Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1258 - 610_2

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A rapid succession of heavy impacts echoed through the clearing, a brutal symphony of flesh against flesh.

No elaborate techniques were displayed, only raw power and speed colliding directly.

The fierce winds unleashed tore through the surrounding bushes, ripping them from their roots.

Grey Eagle stumbled and tumbled towards the edge of the area in a frenzy, then looked back with dread.

The central fighting zone was now completely obscured by airborne dirt and swirling dust.

Onlookers at the perimeter could discern nothing of the events unfolding within; only the incessant, deafening thuds reached their ears.

The sounds were profoundly dull, unlike the impacts found in combat between ordinary human bodies.

It was more akin to a deranged artillery battery, each blast causing the very ground to tremble violently.

Powerful shockwaves ripped up the surface soil, gouging massive holes into the trunks of several nearby trees.

Stones, clumps of earth, and fractured branches rained down like a storm, striking Grey Eagle’s head and back.

"Ah Cheng!"

Ma Donghe’s grip tightened on his Dagger as he shouted, his voice laced with anxiety.

Hou Peng’s large, prominent ears twitched; his gaze remained fixed on the dust-choked center, his expression a mask of shock and disbelief.

The three police cadets positioned on the periphery were visibly more tense, their anxiety so palpable they overlooked the sting of their own injuries.

Everyone harbored a grim realization in their hearts.

If even this incredibly powerful individual could not subdue the monster, then every single person present today would inevitably become a meal for its monstrous appetite.

Bang!

Another dull impact resounded, causing the dirt on the ground to ripple like liquid.

The airborne smoke and dust began to dissipate slightly.

Two figures slowly came into view at the heart of the clearing.

All eyes strained to see; when clarity finally dawned, a collective gasp escaped their lips.

They observed Fang Cheng’s feet firmly planted, seemingly fused to the muddy earth.

His right hand was like a powerful hydraulic clamp, ensnaring Old Dog’s thick neck.

His left hand was clamped securely around the monster's lower back.

With a deep exhale, Fang Cheng’s waist and back muscles erupted with formidable power, enabling him to forcibly lift the thrashing mutant monster high above his head.

Then—

The muscles in Fang Cheng’s arms coiled like taut steel cables as he slammed Old Dog down onto the unforgiving, rocky ground at his feet.

Thud!

The ground shuddered intensely, fissures spreading across it inch by inch.

It was only then that everyone truly understood the origin of those terrifying impact sounds from earlier.

Old Dog struck with such force that it expelled dark blood; before it could even stir—

Fang Cheng’s hands moved with lightning speed, seizing hold of the creature once more, and with a sudden surge of strength, he hurled it back into the air.

The monster emitted a piercing shriek while airborne, its claws flailing wildly in a desperate attempt to retaliate.

Fang Cheng looked upward, his eyes blazing with a golden light.

He abruptly extended his arms, intercepting Old Dog’s two hind legs with pinpoint accuracy as it descended.

"Break for me!"

Fang Cheng bellowed, his arm muscles bulging to their absolute limit, veins protruding like thick earthworms.

He yanked his hands apart with explosive force.

Riiip—

The gruesome sound of tearing flesh echoed throughout the entire forest.

Old Dog’s mutant form, hardened like iron, was ripped in half from the crotch downwards by Fang Cheng’s bare hands.

Viscous black blood poured out like a raging waterfall, mingling with ruptured organs, splashing across the ground.

Fang Cheng casually tossed the two severed halves of the corpse into the mud with a heavy, sickening thud.

An absolute silence descended upon the scene.

Everyone stared, utterly stunned, at the man standing amidst the rain of blood.

Despite the monster’s demise having secured their survival—

At this precise moment, not a single soul dared to exhibit any semblance of relaxation.

Gazing upon Fang Cheng’s blood-spattered yet impassive face, a dread far more potent than that inspired by the monster itself began to well within their hearts.

He had just torn a mutant monster apart with his bare hands?

So, who among them was the true monster here?!

Ma Donghe swallowed with difficulty, forcing himself to take a small step forward, his voice raspy and dry:

"A... Ah Cheng? Are you alright?"

Fang Cheng did not turn around; he merely raised his right hand, signaling a shushing gesture.

His gaze remained fixed on the two halves of Old Dog’s corpse lying on the ground.

From the mangled flesh that had been gushing moments before, countless dark threads began to writhe outward.

These threads of black Qi slithered and churned violently on the surface of the remains, much like leeches sensing blood, emitting a faint, eerie "chirping" sound barely discernible to the human ear.

Fang Cheng narrowed his eyes, his focus locked onto those wafting black strands, contemplating silently in his mind.

