Chapter 311: Lion King

While climbing Gao Ta, they stumbled upon a Winged-Membrane Demon whose control over electricity was monstrous; they fought with everything they had but could not defeat it.

Li Cheng, who had planted his banner spear into the ground to act as a lightning rod, wiped at the nonexistent cold sweat on his forehead. After a wave of electric arcs swept through, Zhao Zijing and Fu Ding Hua Long had their hair carbonized and their skin torn apart, while the metal objects they carried melted and further scorched their bodies.

The only one unharmed was Gao San, who had transformed into a large earth elemental. Looking down from above, he swung his fist down at the Winged-Membrane Demon, only to have the latter clamp his wrist.

His massive body weight, comparable to an African elephant, was like a rag doll in the demon's hands; he was slammed heavily onto the ground, tossed around, and had the stone skin on his body flaked off.

"Cover me! Four minutes is enough!"

Fu Ding Hua Long had no time to tend to his wounds. He let out a roar and pulled a five-meter-square giant beast hide from the void.

The beast hide was wild and primitive, untanned, with dried, blackened bloodstains still clinging to its inner side.

Rip!

Fu Ding Hua Long used a small knife to cut open a blood vessel in his right arm. Fresh blood gushed out, slid down his arm toward the writing brush, and poured into the brush tip.

As the brush tip fell onto the beast hide and traced an arc-shaped trajectory, beast roars faintly sounded from the void, echoing throughout the entire Gao Ta.

The Winged-Membrane Demon, which had been wrestling with the earth elemental, sensed something. It turned its head to look at Fu Ding Hua Long and slowly yet swiftly raised a slender finger.

A massive amount of electric energy gathered at the demon's red fingertip; arcs of electricity crackled, and the air was filled with the smell of ozone produced by ionization.

Boom!

A current like a python suddenly shot out, hurtling toward Fu Ding Hua Long, who was lying on the ground focused on painting. Yet at the very instant before it hit, it struck an invisible shield condensed from psychokinesis, deflected, and slammed into the wall.

"Cough, cough."

Zhao Zijing, deathly pale, coughed violently. Like scooping vegetables, she released psychokinesis to scoop Dooling Gray and Camus off the ground where they had been stuck, peeling off the slime bindings on their bodies.

At this life-or-death moment, every ounce of fighting strength was crucial.

But would it even work?

The demon stepped forward slowly, kicked the earth-elemental-transformed Gao San flying, and spread the membranes on its arms.

It didn't seem to make any big movements; it merely tapped the ground lightly with its bird-claw foot, and its figure shot forward like an arrow, charging straight toward Dooling Gray.

Dooling Gray, whose face still had green slime on it, glared with fury. He had only just recovered from the severe injuries of having his internal organs gnawed, and he definitely couldn't outrun the Winged-Membrane Demon. His only option was to seek life through death.

"You, son of the beach!"

His expression was ferocious. His left foot stepped forward, his right foot pressed against the edge of the stair, his arm swelled continuously during the swing, muscles knotting, veins bulging. His fist, wrapped in wild wind, slammed head-on into the demon.

【Skill Scroll Name: God-Burning Hundred-Rend Seven-Injury Fist】

【Attribute: Consumable (One-time use only)】

【Type: Martial Arts】

【Effect: Hurts self as well as enemy. At the cost of burning one's own soul, converts injuries on the body into energy to deliver a fatal punch. The more severe the injuries on the body, the greater the power of the punch.】

【Cost: At least 500 Stamina Points】

【Cooldown: None】

【Note: I have already burned away completely, leaving only snow-white ash.】

The two fists collided, and a visible shockwave spread rapidly.

Dooling Gray's entire arm exploded, vanishing into thin air from the shoulder. His consciousness faded, and he fell backward uncontrollably.

The demon also took a heavy hit. Its right hand burst open suddenly like a Coke bottle with Mentos dropped in, and blood gushed out as if it were free.

But the mutated monster's constitution caused the ruptured skin to automatically fuse together, wrap around the pale bone, and repair the injury.

The demon stepped forward, attempting to finish him off. Zhao Zijing immediately flung out telekinesis, yanking the unconscious Dooling Gray back rapidly to avoid the trampling.

At the same time, Camus, wielding a European rapier, and Li Cheng, who had activated the Instant Thunder skill, also rushed over urgently to intercept the Winged-Membrane Demon and prevent it from getting close to Fu Ding Hua Long.

Faster, faster. Fu Ding Hua Long had already entered a state of self-forgetfulness. His right hand cramped from the torn wound, so he gripped the brush with both hands, lying prone on the beast hide, using blood as ink, wielding the brush with all his might.

