Chapter 660: Two Big Bosses

Chapter 655: The Two Bosses

Hunters understood that to make it to the next feast, they had to both collect the beads and press on. Consequently, the dozens of hunters spread out across the wilderness, gathering beads as they moved southwest. In the F-realm, their speed was no match for a sandstorm. Fortunately, an hour later, they finally caught up with the beast tide, arriving just ahead of the sandstorm.

Commander Zhou launched several signal flares, calling for everyone to assemble. This time, he found a high ground beside rugged stone mountains. The F-realm's treacherous winds had sculpted them into a riddled, porous landscape, and a chilling wail could be heard upon approach. The uneven terrain was too narrow for the massive Donau beasts to gain a foothold, making it an ideal position for the hunters to occupy. Reaching the top of the high ground, their view suddenly expanded, offering a clear sight of the beast tide ahead.

Each team was taking a headcount, and He Lingchuan finally reunited with his teammates. What he saw was alarming: two individuals reported that all their cleansing beads had been plundered!

“What’s going on!”

Both explained that while they were collecting beads from rock crevices, someone ambushed them from behind, knocking them unconscious and stealing their storage pouches. Both hung their heads in shame: “Our supplies, along with the cleansing beads, were all stolen.”

“Who did it? Did you see their faces?”

Both shook their heads: “No.”

“How many people?”

“I-I’m not sure.”

He Lingchuan exhaled and asked everyone to tally the cleansing beads they possessed. A total of three hundred and two beads. The team of nine estimated each person would need over forty beads for the next five to six hours, meaning a total of at least four hundred beads was required for their survival.

There was a deficit of over ninety beads. Aside from the two who were robbed, other teammates also hadn't gathered enough. The wilderness offered too few beads, with most having been trampled by the beast tide. The situation was grim.

As the hunters converged, arguments immediately erupted. Several teams were locked in heated two-person arguments, having been caught red-handed trying to steal beads from others just moments before. Collecting beads on their own was difficult; robbing others, however, was quick and efficient. Some succeeded, some failed. Now that the teams had reunited and accusations were flying, shoves escalated, threatening to turn into armed conflict. This was no time for civility; a shortage of cleansing beads meant certain death.

Commander Zhou promptly intervened: “Stop arguing! The beast tide is breaking through!”

The nearby Great Bear also let out a thunderous roar. Everyone gazed ahead, seeing wild mountain ranges a few miles distant. At their base, however, lay a chaotic rock formation crackling with lightning and thunder.

“The Thunderbeast Overlord’s lair!” someone shouted. “Those monsters are indeed driving the Donau beast tide, attempting to assault the Thunderbeast Overlord’s den!”

The beast tide’s speed had now intensified, surging forward like a frenzied torrent, making the earth rumble under their pounding hooves. That immense spectacle was beyond breathtaking. Even the momentum of a thousand charging armies paled in comparison. How could the Thunderbeast be unaware?

He Lingchuan saw this type of Donau beast for the first time: its body was three or four times the size of a rhino, with six legs and a colossal, jade-scepter-like bone plate on its forehead, pointing skyward. At least two hundred Thunderbeasts had gathered before the lair, attacking the beast tide, intending to halt its advance. These uniquely powerful monsters crackled with lightning across their massive bodies, charging like runaway locomotives. They could aggressively plow through the herd, especially when a dozen or more coordinated their attacks. Observing their formidable stance, He Lingchuan understood why human hunters preferred to avoid them. These creatures possessed tough hides, dense flesh, and thick blood, akin to more agile tanks. They were exhausting to fight, especially given their pack behavior. Despite their bulky appearance, they were surprisingly swift when running. Smaller Donau beasts were either trampled into pulp on the spot or instantly carbonized by the crackling lightning around them, falling lifeless to the ground.

Commander Zhou and the others murmured, “It’s no use; the Thunderbeasts can’t hold out.” Their keen eyes immediately discerned the tide of battle. While the Thunderbeasts’ attacks were formidable, they were vastly outnumbered. The beast tide, an overwhelming ocean, was almost a hundred to one against them. The Donau beasts at the front, terrified, attempted to retreat, but those behind them relentlessly pushed them forward. Failure to advance meant being trampled to death by the ranks behind. Many aggressive Donau beasts, realizing retreat was impossible, simply launched a charge. These two hundred-plus Thunderbeasts gradually lost their momentum. Finally, one collapsed, exhausted and its lightning power depleted, only to be torn apart by the overwhelming horde. Then two, three... and eventually six or seven more were engulfed by the beast tide.

In fact, some Donau beasts on the periphery of the beast tide were also observing and gathering, but they arrived sporadically, failing to form a significant force or impact. Commander Zhou pointed to them, saying, “These might be the giant beast overlord’s subjects, arriving to assist by command, but they’re unable to intervene now.” Unidentified monsters would also drive them away. “Now, this immense beast tide is already within the giant beast’s territory. If its overlord can endure, these creatures might eventually accept its rule and obey it.”

Behind the beast tide, a thunderous *thump-thump-thump* echoed across the plain. Someone pointed and shouted, “The big one has appeared!”

