"We have to retreat!" Sallis finally gritted out.
Hearing this, the Japanese representative breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely feared Sallis would act impulsively and push further in. Fortunately, those in command within the US military possessed a degree of sense, valuing their own lives at the very least.
The American contingent, along with the Japanese and other national teams, retreated from the Giant King Forest.
The moment they stepped out of the woods, Deng He felt a significant release of tension. His back was drenched, soaked through with sweat. The leaders of other nations shared the same sentiment, their minds at ease, feeling a sense of relief as if they had narrowly escaped death.
The Russian representative turned back to look at the Giant King Forest, his expression grave. "This forest is too dangerous. How many more ferocious monsters like that tiger might be lurking within?"
"There are certainly many. After all, it's an entire forest, incredibly vast!" Vinson's face was equally somber, finding the situation immensely troublesome.
Sallis and the Japanese representative emerged from the woods next. Upon seeing the others, Sallis scoffed, "A bunch of cowards. With the most advanced weapons on Earth, you don't even have the courage to venture deeper!"
The Russian representative, displeased by Sallis's provocation, retorted with a cold laugh, "Heh, you have courage? Then why didn't you venture deeper into the forest yourself, instead of retreating behind us?"
Sallis's composure shattered at these words. Enraged, he was about to argue with the Russian representative. Deng He quickly intervened, stepping forward, "Alright, alright, there's no need for arguments at this moment. Let's return to the warships to replenish our firepower and then reconvene to discuss a plan for rescuing the missing passengers." As he spoke, he also expressed his deep regret for the deaths of the American and Japanese soldiers.
Though Deng He's words were sincere, Sallis perceived them as dripping with sarcasm, which completely set him off! Sallis pointed at Deng He and the Russian representative, shouting, "The two of you, one used insidious tactics to provoke our American team into taking risks, and the other attacked our American soldiers. This is a blatant challenge to America's authority! I promise you will pay the price!" With that, he spat out the threat and prepared to leave with his remaining five or six special forces soldiers.
Both Deng He and the Russian representative frowned, feeling that Sallis was acting like a mad dog, snapping at anyone within reach. However, neither believed Sallis was truly foolish or deranged. They knew he was being cunning. The significant losses suffered by the American team stemmed from his own flawed command, a grave error. If the higher-ups in the US discovered this, he would undoubtedly face severe punishment. Therefore, Sallis was fabricating an excuse to shift the blame onto China and Russia.
Deng He and the Russian representative understood this perfectly, so they saw no point in refuting him. After all, the US had a long history of falsely accusing and smearing others.
"Let's go. We need to leave here and get back to the warships." Deng He glanced around, deeming the area still unsafe, and believed they would only be truly secure on the warships.
Everyone nodded in agreement with Deng He's suggestion and prepared to depart.
But at that very moment, streaks of golden light flashed across the sky to their right, incredibly dazzling, as if something was flying towards them.
The group was astonished. Even Sallis and his retreating contingent halted, their gazes fixed on the sky in surprise.
"What is that? A sun halo or a rainbow? Or some natural phenomenon?"
"None of those. It's actually moving. What are these lights!?"
Everyone was startled. As they looked at the golden light in the sky, they found it intensely blinding. Most importantly, these golden lights were moving rapidly, heading in their direction.
Deng He's surprise lasted only a moment before his expression turned grave. He shouted, "Everyone, be on high alert! Don't let your guard down!" He was already on edge, and any extraordinary phenomenon occurring on the new continent would immediately put him on guard.
The others' faces also changed slightly. They instantly became vigilant, their eyes fixed on the golden light in the sky with extreme tension. They worried if this might be another terrifying monster appearing.
As the golden light drew closer, everyone could finally discern what was within it. But the moment they saw clearly, every single person present froze, staring at the scene in the sky with disbelief.
A group of humans, clad in ancient, rugged armor, with large sabers slung across their waists, exuding an extraordinary aura, their eyes as sharp as sword edges, and their faces etched with grim determination, were flying through the sky.
There were thousands of these strangely attired humans, arranged in highly organized formations in mid-air. Golden runes swirled above each formation, forming circular arrays. These arrays, interconnected, emitted waves of golden light that cascaded upon the armored figures, making them gleam brilliantly.
At the forefront of these soldiers stood two imposing generals, their presence radiating immense pressure, their hands clasped behind their backs as they gazed down upon the onlookers from above. They descended from the heavens like celestial warriors, bearing an overwhelming divine might, pressing down upon the mortal realm, causing everyone present to hold their breath, utterly awestruck.
This sight was far more shocking than their first encounter with the monstrous Godzilla! These were humans capable of flight! They wore ancient armor that emitted a golden radiance, resembling gods, demons, or immortals.
For a moment, everyone wondered if they were hallucinating or witnessing a mirage.
"What... what is this? Why are these humans appearing on the new continent, and why are they glowing and flying!?" a representative from a small nation stammered, his legs so weak he nearly collapsed.
"Are we seeing a mirage, an illusion? How can humans fly? This is completely unscientific!" a researcher, who had dedicated his life to his studies, exclaimed in disbelief, unwilling to accept what he was seeing.
Deng He looked up at the army in the sky, swallowed hard, and pinched the soft flesh on his waist. The sharp pain confirmed it. His eyes widened with astonishment, and he gasped, "Hiss... this is real, not an illusion or a mirage! We've truly encountered flying humans on the new continent!" At the same time, as he observed the flying soldiers, he noticed that their armor bore a striking resemblance to that of ancient China, which further deepened his profound shock.
In the sky, Fan Cheng looked down upon the earthlings below and declared with a resounding voice, "This is the border of my Great Gan! Outsiders, retreat immediately!"