346: Chapter 346 The Gourmet's Respect, Flame Tornado

"Ugh—"

Not only was the target, Scorpion, stunned into silence, his shocked and angry interrogation cutting off abruptly...

Even Cheng Leyi and Lin Xuhao, who were taking shelter from the rain in the corner of the wall, gaped with wide eyes.

For a moment, neither of their brains could process what was happening, seriously doubting if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

This man wearing an evil ghost mask...

Did he... just now... voluntarily open his mouth and swallow that dirty water mixed with lethal poison?

The torrential rain poured down, washing over the dark and dead silent street.

In the middle of the street, that massive water sphere made of countless turbid liquids remained floating.

Inside the water sphere, Fang Cheng even smacked his lips and blew out a long stream of tiny bubbles.

Then, he let out a groan of near-satisfaction.

It was as if he had just tasted some peerless delicacy, his expression still lingering with a craving for more.

Then, under Scorpion's disbelieving gaze...

He actually opened his mouth again!

This time, the yellowish-brown poison seemed like tadpoles that had found their home, turning into trickles and scrambling to swim toward his gaping maw.

Like a giant whale swallowing water, Fang Cheng continuously sucked them into his stomach.

The Poison Resistance special effect inherited from his "Gourmet" skill displayed a jaw-droppingly terrifying effect at this moment.

The lethal poison—strong enough to corrode an ordinary person's internal organs—brought only a warm sensation as it entered Fang Cheng's stomach.

Immediately after, it was completely broken down by the surging azure True Qi inside him, turning into streams of pure nourishment that replenished his stamina.

One had to realize that Fang Cheng possessed a Physique attribute as high as 50 points, which already granted him Poison Resistance far beyond ordinary humans.

And on top of that base, through his Qigong special effect, his resistance to toxic substances was boosted by another 120%.

This was equivalent to obtaining the Heaven-Defying Poison Resistance of a 110-point Physique attribute.

[Qigong EXP +1]

[Qigong EXP +1]

[You consumed a highly nourishing substance. Physique attribute +0.001.]

[You consumed a highly nourishing substance. Physique attribute +0.001.]

...

Several clear notification messages quietly floated before his eyes.

Fang Cheng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately inspected his internal state.

Inside his Dantian, the vast blue ocean was bubbling, its water temperature rising steadily.

The water level symbolizing his total True Qi actually rose a bit because of this.

Although the increase was tiny and not very significant, it was already a pleasant surprise.

After all, back when he had sat in Meditation in the trench of Yongan Island, absorbing energy radiation from ancient biological remains...

In terms of Cultivation efficiency, it was only a notch better than this.

To efficiently replenish True Qi and even increase his Physique attribute just through daily consumption...

This was an unprecedented experience for him.

With a little thought, Fang Cheng understood the principle behind it.

This special secretion from Scorpion's body was essentially a highly active biological enzyme.

And the main component of so-called "biological enzymes" was actually the human body's most crucial nutrient and the primary bearer of life activities—protein.

Fang Cheng roughly estimated.

The protein content of this stuff was probably dozens of times higher than that of top-grade beef.

Facing such a "highly nutritious" top-tier ingredient, any nitpicking would be a desecration and insult.

Therefore, as a Gourmet, to show the utmost respect...

Fang Cheng licked his lips and decided to let go and feast to his heart's content.

Opening his mouth, he sucked all the remaining viscous "nectar" into his mouth like a whale swallowing water.

Swallowing, circulating, breaking down, absorbing, refining...

The entire eating process was done in one smooth, uninterrupted motion.

His complete pose of enjoyment deeply stung Scorpion's nerves.

It felt as if he had painstakingly prepared a trap to slaughter his opponent...

Only for the opponent to not only jump in voluntarily, but also take a bath while treating him as a snack to go with drinks.

That's right!

Right now, he was that dish!

In a sense, this masked pervert was currently devouring his flesh and blood alive!

Seeing the refined essence secreted by his body being continuously devoured, Scorpion finally felt panic.

He wanted to release the water prison immediately, but he feared that once this monster broke free, he would use those terrifying fists to blow him up again.

"Good, good! You like to eat, don't you?"

"Then I'll let you eat your fill and burst your monster stomach!"

The head emerging from the surface of the water sphere had features wildly distorted by rage as it let out a hysterical roar.

It opened its mouth wide, and massive surges of murky liquid instantly gushed out.

Mixed within were poisons of even more colors.

Besides the previous yellowish-brown mucus, there was also a bizarre pink mist and an ink-thick black liquid.

This was precisely the terror of Scorpion's ability.

