Han Ning's molten gold tiger eyes flickered with golden flames as he remained silent.
The water beneath his feet exploded outward.
His figure tore through the rain curtain, closing in on the burly man in an instant.
"ROAR!"
A tiger's roar erupted like thunder.
Substantial sound waves radiated outward in all directions.
Within dozens of meters centered on Han Ning, everyone's movements froze simultaneously.
The three invaders who had been attempting to flee bore the brunt of the attack.
"Argh!"
The plain-faced man's attempt to release Mental Piercing was interrupted as blood gushed from all seven orifices. The condensed mental power was violently dispersed by the overwhelming tiger's roar, rebounding upon himself as he clutched his head and let out a piercing scream.
The skinny man, who had been about to slip away, suddenly felt an irresistible mental impact crash into his mind. Stars exploded before his eyes as his body began convulsing uncontrollably.
The stocky man's rock keratin layer fluctuated violently as he tried to raise his arms in defense, but his movements became unbearably slow.
In the instant everyone was stunned by the tiger's roar—
Whoosh!
Dozens of dark green vines around Han Ning shot forward like venomous snakes lying in ambush.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The three men's bodies were pierced through by the vines, completely losing their ability to escape.
Han Ning didn't pause for even a second.
Boom!
He stepped forward, right fist clenched and muscles bulging, delivering a direct punch toward the burly man's hastily raised left arm.
The big man was prepared.
His entire skin turned the color of black steel as a faint black membrane appeared across his body.
Han Ning's Tiger Fist collided with the black membrane.
Instead of the expected sound of shattering bones, his fist encountered an almost imperceptible resistance—like punching through a layer of tough rubber.
But only for a moment!
Bang!
Tremendous force erupted.
A mist of blood mixed with bone fragments and flesh exploded outward.
The tower-like man's left arm, along with the black membrane covering it, was completely pulverized into flying chunks of flesh and blood by this single punch.
"AAARGH!" The big man let out a heart-rending scream, his body trembling uncontrollably from the pain.
Han Ning showed no mercy.
His right leg swept out horizontally, striking the outside of the big man's left knee.
Crack!
The sickening sound of bone breaking was clearly audible.
The man's left leg bent outward at an unnatural angle.
His massive body lost support and began toppling to the left.
Han Ning continued the motion of his right leg, delivering a crushing blow to the man's remaining right shin.
Crack!
Another crisp snapping sound.
The right tibia shattered instantly.
The tower-like man crashed heavily onto the wet deck with a dull thud.
With all four limbs destroyed, only his torso and head twitched weakly.
From Han Ning's appearance, to the tiger's roar stunning everyone, the vines instantly killing three, to systematically dismantling the tower-like man's limbs—the entire process took barely ten seconds.
The deck fell deathly silent.
Han Ning's gaze swept across the battered and wounded Azure Cloud Association members scattered across the deck.
With a thought—
Hum!
Six vines shot out.
But this time, their targets weren't enemies.
They coiled around several Awakened from Azure Cloud Resort.
A soft green glow emanated from the vines' surfaces.
"Lis—"
A warm yet powerful surge of energy flowed into Chairman Wu's body through the vines wrapped around him, miraculously alleviating some of his excruciating pain.
He coughed violently twice, spitting out a mouthful of congealed blood. His ashen complexion finally showed a hint of vitality.
Thanks to Han Ning's Rejuvenation, the others gradually regained some mobility.
"Mr. Han Ning, thank you!"
Chairman Wu, Vice Chairman Zhao, and several other Awakened nodded gratefully at Han Ning.
Then, Chairman Wu looked up at the other ships still embroiled in fierce battles, his eyes burning with rage. Gritting his teeth, he growled,
"Anyone who can still breathe, follow me! Let's crush these bastards for good!"
"Roar!"
"Kill!"
What followed was a swift counterattack.
The towering man and several other powerful Awakened were captured, while the remaining invaders were pushed back under the combined assault of Chairman Wu, the vice chairmen, and the Awakened.
Their defeat was total.
"Bang!"
"Ah!"
Sporadic gunfire was drowned out by the roars of the crowd.
Soon, all surviving invaders were tightly bound and gathered on a single ship.
After discussion, Chairman Wu decided to interrogate them separately, much like police handling criminals.
Inside a cramped cabin of a sailboat, the towering man and his three subordinates lay bound in layers of vines, sprawled on the floor.
True to their nature as Awakened, their vitality was tenacious. The towering man, whose limbs had been shattered by Han Ning, had stopped bleeding, though his face was deathly pale, his breathing shallow and labored.
Han Ning and Chairman Wu were in charge of the interrogation.
"Who are you? Where are you from? Why did you attack us?" Chairman Wu's voice was laced with suppressed fury.
"Tell the truth, and I'll make it quick for you."
The towering man kept his mouth shut, his bloodshot eyes fixed stubbornly on the ceiling.
But the gaunt man beside him broke first.
Under Han Ning's icy gaze, his body trembled like a leaf. He begged frantically,
"Don't kill me! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!"
"We—we were all just laborers trying to make a living west of Egret City. Office workers, shop owners, construction workers—all kinds of people."
His words spilled out rapidly, as if afraid he'd lose his chance if he spoke too slowly.
"Later, we Awakened for various reasons. Probably the same way you all did."
"Then, a man named Sun Wuyan gathered us together. He's powerful and ruthless—if you didn't follow him, you died—"
The gaunt man swallowed hard, his voice shaking.
"We were staying at a big hotel in the west. There were over a hundred of us Awakened."
"But a while ago, the soldiers in the west clashed with the Black Serpent Monster Swarm."
"We were too close. Got caught in the crossfire."
His face twisted with lingering terror. "We couldn't hold them off. Those serpent monsters were too strong—they even flooded the hotel. So many died... We were scattered."
The gaunt man gestured weakly at the towering man. "To escape the Black Serpent Monsters, we kept running east until we met you. He was our leader."
Han Ning frowned deeply.
Soldiers... That must mean the military.
And Sun Wuyan, the Black Serpent Monster Swarm...
This man had provided quite a bit of information.
"Is he Sun Wuyan?" Han Ning pointed at the burly man and asked.
The gaunt man shook his head:
"No, no, no. His name is Lei Gang. He's one of Sun Wuyan's captains. Sun Wuyan has six formidable captains under his command, collectively known as the Hexagram. Together, they oversee over a hundred Awakened and several hundred ordinary people."
"And I'm merely his deputy."
Hearing this, Han Ning and Chairman Wu couldn't help but exchange glances.
They had witnessed Lei Gang's strength firsthand just moments ago.
In Azure Cloud Resort, Lei Gang would undoubtedly be considered top-tier combat power, surpassing even several of the chairmen in strength.
Yet someone like him—was merely one of "Boss Sun's" captains?