Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Great Battle with the Iron-Spined Beast (Second Update)

After only a few exchanges, swift as lightning, if Liang Jing hadn't gone through a night of slaughter that tempered his reflexes and agility, he would likely have been severely injured by now. The onlookers barely had time to react; Yang Yuyuan was even less able to step in and help, as his fireball spell required a certain amount of time to cast and attack.

Those few exchanges were fraught with danger and left Liang Jing's heart pounding faster, exhilarated by the clash of speed and strength. He relished this sensation—the thrill of battle! After an entire night of tempering, his body had become supple and responsive, allowing him to fully unleash his enhanced physical abilities.

In the past, despite possessing such formidable physical prowess, Liang Jing always found it difficult to bring out the full extent of his speed and strength. Achieving maximum effect required preparation and a buffer period, his muscles feeling somewhat stiff and uncooperative. It was never quite right, always a bit too slow—an error of a fraction could spell disaster or even death. Now, however, he moved with flexibility and ease; raising his hand or taking a step felt natural and effortless.

His knife technique, honed through a night of practical combat, had also become fluid—simple, direct, swift, and fierce. He could switch attacks instantly over short distances, the abrupt changes in speed catching his opponent off guard. If not for the steel-backed beast’s tough hide and formidable claws, his adversary would have already fallen.

...

The steel-backed beast stood with four thick, sturdy paws planted firmly, shifting its stance as it gripped the ground. Its low, guttural growls grew ever more deafening—it was enraged. The human before it had wounded its neck. Though such an injury was trivial for a beast of its caliber, it was a matter of pride. Since its mutation, it had become one of the strongest creatures in the area, with its own sense of dignity. Otherwise, those blood-crazed mutated monsters wouldn’t instinctively retreat at the sound of its howl.

Liang Jing's mood was equally sour; he felt no satisfaction at having wounded the steel-backed beast. When he struck, his sharp short knife met the beast’s neck, and he could clearly sense the stiffness of its fur and the resilience of its hide. No wonder it was renowned as the steel-backed beast—ordinary firearms could barely harm it now.

Bright red blood oozed from the beast’s neck wound; Liang Jing’s knife had barely cut a centimeter deep before it could go no further.

At present, no one could offer him any help, and his attacks barely hurt the beast. This battle would be hard-fought; one moment of carelessness could see him seriously injured, let alone the others. There were no hospitals for the gravely wounded these days—injury was almost as good as death.

Unless absolutely necessary, no one would willingly provoke such a mutated monster.

A piercing howl echoed from the steel-backed beast. Instead of charging straight ahead, its four paws suddenly pressed down, exerting force that sent tiles cracking beneath its weight. Its massive body leaped into the air, pouncing at Liang Jing.

“Courting death! Let’s see what fate awaits you this time!” The beast was astoundingly reckless, or perhaps simply contemptuous of Liang Jing’s attacks, intent on destroying him with the most savage, brutal force.

Liang Jing kicked up the corpse of a mutated spider from the ground, sending it flying like a catapult towards the beast. The steel-backed beast didn’t dodge in the slightest—only lowered its head a bit, and in midair smashed the spider’s body with its forehead, sending the corpse hurtling back towards Liang Jing’s original position.

Meanwhile, Liang Jing himself charged at the steel-backed beast right after kicking the spider’s corpse.

The beast, having dispatched the spider’s body, immediately turned its head, fangs bared, lunging at Liang Jing.

“Die!”

At that moment, Liang Jing’s muscles contracted violently. He spun with the agility of a mutated mosquito, nimbly dodging the beast’s fangs. As he spun, his short knife followed the momentum, striking out in a flash! The blade gleamed along an arc, accelerating again—a double burst of speed.

With a sharp, slicing sound, his lightning-fast spin brought the blade down precisely on the beast’s previous neck wound. Liang Jing distinctly felt the beast’s fur and hide offering much less resistance this time.

It was the perfect fusion of movement and technique—the hard-earned fruit of last night’s efforts.

Bright red blood gushed out, Liang Jing’s blade sinking five centimeters deep before it hit something hard and halted.

The steel-backed beast roared madly, swinging its head and lunging at Liang Jing, its right forepaw slashing out as well.

Grievously wounded, the beast grew even more frenzied!

...

The spectators almost felt as if they were watching a movie—a battle between Ultraman and an alien monster, once only seen on screen, now unfolding live before their eyes.

When they saw Liang Jing charge at the beast in midair, they cried out in shock. How could a frail human body withstand the force and momentum of such a monster? This was suicide! The steel-backed beast weighed at least five or six hundred pounds; combined with its strength and velocity, its attacks were terrifying.

Yet in the next instant, their mouths hung open in silence. All they saw was a blur as Liang Jing’s short knife struck the beast’s wounded neck, eliciting a howl of pain and fury.

“What happened?” Doubt filled their minds—they hadn’t been able to see clearly, only a flash of movement.

The speed was simply too great, the change too abrupt, beyond ordinary human reactions—it was like trying to see a bullet whizzing by.

Yang Yuyuan’s expression turned grim; he realized the gap between himself and Liang Jing was even greater than he’d thought. He abandoned any notion of comparison, silently preparing to cast his fireball spell at any moment to help Liang Jing end the fight.

He too was an awakened one! Though easygoing and optimistic, he would not accept being just an onlooker—he had his own pride.

The crowd could only watch from afar as the crazed steel-backed beast and Liang Jing continued their fierce battle.

Inside the house, the two mismatched figures darted and dodged, fighting ceaselessly. Dawn had brightened considerably; the sun was about to rise.

Drip... drip...

From the beast’s wounded neck, foul, bloody fluid rolled down its bristling brown-red steel-like fur, dripping onto the corpse-littered, blood-soaked floor. The beast’s eyes glowed with madness, its low growls punctuated by frenzied, rapid charges at Liang Jing. Claws, fangs, and tail attacked in relentless succession.

“The wound on its neck is too deep—the beast’s ability to turn its head and body is severely restricted, its rotational speed greatly reduced.” Liang Jing deftly circled and evaded the beast.

This was dancing on a knife’s edge—a single misstep could mean death. At least that’s how everyone in the house saw it. After all, a mortally wounded beast is at its most dangerous, and Liang Jing was staying dangerously close instead of keeping his distance—it was almost as if he was courting death.

But Liang Jing had his reasons. He was feeling increasingly fatigued, his whole body feverish and dizzy, the discomfort intensifying. It was much like the onset of evolution Yang Yuyuan had experienced—he was about to truly awaken, and couldn’t afford to wait. He feared that if he delayed any longer, he would collapse like Yang Yuyuan had.

Liang Jing continued to circle the beast, searching for an opportunity to strike. The spinning attack earlier had inspired him greatly—he needed to resolve the battle quickly.

In fact, Liang Jing’s guess was correct. His current state was one of awakening. Thanks to his excellent physical condition and the effect of the white spiritual radiance on his nerves, even though he was mentally exhausted and his nerves were painfully overstimulated, he had not yet lost consciousness.