"This is incredible!" Li Xuan stared at the tiny badge in his palm, drawing in a sharp breath. Though he wasn't particularly skilled at math, he knew that 12,000% meant over a hundredfold increase. Truly terrifying!
The maximum impact force of an ordinary person's punch is about 150 pounds, with muscle power alone contributing no more than 50 pounds. This meant that with the badge, his casual punch would now deliver a force of roughly 5,000 kilograms. If he used his full strength, that would be a terrifying 15,000 pounds of force, utterly crushing any top-tier boxer. Honkai Beasts? Bring it on! Let's hurt each other! Li Xuan stared at the badge, practically drooling. Happiness had come too suddenly.
Holding the badge, Li Xuan didn't bother tossing it into his Ring. Instead, he immediately pinned it to his Xuanyuan Ceremonial Suit. The way it attached was utterly bizarre—yes, truly bizarre! There was no pin or clasp on the back of the badge, nothing at all, yet it defied all scientific principles by adhering firmly to the suit. Li Xuan couldn't even pry it off without using force!
"Incredible!" Newton's coffin began to wail again, and this old man couldn't hold it back any longer. Li Xuan looked at the badge clinging tightly to his clothes, jumping and running, but the badge remained as steady as Mount Tai, refusing to budge.
However, after pinning on the "A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands" badge, Li Xuan felt his body surge with power, as if he could punch a cow to death with a single blow. The badge, worn on the left side of his chest, resembled two overlapping octagons, with a pair of outstretched wings flanking each side. In the center of the badge was a silver-gray image of a gloved fist throwing a punch.
Li Xuan tested the badge by lightly punching the reinforced concrete wall. The effect was astonishing. The wall immediately caved in, leaving a fist-shaped indentation surrounded by a dense network of tiny cracks.
It took Li Xuan a full two minutes to recover from his initial shock at the badge's attack-boosting effect. He managed to calm down so quickly because he had one last Crystal left to draw, filling him with anticipation.
The Gate of Wishes continued to shimmer faintly, rapidly consuming the remaining 280 Crystals. Now came the most crucial moment: the color of the light emitted by the gate would determine the power of the equipment that appeared. After so many wishes, Li Xuan had learned to gauge the light's intensity. Golden Light usually indicated a Divine Artifact; Purple Light came next; and Blue Light generally meant trash.
Under Li Xuan's gaze, the Gate of Wishes suddenly erupted in a Golden Light—the very light he had been dreaming of! Li Xuan closed his eyes in blissful anticipation. The light was simply too dazzling to look at directly.
A golden pillar of light shot from the Gate of Wishes, piercing the heavens and earth. The pillar shattered the obstructing clouds, and then a strange transformation began. The white clouds around the golden pillar rapidly turned black, and streaks of blue and purple lightning flashed through the ominous storm clouds. The clear, sunny sky moments ago had eerily transformed into a scene of impending tempest, the dark, oppressive clouds radiating a sense of divine pressure.
Meanwhile, the trio of girls had deliberately chosen a secluded path to avoid the Dead Soldiers and Honkai Beasts. Kiana, full of energy, led the way, her pistol firing with deadly accuracy to eliminate any Dead Soldiers that blocked their path.
As Kiana blew apart a Dead Soldier and was about to aim at another, her phone rang. She stopped, pulled out her phone, and gasped, "What's going on? Another massive surge of Honkai Energy?"
Kiana urgently said to Raiden Mei, "Sister Mei, look! It's happening again!"
Before Kiana could finish, she noticed everyone staring at the sky in amazement. "What's wrong?" she asked, but the words caught in her throat. She saw it again—the golden pillar of light that had once appeared in the sky, piercing heaven and earth like a divine miracle!
Kiana's curiosity was about to explode. She vowed to investigate, or she'd die without peace.
Li Xuan was completely unaware of the girls' predicament. He was staring at the Gate of Wishes with shining eyes. The golden light had come and gone quickly, and another weapon had appeared on the gate—a handgun, or more accurately, a hand cannon. This hand cannon wasn't very large, made entirely of an unknown metal with a shimmering black metallic luster. Its body was filled with a futuristic, high-tech feel, and its energy cell glowed with an eerie blue light. Even a fool could tell it was something extraordinary.
Li Xuan reached out and picked up the Super Electromagnetic Handcannon. He immediately felt its weight. Just as before, information flowed from the weapon into his mind.