These peculiar black mists—were they parasitic organisms endemic to the High-Dimensional World, or perhaps some form of energy emanating from within the ruins?

They possessed the capability to completely dismantle an adult human’s genetic structure in mere minutes, transforming them into a mindless beast.

Given the extent of the decay and pollution, a widespread outbreak could have led to a catastrophe beyond comprehension.

Just as everyone was holding their breath in anticipation—

Grey Eagle, who had collapsed onto the muddy earth, suddenly let out a piercing shriek:

"Ah! It burns!"

He clasped his head with both hands, his face contorted in agony.

His entire body thrashed on the ground, mumbling incoherently: "I can feel it… I can feel it… the sound of electricity! A sharp, piercing crackle!"

Upon witnessing this, Ma Donghe and Hou Peng immediately tightened their grips on their weapons, warily backing away.

All eyes were fixed on the seemingly crazed Grey Eagle, a chilling fear gripping them that he might transform into a ravenous Evil Ghost like Old Dog at any moment.

Fang Cheng turned, preparing to step forward and silence the disruptive Grey Eagle, but a subtle anomaly caught his eye.

He snapped his head back, focusing on the mangled remains on the ground.

He observed the scattered, writhing tendrils of black mist that, as if pulled by an invisible force, began to rapidly coalesce into a sphere about the size of a fist.

Whoosh—

Like a projectile fired from a gun, the black sphere shot forward, skimming the surface of the ground as it fled directly into the dense fog blanketing the northern part of the forest.

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly, a golden luminescence flickering within his pupils.

His gaze pierced through the obscuring layers of fog, tracing the path of the escaping black mist.

At the periphery of his vision, he glimpsed the indistinct outline of a warping, shimmering space—resembling a mirror suspended in mid-air.

"What is that?" Fang Cheng breathed, a question directed at himself.

"Huff… huff…"

Meanwhile, Grey Eagle's cries had begun to subside.

He pushed himself up from the mud, panting heavily, the sharp pain in his eyes now replaced by an almost fanatical elation.

"It's right up ahead! The entrance is very close!"

Grey Eagle raised a trembling hand, pointing into the fog in a specific direction, his voice cracking with excitement: "Over there. The sound I heard in my mind originated from that direction—I can't be mistaken!"

The direction he indicated perfectly matched the escape trajectory of the condensed black mass.

As he spoke, Grey Eagle turned and hurried towards Fang Cheng, his demeanor sycophantic as he eagerly offered: "Big Brother, allow me to guide you. Trust me, my senses are unerring. This time, we will undoubtedly locate the entrance to the ancient civilization's ruins!"

Ma Donghe tightened his grip on his dagger, his expression skeptical: "Didn't you claim you needed blood to trace the Summoning Array? You haven't even prepared the Array Plate yet, and you can already find it?"

Grey Eagle wiped beads of cold sweat from his brow, offering a couple of strained chuckles: "Circumstances change, don't they? If we truly couldn't pinpoint the spatial rift tonight, we would have had to resort to that extreme Array."

"However, with so many lives lost, and Old Dog's mutation—it proves there's already ample Qi and Blood Energy present. The hidden entrance to the nearby ruins has been provoked into revealing itself!"

He then turned his gaze back to Fang Cheng, expectance shining in his eyes: "Big Brother, with the heaven-defying Skills you've just demonstrated, combined with my innate pathfinding instincts, if we form an alliance and venture into that New World, we are guaranteed to seize all the treasures within."

"We'll all become wealthy together. Even if we encounter some indigenous monsters, before you, they'll be nothing more than easy prey!"

Observing Grey Eagle's avarice-fueled expression, Fang Cheng offered only an ambiguous nod.

Grey Eagle's joy surged instantly, and he eagerly bowed and scraped, moving closer: "Wonderful! I still don't know your esteemed name, Big Brother?"

"You may simply call me Brother Cheng," Fang Cheng replied in a measured tone.

"Brother Cheng! From this moment forward, you are our preeminent leader!"

Grey Eagle spun around and bellowed at the two beleaguered subordinates who had barely escaped with their lives: "Mountain Cat, Bald Rat, why are you dawdling? Hurry and greet Brother Cheng!"

Clutching their injured arms, the two subordinates stumbled forward together, bowed their heads, and chorused in unison: "Brother Cheng."

"So, shall we proceed to find the entrance now?"

Grey Eagle rubbed his hands together, impatience evident, and turned to stride into the depths of the fog.

"Hold on."

Fang Cheng's gaze fell upon the several bloody gashes on Grey Eagle's body, inflicted by Old Dog, and he stated coldly: "Tend to your wounds first. You're losing far too much blood—don't collapse halfway. I have no desire to drag a corpse while navigating."