Lord-level Monster

With the combination of force amplification and Super Muscle, the power of this claw strike, in the eyes of Su Zhe, had already reached the Warlord level.

Super Muscle itself could also be considered a form of force-application technique.

Because of this.

Su Zhe's current force amplification multiplier was no longer limited to the 1.4x of the first layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade; by his own estimation, it had reached approximately 3.7x.

This was already enough for an intermediate Warlord to unleash power comparable to an elementary Warlord.

It was all thanks to the buffs provided by Super Muscle.

The fact that he was able to shatter the shield of that burly man earlier was also due to this terrifying explosive power.

Su Zhe even suspected that, given his control over his body through the Blacklight Virus, his true strength might lie in his force amplification, or perhaps even his body amplification after breaking through to the Immortal level.

"An unexpected delight!"

A smile appeared on Su Zhe's face.

He shook his right claw, reverting it back into a human hand. Having mastered the method of force amplification, he was no longer restricted to a single form of mist.

"Hmm... it's time to head back."

Su Zhe thought to himself.

He didn't mean returning to the base city, but rather back to County 0231.

Although Su Zhe was already invincible in County 0231 with his current strength, it was, after all, an entire county filled with monsters. If he killed them all, even if he couldn't extract 10,000 Devour Points, it would likely be close enough.

Su Zhe prepared to first see what the second reward from the Devour System would be.

Beyond that, after clearing out the monsters of an entire county, even if the gains from devouring were not massive, it would be enough to push Su Zhe to the Warlord level; this was a case of quantitative change leading to qualitative change.

"County 0231... heh, consider it the final step of graduating from the newbie village." Su Zhe licked his lips, a flash of bloodthirsty excitement in his eyes. "No matter how small a mosquito's leg is, it's still meat—and there are hundreds of thousands of mosquito legs here!"

Just as Su Zhe was preparing to leave the rocky mountain, a sudden change occurred.

"Hmm?"

Su Zhe gazed into the distance. In the far reaches of the sky, a tiny black dot was flying toward him at extreme speed.

What is that?

Su Zhe was somewhat puzzled. Because the distance was so great, if it weren't for the clear, cloudless weather today, he wouldn't even have noticed the existence of that small black dot.

Is it a monster or a human?

It should be... a monster!

An invisible pressure, like a heavy, dark cloud, descended upon him.

"Whoosh—"

As the black dot gradually approached and was only a few kilometers away from Su Zhe, he could distinguish that it was an avian monster. Its size was massive, and a fierce aura radiated from the creature even from that distance!

"A Lord-level monster!"

Su Zhe's pupils constricted, and alarm bells rang in his heart!

How could a Lord-level monster appear here?

This location was not far from Jiangnan Base City; at a distance of only a few dozen kilometers, a Warlord could arrive quickly with an explosive burst of speed. Generally, a Lord-level monster would not appear in such a position.

They should be appearing in major metropolises like City 003.

Su Zhe did not hesitate. The massive wings on his back folded inward, and his body dove down from the high altitude.

During the descent, Su Zhe's body also rapidly deformed and shrank.

The black-red flesh tissue flowed like liquid. A few seconds later, Su Zhe had disguised himself as a small Shadow Cat, his aura completely vanished, perfectly blending into the surrounding environment.

If it were only an elementary Lord-level monster, Su Zhe would not be afraid.

But before determining what kind of creature it was and what its strength was, it was better to be cautious.

Su Zhe looked up, and the figure in the sky was now clearly visible.

The monster's size was more than a circle larger than the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle he had devoured earlier!

It was a terrifying giant bird with a body length exceeding thirty meters and a wingspan approaching fifty meters!

Its entire body was covered in dark golden feathers, and a cluster of crimson-gold feathers resembling a crown atop its head shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight. Its eyes were sharp as lightning, coldly scanning the destroyed mountaintop and the faint, lingering scent of blood below.

A Lord-level monster—the Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc!

If the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle ranked third among eagle-type monsters, then the Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc was easily in the top five among all avian monsters—and that ranking included those King-level monsters!

Among Lord-level monsters, the Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc was considered one of the more terrifying types.

Its flight speed surpassed even that of the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle. If he could devour it, it would undoubtedly be a further boost to Su Zhe's strength, and his comprehension of the lightning intent found in the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade would also deepen.

Perhaps, he might even have a chance to grasp the intent itself?

But unfortunately.

According to Su Zhe's judgment, this Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc was likely not an ordinary Lord-level monster; it had reached at least the intermediate Lord level. Even Warlord-level fighters would find it difficult to deal with such avian monsters.

"An intermediate Lord... or perhaps even an early-stage advanced Lord? This aura is far stronger than that old guy's." Su Zhe, in his Shadow Cat form, pondered to himself.

The Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc landed near Su Zhe.

As a Lord-level monster, its intelligence was already on par with that of a human; Su Zhe dared not act rashly and hid among the trees.

"Skree--!"

The Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc scanned the area, its massive eagle eyes sweeping over the rocky summit like two cold searchlights, passing over the scraps of fabric and dark brown bloodstains left behind by the captain and the others.

When its sharp gaze swept over Su Zhe's hiding spot, it seemed to hesitate for a moment, but ultimately, finding no valuable targets, it let out a sharp, piercing cry filled with warning and majesty before flapping its wings and taking flight toward the deeper, more distant wilderness.

Seeing this, Su Zhe, hiding in the shadows, let out a slight sigh of relief.

Although Su Zhe's strength was already comparable to a War God, it seemed he was still not quite enough to take on this creature.

He might be able to wear it down, perhaps.

Just as he had done when killing the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle.

But the Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc's intelligence far exceeded that of the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle; trying to get close to it so easily was almost impossible.

Su Zhe watched the Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc depart. The direction it was flying seemed to be toward City 003; perhaps if Su Zhe went there later, he would have another chance to encounter it—and then, devour it.

"It's gone."

Confirming that the Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc would not return, Su Zhe stood up immediately and flew toward County 0231.

Lord-level?

In the vastness of the universe, that was nothing more than the Apprentice level.

Three days!

He only needed three days; Su Zhe was confident he could devour that Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc.

Three days might even be excessive.

Within a single day, Su Zhe could clear out the entire County 0231. By then, he would obtain power comparable to the War God level, and he could head straight to City 003 to kill that Golden-Crowned Thunder Roc!

With Su Zhe's flight speed, County 0231 soon appeared beneath his feet.

Looking down at the herds of beasts from high above, he was no longer the hunter cautiously avoiding the packs, but a predator preparing to turn the entire county into the nourishment needed for his own growth!