Chapter 182: Like Gods and Demons

In the next second, he had already appeared in the cold, dead void of cosmic space.

At the same time, on the huge hull of the distant "Royal Insect" mothership, a biological hatch slowly opened.

A massive silhouette, wrapped in countless black tentacles and scarlet flesh and exuding a terrifying mental pressure, slowly flew out from within.

The ultimate combat power of the two civilizations, under the gaze of countless warships, faced each other from afar at the center of the star sea.

An ultimate showdown that would decide the lives and deaths of hundreds of millions and the fate of two civilizations was about to begin.

The frigid vacuum of space cannot transmit sound, yet it can convey the purest will and killing intent.

Qin Hao hovered silently in the star sea, with over a hundred thousand Federal warships standing ready behind him.

Before him stood a colossal biological entity, a hundred meters tall, composed of twisted flesh and pure malice—Tatarik.

Tatarik's form had already transcended the bounds of ordinary biology.

It had no fixed head or limbs; its main body was a huge mass of flesh wrapped in countless pulsing blood vessels and nerve bundles, upon which over a hundred scarlet eyes of various sizes stared open.

Countless thick black tentacles, bristling with barbs and suckers, writhed around it like giant pythons, disturbing the energy of space.

The mental pressure it emitted was like a tangible force field, causing the surrounding light to twist slightly.

"Insect, you have chosen a fine burial ground."

Tatarik's thoughts boomed like rolling thunder in Qin Hao's mind.

"Before I tear you apart, give your name. The Empire's merit ledger needs a name to record my exploits."

Qin Hao's face showed no expression.

He didn't even bother to respond to the provocation, simply issuing a command to the system in his mind.

"System, temporarily shut down all protective mechanisms."

【Warning! Host, shutting down all protective measures means your flesh will directly bear all damage! Confirm shutdown?】

The system steward's warning voice was ice-cold.

"I need a… thoroughly exhilarating battle."

Qin Hao's resolve was firm: "I need to know exactly where my current limits lie."

"If I can't beat it, I'll reactivate the protections."

【Command confirmed, energy absorption function has been shut down.】

Hum—

An invisible yet universe‑shaking terrifying energy surged awake within Qin Hao's body.

If one were to say, the previous Qin Hao was like a colossal reservoir, its depths unfathomable, held back by layer upon layer of dams and sluices.

Then now, all those shackles have utterly shattered!

The long‑accumulated, heaven‑shattering, earth‑destroying power, like a flood bursting through a broken dam, instantly filled his limbs, every cell!

Crack! Crack!

His bones emitted a strained, fine sound, then in an instant were reshaped and reinforced by a mightier bio‑force field.

His muscle fibers began to vibrate at a speed transcending biological norms, emitting terrifying heat capable of melting steel.

His eyes were no longer calm black.

A faint, star‑core‑like golden gleam slowly ignited from the depths of his eyes.

A barely perceptible bio‑force field, composed purely of telekinetic power, surfaced on his skin.

This force field was billions of times tougher than the armor of a Nüwa‑class battleship.

At this moment Qin Hao finally revealed his superhuman demonic physique—capable of shattering the earth with a single punch and cruising at 0.9 times the speed of light.

Opposite him, Tatarik's hundreds of eyes suddenly contracted.

It sensed that the tiny human before it, his internal energy reaction, had skyrocketed in a geometric fashion within a single second!

That power was so pure, so…… violent!

It was as if a star on the verge of a supernova explosion had been forcibly compressed into a human body.

"What…… what kind of monster is this?!"

An unprecedented fear, born of primal instinct, instantly seized Tatarik's heart.

It realized it might have made a fatal mistake.

The thing before it was absolutely not some "insect"!

This is a god walking in human skin! Or rather…… a demon!

"Now it's my turn to ask you."

Qin Hao slowly lifted his head, his eyes blazing with golden flame locking onto Tatarik.

His voice no longer came via mental intent, but directly through a space‑distorting, vibration‑forcing method that rang in the vacuum.

"You, are you ready…… to meet death?"

The words had not yet faded.

Qin Hao's figure vanished from where he stood.

No warp drive, no spatial jump.

It was pure, extreme‑to‑the‑limit violence‑speed!

Tatarik's hundreds of eyes' dynamic vision could not possibly capture Qin Hao's movements.

Its consciousness hadn't even had time to issue a command.

Boom!!!

A sound capable of shattering stars exploded upon its chest!

Qin Hao's specter‑like form appeared before it, a seemingly ordinary fist holding the power to shatter continental plates, striking solidly into its main trunk.

"Pfft——!"

Tata Li Ke's massive body, like an object struck by a high-speed train, suddenly arched backward.

Its body, composed of tough biological tissue, was as fragile as paper under Qin Hao's fist.

Terrifying power raged and transmitted wildly inside its body.

A visible white ring-shaped shockwave, centered on its body, madly spread in all directions!

Its hard carapace instantly cracked like a spiderweb and then exploded! Countless green fluids and shattered organs mixed together, spraying wildly into space.

"Ahhhhh—!"

A shrill, inhuman mental shriek echoed throughout the public channel.

This is no longer a battle!

This is a one-sided, undisputed… crushing!

However, a faint, barely noticeable look of disappointment appeared on Qin Hao's face.

"Too weak..."

He shook his head.

He had even used only thirty percent of his strength.

He had thought the opponent could force him to reveal more of his power, letting him have a satisfying fight.

But the result…

Just a probing straight punch, and the opponent was already on the verge of collapse.

"If that's the case…"

Qin Hao's eyes turned completely cold.

"Then let's end it."

He raised his right hand, fingers spread, aiming at Tata Li Ke, who was writhing in pain and trying to reassemble its body.

In his eyes, a cluster of scorching red light, as if it could burn through the entire universe, began to gather.

It was a power hotter and more terrifying than the core of a star.

Heat Vision!