38: Her Majesty the Queen was attacked

Li Ao's figure sped along the official road, not heading straight for the Imperial Capital, but instead moving like a phantom, traversing remote areas where the System had scanned abnormal energy fluctuations or special medicinal ingredients.

The power of the second stage of the Black Iron Hegemon Body surged endlessly within him, and every heartbeat pumped out blood Qi as hot as magma.

He needed battle, he needed resources, and he needed to temper himself to the Peak before the coming storm truly erupted!

Three days later, a mountain range shrouded in light purple poisonous miasma appeared before him.

The Poison Miasma Mountain Range, bordering the Izumo Empire and the Jia Ma Empire!

According to Medusa, the Seven-Colored Illusionary Spirit Saliva might be incubating there.

Li Ao plunged into the poisonous miasma without hesitation a place sufficient to deter a Great Dou Master.

The Black Iron Hegemon Body circulated, his pores closed, and his dark black iron skin isolated the corrosive poisonous Qi outside.

It even faintly crushed and absorbed the toxic particles within, converting them into a trace of weak nourishment for tempering his Physical Body.

Deep in the mountains, venomous insects were everywhere and strange Vicious Beasts lurked.

Li Ao was like a fierce tiger charging into a flock of sheep.

Although his refined steel long blade remained sheathed, his fists, fingers, elbows, and knees all became lethal weapons.

The Concept of Furious Wind Quick Blade was integrated into his every move, and each strike carried a scream that tore the air.

A Six-Winged Purple Centipede, equivalent to a Five-Star Dou Ling, had its venom sac split open by his hand blade; a swarm of Bone-Rotting Ants, capable of poisoning a Dou Wang to death, was shattered into dust by the dark black iron Qi aura that erupted around him!

He was not killing aimlessly.

The System's scan was fully active, accurately searching for places where energy converged.

Finally, at the bottom of a poisonous pool, he discovered a Seven-Colored Illusionary Spirit Saliva plant that was about to mature!

Guarding it was a Jade-Scaled Poison Toad whose strength was comparable to an Eight-Star Dou Ling!

There was no nonsense, only the most primal fight to the death!

Li Ao exchanged injuries for victory, enduring the toad's venom that was potent enough to corrode Dou Qi, shattering its head with a single punch, and taking the radiant spiritual plant.

Seven days later, he broke into an underground lava cave.

Relying on his keen perception of fire-attributed energy and the might of the Black Iron Hegemon Body, he fought a Fire Spirit Python in the boiling magma for an Earth fire lotus Seed.

In the end, he snatched the lotus seed at the cost of his left arm being burned to the bone.

Fifteen days later, he destroyed a secret Hall of Souls outpost located on the border, killed a low-level Soul Emissary, and through Soul searching, learned that the Hall of Souls was secretly searching for a certain "key" within the borders of the Jia Ma Empire, and also... that they seemed particularly "interested" in the Cloud Mist Sect.

Battle after bloody battle, time after time escaping death by a hair's breadth.

Li Ao was like a tireless killing machine.

His green robe was long ago soaked in blood and grime, obscuring its original color.

The torn areas revealed his dark black iron skin underneath, which constantly gained new injuries but healed at an astonishing speed.

His aura became increasingly refined and fierce through the slaughter and plunder.

In the depths of his dark black iron pupils, it was as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood were surging.

[Ding! The host has cumulatively killed 17 high-level Demonic Beasts, destroyed 1 Hall of Souls outpost, and obtained 3 types of rare medicinal ingredients.

The proficiency of Black Iron Hegemon Body has greatly increased.

35% more experience is needed to reach the Middle Stage of the second level.

System energy has recovered to 78%.]

On this day, he was meditating in a desolate valley, consolidating the gains of the past few days.

Suddenly, the sub-talisman in his arms, which corresponded to Medusa's quiet room jade talisman, transmitted an extremely faint but panicked fluctuation!

It was an emergency message from Elder Yin Shi!

Li Ao suddenly opened his eyes, his dark black iron pupils instantly contracting to the size of needle points!

He read the fragmented message full of despair within the jade talisman:

"Your Majesty... attacked... mysterious expert... space locked... we are powerless... request Young Master... return quickly..."

The message abruptly ended there!

Medusa attacked?!

Space locked?!

An unprecedented brutal killing intent erupted from the depths of Li Ao's heart like a dormant volcano!

The blood Qi around him boiled uncontrollably, and a dark black iron glow emanated from his body, compressing the surrounding air until it cracked!

He didn't hesitate, not even taking the time to treat his injuries.

His figure was like lightning tearing through space, heading in the direction of the Tagor Desert, pushing the Thunder Sound Steps to an unprecedented Peak!

His speed was so fast that it left behind a persistent sonic boom cloud.

Desert!

Outpost!

When he slammed down outside the outpost like a meteor, the sight before him caused his pupils to shrink sharply!

The entire outpost was completely enveloped by a massive, semi-transparent gray energy barrier!

Runes circulated on the barrier, emitting a heart-palpitating power of spatial confinement!

Inside the outpost, there was dead silence; no signs of life could be felt.

