Chapter 140: Crushing the Golden Horn (Part One)

The giant screen inside the Palace of War Gods was broadcasting live footage of the Golden Horned Behemoth’s rampage. The devastation of the warfare bases was merely one terrifying aspect of its destruction.

On the screen, the Golden Horned Behemoth flicked its wings gently, propelling itself dozens of miles in an instant. Its speed was unfathomable. With a single rotation of its wings, it sliced a warfare base below clean in two, as easily as if it were cutting through tofu. Even laser cannons capable of killing King-level monsters could not so much as scratch its scales; not a single mark was left behind.

This was true despair. Impeccable defense, peerless speed, the ability to consume steel fortresses a thousand times its size, and the power to command legions of sea monsters—how could anyone possibly resist it?

The entire North American continent was engulfed in the flames of catastrophe. The death toll climbed with every passing second. The President who had spoken earlier stepped forward once more, his voice heavy with grief. "Every minute, thousands of our soldiers and civilians perish. Every minute we wait, countless homes are destroyed. If we cannot halt its advance, this is only the beginning; the entire Earth will follow."

"We have already lost members of the Council fighting to destroy it!"

"We have attempted nuclear strikes, but the weapons are decomposed and consumed before they can even reach it!"

"Detonating at a distance is useless; the shockwaves cannot harm it, and as for radiation, even common monsters are immune, let alone this Emperor-level beast!"

"We are out of options. We can only watch in horror as it ravages our homes!"

"Councilor Qin, Hong, Thor—I appeal to you on behalf of countless soldiers and millions of families. If there is anyone who can stop its advance and kill it, it must be the three of you!"

"I beg of you!" He bowed ninety degrees.

The atmosphere in the conference hall was suffocating. The sheer terror of the Golden Horned Behemoth had left them all shaken. With its ability to decompose metal, its invincible defense, and its unmatched speed, ordinary Council members were helpless; to confront it was to court death.

"Big Brother, Third Brother, this beast surpasses all other Emperor-level monsters; it is not to be trifled with," Thor said gravely. "This time, we must join forces. With our combined strength, we should be able to suppress it!"

"Agreed," Hong nodded. "The Earth is our home, our foundation. How can we let a mere beast destroy it?"

"Leave this to me," Qin Ming stepped forward.

"Third Brother, you cannot do this alone! We must fight together to slaughter it!" Thor shook his head quickly.

"The stakes are too high. How can we let you risk your life so recklessly?" Hong added.

"I have already made a breakthrough. Do not worry," Qin Ming said with a faint smile, then turned and left the Palace of War Gods.

Thor stood stunned. "A breakthrough?"

"A breakthrough?" Hong paused, then his eyes lit up with delight. "Could it be?"

"It must be!" Thor’s excitement grew as he clenched his fists. "That rascal, Third Brother is truly something else—he broke through without a sound. Haha, we have nothing to fear now!"

The other War Gods and Council members were left in confusion, but the two of them offered no explanation.

***

Aboard the fighter jet, Qin Ming opened his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to test it out a bit more first?" Babata projected himself into the cabin.

"Further testing won't change the outcome," Qin Ming laughed. "Besides, I have teleportation. Even if I'm not a match for it, I can escape!"

"That is true," Babata mused. "I will pilot the smart fighter jet and stay close to you. If you need to teleport, you can retreat inside instantly to keep your abilities concealed. However, with your Star-level 3 cultivation, your fourth-order domain, and the 'Void-Cleaving Blade' technique, you shouldn't be defeated—there is no reason for you to lose!"

"Then let's set off. I cannot just watch the Golden Horned Behemoth continue its rampage, even if I feel a strange sense of satisfaction," Qin Ming said.

"Satisfaction?" Babata was puzzled. "Aren't you human? How could you feel satisfied?"

"You wouldn't understand," Qin Ming replied.

Babata truly didn't understand. After all, his soul was not that of the 'true' Qin Ming! If it were the person from that other world and that era, he would have watched with glee, perhaps even blocking the beast's path himself.

