The Abyssal Dragon possessed an absolute size advantage, but in the face of Meowscular Chef, its strength was no match.
Boom! Boom!...
Its pillar-like wing-legs repeatedly stomped backward, triggering shockwaves.
The Abyssal Dragon, which had been desperately maintaining its balance, was now forced to the edge of the circular pit's rocky wall.
Meowscular Chef leaped into the air, intending to continue its attack, when a strange sensation suddenly came from behind.
Chirr-clank!
King Kong Thorns, their bases covered in blood, detached from its body and fell to the ground.
Several giant Rhenoplos, chasing after the crimson Rhenoplos that flew out from within their shells, began to tear at them.
Chirr-chirr~
Soon, more King Kong Thorns detached, and similar scenes repeatedly unfolded.
"Those are the Abyssal Dragon's Annihilation Rhenoplos," Li Fan quickly discerned the unusual situation.
"Are they specifically targeting Meowscular Chef, meow?" Dilu asked with concern.
"Probably not. The monster squad also has similar Rhenoplos detaching from them, just not in such large numbers," Yudora speculated.
"Could it be that the Annihilation Rhenoplos are the key to achieving the 'Anomalous Overcome'..." Li Fan suddenly realized something.
"Meowscular Chef's thorns have fallen off a lot. Don't we need to offer support?" Yudora tentatively asked.
In terms of the overall battle, Meowscular Chef held a significant advantage.
However, given the destructive power displayed by the Annihilation Rhenoplos, it was hard not to pay attention.
"The continuous shedding of thorns is Meowscular Chef's normal combat state. However, it's better to be cautious. If we approach rashly, it will only restrict Meowscular Chef's attacks... Got it! Now is precisely the time for the Kingdom's combat deployment to come into play."
Li Fan wasn't too worried about Meowscular Chef, but since support was available, there was no need to take risks.
"Dilu, get the signal flare ready! I'll control the direction of Qingtian!"
As Li Fan spoke, he released Qingtian from its sphere.
"Understood, meow!"
The man and cat then mounted Qingtian and charged towards the combat zone.
"Meowscular Chef! Retreat for now! Shake off the Rhenoplos first! Regenerate your thorns!"
Li Fan shouted.
Meowscular Chef, accepting the command, immediately moved away.
With a chance to breathe, the Abyssal Dragon immediately spat out two drifting Blazing Fireballs, creating an obstacle for Meowscular Chef's next close-quarters engagement.
Screech~
Qingtian made a sharp turn and began to charge along the Abyssal Dragon's flank.
Dilu took the ballista-style launcher from its back. Once the signal flare was successfully fired, it meant that a Piercing Dragonator would precisely strike the designated area.
Therefore, both the launch device and the signal flare were specialized equipment.
"You can fire now, Dilu! Launch!"
"Watch this, meow."
Dilu, standing on the pig's back, closed one eye to aim at the sky and extended its cat paw, holding the ballista-style launcher steady.
Whoosh~ Boom!
The rocket-like signal flare shot straight into the sky, bursting into a dazzling light.
Clatter~ Clatter~...
The launch disk base deployed at the top of the Abyssal Depths Hell began to adjust its strike orientation based on the position provided by the signal flare.
As Qingtian turned and charged, Li Fan shouted, "Meowscular Chef! Stay clear!"
The once noisy battlefield was now filled only with the flapping sounds of Rhenoplos wings.
The Abyssal Dragon sensed something was wrong, but it couldn't pinpoint what.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Thwack!
A sound of something piercing the air came from high above. Before the Abyssal Dragon could look up, a Piercing Dragonator with a booster at its tip plunged directly into its back.
Bang~
Its massive body sank downward. Although the Abyssal Dragon was not pierced through, it collapsed onto the ground under the immense impact.
"So... so powerful, meow!"
Dilu looked at the ballista-style launcher in its hand, then quickly reloaded a second signal flare, ready to fire it when needed.
On the other side, Meowscular Chef, after several leaps and slams onto its back, had largely cleared the Annihilation Rhenoplos within its body, and new thorns were rapidly growing and emerging.
Facing the approaching Meowscular Chef, the Abyssal Dragon struggled to its feet and let out a low, groaning roar.
Roar~ Roar~ Roar...
"You are not my targets for revenge, but since you insist on obstructing me... I will kill you all first."
After Li Fan, who had jumped off the pig's back, translated, he was somewhat surprised.
"Such intense hatred. But in the Abyssal Dragon's current state, it would be difficult for it to even dig its way to escape." Yudora said, puzzled.
"It was holding back before. Be careful from now on," Li Fan warned.
Hoo~ Hoo~...
The Abyssal Dragon, after absorbing the surrounding Rhenoplos Crystals into its mouth, stood upright in a risky move.
