187: Chapter 187 The Overbearing and Unparalleled Guardian of the Wasteland!

Lu Chen and the Wasteland Guardian were already situated in a vast, boundless grassland.

The sky was an eerie emerald green, with soft light spilling down. Beneath their feet, lush green grass stretched to the horizon, and the air was thick with an unshakeably dense aura of life.

One could even hear the faint crackling sound of plants growing; it was a scene of vibrant vitality, tranquility, and peace.

However, beneath this tranquility, a hair-raising deathly silence surged.

"Gods Game: Ruins of Life — Act III: Life Ruins, Initiated!"

"Rules are as follows:"

"1. While in the Life Ruins, you will lose a fixed 1% of your maximum HP every second. (Life Drain)"

"2. Invading Monsters of life will be born endlessly throughout the Life Ruins, and their strength will increase with the duration of their survival. (Endless Beast Tide)"

"3. The only condition to clear: Kill the God of Life (True Form)! (Path of God-Slaying)"

Upon hearing the hint about the true form of the God of Life, Lu Chen and the Wasteland Guardian exchanged a glance, their eyes narrowing slightly.

"Kid Lu, it seems this level won't be easy! Are you confident?"

"Just as I intended! My god-slaying spear has long been famished and impatient!"

Lu Chen was not afraid in the slightest.

Lest one forget, he possessed three drops of the Three-Eyed Mother Goddess's divine essence blood in his hands, which could elevate the Rank and power of his god-slaying spear at any moment—this was one of his sources of confidence!

After the grandiose and cold voice of the rules faded, the peaceful wilderness suddenly began to boil!

"Roar—!" "Hiss—!" "Shriek—!"

Deafening roars erupted from all directions. The originally calm grassland churned as if boiling, and Invading Monsters with hideous forms, radiating the pressure of the Eighth Rank, burst forth from the ground!

There were [Humus Colossi] wrapped in thorns and dripping with corrosive slime!

There were [Swift Grass-Blade Leopards] as fast as lightning, with claws glinting with cold light!

There were [Devouring Demon Flowers] lurking underground, suddenly bursting forth to consume everything!

And there were [Spore-Cloud Flyers] that blotted out the sky, scattering lethal spores...

They were numerous in variety, with diverse attributes.

Even more alarming was that on the distant horizon, several shadows as massive as mountains slowly stood up. They were terrifying entities radiating the pressure of Eighth Rank World Lord BOSSes!

"Tsk, that old geezer is really willing to pay a high price."

The Wasteland Guardian chewed on a grass root, squinting as he surveyed this "grand" welcoming ceremony.

Lu Chen's gaze was icy; he did not hesitate in the slightest.

Roar! A Dragon's roar rose again, but it was not a transformation; it was a summon!

Great Green twisted its Dragon body and flew out, the might of the sacred Azure Dragon sweeping across the Life Ruins.

A ground torrent composed of millions of Iron-Armored Rhinos, Claw Wolves, and Sand Worms fiercely slammed into the vanguard of the Invading Monsters, sending flesh and blood flying instantly!

The aerial legion formed by Flame Falcons, Iron-Claw Eagles, and Thunderbirds engaged in a deadly struggle with the Spore-Cloud Flyers, weaving a web of death from flames, wind blades, and thunder!

Although the marine legion was restricted on the grassland, the Sting Jellyfish, Fissure Crabs, and Octo-Beasts, under Lu Chen's precise control, still unleashed slaughter in specific marshy areas!

Special tactical legions like the Ice-Burst Magic-Horned Ants, Abyss-Soul Rats, and Explosive-Stealth Poison-Abyss Spiders were like phantoms, weaving through the battlefield and bringing various lethal effects such as freezing, soul damage, and poison explosions!

The army of over sixty million beast pets, like a precise and violent war machine, instantly contained and pushed back the seemingly endless tide of Invading Monsters!

Great Green led the charge!

[Azure Dragon Divine Thunder: Thousand Spears] was like a storm of destruction. Wherever it passed, Invading Monsters were turned into charred remains in droves. It killed with fervor, sweeping its Dragon tail to blast a Swift Grass-Blade Leopard attempting a sneak attack into a sky full of blood mist.

"Hehehe, Kid Lu, it seems that Evil God of Life wants to exhaust us before appearing. To help you save time, I will go find its hiding spot, but the killing will be up to you!"

The Wasteland Guardian lazily stretched, and his slovenly, casual demeanor instantly vanished.

A terrifying aura, far more ancient and profound than Lu Chen's, as if connected to the Origin of all beasts, awakened with a roar from within his body like a dormant volcano!

Hum! Nine brilliant beams of light in different colors shot into the sky from behind him!

Within the beams of light, one could vaguely see the phantoms of nine King Beasts, each with a different form but all radiating the aura of primordial times, roaring at the sky!

Immediately following this, a scene that greatly surprised Lu Chen occurred.

