Both were shocked by each other's strength.
Chen Jinzhao, in particular, never imagined that someone would transform themselves into a grotesque, half-human, half-monster to enhance their own power.
To him, it was utterly unacceptable.
Hearing Zhang Jingchou's question, Chen Jinzhao snapped back to attention. With a distant gaze, he said, "What's the point of dwelling on these things? You've already become my defeated foe. Even with another ten years, you wouldn't be my match."
Chen Jinzhao was that overbearing and confident!
Zhang Jingchou gritted his teeth, his gaze scanning Chen Jinzhao up and down. Reluctantly, he said, "Losing to you, I'm not convinced! I've paid so much to improve my strength, why am I still no match for you?"
He even felt the world was unfair.
"There's no 'why.' If you insist on getting to the bottom of it, then I can only tell you that I don't even know myself. Are you satisfied with that answer?" Chen Jinzhao found it somewhat amusing, as he himself was unclear about his own situation.
Zhang Jingchou suddenly burst into laughter.
With a tragic tone, he declared, "Chen Jinzhao, I'm not dead yet, so you haven't won!"
"To push me this far, you have some skill!"
"But I'm still going to kill you next!"
As his words fell.
Zhang Jingchou pulled a syringe from his waist and, in front of Chen Jinzhao, injected it into his abdomen, emptying the liquid into his own body. Under Chen Jinzhao's gaze, Zhang Jingchou's complexion turned ferocious, the veins on his forehead and neck bulging like coiled dragons, looking terrifying.
Chen Jinzhao also felt a trace of danger.
He retreated a few steps, widening the distance between himself and Zhang Jingchou, vaguely suspecting that the liquid in the syringe was no small matter, perhaps a gene-enhancing drug.
The next moment.
Zhang Jingchou let out a beast-like roar, which seemed to cause him great pain.
His roar echoed through the mountains and forests!
On a nearby mountaintop, Wu Lingyun heard the roar, her scalp tingling and fear welling up in her heart. Was this the roar of a human or the cry of a beast?
She couldn't tell.
However, she could tell that the sound was coming from the direction of the gunshots, meaning Chen Jinzhao was facing a monster that was neither fully human nor fully beast.
She couldn't help but murmur, "What in the world is that thing?"
"Can my cousin win?"
Wu Lingyun felt uncertain, her palms sweating, anxiously worrying for Chen Jinzhao.
In the forest.
Two snipers were moving at high speed, but their hearts had sunk. The gunshots from earlier, followed by the beast-like roar, indicated that their side was at a significant disadvantage.
"What if..."
"We just don't go over there?" one suggested.
The other's footsteps also slowed, and he hesitated, "If we don't go now, won't we be deserters? If we're held accountable later, the boss won't let us off."
The one who suggested escaping said indignantly, "Did the boss let Little Six off?"
The other shook his head.
"Then that's that! Since undergoing that surgery, the boss has become a half-human, half-monster, much more brutal, no longer his former self!"
"Now there's a beast's roar coming from that direction. It's possible Old Dai has injected forbidden drugs. You know the consequences of injecting forbidden drugs, right?"
"Forget it!"
"I can't be bothered to talk to you. If you want to go, go by yourself. I'm leaving first."
With those words, that person turned and left.
The remaining person hesitated for a long time before gritting his teeth and following him.
If one could live, who would willingly go to their death?
At the same time.
Chen Jinzhao witnessed Zhang Jingchou's transformation. The man's muscle mass had instantly surged, and sharp blades, like the dorsal fins of a crocodile, 'erupted' from the flesh beneath his arms. Even Chen Jinzhao couldn't help but gasp!
It was clear that these sharp blades were embedded within a metallic skeleton, only to be deployed in moments of crisis.
This guy truly could no longer be considered human!
Utterly insane!
Zhang Jingchou had undergone a complete evolution, roaring at the sky like a wild beast!
The leaves all over the mountains rustled.
Chen Jinzhao felt a sense of pressure.
"Is this your full strength?" he asked.
Zhang Jingchou looked at Chen Jinzhao, a smile spreading across his face, revealing a row of pearly white teeth that made his smile appear extremely sinister and eerie.