The fighter jet roared through the sky, crossing oceans and seas.

"Where is the Golden Horned Behemoth?"

"It is returning to the ocean. It seems full and needs to digest. That makes sense; it consumed more than one fortress, so it will need time to process them. Once it finishes digesting, its strength will certainly increase again. So, Qin Ming, you must strike with lethal precision and take it down in one blow!"

"Understood! Also, once I engage it, jam all signals."

"Good idea! Then we shall wait until it enters the ocean before attacking; that way, we can completely hide your methods!"

As they spoke, the jet reached the ocean. Hundreds of miles away, they could see the Golden Horned Behemoth flying leisurely. The cabin door opened, and Qin Ming flew out. Channeling his energy, his figure streaked like lightning toward the beast. Covering the distance in moments, he blocked the Golden Horned Behemoth's path.

At the same time, every powerhouse above the rank of War God watched the scene via satellite.

"I wonder if Third Brother can handle it?" Thor worried. "He has broken through to Star-level, but if he still can't win, we are finished!"

"Given Third Brother’s talent, he should be capable," Hong replied via telepathy.

The two had left the Palace of War Gods and were waiting at the Extreme Martial Arts Center. But a moment later, the projected image flickered and turned to static.

"This...!" Thor was stunned, his brow furrowing. "Can the Golden Horned Behemoth interfere with satellite scanning?"

"No," Hong shook his head. "It must be Babata’s doing. He would only do this at Third Brother’s request, which means...!"

"If it was that kid's request, he must have some confidence!"

"Regardless, let us head there. If he is losing, we can provide support!"

"Agreed!" The two boarded Hong’s 'Prehistoric-class' smart fighter jet and departed.

***

At this moment, all the powerhouses watching were restless. Many contacted Hong and Thor, but received no answers.

Above the ocean, the Golden Horned Behemoth looked at the tiny human blocking its path. Its vicious eyes blinked, and without any visible movement, it appeared before Qin Ming, opening its massive maw to snap him up. To the beast, the human was merely a small snack to improve its palate.

*Swish!*

A battle blade suddenly appeared in Qin Ming’s hand—a B1-grade weapon scavenged from the desert ruins. The blade moved like lightning, instantly striking the Golden Horned Behemoth’s lip. A sharp *crack* echoed as the scales shattered, splitting the lip in two.

The Golden Horned Behemoth let out a roar, unleashing its innate secret technique to form a spatial vortex. Qin Ming felt himself being restrained, dragged toward the beast’s gaping maw. If he were swallowed, he wasn't even sure if he could teleport out, given that the Golden Horned Behemoth possessed an internal world.

"Domain!"

With a thought, Qin Ming’s fourth-order spatial domain erupted. It collided violently with the beast’s spatial technique. This was a clash of two types of spatial power, causing the space between man and beast to twist and fold.

In less than a thousandth of a heartbeat, the beast’s swallowing technique collapsed.

"Yours is merely a secret technique, but my spatial domain contains the fundamental laws of universal space!"

Qin Ming felt a surge of certainty. In this universe, the power of laws was the pinnacle of strength—even for special lifeforms.

"Spatial Compression!"

Qin Ming clenched his left hand, and the space within his domain seemed to collapse, squeezing inward toward the Golden Horned Behemoth. In these few moments, the beast’s wound had already completely healed—a testament to its tenacious vitality and terrifying recovery speed.

*Roar!*

The Golden Horned Behemoth felt as though it were trapped in a quagmire. It struggled violently but could not break free. Suddenly, the horn on its head erupted with blinding light, piercing through the spatial compression. The pressure eased, its speed surged, and it prepared to break out of the domain’s range.

"Did you think I would let you escape so easily?"

Qin Ming smiled faintly. His domain shifted, subtly twisting space so that the beast’s desperate charge turned into a wide arc, keeping it trapped within the domain’s reach.

"Take this!"

"Void-Cleaving Blade, First Strike!"

Qin Ming let out a long shout, unleashing his terrifying offensive power. This was the first time he had used this technique in actual combat.