Getting Stronger By Fighting

No!

He had no solution at all!

Without real strength, everything was ephemeral; without real strength, demons were just demons.

Even if he could leverage elixirs and other external forces to slaughter formidable General-level and leader-level beasts as if butchering chickens and ducks, he was still nothing more than an ant compared to a Martial Emperor.

It was not just a matter of quantity; the most important distinction was quality.

I only wish you all can survive! If you die, I, Wang Zhan, swear that when I have the time, I will wipe out an entire planet of beasts as a sacrifice for the Human Race! Wang Zhan roared in his heart, his skin feeling so tight it was as if he couldn't breathe.

He no longer dared to approach the Four Symbols Formation, instead choosing to distance himself from it, moving in the completely opposite direction.

"Kill!"

A glint of blood flashed through Wang Zhan's eyes and silently dripped onto his cheek, seemingly insignificant.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

The others thought Wang Zhan was really going to lead them in a seven-in-seven-out charge, determined to make the beasts pay a terrible price even if they all died there. They didn't hesitate.

"ROAR!"

"Die!"

Just then, an abrupt voice sounded from among the beast groups. It was extremely dry and raspy, carrying an unsettling agitation.

This was the first beast they had encountered that, in addition to intelligence, could also speak!

Wang Zhan's movements paused. He ignored the ordinary leader-level beast before him, letting his clone take his place. Then, he abruptly spun around and roared.

"Eight Extremes Fist—Military Killing Fist Variation! Attach! Mountain! Lean!"

In an instant, Wang Zhan, who had been as thin as a bamboo pole, suddenly swelled up, resembling a fatty three or four times his original size.

BOOM! He slammed squarely into the newcomer's chest. Only then did he see the hairy face, its features somewhat ferocious, yet also possessing a hint of delicacy.

Undoubtedly, this was a monkey, a monkey that, merely at the leader-level beast stage, could already converse normally with the Human Race.

The monkey's eyes were filled with astonishment as it stared at him in disbelief.

"How… is this possible? This is… what kind of technique is this…?"

SPLAT.

A piece of flesh and blood silently fell from the monkey's body, then two pieces, three pieces… Soon, only a frame of bones, a head, and two eyeballs were left, resembling a skeleton.

Wang Zhan's eyes looked as if they were about to split.

"Did you beasts of the Beast Clan really think you're the only ones who can plot? When it comes to scheming, you're still novices! The Human Race could be called your ancestors in that department!"

Wang Zhan hadn't used this move in a long time, but that didn't mean he had forgotten it.

After all, on a chaotic battlefield, opportunities were fleeting and crises arose one after another. Even if close combat could kill enemies, there were inevitably moments when one's strength fell short, making it less effective than a Fatal One Slash.

But when he truly unleashed it, the effect was nothing short of astonishing!

Everyone had thought Wang Zhan had reached his limit. Who would have imagined that beyond that limit lay another, seemingly endless one?

"Kill!"

"Kill, kill, kill!"

The Human Race's morale surged instantly. A fresh fighting spirit swelled in their hearts, all because of Wang Zhan. It was as if he was declaring:

You really thought I'd reached my limit? That was just me messing with you! When it comes to schemes, humans are your ancestors!

Behold, Wang Zhan!

Supremely domineering, cunning and sly, cruel and merciless; he fought every battle he faced, and fought to the death without retreating.

This is how a true man should be!

Valiant, domineering, invincible!

…

The Human Race's morale skyrocketed, while the Beast Clan's ranks nearly fell into disarray.

A superb Beast God Seed had died so easily at Wang Zhan's hands. It didn't even have a chance to react; its flesh and blood were torn apart, its very bones shattered by the impact, to say nothing of its hide.

This human is too ferocious!

He's so ferocious that, compared to him, we feel like helpless fledglings, while he is a battle-hardened giant!

"ROAR! …"

"Retreat! We're no match for him…"

"HISS!"

"We must fight to the death! Otherwise, the Beast Nest will surely punish us…"

"CHIRP!"

"If we die, the Beast Nest won't be able to blame anyone. Compared to that, it's better to retreat now. Humans… they're invincible…"

The Human Race had long known that beasts also possessed wisdom and thoughts.

But this brutal clan, which had always regarded humans as ants, as food, would never be cordial with them.

Therefore, up to this point, humanity's understanding of the Beast Clan remained but a drop in the ocean, utterly insignificant.

However, the events of this day were destined to be etched into the minds of all humans, forever remembered, and passed down through history.

The Beast Nest descended in the Jing State Wilderness Area.

Behold, Wang Zhan: decisive in slaughter, every blow fatal, fighting to the death, never retreating.

He rose from humble beginnings, found his place in the common world, and stood forth in the Human Race's hour of crisis, at the brink of the Federation's collapse and its people's annihilation.

Ascending the battlefield of the Wilderness Area, slaying over a thousand enemies, repelling an army of tens of thousands, he proclaimed the indomitable spirit of the Human Race: Never to be enslaved!

