Although Selena (Dream Maiden) was worried about Evan Chu, she felt much better knowing he was protected by the Goldscale Coat. Glancing at the beast she had just killed, she noticed that instead of red blood, foul black liquid was oozing from its corpse.
This was the first time she'd ever seen something like this. Even more bizarre, the beast's body had a metallic sheen. Suddenly, she understood—she'd read in ancient books about strange beasts like this.
Some of those beasts weren't truly made of flesh and blood; some were formed entirely from energy, like the Flame Sprite and Ice Wraith, while others were made from metallic molecules—just like the one in front of her, a true metal beast.
These metal beasts had extremely strong defense and decent attack power. If you couldn't kill them in one blow, they'd chase you relentlessly. But their minds were simple—when they met an enemy, all they did was attack, never run.
Standing on the shore, Selena gazed at the pitch-black Weakwater, hoping Evan could blast these beasts straight out of the water so she could help him finish them off.
But Weakwater was so dense she couldn't transmit her voice to him directly. Still, she decided to try shouting to see if Evan could hear her.
"Evan! Blast the beasts near you out of the water—I'll help you kill them!" she shouted straight at Weakwater, her voice ringing out so powerfully that any fifth-layer Heaven Martial cultivator nearby would have their eardrums shattered. That was just how loud she was.
At that moment, Evan was quietly sensing the movements around him at the bottom of Weakwater. Ever since he'd blasted one beast to the surface, the others had grown cautious, no longer approaching but seeming to wait for something.
Evan heard Selena's voice perfectly, but he couldn't shout back like she did. The pressure in Weakwater was immense—even with the Goldscale Coat, breathing was tough, let alone yelling at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly, Evan sensed several more black dots converging on his position—meaning more beasts had appeared. Clearly, there were plenty of these things lurking in Weakwater, and he'd need to be extra careful.
The black dots kept multiplying—he counted roughly a dozen or so. He couldn't just sit and wait; he had to either break out or blast every last one of these things to the surface.
The sixth form of the Demon-Breaking Fist was powerful, but it burned through Chaos Dragon Force fast. If the fifth form could blast them out of the water, even a hundred beasts wouldn't scare him. He decided to test it on the closest one.
Keeping his eyes tightly shut, he used heart-sense to perceive his surroundings. Sometimes, sensing was even better than seeing—because it worked in all directions, letting him track every move, even behind him, with perfect clarity in his mind.
But not everyone could use heart-sense like Evan did. Among Heaven Martial cultivators, none could match his perception. It took total focus—essence, energy, and spirit all concentrated, mind kept perfectly clear. Only then could you sense every movement in this kind of environment.
Evan waited patiently, Chaos Dragon Force already circulating in his arm. Suddenly, a beast lunged at him, but before it could get close, he threw a lightning-fast punch.
The force of his punch sent massive shockwaves through Weakwater. Even Selena, watching from shore, saw the change and knew Evan was attacking another beast.
Selena was already prepared to unleash spatial confinement. Sure enough, seconds later, a beast just like the last one burst out of the water.
Reacting instantly, she used spatial confinement to drag it to shore, then pressed her palms together and crushed it flat—a perfect display of Divine Martial power.
Seeing that the fifth form worked just as well, Evan felt a surge of confidence. He started actively approaching the beasts, blasting them out of the water with the Demon-Breaking Fist fifth form so Selena could finish them off.
Sometimes, it took more than one punch to knock a beast out—they could dodge, but it didn't help much. In less than ten minutes, Evan had blasted six beasts to the surface.
The remaining beasts suddenly seemed to gain a bit of intelligence and started retreating. Evan felt helpless—these things were still several times faster than him in Weakwater, so chasing them down was impossible.
Just as Evan was about to give up, two of the beasts suddenly let out sharp, chirping cries. The sound made Evan's head spin—he was instantly on high alert.
"Are these beasts actually using sonic attacks? That's impossible!" Evan muttered to himself.
"It's not a sonic attack—it's a distress signal. Evan, you've got trouble coming. Get ready, because soon either a stronger beast or a whole pack will show up!" Sword Spirit warned.
"Seriously? How can you be so sure they're calling for backup? Did you see something?" Evan asked, surprised.
"I didn't see it—I sensed it. There's a powerful fluctuation heading your way. If I'm right, you're about to face the king of these beasts, along with its followers," Sword Spirit replied.
Evan's face fell. These metal beasts were just like the Flame Serpent King and Fire Scorpion he'd faced in the desert—they all had leaders. If one showed up here, its strength would be terrifying.
"What now? Should I swim back to shore? But getting out of Weakwater isn't easy," Evan said.
"Wait and see. If the beast isn't Divine Martial level, your Fireshift should be enough to handle it. Take it out and you'll be safe. Use heart-sense to search for the Water Spirit Pearl—it's more effective than your eyes. I believe you can do it," Sword Spirit said confidently.
Evan frantically circulated Chaos Dragon Force through his body. He wanted to see if he could grasp the final form of the Demon-Breaking Fist on the spot, but time was too tight—he couldn't manage it.
He regretted not mastering it earlier—trying to cram at the last minute was proving nearly impossible.
His mind sensed more and more black dots, but one stood out—several times larger than the rest. That had to be the leader Sword Spirit mentioned.
Moments later, Evan felt the enormous beast leader arrive before him. But instead of attacking, it began to study him, moving slowly.
Just as Evan was about to strike, the beast did something unbelievable—it spoke in a human voice...