Chapter 48: A Natural Talent

“Screech—” The Tyrant Crab let out a high-pitched cry. With three legs broken on one side, its body lacked the flexibility it once had, and its movement speed was noticeably affected.

The Tyrant Crab appeared incredibly enraged. It shifted its body and raised its pair of colossal chelae, charging toward Su Li.

Su Li didn’t press his advantage, nor did he relax his guard just because the crab had lost three legs. He remained fully alert, calculating the distance in his mind.

As the Tyrant Crab closed in, he instantly darted sideways, ensuring he stayed clear of the immensely powerful chelae. The iron rod in his hand swung out again, the target still the legs on the side of the crab’s body.

This time, the Tyrant Crab swiftly rotated its body 90 degrees, extending its chelae.

With a “clang,” Su Li’s swinging iron rod struck the outstretched chela. The Tyrant Crab swung its chela, and a tremendous force bounced the iron rod away. The force was so great that Su Li’s right arm jarred, and his five fingers went numb, causing him to lose his grip on the iron rod.

Su Li didn’t try to resist. He simply released his grip, letting the iron rod be flung away by the chela. He seized the opportunity to close in on the Tyrant Crab, clenched his left hand into a fist, extended the four “Gluttony Fangs,” and smashed them with full force into the joint of a thin leg on the crab’s flank.

The thin legs of the Tyrant Crab had a sinew and membrane structure at the joints. The “Gluttony Fangs” sliced into the joint, immediately severing the connective tissue.

Su Li didn’t linger. After the successful hit, he quickly retreated and ran toward the spot where the iron rod had been flung, needing to retrieve his weapon.

The Tyrant Crab continued to let out high-pitched screeching sounds. With another leg severed, it was even more agitated. It originally had four legs on each side. Now, with three legs gone on one side and one leg gone on the other, it shuffled awkwardly on the remaining five legs, moving strangely.

However, it did not continue charging at Su Li. Instead, it wobbled and moved toward the edge of the roof.

It had finally realized its predicament and was attempting to flee.

Su Li had just retrieved the iron rod. Seeing the Tyrant Crab trying to escape, he rapidly charged toward it.

He had just managed to ruin three of its legs. Seeing victory so close, he couldn’t let it escape.

With three legs incapacitated, the Tyrant Crab’s movement speed was drastically reduced. Su Li quickly caught up, intercepting it before it could flee. This time, he couldn’t afford to back down. He swung the iron rod in an aggressive strike toward the Tyrant Crab.

The crab raised its pair of chelae to meet the blow. This was a direct, pure clash of power, without any fancy moves. Su Li’s arm muscles swelled slightly as he exerted all his power.

With a “clang,” the sound of metal meeting metal echoed. Su Li felt a jarring numbness shoot through both his arms, and his hands felt like they were about to lose all sensation from the rebound.

He possessed thousand-jin strength, yet in a direct clash with the Tyrant Crab’s chelae, he gained no advantage. However, the Tyrant Crab also failed to completely throw him back. It only managed to block the iron rod. One of its chelae then dipped down, attempting to clamp onto his body.

Su Li was quicker. The moment the iron rod struck the chela, he was already prepared. He leaped sideways, and his left hand’s “Gluttony Fangs” sliced across the joint of another thin leg, severing the connective tissue.

The Tyrant Crab’s fourth leg was severed. With only four active legs remaining, its body paused and tilted, unable to maintain its balance fully.

Su Li kept moving, quickly circling behind the crab. He swung the iron rod in his right hand, and with a “smack,” broke yet another leg.

The Tyrant Crab realized the danger and struggled desperately. Its pair of chelae wildly lashed out in all directions to protect itself, but its massive body was stuck in one place, finding it difficult to move.

It now only had three active thin legs, which were unable to support the Tyrant Crab’s massive body.

On the other side, Xu Xuehui was nervously guarding the fallen Ding Longyun. Ding Longyun shook his head, recovering from the brief disorientation. He tried to sit up but felt a searing pain in his chest, making him gasp and realize that his ribs were broken.

“Damn it…” Ding Longyun muttered, annoyed at himself for not listening to Su Li earlier. He looked up and saw Su Li battling the Tyrant Crab alone. Su Li’s movements were incredibly agile as he continuously circled the crab, striking with accurate, debilitating blows that shattered the crab’s legs one by one. As the crab’s legs were broken, its movement became increasingly clumsy, and Su Li grew more confident and relaxed.

“This guy… he’s a natural talent…” Ding Longyun took in the entire scene, muttering to himself. He suddenly felt that Su Li possessed an innate skill for fighting monsters.

“Darn it! If I hadn’t been careless, I could have worn down this stinking crab myself.” Ding Longyun clenched his fist in frustration. Then, something occurred to him, and he looked up. “Kid, thank you just now. I would have been dead without you.”

Though his mind had been spinning from the impact, he was consciously aware of what was happening. His body was simply unresponsive. He had despaired when the Tyrant Crab charged at him, never expecting Xu Xuehui to rush over and drag him away. She had saved his life.

Xu Xuehui’s beautiful eyes widened when she heard Ding Longyun thank her. She then extended her left hand toward him.

Ding Longyun was puzzled. He saw her small hand open, and in her palm was a handful of sunflower seeds.

“Eat them?” Xu Xuehui asked seriously.

Ding Longyun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Who had the appetite for sunflower seeds at a time like this? This girl’s way of thinking was truly unique.

The movement strained his wound. Ding Longyun sucked in a breath from the pain before managing to say, “I can’t. You eat them.”

“Oh.” Xu Xuehui withdrew her hand, took a sunflower seed, and put it in her mouth. She watched Su Li’s battle with the Tyrant Crab while slowly cracking the seeds.

The Tyrant Crab had five of its eight legs destroyed by Su Li in a short period. With only three left, its ability to move was severely impaired. Su Li knew his opportunity had finally arrived.

The Tyrant Crab seemed to know its fate. It wildly swung its pair of chelae in a desperate attempt at self-preservation. Its three remaining legs strained against the ground, trying to crawl toward the edge of the roof.

Although it was almost immobile, its chelae were still terrifyingly powerful. Su Li attacked three times consecutively, and each time, the iron rod was blocked and thrown back by the pincers. In one instance, the chelae reached out, and he was nearly clamped.

“This thing is really difficult. It seems that even if I break all its legs, as long as these big pincers are working, it will be hard to kill it.”

Su Li mused, circling to the crab’s flank again. He swung the iron rod and broke another of its legs.

With only two legs remaining, the Tyrant Crab was almost completely immobilized. It could only stay in one place, wildly swinging its chelae, preventing Su Li from getting close enough to strike its vulnerable, soft underbelly.

(End of Chapter)