Swift as Lightning

With a single blow, Xing Tian felt the terrifying gap between a Level 3 and a Level 4 monster.

His great axe could easily cleave a dozen Level 3 monsters in half. It felt like slicing through a stack of printer paper, without the slightest hesitation.

But Xun Lei wasn't paper; it was a steel plate!

Yu Xiao, who took the blow, could still feel the tremor resonating from the axe handle in his hands!

Buzz!

The power core on Xing Tian's chest flared, its color shifting from dark red to crimson!

Yu Xiao had directly increased the power core's output by fifty percent!

Xing Tian's hands tightened on the axe handle, slowly pushing Xun Lei's claws away from him!

With increased power, Xing Tian had now overpowered Xun Lei.

Xun Lei seemed to realize this as well. Watching its trembling claws being pushed back by Xing Tian, its gaze shifted from Xing Tian's head to the power core on its chest.

Just as Xing Tian was about to bring the axe handle to Xun Lei's neck, the resisting force suddenly vanished!

Xun Lei retracted its claws!

Xing Tian, who had been exerting all his strength, instantly lost his balance and lurched forward.

In a flash, Xun Lei took a step back, tilted its body, and dodged Xing Tian's lunge!

The next second, a thirty-five-meter-long tail whipped directly towards Xing Tian's torso!

BOOM!

With a deafening roar like the sky collapsing, Xing Tian, who should have fallen forward, was instead slammed backward!

Yu Xiao felt as if he had just collided with a moving mountain. Fortunately, he had activated [Harden] in time. Otherwise, with the force of that blow, his armor would have been close to scrap!

"Roar!"

Seeing that its tail whip had sent Xing Tian staggering back several steps, Xun Lei let out an enraged roar and charged at Xing Tian!

Xing Tian, having regained his balance, immediately blocked a claw strike aimed at his chest with his great axe!

Clang!

But before the sound of the claws and axe colliding faded, Xun Lei's other claw lunged from beneath the axe handle towards Xing Tian's abdomen!

Too fast!

Even though Xing Tian had the advantage in strength, Xun Lei's speed was so exaggerated that Xing Tian couldn't keep up. The time it took Xing Tian to launch one attack was enough for Xun Lei to unleash two!

Xing Tian had no choice but to take the hit while [Harden] was still on cooldown.

[Warning, abdominal armor damaged by 37%!]

Looking at his abdominal armor, which was almost torn apart, Xing Tian quickly retreated to create distance.

If this close-quarters combat continued, Xing Tian would eventually be torn to shreds for being unable to match Xun Lei's speed!

But before Xing Tian could retreat a few steps, Xun Lei's massive tail whipped towards him again!

Bang!

Another heavy blow landed on Xing Tian's flank!

Fortunately, this time [Harden] was active, and coupled with Xing Tian's own mass, it allowed him to maintain his stance without being crushed on the spot!

But Yu Xiao was caught in a near-fatal loop.

Close combat, create distance, Xun Lei tail whip, Xing Tian forced to defend with [Harden].

Since Xing Tian had no long-range attack options, once they disengaged from close combat, Xing Tian could only take hits unilaterally.

Xun Lei was simply too fast!

As Yu Xiao desperately pondered how to break this vicious cycle, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

What would Bai Ying do?

"Roar!"

Xun Lei's roar interrupted Yu Xiao's thoughts, and Xing Tian had to face Xun Lei's storm of attacks once more!

One, two...

Compared to Xun Lei, Xing Tian's movements were like those of a fading elder. Every time he blocked one of Xun Lei's attacks, other parts of his machine would bear the brunt of another impact!

System warnings continuously echoed in Xing Tian's cockpit. Not a single piece of armor on his body was intact.

The heavier Xing Tian was injured, the more reckless Xun Lei's attacks became.

Each claw strike from Xun Lei was more powerful and forceful than the last!

Finally, under Xun Lei's furious assault, the armor on Xing Tian's chest was torn to shreds!

The crimson power core was exposed, like a flame in the wind and snow, with the possibility of being extinguished at any moment!

Xun Lei's golden eyes immediately flashed with ferocity!

But instead of attacking the power core directly, it continued to swipe at Xing Tian's head!

This was Thunder's usual trick—using its agility to force Xingtian to defend against only one of its many attacks!

If Xingtian didn't block this attack, its head would be completely torn apart.

But if Xingtian blocked, Thunder's next strike would go straight for the power core. By then, Xingtian, unable to react, would be scrapped on the spot!

Swish!

Thunder's beast claws swung towards Xingtian's head with speed that could tear the air apart!

And Xingtian chose not to defend!

The next second, the massive beast claws ripped Xingtian's head clean off its torso!

Instantly, a dazzling shower of sparks erupted from the severed neck of Xingtian, along with fragments of its spine, flying into the air!

However, Xingtian didn't fall as Thunder had predicted!

Instead, it had already raised the giant axe in its hands high above its side!

Realizing the danger, Thunder's golden eyes widened in alarm. It hastily threw Xingtian's severed head aside and charged towards Xingtian's power core at full speed!

But this time, Xingtian was faster!

The black giant axe, already reinforced by [Hardening], cleaved down from above and to the side of Thunder. The sharp axe blade, with unstoppable momentum, broke through Thunder's tough outer scales and dug deep into its flesh!

Accompanied by Thunder's pained roar, dark green blood and shattered scales alike flew through the air!

Finally, Thunder's massive body, before its giant claws could reach Xingtian's exposed power core, toppled into the sea!

But just as Thunder was about to fall, it forced its body to brace itself on all fours!

At the same time, Xingtian's hands gripping the giant axe suddenly felt an immense brute force!

Gurgle!

Thunder actually ripped the axe blade embedded in its body out by force and quickly created distance from Xingtian!

Yu Xiao hadn't expected Thunder to be so ruthless even towards itself!

The wound, already several meters deep, completely tore open from the forceful pull, and blood spurted from Thunder's shoulder like a geyser!

The scene made Thunder's arm look like a piece of meat that had been half-chopped off!

However, just as Yu Xiao thought Thunder intended to flee, its thick tail whipped towards him again!

But now, he had ample time to react.

Xingtian extended its left hand and directly grabbed Thunder's rapidly swinging tail!

Crash!

The collision kicked up a massive wave that surged past Xingtian's knees. The sheer impact forced Xingtian to stagger back a few steps!

But in the end, Xingtian held its ground!