For this Beast King, Evan Chu felt something he couldn't quite describe—it was as if they'd met before. But in the Netherworld, that was impossible; the only explanation was that the Beast King's true body must share some kind of deep connection with his own.
Evan Chu quickly retreated—the Beast King's strike was incredibly powerful. If he took a direct hit, he'd be seriously injured.
But just as the massive copper hammer was about two meters from his body, Evan Chu gathered all his strength and unleashed a calculated strike—Star-Cleave, performed in a retreating motion.
A surge of sword qi erupted instantly from the Frostbane Divine Sword, blasting toward the Beast King like thunder. At this moment, the Beast King—having witnessed Evan Chu slay King Gu and King Lin—was furious. If he failed to kill Evan now, he knew he'd be the next to die.
With his life on the line, the Beast King held nothing back—this attack used nearly all his power. Evan Chu's strike was a bit rushed, and he was still moving backward, so its force was greatly weakened.
Still, the raw power of Star-Cleave was far beyond ordinary martial techniques. The sword qi collided with the copper hammer, causing a violent impact in midair. Energy storms spread rapidly, as if the world were ending—yellow sand was swept up and filled the sky.
Evan Chu was sent flying hundreds of meters by the Beast King's overwhelming force before he could steady himself. His chest heaved, and he nearly coughed up blood—his face turned pale in an instant.
"Such incredible power!" Evan Chu thought in shock. The Beast King's strength was among the very strongest he'd ever faced—so strong that even he was at risk of spitting blood, which was a rare thing.
But the Beast King was also knocked hundreds of meters back by Evan Chu's Star-Cleave. A fine crack appeared on the massive copper hammer—thanks to the Frostbane Divine Sword. The Beast King's face turned a bit pale too, and several wounds on his body were bleeding, though none were serious.
"You really are a top-tier expert. All three of us misjudged you today. Kid, who are you, really?" The Beast King roared at Evan Chu, his voice booming like thunder and making everyone's ears ache.
"Who I am isn't something you're qualified to know—at least not yet. Very few survive even a single strike from me, but your luck's about to run out. If you have any last words, now's the time. Since you managed to withstand one blow, I'll give you a chance." Evan Chu said arrogantly.
His tone made it clear he didn't take the Beast King seriously at all, as if he had the situation completely under control. The Beast King had never suffered this kind of humiliation before, and his rage erupted.
"Kid, it doesn't matter who you are—today, I'm going to destroy you! Don't think you're so tough just because you killed those two. To be blunt, my strength is far beyond theirs. Now I'll show you what real power is!" the Beast King shouted.
The violent shockwaves and energy clashes in midair had already flattened the land for thousands of miles around. Some places even split open with massive cracks, and a few new hills formed from the impact.
Even people tens of thousands of miles away in Serene Nether City could feel the intense energy collision—everyone was stunned, unable to believe anyone could unleash such terrifying power.
King Victor Zhao said, "Brother Evan's attack power really is incredible. He must be locked in a fierce battle right now, but he'll be back soon. You all don't need to worry."
"My dad has always been the most heaven-defying genius. My mom told me that when they first met, he was much weaker than her, but in just three years he surpassed even the strongest expert in the Netherworld. My mom only advanced one or two realms, but my dad jumped seven or eight—that's honestly hard to believe.
The most amazing part is that my dad hasn't even been in the Immortal Realm for three hundred years, yet he's already become the strongest there. If I could have even half his talent, I'd be satisfied," Chase Chu said.
"Chase, you're already an incredibly rare genius in the Netherworld. The fact that you can hit ninety on the Martial Gate's Testing Screen is unbelievable. I believe one day you'll be just as formidable as your dad," King Victor Zhao said.
"Father, it looks like Serene's judgment wasn't bad after all. Meeting Chase was my greatest luck. But I did misjudge one thing—Uncle Evan. When I first met him, I thought he was just a useless pretty boy who needed a woman to protect him."
Who could've guessed he was that powerful? It's honestly hard to take in—becoming such a top-tier expert in so little time. Serene was sure he must carry earth-shaking secrets and some incredible martial arts or artifacts. She decided she'd have to ask him for a few favors when the time came," Princess Serene said.
King Victor Zhao glared at Princess Serene and said, "Serene, that's too much. Once he's back and you and Chase Chu get married, he'll be your father-in-law. Are you really going to hassle your own father-in-law?"
"Father, you're joking. If he's my father-in-law, then of course it's natural for a daughter-in-law to ask for a few things! Right now, I just hope he comes back soon!" Princess Serene laughed, a blush rising on her stunning face. Chase Chu looked a little uncomfortable too.
Meanwhile, Evan Chu stared at the Beast King and said, "I forgot to mention—just now, I was only using eighty percent of my strength. My next strike will be at full power. If you survive, I'll let you go. If you die, you can only blame your bad luck."
"Kid, enough talk! Today, it's either you die or I do!" the Beast King roared. Suddenly, a dragon's roar burst from his mouth, and a colossal black dragon—thousands of meters long—appeared before Evan Chu.
Evan Chu looked up—the black dragon had six claws, a sign of an extremely high bloodline. This was the highest-grade Nether Dragon, no wonder he could become Beast King.
But to Evan Chu, a six-clawed Nether Dragon was like a little mudfish—utterly insignificant. Since he was a descendant of the Dragon Clan, Evan couldn't truly kill him. The only option was to make him submit, which might be a huge help to Chase Chu.
With that thought, Evan Chu let out a dragon roar of his own. Instantly, a golden Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon appeared in the sky, its aura and pressure so overwhelming that the black Nether Dragon could barely breathe.
Seeing Evan Chu's true form, the Beast King was dumbfounded. His huge dragon eyes stared at Evan, disbelief in his voice: "You—you’re a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon? That’s impossible! Impossible!"