Chapter 428: A Terrifying Battle — Crushing Xu Zhong!
BOOM!
The flaming spear collided head-on with the dazzling golden lion, and a deafening explosion thundered through the grand hall.
In the next moment, the golden lion burst apart on impact, exploding like a radiant golden firework.
Simultaneously, the flame spear also erupted, its energy spent, scattering sparks in all directions.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Guests in the great hall scattered, retreating to a safe distance, terrified of being caught in the terrifying aftershock.
Just the clash between those two was enough to make them feel a genuine sense of life-threatening danger.
These two… were terrifying beyond words!
"Xu Zhong, looks like the kid you've provoked is anything but simple," Qin Shi said, glancing over at the Beast Marshal seated on the throne, whose expression had turned dark and cloudy.
To take his full-strength attack at Death Profound Realm Major Completion—and emerge unharmed—who could call Lin Fan anything but extraordinary?
For the first time, Qin Shi began to question whether helping Xu Zhong was really worth it.
Xu Zhong's sinister gaze remained locked on Lin Fan. His expression flickered, then he turned to Chen Tong and the others. "Chen Tong, I'll give you one last chance—ten breaths to seize General Yan. Do it, and I'll forget everything."
"As for those two human brats—I'll handle them myself."
But the five generals didn't move. With the Dark Abyss Ghost Runes removed from their bodies, there was no more reason to risk their lives for Xu Zhong—especially not against Lin Fan and Xiao Yan, who were clearly monsters.
They stayed put.
Lin Fan watched with a calm, amused smile. He seemed to be waiting to see if any of them were dumb enough to actually obey.
Ten breaths passed. Chen Tong and the others didn't budge.
Xu Zhong's eyes turned venomous. With a cold snarl, he crushed a dark talisman in his hand—
But… nothing happened.
No explosion, no screams.
The five generals' lips curled slightly as they looked at him with undisguised scorn.
They knew exactly what Xu Zhong had just tried—and they knew that without the runes inside them, they were now free.
"Their runes are gone," Lin Dong said with a light smile, watching Xu Zhong's performance. "I removed them."
"…I see," Xu Zhong muttered, his face turning steel-gray. Slowly, he turned toward the trio, his expression contorting with fury.
"Then I'll capture all of you and plant one hundred runes in your bodies—let you taste despair!"
"You won't have that chance," Lin Fan said flatly.
"I'll kill you first!" Xiao Yan roared, leaping into action.
His killing intent surged like a tsunami. Behind him, a massive blood-red tiger manifested, and he transformed into a streak of dark light that shot toward Xu Zhong.
Just before impact, a shadow flickered through the air, and a black-robed figure appeared in front of Xu Zhong like a ghost.
BOOM!
Fists collided. The shockwave exploded outward, cracking the floor and blasting dust and debris everywhere.
Both figures staggered back. Cracks spread across the hall floor beneath them.
It was the Shadow Guard—Xu Zhong's hidden ace.
Chen Tong and the others weren't surprised, but they all narrowed their eyes.
Lin Fan examined the Shadow Guard. As expected, he was at Full Completion of the Death Profound Realm—strong, but not beyond what they could handle.
"You think only you came prepared?" Xu Zhong sneered. "Didn't expect that, did you?"
Lin Fan snorted. "If this is your big surprise, you're going to die here today. Show us the rest of your tricks."
Xu Zhong's expression twisted. "Keep being cocky… Let's see how long you last."
He looked to the side and shouted, "Brother Qin, show yourself!"
"Haha! So it's true, Xu Zhong. Your number one general's turning on you during your own Mountain Gathering!" a thunderous laugh echoed.
The hall ceiling suddenly exploded, rocks crashing down as a man in lion-patterned armor descended with an overwhelming presence.
"That's… the Beast Marshal of Beast Ridge—Qin Shi!"
The crowd erupted in shock. Even Chen Tong and the others turned pale.
No one had expected Xu Zhong to bring in another Beast Marshal.
