The Trial of the Hundred Beasts

Instructing Tony to remain on the yacht to protect the girls, Guan Heng retrieved the Alloy Belt from a cabin and fastened it. With a whoosh, he leaped from the deck onto the shore.

He ran to a large rock and, with a thought, called out, "Dabao, come out!"

Jiang Dabao appeared on the spot, clad in his Stars and Stripes Combat Suit. In his hands, he held a pair of Alloy Steel Plate Shields that Guan Heng had commissioned. While not as impressive as Captain America's original, they were quite sturdy.

"Guard the yacht area well and patrol. If any Dragonfly Grasshoppers attack, kill them all," Guan Heng commanded. "Don't let them injure anyone on the yacht. Understand?"

Jiang Dabao nodded and hid behind the rock, constantly scanning his surroundings. Ever since the Corpse Control Array had been integrated, Dabao had become completely obedient to Guan Heng, losing his former volatile temper. Guan Heng felt reassured leaving him there.

"What an obedient good boy," Guan Heng nodded with satisfaction and sprinted off, heading straight for the lake deep within the forest.

Guan Heng was secretly planning something. He had to visit the Inland Lake, the territory of the dragonflies.

As for the yacht by the coast, with Jiang Dabao guarding it, it was absolutely foolproof. After Guan Heng's training, Dabao's dual-shield combat techniques had reached a state of perfection. He was on par with the real M Nation Captain, not to mention he possessed the body of a zombie and the agility of Spider-Man. Only then could Guan Heng leave with peace of mind.

A moment later, Guan Heng silently crouched in the uneven grass. Jarvis's voice sounded in his ear, "These dragonflies haven't eaten for days since they just molted. Therefore, they are even more desperate to feed, eating frantically to increase their weight by one to two times in a short period."

The Mutated Royal Dragonfly's sharp mouthparts were like large scissors, capable of easily tearing apart other animals and devouring them. Thus, in this water area, the Royal Dragonfly was the absolute king. Any animal smaller than them, or even of similar size, would be frantically hunted.

A single Royal Dragonfly consumes at least one-fifth of its body weight in food daily. Its primary food source is any flying or moving creature it can see and find. After two weeks of frantic feeding, the molted Royal Dragonfly's weight would increase exponentially, and its body surface would turn a vibrant blue.

This indicated that the Royal Dragonfly had gained sufficient reproductive capacity. At this point, it no longer needed to hide; it was time to fight for its genetic rights. To establish a new dynasty, male Royal Dragonflies needed their own territory where they could intercept passing female dragonflies for mating and hunt food without restraint. A male Royal Dragonfly's territory typically required a riverbank about fifty meters in radius with lush vegetation. However, all the prime spots were already occupied by older Royal Dragonflies. If this newly molted Royal Dragonfly wished to rule, it could only seize territory through force.

Thus, in order to reproduce, the battles between new and old predators began fiercely.

In the Inland Lake waters of this island, only one king could exist.

And that king was the last surviving Royal Dragonfly, the apex predator of this food chain, the undisputed ruler.

Guan Heng observed by the lake for nearly half an hour. Most of the giant dragonflies had been defeated by one apex predator. Its wingspan exceeded six meters, and its chewing mouthparts were terrifyingly long. This Royal Dragonfly flew like a bolt of lightning. Wherever it passed, a giant dragonfly would fall, only to be caught in its massive jaws, torn apart in a few crunches, and swallowed.

At this moment, the most powerful Royal Dragonfly surveyed the Inland Lake surface with imposing majesty. All its rivals had been eliminated. It had already intercepted a female dragonfly, mated, and fulfilled its mission of procreation.

With no other male dragonflies to contend with, the Royal Dragonfly was extremely proud. It stood at the pinnacle of its species, having successfully left behind offspring. It quietly awaited death. The lifespan of a dragonfly is short, only one-tenth that of its larva, the Dragonfly Larva. Perhaps tomorrow, or in a week, or a month, the king would fall here, but it had no regrets in this life.

Suddenly, a figure strode onto the grassy bank by the water.

"Hey, Big Flying Insect!" Guan Heng called out. "I happen to need a mount, and you look pretty suitable. Do you agree, or agree, or must you agree?"

Guan Heng had decided to capture one after Jarvis had introduced that this mutated giant Royal Dragonfly could reach speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour in flight. Its Blue Body was dazzling, its developed Net-like Wings like enormous aircraft wings, and its three Single Eyes and over 28,000 Compound Eyes could not only measure speed but also see up, down, forward, and backward without turning its head, like an all-around radar constantly scanning for enemy activity. Its huge, sharp Chewing Mouthparts were fearsome, enough to make even a Super Villain shiver.

