Apocalypse Gachapon

The battlefield was eerily silent, with only various energies and lights flickering faintly.

Yet everyone knew that if either side made any further aggressive moves, an all-out battle would inevitably erupt.

Why was Ye Zhongming acting so domineering? It didn’t align with his usual style.

Because deep down, he was wary of these two level-nine lifeforms.

They weren’t enemies—in fact, before Death King Tree and Talking Lady evolved to level nine, they had even been friends. To some extent, they had served as Cloud Peak’s enforcers and test subjects.

But everything changed once they reached level nine. Whether it was Talking Lady or Death King Tree, though they hadn’t turned against Cloud Peak, they had begun displaying a certain arrogance—a dignity and temperament befitting apex lifeforms.

This wasn’t inherently wrong. Any lifeform that reached the pinnacle of their planet would naturally exude such an instinctive aura.

But!

They had failed to consider one thing—

Reaching the top of the planet only meant status, not invincibility.

These beings, neither friends nor enemies, yet neither obedient nor predictable, were far too dangerous to have lingering near Cloud Peak.

Ye Zhongming hated this feeling.

But would he distance himself from them—or even kill them? Unless absolutely necessary, that was something he would never do.

Deep down, Ye Zhongming still wanted them to belong to Cloud Peak. If not that, then at least maintain a good relationship so they could lend aid in critical moments.

To achieve this, the most crucial thing was to make them fear him. At the very least, make them wary.

And that was exactly what Ye Zhongming was doing now.

Of course, this wasn’t just an empty bluff. To make others fear you, you had to possess the power to back it up. Did Ye Zhongming have it? Did Cloud Peak?

Others might not be sure, but every member of Cloud Peak—including Ye Zhongming—firmly believed they did.

Even if Death King Tree and Talking Lady had just evolved to level nine (with Demon King Tree’s unique physiology making her especially formidable), even if the Saint Father were to rise from the dead, Cloud Peak was confident they could kill him.

It would just come at a cost.

So when Ye Zhongming roared those words, his primary intent was intimidation. But if a fight did break out? He wouldn’t mind.

Cloud Peak had slain more than one or two level-nine lifeforms. He had the confidence.

Even if he was facing both Death King Tree and Talking Lady (plus her black cat), the same principle applied.

If he couldn’t gain two allies, then level nine magic crystals would suffice.

“Heh, Ye—” Demon King Tree chuckled dismissively, about to say something—

But in response, Ye Zhongming suddenly lunged forward. From a distance, he lightly leapt into the air and threw out a seemingly effortless punch.

The abruptness of Cloud Peak’s King taking action caught both Death King Tree and Talking Lady off guard.

Though they were evolved lifeforms at their core, their intelligence was extremely high. They understood their own value.

Cloud Peak might be the strongest faction in the region, but they weren’t without enemies—quite the opposite, in fact. Their enemies were formidable. Moreover, Ye Zhongming was in the process of advancing toward becoming a nine-star evolved. To do that, he needed to kill other level nine lifeforms—and they were the ones who could help him most.

So when Ye Zhongming issued his threat, they took it seriously—but they weren’t afraid.

Thus, Death King Tree acted flippant, while Talking Lady furrowed her brows, her black cat baring its teeth.

But Cloud Peak’s King attacked too suddenly—no hesitation, no negotiation. Just action.

Death King Tree was caught off guard.

People often casually threw around the term “level-nine lifeform,” but when actually facing one? That was when you realized how terrifying they were.

Being suddenly attacked was unexpected for Death King Tree. She didn’t think Ye Zhongming had any reason to strike.

But now that he had, she immediately counterattacked.

She didn’t dodge—instead, she charged straight at him.

Death King Tree’s body was no different from that of a normal human woman, appearing tiny compared to the close-combat robot. The fist of Ye Zhongming’s machine was nearly half her size, and with the added momentum of descending from above, it seemed visually impossible for her to block.

Yet the newly ascended level-nine lifeform showed no fear. She didn’t even use a skill—just swung her own hand, meeting Ye Zhongming’s punch head-on.

Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue. Despite her small stature, Death King Tree’s body was incredibly tough, far sturdier than a mental-type lifeform like Talking Lady. Even after reaching level nine, the latter’s body was “hardy,” but she still wasn’t a physically oriented fighter.

Just as Death King Tree was about to teach this strange machine a lesson—

The fist that seemed about to strike suddenly split open, releasing a barrage of circular shuriken that filled the space in front of her.

Each was razor-thin, with lethally sharp edges, yet large, about 70 centimeters in diameter.

Ten blades, leaving the Death King Tree no room to dodge.

Le Dàyuan, protected by the Shengyuan Team, had also arrived on the battlefield. Seeing this, he nodded approvingly.

As expected of someone with near-perfect synchronization. Even in his first battle, he controls the machine as if he’s practiced dozens of times.

Death King Tree truly couldn’t evade. But she didn’t panic.

Her outstretched fist exploded without resistance, releasing over a dozen supple vines that lashed out, striking the incoming shuriken and scattering them away.

But before she could react—

A shadow shot up from beneath her.

Death King Tree’s instincts flared. The same ultra-fine tendrils that had once breached Cloud Peak’s defenses shot out, weaving into a seemingly fragile net.

The shadow—a kick from the robot’s foot—slammed into it the next second.

It didn’t break through, but the force sent the Death King Tree slightly upward.

Somehow, while the fist had just split open to fire the shuriken, the robot’s body had already twisted mid-air, using its sheer size to deliver a “rising kick” from below.

In the opening exchange, Death King Tree was at a disadvantage.

Anger flared in her. She wanted to counterattack—

But then she sensed danger below again. Instinctively, she ascended higher.

As a level nine being, she could now defy many natural laws.

A cold glint shot up through the gaps in the net, narrowly missing her foot.

The follow-up to the “rising kick” missed.

But Ye Zhongming, still controlling the robot, used the metal spike extending from the machine’s toe to hook onto Death King Tree’s root-web. With a powerful twist of its torso, the robot flipped upright—

And from the edges of its chest, four beams of light fired instantly, striking the Death King Tree’s upper body!