"Oh ho ho ho--"
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers, accompanied by the host's passionate commentary: "Vasili, who boasted grandly before the game, doesn't seem to have the strength to match his words..."
"Boom!" On the stage, Vasili's giant beast [Extreme Cold Giant Bear] was once again easily thrown to the ground by Combat Rooster, making a huge sound.
...
"Chirping--"
In the dark star sea, in the insect nests hiding behind a planet, some of the Insect Race were quietly passing orders. They are now within the human military circle, and in terms of technological level, the Alien Insect Race and humans are about on the same level. Even though this time they used the corpses of the mutant Insect Race to evolve a raid ability, humans should quickly discover them.
Hiding here is far from safe; the Insect Queen judged that they have at most twenty-four hours of hiding time, possibly even less than twenty-four hours.
So the insect nests opened, releasing some Insect Race with "invisibility" abilities. No one would have thought that these huge insect nests were actually nurturing relatively "small" Insect Race.
Tai Star is their primary target because Tai Star is currently the focus of the entire human society; causing trouble here would most effectively deter the human race. Also, due to the Beast Emperor decision, the number of spacecraft entering and leaving Tai Star has greatly increased, making it easier for them to infiltrate.
These insects drifted in the starry sky around Tai Star, clinging to any human spacecraft they encountered and entering Tai Star with them.
The equipment at the civilian spaceport was relatively outdated, not detecting these invisible insects.
...
"Marshal, we've detected an unusual space energy fluctuation."
"Don't take it lightly, gather resources and inspect it seriously; hopefully, it's just a false alarm."
...
Combat Rooster executed a flamboyant spiraling wing spread, its blade-like wings leaving huge wounds on the [Extreme Cold Giant Bear], then kicked the massive white bear, sending it crashing against the energy shield with a thud, slowly sliding down.
Vasili was extremely depressed, thinking that his professional ability combined with his giant beast combat method would give him an advantage, but he didn't expect that his professional ability was completely restrained by Chen Gu.
Or rather... it shouldn't be called restraint; it was suppression, thorough suppression.
The battle had lasted less than twenty minutes, but Vasili was beaten from start to finish. His professional skills hadn't even been released before being cracked by Chen Gu.
The Extreme Cold Giant Bear was no match for the Energy Gathering Mechanical Species, ending in a humiliating defeat.
Comparing to his pre-game trash talk, his pride was utterly shattered; this match was a double torment of body and mind for him.
"How could this bastard be so strong..."
This thought just emerged when Chen Gu hit him with a [Mental Sweep], rendering him dazed and unable to wake up for a long time.
The Extreme Cold Giant Bear, without Vasili's command, was even more brutally handled by Combat Rooster, killed like a lump of rotten flesh, collapsing on the stage.
Combat Rooster disdainfully stomped on the head of the Extreme Cold Giant Bear, then arrogantly turned around, walking to its corner with its wings on its back.
By this time, there's no need for the referee to announce; everyone understood Chen Gu had won, and won without any suspense.
However, at this time, there weren't many cheers in the stadium; people were shocked by the level of skill displayed by Combat Rooster, one tier higher, until the live host exclaimed in amazement: "At this point in the match, I can't help but ask: Who can rival the 'Justified Iron Fist'?"
Every spectator felt a sense of agreement.
Vasili was the most arrogant contestant before the game, and based on past achievements, he indeed had reasons to be cocky—yet it seemed pre-match Chen Gu didn't respond much to Vasili's provocations, but once on stage, he turned into a different person, easily taking down Vasili.
The Freedom Alliance's contestants... skipped; then there's Houjou Kouji from Star State, who seems a bit inferior to Vasili.
Chen Gu made an appearance, greeted the audience, then exited the stage, only then the massive cheers erupted.
Vasili and the Extreme Cold Giant Bear were both dragged out...
The subsequent team battle was thrilling, yet compared to the previous shock, it was much weaker. Also, the audience kept comparing in their minds: the team battle should be the main event, but how come this session's team battle... doesn't seem to match up to Chen Gu's strength.
This match was between the Freedom Alliance and the Empire, and halfway through the battle, the audience couldn't help comparing in their minds: It seems like even the strongest member of this team battle is not a match for Chen Gu.
When the match reached the second half and the outcome became clearer, some audience members clicked their tongues, feeling somewhat uninterested: It seems the entire team, when pulled out, might not even defeat Chen Gu alone.
This judgment quickly became a consensus among the audience, making the team battle seem lackluster.
The previous individual match ended in twenty minutes by Chen Gu, while this team battle dragged on for over an hour, causing the audience to shake their heads, losing focus on the match, engaging in lively discussions with each other:
"If this counterattack faces 'Justified Iron Fist', it might be suppressed before it even starts. The move used against 'Extreme Cold Giant Bear' could be directly applied here."
"Look at the Freedom Alliance team's collaboration this time; if they faced him, they wouldn't have the chance to fully display it. The move used earlier would immediately break their coordination."
"The people of the Empire, while they seem complementary to each other, it's only because their opponents are too weak. If they were facing you, just like the Combat Rooster's spiral impact earlier, they'd be shattered on the spot..."
