HMMMM!!

The echo of the Fierce Roar Skill still resounded.

In his beast form, Li Fengyuan’s body went rigid, the violent, earth-shattering roar still echoing in his mind.

His pupils visibly contracted and dilated.

Even the wolf claw, slashing down to rip Lu Chao’s head apart, abruptly froze in mid-air.

In that instant.

A flicker of killing intent flashed through Lu Chao’s calm eyes.

His muscles tensed, and wisps of steam billowed from the pores of his right arm, drifting in the air between them.

Seizing the opportunity, he raised his left arm to block, knocking his opponent off balance and creating an opening.

He snapped his right arm back, gathering power for a strike that surged like a tidal wave.

BOOM!!

The force of the punch tore through the air.

An intense sense of danger jolted Li Fengyuan, allowing him to vaguely sense the impending blow.

Beastification didn’t just strengthen his body; it also sharpened his primal instincts and willpower.

In that split second.

He hastily raised his left arm to defend himself.

But.

THUD!!

The air cracked.

Lu Chao’s right fist was faster, slamming squarely into his foe’s fur-covered chest. Li Fengyuan’s heart jolted, and his breath caught in his throat.

SLAM!!

Li Fengyuan was sent sliding backward, slamming into the concrete wall beside the steel platform.

The dull thud echoed through the factory. The violent impact shook the wall, sending gray dust raining down. Even the steel plates on the floor clattered loudly.

"Brother Yuan!!"

Seeing that something was wrong, the sniper in the distance yelled out, trying to get a status update.

Whether due to the shout or the overwhelming power of the last punch rattling his organs and shocking him back to his senses, the beast-like Li Fengyuan’s eyes refocused. He was finally lucid again.

"Cough, cough!"

He coughed, his body swaying as he struggled to remain standing with his back against the wall.

A trickle of blood quickly escaped the corner of his mouth; he was clearly seriously injured.

And yet.

"Get back!!"

He roared, his eyes shot with blood.

The power boost from his beast form allowed him to suppress his injuries, and he hadn’t completely lost his ability to fight.

Then, taking a ragged breath, he slashed his claws through the air, lunging at Lu Chao—who was still in his punching stance—intent on tearing his throat out and bursting his arteries.

In response.

CLANG!!

Lu Chao’s grayish-white left arm shot up, blocking the strike like a solid rock and neutralizing the killing intent.

From behind his riot helmet, Lu Chao’s eyes were cold as daggers. He swiftly pulled back the right fist that was still pressed against Li Fengyuan’s chest.

’One layer of force isn’t enough... Then I’ll use two!’

BOOM!!

Steam once again erupted from the pores of his right arm, and the veins on it bulged like coiling dragons.

Ignoring the toll on his body, he stacked a second layer of power. His elbow shot out like a coiled spring, unleashing an even more torrential, wave-like force.

THUD!!

The punch slammed into Li Fengyuan’s chest.

A sickening CRACK of breaking bone accompanied the powerful impact, suggesting his sternum had been shattered.

Li Fengyuan’s eyes bulged, and his body arched as he wretched, spewing a mouthful of blood and organ fragments.

Without dodging or flinching, Lu Chao seized the chance to reach out with his left hand and grab a handful of Li Fengyuan’s thick hair.

Then, as if swinging a sledgehammer, he brutally slammed Li Fengyuan’s head against the concrete wall.

THUD!!

A muffled thud rang out, followed by a splatter of blood.

Sensing the turn of events, the young sniper’s expression shifted, a crazed look appearing in his eyes.

In an instant, he made a decision. He chose to ignore the patrol officers charging up the ramp outside and instead swung the muzzle of his "Outlaw" machine gun around.

"Die!!"

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Judging Lu Chao’s position by the sounds of the struggle, he unleashed a furious hail of machine gun fire.

The sickening THWACK-THWACK-THWACK of bullets hitting flesh rang out, as if the shots had found their target.

But.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP!!

A series of heavy footsteps rang out in unison, as if someone were charging straight through the hail of bullets, right toward him.

Peering through the faint moonlight filtering in from the gun port by the main entrance.

He saw the burly figure of Li Fengyuan, riddled with bloody holes and eyes wide in death, being pushed steadily closer.

The thick coat of fur on his body was rapidly receding, his frame shrinking back to its original human form.

The young sniper’s pupils constricted. His eyes, completely bloodshot, found Lu Chao hiding behind the corpse.

He was using the dead beast-form user as a meat shield, advancing right through the gunfire.

"Go to hell!!"

Confirming his partner was dead, the young sniper’s face contorted with madness.

He snatched two high-explosive grenades from behind the sandbags, pulled the pins, and hurled them forward.

Though his vision was blocked, Lu Chao’s eyes narrowed as his sharp hearing picked up the distinct clicks of the grenade pins being pulled.

He twisted and dove to the right, grabbing a steel pipe of the scaffolding. With a powerful swing, he vaulted over the side and dropped to the floor below.

Immediately.

BOOM! BOOM!!

A pair of explosions went off one after the other. A blinding fireball erupted on the 2nd Floor platform, momentarily illuminating the entire factory.

In a far corner, the three hostages cowered in terror, their eyes wide as dust and debris showered down in front of them.

Back on the platform, Li Fengyuan’s corpse was blasted into the air, flying a full two or three meters high before falling and crashing onto a piece of machinery on the ground floor.

WHIZZZ! Amid the piercing shriek of shrapnel, hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny fragments sprayed out like rain, shredding every obstacle in their path.

Wooden crates near the 2nd Floor platform were riddled with holes until they splintered apart. The fragments CLANGED against the surrounding steel plates and pipes, kicking up a shower of sparks.

Huff! Huff!

After landing on the ground floor, Lu Chao immediately performed a roll to absorb the impact.

Breathing heavily, he remained in a crouch, his composure steady as he cautiously watched the entrance area on the 2nd Floor platform.

In the next instant.

Illuminated by the faint moonlight, he saw the short-haired young man staring down at him.

The sniper rifle that had been on his back was now in his hands. He had it propped on a steel pipe of the scaffolding and was aiming down.