Only from the direction of the central stone house did faint, intense energy collision fluctuations emanate!

A powerful enemy had invaded!

And they had used spatial lockdown methods!

Their target was clearly Medusa!

"Seeking death!"

Li Ao's eyes were completely red.

Without any wasted words, and without even attempting to break the spatial barrier, he immediately clenched his fist.

The full power of the Black Iron Hegemon Body, mixed with the thread of refined "Nirvana" Rule Power, and the monstrous Evil Qi accumulated from days of slaughter, all converged upon his fist!

The dark black iron fist seemed to transform into a black hole that devoured light, and the surrounding air frantically collapsed inward!

"Open... for me!"

A roar like a primordial Vicious Beast shook the sandy sea!

He took a step, cracking the earth beneath his feet, and his fist, carrying the terrifying power to shatter mountains and rip apart the sky, fiercely slammed into the gray spatial barrier!

"Rumble—!!!!!!"

An indescribable loud noise exploded!

The spatial barrier, which was strong enough to trap a Dou Huang expert, groaned under the pressure the moment it made contact with Li Ao's fist, like ice struck by a massive rock!

Countless cracks instantly spread throughout the entire barrier, centered around the point of impact!

"Crack... Bang!!!"

The barrier shattered!

Like broken glass, it turned into specks of light filling the sky and vanished without a trace!

Li Ao's figure, like a God of Slaughter from Hell, stepped into the silent outpost!

His gaze instantly locked onto the central stone house!

The stone house had already largely collapsed.

Amidst the swirling dust, two figures were engaged in a fierce confrontation!

On one side was Medusa, whose mouth corners were bleeding, face was as pale as paper, and seven-colored eyes were dim yet still held unyielding pride!

Faint seven-colored energy and cyan flames lingered around her, she was clearly resisting desperately, but her aura had weakened to the extreme.

With every exchange, her delicate body trembled violently, and the spatial crack on her forehead faintly showed signs of expanding!

The other side was a mysterious person completely shrouded in distorted light and shadow, making their face indiscernible!

His aura was ethereal yet powerful, having clearly reached the level of a Three-Star Dou Huang!

His attacks were not pure Dou Qi, but carried a strange gray energy that seemed capable of corroding space and Soul!

It was this energy that had formed the previous spatial lockdown and was continuously eroding Medusa's Origin!

"Tsk tsk, worthy of being Queen Medusa.

To be able to hold out this long under this Emperor's hand, despite your Origin being damaged to this extent."

The mysterious person let out a hoarse, strange laugh, but his attacks grew even fiercer.

A stream of gray energy, like a venomous snake, cunningly stabbed toward Medusa's heart!

"Unfortunately, the Heavenly Flame inside you and this perfect Physical Body will both belong to this Emperor today!"

A flash of despair and determination crossed Medusa's seven-colored eyes.

She was about to detonate her remaining Origin recklessly—

"Your nonsense is still so excessive."

An extremely cold voice, like it originated from the frigid Hell of the Nine Nethers, suddenly rang out in the arena!

The mysterious person's inner alarm screamed wildly, and he abruptly turned his head!

What entered his sight was a pair of dark black iron pupils devoid of any human emotion, and a fist rapidly enlarging in his vision, wrapped in silver-gray air currents and crimson Evil Qi!

Fast!

Faster than thought!

The mysterious Dou Huang expert only had time to hastily condense the gray energy in front of him—

"Dong!!!"

It was like the battle drum of an ancient divine mountain being struck!

The fist and the gray energy collided fiercely!

There was no stalemate!

The gray energy, capable of corroding space, instantly collapsed the moment it touched Li Ao's fist, letting out a mournful sound of annihilation, like ice melting under the sun!

The momentum of the fist did not decrease, and it solidly struck the mysterious Dou Huang expert's chest!

"Pfft—!"

A teeth-jarring sound of cracking bones exploded!

The distorted light and shadow on the mysterious Dou Huang expert's face instantly scattered, revealing an aged face full of horror and disbelief!

He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, moving faster than he had arrived, crashing through several stone walls before slamming into the distant sand like a ragdoll.

Blood gushed from his mouth and nose like a fountain, and his chest was completely caved in!

One punch!

Just one punch!

A Three-Star Dou Huang, critically injured and near death!

Li Ao didn't even look at the mysterious person he had blasted away.

He took a step and was already beside the tottering Medusa, reaching out to support her cold, soft body.

"You..." Medusa looked at him, her seven-colored eyes filled with unspeakable complexity.

She was shocked by his terrifying increase in strength, and even more affected by the unconcealed, palpable killing intent and... concern... in his eyes at that moment.

Li Ao didn't speak.

He simply channeled a stream of pure, gentle energy, containing the Black Iron Hegemon Body's Origin vitality, continuously into her body, stabilizing her rapidly collapsing aura.

His gaze, however, swept over the ruins like the coldest blade.

"Rat hiding its head and showing its tail, get out here!"

He spoke coldly toward the Void Realm.

"Hehe... such keen perception, such tyrannical power..."

