176: Chapter 176 The Level 8 one's here? That's great!

Every punch from the Lava Demon Ape made his bones harder.

Every scorching of the magma made his skin thicker.

Every impact increased the Tenacity of his internal organs.

But at the same time.

The Lava Demon Ape's condition was rapidly deteriorating.

The 300% true damage reflection from the Thorn Armor was no joke.

After thirty punches, it had suffered the damage of ninety punches itself.

The joints in both of its hands were completely shattered.

Its ten fingers were already deformed.

Most of the fur on its palms had fallen off, revealing the grayish-white bones underneath.

The cumulative effect of Soul Shock made its movements slower and more sluggish.

The thirty-fifth punch.

The Lava Demon Ape's right hand finally couldn't hold on any longer.

"Crack!"

Its right wrist snapped.

The entire giant hand broke off at the wrist and slammed onto the ground.

"Awooo!"

The Lava Demon Ape let out a shrill howl and retreated several steps while clutching its broken wrist.

Lin Fan opened his eyes.

"Why did you stop again?"

"You still have another hand!"

"Using your feet works too!"

"Big brother, don't be like this, I haven't had my fill yet!"

Three hundred meters away.

Mu Qing leaned behind a rock, unable to speak.

She had led thirty-seven teams into this volcano.

The strongest team among them, consisting of five Level 5 Peak Martial Kings, had been completely wiped out when they charged into the core area.

And Lin Fan.

Was alone.

Shirtless.

Standing still.

Beating a Level 7 mid-tier beast until its hands and feet were broken.

No, that wasn't him beating it.

It was the beast beating him, and then crippling itself.

Mu Qing opened her mouth.

She wanted to ask one question.

Is this even human?

Then her communicator rang.

It was the encrypted channel of the Martial Arts Association headquarters.

Mu Qing answered.

A deep voice came from the other side.

"Mu Qing, the biological reaction monitoring system in the core area of the Thunder Prison Volcano just issued an alert."

"The thing in the core area has awakened."

"Data shows it is moving in your direction."

Mu Qing's expression changed instantly.

The core area.

That unknown creature suspected to be Level 8.

It had awakened.

And it was coming this way.

Mu Qing's hand gripping the communicator tightened slightly.

"What about its movement speed?"

"The currently monitored displacement rate is about three hundred meters per minute, heading toward your coordinates, and it is expected to arrive in twenty-five minutes."

"Has the level been confirmed?"

"According to the temperature field data deduction, the instantaneous peak in the core area is twelve thousand degrees, and the biological energy fluctuation intensity is more than three times that of a Level 7 beast."

"Level 8."

The other side paused for a second.

"At least Level 8 initial stage, and higher possibilities cannot be ruled out. The Association advises you to evacuate immediately."

Mu Qing hung up the communication.

She glanced ahead.

Lin Fan was still dealing with that Lava Demon Ape that had lost one hand.

To be precise, it wasn't dealing with it.

He was chasing it and beating it.

No, that wasn't beating it either.

He was chasing it, begging to be beaten.

The Lava Demon Ape had already lost its temper from being tortured by the rebound damage of the Thorn Armor; it kept retreating while clutching its broken wrist, its blood-red giant eyes filled with fear.

A Level 7 mid-tier beast was being chased all over the place by a human.

And that human was still shouting behind it.

"Why are you running! You still have another hand!"

"You can kick me with your foot!"

"Big brother, don't leave, we aren't finished yet!"

Mu Qing took a deep breath and then started rushing towards Lin Fan.

She had to notify him to evacuate in the shortest possible time.

A Level 8 beast.

That was a completely different concept.

The gap between Level 7 and Level 8 was not just a matter of one or two levels.

It was a qualitative change.

A single Level 8 beast could easily slaughter ten Level 7 beasts.

Even if Lin Fan's Defense was monstrous, Mu Qing didn't dare to bet on it.

When she ran to a position one hundred meters away from Lin Fan, she shouted loudly.

