NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 140
The Black Mist Zone was a desolate expanse, devoid of roads and paved paths. The military vehicle lurched and rattled as it navigated the treacherous terrain, sending tremors through its occupants. Lolita, unused to such rough travel, paled with the onset of motion sickness.
However, her discomfort soon gave way to a different kind of unease. In the distance, dozens of pairs of glowing green eyes emerged from the darkness, fixated on the approaching vehicle. Maggie and Bai Tianyu's warnings echoed in Lu Ming's mind - the Black Mist Zone was teeming with danger. Zombies, demons, and grotesque creatures lurked in every shadow, but the most numerous threat were the exotic beasts.
Unbeknownst to Lu Ming and his companions, they had inadvertently trespassed into the territory of a powerful overlord - the ancient ancestor of the Six-Legged Wolf Bears. This vast expanse was their hunting ground, and the arrival of these outsiders was viewed as an intrusion, perhaps even a potential feast.
The stage was set for a confrontation, a clash between the intruders and the guardians of this desolate realm.
Bear Mountain, a towering monolith at the heart of the Six-Legged Wolf Bears' domain, served as the throne of their ancient ancestor. While the individual Wolf Bears were not particularly strong, comparable to jackals in the natural world, the Black Mist Zone's mysterious energies had imbued them with unforeseen potential.
The Wolf Bear ancestor was a prime example of this phenomenon. Born with an exceptional affinity for the zone's mystical forces, it had far surpassed its brethren in strength and intellect. While most adult Wolf Bears reached Tier 4, with a few attaining Tier 5, the ancestor had ascended to the formidable Tier 7 upon reaching maturity.
Its immense power granted it a long life, and with it came even greater strength and intelligence, rivaling that of a superbeast. While ordinary Wolf Bears possessed the intelligence of a clever dog, the ancestor was capable of complex thought, information gathering, and strategic planning, much like a human.
At this moment, the colossal ancestor stood atop Bear Mountain, a behemoth ten meters wide and nearly fifty meters long. Its eyes, sharp and filled with vitality, surveyed its territory with the confidence of a creature at the peak of its power. The Black Mist Zone was its domain, and it ruled with an iron paw.
With a commanding howl, the Wolf Bear ancestor surveyed its domain, its keen intellect processing a wealth of knowledge gathered over its long lifespan. "Howl!" it roared, a primal declaration echoing through the mountains. "The arrival of this new wave of Tribulation survivors presents a unique opportunity for us!"
The ancestor's wisdom had revealed a hidden truth: the Black Mist Zone, a place of danger and mystery, was also a land of immense potential for growth. When the Black Mist first fractured, revealing the path to Nanxiang City, the ancestor recognized the chance to elevate its tribe. However, an invisible barrier prevented high-level creatures like itself from entering this "newbie village."
Undeterred, the ancestor dispatched its warriors to explore Nanxiang, hoping to gain a foothold in this new world. But its hopes were dashed when its subordinates, driven by their insatiable hunger, met their demise at the hands of a formidable human named Lu Ming and a monstrous entity known as the Blood Flesh Mother Tree. Only a few stragglers managed to return, bearing valuable intel about the dangers and opportunities that lay within Nanxiang City.
Now, as the ancestor gazed upon its domain, one of these survivors stood beside it, a living testament to the trials and tribulations that awaited those who dared to venture into the unknown.
A guttural howl echoed across the desolate landscape as the Wolf Bear ancestor communicated with its surviving scout. "Howl!" it inquired, seeking an assessment of their potential prey's strength.
The response came as another howl, conveying a simple message: "Ancestor, they're not very strong..."
Of course, they weren't. The Wolf Bears who had encountered true power in Nanxiang City had met a grim fate, leaving only the weaker members to return with their limited observations.
The ancestor, however, remained undeterred. The intelligence gathered from its scouts indicated that the first generation of Tribulation survivors posed little threat. Its keen eyesight pierced through the engulfing Black Mist, revealing figures emerging within its territory. The prey had arrived.
A savage grin spread across the ancestor's face, its features contorted into a mask of predatory excitement. "Howl!" it commanded, its voice booming through the mountains. "Didn't those whelps mention establishing a base in Barren City?"
The answering howls confirmed the information. With a sense of anticipation, the Bear Mountain ancestor descended from its lofty perch, striding purposefully towards the ancient city ruins. Its gait was leisurely, exuding the confidence of a seasoned predator about to claim its prize. Behind it, a legion of Six-Legged Wolf Bears emerged from the mountain's crevices, following their leader towards the inevitable confrontation.
"Tribulationists, eat them, and power up!" The words echoed through the air, though their meaning was lost on the intended audience. The Six-legged Wolf Bears, driven by primal instincts rather than intellectual comprehension, only grasped the concepts of "eat" and "power up." With a surge of eagerness, they lunged forward, a ravenous pack hungry for an easy meal.
Lu Ming, the target of their misguided enthusiasm, could only sense the stench of their approach, a fishy wind whipping against his face. He watched as dozens of the creatures, seemingly led by a few that were slightly more cunning than the rest, launched a coordinated attack. Within moments, the leading Wolf Bear was upon him, its fangs bared and claws outstretched, a terrifying image of predatory intent.
The beast lunged, aiming for Lu Ming's throat with the intention of ending the confrontation in a single, decisive bite. But its advance was abruptly halted. Lu Ming's fist, moving with a speed that defied perception, connected with the creature's snout. A deafening boom reverberated through the air, followed by a visible shockwave that rippled outward in a crescent shape. The Wolf Bear's fate was sealed.
Inside a nearby car, three women had a clear view of the encounter. Though they missed the precise moment of Lu Ming's punch, the resulting explosion and the subsequent shockwave were impossible to ignore. Their eyes widened in astonishment as they witnessed the raw power displayed before them.
The aftermath of Lu Ming's punch was a gruesome display of power. The crescent-shaped shockwave, resembling a saber's qi, tore through the charging Wolf Bears with devastating precision. It was the manifestation of Lu Ming's mastery of the Explosive Fist, a martial art technique honed to perfection.
The first Wolf Bear, mere moments away from sinking its teeth into Lu Ming's flesh, was reduced to a bloody mist in an instant. The unyielding force continued its trajectory, undeterred by the grisly carnage it left in its wake. The second and third Wolf Bears met the same gruesome fate, their bodies disintegrating upon contact with the shockwave.
The destructive path of the punch resembled the relentless advance of a bulldozer, clearing everything in its path. Trees were uprooted, rocks were pulverized, and the earth itself was scarred by the sheer force of the attack. The shockwave finally dissipated nearly a hundred meters away, culminating in a thunderous explosion that rattled the military vehicle where the three women sat, their faces pale with a mixture of awe and horror.
Lu Ming surveyed the scene before him, the ground littered with the remains of the Wolf Bears. A sheepish expression crossed his face as he scratched his head. "I used too much force," he muttered, a hint of regret in his voice. The irony of the situation was not lost on him. These creatures, once potential sources of sustenance, were now nothing more than a pile of shredded meat.