Chapter 126: Hunting the Beast King, The World Shaken, Panic

In the northwest plateau region of Huaxia, there lies a mountain range of a distinct reddish-brown hue. Under normal circumstances, high-altitude regions should experience colder temperatures, especially in this new era where extreme weather has become common. Yet, this place remains swelteringly hot, consistently exceeding sixty or seventy degrees Celsius.

Most notably, the mountain range, devoid of any vegetation, has begun to burn on its own. In its central depths, blue flames flicker—a testament to such intense heat that even Awakened individuals dare not approach. This is the legendary Flaming Mountain, which, following the cataclysmic changes in heaven and earth, has truly manifested as a region of fire spanning a thousand miles. It is the domain of a Golden Body realm beast king known as the Black Ox King. Within a radius of a thousand miles, no ordinary beast king dares to tread.

However, on this day, as a meteorite descended, the earth trembled. The Black Ox King was stirred and emerged from the depths of the Flaming Mountain. Not far away, in a newly formed crater, a beast reaching a hundred meters in height appeared. It was unlike any known creature: possessing the head of an ox, the tail of a serpent, and a pair of fleshy wings, its eyes gleamed with unparalleled ferocity.

"Moo!"

With a roar that cracked the earth and shattered boulders, mysterious rings of black energy manifested around the beast. Anything it touched turned to fine dust, whipped up by biting gales.

"You have trespassed into my domain. Leave at once," the Black Ox King warned. Though it could sense the immense power contained within the intruder, this was its territory, and it refused to retreat.

"Leave?" The beast’s voice sounded like the clashing of metal. "From this day forth, this land shall be under my dominion!"

At first, its speech was clumsy, but it quickly became fluent. It cast a look of provocation and warning toward the Black Ox King. Without hesitation, the beast charged. The eruption of black energy from its body caused the very heavens and earth to shake. The Black Ox King, though startled, braced itself for battle.

As the beast unfurled its fleshy wings, a majestic wave of energy surged outward. The Black Ox King, a ruler of the Golden Body realm, was sent flying instantly. Its body cracked and bled profusely; it was no match for its opponent, completely overwhelmed. But the assault did not end there. The savage creature pressed forward, its massive claws descending to tear the king’s body asunder. In a matter of moments, the Black Ox King was slaughtered, unable to offer any resistance, its life force extinguished.

The beast from the stars then leaped to the peak of the Flaming Mountain and roared. All the mutated beasts within a thousand miles prostrated themselves on the ground, daring not to resist.

Meanwhile, in other regions, similar beasts were traversing the forests, their black energy shattering everything in their path. Ahead of one such creature, a snow-white, nine-tailed fox—the Nine-Tailed Fox King—fled, her body stained with blood. On a nearby cliff, the ground was saturated with gore, a horrific scene of carnage. Not far away, a third ox-headed beast let out a sky-piercing roar, having just hunted down another of Earth's beast kings.

Such scenes were unfolding across the land. The authorities had yet to fully track these events due to their widespread nature, but they were aware that extraterrestrial entities had descended. They resolved to mobilize more Awakened individuals to investigate. This approach proved effective; with the coordinates provided by the authorities, clues were soon uncovered.

"The Black Ox King of the Flaming Mountain has been killed, leaving nothing behind."

"What? That was a beast king who had transcended the Shackled realm! How could it have died so easily?"

"The Nine-Tailed Fox King has vanished from her territory. We found trails of blood, but we dared not venture further."

"On a cliff, the earth is soaked in blood. I captured video of an extraterrestrial creature; it is very strange, nothing like the divine creatures of Earth."

Tens of thousands of Awakened individuals responded to the official call, beginning their observations. They remained cautious, recording the events from a distance with instruments. To their horror, they discovered that these extraterrestrial beings began their campaign of slaughter the moment they arrived. Countless mutated beasts were slain, the earth stained red in a harrowing display. Videos were uploaded to the internet, sparking heated public debate. Everyone could clearly see these extraterrestrial beings—they resembled no creature known to Earth, yet they possessed unfathomable power.

Upon receiving these reports, the authorities treated the situation with the utmost gravity. There was not just one such beast; at least five or six had been spotted, and they had immediately commenced their killing spree. It became clear that a race from the stars had arrived, a fierce species intent on hunting and occupying territory. It was now evident why Lu Yuan had previously advised withdrawing forces and abandoning some of the famous mountains and rivers; he must have foreseen this and issued his warnings accordingly.

The situation was critical. No one knew what these extraterrestrial beings intended. The only consolation was that they had not yet attacked human cities.

"Latest news: The extraterrestrial beast has entered the Peacock King’s territory. It seems a great battle is about to begin."

"What? The Peacock King—that supreme existence among all the mutated beasts?"

