By the shores of the Jade Pool, a sudden clap of thunder rang out.

Spiraling gales, stirred into existence by surging Spiritual Power, began to gather and swirl. They churned the atmosphere, howling as they tore the gloomy clouds and mist around the lake to shreds.

Even from several kilometers away, the gale of Spiritual Power could be seen, already churning the air hundreds of meters into the sky.

"Has the fight already started?"

Bai Canglang, who had been following Su Zhou, narrowed his eyes and gravely observed the changes in the distant Anomaly. ’Judging by this Anomaly, it’s a battle between two beings at or above the Extraordinary Middle Stage.’

The so-called Anomaly was a phenomenon created when a Cultivator’s Spiritual Power naturally altered the world. It was just like in the Ancient Era, when powerful Divine Beasts could cause droughts, rain, blizzards, or even firestorms and thunderstorms simply by walking. They never restrained their power, so their mere existence could trigger dramatic changes in the weather.

In later ages, however, humanity formed civilizations, and such abnormal fluctuations of Spiritual Power caused instability. Furthermore, it also affected a Cultivator’s own control over their Spiritual Power. For these reasons, all Cultivators learned to restrain their power. Only in battle, or when they needed to intimidate others, would they unleash it completely. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Just like the current battle between Su Zhou and the distant, unidentified Extraordinary Powerhouse.

Bai Canglang wasted no time. He scaled a mountain, took out his custom anti-materiel sniper rifle, and grimly loaded a round. Peering through the scope, he scanned the direction of the Spiritual Qi fluctuations, searching for the right moment to provide Su Zhou with sniper support.

Then, as he gazed into the distance, he froze.

Because Bai Canglang saw Su Zhou, surrounded by a roiling pack of vicious beasts, savagely beating a delicate, beautiful, blonde girl—or at least, one who looked delicate at first glance.

But Bai Canglang quickly revised that mistaken impression.

’My God, a punch like that and her face didn’t even shatter? She’s unbelievably tough!’

The force of Su Zhou’s punch created a shockwave in the air, a translucent ripple of energy churning without end. But when the blonde girl took the hit square in the face, it didn’t even leave a dent. She was simply sent flying.

Watching this, Bai Canglang was dumbfounded, but understanding dawned on him quickly. ’Blonde hair, Demon Qi, a humanoid form, but a body that durable... It must be the Golden-winged Roc we suspected. No wonder she’s so tough!’

But then he saw Su Zhou, without a moment’s hesitation, push off the ground and give chase to the Golden-winged Roc he had just sent flying. He was clearly going to press the attack and shove her face-first into the Earth!

’Her head’s pretty hard. Almost as hard as mine.’

At that moment, Su Zhou unleashed his power, closing the distance and catching up to the Garuda he’d just sent flying. He was about to press his advantage, grab her by the head, and grind her face into the dirt.

"HYAAH!"

But obviously, the Golden-winged Roc wasn’t that weak. Even though she hadn’t reacted in time to Su Zhou’s explosive, thunderous speed and had taken a heavy blow to the head, Garuda quickly recovered once the fight was on.

She let out a sharp cry and lashed out with a kick, the air screaming as it was torn apart. After forcing Su Zhou back a step, Garuda used the momentum to flip back onto her feet, facing him from over a hundred meters away.

’What a heavy fist. If I hadn’t been prepared and shielded my brain with Spiritual Power, my body might have been fine, but I probably would have gotten a concussion.’

Garuda wasn’t angered by Su Zhou’s sudden attack; she would have done the same if she’d seen the opportunity. The Divine Bird watched the expressionless Su Zhou, thinking, ’Trying to earn the right to speak through strength? A good choice. Defeating an enemy without killing them... This must be a show of goodwill.’

Garuda’s bloodline inheritance was simply too ancient; she had no concept of modern values. Not that it mattered much.

Because Su Zhou was already attacking again.

BOOM! With a deafening roar, Thunder Light erupted from the soles of Su Zhou’s feet and from his back, blasting his shirt and shoes to shreds. He gathered Spiritual Power, detonating it beneath his feet and behind him to accelerate with explosive force. In an instant, he crossed nearly two hundred meters. In that moment, he became a speeding armored train, capable of leveling a building with the sheer force of his impact!

But Garuda was not one to let her enemy attack at will. She faced the charging Su Zhou without a trace of fear. In fact, she abandoned all defense, clenching her fist as a raging gale gathered around it, coalescing into a giant, spiraling drill.

The next instant, her body blurred into motion as she threw a full-powered punch straight at Su Zhou!

The two humanoid figures collided, creating a massive roar. Thunder Light and the gale intertwined, culminating in a violent explosion.

BOOM! A thunderous explosion erupted. The raging tempest of Spiritual Power sent the surrounding Evil Beasts—who had been waiting to lay siege—tumbling across the ground in a pathetic display.

At the center of the explosion, Su Zhou held a long spear in his right hand, using it to parry the spiraling gale of Garuda’s punch. He wasn’t the type to fight unarmed just because his opponent was. On the contrary, he believed that obtaining a good weapon was, in itself, a part of one’s strength.

Then, Su Zhou’s left hand shot toward Garuda’s face, his fingertips gathering a raging thunderbolt. It looked as if he intended to turn his fingers into an electric drill and bore straight through her skull.