Warning: Guys, this novel is a continuation of my first novel, "Cosmic Conqueror's Return: Act I." New readers are welcome, but first, you must read the first novel to understand the story. Now enjoy!
With a thunderous SNAP, space split open like tearing fabric.
WHOOSH!
A portal flared into existence above the forest, jagged and hissing with energy. Trees bent away from it. Sparks danced in the air.
And then—
Shen Hao shot out of it like a thrown sandal.
Upside down.
Spinning.
Yelling.
"W-W-WAAAAHHHH—!"
CRACK!
He slammed face-first into a thick tree branch.
"HNNGH—"
Bounced off.
Spun sideways.
Hit another branch with his back, then—
THUMP!
Straight through a bush.
SMACK!
Into a glowing rock.
SLIDE…
Right into a mossy patch of ground, landing flat on his back with all the grace of a kicked potato.
Silence.
A single leaf drifted lazily from above.
It twirled…
Hovered…
And landed directly in his open mouth.
PTOO.
He spat it out, blinking at the sky.
"Okay. Portal travel? Overrated."
A familiar voice echoed from the silver ring on his finger, smug and amused.
Lingfeng:
"Well, I did suggest aiming feet-first. But nooo. Let's dive through space like a somersaulting squirrel."
Shen Hao sat up with a wince, brushing dirt and leaves from his face.
"Don't start."
Lingfeng:
"Too late. I've already started a list called 'Shen Hao's Greatest Faceplants.' You're up to volume four."
Before Shen Hao could reply, a second voice filled his mind—cool, steady, and completely unimpressed.
Mo Han:
"Focus. The forest won't wait for you to catch your breath."
Shen Hao sighed and stood, rolling his shoulders.
His robes were a disaster. His hair looked like it had been styled by a small explosion. His pride? Somewhere back at the rock he'd headbutted.
"Understood," he muttered. "No slacking."
He tapped a small button on his wristband. A light-blue map flickered to life above his palm. His location blinked at the edge of a wide forest zone.
On the far side of the map: a green marker.
His destination.
Shen Hao squinted.
"…That's the city?"
Lingfeng:
"Yep. About seventy kilometers. Through jungle. No roads. High humidity. Probably snakes."
Shen Hao stared into the forest.
Then at the map.
Then back into the forest.
Long, suffering sigh.
"Perfect. Jungle cardio."
He stepped forward—
And froze.
His body stiffened. Qi stirred on instinct.
The wind shifted.
The trees stopped swaying.
The world… paused.
A low rumble touched the edge of hearing. Faint. But getting louder.
Something heavy was coming.
Something big.
Shen Hao turned toward the sound.
The ground trembled beneath his boots.
It started as a soft rumble—barely there, like distant thunder. But it grew. Louder. Heavier. The leaves around him shivered. Birds launched from the trees without a single cry, vanishing into the canopy like they knew what was coming.
A branch cracked somewhere ahead.
Then another.
And then—
CRASH!
Something exploded out of the underbrush.
It was huge. Easily the size of a small house, with thick obsidian plates covering its body like overlapping slabs of stone. Each step slammed into the dirt with enough force to shake nearby roots. From its lower jaw jutted two curved fangs like twin blades, and its yellow eyes locked instantly onto Shen Hao—
Burning with hunger.
Lingfeng (dryly):
"Ah. A walking fortress with teeth. What a warm welcome."
Shen Hao:
"Beginning Realm… Level Eight?"
The beast let out a guttural growl, low and sharp, like metal grinding under pressure.
Mo Han (calm, in his mind):
"Do not rush. Its Qi plating is thick. But there are gaps. Under the back armor. Observe. Then strike."
Shen Hao exhaled slowly.
Then the beast roared—
ROOOAAAAARRRRR!
A shockwave blasted out with its voice, snapping two small trees and blowing a wave of leaves backward like a storm surge.
It charged.
Shen Hao's body moved on instinct.
He dashed to the side, Qi flaring around his legs, just as the creature's claws slammed down where he'd been standing. The ground cracked open beneath the impact.
Lingfeng:
"Good news: it missed. Bad news: I think the ground is mad at you now."
Shen Hao:
"Noted."
He didn't stop moving—circling fast, eyes locked on the beast. The creature turned, surprisingly agile for its size. Its armor gleamed darkly in the filtered light.
Mo Han:
"Strike now. Focus Qi in your right palm. Use the First Form."
Shen Hao's arm moved smoothly. His fingers curled as crimson Qi bloomed around his hand, swirling into a dense spiral. Small petals of flame curled outward—delicate, deadly.
The shape formed: a glowing, burning rose.
