Chapter 047: Savage Collision

“Master… No, a commander-level beastman!?”

Tang Mubai narrowed his eyes, watching the man radiating a fierce aura, his heart filled with astonishment.

This oppressive force was far stronger than that of the burly middle-aged man and the middle-aged woman he’d faced days ago. They could barely withstand Tang Mubai’s “Master” level pressure and had needed to rely on the bone pearl to protect themselves.

But the man standing in the courtyard radiated an even greater power, clearly marking him as a martial master—meaning he was a commander-level beastman!

“A commander-level beastman, is it?” Light flickered in Tang Mubai’s gaze.

Humming softly, he unleashed his grandmaster’s aura, counteracting the oppressive force pressing against him, and in turn blanketed the astonished man with his own.

Whoosh!

The last arrow in his hand shot out, slicing through the air toward the man’s head. In the instant the arrow left the bowstring, Tang Mubai cast aside his war bow, gripped his battle blade, and vaulted high from the wall, slashing at the man below—now frozen in place by the oppressive aura, already beginning to transform into a bear-headed beastman.

A guttural growl rumbled from the mouth of the bear-headed figure, now nearly four meters tall with claws as sharp as daggers. He bit down hard, crushing a tooth; blood seeped out, soaking a bone bead hanging from his neck, and instantly a layer of white light—familiar to Tang Mubai—enveloped him.

The bone bead!

Less than half an hour since he’d last seen one, and here it was again.

The white light spread over the bear-headed beastman, and the oppressive grandmaster’s aura shrouding him was dispelled!

With a low snarl, the man raised blood-tinged palms, swatting aside the arrow and meeting Tang Mubai’s descent head-on.

Boom!

A thunderous shockwave erupted, violent energy raging around them, blasting through the entire courtyard.

Tang Mubai shuddered from the impact, retreating to land on the cement, his feet carving deep prints into the hard ground. The bear-headed beastman likewise staggered backward, his massive frame crashing into another beastman who, unable to evade, was impaled with an arrow in his gut. Blood sprayed from the poor wretch’s mouth as he was hurled a dozen meters into the air, finally slamming into the wall with a sickening crack, his body snapping in two.

[Detected lost vitality. Recycle?]

“Yes!”

[Vitality +177]

The other two wounded beastmen witnessed this scene with terror etched across their faces. They tried to flee, but the overwhelming aura kept them rooted, unable to move. All they could do was watch as Tang Mubai, with a tap of his toes, lunged once more at the bear-headed beastman.

Swish—

The towering bear-headed man suddenly moved with dancer-like agility. Despite his enormous, bulky body, he was astonishingly nimble at that moment.

Tang Mubai’s charge missed entirely, as the beastman slipped by, leaving him lunging into empty air.

Whoosh—

A blast of wind swept toward the back of Tang Mubai’s head.

Tang Mubai’s heart pounded wildly. He leapt aside with lightfooted skill, retreating swiftly to the right.

Bang!

The air thudded as the bear-headed man’s claw smashed down, shattering the air itself. Seeing he’d missed Tang Mubai, the beastman’s body moved again, closing in for another assault.

Swish!

Tang Mubai dodged and retreated, both shocked and amused.

“A beastman who knows martial arts? This one even has footwork! And it’s not just a basic technique—it’s at least third-tier!”

The bear-headed beastman already possessed strength far surpassing that of an ordinary beastman. This was the nature of the bear—perfectly inherited in this form, making his power more than three times that of a wolf- or boar-headed beastman.

Tang Mubai realized this after their earlier clash. Even without unleashing his full strength, with his power at 20 and the might of the “Wave-Cleaving Blade,” a wolf-headed beastman would have been split in two. But against this bear-headed monster, he’d nearly lost his alloy blade.

Brute strength was one thing—but this foe also wielded a masterful movement technique. Even with Tang Mubai’s agility at 10, he couldn’t keep up or catch him.

His own “Grass-Leaping Step” was a lightness skill, not a true body-maneuvering art. It sufficed for retreat, pursuit, or escape, but in close combat with the bear-headed beastman, it was of limited use.

As the bear-headed beastman pounced again with a roar, Tang Mubai opened his system panel, glanced at his accumulated lifespan, and instantly spent a hundred years, boosting his agility.

With agility at 10, his reactions lagged behind the beastman’s.

But at 20?

Swish—

Tang Mubai’s retreating figure suddenly shot forward, nearly overshooting and crashing into the wall.

The bear-headed beastman paused, momentarily startled.

Seizing the opportunity, Tang Mubai took a deep breath, carefully sensing the changes within his body.

The next moment…

“Again!”

Tang Mubai crooked a finger at the beastman.

With a guttural snarl, the bear-headed man roared and charged at him.

Swish! Whoosh!

Man and beast brushed past each other.

A spray of crimson blood arced from the bear-headed monster, splattering in midair.

Agility at 20—he’d done it!

The beastman’s footwork was refined, but Tang Mubai’s boosted agility matched and even surpassed it.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

In a flurry of exchanges, each arc of Tang Mubai’s alloy blade drew fresh blood.

Enraged and alarmed, the bear-headed beastman finally unleashed his trump card.

The blood-red glow that had covered only his hands now rapidly spread across his entire body!

With a guttural roar, he charged Tang Mubai, his body seemingly armored in blood-red light.

Before he even drew close, the light on his palms flared, as if he wore blazing gauntlets, and he struck with savage force.

Swish—

Bang!

Tang Mubai’s alloy blade was shattered under the onslaught.

He himself was sent flying backward, feet pounding furiously against the ground as he absorbed the force, leaving deep half-foot prints in the cement all the way back to the courtyard wall, where he finally came to a halt.

Panting deeply to steady his surging blood, Tang Mubai shook out his hands. With all his physical attributes at 20, he remained unhurt.

The commander-level bear-headed beastman was truly formidable.

In the past, Tang Mubai would have instinctively chosen to flee.

But now, he wanted to test himself.

With body, strength, and agility all maxed at 20, even with only a few dozen points of energy remaining, Tang Mubai was eager to see how long he could last against a commander-level beastman.

Boom!

He stamped his feet, shattering the cement beneath him.

Amid flying debris, Tang Mubai, now unarmed, lunged headlong at the bear-headed beastman.

“Are you courting death?” The bear-headed man sneered upon seeing this, meeting Tang Mubai’s charge.

Roar!

Tang Mubai unleashed his full strength, executing the fiercest strike of the “Tiger’s Roar Fist,” his cry echoing like a tiger’s.

The bear-headed beastman countered with a guttural roar and a sweeping claw.

Bang—

Boom!!!

Fist and claw collided, detonating the air. The explosion’s force sent dust swirling, engulfing the entire courtyard.

Tang Mubai’s clothes were shredded instantly, reduced to rags by the raging force, the shreds scattering in the cyclone.

But his body remained unmoved.