Chapter 446 95: The Beast King Submits

The figure in the Superpowered Armor was exceptionally burly, standing over two meters tall with streaks of brown electric arcs wrapping around his body.

However, upon closer inspection, his metal combat suit was covered in cracks. His entire left arm had been severed at the shoulder, exposing mangled mechanical parts and snapped wiring.

His human head was slightly caved in, as if struck by a heavy object, and he was bleeding from every orifice on his face. His prosthetic eyes glowed a bloodshot red, brimming with a violent aura strikingly similar to that of a Beast King.

"Gwight..." Lu Chao frowned. Hiding in a room at the end of the corridor, he recognized the man at a glance.

He wondered how the leader of the Iron Sand Army could have sustained such severe injuries. Judging by the fluctuations of his Life Magnetic Field, he had already fallen from the Transcendence Level and was at most at the peak of the Exploration Level.

As he pondered, a HUM rang out.

Gwight's prosthetic eyes erupted with red light, his gaze snapping over. An invisible electromagnetic detection wave flashed by, instantly pinpointing Lu Chao's location.

"Get out here!"

BOOM!

The moment he spoke, he launched a punch and charged forward. He acted as if he had lost his mind, completely disregarding everything. Brown electromagnetic arcs coalesced on his fist, smashing through all obstacles in his path. The metal alloy walls were torn apart as easily as paper.

Relying purely on the formidable physique granted by his Superpowered Armor, he crashed into the room, blowing open a nearly three-meter-wide hole, and arrived right in front of Lu Chao.

HUM!

The bionic limbs of the armor were exceptionally thick, and the tightly clenched mechanical fist was easily the size of an adult man's head. The air was instantly compressed into a sonic boom, and fragmented iron shards from the shattered walls flew past Lu Chao's eyes.

THUD!

A muffled explosion rang out. A bronze fist intercepted the attack in midair, as sturdy as a boulder!

Gwight's gaze fixed, and he peered down past his mechanical fist.

Amidst a series of RIPS, Lu Chao's suit jacket tore apart, bursting at the seams. The seemingly lean man's muscles bulged rapidly, his height stretching to around two meters as thick veins coiled around him like serpents. Wisps of pale golden light lingered an inch from his skin, resembling a physical manifestation of his imposing aura.

He slowly straightened his body, forcefully withstanding the heavy pressure of Gwight's fist, and looked up.

"Interesting." Lu Chao entered his Titan state once again, blocking a heavy blow that could severely injure any Exploration Level expert.

Narrowing his eyes, he stared intently at the Caucasian face bleeding from every orifice and those blood-red, violent eyes.

[Carbon-Based Human]

[Life Energy: 243 (Severe injuries, under mind control)]

He had noticed something was wrong a moment ago. Even if Gwight was truly heavily injured, he should have fled the area immediately. How could he possibly initiate an attack?

Looking at the text panel now, he thought, "Under mind control..."

BOOM!

Gwight's energy erupted, triggering the armor's engine regardless of the cost. The massive mechanical fist roared and vibrated, forcefully knocking Lu Chao's fist back.

Then, he clenched his fist and struck out once more!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

His remaining arm acted like a divine machine gun, blasting out a blur of afterimages. Brown electromagnetic arcs gathered on his knuckles, transforming into a frenzied onslaught.

Yet, Lu Chao neither dodged nor evaded, meeting the attack with his own punches. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The deafening, muffled collisions sounded like a carpet bombing, blasting out ring after ring of white shockwaves. Under the devastating aftermath, the surrounding corridor walls warped and twisted, continuously caving in and shattering. The floor beneath their feet couldn't withstand the impact of their clashes either, letting out sharp CRACKS as spiderweb fractures spread across the ground.

THUD!

Finally, another Fist Seal clash occurred. The metal floor beneath them completely blew apart, exposing a massive hole. Rendered weightless, the two plummeted together into the third underground level.

BAM!

The Swimming Dragon Steps proved useful once again. Lu Chao stepped on the falling debris in midair for leverage, bent his knees, and leapt down, planting his feet firmly on solid ground.

The air was thick with a violent, bloody scent. The space was cloaked in gloom, illuminated only by faint glimmers of light.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted the corpses of numerous warlord soldiers scattered nearby. They were reduced to mangled flesh and blood, having died gruesome deaths. There was even a warlord commander—likely at the Superpower Level—who had perished there. His face was frozen in sheer terror, and he too had bled to death from all his facial orifices.

HUM!

The next instant, a foul wind rushed at his face. Having also landed, Gwight's eyes were bloodshot. Even with a mangled body and his strength drastically diminished from severe injuries, he still glared viciously and charged at Lu Chao.

Lu Chao did not retreat. His eyes turned cold as he suddenly reached out a hand.

BAM!

Utilizing his explosive arm strength, he blocked the massive mechanical fist with his left palm!

All the kinetic impact was neutralized in that instant, and a portion of the residual force was even reflected by his defensive traits. The rebound caused his opponent's body to shudder, pinning him in place for a brief moment.

In that split-second window of opportunity, Lu Chao's chest suddenly expanded with a loud WHOOSH, inhaling a massive volume of air like a pulling bellows. The veins on his readied right arm bulged, muscles stacking upon each other.

