The Stars Beyond

Chapter 133: Couple

The genetically enhanced individual's body quaked, his skin slick with cold sweat. In the face of this overwhelming adversary, his usual confidence shattered. He was as fragile as glass before the might the youth could bring to bear.

The power disparity was staggering. A casual touch from his opponent felt like a sledgehammer blow to him. This was the might of Wang Xuan, who had mastered the Golden Body Technique to the sixth layer. His body was now honed to a degree that made him strong beyond words.

Desperation clawed at the genetically enhanced individual's throat. "Wait!" he rasped, yearning for a chance to negotiate, to appeal to any semblance of mercy the youth might possess.

Yet, before another word could escape his lips, the menacing youth, with an almost chillingly serene smile, caressed the genetically enhanced individual's chin. A sharp snap echoed, signaling the breaking of the genetically enhanced individual's jaw. Excruciating pain surged, blurring his vision with tears. The depth of his despair was profound – not only was he rendered powerless, but the very freedom to communicate, to plead or even to question, was cruelly denied.

Retaliation was a distant dream. With a power gap so vast, he knew that even the slightest act of defiance would be met with catastrophic consequences. Given the choice between enduring agonizing pain or facing certain death, the genetically enhanced individual chose the former. It was a desperate bid to cling to life, even if just for a few moments more.

From the back, Zhao Qinghan watched in astonishment. At first, she believed that the man, the genetically enhanced individual, was gravely injured and merely putting on a brave face. But the more she observed, the stranger the situation seemed.

"Could this really be a Master?" She doubted. Even if Wang Xuan was formidable, could he effortlessly render such a powerful being helpless, breaking his arms with ease? The scene before her was shocking.

Slender and graceful, Zhao Qinghan approached to get a better grasp of the situation. the genetically enhanced individual, sensing her approach, pinned his hopes on her. Despite his ruthless nature, he was adept at reading people. This young woman seemed kind-hearted, perhaps curious or wanting to ask him something. He made every effort to appear pitiable, hoping this stunningly beautiful woman might intervene against the young man's apparent malevolence.

However, his hopes were dashed when the exquisite Zhao Qinghan delivered a swift kick straight to his chest.

Zhao Qinghan wanted to see for herself. Was he genuinely injured or just playing it up? Nothing beats first hand assessment.

With a thud, the genetically enhanced individual felt as if his world spun out of control. Had he stumbled upon a pair who took delight in tormenting others for their amusement?

"Why couldn't I seriously injure him?" Zhao Qinghan queried Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan hadn't expected her to act so impulsively. Feigning a diagnostic touch to the genetically enhanced individual's sternum, he remarked, "He wasn't initially hurt here. But your kick fractured his bone. It might break soon. Care to try again?"

Exasperated, the genetically enhanced individual internally screamed, convinced that Wang Xuan had manually caused the injury. "Demons!" he thought, "Powerful young monsters!"

At that moment, the genetically enhanced individual wondered if Wang Xuan could be some mythical creature in disguise. After all, they were in an enigmatic land, shrouded in legends and mysteries. Anything seemed possible.

In the dim light, Zhao Qinghan's bright eyes pierced through the gloom, her gaze unwavering. "Enough with him," she interjected. "It's pitiable how every touch from you breaks his bones." The genetically enhanced individual, feeling a spark of hope, nodded vigorously in agreement, gratitude evident in his eyes.

But Zhao's next words shattered that hope, plunging him into depths of despair. "Perhaps it would be kinder to end his suffering," she suggested casually.

The genetically enhanced man felt like he'd encountered a demonic duo. Despite Zhao's ethereal beauty, akin to a celestial being in this eerie land, her words held a chilling ruthlessness. Her determination was evident; she wasn't the weak, gullible type. Given her convictions about the middle-aged man's ill intentions towards both her and Wang Xuan, she deemed him irredeemable. She had heard tales of women adventurers who had faced nightmarish experiences in these uncharted territories, and to her, the man in front of her was more monstrous than any wild beast.