"Heh heh—"
"I didn't expect you to push me this far. You should consider it an honor to die by my hand."
Chen Jinzhao narrowed his eyes and said, "You must have paid some price to become this way, right? Otherwise, with your personality, you would have injected the drugs long ago."
Caught by Chen Jinzhao's words, Zhang Jingchou didn't get angry. Instead, he continued to smile, "Chen Jinzhao, you're very smart. After injecting the agent, my strength will increase by 50%. But when the drug's effect wears off, my chance of dying also reaches 50%."
"Not only that, but even if I survive the 50% chance, I will become a cripple, with no combat ability whatsoever from then on."
Chen Jinzhao was secretly astonished; this drug was too potent, clearly designed for fanatics.
Zhang Jingchou roared, "Chen Jinzhao, unleash 200% of your strength and let me witness how terrifying the legendary Candle Dragon's Eye truly is!"
After saying this, Zhang Jingchou charged like a high-speed tank. Chen Jinzhao, not yet understanding the full extent of his opponent's capabilities, did not rashly engage and instead performed a simple evasion.
Bang!
Zhang Jingchou charged headlong, and with brute force, snapped a tree trunk over thirty centimeters in diameter!
Seeing this, Chen Jinzhao's brow twitched.
Zhang Jingchou laughed heartily, "What are you dodging for? Are you scared already?"
Chen Jinzhao remained silent.
Zhang Jingchou's original strength was already S-class. Now, with the enhancement of the drug, his power had increased significantly. Coupled with the alloy blades that now protruded from his flesh, he was armed like a hedgehog. Overall, his strength could reach the upper-middle tier of S-class!
Having grasped Zhang Jingchou's strength, Chen Jinzhao stopped evading and chose to engage him head-on!
This was exactly what Zhang Jingchou wanted.
As they clashed again, Chen Jinzhao had to use Tai Sui, while Zhang Jingchou also deployed the dorsal fins on his arm, launching a punch towards Chen Jinzhao!
Of course.
The punch didn't actually hit Chen Jinzhao's head but was blocked by Tai Sui. Zhang Jingchou grinned, bending his elbow and swinging it towards Chen Jinzhao's face.
Screech!
The sharp blades grazed Chen Jinzhao's cheek, leaving a scar on his face.
Zhang Jingchou, having landed a hit, laughed even more wildly.
"The Candle Dragon's Eye is nothing more than this!"
"Again!"
Chen Jinzhao had never fought such a bizarre creature before, making some of his previous combat experience useless against Zhang Jingchou. As the battle intensified, Chen Jinzhao had already sustained over a dozen scars.
Zhang Jingchou, naturally, was not faring much better, having been heavily wounded by Tai Sui multiple times!
It was just that—
He seemed to have lost all sense of pain. Even with his shoulder blade pierced by Tai Sui, his steps did not falter; he continued to roar and charge at Chen Jinzhao!
Facing an enemy who felt no pain, Chen Jinzhao initially found it difficult. But as the battle escalated and his adrenaline levels surged, he gradually found his rhythm, forgetting pain just like Zhang Jingchou!
Clang!
Chen Jinzhao seized an opportunity and swung his blade at the blades on Zhang Jingchou's arm, breaking them all off like scaling fish!
To achieve this, he paid a considerable price, being slashed across the chest and abdomen by the blades on Zhang Jingchou's left arm, from which blood now gushed.
Chen Jinzhao snorted, abandoning his defense and thrusting his blade towards Zhang Jingchou's throat!
Zhang Jingchou's heart leaped in alarm. He switched from attack to defense, retreating several steps to evade the thrust. In his heart, he cursed Chen Jinzhao as a madman, even more deranged than himself!
In this psychological battle, Zhang Jingchou had miscalculated.
Seeing this.
Chen Jinzhao snorted, "You are indeed strong, but the moment you chose to retreat, you lost!"
"Kill!"
Tai Sui was sharp and unparalleled, its blade vibrating and hissing, as if cheering for Chen Jinzhao, or perhaps more like sounding the charge for a desperate counterattack!
Zhang Jingchou gritted his teeth and had no choice but to face the challenge again.
"I don't believe in fate!"
"I only believe in the strength in my hands. Tonight, I will surely lop off your head. Die!"