Pitiful Li Yao

Across the vast wilderness, monsters clashed constantly, their sole purpose to kill and devour each other to sate their hunger. Yet, a human warrior, slender compared to the beasts, advanced alone through the desolate landscape, never once avoiding the creatures. He charged headlong, treating the monsters like ants. Many had attacked him, only to leave his 'Black God Suit' reeking even more strongly of blood. That potent scent, especially the lingering essence of powerful monster blood splattered on him, made other beasts on his path steer clear. “Luo Feng!” “Luo Feng!” Li Yao muttered, his voice a guttural growl, like a savage beast. “Keep hiding, keep running. You can evade me for a time, but not forever!” Li Yao hadn't anticipated that hunting Luo Feng, a mere nineteen-year-old, would be such a hassle. But the murder of his son—he, Li Yao, would never let it go unavenged! Until Luo Feng was dead, he wouldn't sleep a wink. “Hmm?” Li Yao suddenly felt his communication watch vibrate. A quick glance sent a jolt through him. “Luo Feng’s coordinates?” Simultaneously, a call came through. “Hello?” Li Yao answered quickly. “Yao, it’s me. You received Luo Feng’s coordinates, right?” Wenina’s voice came from the watch. “You got Luo Feng’s coordinates? Are you sure?” Li Yao pressed, his voice urgent. “Yao, these coordinates just came in. Luo Feng’s communication watch, for some reason, is active again! This means he must have turned it on himself. I’m worried this might be a ploy, a deliberate lure to draw you in,” Wenina explained. “A ploy? A trap?” Li Yao burst into a maniacal laugh. His laughter echoed across the surrounding wilderness, not a single monster daring to approach this terrifying human. “I have the ‘Black God Suit’ from the ancient civilization ruins. No master among the Wargods can kill me. Unless it’s a King-level monster, a being beyond a Wargod, or a laser cannon… As for Luo Feng, hmph, I can’t imagine what formidable tricks he could possibly have.” Li Yao was brimming with confidence. “Alright, whether this location is real or fake, I’m going to check it out,” Li Yao declared. “Understood,” Wenina replied, not objecting. As a High-level Wargod herself, she was well aware of her husband’s true strength. There were only three things that could truly threaten Li Yao: 1. A laser cannon? How could Luo Feng possibly acquire and operate one? 2. A being beyond a Wargod? If Luo Feng could enlist such a powerful entity, why would he resort to schemes? 3. A King-level monster? King-level monsters were always surrounded by numerous Lord-level monsters. If Li Yao sensed anything amiss, he would retreat long before provoking a King-level monster. “Still one hundred and twenty kilometers from here,” Li Yao noted, checking his map. “Luo Feng, I hope you’re there.” Whoosh! A terrifying sonic boom erupted as Li Yao transformed into a black streak of light, hurtling southwest in a straight line. In the blink of an eye, he vanished beyond the horizon, his speed reaching Mach 2—a truly formidable presence. … By the shore of the vast, fog-shrouded lake, a streak of light abruptly halted, solidifying into a figure clad in black, his face cold and impassive—the Wargod Vulture, Li Yao. “This Luo Feng really knows how to hide, choosing a lake island completely enveloped in mist.” “With such dense fog, a laser cannon is completely useless.” Li Yao couldn’t help but sneer, mocking Luo Feng’s perceived futility. In Li Yao’s mind, the laser cannon had already been confiscated by the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo. Without it, wasn’t Luo Feng hiding on this misty island a pointless gesture? Swish! Li Yao leaped, soaring dozens of meters high and over a hundred meters away, launching himself like a cannonball. “Sizzle~~” The black light from Li Yao’s feet rapidly extended, quickly forming something akin to a raft. This ‘Black God Suit’-formed raft, propelled by Li Yao’s initial leap, swiftly cut through the waves on the lake’s surface. Seated on the raft, Li Yao held a single-edged blade in each hand, occasionally using them to paddle. With Li Yao’s astonishing arm strength, each stroke of the blade generated incredible propulsion. “Roar~~~” “Caw-caw~~” “Hiss-hiss~~” All sorts of strange sounds emanated from beneath the lake’s surface, but Li Yao’s expression remained cold, completely ignoring the cries of the aquatic monsters below. For a High-level Wargod, ordinary lake monsters posed no threat. Unfortunately, Li Yao was unaware of the lake’s unique nature. The black raft, with astonishing speed, cleaved through the wind and waves, advancing rapidly across the lake. “What?!” Li Yao’s expression suddenly changed. A purple-scaled, snake-like tail, as thick as a large water vat and over thirty meters long, shot out of the water like lightning. It arced through the air, covering the raft in less than a hundredth of a second. Swish! The raft beneath Li Yao vanished. His entire body, except for his eyes, mouth, and nose, was protected by the black suit. Li Yao swiftly stepped onto the massive, scaled tail, using its force to