At this very moment, Zhou Yan's muscles bulged, his bones and sinews humming.
Then, he forcefully snapped a rope tied around his waist.
Immediately, with a surge of power from his arms, he used the rope, fashioned into a noose, and placed it around his own neck.
In the next second, Zhou Yan exploded like a bomb, burning madly and shattering his muscles.
Muscle by muscle turned to ash and drifted away, yet his skin was covered by thick, steel-like armor.
It was precisely... Steel Armor Dragon Elephant Technique, Second Level!
Upon reaching the second level of the Steel Armor Dragon Elephant Technique, one's entire being transformed into that of a colossal dragon-elephant.
At this moment, Zhou Yan's eyes blazed, his glare fierce, like a demon god.
He abruptly lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the ground.
*Crack!*
The incredibly sturdy bluestone slabs shattered beneath his foot, sinking inwards to form a crater the size of a football.
Zhou Yan's speed instantly increased by more than tenfold.
He was like a shooting star, tearing through the void.
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yan surged past guard after guard, claiming a life with every step.
In moments, dozens of guards lay dead.
"Damn it!"
Witnessing this, Commander Wang erupted in fury.
He hadn't anticipated Zhou Yan would choose self-destruction, leading to such heavy losses among his men.
A towering, burly figure leaped out.
This man was clad in steel battle armor and carried two gleaming saber-like blades on his back, exuding an imposing aura.
"Zhou Yan! You intend to kill me? You must be dreaming!"
"Today, I will show you what a true martial artist is!"
Commander Wang sneered repeatedly, his gaze towards Zhou Yan filled with contempt.
In his eyes, Zhou Yan was no different from an ant.
"Die!"
Commander Wang roared, unleashing a punch with his right fist.
Instantly, a terrifying surge of vital energy condensed on his fist, hurtling towards Zhou Yan's head.
This punch contained immense power, enough to easily kill three oxen.
In a flash, Zhou Yan thrust out a palm.
*Boom!*
Fist and palm collided, erupting in a deafening roar.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
Commander Wang grunted, his face turning deathly pale.
*Stumble, stumble, stumble!*
Simultaneously, he staggered back several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
"Hm?"
This sight caused him to frown slightly.
He had originally believed his extraordinary level strength was more than enough to handle Zhou Yan.
Yet, the situation had reversed.
"How did you break through to the Extraordinary realm?"
Commander Wang's expression darkened, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
In his memory, Zhou Yan was nothing but a good-for-nothing, indulging in gambling, whoring, and drinking.
Logically, such a scumbag should never have reached the Extraordinary realm.
After all, even in China, Extraordinary realm cultivators were rare, few and far between.
"Heh, you seem surprised that I've broken through to the Extraordinary realm?"
Zhou Yan smiled faintly, his gaze icy. "Commander Wang, remember this: not only will I break through to the Extraordinary realm, but I will also kill you and avenge my father."
Hearing this, Commander Wang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! A mere spoiled brat dares to claim he will kill me?"
"Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan, you truly are brain-damaged. Since that's the case, I'll send you to your death."
As his words fell, Commander Wang leaped up, soaring over ten meters, descending like a tiger from a mountain, charging at Zhou Yan once more.
*Swish!*
Commander Wang's right leg straightened, sweeping out with unparalleled ferocity.
*Bang!*
This kick was immensely powerful, like Mount Tai descending, fierce and overbearing.
However, Zhou Yan merely extended his left palm, casually blocking the attack.
"You..."
Commander Wang's eyes widened, his pupils constricting.
He never imagined that Zhou Yan, despite being severely injured, would still possess such strength.
After all, he had personally tested Zhou Yan's strength before, finding him pathetically weak and utterly incapable of fighting back.
And now, Zhou Yan's strength had increased tenfold, becoming even more formidable.
*Snap!*
In the next moment, Zhou Yan grabbed Commander Wang's leg and yanked him forward, pulling him close.
"Damn it!"
Commander Wang's face changed slightly, attempting to break free.
"Kneel."
Zhou Yan grunted, his fingers clenching.
*Crack!*
A crisp sound of bones shattering echoed.
Commander Wang's knee was directly crushed by Zhou Yan.
With a *thud*, he collapsed heavily onto the ground.
"Commander Wang, weren't you planning to kill me?"
Zhou Yan sneered, then kicked out.
*Bang!*
The kick landed on Commander Wang's chest, instantly making him spit blood.
"Weren't you planning to take my corpse to claim rewards?"
Zhou Yan sneered repeatedly, then slapped him across the face.
*Slap!*
A crisp sound of a slap rang out.
"You wanted to kill me, so I will kill you."
*Crack!*
Zhou Yan grabbed Commander Wang's throat, then his fingers exerted force, directly twisting his neck.
"Ugh..."
Blood spilled from Commander Wang's mouth, his face ashen.
Before his death, he still found it unbelievable, completely unable to accept it.
He, a dignified Extraordinary realm martial artist, had been defeated by a mere nobody.
"Commander Wang is dead!"
"No... Run!"
The remaining soldiers panicked, turning and fleeing.
"Trying to escape? Where do you think you're going!"
Zhou Yan grinned ferociously and immediately pursued them.
Moments later, he caught up to a fleeing soldier.
"Die!"
Zhou Yan raised his leg and kicked off half of the soldier's head.
Then, he continued to chase another soldier, showing no mercy, and punched a hole through his chest.
*Sputter!*
Blood splattered, the stench of gore filling the air.
In a short span, over ten soldiers met their end.
"Hahaha!"
Looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, Zhou Yan let out a hearty laugh.
Standing there, he gazed at the fallen bodies, his heart surging with emotion.
"Finally, I've broken through to the Extraordinary realm!"
Zhou Yan murmured to himself, his expression excited.
He could clearly feel the surging true qi within him, like a raging flood, flowing endlessly.
Moreover, this true qi was far more refined and spiritual than ordinary true qi.
Clearly, this true qi originated entirely from his martial arts.
"So this is the Extraordinary realm? Truly formidable!"
Zhou Yan's eyes glowed with golden light, like two scorching suns, dazzling and brilliant.
His strength had also increased dramatically.
His physical strength had reached a terrifying one hundred and sixty jin.
His movement speed had increased by about fifty percent, a full twenty times faster than before.
And his power had increased by over ten centimeters, becoming incredibly formidable.
All of this was because he had absorbed the beast cores of those monsters.
Beast cores were precious not only for the potent energy they contained but also for their unique effects.
Just before, Zhou Yan was an ordinary martial artist. After absorbing the beast core of a third-tier monster, he only gained a ten-centimeter increase in strength. But now that he had broken through to the Extraordinary realm and absorbed the energy of the beast crystal, his strength had naturally increased significantly.
At this moment, Zhou Yan felt his physical strength was comparable to that of an Extraordinary ninth-tier expert.
"My current physical strength is such that even an Extraordinary seventh-tier expert might not be my match."
Zhou Yan's face showed joy as he murmured, "My combat power now is only slightly behind that of an ordinary Extraordinary eighth-tier, and I can even challenge those above my level."