Chapter 1313: Virtual and Real Merge

The combat power of the Mad Ox tribe warriors was not much weaker than that of the previous Mad Lion tribe. Immediately after the masked female assassin inexplicably killed the Mad Ox leader on the spot, the remaining Mad Ox warriors began to roar madly.

This wave of roars didn't last long before it attracted the very target Xu Yang most desired to see—the only entity he was interested in across this vast wasteland.

That target was none other than Ox King Zun, the true leader of the Mad Ox tribe. He was also the third of the Ten King Guardians the team had been searching for, and notably, the one with the strongest individual combat power among the Ten King Guardians.

There was no need for further confirmation that this individual was Ox King Zun; his colossal physique alone made it obvious.

His massive body stood about four meters tall, and just one of his thick arms was as bulky as that of Xu Yang's old comrade, Tai Can. A physique like this was truly rare on the entire battleground of the Barbarian Beast Clans in the far north.

"Lord Leader, the Young Master has fallen. That masked woman in red directly annihilated him with unknown means; we didn't even have a chance to save him. It was our dereliction of duty; we failed to protect the Young Master."

Upon hearing the words "Young Master," Xu Yang and the others finally understood that the spirited young leader of the Mad Ox tribe was actually Ox King Zun's own nephew, whom Ox King Zun had been grooming as his successor and the next leader of the Mad Ox tribe.

However, all the effort Ox King Zun had invested in his nephew over the years had now come to naught. Despite this realization, Ox King Zun did not display the expected sorrow. He seemed very adept at controlling his emotional expression.

He channeled all his sorrow into anger, an incredibly potent aura of slaughter invisibly radiating from him. It was precisely upon seeing this state that the surprise on Xu Yang's face grew even more intense.

Xu Yang had been tirelessly refining his aura of slaughter recently, aiming to reach the pinnacle of the slaughter realm as soon as possible. He sought to find the gateway to break through the tenth stage of his original power cultivation system.

Witnessing the invisible murderous aura emanating from the Mad Ox before him, Xu Yang seemed to find a sense of resonance. Consequently, Xu Yang leaped into the air without hesitation, landing a hundred meters in front of Ox King Zun, confronting him directly.

"Are you the leader of these humans? I'll give you a choice now: hand over the woman who killed my nephew. I can spare the rest of you and allow you to leave my Great Wasteland safely. This is my only demand, and the only possible way to seek a peaceful resolution to today's conflict. You have no other option."

Ox King Zun's words were undeniably overbearing, but he indeed possessed the strength to back them up; the aura he emanated at that moment was sufficient proof.

If their opponent today hadn't been Xu Yang's team, and if the man standing before Ox King Zun hadn't been Xu Yang himself, perhaps his words truly would have yielded the desired outcome.

Unfortunately, their leader, Xu Yang, was never one to be swayed, nor did the concept of weakness apply to him.

"It is absolutely impossible for me to hand over anyone. Those by my side will never become bargaining chips for survival. If you wish to avenge your nephew, then come at me directly. If you genuinely possess the ability to defeat me as well, then the individuals behind me will naturally be at your disposal. However, if you cannot, then you will continue along the fated path meant for you. And I am the one who will judge the outcome of your destiny."

Xu Yang's words not only failed to sway Ox King Zun but also put him in a difficult position. Both sides displayed an aggressive aura, neither willing to yield an inch.

Ox King Zun was a decisive individual. Seeing that Xu Yang had so quickly given a clear stance, and realizing there was no need for further delay, he stomped his foot without hesitation. His entire being radiated an even more ferocious aura of slaughter, clearly ready for battle.

"Very well," Xu Yang said with a helpless expression, shaking his head. "From your appearance, it seems there's no room for negotiation between us. We'll simply have to use force to assert our will." He then beckoned to Ox King Zun with a finger.

This gesture was a profound insult to Ox King Zun, the leader of the Mad Ox tribe and a highly respected figure among the top echelons of the Barbarian Beast Clans in the far north.

Ox King Zun let out a furious roar that reverberated through the mountains and rivers. He stomped his foot three times, each step causing the ground of the Great Wasteland to tremble.

Then, his massive body soared into the air, all his power converging in his right arm as he brought it down fiercely towards Xu Yang below. Xu Yang, with one hand behind his back, simply extended his right palm forward, slowly pushing out a wave of power.

In that instant, the surrounding laws of space and time seemed to slow down with Xu Yang's palm strike. The power of this strike encapsulated the essence of Xu Yang's self-created law system.

In other words, although he made what appeared to be a casual movement, it was equivalent to the surrounding spatial laws being altered by Xu Yang's power the moment this force was unleashed.

And within the domain of rules created by Xu Yang, no matter how ferocious the Mad Ox's power attributes were, he could not unleash them to their original peak level.

As expected, the Mad Ox's punch landed squarely in the center of this aura. He felt as though his punch had struck a wisp of light mist, finding no tangible point of impact that absorbed the full force of his blow.

Xu Yang's body, originally within the target range of the punch, was completely deflected by this soft, yielding force, preventing the attack from reaching his physical form.

"My goodness, how could Big Brother's move just now be so incredibly subtle? He managed to perfectly merge his aura with his physical form, blending this combat state seamlessly into every detail of his action without revealing a trace. Such a realm is probably beyond our reach in a lifetime, perhaps only His Majesty, Emperor Yunlong, possesses such a cultivation level."

The White Tiger youth was utterly shocked. The reason he brought up Emperor Yunlong at that moment was simply because Emperor Yunlong was the strongest individual the White Tiger youth had ever encountered in his life.