Chapter Seventy-Two: Breaking Through the Encirclement (Part One)

The monster that came running toward them had a head and four limbs much like a human, yet the proportions were entirely different. Its legs were extremely short, making up barely a fifth of its height, while its torso was abnormally long, comprising the majority of its body. Its belly alone accounted for half its height. The head was attached directly to the torso with no neck, and its face bore only a single maw filled with jagged fangs—no nose, no eyes. Instead, on each shoulder, there were two narrow, elongated eyes.

In stark contrast to its stunted legs, its arms were grotesquely long, nearly dragging along the ground when hanging down. The arms were so thick that even the forearms rivaled a grown man's waist. The claws, when splayed, shimmered with a faint blue light, as if charging up some sinister skill.

As it drew closer, the gaping maw on its belly stretched even wider, and what had been a subtle, distant suction became impossibly strong. Katherine felt as though she might be torn from Lin Mo’s embrace by that monstrous mouth. The force was so overwhelming she could hardly resist; only by clinging tightly to Lin Mo could she avoid being pulled away.

Lin Mo, however, made no attempt to resist. A mocking smile played at his lips as he allowed the suction to lift him into the air, sending him hurtling straight toward the monster. The terrifying maw loomed larger and larger. Just as Katherine felt she could not withstand the pressure and was about to scream, an utterly bizarre expression flashed across the monster’s face.

Katherine could only describe the look as bizarre, for, being of a different race, she could not truly decipher its meaning. All four eyes on its shoulders widened, and the mouth on its head gaped slightly. She had no idea what this signified. As the distance closed, the great maw on its belly suddenly snapped shut, and the powerful suction vanished with a rush. The monster stamped its two stubby legs against the ground in a sudden attempt to brake. Its charging momentum was too great to stop at once; it slammed its massive forearms down, digging them into the earth with a screech of friction, and managed to grind to a halt five meters before Lin Mo.

A nearly five-meter-tall monstrosity came to a stop before Lin Mo, squatting back on its haunches like a dog, creating a comically absurd scene. Lin Mo looked up and laughed. “What’s the matter? Weren’t you charging up your Crushing Blow? Why not strike?”

Though Lin Mo’s tone was light, the monster showed no relaxation. Katherine could see clearly how tense it was. It opened its mouth and spoke haltingly, “You… cannot… kill me. Master… will… retaliate.”

Its speech was strangely disjointed; the mouth on its head spoke one word, the maw on its belly another, creating two completely different tones mingled together, producing an unpleasant, scraping sensation. After working to decipher its meaning, Katherine was surprised—was the monster… pleading for mercy?

“Your master cannot kill me,” Lin Mo replied, waving his hand dismissively. “But, in honor of our old friendship, I won’t kill you. Step aside.”

“No… can… do.” Relieved to hear Lin Mo would not kill it, the monster nevertheless did not yield an inch. “Master… will awaken… and summon… you…”

“I have no desire to see your master. I’m merely here to borrow something,” Lin Mo’s patience was thinning. Faint flames began to flicker around his bare feet as he stepped forward, his voice threatening, “You know you can’t stop me. Be smart and get out of the way, or else—hmm, I recall your kind’s hearts are quite delicious.”

The monster fell silent, rubbing its massive claws together in clear inner turmoil. After about ten seconds, it slowly stood and shifted its right leg back, as though about to step aside. Katherine marveled that even such a terrifying creature could be cowed by her master, but at that moment, a cold glint flashed in Lin Mo’s eyes. He barked, “Courting death!”

Still holding Katherine, Lin Mo lunged forward. There was no visible motion, only a blazing foot enveloped in roaring fire striking the monster’s head, smashing its hideous skull flat in an instant. Yet he was a moment too late. Between its claws, the monster had already conjured a small red orb, which instantly swelled and burst like a balloon, releasing a torrent of transparent red spheres!

These orbs, each marked with an orange-yellow cross-shaped sigil, exploded in every direction. The range was so close and the attack so sudden that even Lin Mo’s agility was not enough to evade them all; one orange sigil stuck to his arm.

Even decapitated, the monster’s body slumped to the ground, its belly-maw erupting in a chattering, ghastly laugh. In ragged, broken words, it croaked, “To… trick you… once… was… worth it… for me…”

Lin Mo did not reply. His expression darkened with anger. Supporting Katherine with one arm, he formed his other hand into a claw and plunged it into the monster’s chest. When he withdrew it, he was gripping a still-beating, vibrant heart!

Despite the monster’s size, its heart was surprisingly small—no larger than Lin Mo’s fist. Each of its four chambers was a different color: blue, white, red, and purple. Bloodless, the freshly torn heart revealed the flow of nearly tangible energy within its severed vessels. Lin Mo weighed it in his hand for a moment, then, without a word of explanation, shoved the heart into Katherine’s mouth.

She let out a muffled whimper, trying to resist, but Lin Mo’s technique was deft; a gentle flick to her throat made her swallow reflexively. Though her tongue touched the heart only briefly, a burst of extraordinary flavor exploded in her mouth—each color with a distinct texture, all exquisitely delicious and intertwining, hinting at a higher level of taste.

The sensation was so fleeting that Katherine was filled with regret; such a delicacy deserved to be savored slowly, chewed and explored at length!

After killing the monster in a single blow, Lin Mo looked down with grave seriousness and said, “From here on, hold on tight. That tracking sigil stuck to me, and any attack aimed at me will now home in automatically. My evasive maneuvers will put enormous strain on your body! Fortunately, the Devourer Demon’s heart you just swallowed will provide you with ample energy. Use it well—endure!”

Never before had Katherine seen her master wear such a solemn expression. Understanding the gravity of the situation, she nodded earnestly, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and focused inward, guiding the energy surging inside her body.

Seeing that she was ready, Lin Mo smiled with satisfaction. The red flames on his feet flared up, enveloping his lower body in fire. He crouched low, then sprang forward like a lithe, predatory leopard.

Meanwhile, in the sky above, thick with black mists, a patch of even darker clouds formed. Lightning flickered within, and with a deep, thunderous roar, the entire sky lit up as if it were high noon. In an instant, seventeen or eighteen bolts of lightning, each as thick as a barrel, intertwined and crashed down, all targeting the sigil on Lin Mo’s arm.