Thump thump thump--
On the brown earth, the two clashed again and again, like dragons and snakes fighting, roaming the land, exchanging punches, and continuously Heavy Strike each other, unleashing shockwaves as if a hurricane had been unleashed.
The aftershocks of the battle quickly ravaged the terrain, leaving the area riddled with potholes and craters.
Mazaks has a high overall level and even stronger raw power. Although melee combat is not Han Xiao's forte, fortunately, he has [Berserk Throw], which throws Mazaks out like a softball time and time again, interrupting the martial artist's explosive combo attacks.
Han Xiao could switch to flight mode and escape at any time, but he was very interested in Mazaks's origins, so he decided to stay and fight. In any case, the Blacklight Stealth were already patrolling the sky, so there was always a way out.
Activating the Mad Ape Mech's Nano Transformation function and switching to [Giant Ape Form], the mech seemed to proliferate like cells, suddenly sprouting a large number of components, layer upon layer, quickly transforming into a small giant who was even taller than Mazaks. The power boost surged again, and the power of [Berserk Throw] also increased.
Both sides are at the Calamity Grade, possessing equally powerful defensive and regenerative capabilities. Han Xiao stabilized his position, and the situation became deadlocked.
After a long struggle, Mazaks's eyes flashed, and he suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of excitement. He was a battle maniac, and for him, finding an opponent who allowed him to unleash his full potential brought him pleasure many times stronger than mating.
"You're stronger than the rumors say. I'm getting serious now. Don't die so easily."
The next moment, Mazaks uttered a long string of demonic words in a low murmur. His aura suddenly surged, his eyes burned like flames, and black and red flames surged out from the gaps in his armor. His aura suddenly soared, the surrounding temperature rose rapidly, and the air became distorted.
"The Demon Race's talent, the advanced stage of True Name Liberation!" Han Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. In this state, the Demon Race's overall combat power would increase significantly. With Mazaks's Calamity Grade strength, the increase would be extremely astonishing.
Bang!
In a flash, the ground rushed backward before his eyes, and Han Xiao, in his Giant Ape Form, was sent flying into the sky. The next second, Mazaks, still on the ground, closed in in the blink of an eye. His whip-like legs, wreathed in purplish-black flames and black-red fire, were like guillotines, slicing towards Han Xiao's head with incredible speed and a piercing whistle.
If someone were to be hit by that kick, they would likely suffer a torn cervical spine and complete paralysis, requiring half a second to recover. For a martial artist of Mazaks's caliber, half a second is enough to unleash a simple burst combo.
Han Xiao immediately deactivated his Giant Ape mode, his body shrinking as his whip kick grazed the mecha helmet, narrowly missing it, but the scalding gust of wind it generated splattered all over his face.
Having missed his target, Mazaks clasped his hands together, preparing to slam Han Xiao to the ground and pursue him.
Suddenly, Han Xiao's helmet opened, revealing a vortex of flames deep within his pupils. The next moment, two beams of incandescent flame shot out from his eyes, delivering a "love-themed facial explosion" to Mazaks.
Boom!
Mazaks's attack was interrupted once again.
Demons come in different races, and when True Name Liberation, the differences become clear. For example, those that breathe fire are fire demons, and those that breathe frost are ice demons. Mazaks clearly possesses the Bloodline a fire demon, so he has extremely high fire resistance. This attack dealt limited damage, but it successfully pushed him away.
Han Xiao placed some gene serum into the mecha's injection module, and just now injected Beverly's serum, using his one-time character card.
Having gained a respite, Han Xiao did not hesitate and immediately activated the third transformation of the Mad Ape: the Berserk Overload Form!
The miniature highly enriched nuclear reactor operates at high power, significantly enhancing weapon power and mech attribute bonuses!
Han Xiao brought his arms together, activated the nanoweapon module, and merged his two arm armors into a giant cannon, firing a luminous shot that struck the Mazaks from a distance, creating small mushroom clouds on the ground.
Rumble--
Mazaks pressed forward despite the shelling, also raising his hand to unleash External Wave.
Explosions erupted all around, the two exchanged fire, one advancing while the other retreated. After Mazaks's True Name Liberation, his speed increased dramatically, gradually closing the distance, and soon he was back in front of Han Xiao.
The fist, wreathed in flames, hurtled straight at Han Xiao's chest.
Buzz!
In that very instant.
Han Xiao's body exploded with astonishing lightning, and his heavy punch, crackling with leaping arcs of electricity, struck Mazaks's face first, like a bolt of lightning.
Bang!
This punch was like a thunderclap exploding out of nowhere!
The shockwave, crackling with electricity, spread far out from beneath Han Xiao's feet, causing the ground to crack and sink within a radius of hundreds of meters!
As for Mazaks, he had already vanished from sight like a shooting star in the sky.
[Power Blast]!
--If it is a melee attack, this attack will deal 650%~700% more damage, and will also deal energy blast and splash damage. There is a 65% chance to critically hit, and the attack will also inflict negative status effects such as knockback, knock-up, crushing, and stun!
He used not only one skill, but also [Gene Liberation], which was [Willpower Burning] enhanced with a skill upgrade card!
The power boost has accumulated to an absolutely terrifying level!
Mazaks was blasted at least ten kilometers away!
It will fly in the air for a while before landing!
"Huff... huff..."
Han Xiao breathed softly. Hand-to-hand combat is the most physically demanding. His health and strength were both good, but his stamina had declined considerably.
Fortunately, stamina recovery is usually in percentage form; the higher the upper limit, the faster the recovery.
"This guy is amazing, much stronger than Degulish and Nagokin. That attack just now probably only caused him minor injuries."
Han Xiao hesitated about whether to continue fighting, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered the origins of Mazaks.
"A core cadre in the War Realm, one of the eight Vanguard Officers under the Tyrant Heber... He's a subordinate of Beyond Grade A?!"
Han Xiao immediately became alert. Why would another Beyond Grade A cadre approach him?
At this moment, a billowing dragon of smoke appeared in the distant wilderness. It was Mazaks running back from afar. This time, he did not rush over, but stopped a few dozen meters away from Han Xiao. He had already deactivated his True Name Liberation form, and there was a bright red fist mark on his face.
"Well done, Black Star. You're a worthy opponent to fight to the bitter end. I thoroughly enjoyed the battle just now."
Mazaks smiled with appreciation.
Even after unleashing his True Name Liberation, he couldn't completely overwhelm his opponent and even suffered a slight loss. Black Star is very strong, even stronger than many people guessed, that's beyond doubt.
He has achieved his goal for this trip.
"I know who you are, Mazaks, from the War Realm."
Han Xiao didn't want to fight anymore; he just wanted to find out Mazaks's purpose as soon as possible. He frowned and asked, "Why did you attack me? And how did you end up here?"
"I came here specifically for you." Mazaks touched the Broken Horn on his head.
Black Star is a trusted subordinate of Dragon Emperor. Black Star Army has recently gained great prominence, and he has been instructed to keep an eye on Black Star's movements and find an opportunity to test him.
When the Purple Snake Space Pirate Group kidnapped mercenaries from the Black Star Army, their kidnapping was discovered by the War Realm's intelligence network. Mazaks happened to be nearby, so they seized the pirates' ship and waited for Black Star to come to them. Without any interference, they planned to assess Black Star's strength.
If it's strong enough, then...
"Dragon Calm will only bury talent like you. You deserve greater achievements. With your strength, you are capable of standing on equal footing with me and becoming the ninth Vanguard Officers." Mazaks finally revealed his intentions and extended an olive branch:
"So... would you be interested in joining the War Realm?"