Chapter 57: Scientific Exorcism and Physical Demon Subjugation!

Squads of soldiers wearing tactical vests and holding submachine guns advanced in formation. Painted across the black tactical vests were Taoist talismans and Buddhist Sanskrit characters, while yellow paper talismans were affixed to the submachine guns themselves.

The soldiers moved in small tactical units of five or six, resembling specialized commando squads. Every single member wore a specialized supernatural-perception tactical wristwatch on their wrist.

"Lock onto the target's location!"

Upon entering the East Trade Building, Wang Dali spoke into his walkie-talkie.

"Received!"

Following the confirmation, the target's exact location was instantly transmitted to the tactical wristwatches of everyone in the team.

"According to instrument readings, the monster's torso is approximately 2.5 to 2.7 meters long with a long tail of about 3 meters. Based on its movement patterns within the building, its weight is estimated between 350 and 450 kilograms. The monster's active area is in the southeast sector of the second floor, currently moving toward the second-floor office zone. Comparing its physical characteristic data with our database, there is a 93% probability that this is a scaled reptilian spirit beast, preliminarily projected to be of the lizard family. It is recommended to use Plan G as the primary approach, Plan F as the backup, and Plan C as the secondary alternative. Meanwhile, the perimeter has already established the fourth contingency rescue plan."

Looking at the message scrolling across his tactical wristwatch, Wang Dali wore a slight smile. After making a few hand gestures to the fighters behind him, the entire team dispersed and slipped into the second floor of the building.

Chu Tian followed closely behind Wang Dali with a solemn expression.

Once on the second floor, infiltration, reconnaissance, and hazard clearance were conducted with seamless precision. Some twenty-to-thirty individuals operated as a single cohesive unit—their movements seemingly scattered yet deliberate, with every step carrying profound tactical intent.

In the second-floor office area, a lizard spirit beast was slowly pacing about.

The cultivation level of this spirit beast was not particularly high; it had merely grown large in physical size without even achieving full sentience.

It was entirely impossible for such a demon to quietly enter the East Trade Building in the heart of the city without alerting anyone.

The only plausible explanation was that certain entities wishing to infiltrate Shangshi deliberately sent these demonic creatures in to create trouble for the Righteous Qi Dao Alliance and muddy the waters.

For Chu Tian, dealing with such a demon would take no more than a single slash of his blade, but today, he had no intention of making a move.

Because he wanted to see how these soldiers handled such demons. It was not out of a desire for entertainment, but out of profound respect for these fighters, whose tacit coordination was clearly the result of countless rigorous drills.

"Target spotted! Target identity confirmed."

"Number 1 has reached the designated position."

"Number 2 has reached the designated position."

"Number 3 has reached the designated position."

Confirmation reports echoed through the comms. Wang Dali looked at the demon strolling leisurely in the darkness of the second floor and ordered, "Action!"

At the command, two soldiers directly launched a pair of projectiles toward the beast. The munitions detonated the instant they reached the creature's head.

Cinnabar soaked in black dog's blood rained down like a downpour. This substance possessed exorcising properties capable of weakening the demon's mystical energy.

Immediately afterward, soldiers lying in ambush all around leaped up abruptly, unleashing a barrage of lightning-struck wood bullets that had similarly been soaked in black dog's blood and infused with magical power.

Next, just as the monster was about to fly into a frenzy, a steel net descended directly over it. Before the creature could even react, the net rapidly tightened. Although woven from the latest ultra-thin nanomaterials, the durability of the net was certainly not something the demon could break free from.

The soldiers swiftly attached several miniature devices to the net. Acting like powerful drones with immense propulsion, these devices hoisted the trapped monster and burst straight through the second-floor glass windows into the open air.

"Sniper position 1 has acquired the target."

"Sniper position 2 has acquired the target."

...

No sooner had the monster been hoisted outside than the soldiers at the external sniper nests locked their sights upon it. A series of muffled sniper shots rang out, and the creature was instantly slain mid-air.

Down below the building, a truck had already opened its cargo doors, waiting for the monster to be lowered down and loaded directly away for transport.

Simultaneously with the conclusion of the battle, a group of soldiers equipped with tools entered the second floor to repair any structural damage and restore the environment completely.

They intended to return everything damaged here to its original state before dawn, ensuring not the slightest disruption to the work of ordinary people the next day.

At this moment, Wang Dali let out a sigh of relief and said半-jokingly to Chu Tian, "How does Brother Chu find this? Do you feel a bit let down, seeing all that preparation culminate in a battle that ends in a flash?"

"How long do they practice this routine?" Chu Tian asked instead of answering, gazing at the ordinary soldiers.

"Who knows? They practice every day until they achieve zero errors before they're allowed to join an operation," Wang Dali replied.

"I heard you mention quite a few plans just now. Exactly how many sets of tactics do you have?" Chu Tian inquired.

"We have over forty sets now," Wang Dali said with a smile. "Ever since Captain Qin and his team met with disaster fifteen years ago, Shangshi has lacked cultivation practitioners capable of bearing heavy responsibilities. Coupled with Wang Zhong's departure from the Righteous Qi Dao Alliance, I submitted a request to the military to establish a specialized unit dedicated to dealing with demons, ghosts, and monsters. In the very beginning, we were fumbling in the dark. We took plenty of wrong turns in the first two years. Back then, everyone worked together to figure out over two hundred sets of plans—some for dealing with stray ghosts, some for malicious ghosts, and others for fierce vengeful spirits. Practically every type of ghost had its own dedicated plan, and the same went for various demons. Whenever we couldn't find a method, we would seek guidance from practitioners to learn what different monsters feared, and then formulate tactics. Back then... a lot of human lives were poured into this."

"Later on, as everyone gradually got the hang of it, the plans began to be streamlined—from over two hundred sets down to more than a hundred, and now reduced to just over forty. Every single operation is put on record. Every variety of demon, ghost, and monster we encounter is categorized. Since human brains aren't great at remembering everything, we rely on science: we build databases, use big data analysis, and employ artificial intelligence to simulate the feasibility of our plans. We utilize everything at our disposal. Before every operation, we run countless simulations followed by countless drills. The goal is simple: end the battle as quickly as possible. Because the faster it ends, the smaller the damage caused, the lower the probability of accidents, and the lower the chance of our soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice."

Hearing these words, Chu Tian patted Wang Dali on the shoulder and said, "Scientific ghost-busting and physical demon-subjugation—Brother Wang, you guys are doing a fantastic job."

"Of course! What kind of people do you take us for? We have the most elite soldiers and the most authoritative organization," Wang Dali said with a broad grin. "No matter what kind of demons or ghosts they are, as long as they threaten the lives and property of the people, we will nip them in the bud."

"These past fifteen years... you've all had it hard," Chu Tian said.

Wang Dali's eye sockets suddenly turned slightly red.

People are often like this: when bearing endless hardship and grievance all alone, one can always maintain a calm and casual demeanor. What one fears most, however, is a moment when someone comes along who truly understands all your toil and sacrifices and offers you a single sentence of sincere recognition.

"Hey, don't go crying crocodile tears on me," Chu Tian said abruptly.

"Get out of here. Do you take me for some soft, weeping sissy?" Wang Dali punched Chu Tian lightly in the chest and said, "Oh right, the interrogation results for that woman from the Ghost-Worship Cult who approached you earlier are out. You need to watch out; Shangshi hasn't been peaceful lately, and the Ghost-Worship Cult might also target you to your detriment."

"Got it," Chu Tian nodded and said, "If they come, all the better. I'll just clean them all up together."