Besides manipulating water currents, liquefying his entire body, and moving without a trace, he also possessed a natural resistance to poisons.

This allowed him to ingest large quantities of potent poisons beforehand.

And after turning into a water man, he could use rainwater as a medium to stealthily release these deadly substances.

This pink water mist was the hallucinogen he released, used to daze enemies and silently affect their senses.

Earlier, Cheng Leyi had been dazed and lost her sense of direction because she fell for this move.

And that black poison, once combined with the yellow mucus produced when Scorpion liquefied himself, raised its toxicity and corrosiveness to a terrifying new level.

At this moment, Scorpion threw caution to the wind, releasing all the venom stored in his body without reservation and injecting every bit into the water prison.

He appreciated his masterpiece morbidly and explained insanely:

"The 'Soul-Confusing Incense' I released is a super-potent hallucinogen that can instantly paralyze your nerves, leave your limbs powerless, and turn your brain into mush!"

"And this black 'Bone-Corroding Maggot', a single drop can poison an adult elephant to death! It's my trump card treasure!"

"As for the yellow mucus you experienced earlier, that is the very essence of my venom, capable of robbing your internal organs and muscles of moisture, rotting you rapidly from the inside out!"

"Under my triple lethal poisons, let's see how long you can resist!"

"Hehehehe... I'll make sure you thoroughly enjoy this banquet of death!"

As he spoke, the entire water prison quickly turned into a pure black sphere emitting an ominous aura.

Fang Cheng's figure wrapped inside could no longer be seen.

Such a dose of terrifying venom made both Cheng Leyi and Lin Xuhao tremble with fear.

They began to genuinely worry for that man.

If White Owl really died of poisoning or lost his combat ability here...

Then next, it would be their turn to face this completely crazed venom monster.

The massive black water sphere trembled slightly, ripples fanning out across its surface.

It seemed as though the prey trapped deep inside was making a final struggle, trying to break free.

"Struggle all you want, it's all in vain anyway!"

Scorpion's voice echoed in the rainy night, filled with morbid confidence.

"This street is a hunting Domain carefully constructed by me—it is my world!"

"As long as this rain keeps falling, I possess endless, inexhaustible power!"

"Daring to oppose me means opposing the entire world!"

Crack—!

As if to prove his wild claims, thunder boomed in the sky, and a stark white streak of lightning flashed across, tearing through the night curtain.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, showing signs of turning into a torrential downpour.

The dense darkness seemed as though it would completely swallow this isolated block.

The surface of that huge black water sphere even began to emit wisps of white smoke due to the extreme corrosiveness of the lethal poisons.

Cheng Leyi tightly pinched the hem of her skirt, her heart seeming to sink into the water along with it, making it hard to breathe.

"Hiss, the toxicity is too strong, it's actually smoking..."

Lin Xuhao gasped, his face turning pale. "Looks like White Owl is dead meat."

However...

Just when both thought everything was coming to an end, a sudden change occurred!

The "white smoke" rising from the water sphere's surface seemed to grow thicker and more exaggerated.

It didn't look at all like the effect produced by corrosive substances; it looked more like... the water was being boiled.

Countless bubbles churned up from within the water sphere, and the entire globe twisted and expanded violently.

Scorpion's clamor cut off abruptly, replaced by a panic-stricken scream:

"What's going on? Why... why is it so hot?!"

Sizzle—!

A spark of red-gold flame suddenly shot out from the pure black water prison.

Like the first bright star in the dark night.

Followed immediately by a second, then a third...

Countless dazzling golden light arrows seemed ready to pierce night itself, instantly riddling the water prison with holes and illuminating the entire street in a bright red glow.

Rumble—!

Before Cheng Leyi and Lin Xuhao could snap back to reality, the water prison blew apart with a roar.

The combination of intense heat and pressure was like a bomb dropping.

Boiling steam and towering water waves turned into a destructive shockwave that swept in all directions with a deafening roar.

"Aaargh—!"

Scorpion uttered what was perhaps the most tragic shriek of his entire existence.

In the bursting spray, the outline of a black water man stumbled backward repeatedly.

Nearly half of his liquid body was completely evaporated the moment it touched the flames, suffering unprecedented heavy damage.

At the same time, right in the center of the flame explosion, a figure slowly walked out.

The raincoat on his body had long turned to ash, leaving only the white evil ghost mask on his face surviving in the raging flames, looking all the more hideous.

Red-gold flames licked his bronze skin like living creatures, outlining sculpted, perfect, and magnificent muscle lines.

Every inch was filled with a truly explosive sense of power.

He was stark naked, his muscles bulging, unreservedly revealing the most primitive masculine charm.

