Chapter 1 The Earthquake

Xichuan Town.

Against all expectations, a massive earthquake suddenly struck, as if the heavens and the earth were overturning. Buildings tilted and collapsed with a deafening roar.

People lost their footing, the world spun, and the earth surged like waves, cracking open as dust billowed skyward and rocks tumbled.

In an instant, everything was reduced to ruins.

Some were buried by collapsing buildings before they could escape, their terrified shouts and screams echoing. Everyone rushed out of the dense residential area, gathering in the open wilderness outside.

"Rumble!"

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled in the void, accompanied by a torrential downpour, creating an apocalyptic scene.

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Ji was also fleeing, darting away like a streak of lightning. His extreme speed stirred a gust of fishy wind, and he was the first to leave the district.

Scanning the apocalyptic ruins behind him and letting out a long hiss, he felt a surge of shock and doubt in his heart.

"Could it be because I moved the Heavenly Stele? ... No, surely not. Who would care about me? I'm so weak."

He arrived outside Niu Niu Le Farm.

It had also been reduced to ruins. Two giant wolves escaped, surprised and excited, but a fierce wind descended from above, causing them to groan in pain and collapse to the ground once more.

Others appeared nearby, but upon seeing Zhang Ji, they scattered in fright.

The earthquake ended quickly. The ground ceased to tremble, though the occasional roar could still be heard from Xichuan Town as unstable buildings collapsed.

The torrential rain washed away the mud, turning streets and alleys into rivers. Plastic bags, boxes, beer bottles, stockings, clothes, and all sorts of garbage were scattered everywhere, adding to the desolate scene.

After about half an hour, having confirmed that the earthquake was truly over, the transformed monsters and beasts gradually returned to the streets, treading the muddy ground in search of lost relatives or friends.

Some found them, embracing and weeping. Others found them dead, squatting in the mud and shedding tears.

There were no human cries, only the roars and wails of various beasts rising and falling, their voices filled with sorrow and despair.

"Rumble!"

Zhang Ji returned to the streets of the Western District, his massive head held high, his scarlet vertical pupils like red lanterns, surveying the area like a king, majestic and terrifying.

"It's that King Cobra! Run!"

The surrounding monsters and beasts scattered in terror, but some, with red eyes, roared furiously and charged towards him, their faces filled with hatred and ferocity.

"Damn King Cobra! First you devoured my sister, then you ate my brother. Now you've destroyed the Heavenly Stele, causing a catastrophic earthquake and killing my husband! I'm going to fight you to the death!"

This was a black scaled Flood Dragon, a woman of the Dragon zodiac transformed into a beast.

Her eyes were blood red, filled with malice and hatred, blaming today's disaster on Zhang Ji.

And beneath her lay the corpse of a large python, the remains of her husband, who was of the Snake zodiac. He had been unfortunately struck in the head by a collapsing building, his blood mingling with the mud.

"King Cobra, I'm going to bite you to death!"

She lunged at him, opening her fangs and sharp teeth with a murderous aura.

"Hiss!"

Zhang Ji didn't even look at her. He flicked his wolf head and swallowed her in one bite with lightning speed, not even spitting out her scales, devouring her whole.

Passing by the ruins, he also swallowed her dead husband in one gulp.

Couldn't afford to waste it.

The surrounding crowd watched this scene, trembling in horror, hatred, and fear. Seeing Zhang Ji slithering towards them, he only glanced at them coldly before leaving again.

"Huh?! The King Cobra didn't eat me? Hahaha!"

"Could it be that it's become good?"

"Impossible! I clearly noticed a greedy glint in its eyes just now, but it was suppressed. What does that mean?"

"It's raising us like livestock! Planning to fatten us up before eating us!"

These words were followed by silence. Everyone shuddered in horror.

High-Tech Park.

A group of monsters arrived.

There was the ferocious Suanni and its band of subordinates, as well as a monkey and numerous other monsters. Even more beasts gathered from the ruins and muddy waters from all directions.

They looked up at the Heavenly Stele, their eyes burning with excitement, as well as shock and disbelief.