Five-Star Weapon: Super Electromagnetic Handcannon 'Modified'
Abilities: Paralysis. Upon hitting a target, there is a 50% chance to inflict paralysis, rendering them unable to move or attack. Paralysis duration: 3 seconds.
Thunder God's Power: Increases damage dealt to the target by 25% and critical hit chance by 25%.
Magazine Capacity: 20 rounds. Base Attack: 1000.
Li Xuan was eager to test the Super Electromagnetic Handcannon's power against Honkai Beasts, especially in combination with the 'A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands' badge. Of course, he wouldn't risk firing the cannon at a wall like he had with the badge. Without hesitation, Li Xuan grabbed the handgun, put on the badge, and headed out to find a Honkai Beast to test his new weapon on.
In this era, Dead Soldiers and Honkai Beasts were the most common threats in the city. Li Xuan quickly spotted a Honkai Beast on the street—a relatively small one, standing only five meters tall. He still avoided the higher-level, larger Honkai Beasts for now.
Li Xuan raised his Super Electromagnetic Cannon and fired a shot at the Honkai Beast from a distance. The muzzle of the Super Electromagnetic Handcannon crackled with white electromagnetic energy, and with a loud boom, a white electromagnetic cannonball shot out instantly, slamming directly into the Honkai Beast's body.
Unfortunately, this shot from the Super Electromagnetic Handcannon didn't paralyze the Honkai Beast. However, it did blast a hole right through its body. The Honkai Beast couldn't stand for this! It roared in fury and charged forward like a truck, its massive fist whistling through the air as it aimed a crushing blow at Li Xuan's head.
Having tested the Super Electromagnetic Cannon's power, Li Xuan immediately stowed the weapon in his Ring. He activated the power of A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands instantly. Li Xuan wasn't worried about getting hit by the Honkai Beast. The Divine Gear - Xuanyuan Ceremonial Suit he wore was no pushover; it could easily withstand a blow from the Honkai Beast.
Using his enhanced physical abilities, Li Xuan dodged the Honkai Beast's enraged punch. However, the force of the blow was still terrifying, creating a crater in the ground. The Honkai Beast, having overextended itself, entered a state of 'stiffness'—a term used in the game to describe temporary immobility.
Li Xuan naturally didn't miss this opportunity. While the Honkai Beast's defenses were wide open, he bent his knees, clenched his fists, and leaped with all his might. His fist, imbued with the power of a dragon and tiger, slammed directly into the Honkai Beast's head. Even the beast's thick, tough skull caved in, leaving a fist-shaped indentation. The creature was knocked backward, collapsing onto its back.
Li Xuan stood on the Honkai Beast's belly, grinning excitedly as he examined his slightly sore fist.
So this is what it means to be a One-Punch Man?!
Just as Li Xuan was basking in his triumph, a silver-haired beauty ran into the street where he stood—after all, he was standing at a crossroads.
For a moment, their eyes met, locked in a silent standoff.
Huh? How is there still a human alive?! Yae Sakura said everyone in the city was dead! Li Xuan stared at the silver-haired girl in surprise. But despite his shock, he managed a gentle smile.
Kiana was utterly bewildered. Didn't they say that during a Honkai outbreak, all the men in Honkai-occupied areas would die from Honkai Energy? Did the organization lie to me?! She glared at Li Xuan, her hands clasped in front of her chest. "Who are you?"
Li Xuan smiled as he jumped down from the Honkai Beast and began to say, "I am..." but was cut off. Kiana stared at the Honkai Beast as if talking to herself. "A Honkai Beast! This man took it down? No way!"
Kiana looked at the unarmed man before her. Aside from his handsome clothes, he had no weapons. She immediately dismissed the idea. 'Did someone else do it?' she wondered, then turned to Li Xuan. "I have a question for you."
"Watch out!" Kiana shouted. The Honkai Beast behind Li Xuan had risen again and swiped at him with its claws. She was certain someone was about to be crushed into pulp.
But then a sight that nearly blinded her unfolded before her eyes. The stranger raised his fist, turned around, and met the Honkai Beast's claw with a punch.
'Is he insane?!' Kiana stared in astonishment. 'To fight a Honkai Beast with his bare hands is suicide!' Yet once again, reality shattered her worldview. The Honkai Beast was sent flying—flying, flying!
The man turned back to her, flashing his eight-toothed, sunny smile, and said softly, "I am Li Xuan. How may I help you?"