Having such a large dragonfly as a mount, how cool would that be? Guan Heng stared at the Royal Dragonfly, licked his lips, and said with a smile, "Big Flying Insect, hehe, just go along with me. Surrender obediently, and I'll treat you well."

It seemed that after mutation, their intelligence had also soared. The giant Royal Dragonfly appeared to understand Guan Heng's words. This Royal, the overlord of the island, the apex predator among its kind, suddenly vibrated its wings, causing the water surface below to churn with turbulent waves from the strong wind. Its imposing presence was truly terrifying.

The Royal Dragonfly was now furious. In its eyes, a small creature like Guan Heng was merely a piece of meat within its grasp, something it could tear apart and swallow at will. Now, Guan Heng had actually appeared and provoked it. This behavior simply made the Royal Dragonfly uncontrollably enraged.

Buzz! The Royal Dragonfly flapped its massive wings and dived rapidly from high altitude, heading straight for Guan Heng on the lakeshore. Its huge Chewing Mouthparts made a clack-clack sound, like incredibly sharp blades, and it looked as if it would slice Guan Heng in half, tear him apart, and devour him.

It's good you came, but your speed is still a little bit short of mine. With a light chuckle, Guan Heng suddenly leaped up. The dragonfly missed, and seeing it about to crash into the ground, it suddenly propped itself up with its huge veined wings, spun close to the ground, and slid away. This ability to fly in emergencies was simply unique in the biological world.

"What superb flying skills," Guan Heng praised loudly. "I'm getting more and more eager to capture you as my mount. Riding you to soar through the sky must feel incredibly awesome."

Saying that, Guan Heng's body shot out like lightning, chasing after the dragonfly.

The dragonfly did a mid-air spin and, upon discovering Guan Heng chasing it, became furious. It flapped its buzzing, huge wings and charged headfirst at Guan Heng.

Chapter 0038: Starting from Here

Facing the charging Royal Dragonfly, Guan Heng didn't dare to be careless. He threw a punch hard at it. The Royal Dragonfly felt a pain, and it had never suffered such a great loss before. Its body suddenly turned halfway, and its huge veined wings flapped, sweeping towards Guan Heng's waist with a strong gust of wind.

Guan Heng quickly reached out to block, his body trembling slightly. "Good fellow, you've got some strength."

Bang! Another punch landed on the dragonfly's abdomen, shaking it several meters away. The Royal Dragonfly's body swayed, and it spun again, using the momentum to alleviate the impact.

"Come on, big flying insect!" Guan Heng shook his fists and shouted. "You're the king of this water area, don't get scared after just two punches from me!"

The dragonfly had taken two hits from Guan Heng and immediately felt that its opponent was difficult to deal with. It survived in the brutal law of the jungle and had excellent combat instincts. It suddenly flew into the air, circling back and forth, looking for an opportunity to strike.

"Hmph, you don't want to come down?" Guan Heng grabbed a handful of stones and threw them with all his might at the Royal Dragonfly in mid-air. "Then I'll force you down!"

The force of Guan Heng's flying stones was astonishing, no less than a small cannonball. It made the Royal Dragonfly's body sway. This giant insect king finally became enraged and swooped down rapidly from a high altitude again, determined to fight Guan Heng to the death.

The man and the insect finally engaged in close combat by the lake shore. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Guan Heng landed punch after punch on the insect's body. The force was neither too heavy nor too light, for fear of killing the Royal Dragonfly with one blow.

The Royal Dragonfly was in great pain. It desperately twisted its large head to bite Guan Heng, but Guan Heng's footwork was swift and agile. Dodging left and right, the Royal Dragonfly couldn't even touch his clothes. During the fight, Guan Heng suddenly leaped up and landed squarely on the insect's back. "Haha, I finally got on! Big flying insect, accept your fate! Behave yourself!"

Whoosh, bang, smack-smack-smack! Guan Heng's fists rained down on the Royal Dragonfly. The insect suffered severe injuries and, in pain, flew and thrashed about wildly, almost throwing Guan Heng into the water.

"Damn it, still not behaving? Go to hell!" Guan Heng's anger flared, and he lost control of his strength, swinging a punch with all his might at the dragonfly's neck.

With a light crack, the Royal Dragonfly's neck snapped. Its six-meter-long body fell onto the lake shore, kicking up a cloud of dust. Immediately after, the insect's head tilted, its whole body trembled, and it was clearly on the verge of death.

Guan Heng's face was sweating. "Damn, oh no. I originally wanted to capture it alive as a mount. What if I accidentally killed it? Looking at this Royal Dragonfly, its body is larger than other insects, so it must be the king of kings here. It's such a shame it's dead."

Gnashing his teeth in regret, Guan Heng flipped off the insect's back and sighed, looking at the Royal Dragonfly that was about to die.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Guan Heng's mind. He stomped his foot and exclaimed, "How stupid! Why didn't I think of this method just now?"