"It's hard to believe that the Heavenly Stele didn't fall during such a massive earthquake!"

"Yes, perhaps this is the extraordinary nature of a divine object."

"Quick, don't waste time. Let's quickly receive our inheritance before that King Cobra arrives."

The monsters were excited and eagerly touched the Heavenly Stele. Golden light flew out, filling them with joy and excitement.

"Right, that King Cobra gnawed on the Heavenly Stele earlier and obtained a lot of inheritance. Let's try it too!" Professor Monkey Hou gestured.

The monsters' eyes lit up, and they immediately surrounded the Heavenly Stele, waving their claws, opening their mouths, or ramming it with their heads.

As a result…

A chorus of miserable howls filled the air. Teeth were scattered on the ground, claws were worn down to stubs, and some even suffered concussions from the headbutting, but the Heavenly Stele remained unresponsive.

Long Chen, of the Suanni bloodline, looked at his fangs on the ground, clutching his cheeks in pain and muttering, "Dragon is inferior to snake, Suanni is no match for King Cobra. Who would believe that if I said it?! But it's the truth! Damn it!"

"I've disgraced the Dragon zodiac!"

"However, I obtained a powerful killing technique called Dragon War in the Wilds, so it's not too bad!"

He swung his tail with satisfaction.

His subordinates, on the other hand, had obtained a pile of miscellaneous inheritances. Even his most capable subordinate, the Five-Tailed Azure Ox, had received a Grass-Eating Breathing Technique.

Becoming stronger through eating grass.

The Suanni looked down on this. Only bathing in blood could lead to invincibility; eating grass would only make one someone else's food.

"I'll find someone else to exchange it for a more powerful breathing technique for you later!" The Suanni said caringly, and the Five-Tailed Azure Ox was filled with gratitude.

At this moment.

A Five-Tailed Armadillo arrived. It was Wu Zhan.

It had the body of a rabbit, but possessed the beak of a bird, sharp as a curved blade. Its hawk-like eyes were sharp and sinister, and it had five snake tails, which were nimble and intertwined with each other, their scales glittering coldly.

It had reached the fifth level of ferocious beasts, becoming a Five-Tailed Armadillo.

The extraordinary nature of the Armadillo bloodline was beginning to show, with a terrifying baleful aura swirling around its body, causing the surrounding monsters and beasts to be filled with fear and make way.

The Suanni Long Chen noticed it and couldn't help but look askance, his eyes narrowing.

"This guy is interesting!"

Even though it was at the sixth level, it actually felt a palpitating sense of danger from the other party. This was abnormal. Aside from that ferocious King Cobra, this was the first creature to give it this feeling.

The Armadillo bloodline is indeed extraordinary!

"Brother, let's have a drink together sometime!"

It proactively raised its claw, wanting to shake hands with the other party.

After receiving its inheritance, the Five-Tailed Armadillo Wu Zhan's eyes flashed with joy. It seemed to have obtained a very satisfying inheritance. It turned to leave, but saw a Suanni raising its claw towards it. It ignored it, turned around with a cold look, and left.

Ever since it was captured and dissected in a laboratory, it had been traumatized and no longer trusted anyone.

The Five-Tailed Azure Ox Niu Datong showed his ox hooves and snarled, "That ungrateful thing. Brother Long, let me kick it."

The Suanni glared at it and said, "Don't kick people for no reason. It's impolite. We... Damn, the King Cobra is here! Run!"

Its senses were too sharp. Before anyone else could react, it had already disappeared without a trace.

Its subordinates, including the Five-Tailed Azure Ox, also hurriedly fled.

Before the Heavenly Stele, the others were puzzled. Where was the King Cobra? How come they didn't see it?

But at this moment, a rumbling sound came from the distant mist. The ruins of the collapsed buildings exploded as a steel snake rolled over, crushing all obstacles, advancing like a high-speed train, sweeping over with a terrifying baleful aura and fishy wind.

"Ah, the King Cobra is really here! Run!"

"Damn it, this damned thing is haunting us! Is it going to gnaw on the Heavenly Stele again? I just want to ask, doesn't its teeth hurt?"

Everyone fled in terror.