Chapter Sixty-Nine: Battle

A purple glow rose from Wei Liang’s body—a light belonging to his life-bound card, which he could choose to reveal or conceal at will. He did so now to catch Qiu Ming off guard, hoping to buy time for Shi Jiu and the others to escape. Here, only Qiu Ming was at the third tier; as long as he didn’t act, Shi Jiu’s group would surely make it out.

Unfortunately, Wei Liang had underestimated Qiu Ming. Though Qiu Ming faltered for a second, it was just that—a second—before regaining his senses and moving to cut off Shi Jiu’s escape.

Gritting his teeth, Wei Liang knew he had no choice but to act.

[Ape King Transformation!]
[Power Amplification!]
[Explosive Trait!]

In an instant, Wei Liang’s entire body swelled several times over, growing to more than three meters tall. His bulging muscles tore through his clothes, though now his body was covered in black fur.

“Die!” a wild, animalistic roar burst from Wei Liang’s mouth as a massive fist hammered toward Qiu Ming’s face.

A devastating force filled the air, leaving Qiu Ming shocked and unsettled. He had no choice but to abandon his pursuit of Shi Jiu and focus on Wei Liang.

“Stop them! Don’t let them get away!” he shouted to his subordinates, though he already suspected the outcome.

From their brief skirmish, it was clear that Shi Jiu’s group were all second tier, while he had only two second-tier fighters on his side. To hope for them to stop a group desperate to flee was nearly impossible.

But Qiu Ming had no time to dwell on this. Wei Liang’s attacks were fierce and powerful—if struck, the consequences would be severe, if not fatal. Especially troubling was the explosive effect left wherever Wei Liang landed a blow, which sent a chill through Qiu Ming.

He no longer dared to fight head-on. Seeing Wei Liang now, Qiu Ming felt a stab of jealousy: this was only a second-tier opponent, yet he posed such a grave threat to a third tier like himself.

Heaven truly was unfair. Why was his own life-bound card merely of green quality, while this upstart had awakened a purple one?

Murderous intent surged in Qiu Ming’s chest. This man must die!

The two clashed in fierce combat. Though Wei Liang’s life-bound card was of higher quality, allowing him to fight Qiu Ming almost on equal footing, his combat skills fell short. He was constantly being manipulated and drawn into Qiu Ming’s rhythm.

A sneer curled Qiu Ming’s lips. “Such a high-quality life-bound card, wasted on trash like you.”

He was trying to provoke Wei Liang. Though Wei Liang’s fighting acumen wasn’t high, his defensive skills were exceptional. No matter which angle Qiu Ming attacked from, Wei Liang managed to block him, as if intimately familiar with every possible move.

To Qiu Ming, it was almost incredible—such mastery of defense could only come from enduring countless beatings.

And if he’d been beaten that often, he must have fought in many battles. Yet, despite some skill, Wei Liang’s techniques were far from sophisticated, and in no way matched his defensive prowess.

Seeing Wei Liang unmoved, Qiu Ming kept taunting him, “Even a dog with your talent would use it better than you. Isn’t your life a waste of such a gift?”

“You might as well just die now, so you don’t insult that talent further.”

“You’re not worthy of it!”

“Did you hear me, you worthless fool?”

Wei Liang’s stoicism only infuriated Qiu Ming further.

What was wrong with this man? Shouldn’t someone with such a gift be proud and haughty? How could he endure so much?

Though Wei Liang appeared calm, inside he was anything but. He knew only by staying clear-headed could he seize a chance at survival. Compared to the humiliation he’d faced before, Qiu Ming’s words now seemed nothing more than a clown’s antics.

He was still weak, and the Ape King Transformation wouldn’t last long. If he didn’t find a way to break the stalemate before it wore off, he’d be doomed.

He had one trump card left, but Qiu Ming’s movement was skillful—he’d have just one shot, and it had to be fatal.

But Wei Liang had overlooked something: Qiu Ming didn’t have to fight him one on one—he had subordinates!

Frustrated, Qiu Ming had lost all interest in a fair duel.

“Ranged attack squad, prepare!” Qiu Ming bellowed. The spectators, momentarily stunned, quickly realized they were being called to join the attack.

One after another, monsters were summoned. Each one alone might not be much, but together their strength became formidable. The gap between their sides wasn’t insurmountable, and dozens of attacks combined could be devastating.

Wei Liang’s heart dropped. Things were going from bad to worse.

A wave of sorrow washed over him—was he to die just after awakening his power?

He’d never imagined his end would come not at the hands of monsters, but from his own kind.

How pathetic…

But even in death, he would take a bite out of his enemy!

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in the span of a few seconds, finally crystallizing into a steely resolve in his eyes.

Just as he prepared to stake everything on one desperate blow, a giant bird descended from the sky and landed beside him.

The enormous bird, resembling a massive eagle, stood over ten meters tall even with its wings folded. Its formidable presence and fierce aura suppressed everyone around.

No one present could move—they were all paralyzed by the bird’s overwhelming might.

Qiu Ming’s hope was extinguished. This was a pressure that only those above the sixth tier could wield. Unlike ordinary intimidation, this was a tangible force that could directly suppress those of lower rank.

Before such a being, even the slightest resistance meant certain death.

A voice came from the bird’s shoulder: “A crowd ganging up on one person—how unsightly.”

Everyone looked up to see two figures standing atop the giant bird’s shoulder. They leapt down and approached Wei Liang. The leader spoke plainly, “I am Wu Ming, commander of the Second Legion of the Dawn Army. I’m impressed by your talent. Are you willing to join us?”

Wu Ming waited for Wei Liang’s response, while Qiu Ming’s heart was filled with utter despair.

Wei Liang hesitated, then asked, “Is your legion strong?”

Wu Ming laughed heartily, “Interesting. How strong do you think is strong?”

Wei Liang thought for a moment. Lu Sheng could easily defeat a third tier now, and if he wanted to surpass him, whatever force he joined would need to have fifth-tier power at least.

“Do you have fifth-tier members? Are there plenty of cultivation resources?”

He could sense the giant bird’s strength, but not its true extent.

Wu Ming nodded, “Of course. In our legion, a fifth tier is just a squad leader. As for resources, as long as you work hard, there’s plenty.”

Wei Liang nodded. “Very well, I’m willing to join. But all these people must die.”

Wu Ming was surprised. “You don’t want to wait until you’re stronger and come back for revenge?”

Wei Liang was a little speechless, “No, I’d rather not leave any loose ends, even if they could never threaten me.”

Wu Ming chuckled, “I like your attitude—loyal to your allies, ruthless to your enemies. Yes, I like that.”

He hadn’t expected to find such a treasure on this trip.

“Guanshan, kill them all.”

“Yes, sir.”

Guanshan turned and got to work. An icy power surged from his body, spreading across the ground, freezing everything in its path, carefully avoiding Wu Ming and Wei Liang.

In a flash, everyone around them was encased in ice.

Crack! Crack!

Boom!

The frozen human forms shattered into pieces. No blood flowed; even their organs were frozen solid, transformed entirely into ice.