"Damn it! You beast, I'll kill you!"
A man in the early Foundation Establishment stage roared with rage, eyes wide and veins bulging across his face.
His hands trembling with fury, he swiftly pulled out three pills from his robe and shoved them all into his mouth without hesitation. With a fierce bite, the pills shattered instantly.
Boom!
In that moment, an eerie ripple of blood-red energy surged from his body, spreading out like ripples in water.
The surrounding air twisted under the pressure of that strange power, and the nearby trees and grass shivered in fear as if alive.
As the ripples expanded, the man's strength briefly surged to the mid Foundation Establishment level. A powerful aura erupted from his body, causing his robe to whip violently in the wind.
Without wasting a second, he gripped his weapon tightly, a massive, heavy warhammer.
With a loud roar, he charged forward with thunderous steps, heading straight toward the mantis beast.
But reality slapped him hard.
Even with his strength enhanced, his speed still couldn't match the agility of the mantis demon.
With a graceful flicker, the mantis dodged the attack effortlessly.
The man's momentum caused him to stumble forward, nearly falling face-first to the ground.
The mantis let out a sharp, piercing cry, almost as if mocking the man's pathetic attempt.
It then darted around him like a ghost, slashing with razor-sharp forelimbs, each strike whistling through the air with deadly force.
All the man could do was desperately block and dodge, but it wasn't enough. Bloodied wounds quickly appeared all over his body as the mantis toyed with him like a dog.
"Pfft, thought he was some big shot. Turns out he's just trash. Those pills were useless."
Fang Zheng stood at a distance, arms crossed, a cold smirk playing at his lips as he muttered under his breath.
When the guy popped those pills like a hero, Fang Zheng actually expected a decent fight.
Who would've thought he'd get thrashed like a mutt in mere seconds?
Fang Zheng stayed put, calmly watching the battle with no intention of stepping in.
Eyes narrowed, he tracked the fight closely, planning to intervene only when the man was on the brink of death.
After all, he had just arrived in this unfamiliar world and knew very little about it.
Though the system had given him a basic overview, he still didn't even know where exactly he was.
He needed these people alive, to act as guides, to help him understand more about this world.
As he continued observing, the man's stance grew unsteady. His body was now covered in crisscrossing wounds.
His arms, back, chest, thighs, every inch was soaked in blood.
"AHHH!"
With a bloodcurdling scream, the man was struck hard by the mantis and sent flying through the air like a ragdoll.
His warhammer was flung from his hand, arcing through the sky before crashing down a couple of miles away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Just as the man closed his eyes in despair, ready to accept death,
Fang Zheng made his move.
"Universal Pull!"
he growled deeply.
Suddenly, a powerful suction force erupted from him.
The fierce mantis was yanked toward Fang Zheng like it was caught in a black hole, flailing helplessly in midair, unable to escape.
With his left hand maintaining the pull, Fang Zheng's right hand surged with dense chakra, forming a chilling black rod in an instant.
As the mantis was dragged right up to him, Fang Zheng's muscles tensed, and with incredible force, he clamped down on the beast's throat like an iron vise and slammed it to the ground.
Almost simultaneously, the chakra rod in his right hand pierced straight through the mantis's skull.
It was swift, clean, merciless.
A muffled squelch echoed as the mantis's body gave a violent shudder, then collapsed limply to the ground.
Dead in a single strike.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
The man gasped for air, chest heaving violently. He looked at Fang Zheng, eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and confusion.
"Who... who are you? Why did you save us?"
Fang Zheng's smirk widened, but the chill in his expression only deepened.
"I was planning to save you," he said coldly, "but I changed my mind. I've decided to kill you all instead."
Mockery flashed in his eyes. Originally, he had intended to rescue them so they could guide him through this strange world.
But just moments ago, a different thought struck him, one tied to his Rinnegan's other ability: Depths of the Heart.
And that changed everything.
"You bastard! I'm Zhang Hu from the Zhang Clan! If you lay a finger on me, you'll be hunted down!"
Zhang Hu glared at him, his face twisted with rage and defiance.
Fang Zheng sneered. "And who's gonna know I killed you? Use your brain."
He didn't even bother explaining further. With a light tap of his foot, his figure flashed like a shadowy bolt of lightning toward Zhang Hu.
"Don't just stand there, attack! It's our only chance!"
Zhang Hu shouted to the two men behind him.
The moment he spoke, the two immediately sprang into action. They rushed to Zhang Hu's side, spiritual energy flaring as they formed hand seals and chanted quickly.
In the blink of an eye, several blazing fireballs coalesced in midair, roaring toward Fang Zheng with scorching heat that distorted the very air.
"So this is this world's magic, huh? Kinda jealous… but pointless."
Fang Zheng's voice carried a note of amusement. He remained calm, then whispered:
"Almighty Push."
In an instant, a massive repulsive force exploded from his body like a shockwave, forming visible ripples in the air.
The incoming fireballs struck the barrier, and were instantly flung away like toys.
They arced through the sky before exploding in the distance with a series of loud bangs, flames scattering across the earth.
Fang Zheng's figure blurred into motion, shooting toward the three like a phantom.
In a blink, he stood right before them.
At the same time, his right hand lifted. Dark, surging energy spiraled in his palm.
In an instant, multiple sharp chakra rods took shape, each one glowing with violent intensity.
"Hmph."
With a flick of his wrist, the rods shot out like arrows, piercing through their limbs without resistance and pinning them to the ground.
Their screams echoed through the air, filled with agony.
"Now," Fang Zheng said as he approached Zhang Hu, step by step, "let me take a look inside your mind."
His voice was low, emotionless, each footstep echoing ominously.
Kneeling before Zhang Hu, he slowly extended his hand.
Zhang Hu stared at that hand in pure terror, trembling violently.
"No! Please, don't, !"
He struggled desperately, voice hoarse with fear. Beads of sweat streamed down his face. His eyes begged for mercy, but none would come.