Chapter 53: Forced Slaying

Over twenty meters away, at the other end of the room, the humanoid creature—absorbing vast amounts of white mist and ceaselessly emanating a palpable malice—locked eyes with Zhou Yan in a cold, unwavering stare. The horrifying pressure it exerted was so intense that Zhou Yan's heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Yet, he quickly dismissed this false sensation. With the “Ultra Fusion” talent activated and his body in fusion mode, both his physical and mental strength surpassed those of his peers—more than double, in fact.

It was important to remember: a doubling of function was far more than a mere doubling of combat prowess. Even though the humanoid before him, marked by numerous locust traits, possessed abilities far beyond its kind, Zhou Yan remained confident. “But compared to me, it’s still not enough.”

Behind his black mask, Zhou Yan pressed his lips together. With a sharp stride, he moved toward the final boss. The locust-man seemed to mimic Zhou Yan, advancing toward him at an equally measured pace. As they drew closer, reaching a critical distance—both transformed simultaneously into blurs of speed!

In a flash, man and locust collided!

Zhou Yan’s razor-sharp Doom Sword struck out, cleaving directly at the creature’s raised arm. Yet, “arm” was not quite the right word: the locust-man’s limbs were edged with serrated, mantis-like blades. Even when faced with Zhou Yan’s fiercely honed sword, they suffered only a minor nick.

However, though its limbs were not severed, the locust-man’s strength was inferior. It was sent flying ten meters, rolling across the floor before quickly scrambling upright. Zhou Yan was already closing in. During his charge, he raised his left arm, unleashing a blast of Black Lotus Flame Cannon at the locust-man—attack while it’s weak, seize the kill!

A burst of deadly miasmic flames surged forth, but the locust-man vanished in an instant, narrowly evading the wide arc of the attack.

“So fast!”

Zhou Yan’s pupils contracted as he swiftly tracked the creature—it had leaped up, rocket-like, just before the heavy blow landed, shooting straight to the ceiling. Now, the locust-man clung upside-down to the ceiling, its six robust legs gripping with formidable strength. In the next moment, it contracted and sprang, becoming a blurred shadow as it shot toward Zhou Yan like lightning.

For a split second, Zhou Yan thought, “I can’t dodge this.” Yet he gritted his teeth, abruptly executing the Sparrow Step technique, shifting three feet sideways in an instant.

The locust-man launched a flying kick, dropping like a cannonball from above, smashing into the laboratory’s tiled floor and splintering it into a web of cracks. Zhou Yan, barely evading, stared wide-eyed at the devastation wrought by the creature, astonished by its power.

Had he miscalculated? Was this boss truly so terrifying? If he faced it without his fusion form, would he be annihilated the moment they met?

Yet Zhou Yan’s doubts did not slow his actions. The locust-man, stunned from its own powerful impact, was momentarily immobilized. Zhou Yan seized the opportunity—his right eye’s Black Lotus had already blossomed into a Blood Lotus, marking the locust-man with phantom Doom Scars.

He struck with lightning speed!

The sword blade hit the creature’s rigid shoulder, cracking its exoskeleton open and erupting with a mass of black-red miasmic flames. The locust-man was hurled backward at high speed. When it rose again, its left forearm hung limp, half-severed at the shoulder, nearly torn off.

Yet the locust-man seemed oblivious to pain or exhaustion. It stared coldly at Zhou Yan, its body shuddering. With that tremor, crimson mist seeped from the gaps in its gray-brown exoskeleton. Bathed in this blood mist, the exoskeleton rapidly transformed into a horrifying black-and-red pattern. Its violet compound eyes turned blood-red, fixing Zhou Yan with an even more bizarre glare.

Enshrouded in the blood mist, it crouched, then kicked off the ground with explosive force—shattering the tiles beneath its feet as it became a black-red bolt of lightning racing toward Zhou Yan.

With a sonic boom, another flying kick!

This time, the velocity exceeded even its previous burst; Zhou Yan barely had time to react.

The exoskeleton-clad kick smashed into Zhou Yan’s hastily raised left arm, sending him hurtling backwards like a bullet. In midair, blood spilled from his mouth under the immense impact.

Yet in such moments, Zhou Yan only grew calmer.

As he flew backward, he raised his left arm, aiming at the terrible locust-man.

In a flash, white spider silk shot out, sticking directly to the creature’s stunned form. Zhou Yan’s mind raced; as his backward momentum waned, he yanked his nearly broken left arm with all his might.

The immense pull of the silk dragged the locust-man off its feet, flipping it through the air.

At the same time, Zhou Yan endured his injuries, disregarding the strain on his ankles, and executed a series of explosive movement techniques—multiple Sparrow Steps!

He became a blur, closing the distance in a single second, arriving before the airborne locust-man.

Then, his left eye flashed, and he leaped—higher than the locust-man!

His figure, soaring through the air without wings, displayed the nimble grace of a swift.

The first sword struck—Eagle Slash!

The blade hit the locust-man’s chest plate. Though it failed to penetrate, it unleashed a burst of miasmic flames.

Kite Spin!

Vulture Crash!

Buzzard Sever—Harrier Flip—Osprey Sweep—Condor Rush!

Swallow Frenzy—Seven Consecutive Strikes!

The locust-man, by some unknown means, possessed explosive strength rivaling Zhou Yan’s double-tiered power. Yet in mid-air, it had nowhere to brace itself and lacked the skill to counter Zhou Yan’s secret sword techniques.

In a mere instant, it was struck seven times!

Each blow precisely targeted the phantom Doom Scars marked on its body.

Every attack unleashed dreadful miasmic flames.

At last, Zhou Yan spun rapidly in air, using centrifugal force to reverse his grip and deliver a killing blow!

Like a peregrine falcon diving from the sky, mercilessly severing its prey’s head with its talons.

The swiftest killing move among the Falcon Strike trio—Azure Scythe!

The Doom Sword cleaved into the locust-man’s neck exoskeleton, poised to cut through.

At that moment of life and death, the locust-man raised a hand from its abdomen, clutching Zhou Yan’s sword blade in an iron grip, preventing it from advancing further.

Simultaneously, two sharp claws stabbed at Zhou Yan, smashing into his ribs.

One strike shattered Zhou Yan’s rib, while the claw aiming for his heart was fortunately stopped by his newly evolved armor.

Damn you!

Blood poured from Zhou Yan’s mouth; his left eye blazed with madness.

In a lightning-fast moment, inspiration struck him. He raised his left arm, crossing it with his sword-wielding right.

The Black Lotus at the tip of his left arm bloomed, emitting a scarlet glow that erupted into terrifying black flames.

The cannon’s aim was not at the locust-man, but to Zhou Yan’s right!

A torrent of miasmic flames surged forth.

The Black Lotus Flame Cannon’s blast generated immense kinetic force.

This force converted instantly, driving the Doom Sword stuck in the locust-man’s neck to cut further!

In a flash—

The locust-man’s head soared through the air!