At this moment, such a posture would easily lead to it being knocked down by a heavy blow from Meowscular Chef from the side.
Buzz~ Buzz~...
This time, what it spat from its mouth was not a Blazing Fireball, but a dark red beam.
As the beam touched the ground, a patch of red light spread out, continuously expanding.
Even Li Fan, at the other end of the Abyssal Depths Hell, could clearly feel the heatwave generated by the intense temperature.
Meowscular Chef, sensing the ground where the red light was gathering immense energy, did not rashly attack.
Boom!
It exploded with the dark red energy accumulated on the ground, and dark red flames quickly engulfed the Abyssal Dragon's body.
Hiss~ Whoosh!
The Rhenoplos Crystals on the outer sides of its wing-legs and back were ignited, and clumps of downy dark red flames began to burn on its surface.
"No wonder the Kingdom's legends call it the Abyssal Demon," Yudora exclaimed.
The upright Abyssal Dragon did not collapse. It stretched its neck, tilted its head towards the sky.
Boom~
A massive, scarlet Blazing Fireball was spat from its mouth, quickly drifting towards the top of the Abyssal Depths Hell.
Boom!
The Blazing Fireball exploded, revealing a red cloud that covered the sky, and countless small Blazing Fireballs began to drift down from the clouds.
Under this drastic change, the Abyssal Depths Hell was bathed in scarlet everywhere.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At the base of its wing-legs, where the flames burned the fiercest, two wings formed by red flames vaguely appeared.
The Abyssal Dragon slightly shifted its orientation, facing Meowscular Chef directly.
Roar!
Seeing this, Meowscular Chef let out an excited roar.
It indicated that this looked somewhat similar to its vision of the end of the world.
Bang!
One wing-leg extended and slammed down heavily, causing the Abyssal Dragon's body to sink and press firmly against the ground.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh!
The red flames erupting from its body propelled it forward.
Roar! Chirr! Chirr!
Meowscular Chef, roaring, instantly regenerated its thorns all over its body. As it braced itself on its claws and rose, it raised both forelegs high.
Thwack! Thwack!
Its descending sharp claws embedded themselves into the gliding wing-leg. However, Meowscular Chef's stop lasted only an instant before it was dragged backward by the Abyssal Dragon's ground-hugging punch.
Bang! Boom!
The wing-leg slammed into the rock wall, sending debris flying and causing countless spiderweb-like cracks to spread outwards.
The Abyssal Dragon did not cease its attack, opening its huge maw and directing a dark red beam into the sunken pit.
As the red light on the rock wall reached its limit, a massive explosion occurred.
At this moment, the two people and one cat, riding Qingtian, were speeding to dodge the small Blazing Fireballs drifting down.
"Meowscular Chef will be alright, meow?" Dilu asked, looking at the smoke-filled rock wall with some concern.
Li Fan glanced at his handheld device and said with a slight smile, "Don't worry, Meowscular Chef isn't afraid of demons. It's one itself."
In the pit created by the impact on the rock wall, before the smoke had even cleared, a dull panting sound was heard.
The Abyssal Dragon sensed that Meowscular Chef was not dead.
The wings that had ignited at the base of its wing-legs erupted again. However, the sensation from the front of its wing-legs felt like it had hit a massive ore vein deep underground, completely unable to budge.
The Abyssal Dragon did not hesitate and immediately spat out a Blazing Fireball.
At this moment, the front of its wing-leg suddenly loosened.
Bang!
The ground-hugging punch advanced further. This time, the sensation was the familiar soft rock layer.
Boom!
The Blazing Fireball drifting slowly towards the sunken pit in front of it suddenly exploded.
From the dark red flames of the explosion, Meowscular Chef's figure shot out.
Bang! Thwack~ Thwack~...
With its claws digging into its head, Meowscular Chef leaped onto the Abyssal Dragon's back, stomping on the red flames, swiping with its left claw and slamming with its right.
Unburned crystal fragments, carapace, blood, and Annihilation Rhenoplos—with every strike, countless substances peeled off its back.
The Abyssal Dragon continuously spun its body, but it couldn't shake Meowscular Chef off.
"Ugh! So ferocious... It seems I was worrying too much, meow."
Witnessing Meowscular Chef's power, Dilu finally relaxed.
Seeing that it had no other options, the Abyssal Dragon stood upright and spat a dark red beam downwards.
As the red light reached its limit, the Abyssal Dragon lay down on its side.
Boom!
The red flames exploded and quickly engulfed its body. Meowscular Chef, seeing the approaching explosion, leaped into the air by pushing off its back.