The massive monster He Lingchuan had seen earlier spat out two colossal fireballs the moment it appeared, directly impacting the rear of the beast tide. Several Donau beasts dawdling at the rear of the beast tide were instantly incinerated. The two fireballs were as immense as falling meteorites, radiating a ghastly green light. Upon impact, they instantly shattered into hundreds of smaller fireballs, scattering in all directions. At the epicenter of the explosion, the darkened ground instantly vitrified. Donau beasts struck by these flames wailed in agony, rolling on the ground in vain, unable to extinguish the inferno consuming them. The green flames clung to them like persistent parasites.

“That’s Netherfire Beast flame,” Commander Zhou said, looking perplexed. “How can this monster also possess the Netherfire Beast’s signature ability?”

He Lingchuan had heard of Netherfire Beasts, Donau beasts that resided in the great canyon to the south, renowned for their fire-breathing abilities. Of course, these names were given by human visitors. The Netherfire Beast overlord’s flames were far more potent than a cultivator’s true fire, capable of incinerating anything; even the tough rock in the great canyon, honed by wind and frost, could be reduced to ash. Thus, hunters named them “Netherfire.”

The monster opened its maw and unleashed several more massive fireballs, each accompanied by a series of thunderous blasts, a complete spectacle of sound, light, and fury. Startled by this display, the beast tide pressed even more frantically forward.

“These Donau beasts fear it more than the Thunderbeast Overlord,” Hu Bin added. “It’s truly bizarre.”

This monster had now demonstrated both camouflage and fire-breathing abilities. Yet, the information He Lingchuan possessed indicated that Donau beasts only ever mastered a single innate talent. Was this monster an exception?

A hunter suddenly exclaimed, “Could this be a ‘Null’ beast?”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, if you put it that way, it’s possible!” Commander Zhou, who had been silently observing it, chimed in. “Fifty or sixty years ago, someone in the F-realm reported a monster that wasn’t large, could stand upright, and used cunning to slay Donau beasts far more powerful than itself. It also possessed a unique ability: it could steal the talents of other Donau beasts!”

“What?” the others exclaimed in astonishment, some cursing. “Why have we never heard of this?”

That’s simply unbelievable!

“Does it gain a talent by devouring a Donau beast? If so, who in the F-realm could possibly be its match?”

“Doesn’t that make it king? Yet this monster doesn’t look like an overlord.”

The cacophony of voices made Commander Zhou’s head buzz. He waved his hand dismissively: “I don’t know the specifics, don’t ask me! Why is it named a ‘Null’ beast? Because it was previously unseen. In all my years in the F-realm, this is the only time I’ve ever encountered one.”

Why would such a powerful and intelligent monster attack the Thunderbeast Overlord?

He Lingchuan pointed down: “The Overlord has appeared!”

A thunderclap erupted from the chaotic rock formation, shaking the heavens and drowning out even the fierce winds and beast roars. He Lingchuan and the others, despite their distance, still felt their ears ring from the shockwave. Then, a true behemoth charged out of the chaotic rock formation. Compared to its immense size, other Thunderbeasts were mere dwarves. Perhaps seeing its kin falling too rapidly, the Thunderbeast Overlord finally unleashed its fury. That prior thunderclap had been its roar of rage.

An overlord-tier monster’s intervention was truly extraordinary. The moment it revealed itself, two bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking directly onto the bone plate on its forehead. In that instant, its power was unparalleled. The behemoth promptly slammed its head onto the ground, and two arcs of lightning pulsed forward across the earth. Wherever they passed, the ground turned to charred gravel, and living Donau beasts were instantly electrocuted into charcoal without a sound! Those on the high ground gasped in collective awe. Truly worthy of an overlord beast.

These two lightning waves swept over forty *zhang*, directly obliterating more than two hundred Donau beasts. The remaining Donau beasts, terrified, turned to flee. However, the relentless press of their comrades behind them, a living wall of flesh and blood, inexorably pushed them forward. The monster at the rear of the beast tide also launched an offensive, further propelling them. The Thunderbeast Overlord unleashed two more lightning waves, reaping another terrible toll. But the clear space it created was instantly filled by new Donau beasts. He Lingchuan saw it raise its head and roar towards the distance, seemingly aware of the true instigator. But with the colossal beast tide separating them, the Thunderbeast Overlord couldn’t break through!

Just then, someone pointed north and shouted, “The sandstorm is coming!”

The sandstorm arrived, trailing the beast tide. The sandstorm was now less than five *li* away. From this closer vantage point, it appeared as a colossal, multicolored wall of sand, hundreds of *li* high, stretching from earth to sky, its thickness immeasurable. This was an act of nature’s raw power. Any living creature, even the Thunderbeast Overlord ahead, appeared as insignificant as a grain of sand on a wall when compared to it. Within this colossal sand wall, countless lightning explosions rumbled, one after another, ominous bursts of light concealed behind the swirling dust. To He Lingchuan, it was like a colossal, grotesque, and terrifying oil painting, titled:

Death Approaches.

A thought occurred to He Lingchuan: Could it be that those ‘Null’ beasts below had sensed the approaching sandstorm and deliberately chosen this moment to attack the Thunderbeast Overlord? If so, then in addition to the immense beast tide, the terrifying natural disaster itself could become their ally. To consider and utilize even celestial phenomena meant their intelligence was on par with the most cunning of human-world monsters.

(End of this chapter)