The next moment, he launched his right fist forward.

Four-Fold Thunder Fist.

BOOM!

The air exploded! The deafening echo reverberated throughout the entire underground space!

Taking the full brunt of the heavy blow, Gwight was struck squarely in the chest by Lu Chao's fist.

CRACK! BAM!

The already fractured metal combat suit completely blew apart, sending iron shrapnel flying in all directions. The fist, enveloped in pale golden light, advanced with unstoppable force. It pierced straight through the man's chest and gripped his powerfully beating, scalding heart.

"Heh... heh..."

In that fleeting instant, spurred by the agonizing pain, Gwight seemed to snap back to consciousness. The blood-red hue in his eyes rapidly faded. He stared at Lu Chao, momentarily stunned by the unfamiliar face. Soon after, he slightly lowered his head to look at his chest.

"You..."

BAM!

Lu Chao ruthlessly crushed the heart. Just like that, the dignified leader of the Iron Sand Army fell. As Lu Chao withdrew his arm, Gwight's lifeless body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Witnessing this scene, Lu Chao remained exceptionally calm, devoid of any arrogance or carelessness. Instead, Qi Flame swirled around him, materializing into rock armor that coated his body. Entering a state of absolute focus simultaneously, he stared vigilantly at a patch of pitch-black darkness at the far end of the underground chamber.

It appeared completely empty. However, his Life Sensing detected one final Life Magnetic Field lingering there. He knew it was the Beast King suspected to be at the Transcendence Level.

"Come out," Lu Chao said coldly.

A Beast King—creatures at this level already possessed a certain degree of intelligence. Recalling the tragic state of Gwight, a Transcendence Level expert, made him exceedingly wary. The fact that it could severely injure a Transcendence Level powerhouse and even subject them to mind control meant its methods were undeniably formidable.

The atmosphere fell silent for a time, and the air in the underground space grew increasingly frigid.

Violence, gore, ferocity, and bloodlust... Even with his Titan state activated, Lu Chao still felt a chill run across his skin. The Crimson Fire sun in his mind actively manifested itself, becoming far more solid and concentrated.

Finally, just as he was pondering countermeasures and deciding whether to force an attack to see if his opponent was mutually wounded, a roar broke the silence.

ROAR!

A beastly bellow erupted, shaking the entire underground space. Clouds of dust cascaded from the ceiling, followed by plummeting steel plates and rocky chunks. The experimental base seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, no longer able to withstand the strain.

The darkness ahead suddenly jolted. The violent gales and soundwaves swept all the dust away, revealing a pair of scarlet, violent, vertically slitted pupils!

HUM!

The vertical pupils were the size of lanterns, and a colossal shadow hid within the darkness. The Beast King's true body appeared to be as large as a mountain. It looked like a tiger yet also a crocodile, a dragon yet also an eagle—it was impossible to see through its form clearly.

In nearly an instant, a profound sense of danger surfaced in Lu Chao's heart. A monstrous aura of malice rushed toward his face, instilling an instinctual urge to flee. The underground base was about to cave in, and the Beast King's imposing might was terrifyingly extraordinary.

Right at this critical moment, a text panel appeared.

[Elemental Devouring Beast]

[Life Energy: 257 (Severe injuries)]

[Consumption Effect: A mutated mental-type Mutant Beast that feeds on the spiritual power of deceased creatures. It excels in mental attacks, mind control, illusions, and similar methods. Its life essence exists entirely on the spiritual plane, leaving its physical body fragile. Its consumption value falls between an Advanced Mutant Beast and a Beast King...]

As lines of information surfaced before his eyes, Lu Chao steadied his heart. He immediately realized the Beast King was merely bluffing. Under the burden of severe injuries, all of this was nothing but a disguise or a mental illusion.

BOOM!

In a flash, he focused his mind, visualizing the Crimson Fire sun once again. Activating his Flow State talent concurrently, he layered it with his absolute focus, causing his Spiritual Power to soar temporarily!

Thanks to this, all the scenery around him began to distort and change rapidly. The seemingly collapsing underground base gradually stabilized. The steel plates and rocky debris raining from above dissipated like phantoms. The trembling earth ceased its shaking, and the sweeping gales slowly died down.

By the end of it, Lu Chao found himself standing perfectly still in his original position. Furthermore, his line of sight pierced right through those lantern-sized scarlet pupils and the boundless, gloomy shadows, finally spotting the true body of the Mutant Beast.

It was a black Cat Beast, about the size of a hound, with smooth, glossy fur. Its eyes resembled red amber. They should have been as bright as gemstones, yet at this moment, they were exceptionally dull. Moreover, it was paralyzed on the ground. Several bloody holes marred its body, and its aura was incredibly weak—it was on the verge of plummeting below the Exploration Level entirely.

In that brief instant, as man and beast locked eyes, Lu Chao distinctly felt a multitude of its emotions. Unwillingness, struggle, rebellion... It almost possessed the intelligence of a normal human being.

Finally, as he stepped closer and coalesced his physical power, a HUM resonated.

Lu Chao's spirit jolted, and surprise flashed in his eyes. He had actually sensed an intent to submit from the beast.