangements of the Inspection Office, the Chinese cultivators have already been prepared to defend against external threats. Yet they too had not anticipated the magical race coming from the southwest—after a long and hurried journey, they have finally reached here. In the command center, the commander's furrowed brows now relax, and he beams with satisfaction, saying, "That's wonderful! With the cultivators joining us, the upcoming battle won't be so taxing anymore." The deputy commander is taken aback: "Cultivators—figures from legend—turns out they truly exist." The commander pats his shoulder and smiles, saying, "My dear, don't blame me for not having told you earlier. It's simply that I couldn't, as Chairman Wei himself specifically instructed us not to reveal any information about them until their arrival. But I'm certain that after this battle, the world will no longer consider the cultivation realm a secret." "These people can soar through the air on the tips of their swords—certainly, their strength is impressive. We're in good hands," the deputy commander adds, now equally excited. Mielie furrowed her brows, but this expression quickly smoothed out as she spoke with disdain. "A mere cultivator, daring to boast so boldly? Even the Overseer isn't our match—what can these little fish and shrimp possibly do? I command that everyone shift their focus to the cultivators and take them down first." The giant beetle and the dragon shark roared in unison and charged forward. Holding the home advantage against the cultivators and moving with agility, they quickly gained the upper hand—yet this momentum lasted only a few minutes before being completely reversed by the magical forces. The cultivators' strength lay in their small targets and ever-changing attack strategies, so initially, it was entirely their time to shine. Yet the demonic forces were tough and resilient. Even if you stood still and delivered blows, you might not reach their vital points—let alone when they actively countered. Over time, the advantages of the cultivators faded, as no matter how you darted and weaved, the demons remained unharmed, and every single strike from them sent you reeling and defenseless. The elder at the forefront charged ahead with the most vigorous attacks, but soon was struck by a single tail swipe from the dragon-shark, instantly turning into a wind-blown kite, spewing blood as he crashed to the ground. "Master, how are you?" a younger disciple tried to lift him, but failed after several attempts. The elder coughed up another stream of blood, his voice weak: "We must change our tactics. If we continue like this, we'll be wiped out entirely. I underestimated the demons' strength—these beings are truly dominant." In truth, they hadn't been overly confident; at most, they had simply overestimated their own capabilities. Although they often didn't fully accept Qin Feng as the foremost cultivator of the Huaxia realm, their strength was undeniable—especially since even at the hands of the demonic forces, he hadn't secured much advantage, let alone these troops. The army had been retreating while fighting, and what little edge they once had had now vanished entirely. Mili smiled and said, "I thought you'd be stronger than that young Qin Feng. Instead, it turns out you're just a bunch of fluffy pillows who can't hold their own—keep pressing hard on us!" The army commander's face was stern. He had expected the arrival of the cultivators to turn the tide, but in reality, they had made no significant difference—aside from giving the soldiers a chance to catch their breath. "Commander, what should we do?" asked the chief of staff, drenched in sweat. "Order a counterattack," the commander said firmly. "Use any weapons available—especially the new models. As long as they can inflict damage on the demonic forces, use them all. Just remember one thing: minimize casualties among our own ranks." "Understood," the chief of staff saluted, immediately organizing dozens of small nuclear missile attack teams. Agile soldiers carried the missile launch tubes, moving quietly through the terrain and vegetation for cover. By the time the cultivators had been completely routed, most of these teams had reached their positions and were given the clear instruction to launch as soon as possible, without requiring any further approval. Sssssss— Missiles launched, trailing long white plumes. Since their onboard guidance heads could not detect targets, the launch crews remotely triggered the explosions. As the missiles approached the demonic forces, the soldiers pressed the buttons without hesitation. Boom—boom—boom— Explosions followed one after another, creating magnificent cascades of floral bursts in the sky. Although the explosive power of a single small nuclear warhead was limited and insufficient to instantly destroy the demonic forces, the cumulative force of a dozen missiles together proved formidable. The shockwave of the explosion surged like a tidal wave, shaking the large cockroach and the dragon shark as they struggled, emitting continuous cries of pain. The commander slammed his fist hard onto the table, saying, "Excellent—this is exactly what we wanted. Let the magical forces taste the strength of our Chinese soldiers. Let them know we are not easily intimidated. Anyone who dares to challenge the military's authority will face the harshest punishment." Mirel was furious. She hadn't expected such a capable human resistance from such a humble force. Though her troops had so far escaped casualties, no one could guarantee what would happen next. The cultivators themselves were even more surprised. In their eyes, a task they themselves had deemed impossible had been handed over to ordinary people—something they thought would be entirely futile. Yet, the outcome had been reversed: the ordinary soldiers had caught the magical forces off guard, defeating them unexpectedly. More combat units dispersed throughout the jungle, moving cautiously forward to reach optimal sniping positions. Boom… Boom… As the second wave of explosions erupted, a figure surged forward—Qin, on foot, wielding a flying sword. He collided directly with the neck of a dragon shark, driving his right hand with a dagger straight into the creature's hard exoskeleton. The flying sword pivoted and slipped into the dragon shark's half-open mouth. Pfft… Pfft… Pfft… The sword surged through its interior, tearing apart all internal organs into pulp. The dragon shark's body convulsed uncontrollably, emitting agonized cries as it succumbed to death.