With a thought, he said, "Er Ni, come out." The Phantom Cat Zombie Clone stood obediently in front of Guan Heng.

"Come, extend your hand." Guan Heng used his alloy dagger to cut Er Ni's finger and squeezed two drops of zombie blood into the Royal Dragonfly's mouth. Soon, the Royal Dragonfly's entire body changed from a bright blue to a dark blue, and its scars, big and small, disappeared.

"Haha, this works now," Guan Heng nodded with satisfaction. "Er Ni, you've worked hard. You'll be rewarded when we get back." With a wave of his hand, he recalled her.

"This Royal Dragonfly has become a Half-Zombie after receiving Er Ni's zombie blood," Guan Heng said, stroking his chin.

While the Royal Dragonfly's injuries were gradually recovering but it was still not fully conscious, Guan Heng quickly bit his finger and began to draw more than a dozen Corpse Control Arrays on the insect's body. He chanted incantations, and the arrays instantly disappeared into the insect's surface.

Heh, it worked! Guan Heng was overjoyed. Not only would the Dragonfly Emperor survive, but it was now completely under his control. With Er Ni's zombie blood, it had become a Half-Zombie and could be stored in the Corpse Storage Bag. He could summon it to ride whenever he wanted. Haha, it was too convenient!

Thinking this, Guan Heng couldn't help but laugh heartily. He patted the Dragonfly Emperor's head. "Good boy, from today onwards, you are my exclusive mount, Guan Heng. Hmm, let me think. As the saying goes, 'Three suns shine brightly, bringing much good fortune.' I'll call you Huang Santai!"

In a short while, the Huge Dragonfly Emperor Huang Santai had recovered completely. It obediently stopped beside Guan Heng.

Guan Heng smiled and said to Huang Santai, "Half-Zombies don't grow fangs or claws, so they can't threaten others with corpse poison. This way, I won't have to break off your Chewing Mouthparts and claws. If I feed you a little fresh blood appropriately, you'll live forever, which is much better than being a living dragonfly."

Huang Santai was a mutated individual evolved through radiation. Its intelligence was not low. After hearing Guan Heng's words, it shook its head, indicating understanding.

Suddenly, Huang Santai gently vibrated its wings and shot into the sky. It circled the Inland Lake once before flying back to Guan Heng's side, shaking its head as if trying to convey something.

Guan Heng stroked his chin and asked, "Are you trying to tell me there's something at the bottom of the lake and you want me to retrieve it?"

Huang Santai continued to shake its wings and head, seemingly agreeing with Guan Heng's statement. Guan Heng then climbed onto Huang Santai's back and patted its head. "Take me above that patch of water."

Huang Santai flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

"Awesome! Flying feels so good!" Guan Heng shouted.

In less than a few seconds, Huang Santai had flown to the center of the lake. Guan Heng stood on the insect's body, stretched his limbs, and with a Plop, jumped into the lake.

Gurgle, gurgle, a few bubbles surfaced. Guan Heng pushed off with his feet and dove down more than ten meters.

A group of Dragonfly Larvae suddenly surrounded him at the bottom of the water. These creatures were carnivores in the water. Seeing a living being enter, they all wanted to feast. These dragonfly larvae were nearly half a meter long, with terrifying fangs and huge claws.

"So, you're Huang Santai's descendants," Guan Heng treaded water, his body suddenly stopping. "For your father's sake, I won't kill you. Get lost!"

At this moment, hot air currents rose around Guan Heng's body. The Dragonfly Larvae felt the surrounding temperature soar and were greatly frightened. They turned and fled.

"Hmph, it's good that you're sensible, otherwise I'd have to kill more," Guan Heng smiled slightly and continued searching in the water. Not long after, he found a group of uneven rocks at the bottom of the lake. In the gap of a Huge rock, a rusty Metal Box was stuck.

"Huang Santai must have asked me to retrieve this," Guan Heng thought, speeding up and swimming over.

"Hmm," Guan Heng, who had intended to grab the box and swim away, suddenly realized that the Metal Box was wedged very tightly in the rock crevice. He couldn't pull it out with one grab.

Seeing that his breath was running out, Guan Heng gritted his teeth and swung his Iron Fist, smashing the rock. The latter immediately shattered, and the box was freed.

At this moment, Guan Heng grabbed the box's pull ring, swung it twice in the water, and threw it towards the surface with all his might. He then swam like a fish, pushing and kicking the water, and surfaced.

The box had already been thrown out of the water with great force. Guan Heng burst out of the water and grabbed the box's pull ring. Huang Santai, who had been waiting, swooped down. Its claws clasped the Metal Box, and it also lifted Guan Heng to the lakeshore.