Gu He gathered wind beneath his feet, pushing the Whirlwind Dragon Step to its limit. As he neared the Flame Lizardman, his entire body transformed into a gust of wind, cleaving through the magma as he charged toward it.
The Dou Zun-level Flame Lizardman was no longer merely able to sense the surrounding magma—it could almost directly control it. Thus, the moment Gu He entered its vicinity, before he could even draw close, it detected him. With a vicious grin, it smashed its fist toward Gu He's location.
Feeling the terrifying strike, bolstered by magma and comparable to a two-star Dou Zun's attack, Gu He dispelled the Whirlwind Dragon Step and came to a halt. Clenching his right hand into a fist, he let out a low shout and counterattacked without yielding, striking back with even greater force.
"Bang!"
The unadorned clash of power jolted both their bodies. The instant their fists collided, a massive ripple of energy erupted, scattering the energy waves stirred up by the magma spheres and sword qi.
Such a direct confrontation was the best way to gauge an enemy's strength. Gu He could tell that the Flame Lizardman had only recently advanced to the Dou Zun level. Thanks to its innate physical advantages, its body was roughly at the level of a three-star Dou Zun, but it was far inferior to him. Only with the magma's enhancement did its overall strength reach that of a two-star Dou Zun.
Having grasped the Flame Lizardman's true strength, Gu He felt completely reassured.
In terms of cultivation, the Flame Lizardman was about equal to him. Physically, however, he was far stronger than this Flame Lizardman. Coupled with a Spiritual Realm soul, no one would dispute that his overall strength had reached the level of a three-star Dou Zun.