Shen Hao (low and clear):
"Crimson Core Detonation: First Form—"
He stepped forward, planted his foot—
"Ember Bloom."
He hurled the rose.
It spun through the air in a streak of fire—
BOOOOOM!
The blast hit the beast's left shoulder. Flames exploded outward in a brilliant red flash, scattering stone and smoke. The creature let out a furious howl and stumbled, one leg nearly buckling.
Smoke curled off its damaged armor.
Shen Hao cracked his knuckles.
"One hit."
The beast wasn't done.
It roared again, smoke rolling off its hide, and lunged—teeth first.
Shen Hao (dodging mid-air):
"Whoa whoa whoa—!"
He twisted sideways, the beast's jaw missing him by half a meter. Its teeth clashed shut with a sickening CLANG.
Lingfeng:
"You almost became jungle soup."
Shen Hao (still dodging):
"I'm allergic to being chewed."
The beast's tail whipped around without warning—
WHAM!
Shen Hao crossed his arms just in time. The impact threw him backward like a stone, sliding him ten meters across the moss before he flipped upright.
He winced.
"This thing hits like a wagon full of bricks."
Mo Han:
"Then stop standing still."
"Right," Shen Hao muttered. "Less talking, more flaming roses."
He raised his hand again—Qi already gathering.
The beast charged a second time, slower now, limping slightly. But its eyes burned brighter.
Shen Hao's second rose flared into existence, petals glowing.
"Second shot."
He threw it without hesitation.
BOOM!
It struck the beast's ribs this time, sending a shockwave through the clearing. Smoke and debris rose like a curtain.
The monster howled in rage and staggered.
Shen Hao didn't wait.
He dashed under its massive belly, blasted Qi from his feet to launch himself upward behind it, and formed a third rose mid-air.
He dropped the technique with a sharp downward motion—
"Third one!"
KRA-BOOM!
The explosion struck right between the beast's shoulder blades, sending it lurching forward.
It screamed.
It was injured now—heaving for breath, knees buckling. Its armor was cracked. Its movements were slower, sloppier.
Lingfeng (floating above):
"Finish it now, before it starts healing!"
Shen Hao landed in a crouch. Qi surged to his hand again.
One final strike—
But he froze.
A second presence had just entered the clearing.
It came quietly.
No roar. No crashing. Just… pressure.
The air tightened, like the entire forest suddenly started holding its breath. The smoke from the explosion shifted direction, pulled slightly toward something behind it.
Shen Hao straightened slowly.
His muscles tensed.
The hairs on his arms stood on end.
Then—
the trees parted.
No blast. No dramatic leap. Just careful, deliberate movement.
The second creature stepped into the clearing.
Taller. Leaner. Built like a predator that didn't need armor because it didn't get hit.
Its body shimmered with dark purple scales that pulsed faintly with Qi, veins glowing in rhythm like it had a heartbeat made of energy. It had six limbs, each moving with eerie precision. Its eyes were narrower than the first creature's—
And far more intelligent.
They met Shen Hao's.
They didn't just look at him.
They measured him.
Lingfeng (voice low):
"…That one's thinking. I don't like when things with fangs do that."
The creature's gaze flicked to the first beast, still struggling to stand.
Then back to Shen Hao.
It stepped beside the wounded one with calm, deadly grace.
And stopped.
No sound.
Just a wall of pressure as its aura fully expanded.
Mo Han (quiet, in Shen Hao's mind):
"Beginning Realm Level Eight. Peak stage. Stronger than the first. Faster too."
Shen Hao said nothing.
His stance lowered. Qi gathered again in his palm—but slower now, more carefully. His thoughts sharpened.
Lingfeng (still hovering cautiously):
"Master… this might not be the best time for jokes."
Shen Hao (softly):
"Too late. The jokes keep me from sprinting."
He cracked his neck once, slowly.
Then smirked.
"I've still got two roses left… and a few bad ideas."
The second beast moved—just a twitch.
Shen Hao's grip tightened.
The first one let out a rumbling growl and slowly straightened up beside its new ally, armor still smoldering from the last hit.
Two beasts.
One limping, one perfect.
Both looking at him like he was already dinner.
Lingfeng:
"This… is going to be a problem."
Shen Hao:
"Correction—this is going to be loud."
He took a step forward. Fire flickered around his hand again. The fourth Ember Bloom swirled to life, slower, heavier—more compact, more dangerous.
Mo Han:
"Control your breathing. Conserve your energy. You won't get many chances."
Shen Hao (under his breath):
"Then I better make this one count."
He crouched slightly, the wind shifting around him.
The beasts charged.
Together.