The image of a lion gradually took shape. The King of Beasts stood atop a bare giant rock, its mane moving without wind, overlooking all living things.

Judging by the baobab trees serving as reference objects in the background, this Lion King was at least over thirty meters tall.

A wild, primal aura overflowed from the beast hide, and the entire space seemed to echo with low beast roars.

The Winged-Membrane Demon no longer had its initial composure, hurling bolt after bolt of electricity at the players.

Zhao Zijing, who had been continuously releasing telekinetic shields, finally couldn't hold on any longer and coughed up blood violently. Before she could finish coughing, a fragment of a Complete Great Tonic Pill exuding a rich fragrance was tossed into her mouth, helping replenish her Spiritual Power and Sanity values.

Two and a half minutes left.

A mere one hundred and fifty seconds felt like an impassable chasm.

The demon shot out rapidly, its fist piercing through Camus, who was wielding his sword and standing in front of Fu Ding Hua Long, punching through the latter's chest cavity and releasing electric current directly inside the chest cavity.

Although Li Cheng immediately activated 【Qi Condensing Internal Detonation Fist】, detonating the accumulated qi force on the demon's body, and Zhao Zijing also used psychokinesis to drag Camus away at the first moment and poured a health potion down his throat,

the potion coagulated at the corner of Camus's mouth and failed to drip down—

the excessive electric current had utterly destroyed his brain, killing him almost instantly, and a dead person naturally couldn't be rescued with a health potion.

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Ignoring the injuries on its body, the demon turned its fist into a palm and slapped toward Li Cheng's skull.

Without a moment to mourn Camus, Li Cheng desperately operated the Multi-Line Brain Domain Method, trying his best to capture the demon's movements, which were as fast as afterimages.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, raising the Victory Banner Spear to block in front of him.

【Effect 1: Counter Moment. After blocking an opponent's attack, thrusting the spear can send the target flying; if it hits a wall, it deals double damage.】

Clang!

The effect activated suddenly, and tremendous force sent the demon flying, slamming headfirst into the building's damper.

Arriving simultaneously were a medium-sized self-aiming gravity energy ball and a gravity energy ball replica generated by the 【Skill USB Drive】.

The two energy balls, one on each side, adhered to the surface of the over-one-thousand-ton conical damper, and the immense suction force directly pinned the demon in place.

"Mud Surgery!"

Gao San let out a muffled roar, plunged his rock arm into the ground, and at the cost of most of his own body dissolving, generated swamp terrain around the damper.

A large number of mud arms grew out from the swamp, tightly gripping the Winged-Membrane Demon's legs, not letting it leave.

Li Cheng seized the opportunity to summon the Demon Cannon Vehicle and unleashed a torrent of fire upon the demon, while simultaneously holding the Avenger autocannon and keeping the trigger depressed.

Even Father Andre, reduced to charred carbon, rose with great effort from the ground, healed by a consumable perfect-quality item known as the 【Saint George's Shroud】.

He pulled a holy scripture from his chest and recited it aloud, summoning holy light.

Unfortunately, the demon was merely shaped like a demon—it remained a mutated creature and did not suffer double damage from holy light.

It resisted the pull of the two gravity spheres, spreading its wing membranes like a bat to wrap itself.

While withstanding the autocannon fire and holy light strikes, it recondensed a vast amount of electrical energy, then unleashed it violently.

Another wave of lightning arcs swept across the entire room, severing all arms emerging from the swamp, and causing the conical building damper to slightly melt.

The gravity energy spheres did not remain fixed in space; as the damper's surface melted, the spheres sank along with the molten metal.

The demon broke free completely, diving forward—this time, all players, including Li Cheng, were blasted backward by the lightning arcs, leaving no obstacle between the demon and the Symbol Nail Dragon.

Hm?

The demon's flight abruptly halted; its bird-like claws skidded along the ground for a distance before coming to a sudden stop.

The Symbol Nail Dragon lifted its head from the hide, its face pale as death, forcing out a faint smile: "Four minutes? I lied."

The Lion painting was finished early.

Without hesitation, the demon turned to flee—but the next instant, a lion's head larger than a truck emerged from the void, gazing down with indifference upon the demon, then slowly yet swiftly opened its jaws and drew in a deep breath.

"Roar!"

The lion's roar shattered the outer walls of Gao Ta; Andre and Zhao Zijing and others suffered ruptured eardrums, while the demon, directly facing the roar, was crushed to the ground, its flesh and blood peeling away in sheets.

(End of Chapter)