Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

Upon seeing what was above them, Han Jianguo and the others' expressions changed drastically. Above the mist, a giant bird, its entire body seemingly cast in gold, slowly descended.

Its wingspan exceeded ten meters, the edges of its wings gleaming with a metallic sheen, and its eyes were cold and devoid of any emotion. Most terrifying of all was the oppressive aura emanating from its body.

It was like a mountain, pressing down on everyone and making it hard for them to breathe.

In particular, the aura belonging to a third-tier life form caused many second-tier disciples to turn pale and their legs to tremble.

"It really is a Tier 3 beast!"

A Bajiquan disciple's voice trembled, while further away, dark clouds churned. Thousands of black-gold poisonous bees hovered in mid-air, forming a death storm.

In the air, there could be a faint sound of some kind of plant wriggling.

Like countless things crawling underground, Han Jianguo's eyes darkened completely. He knew very well that this trouble...

big.

This place is not a blessed land of spiritual energy at all, but a forbidden zone that has formed a complete ecosystem.

There were even rulers. Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and clenched his fists: "Youngsters, step back."

Several Bajiquan disciples' expressions changed: "Elder Han..."

"retreat!"

Han Jianguo suddenly shouted, staring intently at Xiao Jinbao.

Because the opponent's aura was very strong, so strong that even he, a half-step third-level cultivator, felt immense pressure.

Little Jinbao looked down at the crowd, his golden eyes full of mockery: "Humans, before this king, why don't you kneel?"

Its wings fluttered.

boom!

A fierce gust of wind ripped through the trees, snapping them in half. Many second-tier disciples were thrown back, tumbling and rolling in disarray. Han Jianguo took a sudden step forward.

boom!

The rocks beneath his feet shattered, and a burst of white energy spread around him, forcefully blocking the wind pressure. He looked up, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"You beast, today I'd like to see just how capable you are, a third-tier alien beast."

The words fell.

boom!

Han Jianguo moved first, his speed so fast it was almost impossible for the naked eye to follow. He transformed into a gray shadow, instantly soaring more than ten meters into the air.

The Eight Extremes Collapse!

With a single punch, the air crackled and exploded, creating a white shockwave.

Little Jinbao's pupils contracted slightly.

boom!

Fists and claws collided, and a violent shockwave exploded instantly, snapping trees within a radius of dozens of meters.

The ground was blasted into a huge crater. Little Jinbao's massive body was actually knocked back several meters by this punch.

Han Jianguo also grunted, landing and staggering back seven or eight steps, leaving everyone utterly shocked.

"Is it blocked?"

"Elder Han was actually able to directly confront a third-tier alien beast?"

A retainer from a powerful family looked on in horror, and Little Golden Treasure was also taken aback. It was one of its master's strongest warriors.

And yet, they were defeated by a human?

He was immediately enraged.

"Damn humans!"

Boo!

With a sharp screech, Little Golden Treasure burst into action, its wings transforming into golden blades that slashed down with a deafening roar.

Han Jianguo's eyes were cold, and his arms were crossed.

boom!

He was slammed into the ground, but the next second, he miraculously stood up despite the terrifying force.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"good!"

"As expected, it's at the third tier. I've been stuck at this bottleneck for twenty years. Today, I'll lend it to you so I can test my Eight Extremes Sect's secret technique!"

Everyone's expression changed drastically.

"Elder Han, do you mean to..."

Han Jianguo did not answer. He suddenly formed a hand seal and slammed his palm into his chest.

puff!

He spat out a mouthful of blood, but the next second, his internal energy exploded like a volcano. Crimson lines appeared on his skin.

The white mist around him quickly intensified, the rubble on the ground was violently shaken into the air, and the air itself began to distort.

The Secret Technique of Blood Burning is a secret technique recorded in ancient books. When used, it can temporarily unleash an individual's potential and enhance their combat power.

Boom! A terrifying pressure, far exceeding anything seen before, rose from Han Jianguo's body. Third Rank! At this moment, he had actually managed to elevate his strength to the third rank, leaving everyone stunned.