Wang Xuan, realizing Zhao's uncanny ability to see through pretense, paused. He addressed the broken man, "I'll ask, and you'll answer. Speak only the truth, understood?" The middle-aged man, his fractured jaw hanging limply, nodded. Such ruthless characters, when faced with an even greater menace, often turned submissive.

"What's your story? Which expedition group are you with? Why are you here, and where's the rest of your team?" Wang Xuan demanded.

The man began hesitantly, "I joined the Song family's expedition..." He detailed how the patriarch of the Song family had gathered an elite group, determined to penetrate a specific area in this mysterious land. Their goal was to consume the "Earth Essence Liquid" in hopes of rejuvenating themselves, much like Zhong Yong had once done.

Deep within the mysterious territory, the expedition faced a nightmarish onslaught of monstrous creatures. Even their team's Master, the Moonlight Bodhisattva, was obliterated. Witnessing this bloodbath, the middle-aged genetically enhanced individual before them had turned tail and fled, unaware of the fate that befell the rest of his comrades.

He'd managed to escape to this location, spotting a potent spiritual herb which he longed to harvest. However, the lake harbored two menacing beasts, and he found himself powerless against them. All he could do was anxiously watch from a distance.

"How many people have you killed on your way here?" Wang Xuan interrogated.

"No..." The man began, but as Wang Xuan exerted a mental pressure, the man broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as though his very soul was on the brink of shattering.

"Six," he admitted through gritted teeth. Desperately, he pleaded, "I've told you everything. Esteemed couple, grant me a chance. This territory is fraught with danger. I'll scout ahead, serving as your vanguard."

Wang Xuan smirked, remarking, "Quite the silver-tongued devil, aren't you?"

Zhao Qinghan cast him a glance, tersely suggesting, "Just put him out of his misery."

With a nod, Wang Xuan unleashed a powerful kick, sending the man flying, his chest caving in. Life swiftly fading, the genetically enhanced man bitingly whispered, "Demonic... duo," as resentment and regret clouded his dying gaze.

"I thought you'd use him as bait to lure the lake's monsters," Zhao mused.

Wang Xuan approached the water's edge, "If he's as weak as he appeared, the beasts would've torn him apart, staining the lake with blood. I wouldn't want that tainting the spiritual herb. It'd leave a bitter taste."

As he dipped a toe into the water, Zhao warned, "Be cautious. That man, he was a Master, wasn't he? He sensed danger in these waters."

"He wasn't," Wang Xuan responded, shaking his head.

Zhao Qinghan arched an eyebrow skeptically, not quite convinced by Wang Xuan's claim.

Suddenly, a glimmering golden figure surged towards Wang Xuan from the water, revealing a monstrous maw, ready to snap at him. The creature resembled an alligator but sported a set of horn-like protrusions on its head. Its entire body shimmered with a pale gold hue. Measuring around six meters, its powerful body generated massive waves. But what stood out the most was its astonishing speed!

Wang Xuan swiftly sidestepped, but the creature lunged out of the water, landing on the shore with a splash, its body radiating a soft golden glow. It aggressively lunged at Wang Xuan.

With a resonating thud, Wang Xuan, gauging the creature's strength, landed a solid kick, sending the creature rolling away and nearly fracturing one of its ribs.

He had quickly assessed the situation. While this creature was stronger than the genetically enhanced individual from earlier, it was still within the level of a Master and posed little threat to him.

"See? It's pretty ordinary," Wang Xuan remarked, "It's nowhere near a Master's level. In fact, it's two levels below a quasi-Master." Without hesitation, he lunged at the creature, pinning its head down and delivering a flurry of blows.

The creature appeared stunned. Who was this human? Despite being considerably smaller, Wang Xuan exhibited colossal strength, overpowering the creature with a fierceness it hadn't anticipated. It barely had time to process what was happening before Wang Xuan's relentless onslaught threatened to crush its skull.

"It's not some unique monster," Wang Xuan mused after his barrage, eyeing the now motionless creature. "Just a mutated alligator. It's miles away from a Master's level. Quite weak, really."