Chapter 746 - 739: Naive

Chapter 746: Chapter 739: Naive

SCREEE!!!

Around the nearly twenty-meter-tall Zhou Yuanjue, a colossal Blood Jade Red Lotus took shape. The energy it released sent violent tremors through the air, producing a piercing, explosive crackle.

Suddenly, a pair of enormous blood-red wings fought their way out of the red lotus. A terrifying Divine Bird, composed purely of energy, had appeared for the first time in the Chaotic Paradise.

This giant Divine Bird spread its wings and perched atop the mine, appearing even larger than the mountain itself. Its proud eyes gazed down upon the charging members of the Duomoge Organization, and the sheer pressure it exuded filled them with overwhelming terror.

Some of them wanted to turn and flee, but it was already too late.

WHOOSH!!

The giant bird perched on the mountaintop suddenly beat its wings and dove down!

Since some method was being used to connect these candidates and distribute the damage they took, all it would take was a single, explosive attack—one sufficiently powerful and with a large enough area of effect—to instantly overwhelm such a troublesome ability.

This was brute force, pure and simple!

In an instant, the immense power billowing from the Divine Bird enveloped everyone nearby, including all the spectators.

Hans, who wasn’t far away, let his mouth fall slightly agape.

He’d always thought that such powerful, wide-range bursts were the specialty of Mechanical Creatures, but in this regard, his opponent seemed far, far stronger.

The Divine Bird beat its wings and dove—there was nowhere to run!!

BOOM!!!

A terrifying explosion erupted, and a wave of blood-red energy submerged everything.

When the explosion ended, the aftershocks rippled outward. The surface of the True Land, durable to a terrifying degree, hadn’t sustained much damage from Zhou Yuanjue’s attack. The dust and smoke that had been kicked up quickly dissipated after the afterglow of the attack faded.

A shocking scene was revealed to everyone present.

Below the mountain, a field of brilliant golden light flashed incessantly.

One after another, the candidates whose protection mechanisms had been triggered lay strewn across the ground, unable to move.

Of the more than seventy candidates from the Duomoge Organization, not a single one was left standing in the wake of the explosion.

All the spectators fell silent, still mesmerized by the brutal beauty of the attack.

’In a single blow, over seventy members of the Duomoge Organization—elites even within the Ziying Safety Zone—were completely wiped out?!!’

"Truly... unbelievable..." Lan Yanmeng couldn’t help but murmur. The entire Duomoge Organization, with its one hundred-plus members, now lay defeated at the foot of the mountain—all except for their three leaders.

This had once been their territory, but now it looked more like their graveyard.

"A Xue, analyze this for me. This guy... what level has he reached?"

Hagrid couldn’t help but swallow hard. They had expected a grueling battle. Though Zhou Yuanjue was powerful, the Duomoge Organization had the numerical advantage, so they’d thought the fight would be fierce.

But the reality was completely different.

In the very first exchange of blows, Zhou Yuanjue’s opening attack had nearly annihilated the entire Duomoge Organization...

’Is this really the kind of power someone at the First Layer Transformation Boundary can unleash?’

’Could he actually be at the Second Layer of the Transformation Boundary?!’

"It’s hard for me to give a full analysis right now. However, his condition doesn’t look good. His body has shrunk dramatically, and his energy levels seem to have plummeted. That last attack likely consumed most of his power, which is why he was able to achieve that level of devastation."

"But even so, that kind of power... it’s simply breathtaking."

A trace of shock showed on Lan Xueyan’s perpetually icy face.

Hearing Lan Xueyan’s words, the crowd immediately looked toward the mountaintop.

They saw that it was just as Lan Xueyan had said. After executing that last attack, Zhou Yuanjue’s terrifying, nearly twenty-meter-tall frame had instantly shrunk back down. He was now even smaller than his normal size, and his robust body showed signs of muscle atrophy. The Blood Jade light enveloping him no longer carried the same intense pressure as before.

"So? Did you enjoy my little welcome gift?"

Zhou Yuanjue, his frame now looking somewhat gaunt, spoke with a smile to Zoros and his two companions at the foot of the mountain.

The faces of Zoros and his two companions were incredibly grim. As they looked at their fallen comrades flashing with golden light on the ground and recalled the terrifyingly brutal attack Zhou Yuanjue had just unleashed, they couldn’t help but tremble inwardly.

If Zoros hadn’t retracted his ability in time, he and Boding would likely have been caught in that last attack and suffered immense damage.

"How can he possibly be... this strong..."

The lights in Hans’s two pairs of blood-red Laser Eyes flickered, threatening to switch from red to green—a sign that his will to fight was fading.

The sheer power of that last attack had all but destroyed his will to resist.

"He’s bluffing. That was likely his strongest attack. Even though all our members were defeated, we still ultimately achieved our goal."

"After unleashing an attack of that magnitude, how much energy could he possibly have left?"

"Hans, get a grip! Don’t let his theatrics fool you! We have the advantage now!!"

"Get ready! Don’t give him a chance to catch his breath! Charge with me!"

Zoros said in a low, grim voice.

Then, he again touched his finger to the spot between his eyebrows, seeming to mutter an incantation as the white tattoos covering his body began to faintly glow.

True Talisman: Lock Armor!

True Talisman: Light Feather!

True Talisman: Flesh and Blood Rebirth!

True Talisman: Spirit Rejection!

...

As he infused them with his power, one after another, Rune Chains of incredible complexity shot out from a scroll-like object behind him. Most of them entered his own body, while a smaller portion entered the bodies of Hans and Boding, producing a variety of effects.

Enhanced defense, enhanced speed, enhanced Recovery Power, enhanced energy resistance...

This was the terrifying power of a Talisman Master from the Black Seal Civilization: not only could they use their rune constructs to enhance themselves, but they could also empower their allies.

"Go!"

With a low shout, Zoros rose into the air. A Rune materialized beneath his feet with every step, holding him aloft as he led the charge toward Zhou Yuanjue on the summit.

Boding did the same, immediately following close behind Zoros.

Hans gritted his teeth. Zoros’s analysis, Zhou Yuanjue’s obviously weakened state, and the enhancement Runes granted by the Talisman Master all worked to overcome his fear. His fighting spirit reignited, and he charged at Zhou Yuanjue as well.

Standing atop the summit, Zhou Yuanjue felt a slight smile grace his lips.

’If you think I’m already spent, you’re far too naive.’