"Xu Zhong, I'll help you this once—but you know what I want," Qin Shi boomed, his lion-like roar shaking the hall.
"You kill that human, and we're even," Xu Zhong said, pointing at Lin Fan.
Qin Shi's fierce eyes locked onto Lin Fan, and he grinned. "Deal."
Had he seen Lin Fan kill the Sky Crocodile General earlier, he might not have accepted so readily.
ROAR!
With a thunderous lion's roar, Qin Shi charged. His figure turned into brilliant golden light—a fearsome golden lion barreling toward Lin Fan.
Spectators watched, awed by the sheer power of the strike. Qin Shi truly lived up to his title as one of the Eight Beast Marshals.
But Lin Fan remained calm.
With a flick of his wrist, a crimson spear of fire formed in his palm, the tip swirling like a vortex of flames.
He threw it.
BOOM!
The fire spear tore through the air like lightning, crashing into the golden lion.
A massive shockwave erupted—
…
Xu Zhong growled, unleashing black light over his body. His form swelled, skin darkening, black tiger stripes emerging. His flesh sprouted sharp, bristle-like black hair.
In just a few seconds, he transformed into a massive humanoid beast.
The aura he emitted could crush mountains.
The Dark Abyss Tiger Clan's battle form!
"Boy, I'll pick you a good grave right here in Thunder Abyss Mountain!" Xu Zhong roared, his tiger face savage.
"Too bad you don't have the strength to follow through," Lin Fan mocked.
Space around him twisted. He vanished and reappeared above Xu Zhong.
In his hand, a silver Thunder Staff sparked with electric light.
ROAR!
At the same time, Xiao Yan's blood aura surged as he tackled the Shadow Guard, their clash shaking the hall.
Lin Dong also sprang into action, his wings unfurling, charging straight at Qin Shi.
Qin Shi countered with a dazzling golden fist, shaped like a lion's head, roaring toward Lin Dong.
The great hall turned into a war zone. Everyone fled to avoid being caught in the chaos.
Chen Tong and the others retreated, watching the three battlefields with rapt attention.
Lin Fan swung the Thunder Staff—thunder roared, and a barrage of lightning bolts rained down on Xu Zhong.
"Dark Abyss Iron Body!"
Xu Zhong snarled. Black light surged under his skin, hardening it like black steel.
CLANG! CLANG!
Lightning crashed onto him, sending sparks flying. He shuddered but held firm.
"You want to kill me with that? You're not strong enough!"
Xu Zhong roared and counterattacked, a black tiger-shaped energy blast surging from his fist.
"Dark Abyss Fist!"
Lin Fan coldly snorted. Switching the staff to his left hand, he clenched his right into a fist.
With a thought, the power of the Primal Ancestral Symbol surged.
His strength surged. This punch… could shatter the heavens!
BOOM!
Fists collided—black and yellow clashed—and the air itself seemed to freeze.
Then, a devastating shockwave erupted.
Columns crumbled. Stones rained down. The entire hall began to collapse.
The crowd fled in terror, just as the structure gave way.
BOOM!
Amid the dust and rubble, Lin Fan burst from the ruins, unscathed, not even his robes wrinkled.
With a wave of his hand, the rubble parted, revealing the cratered floor beneath.
There, Xu Zhong lay like a broken dog—one arm completely shattered, his aura weak, his face pale.
He had been blasted into a crater hundreds of meters deep, water trickling beneath him.
GASP!
The crowd stared in shock, eyes wide, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
The clash was over. And Lin Fan… had crushed him.
ROAR!
Xu Zhong let out a final, desperate roar. His eyes burned red as black light exploded from his body.
His body swelled rapidly, black tiger hair erupting, claws growing sharper—
In seconds, he had become a colossal gray tiger, a thousand feet tall.
Gray scales covered his body. Bone spurs extended from his back, forming razor-sharp wings.
A monstrous, killing aura burst into the skies.
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