Sarl materialized like an orange-red nebula, abruptly appearing in the path of the advancing platinum beam.
With five nebulae of law-bound energy coursing through his body and his power unleashed to its fullest, Sarl radiated such overwhelming might that a terrifying energy field formed around him. Any entity approaching this force field was involuntarily repelled, even a Level 12 powerhouse.
Now, this force field stood like an impenetrable, invisible wall, firmly blocking the path of the Platinum Beam.
"You're done for."
Sarl's fiery orange hair flared wildly, his appearance eerily demonic as he lashed out with a claw at the Platinum Beam, which darted like a fish.
"Had enough of playing?"
As the claw struck out, the orange nebula swirling around Sarl surged into motion. It converged toward his palm, coalescing once more at the center—this time a deeper, more intense hue.
The highly concentrated energy compressed the void, causing it to crack under the strain. Faint fissures seemed to appear. Yet the platinum beam slipped beneath his claw like a fish, darting past with a swift "whoosh."
In an instant, it appeared at the opposite end of the battlefield, exploding the skull of a Level 12 beast in its wake.
"Hmph!"
Sarl's attack missed. Flames of rage shot from his eyes as he flickered forward in pursuit. But the platinum beam was always a hair's breadth faster. Each time Sarl struck, the beam evaded him, continuing its harvest of power from the beast side.
Thus, the chase ensued.
Their speed became too swift for ordinary Level 12s to track with the naked eye. Even mental senses could only barely "see" two streaks of light—one orange-red, one platinum—chasing each other across the battlefield.
The only reliable indicator of their positions was the fall of beast-side attackers. Wherever those two beams passed, whether Level 11 or Level 12, beast or martial artist, all were shattered as if struck head-on by a spacecraft traveling at full speed.
"Boom!"
Everything was reduced to dust, leaving not even a trace of soul behind.
Gradually, the shroud of death enveloping the battlefield was torn apart, and the fog of despair was blown away. The positions of the beastmen and the humans were completely reversed.
Now it was the turn of those who had pledged allegiance to Sarl to tremble in terror.
"No! Don't kill me! I'm human, I never betrayed you!"
A Level 12 martial artist clad in black combat armor and wielding a battle blade faced the dazzling white-gold light, screaming in terror. His strength was no small feat. One Law Galaxy had fully fused into his body, and a second Law Galaxy was about to emerge.
His martial physique far surpassed that of an ordinary Level 12 warrior.
As he held both Law Galaxies like protective belts before him, his Level 12 weapon—a greatsword forged from precious metals—barred his chest, and his power surged to its absolute limit...
Yet as the platinum beam flashed, his body shattered like fragile porcelain. His martial soul barely managed to peek out before being sucked away entirely by that same platinum light.
This scene sent a chill down the spines of the others, many swallowing hard. This feeling of constant dread was unbearable, for no one knew if they would be next.
In contrast, the situation for the human powerhouses led by the two guides couldn't have been better. Even the beasts had quieted considerably. The mass casualties among the Level 12 leader-class beasts had caused the beast tide to retreat significantly.
After all, beasts possessed intelligence too. They weren't about to throw away their lives needlessly. What had been a near-certain death situation had begun to unfold into a completely different scenario, all because of one person.
"Excellent. At this rate, we'll eventually see Lord Haiji Dao arrive. Then everything will be completely reversed!"
The cold-eyed middle-aged man among the guides flashed excitement and hope in his eyes. But the round-faced fat man beside him didn't look nearly as optimistic. His brows remained tightly furrowed, as if troubled by something.
"Tang Dun! Tang Dun, did you see that? It's Lu Sheng—the very Lu Sheng we know!"
Somewhere on the field, Saya and Tang Dun stood together. Saya's handsome face was flushed crimson with overwhelming excitement. Beside him, Tang Dun's eyes were wide as fists, darting back and forth across the battlefield."
"Sorry, Saya, I genuinely couldn't see Lu Sheng—he was just too fast."
Saya didn't care about Tang Dun's response, still buzzing with excitement. Who would've thought? Among their little trio, the quiet and reserved Lu Sheng had been hiding his true depth all along. Though only Level 11, his strength was absurdly powerful.
Not only did he slaughter level twelve foes like slaughtering chickens, but even Sarl—with five galactic rules flowing through his body—couldn't match his speed. He was left trailing behind him like a dog on a leash.
"This is absolutely the most terrifyingly gifted prodigy I've ever seen in my life! Given time, Lu Sheng will undoubtedly become a superpower capable of shaking an entire galaxy! And when that day comes, as his brother-in-arms who's been through life and death with him, my status and standing will rise with his.
Let's see who in the clan dares look down on me now, hahaha."
Saya had already begun fantasizing about how he would cling tightly to Lu Sheng's coattails in the future, while simultaneously making up his mind.
Once he returned this time, he absolutely had to find that astrologer who had recommended him and thank him properly.
Who says astrology is all trickery? This prediction hit the nail on the head!
Just as Saya was basking in his sweet visions of the future, suddenly, a fierce and brutal killing intent, like a nebula storm, locked onto him. The sudden threat made Saya shudder violently. Then his entire body trembled.
He slowly raised his head. His gaze met a pair of orange eyes brimming with fury and savagery. The figure stared intently at him, as if poised to pounce at any moment and tear him to shreds.
"Sa... Sarl."
Saya swallowed hard and edged backward. Inside, ten thousand wild horses galloped through his mind.
Wasn't Sarl chasing Lu Sheng? Why was he suddenly fixated on him?
This wasn't fair. Could it be that Sarl wanted to...
A possibility suddenly flashed through Saya's mind. Instantly, his handsome face drained of color, his teeth chattering violently. Could he be that unlucky?
Sarl's gaze slowly pulled away from the platinum-white beam of light, the veins in his temples throbbing violently. He took a deep breath, the raging fire within his chest gradually subsiding, while a cruel smile began to spread across his face.
"Kill. Keep killing."
Sarl cracked his knuckles, his body echoing with the sharp pops of joints shifting.
He stepped into the void, descending step by step, no longer paying attention to the platinum beam darting about the arena, reaping lives indiscriminately.
"Let's see—are you faster at killing, or… am I faster at killing!"
As he spoke, a cold, ruthless gleam shot from Sarl's eyes. He extended his arm, reaching straight for Saya, who stood not far ahead, already terrified beyond recognition.
His posture… he resembled a cruel butcher slowly extending his cleaver toward a lamb in the pen.
This was the solution Sarl had devised—since he couldn't catch up to Lu Sheng, then force Lu Sheng to come to him willingly!