"Someone is nearby and has started a live stream. Let's watch."

The news spread: the extraterrestrial beast was going to fight the Peacock King. The Peacock King was a renowned Golden Body realm beast king, a top-tier existence. As the battle commenced, the public and high-ranking officials alike watched the live stream.

In a vast mountain range, the Peacock King beat its wings, emitting brilliant light. Its massive body utilized its Golden Body manifestation, each step causing a thunderous boom. Before it stood the ox-headed, serpent-tailed extraterrestrial beast, roaring as waves of black energy caused the sky to tremble. Both were terrifying entities, clashing violently. The Peacock King was formidable, its plumage shimmering with radiance, its physical strength so immense that vast stretches of forest were pulverized in the wake of their struggle.

Yet the extraterrestrial beast was even stronger. It roared at the sky, its claws slashing through the air to form lethal blades that sliced off a small mountain peak. Combined with the black energy shrouding its body, it appeared truly monstrous. The battle caused the land for several kilometers to collapse, leaving nothing behind as if struck by a natural disaster. Finally, the Peacock King was defeated, its body breached, though it managed to escape at the last moment, thanks to its immense vitality.

The extraterrestrial beast did not pursue. It roared at the mountains and forests, seemingly sensing it was being watched, and spoke in a human tongue: "I am of the Underworld Ox clan from the Thunder-Striking Star Region. We have descended upon the Galaxy Star Region. Any creature that dares to trespass into the territory we occupy shall be killed without mercy!"

With that, it roared again, its black energy pulsing to engulf the surroundings. In an instant, the black mist swirled, cutting off all electronic signals and preventing further surveillance.

"Heavens, even the Peacock King was defeated and forced to flee."

"The Thunder-Striking Star Region, the Underworld Ox clan... are they truly this powerful?"

"If even the beast kings have fallen, what will we do if they attack human cities?"

Panic spread among the Awakened and the populace. According to reports, the Underworld Ox clan had already slaughtered dozens of beast kings of the Shackled realm and occupied various major regions. Some predicted these creatures were at least at the Golden Body stage, or perhaps even the fifth stage—the Sovereign King realm. If they set their sights on human cities, conventional weapons would be useless. Yet, the people had nowhere to run.

Fortunately, humanity still had the peerless King Lu. But could even King Lu find a way to deal with these extraterrestrial beings? No one could be certain.

At the Mount Tai Trial Institute, the leadership held an emergency meeting. They adhered strictly to the advice Lu Yuan had given earlier: do not provoke these extraterrestrial beasts. They were too powerful, having already hunted down numerous kings and seized vast territories. It was estimated that even heavy weaponry would be ineffective against them, as some of these creatures had reached the fifth stage of evolution.

Although humanity had accumulated strength and many had reached the Shackled realm, the gap remained too wide. Furthermore, some of the extraterrestrial beings had yet to reveal themselves or their locations, leaving Elder Ji and Elder Yun deeply worried. The only recourse was to strengthen the defenses of human cities and dispatch units composed of Awakened individuals. The disciples of the Three Immortal Islands also represented a formidable force.

As the meeting continued, they were interrupted by the arrival of Gu Sang and Shura. They brought news: the wounded Peacock King and the Nine-Tailed Fox King had entered the Mount Tai region and seemingly joined forces with the Spirit Monkey. The Spirit Monkey had also delivered a warning: the Underworld Ox clan’s next target was likely Mount Tai, and they should prepare.

"They have set their sights on Mount Tai?" Elder Ji and his colleagues were shaken. Although they had known this day would come, it felt as though it had arrived too soon.

"These extraterrestrial beings seem intent on occupying famous mountains and rivers. They may not pose an immediate threat to humanity," one person suggested, hoping to temper the fear. However, others held the opposite view. Since the Spirit Monkey had taken control of Mount Tai, it had engaged in significant cooperation with humanity. If the Underworld Ox clan arrived, they would inevitably strike, and humanity would have to act. They were, after all, allies.

The difficulty, however, lay in the massive disparity in strength. After careful deliberation, Elder Ji declared, "Regardless of the risks, the Spirit Monkey has shown goodwill toward humanity and has allowed us to take the treasures of Mount Tai. We cannot stand idly by."

"Conventional weapons may be ineffective, but they are not entirely useless. If the Underworld Ox clan appears, we must strike."

The consensus was simple: for both humans and mutated beasts, the Underworld Ox clan from beyond the stars was the true enemy. Under such circumstances, the two sides had to unite. If they chose to do nothing, they would be next. No one could guarantee otherwise. Therefore, they had to stand together; once the conflict began, there was no hiding from it.

In the end, everyone agreed: they would do their utmost. Even if it seemed futile, they had to do what was necessary.