Chapter 432 - 89: Karma Settled, Shocking Turn of Events

"It’s time to end this."

Hearing this, Wu Yuntao’s expression shifted slightly.

An inexplicable chill welled up in his heart. He tried to pull back his blade to defend, but with a SWISH, Lu Chao vanished.

By the time Lu Chao reappeared, Wu Yuntao’s eyes went wide. His opponent was already at his side, and a devastating Fist Seal was expanding infinitely in his vision. The previously thin Qi Flame erupted once more, accompanied by the SPLASH of crashing waves. It was as if the flow of blood and the momentum of overlapping tides had fused together as the strike arrived right before him.

"Not good!" Wu Yuntao thought, hurriedly changing his stance.

CLANG!

He had actually seen through the deceptive nature of the [Tremor Edge] for a moment, raising his blade horizontally to block it. However, with a heavy THUD, another fist wrapped in a brown glow struck him squarely in the abdomen.

Wu Yuntao’s eyes bulged, instantly becoming bloodshot. His body bowed backward uncontrollably as he slid in retreat. The sturdy black biological scales let out a series of CRACKs. He felt agonizing pain coursing through his internal organs, and his vitality churned relentlessly, nearly impossible to suppress.

"Where is your Thunder Eagle Skill?"

SWISH!

Moving like a coiling dragon, Lu Chao arrived in front of him once again.

A mix of coldness and furious shock flashed in Wu Yuntao’s eyes. Enduring the discomfort, he hastily swung his blade.

SWISH!

A black blade aura swept out, tearing through the air like an unstoppable crescent moon. Yet, with a heavy STOMP, Lu Chao remained standing firmly right in front of him.

The previous blade aura seemed to have missed, grazing past him to shatter several shipping containers in the background. Only Lu Chao knew that this was the true power of his focused state.

To his eyes, everything had slowed down infinitely; his neural reaction speed had fully doubled. Evading the blade aura’s slash was just its simplest application. His processing power was so astonishing that he clearly sensed the Ink Blade and his opponent’s biological armor were a single entity. Through this, he discovered the energy-absorbing limit of this biological weapon.

BOOM!

Suddenly, another punch was thrown, landing dead center on Wu Yuntao’s chest.

WHOOSH!

His body, bent like a bow, completely lost control. His feet left the ground as he crashed straight through a red iron container at the end of the deck, falling off the freighter and plummeting toward the waters of the Red River.

Amidst a series of muffled THUDs, Wu Yuntao’s body skipped across the surface like a skimming stone, blasting craters into the water one after another.

His eyes grew increasingly bloodshot, his gaze turning even colder and more ruthless. All of his vitality surged continuously into the Ink Blade. Attempting a counterattack, he slashed out several blade auras back toward the freighter.

Accompanied by a flurry of SWISHes, the black crescent moons danced through the sky, tearing through everything in an attempt to turn the tide. However, with swift TAP TAP TAPs against the river’s surface, Lu Chao moved with extraordinary agility, like a dragon diving into the sea.

He evaded the incoming blade auras one by one. Even mid-stride, he threw a rapid succession of punches.

BANG BANG BANG!

His Qi Flame blasted outward, shooting forth like artillery shells.

His highly efficient energy manipulation displayed its might once more, consecutively striking Wu Yuntao’s body with a force that far exceeded other Exploration Levels. All counterattacks were rendered futile. He was blasted back and forth by the Qi Flame like an out-of-control rubber ball.

Amidst a deafening RUMBLE, columns of water shot into the sky, sending river water splashing everywhere. The black biological armor now showed numerous signs of damage, clearly nearing the absolute limit of what it could withstand.

"This kid," Wu Yuntao thought, his gaze turning even colder as he forcefully swung his blade to extinguish the cannonball-like Qi Flame Fist Force.

Hidden within his ruthless and vicious emotions was a trace of jealousy that even he had not noticed. He had sacrificed so much just to become stronger. What right did this opponent have to reach such a level? To even go so far as to suppress him?

WHOOSH!

As the thought flashed through his mind, he forcibly executed a Thousand Jin Fall technique, intending to drop his body to the river’s surface and regain his center of gravity. But with a soft STEP upon the densely rippling water, the figure in the black combat suit appeared by his side once again.

His heart turned cold. Gripping the blade with both hands, he swung it fiercely. A silver-blue Qi Flame and black light erupted simultaneously, tearing horizontally across the river like a heaven-piercing streak as he sought to slice Lu Chao in half.

CLANG!

A silver gauntlet firmly caught the blade; Lu Chao had not dodged as he had done before. The erupting blade aura was entirely blocked by the [Tremor Edge] at that very moment, while the great mastery of his Rock physique effortlessly dispelled all the impact.

In the blink of an eye, several towering columns of water exploded behind Lu Chao before cascading back down upon the river like a torrential downpour.

"It seems your Ink Blade is no longer working," Lu Chao said suddenly, looking at him with calm eyes.

Wu Yuntao faltered slightly. He clearly saw the brown Qi Flame winding upward inch by inch, completely covering his opponent’s entire arm. The Ink Blade had actually failed to unleash its powerful suction force again.

"You—"

BANG!

Lu Chao smashed a fist right into his head.

CRACK!

Wu Yuntao’s expression shifted as all of his thoughts were violently interrupted. He clearly felt the biological armor on his body beginning to fracture, yet Lu Chao’s left hand still gripped the Ink Blade, effectively pinning his entire body in place.

Immediately after.

BANG BANG BANG!

Punch after punch unloaded a torrent of power. In an instant, Lu Chao fired off several strikes, repeatedly hammering the exact same spot on his opponent’s head—just like how he had once dealt with Lei Wanjun.

He had deliberately fed the biological weapon, using his highly efficient energy mobilization to push it straight to its energy-absorbing limit.

THUD!

Ultimately, the berserk power merged into a single point. The silver-armored fist connected with Wu Yuntao’s head, causing his helmet and armor to blast apart in a resounding explosion. His flesh and blood were completely exposed, and a wave of killing intent instantly permeated the air.

As their eyes met...

"Get lost!!" Wu Yuntao roared fiercely, his eyes filled with murderous intent and sheer madness.

With a thunderous BOOM, an aura of heavenly might descended. The sonic boom of thunder trembled the river’s surface and shook the surrounding wilderness. Columns of water blasted into the sky, drawing the gazes of countless people from the distant freighter.

The black pupils in Lu Chao’s eyes were completely replaced by two round orbs of Crimson Fire. He remained entirely unmoved. The Qi Flame on his right arm swirled and converged once again. Driven by four-layered Stacked Force, a Thunder Fist gathered its momentum, carrying with it a sweeping SPLASH.