The Wasteland Guardian's body did not expand, but those nine beast phantoms, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, instantly fused with his main body!

His eyes turned incandescent white, and spatial fluctuations surged continuously.

His fingers extended razor-sharp claws, radiating a Geng Metal Qi that could tear through anything!

A pair of antennae grew from his forehead, seemingly capable of perceiving everything!

His legs, with knotted muscles, were covered in earth-yellow rock armor; as he stepped on the ground, he seemed connected to the pulse of the entire Life Ruins!

Furthermore, profound runes flowed beneath his skin; these were the various innate abilities belonging to his other beast pets, perfectly blended and integrated into one!

Perfectly fused with nine major beast pets! Controlling all their abilities and skills!

This was the Wasteland Guardian's path!

This was the source of his seemingly lazy but actually unfathomable nature!

"Hehe, kid, you're stunned, right?"

The Wasteland Guardian twisted his neck, which popped loudly, and his voice carried a strange echo mixed with the roars of nine different beasts: "My [Beast Fusion] path is a bit different from your human-sea tactics, isn't it?"

Lu Chen was shocked beyond measure. He finally understood why the Wasteland Guardian could be the anchor of the Hunter Headquarters and why his strength was so weirdly powerful!

This was no longer merely the category of a Beast Tamer profession, but rather walking a unique path of Fusion!

At the same time, he developed unprecedented curiosity about the Wasteland Guardian's true identity.

What kind of past did this Senior have? And! How strong was his Beast Fusion path exactly? His strength was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface!

"No time to space out!"

The Wasteland Guardian laughed heartily, and with a movement of his legs, he vanished from the spot! [White Shadow Flowing Fish — Spatial Teleportation]!

His figure instantly blurred, like ink dissolving in water, and the next moment he appeared thousands of meters away, easily avoiding the encirclement of several Humus Colossi.

At the same time, he lowered his head, his feet firmly stepping on the ground. [Earth-Horned Ant — Earth Perception]!

Hum! An invisible ripple, centered on his feet, spread rapidly like a wave across the entire Life Ruins!

The two horns on his head connected with the perception of the earth, more powerful and direct than any insight!

Every inch of land in the Life Ruins, the trembling of every plant, the movement of every Invading Monster, and even the evil Origin hidden in the deepest depths that controlled everything... were all reflected in his mind.

Not long after, "Found you! You old geezer hiding your head and showing your tail!"

A sharp light exploded in the Wasteland Guardian's eyes, instantly locking onto the core of the Life Ruins—a source filled with decay and greed that was completely out of place with the other life energies!

He pointed in a certain direction, his voice piercing through the battlefield and clearly reaching Lu Chen's ears: "Kid Lu! In the southeast direction, three thousand li away, underneath that 'Life Lake' which looks the most lush and has the densest life aura, the Evil God of Life is hiding inside. It is constantly creating Invading Monsters and absorbing our leaking life force!"

"To capture the bandits, first capture their leader! I will go help you block those big guys and the endless small monsters, opening a path for you! The job of god-slaying, I leave to you!"

As soon as his voice fell, the Wasteland Guardian had already turned into a nine-colored stream of light and rushed out!

[War Stomp]! He stomped his foot down, and the Invading Monsters within a radius of several hundred meters in front of him were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, instantly turning into pulp!

[Underworld Fire Incineration]! He flicked one hand, and a long dragon of ink-green flames swept out, burning the Spore-Cloud Flyers in the sky until they shrieked and fell in droves.

[Giant Star Devour]! He opened his mouth and swallowed, and a huge black hole appeared out of thin air, sucking a distant Eighth Rank World Lord BOSS [Thorn Ancient Tree Venerable] that was trying to charge over, causing it to stumble forward and its offensive to fall into chaos.

The abilities of the nine major beast pets were at his fingertips, switching freely without any stagnation!

He alone was an invincible Beast Emperor legion that could sweep away an entire army!

He forcefully tore open a vacuum path leading to the southeast for Lu Chen amidst the endless tide of Invading Monsters!

Lu Chen looked at the Wasteland Guardian's overbearing back, and a sense of heroism surged in his chest, his blood boiling!

"Great Green! Number Four! Number Six! Follow me and charge! Other beast groups, provide full cover and block the Invading Monsters on both sides!"

"Roar!"

The Azure Dragon let out a long roar, carrying Lu Chen, and turned into a cyan lightning bolt, rushing straight towards the Life Lake three thousand li away along the path opened by the Wasteland Guardian!

The beast tide parted for it, and then surged and closed behind it.

The Life Lake was already right before their eyes, and the life energy, dense to the point of materialization, was almost suffocating.

Lu Chen stood at the head of the Azure Dragon, his eyes icy, his killing intent soaring to the heavens.

"God of Life, your trickery should come to an end!"

[Holy Spear: Oath of the End]! Lu Chen condensed the Forbidden Spell Holy Spear in his hand, its magnificent might beginning to tear apart this hypocritical paradise of life!