"Lin Fan! The thing in the core area has awakened! It's coming towards us! Twenty-five minutes! We must evacuate!"

Lin Fan was chasing the Lava Demon Ape; hearing this, his footsteps paused for a moment.

Then he turned his head.

The expression on his face was not fear.

Not nervousness.

It was pleasant surprise.

"Level 8?"

"Coming towards us?"

"Really?"

Mu Qing was so anxious her voice went hoarse, "It's true! The Association monitoring system confirmed it! The energy fluctuation is more than three times that of a Level 7! At least Level 8 initial stage! You hurry and take the people to evacuate!"

Lin Fan stood in place, the smile on his face growing wider.

He looked back at the Lava Demon Ape that was shivering while clutching its broken wrist.

Level 7 mid-tier.

One punch gave over eighty points of Defense.

Ultimate move was one hundred and fifty points.

It was already quite good.

But if it was Level 8...

He roughly calculated.

A full-force strike from a Level 7 beast gave him over eighty points of Defense.

The attack power of a Level 8 beast was at least three to five times that of a Level 7.

That meant starting from two or three hundred points.

Ultimate move wouldn't be a problem at five or six hundred points.

If he could continue to take hits...

"Mu Qing!" Lin Fan suddenly spoke up.

"What?"

"Let this Level 7 one go for now, I'm going to welcome the Level 8 one!"

Mu Qing was stunned.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm going to welcome that Level 8 one," Lin Fan's tone was matter-of-fact, "You take those two and retreat, find a safe place to wait."

"Are you crazy?" Mu Qing's voice went up an octave.

"That's Level 8! A Level 8 beast!"

"Oh, I know."

"You know and you're still going?"

"It's precisely because I know that I'm going," Lin Fan spread his hands, "A Level 8 punch is worth five Level 7 punches; the efficiency is high."

Mu Qing opened her mouth, then closed it again.

She didn't know how to refute it.

Because this person's thought process was completely on a different channel from a normal human's.

A normal person encountering a Level 8 beast: Run.

This person encountering a Level 8 beast: Charge.

A normal person hearing "at least Level 8 initial stage": Despair.

This person hearing "at least Level 8 initial stage": Excitement.

How can you reason with a person like this?

Mu Qing gritted her teeth, "The Association's order is to evacuate."

"That's an order for you," Lin Fan smiled, "Not for me. I'm not a member of the Association."

"You!"

"Rest assured, if I can't beat it, I'll run."

"You'll run?"

"Fine, if I can't beat it, I won't run either," Lin Fan was honest for a second, "But if something really happens, the Principal will come to fish me out."

Mu Qing was stunned for a moment.

The Principal?

Was he talking about the Principal of Modu Martial Arts University?

The Level 7 Martial Emperor Luo Sha?

She didn't have time to think more, as Lin Fan had already turned and walked towards Xia Wanqiu and Murong Yan.

The two women were standing on a protruding rock one kilometer behind, watching from afar.

Lin Fan walked up to them, the smile on his face fading.

"The thing in the core area has awakened and is coming this way. It's Level 8."

Xia Wanqiu's expression changed slightly.

Murong Yan didn't have much of an expression, but her hand instinctively reached for the long sword at her waist.

"You're going to fight it?" Xia Wanqiu's tone was very calm.

"Yeah."

"Remember to call us when you're done."

Lin Fan raised an eyebrow, "You're not going to persuade me?"

"Is persuading you useful?" Xia Wanqiu rolled her eyes, "From the time I met you until now, when have you ever listened to anyone's advice?"

"That's true."

Murong Yan crossed her arms, "Are your pants still okay?"

Lin Fan looked down.

The pant leg was burned short, but the critical parts were still covered.

"It's fine, it'll do."

"If you come out naked again this time," the corner of Murong Yan's mouth curled up, "I'll take a picture and send it to the school group chat."

"You wouldn't."

"Are you sure?"

"...Not sure."

