Chapter 449 97: High-Level Martial Skill, Slicing Force Saber Technique

"What's going on?" an inexperienced Wilderness Hunter asked.

No one answered. They all stared intently at the desolate wasteland outside the jungle and the brown dirt slope a thousand meters away.

Xu Zhenggang noticed the anomaly almost immediately, feeling a faint vibration beneath his feet. "A beast herd," he judged swiftly.

As if to confirm his guess, in the next instant, a series of muffled rumbling sounds echoed from a distance.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE!

Everyone felt the ground tremble. Dry leaves in the dirt shook, and tiny pebbles and gravel rolled about. Swallowing hard, the Wilderness Hunters reacted as if facing a deadly enemy. They subconsciously huddled closer to the Xu family's convoy, hoping to find some sense of security.

Finally, someone cried out, "It really is a beast herd!"

WHOOSH!!

A massive cloud of dust billowed from the dirt slope a thousand meters away, and many Mutant Beasts could be seen charging madly toward them. Three-meter-long Iron-Armored Lizards capable of briefly withstanding small-caliber bullets, Black Vulture Beasts flying in midair with four-meter wingspans... There were at least five types of Advanced Mutant Beasts, along with hundreds of Intermediate Mutant Beasts from other species fleeing in panic. They looked as if they were terrified and running from something, charging toward the jungle in a massive stampede that kicked up a rolling cloud of dust.

"It's the herd from Howling Canyon. Everyone, be careful," Xu Zhenggang warned, his expression grave.

Everyone's heart leapt into their throats. Feeling the immense pressure, they immediately opened fire to intercept the herd.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT!

Amidst the gunfire, the startled herd actually changed its course, bypassing the jungle to flee. This unnatural behavior stunned the crowd. Even Xu Zhenggang, who had been preparing to strike, sensed that something was wrong.

"Something's not right." With a grim expression, he immediately ordered the convoy's hacker to fly a drone toward the dirt slope.

Curious gazes turned to the holographic projection hovering over the convoy's equipment. It showed the desolate wasteland and the panicked, scattering herd. As the drone drew closer to the dirt slope and Howling Canyon, an aerial view of the landscape came into focus. Rolling dust clouds spread in all directions like a massive storm. From time to time, thunderous thuds shook the wilderness, as if fracturing the very earth.

"This is..."

The camera continued to zoom in. Xu Zhenggang, Xu Fengnian, and all the Wilderness Hunters held their breath, their eyes glued to the footage transmitted by the drone.

Finally, with a loud BOOM, the sandstorm within the canyon suddenly dissipated!

A Mutant Beast entirely covered in brown scales came into view. It was nearly eight meters long and half a meter thick. Like the king of all pythons, its coiled, serpentine body was as massive as a small hill, exuding an oppressive aura. Wisps of sand and dust were clearly under its control, gathering over its scales like an impenetrable shield. The preceding sandstorm phenomenon had obviously been its doing as well.

"It's a Beast King... the Sandstorm Python," Xu Zhenggang said, his face filled with shock as he instantly recognized the creature. Even experts at the Exploration Level might not be able to defeat it. It nested in Howling Canyon year-round and had even killed two Superpower Level Wilderness Hunters. The Xu family's expedition had planned to sneak into the canyon to search for ores. Now that the Beast King had been alerted, wouldn't that mean...

"Uncle Zhenggang, look!" Xu Fengnian suddenly pointed at the projection screen, and everyone else noticed the anomaly as well.

On the aerial view of the canyon floor, a dark silhouette flashed by.

"Zoom in!" Xu Zhenggang shouted urgently.

"Yes, sir!"

The Xu family's hacker immediately boosted the drone's power, continuously enlarging the scout feed.

Soon, as the dark silhouette paused briefly, the crowd finally saw what it was. He wore a black suit, a black Ink Blade in his right hand. He stood at the edge of the canyon, looking down at the Sandstorm Python from above. The drone hovering in midair didn't bother him; he didn't even bother to glance up at it.

Instead, Lu Chao stood perfectly still with his blade, his gaze profound. "Finally found you."

The reward for killing Tan Yu, Du Lie, and the others was at least over a hundred thousand Contribution Points, but he hadn't been in a hurry to return to the city zone to exchange them for nutritional resources. For the past month, he had stayed out in the wilderness. Even so, his Life Energy development progress hadn't stopped. In fact, it had grown by another margin.

[Life Energy: 186 -> 191]

[Potential Progress: 35%]

As for the reason...

SWISH!

With a blur of motion, Lu Chao instantly charged into the canyon. Billowing sand and dust rushed toward him like a storm. He didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he stomped the ground, accelerating once again as he turned into a black arrow shooting straight ahead. To him, a Beast King was the perfect nutritional resource. Not only could he consume its flesh on the spot, but its parts could also be used to brew Superpower Potions. Furthermore, fighting it would help him hone his saber techniques, granting him one last boost in strength before heading to Fortress Mountain City.

SWOOSH!!

Pushing off the ground with rapid steps, he charged straight at the giant Sandstorm Python. The blade brutally tore through the sandstorm in his path, allowing him to reach the beast unimpeded. The massive serpent's shadow blocked out the light, its cruel, blood-red eyes glaring ferociously. An ordinary person would have been shaken to their core, frozen in terror by the might of a Beast King.

However, with a resounding SLASH, a piercing shriek rang out as the swinging Ink Blade tore through the air. The black afterimage froze as the blade struck the serpent's body.

CLANG!

CRACK!!

A crisp metallic sound echoed, immediately followed by the faint noise of shattering. The sand armor covering the Sandstorm Python splintered and cracked, revealing its true scales beneath.

As if sensing the danger, the Sandstorm Python's vertical pupils flared with bloodthirsty rage as it let out a hiss.

"HISS!!"

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE!!

The earth quaked as a beastly roar echoed for a thousand meters, striking fear into the hearts of everyone in the distant jungle. Bearing the brunt of the roar, Lu Chao's ears rang. It felt as though a heavy hammer had struck his mind, leaving him paralyzed for a fleeting second.

In that split second...