When the smoke and dust cleared, although the Abyssal Dragon had quickly straightened up and returned to its crawling posture, its condition showed that the cumulative damage had become impossible to ignore.
Meanwhile, Meowscular Chef, which had landed not far away, had its newly regenerated thorns covering its entire body. The accumulated injuries from the previous battle seemed to have completely vanished.
The red cloud that had condensed at the top dissipated as its energy ran out, and the scarlet light covering the area rapidly receded.
As the sunset glow swept over it from above, the Abyssal Dragon's body trembled slightly with vigilance.
Only after confirming it was not an attack did its emotions gradually stabilize.
Roar~ Roar~...
A low, groaning roar sounded again.
"What is it saying, meow?" Dilu asked eagerly.
"During the time I was hidden underground, the world changed so much..." Li Fan attempted to translate.
"So the Abyssal Dragon did indeed inhabit the surface before. For some unknown reason, it moved underground. Such a drastic change in its habits is truly rare," Yudora speculated.
"I guess there must be a reason, meow!"
Having lived on the surface before, its massive wing-legs extending from its wing bones, the sensing of the Raging Wyvern, the Rhenoplos, revenge...
Li Fan integrated the information he had gathered in his mind and deduced a possibility.
"Perhaps the Abyssal Dragon of the past caused an ecological disaster comparable to the Thunder Wyvern or the Wind Wyvern, becoming an enemy of the entire ecosystem. Then, someone intervened to hunt it down. Although the Abyssal Dragon was not its match, it successfully fled underground. To adapt to the environment and survive there, its wings transformed into massive wing-legs capable of easily parting the soil and moving underground."
"That makes sense. However, there are no records in historical documents about the Abyssal Dragon's surface state." Yudora thought of a point that seemed unreasonable.
Defeating an Elder Dragon was such an inspiring event that it would surely be recorded and passed down, especially an enemy of the entire ecosystem.
Even if it couldn't be defeated, it would surely be written into village chronicles like in Honed Mine, or become a legend of the Abyssal Demon, widely circulated in the Kingdom.
"There are two possibilities. One is that the Abyssal Dragon's era was too long ago, and the records have been lost along with the fall of civilization. The other is that the one who intervened was not human at all. Otherwise, if the Rhenoplos were to remain in their evolutionary stage that only affects humans, and then crawl out of the giant pit to spread wildly, revenge could have already been achieved." Li Fan stated his deduction.
"Looking at it this way, the Abyssal Dragon is truly persistent. Such a long wait, aren't you afraid your enemy will die first?" Yudora sighed. She had deeply experienced that empty feeling after the Steel Dragon was hunted.
"No one knows that. However, with us here, it's highly likely it will never see its enemy again," Li Fan said helplessly.
It was unclear what characteristics the Abyssal Dragon of the past possessed that made it an ecological public enemy.
However, as it stood, the impact of the Rhenoplos alone was enough to pose a significant threat to both humans and monsters.
Even if it intensified the Rhenoplos and caused them to spread further after death, this source had to be eradicated as soon as possible.
"Can't you negotiate? For example, let it return underground and never show itself again," Yudora asked.
"No. Like the Thunder Wyvern and the Wind Wyvern, as long as it exists, it bears unforgivable sins," Li Fan said resolutely.
"Uh... alright. I feel like you've become more decisive when dealing with monsters that threaten the ecosystem," Yudora said, somewhat surprised.
"Have I?" Li Fan himself hadn't noticed.
"Yes, meow. You care more and more about the overall safety of the ecosystem," Dilu agreed.
"Perhaps I've listened to too many ideas from the Dragon Cult's propagandists and been influenced a bit..." Li Fan suddenly realized that his inclinations seemed to have indeed changed slightly.
However, whether it was his own power reaching a certain level, leading him to spontaneously want to protect the ecosystem, or being influenced by the girl in the white dress, he couldn't say for sure.
Gnash~ Gnash~...
Meowscular Chef, holding the advantage, still had its thorns rapidly regenerating. It was understandable that it wasn't in a hurry to attack.
However, the Abyssal Dragon, in an absolute disadvantage, was also so calm that the team found it incomprehensible.
Roar! Roar!
At this moment, Jue Jue Zi, waiting in the air, suddenly let out an urgent roar.
"Is there something in the rock wall?"
Li Fan looked up. Jue Jue Zi flew to the high rock wall, wagged its trident tail, and pointed to a crevice where small rocks were constantly falling.
"Could it be... these giant pits are connected underground?" Li Fan voiced his guess.
"Meaning, even without going through the top of the giant pit, the Rhenoplos swarm can still return to their nest," Yudora had a bad feeling.
Chirr-clank! Boom!
The crack in the rock wall suddenly burst open, and countless Rhenoplos spewed out.