"Elder Han has broken through?"

"No...it's not a breakthrough, it's a secret technique that forcibly pushed me into the third tier!"

In the distance, Little Jinbao's eyes finally became serious, because the human in front of him had become stronger.

Han Jianguo looked up, his eyes red: "You beast, again!"

boom!

The ground exploded with a deafening roar, and he vanished from his spot in an instant.

The next second, it appeared directly above Xiao Jinbao's head, its speed increasing several times over.

Eight Extremes, Shaking Mountains!

With a single punch, the air exploded, and the force of the punch transformed into a white torrent that crashed down. Little Jinbao had just raised its wings to block.

boom!

The enormous golden figure was forcefully smashed away, crashing through more than a dozen giant trees along its path. A trench hundreds of meters long was carved into the ground.

"What?"

Even the queen bee was stunned for a moment. Little Jinbao was knocked away?

At the center of the battlefield, Han Jianguo's blood and energy surged to the heavens. He stood like an old war god amidst the ruins. His gray robe billowed, and his killing intent was overwhelming.

He stepped forward, his voice echoing through the mountains: "You mere beast, how dare you obstruct me? Today, I will slay you to establish my authority!"

In the distance, in the center of the lake, blue lotuses swayed. Chu Zhou's gaze finally changed slightly.

"Oh? That's interesting. It can even forcibly cross borders? If I can figure out the principle behind this secret technique, it might be able to improve my combat strength as well."

Chu Zhou felt no sympathy for powerful humans like Han Jianguo who had trespassed into the forbidden zone.

In his previous life, when spiritual energy revived, awakened humans slaughtered alien beasts and took their crystal cores in order to become stronger. He originally thought that these people would think about the future of humanity.

But as great terror descended, in a moment of true despair, these people chose to abandon the city they were protecting, leaving behind tens of thousands of people to flee.

This led to the fall of the city, and the people became prey for the beasts.

What a bunch of hypocritical scoundrels.

Just then, on the other side, Han Jianguo stomped his foot and disappeared again. In the Blood Burning Secret Technique state, his blood and energy seemed inexhaustible, and each punch was heavier and more ferocious than before.

The air was blasted with bursts of explosions.

"Eight Extremes, Mountain Collapse!"

With a single punch, the white force of the fist surged forth like a torrent. Little Golden Treasure roared angrily, its wings flapping to block, but the next second, its massive golden body was blasted away once again.

It crashed through more than a dozen ancient trees along the way, sending up clouds of dust, and had just taken flight when Han Jianguo was already upon it. He was too fast; under his secret technique, his speed had truly entered the third tier.

"Kneel down!"

An elbow strike landed hard on Little Jinbao's neck, the sound of bones cracking ringing out. Little Jinbao screamed in agony as his massive body slammed heavily into the ground.

The soil cracked, and blood flowed down the golden feathers as Han Jianguo fought more and more fiercely.

It was as if decades of pent-up frustration had finally found an outlet.

"Hahaha, so what if they're mythical beasts? Once the spiritual energy recovers, humanity will ultimately rule the world!"

He took a step forward, cracking the ground, his fists becoming afterimages. Just as Little Golden Treasure flapped its wings to counterattack, it was hit in the chest repeatedly.

Large swaths of golden feathers shattered, blood splattered, and the massive body flew through the air once more. Even their breathing became rapid.

Little Jinbao was furious. He was Chu Zhou's top general. When had he ever been beaten so badly?

"Damn humans!"

A piercing shriek tore through the mountains and forests, and the spiritual energy within its body surged wildly. Brilliant golden light shimmered at the edges of its wings, and countless golden feather blades shot out like a sky full of flying swords.

Han Jianguo's eyes were cold. He took a step forward, and white energy swirled around his fists. Boom boom boom, the force of his fists exploded one after another, shattering all the feather blades. He even managed to withstand the attack and rush to the front.

He punched Xiao Jinbao on the head.

The earth shook violently, and Xiao Jinbao's huge body was forced into the mountain, causing the rocks to collapse and cracks to spread for dozens of meters.

