The cabin door opened, and Lin Yuan followed Hong out.
As soon as they stepped off the aircraft, a hearty laugh greeted them.
"Haha, Brother Hong! You finally made it."
A bald man in a white martial arts uniform strode toward them.
He was powerfully built, with resolute features. A violent yet restrained aura, like a thunderclap, radiated from him.
He was none other than the world's second-strongest warrior, Thunder God.
Thunder God walked up to Hong, and the two exchanged a few brief pleasantries.
Suddenly, Thunder God's expression turned a little strange.
He looked at Hong, then turned to Lin Yuan, standing behind him. He made no effort to hide his stare. When he looked at Hong, his expression even seemed to ask, "Have you lost your mind?"
"Brother Hong, are you serious?"
Thunder God lowered his voice and pointed at Lin Yuan. "You're counting on this kid?"
Hong remained calm and simply nodded.
Thunder God pursed his lips, seemingly unable to believe Hong's decision.
But he knew Hong. Once this man had made up his mind, nothing could change it.
Besides, since Hong had revealed the entire plan and even decided to go alone (with a deadweight in tow?) to kill that terrifying Tentacle Beast Emperor, it could only mean...
This kid named Lin Yuan might actually have something going for him.
With that thought, Thunder God walked straight over to Lin Yuan. His huge, bell-like eyes scrutinized Lin Yuan from head to toe, as if trying to see right through him.
Suddenly, Thunder God stretched out his burly arm and slung it around Lin Yuan's shoulders. He did it so casually, as though they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.
"You're that... Lin Yuan, right? I've heard a lot about you!"
Thunder God spoke with great enthusiasm, his booming voice making Lin Yuan's eardrums ring. "Brother Hong thinks so highly of you that he even changed his original plan for your sake. Looks like you might not be any weaker than me, kid!"
Lin Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.
Thunder God really was just like the rumors said. He had none of the airs of a powerful warrior—he was practically a chatterbox who acted like everyone's old friend.
Still, Lin Yuan knew that despite Thunder God's casual manner, he wasn't optimistic about this operation.
After all, this was a Beast Emperor that several councilors had failed to handle even by working together. It was already dangerous for Hong to face it alone, and now he was bringing along a "newcomer" like Lin Yuan.
"Thank you for the compliment, Senior Thunder God."
Lin Yuan replied neither arrogantly nor humbly, discreetly slipping his shoulder free of Thunder God's "bear hug." "I'll do my best. I hope I can help the Hall Master."
His attention was focused more on the vast, churning lake in the distance. A terrifying, murderous aura surged from it into the sky.
Hong walked over. His gaze swept across the two of them before he said calmly, "You can catch up later. We're leaving."
"Yes, Hall Master." Lin Yuan nodded, his expression instantly turning serious.
Thunder God shrugged and dropped his playful demeanor. "All right, I'll come along... to watch. But let me make one thing clear: unless you two are really about to die, I won't step in."
He wouldn't intervene because this was an internal operation of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, involving the distribution of spoils and the Hall's prestige. He would step in only because he and Hong had been through life and death together.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The three figures shot into the sky, appearing before the watching crowd in an instant.
At that moment, countless gazes from the various forces stationed around Mist Island turned toward them.
"Look! It's Hong and Thunder God!"
"Are they finally making their move? That Beast Emperor is a tough one!"
"Hey, who's that young man beside Hong and Thunder God?"
The crowd erupted into chatter.
Hong and Thunder God were two living legends on Earth. Everyone knew who they were.
But many people had never seen the black-clad young man beside them.
"Is that... Lin Yuan? The Honorary Inspector?"
Someone recognized him, but most people were confused.
Among the HR Alliance forces, a voluptuous blonde woman with a cold, beautiful face—Fall—stared fixedly at the figure in the air, disbelief filling her eyes.
"It's him?!"
Fall gritted her teeth. "He's part of this operation too? You've got to be kidding! This is a battle on an entirely different level. Is a newcomer who only recently broke through going there to get himself killed?"
Though she was full of doubt and disdain, no one dared to say anything openly at that moment.
After all, someone was willing to tackle the toughest challenge for them. They couldn't wait to reap the benefits. Who would be foolish enough to get in the way?
The three sped along, soon reaching the airspace above the enormous lake.
The water was as black as ink, its depths unfathomable. It looked like a huge maw ready to devour anyone who came near.
Hong stopped and gave Lin Yuan a long look. His eyes held both scrutiny and a hint of anticipation that was hard to detect.
"Are you ready?"
"Anytime." Lin Yuan flipped his wrist, and the pitch-black S-Grade Battle Blade, Shadow Devourer, appeared in his hand.
"Good."
Hong said no more. His figure blurred, and he transformed into a streak of black light, plunging into the lake.
"I'm going too."