The Void Realm twisted, and a figure shrouded in a wide Black Robe, whose aura was deeper and more obscure than the previous mysterious Dou Huang expert, slowly emerged.

No energy fluctuations surrounded him, yet he seemed to be in Fusion with the surrounding space, giving the illusion of being untouchable.

Peak Dou Huang!

Or perhaps... Half-step Dou Zong?!

"I didn't expect to encounter a personage like Your Excellency in this barren land."

The Black Robed Man's voice was neutral and ethereal, making it impossible to discern his gender.

"This Seat is quite interested in this Queen Your Majesty.

I wonder if Your Excellency could grant me this convenience?"

Li Ao shielded the weakened Medusa behind him, his dark black iron pupils staring directly at the Black Robed Man: "Touch my person, die."

Those five short words carried a tragic killing intent like mountains of corpses and seas of blood, instantly dropping the surrounding temperature to freezing point!

The Black Robed Man was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options.

The scene of Li Ao heavily injuring a Three-Star Dou Huang with one punch just now made him feel a tremendous threat as well.

"It seems there is no room for negotiation."

The Black Robed Man sighed and slowly raised his hand.

As he moved, the surrounding space began to violently twist and fold.

An oppressive feeling, far more terrifying than the previous gray energy and seemingly capable of controlling the rules of this world, violently descended!

"In that case, then... please go to your death, Your Excellency."

Before he finished speaking, the space around Li Ao and Medusa seemed to transform into an invisible swamp, frantically squeezing and confining them!

At the same time, countless invisible spatial blades slashed toward them from all directions like a storm!

Spatial strangulation!

Strangulation!

This was a power that only a Dou Zong could initially control!

Facing this deadly situation, Li Ao's gaze remained icy.

He further shielded Medusa behind him, and the entirety of his power erupted!

The strength of the second stage of the Black Iron Hegemon Body was pushed to the extreme.

A dark black iron luster covered his whole body like a tangible armor, and the thread of "Nirvana" Rule Power became extremely active, forming a faint silver-gray halo on his skin!

He actually neither dodged nor retreated, intending to use his Physical Body to forcibly withstand the spatial strangulation!

"Boom boom boom boom—!"

Countless spatial blades hacked down onto Li Ao, producing a dense explosion like rain on banana leaves!

Sparks flew off his dark black iron skin, leaving streaks of white marks.

In some places, his skin was broken and bleeding!

But the power of the spatial strangulation was truly withstood by his incredibly ferocious Physical Body!

He stood firm like a massive rock in a rushing torrent!

Furthermore, under the frantic cutting of the spatial power, the Black Iron Hegemon Body power within him circulated even more violently, as if treating the strangulation as the best whetstone!

"How is that possible?!"

The Black Robed Man let out a voice of shock for the first time!

Forcibly withstanding spatial strangulation with his Physical Body?!

This was simply unheard of!

Just then, Li Ao moved!

Enduring the endless spatial blades, he took a step!

The Thunder Sound Steps exploded beneath his feet, and his figure seemed to Break through the spatial restraints, instantly appearing in front of the Black Robed Man!

His right hand clenched into a fist, no longer dark black iron, but transforming into a deep, pitch black that seemed capable of devouring everything!

Upon the fist, blood Qi, Evil Qi, the power of the Black Iron Hegemon Body, the "Nirvana" Rule... all powers perfectly merged and compressed at this moment!

Hegemon Fist—Return to Void Realm!

With one punch, all things entered Nirvana!

The Black Robed Man's pupils contracted sharply.

He sensed an unprecedented death crisis!

He frantically mobilized his spatial power, setting up layers upon layers of spatial barriers in front of him!

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

However, in the face of that Return to Void Realm punch, all the spatial barriers shattered layer by layer like they were made of paper!

The momentum of the fist did not decrease, directly smashing through the final defense and slamming into the Black Robed Man's chest!

There was no sound.

It was as if all sound had been devoured by that punch.

The Black Robed Man froze in place.

He looked down at the mirror-smooth hole in his chest that was clear through front to back, then looked up at Li Ao's dark black iron pupils, which were devoid of any emotion.

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately failed to utter a single word.

The next moment, his body, along with the Black Robe he wore, silently turned into flying ash like a weathered sand sculpture, dissipating into the air.

One punch, and a Half-step Dou Zong was annihilated!

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Only the desert wind, carrying sand, made a sobbing sound.

Li Ao slowly withdrew his fist, and the terrifying aura around him receded like a tide.

He turned and looked at Medusa behind him.

Medusa stared blankly at him, looking at the crisscrossing, bone-deep wounds on his body that were healing at a visible rate, looking at his pale yet still stern face, and looking at the heart-palpitating Return to Void Realm Concept that had not fully dissipated from his dark black iron pupils.

She opened her mouth, but found her throat too dry to utter any sound.

Before today, she thought she had sufficiently overestimated this human.

But only now did she understand that what she had seen was perhaps just the tip of the iceberg.

For her sake, he shattered a spatial barrier with one punch, heavily injured a Three-Star Dou Huang with one punch, and... annihilated a Half-step Dou Zong with one punch!