He was like a God of War stepping out from the fires of Hell.

Seeing this scene, Cheng Leyi missed half a breath.

By the time she snapped back, her cheeks instantly turned crimson.

She wanted to turn her head away, but her gaze seemed glued to him, unable to stop staring at that body full of masculine aura.

"Holy crap..."

Beside her, Lin Xuhao also swallowed hard and praised from the bottom of his heart:

"This Physique, these muscles... it's too perfect! If I could give them a hard squeeze, how awesome would that be..."

Hearing this, Cheng Leyi's cheeks turned even redder, and she glared at him fiercely.

As if scolding him furiously: *Mind your image, you're a freaking man.*

Fang Cheng didn't notice the little thoughts of the two onlookers.

His eyes burning with fire seemed capable of igniting the air, firmly locking onto the black humanoid outline in the distance.

"Game over."

Before his voice died away, he suddenly moved.

With a step forward, the asphalt pavement beneath his feet cracked instantly.

His entire body turned into a red streak of light tearing through the rain curtain, bursting instantly before that black figure that was wriggling and attempting to reassemble.

It seemed he had been waiting precisely for the moment Scorpion exhausted all his trump cards to deliver the heaviest, fatal blow.

Bang!

A straight punch without any trickery directly blew apart the half-formed body Scorpion had just condensed!

Black liquid mixed with rainwater and steam splashed in all directions.

It even made a "sizzle" sound under the searing heat of the flames.

In the blink of an eye, drawing upon the liquid replenished by the heavy rain, Scorpion's body recovered its basic outline once more.

But Fang Cheng had foreseen it. Attacks followed in quick succession, blowing him apart yet again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every punch and every kick carried red flames that could incinerate all things.

A ferocious hook punch shattered Scorpion's head into a spray of water.

A tricky elbow strike drove upward from below, ripping open its entire chest.

A fierce knee strike, like a siege ram, blasted a massive hole in its waist!

Scorpion was completely panicked.

Before absolute strength and speed, the abilities he prided himself on seemed like a joke, reducing him to a punching bag taking blows passively.

He let out a muffled shriek, wanting to repeat his old trick and turn into liquid to flee.

However, his body, dyed pure black by toxins, was far too conspicuous a target under the glow of the firelight.

Moreover, Fang Cheng was much faster than him, sticking to him like a shadow and giving him no room to breathe at all.

Cheng Leyi and Lin Xuhao were thoroughly dumbfounded.

This was no longer a fight.

It was a one-sided, utterly brutal massacre.

That masked man seemed to be using this venom monster to demonstrate to them the art of fighting, the pure aesthetics of violence.

"Ah—!"

Scorpion shrieked as Fang Cheng kicked him viciously into midair with a powerful whip kick.

Then, Fang Cheng's crimson gaze flickered slightly.

The muscles in his legs bulged as he slammed his feet into the ground.

Crack—!

The asphalt road beneath his feet instantly caved in, blowing open a web of cracks!

His entire body shot skyward like a cannonball, instantly reaching the same height as Scorpion in midair.

The two met eye-to-eye.

Fang Cheng's gaze was like burning lava, fierce and violent.

On Scorpion's liquid facial features, only endless terror remained.

"You..."

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to beg for mercy.

But it was too late.

In the next instant, Fang Cheng's arms turned into countless blurred red punch shadows.

Bang-bang-bang-bang— Bang-bang-bang-bang—!

The airtight barrage of punches was like ten thousand heavy hammers wildly beating drums, sonic booms merging together into a deafening roar!

They were no longer fists, but a burning hurricane, several roaring Fire Dragons!

The terrifying pressure of his fists instantly swept away the surrounding rainwater.

The bursting firelight even completely illuminated the dark street at this moment!

Scorpion's black liquid body violently convulsed, collapsed, and evaporated amidst the tempestuous shadows of flaming fists!

His volume shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye; he terrifiedly wanted to roar, yet could not even produce a single syllable.

Ultimately, his abilities were completely exhausted, and he was forced back into his original naked human form in midair.

Just as both their bodies were about to plummet downward...

Awaiting him was the finishing blow that gathered all of Fang Cheng's power.

BOOM!!!

A violent flame tornado roared past.

The man's true body, along with the expression of utter despair on his face, was completely blown to bits by Fang Cheng's fist.

A torrential rain of blood mixed with shredded flesh and bone fragments bloomed brilliantly in the red glow of the unextinguished firelight.

In the bloody rain, sparks shot in all directions, dazzling like fireworks.

A magnificent body descended from the sky, feet landing heavily on the ground, standing firm and unshakeable. (End of Chapter)