Moooo—!
The Fang Yuan beast let out a bovine roar, its enormous body hurtling through the forest, effortlessly toppling countless towering ancient trees.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" The Elk Warrior, clutching a long spear, roared as he charged to meet Fang Yuan, coughing up blood. He was buying time with his life so the inhabitants of the Spirit Spring Forest could withdraw.
But in the end, the Elk Warrior's neck was snapped by Fang Yuan, and he perished miserably on the battlefield.
The recording ended there, and a buzzing murmur filled the great hall. Dozens of Beast Combat Warriors—men and women, old and young—all chattered among themselves, their words and expressions tinged with alarm and outrage.
At that moment, on the elevated platform, a gaunt elder cleared his throat with two coughs.
Instantly, the hall fell silent. All the Beast Combat Warriors gazed up at the elder, reverence evident in their eyes.
The elder spoke: "You have all just witnessed those recordings. This Bull-Headed Demon that has appeared has, since its arrival, successively destroyed Holy Eagle City, Azure Nether Valley, and the Spirit Spring Forest."
A red-haired brute down below shouted: "Lord Beast Combat King! What are we waiting for? Nearly every Beast Combat Warrior in the world is gathered here, just awaiting your command to eliminate this vicious Bull-Headed Demon!"
"That's right, my lord, just give the order!"
"We can't wait any longer!"
"We heard about the Bull-Headed Demon long ago. The Giant Eagle Warrior and the Elk Warrior both died miserably at its hands—we must avenge them!"
Many Beast Combat Warriors voiced their agreement, and for a time the hall seethed with fervor.
The elder had to raise his palm and slowly press it downward. Once the hall had quieted again, he continued: "Sigh... it seems you still haven't grasped the true severity of this beast calamity. I know that every one of you gathered here has an impressive record of deeds, but this particular beast is far from ordinary. To be more precise—if we respond improperly, it may well bring about the end of the world!"
"What do you mean?"
"This beast is indeed powerful, but haven't there been colossal monsters in the past that slaughtered several Beast Combat Warriors?"
"It's large in stature and possesses two combat techniques, especially that time-slowing technique—truly troublesome. But it's not as if there's no way to counter it."
The elder slowly shook his head, his expression grave and solemn. "The strength of this Bull-Headed Demon is unfathomably deep. It can be counted among the most terrifying beasts in history. You should all know how the first-generation Beast Combat King died, correct?"
At these words, every Beast Combat Warrior present showed visible emotion.
"Lord Beast Combat King, are you suggesting...?"
"Impossible—could this colossal monster really be on that level?"
The Beast Combat King elder nodded slowly, his tone heavy. "The Star Spiral Great Hall we currently stand in was once the corpse of the Star Sea Spiral beast. The first-generation Beast Combat King was the strongest Beast Combat Warrior in history, yet to destroy it, he paid with his life. And this Bull-Headed Demon is of the same caliber as the Star Sea Spiral."
His answer plunged the entire hall into a silence so deep one could hear a pin drop.
"Therefore," the elder surveyed the assembly and continued, "my gathering of all of you for a joint operation to hunt down this Bull-Headed Demon... I must confess, I have little confidence in our victory. You must all give everything you have if there is to be even a sliver of a chance. March into this battle with the resolve to die!"
"The resolve to die, huh..." someone murmured.
"Heh heh heh." Suddenly, someone let out a light laugh.
The atmosphere began to stir. In the eyes of every Beast Combat Warrior, a similar flame was burning.
Battle intent surged!
"For the sake of this homeland, I've long since made peace with sacrifice!"
"Exactly—for family and friends, what's one life?"
"We can't let this Bull-Headed Demon rampage any longer. So what if it's on par with the Star Sea Spiral? I trust in my fists, and even more in all of you!"
"That's right—we believe in the power of our comrades. The first-generation Beast Combat King fought alone to the bitter end, but we are different. We have each other. We have our brothers and sisters in arms!"
Some shouted, some pumped their fists, and morale soared ever higher.
A gratified smile appeared on the elder's face, and he nodded slowly. "Good. Next, I will fuse with the Star Sea Spiral shell and teleport all of you to the target—to hunt down the Bull-Headed Demon and catch it off guard! Remember, the safety of the entire world now rests upon your shoulders."
"Understood!!!"
The Star Sea Spiral shell began to vibrate.
Fang Yuan strode across a vast wasteland.
He was still in the form of a bull-headed, human-bodied colossus—his body towering like a mountain, clouds coiling about his shoulders, his footsteps cratering the earth. Each stride produced a thunderous boom that echoed between heaven and earth.