Lin Fan cleared his throat, "Anyway, you guys follow Mu Qing and retreat, go back to a safe distance and wait. This opponent is different; you won't be able to withstand the aftermath."

Xia Wanqiu nodded, "The communicator will be on."

"No problem."

Lin Fan turned around.

In front of him was a vast lava plain.

In the distance, in the direction of the volcano's core area, the ground was vibrating slightly.

The frequency was getting faster and faster.

The interval was getting shorter and shorter.

Something was moving in this direction from deep underground.

And the speed was increasing.

Lin Fan stood in place and stretched his neck.

He could feel an increasingly intense sense of oppression.

It was different from all the beasts he had fought before.

The Abyss Bone King was cold and sinister.

The Nine-Headed Nether Serpent was evil.

And this one was purely violent.

Scorching, berserk, and destructive violence.

The air temperature was soaring.

Three thousand five hundred.

Four thousand.

Four thousand five hundred.

Five thousand.

A layer of golden luster appeared on the surface of Lin Fan's skin; that was the instinctive defensive reaction of the Indestructible Divine Body.

"Good grief, the temperature reached five thousand before it even showed its face."

He flexed his fingers.

"Interesting."

The vibration of the ground became more and more intense, rocks under his feet began to show The Rift, and scorching magma gushed out from The Rift.

Then, at a position about five hundred meters in front of Lin Fan, the ground exploded.

A huge, pitch-black horn pierced out from the ground.

The surface of the horn was covered with flowing golden-red magma patterns, emitting a terrifying high temperature.

Immediately after, a second horn.

Then a huge head.

A pair of golden vertical pupils.

A giant mouth filled with sharp teeth.

The moment its entire body rushed out from the ground, the ground within a radius of three hundred meters collapsed, and magma gushed out from underground, forming a massive lava lake.

That thing stood in the very center of the lava lake.

On all fours.

Dragon head, snake body.

Its entire body was covered with dark golden scales, with magma flowing in the gaps between the scales.

A row of sharp bone spurs stood on its back, each one over ten meters long.

Its tail dragged behind it, with golden flames burning at the tip.

Body size.

Thirty meters.

In the distance, Mu Qing, who had already retreated two kilometers, saw that figure, and the color drained from her face instantly.

She pressed the communicator with trembling hands.

"Association Headquarters... the target has appeared..."

"It's not Level 8 initial stage."

Her voice was shaking.

"It is... the Flame Ancient Dragon."

"Level 8 mid-tier."

"Ancient species."

The other side of the communicator was silent for three seconds.

"Evacuate immediately. Everyone."

"There is one person who refuses to evacuate."

"Who?"

"Lin Fan."

The other side of the communicator was silent again.

This time even longer.

Five hundred meters away.

Lin Fan looked up at the thirty-meter-tall Flame Ancient Dragon.

It looked down at him.

A tiny human was reflected in its golden vertical pupils.

The surrounding temperature had soared to over eight thousand degrees.

The air was burning.

Lin Fan grinned.

"Level 8 mid-tier? Ancient species?"

"This isn't just experience, this is an experience mine."

He took out a megaphone from his space ring.

"Buddy! Hello!"

"I'm Lin Fan!"

"I heard you're the boss of this volcano?"

"Let's make a deal."

"How about you scratch an itch for me?"

The Flame Ancient Dragon's golden vertical pupils contracted slightly.

Then it opened its mouth.

A ball of golden flame, concentrated to the extreme, condensed deep in its throat.

The temperature instantly exceeded ten thousand degrees.

Lin Fan's golden light film automatically thickened by a layer.

The system popped up a notification in his mind.

[Ultra-high-level threat detected! It is recommended that the host activate all defensive passives!]

Lin Fan ignored the system's suggestion.

He turned the volume of the megaphone to the maximum.

"Come on! You've already opened your mouth!"

"Don't be hesitant!"

"Spit it all out in one breath!"

"I'm waiting!"

The Flame Ancient Dragon's mouth opened to its widest.

Golden flames gushed out from its throat!