Chapter 277: A Beast Beyond Compare

In the chaos, a figure streaked across the base of the mudslide with astonishing speed.

It was Lin Xiao. The same man everyone had thought was recklessly courting death and was surely doomed.

Behind him, the relentless mudslide roared and surged, yet it could not catch up to his steps.

The torrent of mud and stones crashed down like waves. Lin Xiao moved through the chaos as if the terrain was solid ground. His pace never faltered, his movements swift and precise.

The muffled boom they had heard earlier had been the sound of Lin Xiao shattering a massive boulder underfoot. Using the force of the impact, he had leaped high into the air, narrowly escaping as the mudslide swept beneath him.

The crowd stood frozen in shock, unable to believe their eyes.

Not only was Lin Xiao alive, but he was entirely unscathed, and the little girl was still cradled securely in his arms.

Was this even something a human could do?

Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing, who had been anxiously watching, finally exhaled in relief. The tension that had gripped them felt as though it had lasted a century, even though it had only been a few seconds.

Though they believed in Lin Xiao’s abilities, the sight of such a cataclysmic disaster had made it impossible not to worry.

Lin Xiao, oblivious to the awe he had inspired, remained focused entirely on the task at hand. Even if he had known how astonished the crowd was, he wouldn’t have cared.

His attention was laser-focused. Escaping the mudslide so far didn’t mean he was safe. In fact, the danger only increased.

He needed to keep an eye on the shifting mud and debris beneath him, the falling rocks above, and the trees swept along by the torrent—all while protecting the little girl in his arms. A single misstep could spell disaster.

Lin Xiao descended from midair. He landed lightly on a rock. He pushed off again, launching himself toward safety.

But just then, a grinding stone the size of a millstone hurtled down from above, heading straight for his head.

Bang!

Lin Xiao punched the boulder with explosive force. It instantly shattered. Without breaking stride, he continued his charge forward.

The crowd erupted in disbelief.

“Oh my god! Is this something a human can do?”

“Incredible!”

“Is this one of those legendary martial arts masters? I thought they were just myths!”

“No wonder he dared to save someone. If I had skills like that, I’d do it too!”

Amid the crowd’s murmurs, Lin Xiao struck aside several more rocks and drew within ten meters of safety. His eyes gleamed with a sharp, focused light. He prepared to make one final push to safety when a sudden sense of foreboding made him look up.

Boom!

A deafening roar echoed across the mountains as a boulder over three meters in diameter tumbled down with terrifying speed.

This time, however, the boulder wasn’t heading for Lin Xiao. It was aimed straight at the crowd in the so-called safe zone.

The immense boulder, moving with such velocity and weight, would spell catastrophe if it struck. Fragile human bodies would be no match for its sheer force, reduced to nothing more than paper in its path.

The crowd instinctively looked up. Their expressions froze in horror as they saw the massive rock bearing down on them.

A few with quicker reflexes scrambled and stumbled to the sides. They desperately tried to escape. But most were paralyzed with fear, running aimlessly like headless chickens.

In the face of imminent disaster, human selfishness was laid bare. Everyone focused only on saving themselves. They paid no mind to the lives of others.

Although Huang Caixing and Yuan Yu didn’t see the massive boulder rolling down, they could sense the looming danger from the reactions of those around them. Their faces turned pale as Huang Caixing, supporting Yuan Yu, prepared to flee. Suddenly, Lin Xiao’s voice, sharp and commanding like iron, rang out:

“Stay where you are. Don’t move!”

The two girls immediately stopped in their tracks, obeying without hesitation.

Lin Xiao glanced at Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing in the crowd, then at the descending boulder. Without a second thought, he stomped the ground and leaped forward. He covered a dozen meters in the blink of an eye.

Pushing the little girl into her mother’s arms, he twisted his body and charged directly toward the massive boulder.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Each step Lin Xiao took left a deep imprint on the ground. His pace grew faster and faster. His eyes burned brighter with determination. Rain splattered against him, erupting into clouds of mist with every impact.

In just a few breaths, the enormous boulder came crashing toward Lin Xiao. Its sheer momentum and size were enough to sap the courage of anyone who saw it. It felt as though nothing in its path could survive.

Lin Xiao stomped down hard with his left foot. He drove it deep into the ground. He let out a thunderous roar that seemed to pierce the heavens. His entire body tensed, muscles coiled like steel. His short hair stood on end. His internal energy surged through him.

Channeling all his strength into his right arm, Lin Xiao clenched his fist and unleashed it with lightning speed.

Thunderbolt Fist!

This punch carried the entirety of Lin Xiao’s strength. No restraint. Under the force of his internal energy, his fist gleamed with a metallic sheen. As it sliced through the air, it emitted a low, rumbling sound like thunder.

Lin Xiao’s fist slammed into the boulder.

Boom!

The massive boulder, over a meter in diameter, exploded into fragments under Lin Xiao’s strike. The shattered pieces shot out like bullets, scattering in all directions.

After two consecutive bursts of intense focus and internal energy use, Lin Xiao felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

He flipped backward in midair. He landed on one knee. White steam rose from his body, enveloping him entirely.

Anyone who touched Lin Xiao at that moment would have found his body frighteningly hot.

The immense heat was a result of the rapid circulation of his blood and energy, which had pushed his body to its absolute limit during that split second of explosive power.

For Lin Xiao, however, this was a minor inconvenience.

After about ten seconds, the white mist dissipated. Lin Xiao slowly stood up.

His expression remained calm as he walked toward Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing, who were still frozen in place, stunned and speechless.

But Lin Xiao’s calmness, in the eyes of the onlookers, was like the eerie stillness of a fearsome beast.

The crowd, which had scattered like frightened animals moments earlier, now stared at Lin Xiao with a mixture of emotions—gratitude, reverence, and relief at having narrowly escaped death. Yet, above all, there was fear.

Fear of the inhuman power they had just witnessed.

While they knew full well that Lin Xiao had saved their lives, their primal terror overshadowed their gratitude.

Lin Xiao’s actions had gone far beyond their understanding of human capability.

The sight of him shattering a massive boulder with a single punch was so extraordinary that it inspired more dread than respect.

For a long moment, not a single person dared to step forward and thank him.