Lin Yuan nodded to Thunder God, who hovered in the air. Then light flared around him, and he seemed to turn into a dazzling beam, following Hong into the water.
That was right—light!
After Lin Yuan had advanced to the Planetary Level...
The special ability he had awakened was none other than the Law of Light!
It not only granted him unparalleled speed but also gave him an astonishing degree of control over light.
And the telekinetic weapon rewarded by the system, the Sun God Weapon, was perfectly suited to this ability. It would become his greatest trump card when he entered the universe and ventured among the stars.
Splash!
The two plunged into the water and kept descending.
The lake water was icy cold. The deeper they went, the greater the pressure, and the dimmer the light became. But with their senses, they could see everything around them clearly.
They hadn't been underwater for long when the situation suddenly changed!
Rumble—
The lakebed, which had been peaceful moments before, suddenly shook violently as mud and sand churned.
Then, a tentacle a thousand meters long and as thick as a train shot out of the darkness, bearing down with suffocating pressure!
Its surface was covered in hideous suckers and barbs. Each swing churned the water into a frenzy, creating enormous whirlpools.
"Is one tentacle really longer than a Titan Anaconda in the Amazon?"
Looking at the colossal creature hurtling toward him, Lin Yuan felt no fear at all. Instead, he tossed out a casual quip.
In the next instant, his eyes turned razor-sharp.
Hum!
The Shadow Devourer in his hand rang with a crisp, clear hum.
Lin Yuan flashed forward, seeming to truly transform into a beam of light. Instead of retreating, he charged straight at the enormous tentacle!
"Cut!"
He gave a low cry in his mind.
Light swirled beneath the lake, and a thread-thin yet dazzling blade of light flashed and vanished.
Squelch!
The tentacle was incredibly tough—missiles could barely blast through it. Yet before that blade of light, it was as fragile as tofu.
In a single instant, a section of it was cleanly severed!
The cut was smooth as a mirror. The blood hadn't even had time to gush out.
This was only to be expected.
Besides the sharpness of the Shadow Devourer and the enhancement from the Law of Light, the Space Secret Technique "Particle," which the system had rewarded him with not long ago, granted Lin Yuan the terrifying power to cut apart microscopic particles.
At least on Earth, nothing could withstand that strike!
"Roar—!!!"
A pained, furious roar came from the depths of the lake, its shock waves sending the water into a violent frenzy.
On the other side, Hong was just as fierce.
His long spear surged forward like a dragon breaking through the sea, carrying a dark domain that could destroy everything as he attacked several other tentacles lunging at them.
But Lin Yuan was even faster!
"If we're going to make a scene, we might as well make it a big one."
At Lin Yuan's thought, the Arc Wheel on his back instantly came apart, transforming into nine crescent blades as thin as cicada wings. They spun rapidly around him, forming a huge, radiant disc.
"Go!"
Driven by his will, the nine crescent blades instantly became nine streaks of light and plunged with him into the deeper waters.
And in that instant, countless white threads sprang into being!
They were the perfect combination of the Law of Light and Spiritual Force. Every thread was a deadly cutting beam, weaving a web of death across the pitch-black lakebed.
On the surface.
The lake, black only moments ago, suddenly lit up as if a sun had risen from its depths. Countless dazzling beams pierced the water and shot into the sky!
The sight left everyone on the shore dazzled and stunned.
Jia Yi, Zhu Xi, Luo Feng, and the councilors from all the various forces stared in shock, their mouths hanging open.
"W-What's going on?!"
"Weren't they saying the Beast Emperor was hard to deal with, and that even Ice Emperor and the others had failed? What is this one-sided beatdown?"
"That's incredible! It's a slaughter!"
The light from the lakebed was so intense, and the countless beams so tangled, that along with the water blocking their view, no one could tell exactly who was attacking.
Still, almost everyone instinctively assumed it was Hong.
"No wonder he's the world's strongest! That terrifying control over light—who else on Earth could do that besides Hong?"
"Incredible! Looks like that Beast Emperor is as good as dead!"
Everyone cheered and eagerly readied themselves for what was to come.
They knew that once the Beast Emperor fell, this treasure trove would become a battlefield. In the chaos of the domain, the rule that warriors couldn't kill other warriors...
Would be temporarily forgotten!
Only Thunder God, hovering in the air, stared at the dazzling lights beneath the lake. A deep shock flashed in his eyes.
"This kid... he's been hiding his true strength!"
Rumble!
Just then, the lake's surface exploded. A huge shadow accompanied by a shower of blood shot into the sky, then crashed heavily onto Lake Heart Island.
It was the enormous corpse of the Tentacle Beast Emperor, now riddled with cuts and utterly lifeless.
The Beast Emperor had fallen!
The entire crowd fell silent for a second, then erupted into deafening cheers.
But everyone knew this was only the beginning.
The main event of the day was just about to begin!!!
Before you continue