"What a pity, the Beast King Tournament doesn't allow individual contestants to face a team; otherwise, your participation would be spectacular!"
This discourse quickly spread from inside the stadium to the interstellar network. By the time the team battle concluded and the Empire emerged victorious, an initiative had already climbed to the top of the trending topics on the interstellar network thanks to the fans:
Requesting Your Excellency "Iron Fist of Justice" to have a "Beast King vs. Pack of Wolves" battle with the ultimate team battle winner!
It's still unknown which team ultimately won the team battle, but fans have already determined that the individual champion must be Chen Gu.
The Alliance secretly rejoiced: this is great news!
Every match of the Beast King Tournament brings in massive revenue for the Alliance. In the past, they considered having an "ultimate showdown" between the individual and team champions, but in previous years, individual contestants were often weaker, making such matches pointless.
This year is different.
Look, we are merely responding to public demand and fulfilling the fans' wishes.
However, the Alliance adept at manipulating public opinion was not in a rush; instead, an official responded formally to this request: it would be unfair to both the individual and team champions.
On the surface, they maintained a "not interested" attitude.
This statement instantly infuriated the fans: What's unfair? How is it unfair? The Alliance really is a bunch of fools!
Thus, the topic gained even more attention.
After the Empire's team won, the day's matches concluded. Tomorrow night, in another stadium, the second round of individual and team matches will occur, with the winners advancing to the finals.
However, after the Alliance official's statement, a major media outlet released their exclusive interview with Houjou Kouji. In the interview, Houjou Kouji stated: "From the previous match, I've discovered Chen Gu's weakness. I'm confident I can defeat Chen Gu in the finals."
"In that match, Vasili initially had a chance to win, but unfortunately, he fell into Chen Gu's rhythm right away, which led to his catastrophic defeat. This wasn't Vasili's true strength; Chen Gu isn't as strong as he seems."
"Unfortunately, the showdown everyone wishes to see between Chen Gu and the team battle champion won't happen, because I will defeat Chen Gu, and I will be the ultimate champion in the individual competition."
Then the media reporter asked, "If you win the individual championship, would you consider having the final showdown with the team battle champion that fans are looking forward to?"
Houjou Kouji replied officially, "I will follow the Alliance's arrangements."
Houjou Kouji hinted blatantly at the Alliance: I'm very obedient, come support me.
Unfortunately, the Alliance wasn't truly foolish and ignored Houjou Kouji's attempt to curry favor.
It wasn't until noon the next day that Chen Gu learned of Houjou Kouji's "statement." Qing Ruyan earnestly and seriously analyzed it for him: "Never underestimate the enemy."
"Our main rivals this time are the Star State. They compete with our Confederation in various fields."
"Houjou Kouji is a key player developed by the Star State. It's said he has many mysterious trump cards that he hasn't unveiled yet, all reserved for this Beast King Tournament."
"His bold statement shows he really has the confidence."
Chen Gu waved his hand impatiently, complaining: "I got it, I got it... you're so nagging like a housekeeper."
As soon as Chen Gu stepped out, he was stopped by a reporter disguised as a waiter who sneaked into the resort: "Chen Gu, what's your view on Houjou Kouji's statement? What's your response?"
Chen Gu initially didn't want to say anything, and the resort security personnel were already rushing over to escort the reporter out. However, a thought suddenly struck Chen Gu, and he told the reporter, "I have a suggestion. I'll also participate in tonight's match. Houjou Kouji can team up with a player from the Freedom Alliance. I'll take on two opponents, giving him a definite advantage to defeat me. I wonder if he's brave enough!"
The reporter was so excited he nearly exploded: big news, big news!
...
On a gentle, winding beach on Titan, there were many tourists. The gem-like ocean gently lapped at the silvery-white sands. Countless bikini-clad beauties lay lazily under umbrellas, sunbathing with sunglasses on.
Young men who considered themselves attractive and well-built played beach volleyball, showing off their chiseled abs, hoping to catch the ladies' attention.
In the depths of the ocean, countless insects that had snuck onto Titan gathered from all corners of the planet. This massive swarm seemed to be controlled by a singular "will." They did not attack or consume humans immediately, suppressing their bloodthirsty instincts until they reached this location.
They merged, forming a massive unified body, and then the command was issued by that will.
Countless insects remained hidden, swept onto the beach along with the waves, and soon the once-bustling beach gradually quieted down as all humans were reduced to mere nourishment for them.
Near this beach, there were dozens of resort hotels, and further back was a mid-sized tourist city.
When Chen Gu faced the reporter's interview and proposed facing "two opponents," the Alien Insect Race had already silently devoured all the resort hotels. Finally, the tourist city behind realized something was amiss and quickly mobilized armed forces, reporting upwards.
In the ocean's depths, the collective of insects had grown immensely, and they found several professionals, swallowing them but leaving their brains intact.
At this moment, six professional brains were linked by countless insect tendrils, nurtured at the core of the collective, emitting an eerie yet beautiful crimson glow...