…

Just as Wang Zhan continued to break through and the Four Symbols Formation maintained its seal.

Within the great formation, the Beast Nest, dark as a meteor, suddenly noticed the changing situation on the field.

Those low-ranking beasts actually dared to slack off, allowing Wang Zhan to lead the remaining two hundred fifty-odd Human Race warriors to the verge of breaking out of the encirclement!

It instantly flew into a rage. The Four Symbols Formation flickered violently under its aura before stabilizing.

"Scoundrels! Any who dare retreat and sabotage the Beast Clan's mission shall die!"

"Don't think that just because you're in Federation territory, no one can control you! Everything you have was bestowed by the Beast Nest! The Beast's Nest Core holds the life imprints of every one of you! If anyone dares to show cowardice again, I will make you experience a fate worse than death for all eternity! …"

A wave of intense mental fluctuation rapidly spread into the minds of all the beasts besieging Wang Zhan, causing a strange light to flash in their eyes.

That's right, we're not afraid of death! It's just a matter of a life imprint. Even if we die, as long as the Beast's Nest Core exists within the Beast Clan, we can be revived!

In that case, no matter how ferocious or crazed this human Wang Zhan is, what can he do? He can't truly kill us…

Just as Wang Zhan sensed something was amiss, a strange, urgent mental message suddenly entered his mind:

"They've received new orders: they cannot retreat and must kill you! Also, they're not afraid of death; even if they die, they can be revived in the Beast's Nest Core."

"Wang Zhan, quickly, head towards me! Stop fighting these disposables! Something is about to happen with the Four Symbols Formation! You must leave immediately! Head east… "

"Who are you?" Wang Zhan asked in a deep voice, his actions not pausing in the slightest as he continued to slash at the beasts before him.

His intuition told him this person was likely not a threat and bore him goodwill. But precisely because of this, he could perhaps make use of the situation.

Perhaps this was a turning point.

…

"My codename is Seven Elements. It's a codename my partners and I agreed on. But I can't tell you my name unless you come to me and listen to what I have to say."

Partners? Codenames? This string of information made Wang Zhan's gaze falter slightly. He had a feeling this wasn't anything good.

But given the current situation, Wang Zhan no longer hesitated and responded decisively, "Okay, how far are you from me? Also, I have many Martial Artists with me. Will that be a problem…?"

He secretly glanced at the more than two hundred and forty Human Martial Artists around him. The vast majority were in the Grandmaster Realm, with very few in the Grandmaster Realm; including himself, there were five of the latter. But Wang Zhan knew the calculation wasn't that simple. If they survived this, among these two hundred-plus Grandmasters, after this brutal battle, given proper rest and sufficient resources, at least twenty new Grandmasters could be added to the Federation! This one-tenth ratio might seem low, but according to Wang Zhan's calculations, it was practically the ceiling. Martial arts, in the final analysis, was a path for those with resolute minds and outstanding talent. Ordinary people, mediocre and without particular strengths, didn't even qualify for a fleeting glance.

"Alright, no more delays! If we delay any longer, forget you, even I will be trapped here!" the mysterious telepathic voice urged.

Wang Zhan merely smirked.

You think I don't know? Actually, I'm perfectly clear about it. Isn't it just the Beast Nest up to some new tricks? If I weren't worried about alerting it, and if I could use mental transmission myself, I'd have dealt with it covertly already!

So, he said unhurriedly, "Alright. But before that, you have to do me a favor…"

The mysterious contact sounded quite exasperated.

Has Wang Zhan become the captive, or have I? Why is it, compared to Wang Zhan, I always feel like the subordinate who's more anxious than the master?

"…Go on!"

"See those four old men in the sky striking various poses? Yes, them—the ones still vomiting blood, not those old relics surrounding them from behind."

"Tell them the truth! Have them prepare! I don't care what that Beast Nest intends to do, but I don't want to see too many Martial Emperors die. If you do this, I, Wang Zhan, promise you, I'll owe you a favor!"

The contact was silent for a moment.

"You know their plan?" the voice asked.

"I don't," Wang Zhan replied. "But everyone has their secrets, and I'm no exception. I can sense the danger over there—danger so great I don't dare take a single step closer. So, tell them. Tell them it's extremely dangerous. Even if they don't retreat, they must protect themselves…"

As he spoke, Wang Zhan suddenly paused.

"You *do* know their plan, don't you? If you know, you can tell them directly. They're all old foxes; they can react to the slightest clue."

He wasn't suspicious; he was certain. The owner of this voice knew. And based on his perception and analysis of this wisp of mental energy, the person was, at most, a peer.

"…You truly live up to your name as the Federation's young hero. You're right… The Beast Nest has decided to self-destruct, to wipe out all traces of this current descent."

"Their goal for entering Earth has been achieved. Self-destructing directly would be too great a loss, yet they cannot leave either. The only way to make it a somewhat worthwhile venture for them is to take a few Martial Emperors of the Human Race down with them…"