I can return to the age of mysterious
Chapter 974 - 974 498 What is the Hegemon (4000)

Chapter 974: 498 What is the Hegemon (4000) Chapter 974: 498 What is the Hegemon (4000) Thud!

The blue whale leaped up, its pupils filled with intense dissatisfaction and rage. It rammed through the air like a mad creature, its tail fin spinning fiercely like a propeller, blurring the colossal body’s form.

Boom!!!

Blue energy clashed with black, shattering into specks of light that burst into the air and rained down, exploding violently upon touching the ground.

The shock waves that distorted the spectators’ view whipped up mud and carried it away.

Under the sky, on the battlefield, the two titanic, ethereal beasts had now vanished. Only two figures with ordinary human forms remained.

Whale King Arlington planted one foot forward like a steel pillar and dug the other harshly into the earth behind him. His upper body, which once resembled a tight-fitting armor, had been reduced to ripped cloth hanging from his shoulders. Blocks of muscles as tough as steel bulged and swelled, with vein-covered branches spreading across his body like pulsating black worms.

Arlington kept his left hand by his side, while his right fist, like a long spear, lashed out straight and ferociously. His skeleton creaked incessantly in a series of clicks, making a grating sound that sent shivers down the spine. His taut muscles, like steel rebars, occasionally made sounds of reaching their breaking point.

The thick veins on his neck, almost as thick as his head, protruded grotesquely, so much so that one could see his hot blood flowing as fast as streaks of light. Arlington’s face was fierce, his eyes blood-red. With dense veins across his face and bared tusks, he resembled a savage beast.

He glared at his opponent, his skin flushed red and steaming.

Across from him stood a blond man, his posture the exact opposite of Arlington’s. If Arlington were a crude, raging beast, then the other was the epitome of elegance and composure. The blond man hadn’t taken a stance suited for exertion; instead, he stood still with his legs together.

His black trench coat was undamaged, spotlessly clean.

He slowly raised his right hand, not to throw a punch but to simply open his five fingers and catch Arlington’s final blow, absorbing all its power.

The might that could have shattered a small mountain, when funneled into Casio’s body, was like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace in an instant. After all, what disturbance can a stream cause when it joins a great river?

“Your energy is depleted, and your strength has dropped a notch,”

“Even with fifteen punches, your current one isn’t worth my response…”

Casio shook his head expressionlessly, calmly stating the facts. His face bore neither veins nor a ferocious expression, nor did it sport sweat or steam.

He looked at Arlington, whose entire body was tense as a bowstring, every muscle pushing to the limit, his spine almost on the verge of snapping. Casio gave a slight smile, then pushed forward his right palm in a plain, unremarkable thrust.

Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!

Sounds of cracking bones carried through Arlington’s body, reminiscent of popping beans, with an occasional hint of breaking. Especially his right arm, which was involuntarily trembling as it bent bit by bit.

“Impossible! How can this be!!!”

He roared inwardly, fuming with anger. It was the pain of one’s inner pride being ruthlessly shattered little by little, utterly agonizing. Whale King Arlington had been taken as an apprentice in his youth and had the fortune to enter the Secret Martial Arts World because of his innate godlike strength—a natural gift! He then cultivated the Eastern Whale King Fist, a domineering and suppressive boxing method.

With both combined, Arlington’s strength had become unparalleled.

Before setting off on the path of Tyrant Fist, he had tasted defeat, but in terms of sheer physical power, he had never lost. It was only that his overall strength fell short.

Latter on, Arlington grew step by step, his boxing technique becoming more refined, his strength steadily increasing. Before reaching the realm of Ultimate Fighter, his power had already reigned supreme in the entire Yana United States Secret Martial Arts World—no one could match him in arm wrestling. In his heart, he had come to see his strength as the supreme attribute.

Now, the strongest point in his power system, the sharpest spearhead, had been effortlessly snapped, crushed, and smoothed by the enemy.

The enemy’s spearhead was sharper, tougher, and more ferocious than his!

Even now, as Whale King Arlington had given his 150% to unleash his strength, he still couldn’t force his opponent to use all his might.

From start to finish, Casio had treated it like an adult playing with a child.

That feeling of suffocation, of being looked down upon, drove Arlington to uncontrollable rage. His body had already been bested in the struggle, but his will, his pride, wouldn’t allow him to admit defeat.

And so, even now, Arlington was stubbornly holding on.

His entire body swelled, his skin reddened, his high body temperature surging.

Not just one foot, but both were deeply embedded in the ground as he redirected all the force he had endured into the earth.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

Behind Arlington, from both his feet. The ground itself began to twist and warp, undulating like waves, forming peaks and troughs. The affected area was extremely wide, spreading outwards in a fan shape, even enveloping part of the mountain forest and causing numerous green trees to topple over.

Upon the surface of the nearby Green Lake, numerous bubbles emerged, clearly from the lakebed fracturing and releasing air. Web-like cracks spread rapidly across the ground, lake water pouring into them, shining like streaks of mercury in the sunlight.

“Your strength is indeed not bad, now catching my eye. This is no small feat; you’re the first. But your physique is rather poor. Although much stronger than others, you’re still extremely weak and frail. You’re like a Glass Cannon; it can fire but cannot take the hit…”