I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1772 - 205: Crystal Iron Colossus

Chapter 1772: Chapter 205: Crystal Iron Colossus

On Surging Rock Beach, the colossi appeared ferocious, their bodies composed not only of mottled crystalline rock but also large swathes of raw copper and iron.

From afar, they looked as though someone, wielding unparalleled strength, had forcibly patched together massive and varied mineral blocks to form the grotesque torsos, arms, and legs.

The uniform headless design, along with jagged ridges on their palms, elbows, knees, and shins, made them nothing short of devastating killing machines.

Such horrifying appearances and bizarre postures would cause any ordinary person to avert their gaze from a distance. Yet the disciples of Marshal Star Pavilion strolled forward jovially, forming groups of three, skillfully climbing into the interiors of the colossi.

...

The Tamers of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor carried themselves with pride. After all, from the perspective of battle formations and engagements, their tough-skinned and robust war beasts held extraordinary advantages.

Since Xuanji Sect introduced the Xuanji Jade, the combat style of aristocratic warriors had steadily softened.

The dominance of Spiritual Cultivators and the decline of Physical Cultivators largely stemmed from the fact that activating the Xuanji Jade during close combat was exceedingly difficult. Conversely, once a sufficient distance was established, even an ordinary Fierce Realm warrior could escape unscathed from a titled expert.

Under these circumstances, it was no surprise that martial confrontations had evolved from clashes within inches to engagements where dozens of meters were now considered effective ranges.

Within this martial trend, the importance of war beasts in group combat became self-evident. Not every faction could muster creatures capable of enduring Spirit Arts or combined strikes from warriors of the same realm. Most combatants exemplified the archetype of high offense but frail defense.

Take Meng Jiao, for instance—despite his unparalleled venom arts, even he would bleed if struck by a Spirit Art of equal rank, and a combined attack would no doubt leave him gravely wounded.

Balancing offense and defense might sound straightforward, but few warriors truly achieved such mastery.

The hallmark of the clever-minded is a refusal to rely on unlikely outcomes. If defense experts are so rare, why not seek alternative solutions?

Thus, war beasts, puppet arts, defensive Spirit Arts, and even fringe practices like Corpse Refiners and Blood Slaves became aristocratic families’ go-to options in the absence of defensive warriors.

Among these, war beasts remained the top choice. After all, the thick-skinned wild beasts could serve not only as defenders and temporary barriers but also offered considerable offensive power—particularly when several or even a dozen beasts formed a battle formation for a charge. The relatively softened Fierce Realm squads today stood no chance of fending them off.

In open-terrain skirmishes, retreating or maneuvering might provide chances to evade confrontation. But in siege battles, letting war beasts rampage would render all resistance futile.

Thus, the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor faction showed no signs of urgency. After tending to the minor injuries of their war beasts and restoring their Spiritual Power, the Tamers advanced steadily toward Red Cloud Mountain.

Those Wind Media perched on boats, spectating from afar, already had grand battle reports drafted in their minds to glorify the Shi Family.

Phrases like "Though late, justice prevails;"

Or "Noble scions of sacred clans, righteous and dignified;"

Even "Dominating the four seas, cowards scatter in retreat..."

These carefully conceived headings had yet to be penned when the beast formation of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, riding the waves, was suddenly ambushed.

Upon reaching Surging Rock Beach, over a hundred grotesque and vicious Red Crystal Iron entities emerged from all sides, encircling the beasts.

The headless Crystal Iron Colossi Puppets clashed directly with the fierce lion- and tiger-like beasts. Their attacks were simple yet embodied raw, unadulterated brute force—a fleeting glimpse of bygone eras when humans could only cower on the sidelines, watching towering wild beasts battle over territory and food.

Back then, there was no concept of Spiritual Power; only primal strength and technique dictated survival in combat.

Several-meter-tall Crystal Iron Colossi grouped in twos or threes surrounded the wild beasts like a couple of brawny men corralling a stray mongrel.

Punches smashed, knees collided, kicks flew—and the deafening sounds that rattled one’s eardrums were not Thunder Shake but the explosive impacts of iron fists and elbows pounding beast flesh.

The chosen wild beasts of Fierce Realm—renowned for their tough skins and formidable strength—were unbelievably reduced to wailing in pain.

Who could tell them what these grotesque yet feral giant puppets truly were?!

The Wind Media present—all professional correspondents from various states—considered themselves seasoned observers. Yet the sheer ferocity displayed by these Crystal Iron Puppets genuinely frightened them.

Could they hail from Xuanji Sect or perhaps be new creations from the Ou Family?

Such speculation was unsurprising; the influence of Xuanji Sect and the Ou Family often loomed over any strange innovation emerging from Xiehe.

But reflecting on the source of these puppets now seemed utterly pointless. Watching his war beasts being ruthlessly pummelled by the Crystal Iron Colossi, Shi Muzhi’s eyes blazed with fury.

Every single beast present represented the accumulated foundation of his Ten Thousand Beasts Manor. Whether to subdue Red Cloud Mountain or reclaim the Dragon Beasts, it was all aimed at strengthening the manor. If this foundation were to erode, even favorable gains in the aftermath would amount to losses.

"Quickly! Withdraw all the war beasts immediately!"

Issuing orders with urgency, Shi Muzhi threw himself into the fray like a firefighter—using "Wave Overcoming" and "Perception" repeatedly to diffuse crises threatening the beasts.

However, a Divine Artifact ultimately functioned as an external amplifier. For it to operate, the user’s own Spiritual Power was still required.

This intense and continuous expenditure of energy taxed even a peak Fierce Realm cultivator like Shi Muzhi to his limits. Yet he gritted his teeth and tirelessly darted across the battlefield, his desperate efforts barely separating the conflict zones.

By now, the beast pack had shed any semblance of majesty; their war beasts were riddled with wounds, the mildest ones bearing gashes deep enough to reveal bone, with blood surging like fountains.

Disfigured faces, broken fangs, gouged-out eyes—they were everywhere. The spattering blood and filth turned the entire waterway crimson, filling the air with an overpowering stench.

The colossi on the other side were just as battered—missing limbs, fragmented bodies. Though their original appearances were already hideous and grotesque, the damages oddly enhanced their savage qualities.

Judging by their stances and bearing, the previous clash seemed far from satisfying their appetite for carnage.

Shi Muzhi, panting heavily, stood with a darkened expression. He had initially assumed Red Cloud Mountain had reached the end of the line, yet he hadn’t expected them to hold back a terrifying squad of Crystal Iron Colossi.

Although Shi Muzhi had no doubt their meticulously bred war beasts would ultimately prevail in an extended fight, pitting such precious assets against disposable puppets was a foolish choice any commander would reject outright.

"Retreat to Lanshan Crossing!"

Shi Muzhi issued the cold command. The Tamers behind him, scrambling to staunch the beasts’ bleeding and attend to their wounds, hurriedly activated beast sigils to suppress the wild beasts’ ferocity and retreated in a flurry along the path they had come.

Meanwhile, over a hundred somewhat battered headless Crystal Iron Colossi stood motionless within the water and along the beach, silently watching the retreating herd of beasts from Ten Thousand Beasts Manor.