With that, he became a phantom. As he dodged the Great Roc Golden-winged Bird’s dive, he tossed the Sound Shock Bomb right next to its ear and detonated it.

BOOM!

A pained cry rang out. Although the Golden-winged Bird’s defense was flawless—capable of blocking even Sound Wave Attacks—a Sound Bomb detonated right next to its ear was simply too much. Garuda had sensed Su Zhou’s sudden burst of speed, several times faster than before, and was braced for an attack. But when the sonic blast actually hit, it couldn’t help but swerve, the massive bird crashing to the ground and carving out a long trench.

After all, what the brain thinks it can endure and what the body can actually withstand are two entirely different matters.

Before the Golden-winged Bird could regain its footing or recover from the ringing in its ears, Su Zhou gave it no time to rest. He extended his Long Spear and unleashed his Thunder Technique again, forcing it to gather Spiritual Power in preparation for his onslaught.

But as it turned out, Su Zhou didn’t strike with lightning as he had before, nor did he charge in for close combat. This time, he used his Thunder Technique to generate a dazzling burst of Thunder Light—one that rivaled, or even surpassed, a Blinding Flashlight—and aimed it straight at Garuda’s eyes!

"KREEE!!!!"

Another pained cry. The Golden-winged Bird immediately staggered back a few steps. But if that was all, with its divine eyes, it would likely recover in a few seconds, rendering this type of surprise attack useless from then on.

But those few seconds of paralysis were exactly what Su Zhou needed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he shot forward like a missile and slammed right into the Golden-winged Bird’s neck!

The Golden-winged Bird’s neck wasn’t long. In fact, unlike most birds, this vital point was protected by layers of golden down that were not only unimaginably tough but could also disperse the vast majority of any impact.

For instance, Su Zhou’s high-speed charge—powerful enough to bend a steel beam—merely forced Garuda a few steps back when it struck its neck, causing no real damage... But Su Zhou never intended to attack with the impact itself.

In reality, he had simply wrapped his arms expertly around its neck. Then, just as he had done against the Beast Taming Demon General, he channeled strength into his arms, activated his Dragon and Snake Power, and dropped his full weight downward!

A neck-clinch shoulder throw!

Su Zhou’s strength, amplified by his Gale Armor, amounted to a hundred tons of brute force. And while the Great Roc Golden-winged Bird’s wingspan exceeded twenty meters, a bird’s wingspan is mostly for show; its body was nowhere near a hundred tons. With Su Zhou’s pull, it instantly lost its center of gravity. The massive bird was flipped upside down and helplessly slammed onto the ground by Su Zhou, where it rolled and scraped violently.

If Garuda hadn’t been paralyzed by the Sound Bomb and Thunder Flash, it could have fully unleashed its power and engaged Su Zhou in a grappling match it might have even won. But without access to its Spiritual Power and physical strength, its body weight alone was no match for Su Zhou, who tossed it around like a newborn chick.

Giving Garuda no time to react, Su Zhou flipped over, pinning its head to the ground. He straddled its neck as arcs of Thunder Light flared wildly around him, and then began to unleash a frantic discharge of electricity!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! CRACKLE!

The Heart of the Thunder Marsh was beating at double Su Zhou’s usual rate, and the Thunderbolt he unleashed was just as intense. With a great shout, his arms shuddered as he channeled his power. Waves of cyan-blue Thunder Light began to spin rapidly, like two electric drills, relentlessly hammering the sensitive vital points around Garuda’s neck!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! A series of violent Spiritual Power explosions erupted. Su Zhou’s arms were a blur, moving at their absolute limit—so fast that sonic booms formed in the air before them. While Su Zhou himself was still far from moving at Supersonic speeds, it was no surprise that his fists could. Amid the hurricane-force Gale whipped up by his punches, all that could be seen were sparks from the exploding Thunder Light and countless afterimages!

"KREE!"

The golden down was an Extraordinary Material that conducted energy with incredible efficiency, making it the perfect shield against Spiritual Power attacks. However, once the Spiritual Power stored within it was neutralized by Su Zhou’s own, that perfect shield became the perfect conductor. Garuda was hit so hard by Su Zhou’s series of premeditated attacks that it nearly blacked out, its head groggy from the concussion. But could the body of a Divine Bird be defeated so easily?

The next instant, the enraged Golden-winged Bird bucked its spine, trying to throw Su Zhou off. Then it flapped its wings, an explosive blast of air kicking up a Gale that sent all the surrounding rock and debris flying. At the same time, incredibly sharp Gold Element Qi gathered on several feathers on its back. Propelled by Spiritual Power, they shot toward Su Zhou’s back like bladed bullets!

"So you have the Gold Attribute, too. Is this the power you gained on Kunlun Mountain? Not surprising. After all, the West Mother Great Venerable of Northwest Kunlun is the Great Celestial Venerable in charge of metals and punishments, of disaster and calamity."

Before the attack reached him, Su Zhou had already leaped up calmly, dodging the counter-attack. He still remembered Yara’s teachings: ’Even if you can tank an attack, there’s no need to.’

At this point, Garuda, having taken a beating from Su Zhou and now feeling its neck was too stiff to even turn properly, finally sobered up from its earlier rage at having its humanoid form’s head destroyed. It took a deep breath and calmed its trembling body.

In its ancestral memories, a battle between a Golden-winged Roc and a Dragon Serpent was either a complete victory for the Roc, or a long-range duel where both sides blasted each other with Divine Power until one ran out of Spiritual Power. Most Dragon Serpents would have their Spiritual Pressure suppressed in its presence, so they always avoided close combat in favor of attacking from a distance.

But the scent of Su Zhou’s Dragon Blood was as overwhelming as baked perfume in a sealed room. The Golden-winged Bird would swear on its life that he was of the Dragon Serpent race. Yet, this opponent showed absolutely no fear of its aura, unlike any Dragon Serpent in its ancestral memories.

In fact, it wasn’t just Garuda who was confused. Even Bai Canglang, watching from a distance, felt baffled. ’Aren’t Garudas supposed to be the natural counter to Dragons? So why does it look like the complete opposite is happening?’

Feeling far more than just confused, Garuda practically spat through gritted teeth, "You bastard, aren’t you a Dragon?! Why aren’t you afraid of my aura? Why would you dare to fight me in close quarters?! And you still haven’t even revealed your True Body! Just how much do you look down on me?!!"

The Golden-winged Bird’s voice was incredibly shrill, like the screech of scraping metal. And hidden within that cry was a stealthy Soul-Breaking Sound Wave.

"To be honest, I don’t really have a True Body."

Su Zhou simply nodded. This Soul-Breaking Sound Wave felt no different to him than the Soul-Breaking Spirit Sound the Shepherd of Spirits had used before. Having grown so much stronger since then, it felt as harmless as a refreshing autumn breeze.

Seeing Garuda’s look of disbelief as it prepared to attack again, Su Zhou could only raise his Long Spear with a helpless sigh. "People are always assuming I’m a Dragon," he said, "but in reality, I’m just a normal human who’s had a bit of good luck."