spring back: “What a long tail, and what terrifying power! A single strike like that definitely has the strength of a High-level Lord-level monster. How can there be such a powerful aquatic monster in this lake?” Li Yao was stunned! As Li Yao fell from mid-air, touching the water’s surface… “Screech!” Streaks of blue electricity, like twisting electric snakes, instantly covered the surrounding area. Li Yao’s ability to dodge in water was far inferior to on land, making escape impossible. He was struck by the electricity! “Hmph, good thing my Black God Suit is completely insulated,” Li Yao thought, letting out a sigh of relief. “Sizzle~~” A white thread instantly wrapped around one of his feet. An incredible force yanked the thread. “No!” Li Yao’s face contorted in alarm. With a splash, Li Yao was completely submerged in the lake. … On the beach of Mist Island. Luo Feng sat cross-legged like a statue. The lake water lapped against the shore, occasionally washing over the sand. Strangely, no aquatic monsters dared to crawl onto the land. After a long while… Luo Feng, who had been sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes. “Why hasn’t Li Yao arrived yet?” “Could it be…” “He died in the lake while trying to cross it?” Luo Feng smiled faintly. “If he really died in the lake, it wouldn’t be surprising. With his Black God Suit, it would be hard to kill him directly, but if he were trapped at the bottom by aquatic monsters, his frantic struggles would consume oxygen even faster. Without air to breathe underwater, he could suffocate to death.” Luo Feng turned his head to look at the island. Silence! The entire island was silent, save for the rustling of wind through the tree branches. “Among High-level Wargods, I’m now almost invincible.” “Unless it’s a King-level monster, under normal circumstances, it’s unlikely I’d be killed directly.” “Hmm, I’ll go explore the island.” Luo Feng couldn’t suppress his curiosity. Coupled with his confidence in his own strength, he gripped his hexagonal shield and Blood Shadow Battle Blade, his senses heightened, ready to deploy his flying daggers at any moment. Cautiously, he entered the island, disappearing into the distant mist, beginning his exploration. … Much later, on another beach of the island. “Die!” An angry roar erupted. The lake surface at the edge of the beach exploded, blood splattering everywhere. A black figure shot into the sky, then crashed onto the sand. “Finally, ashore.” The black figure collapsed onto the beach, completely exhausted. After a long time, he finally caught his breath. “Terrifying, what a terrifying lake.” Li Yao looked at the massive lake before him with a hint of terror. In his youth, he, Li Yao, had ventured across the world, even exploring lakes far larger than this one. He had even battled monsters in the ocean! But… Never had Li Yao been so disheveled, so close to death. During his frantic escape underwater, there were over ten High-level Lord-level aquatic monsters alone! The number of other Lord-level monsters was even greater! This meant that most of the aquatic monsters in the entire lake were extremely powerful. Monster General-level aquatic monsters were countless, while Soldier-level monsters were rare. “What kind of lake is this? I’ve never heard of such a terrifying lake in the world.” Li Yao’s face was grim. “A lake only a hundred li in circumference, yet I encountered over ten High-level Lord-level monsters. There must be nearly a hundred High-level Lord-level monsters in the entire lake!” “Such a proportion… even Huaxia Nation’s City 003, known as a monster’s den, isn’t much worse than this.” And in terms of danger, this lake was clearly more terrifying than City 003, formerly Shanghai. After all, the aquatic monsters here were denser, and being underwater limited human warriors’ strength. “Pfft, pfft.” Li Yao coughed violently, spitting out two mouthfuls of fresh blood. “My strength is indeed greatly limited in water. On land, facing ten High-level Lord-level monsters, even if I couldn’t defeat them, I could escape. But this time… I’m severely wounded.” Li Yao couldn’t help but spit out another mouthful of blood. He sat cross-legged on the beach, resting, acutely aware of the severity of his injuries. His right arm was broken, and two ribs in his chest were fractured. His internal organs were severely damaged! Although the ‘Black God Suit’ offered strong protection, its effectiveness against pure crushing force was relatively poor. Underwater, Li Yao had been completely encircled and nearly strangled to death. Though he fought desperately to escape, his ribs were still crushed, and his internal organs suffered severe trauma. “Now I need to recover. If I fight extensively, it will only worsen my injuries.” Li Yao no longer harbored any arrogance. He had been completely terrified by the lake. Fortunately, he had the Black God Suit; otherwise, even with ten lives, he would have perished. “Wenina.” Li Yao connected with his wife. “Confirm Luo Feng’s current coordinates for me.” As he spoke, Li Yao couldn’t help but gasp for breath, his chest aching terribly.