The Pandora in Duan Chen's hand shifted through multiple states.
His expression gradually turned as cold as frost.
His mind, in that instant, felt as if it had been frozen solid.
Experiencing a rapid and drastic cooling.
When the water monkey once again spat out its red thread-like worms, Duan Chen's eyes flashed. He seized the opportunity, his steps advancing, immediately closing in on the water monkey's body.
The water monkey, unwilling to be outdone, swung its two long, ape-like arms in a crescent arc through the air, reaching for Duan Chen's chest.
Although not a sea demon, its habit of gouging out hearts was identical.
But Duan Chen had long since formed a habit from fighting sea demons, instinctively guarding his heart, and with an extreme dodge, he evaded the water monkey's heart-gouging attempt.
His feet pushed off the air, kicking the water monkey's arm. In almost an instant, the water monkey's other arm reached for Duan Chen, who was falling towards the ground.
However, Duan Chen remained unfazed. Pandora instantly transformed into its shield form, appearing behind him with a crisp clang.
His spiritual energy was momentarily drained, and Duan Chen's face turned pale.
But he had successfully blocked the water monkey's attack.
And before the water monkey could launch its next assault, Pandora had already reappeared in Duan Chen's hand.
He stepped onto the water monkey's arm, rising from it, and with a leap,
He landed on the water monkey's shoulders.
From this angle, Duan Chen appeared as an emotionless god of war, firing two shots, hitting the water monkey's arms directly.
As the water monkey raised its arms to grasp Duan Chen standing on its limbs, he sprang up.
Like a cunning and agile macaque, he ducked, and as the water monkey raised its arms, he directed the attack towards its left armpit.
With a bang.
Wang Zihao and the others finally saw what Duan Chen had been fighting.
When it was alive, it had completely eluded their sight, but at the moment of its death, they were able to glimpse it.
Seeing the water monkey's appearance clearly, they all gasped in unison.
They hadn't expected the creature Duan Chen was fighting to be so bizarre and terrifying, and utterly unlike any race they were familiar with.
Wang Zihao's expression instantly turned grim.
He was not like Long Yi, all muscle and no brain.
He understood perfectly how terrifying it was for a new, unrecorded race to suddenly appear.
The ancient text scanner flickered open, his fingers dancing as he searched for potential data.
He screenshotted the appearance of the water monkey before him, uploaded it, and cross-referenced it with the files in his mind and any knowledge he could access.
None. None.
How could there be nothing?
Wang Zihao's face contorted with madness, unable to comprehend the situation.
According to the ancient text's records, no relevant intelligence could be found. This meant the water monkey he had just seen was indeed a completely new race.
Belonging to the sea demons, but one that had not been discovered or recorded.
Such a tall, deformed monster could not possibly have remained unknown, and its danger was considerable. Just moments ago, as they watched from the sidelines, it was a solo performance by Duan Chen, yet they could see how thrilling it was.
Although it looked somewhat comical, none of them could bring themselves to laugh.
Everyone held their breath.
They didn't understand why the deformed monster attacking Duan Chen hadn't attacked them. Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen the creature...
But it was precisely this that made them feel even more unbearable.
Duan Chen had kept them from seeing the monster to protect them.
He had also entered this strange mountain village alone to bring them along.
And yet, they could only stand by like useless burdens.
Duan Chen, of course, was unaware of what the others were thinking. After dealing with the monster, he retracted Pandora into his spatial ring.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, his demeanor returning to its relaxed state, and casually walked over to Wang Zihao and the others.
As for the monster's corpse, he paid it no mind. Because he found that the moment the monster died, it vanished, just like before when it had been in its cocoon-like state.
He could no longer see the monster.
...
A silence as if of death.
Duan Chen, feeling a bit perplexed, raised his eyelids and looked at the dejected group of proud talents. He instantly understood what had happened and couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
"Alright, one and all, stop moping. We need to deal with the current situation first."
Duan Chen chided softly.
Wang Zihao and the others perked up again, following closely behind Duan Chen.
Wang Zihao glanced at Duan Chen's complexion and saw that he didn't look excessively drained. He was secretly surprised and asked, perplexed.
"Instructor, do you know the monster you just killed?"
Duan Chen shook his head.
He didn't know what kind of monster it was.
He only felt it was somewhat deformed and terrifying.
Its agility, like that of an ape, and the formidable attack power of its claws.
If it hadn't been him, the person arriving would likely have faced a tough battle, and there would have been extreme casualties.
After all, there weren't many agents in Su City.
Even fewer were truly capable.
Receiving a negative answer, Wang Zihao's heart sank again.
However, he quickly rallied his spirits, being an optimist by nature.
Wang Zihao cautiously asked for advice, "When this is all over, can I discuss the information recording of this monster with you, Instructor?"
There was no reason to refuse such a request.
Duan Chen casually nodded in agreement.
A happy smile involuntarily appeared on Wang Zihao's face.
It was at this moment that they had just entered the village's perimeter.
Having taken so long for such a short distance, their internal sense of vigilance towards the place had significantly increased.
Having witnessed Duan Chen's strength, Wang Zihao was already convinced.
He had always admired the strong.
Not just him, but the others as well, now looked at Duan Chen with completely different expressions.
Strength is supreme.
This is an eternal truth from ancient times to the present.
Duan Chen, however, did not feel entirely at ease.
Especially when he saw an old man walking out, as if suddenly noticing them.