Two-Headed Lion Mastiff

"Oh, ho. Just finished off a Bloodthirsty Savage Bull, and now a Bloodthirsty Tank shows up. These pig and cattle-type monsters really are among the most numerous species out there." Flicking the blood off his blade, Tang Ping looked at the approaching herd and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Brother Ping, Uncle Liu just said this Bloodthirsty Tank is an Intermediate Beast General. Don't fight us for this one; just take a break on the side and cover us." It wasn't often they found a monster suitable for practice, and Jiang Yang and the others didn't want Tang Ping to steal the kill.

"Fine, fine, I won't steal it. I'm not that interested in an Intermediate Beast General anyway." Having long been accustomed to taking it easy, Tang Ping went with the flow, sheathing his blade and preparing to watch the show from the sidelines.

"I called it, I'm going first." As they spoke, the Bloodthirsty Tank and its minions had already reached them, and Jiang Yang charged forward, blade in hand, brimming with excitement.

While waiting for Tang Ping to finish off the Bloodthirsty Savage Bull, the brothers had already agreed not to waste this new Beast General-level monster; they would take turns practicing on it before finally killing it, and Jiang Yang was clearly first in line.

Much like the Bloodthirsty Savage Bull, the Bloodthirsty Tank was a monster type known for its defensive capabilities, with its primary attack method being a head-on charge.

Consequently, for the next while, the dilapidated street was ravaged once more, reduced to little more than ruins.

Fortunately, they were all using cold weapons. Although the battle was quite noisy, monster-on-monster skirmishes often caused similar disturbances, so despite the fight lasting a while, it didn't attract any new herds.

The herd led by the Bloodthirsty Tank had likely only come to gawk because their path happened to cross this area, only to lose their lives for their curiosity.

As the Bloodthirsty Tank lay dying, even Tang Ping felt a pang of pity looking at its eyes; the moment it closed them, there was a hint of relief, as if it were finally being released.

After harvesting the valuable loot and seeing no new prey in the vicinity, Tang Ping and the others returned to their previous stronghold.

However, their luck held out this time. After a short rest and ten minutes of observation through binoculars, they spotted a new target suitable for an ambush.

"Everyone, look! Northwest direction. That dog monster should be a Beast General, right?" Wang Zhizhong exclaimed, holding the binoculars.

"Oh? Let me see. A Two-Headed Lion Mastiff. Judging by the size, it should be an Intermediate Beast General, and there are only a few dozen minions with it. We can take it." Liu Haifeng took a look and immediately confirmed.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

The previous fight clearly hadn't been enough to satisfy them; the moment they heard it was a viable target, the brothers excitedly began packing their gear to set off.

"Hold on, everyone. Listen to me. This Two-Headed Lion Mastiff is different from that dim-witted Bloodthirsty Tank. While the power gap isn't huge, dogs are inherently clever, and it's even worse once they evolve into monsters. This Beast General-level Two-Headed Lion Mastiff has the intelligence of a ten-year-old human child. Once it realizes it's not our match, it will likely try to flee. So, for this fight, we must approach more stealthily, and secondly, we must be quick. If we let it run, it might attract a massive herd." Liu Haifeng calmly stopped the group as they were about to rush out, explaining the situation.

"Ugh... I see. In that case, we can't take turns practicing on this one like we did before. But that's fine, there will be plenty of other opportunities." Though a bit disappointed, the group understood perfectly.

"Then let me take this one. After all, I was the one who spotted it first." Wang Zhizhong immediately spoke up, claiming the chance to fight.

"That works, but don't drop the ball and let that lion-dog run away. If you do, the brothers will mock you for the rest of your life." Tang Ping smiled and agreed.

"That won't happen. Just wait and see," Wang Zhizhong said, lifting his chin confidently.

The 99:1 reward distribution ratio hadn't just brought his physical fitness to the peak of an Intermediate War General—nearly reaching the level of an Advanced War General—but also granted him Micro-level mastery in footwork and blade technique, combined with the 1.4x force output of the first layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade.

The brothers had only struggled with the Bloodthirsty Tank because they wanted to improve their practical combat skills; otherwise, it would have been over in a few strikes.

Right now, this Two-Headed Lion Mastiff had strength comparable to the previous tank. Even if it were smarter, under the weight of absolute power, there was no way any accidents would occur.

With the plan settled, the group followed Liu Haifeng into a courtyard near the street where the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff was located. The courtyard walls had already collapsed in several places, and through the gaps, they could see the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff leisurely searching for prey with its subordinates.

"Quick and decisive. Move!" Liu Haifeng waved his hand.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Six figures flew out almost simultaneously.

"Woof..." The leader of the pack, the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff, let out an angry roar upon seeing them, leading its dozens of Lion Mastiff minions in a fierce charge toward the humans.

"Kill!"

Watching a Lion Mastiff pounce toward him, Tang Ping shifted his feet slightly to dodge the strike and swung his blade in one fluid motion.

Slash!

The blade easily parted the fur on the back of the beast's neck, severing most of its throat in the process.

"Sigh, still used too much force. I'll be lighter next time." Having killed a Lion Mastiff in one strike, Tang Ping was clearly not entirely satisfied with the result.

He was attempting to achieve the best killing effect with the least amount of effort, but as someone lacking experience, Tang Ping was still far from that goal.

On the other side, Wang Zhizhong, who was facing the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff alone, was not having as easy a time as the others.

Although his raw strength was significantly higher than this Intermediate Beast General-level Two-Headed Lion Mastiff, his lack of practical combat experience meant that while he wasn't in danger of losing, he had to focus every ounce of his attention on the fight.

"Woof!"

With a roar, the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff, which had just charged to within five meters of Wang Zhizhong, suddenly accelerated for a split second. That single moment caused Wang Zhizhong to misjudge the distance.

Slash!

Sharp claws raked across his armor, easily tearing a gash. Fortunately, Wang Zhizhong's strength was real; his Micro-level footwork allowed him to dodge just in time, leaving him with only a torn suit of armor and no actual injuries.

"You beast, die!"

Though he wasn't hurt, having his armor torn was humiliating enough. Thinking about how his brothers would surely mock him later, Wang Zhizhong let out a cry of grief and rage, hacking viciously at the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff with his blade.

With his combat power fully unleashed, he quickly spotted an opening and hacked one of the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff's heads clean off at the base.

"Awoo..." Stung by the pain, the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff clearly realized this human was not to be trifled with and turned its remaining head to flee.

But Wang Zhizhong wouldn't give it the chance. He unleashed his footwork, chased it down, and easily decapitated it. With both heads severed, the Two-Headed Lion Mastiff was well and truly dead.