It coughed up blood and its breathing became noticeably weaker.

"Little Jinbao!"

The queen bee panicked, and thousands of venomous bees swarmed out, but Han Jianguo merely snorted coldly. His blood and qi erupted violently.

The force of the punch sent a shockwave through the air, causing a large swarm of poisonous bees to explode into a bloody mist in mid-air.

"roll!"

With a furious roar, even the queen bee was forced back. At this moment, Han Jianguo was like a true third-tier war god. His strength shocked everyone, and the eyes of the few surviving disciples behind him turned red.

"Elder Han is invincible. Kill these beasts, and humanity will be the strongest."

Han Jianguo stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot, his body swirling with white mist, staring intently at Xiao Jinbao, who had been crushed into the mountainside.

"It's over. Today, I will slay a third-tier beast and shake the world."

He clenched his right fist, his blood and qi surging wildly, causing the air to vibrate. This punch was enough to completely kill the heavily injured Little Jinbao.

However, just as the fist was about to land, the entire world suddenly fell silent.

The wind stopped, the wasps froze, and even the mist seemed to be frozen. An indescribable sense of oppression suddenly descended.

Han Jianguo's movements suddenly froze.

He suddenly felt that he was being watched by something. It felt like an ant being looked down upon by a god.

The next second, a mental fluctuation so calm and undisturbed that it resounded throughout the entire mountain forest.

"Have you had enough?"

hum!

Han Jianguo's pupils contracted sharply, and he looked up abruptly, only to see a giant blue lotus slowly rising from the depths of the mist, towards Black Dragon Lake.

The lake water churned, its emerald green radiance reflecting the heavens and earth.

It merely swayed gently, yet the spiritual energy of the entire Black Dragon Mountain surged wildly, the forests trembled, and all the strange beasts prostrated themselves.

Even the queen bee lowered her head, but Little Jinbao weakly raised her head and her eyes lit up.

"Owner!"

Han Jianguo felt a chill run down his spine; an unprecedented sense of impending death erupted.

"No, the third-tier beast isn't the master of the forbidden zone. The true ruler is that lotus flower?!"

But it was too late. Chu Zhou didn't waste any words. He was too lazy to test him; he never showed mercy to intruders.

Especially for someone who almost killed Xiao Jinbao.

At the bottom of the lake, countless black-gold roots were shaking wildly underground, and Han Jianguo's expression changed drastically.

"not good!"

As soon as he uttered a single word, dozens of black and gold vines burst forth from the ground, as if divine punishment had descended.

Han Jianguo roared, his blood and qi surging to their peak: "Open for me!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Several punches were thrown in succession, shattering the vines.

But the next second, even more vines appeared, hundreds, even thousands, spreading everywhere.

It blotted out the sky, and the entire restricted area seemed to come alive.

Han Jianguo finally panicked: "Retreat!"

He had just roared when a black and gold vine pierced through his chest without warning, and Han Jianguo's body suddenly froze.

How is that possible?

His eyes widened in disbelief, but what was even more terrifying was yet to come—the surface of those vines.

Suddenly, countless devouring roots appeared, frantically absorbing his life force and spiritual energy.

"No!"

Han Jianguo's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled frantically. His secret technique, Blood Burning, collapsed rapidly, and his third-tier aura plummeted.

He looked up in horror, seeing the blue lotus clearly for the first time. Its aura was high above, cold, and ancient, like some incomprehensible being.

Chu Zhou remained calm, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, and said, "The secret technique is not bad, but unfortunately, you are too weak."

puff!

The vines suddenly contracted, and Han Jianguo exploded instantly, turning into a cloud of blood mist.

[Slay a near-Tier 3 Awakened Being]

[Evolution Point +9800]

Current evolution progress: 100%

[Meets the requirements for advancement]

[Should we begin fifth-tier evolution?]

In the center of the lake, the Azure Lotus trembled, and Chu Zhou's eyes finally lit up. He had reached the opportunity to break through to the fifth rank.