Chapter 149: The [Manhunt] Mission

The Hero System, which seemed miraculous and unfathomable to humans, was actually just a piece of communication equipment utilizing alien technology. These devices were extremely compact and could be implanted beneath a human scalp. However, for those who had mastered stellar energy, the devices could manifest in a variety of forms.

The Ancient Demons generally used bracelets, though some favored unique ear studs or diamonds embedded in their fingernails. Shen Lang’s device took the form of a bracelet. As his consciousness poured into it, the communication equipment activated, connecting to the stellar energy network and synchronizing the [Hero Combat Power Ranking].

At the top of the combat power ranking hung the name Qin Hao.

"Qin Hao, Human, Strength... wait, how did he reach Level Four?" Shen Lang furrowed his brow instantly.

A Level Four evolver possessed strength superior to all three of them combined.

Shen Zhi chuckled. "So what if he's Level Four? Let's not forget that during this invasion, various civilizations of the Peace Alliance are also taking a piece of the pie. While we dispatch hunting creatures, they are also selling commodities. There are countless potions out there that boost one's strength while crippling future potential—flashy and shallow. He must have used those to artificially inflate his power. Such a race will inevitably stall forever once they reach Level Four."

"True. Besides, with our strength, isn't it completely normal to challenge a strong evolver?" Convinced by his sister, Shen Lang nodded in agreement.

Hui Yuan, who had remained silent all this while, had eyes brimming with wariness.

"You'd all better be careful." Although Hui Yuan's relationship with Shen Lang and Shen Zhi was ordinary, they had graduated from the same competition and shared a certain camaraderie. Remembering the intelligence he had gathered previously, he offered a tactful warning, "I heard before that the Eighty-Ninth Highness, who died three years ago, has been resurrected, and Blue Star has entered a time reversal. This Qin Hao is very likely a person who has been reborn. Neither his combat techniques nor his strength can possibly be that of an ordinary evolver. We..."

Hui Yuan glanced at the nearby statue of the Black King God, and ultimately, held back by dread, he swallowed the rest of his words.

They were most likely being used as cannon fodder.

The higher-ups were unwilling to risk their own sons or truly formidable fighters, yet harboring probing intentions, they had sent these three instead. Killing Qin Hao would naturally be ideal, but failing to do so didn't matter. As long as they could stall Qin Hao and allow the stellar energy collector to activate, earning back the investment in stellar energy would suffice.

Regrettably, the underage siblings Shen Lang and Shen Zhi had not thought nearly that far ahead. Although they were powerful, having lost one-on-one to Hui Yuan, they believed that if they fought together, Hui Yuan would be no match for them, leaving them thoroughly unconvinced by his warning.

"Hmph, so what if he's reborn? His racial limits are right here. This aboriginal civilization can't even develop stellar energy, let alone utilize it. Their bodies are fragile; I can tear him apart using brute life force alone," Shen Lang sneered.

***

Ten minutes prior, within the Hero Base, Qin Hao had taken out the spatial teleportation disk. Before he could even activate it, he heard the familiar system chime.

"Ding! Task predictor activated! Estimated time of task occurrence: 10 minutes."

Task:
[Hunt]
Please note, Hero Qin Hao, your great achievements have been perceived by the deities of the Ancient Demon civilization. The Black King God of the Ancient Demon civilization has dispatched three Level-Three-Evolution peak intelligent beings to hunt you down.

Task Completion: Kill the Level-Three-Evolution intelligent beings.
Task Rewards: 1,000,000 Hero Points, one random item of Purple quality or higher.

"Oh?"

Qin Hao had not expected the Black King God to dispatch peak Level Three Ancient Demons at this juncture. As could be seen from the task predictor, the so-called peak Level Three intelligent beings were none other than the prodigies of the Ancient Demon race.

They had lost a son before the time reversal, and now they were sending three more prodigies to their deaths.

The Black King God truly refused to give up.

However, it was also possible that the enemy had not anticipated that he would have already reached Level Four by this point.

So what if there were three peak evolvers? They were nothing more than cannon fodder.

To prevent these three peak evolution beings from descending upon the Hero Base and slaughtering innocents when they realized they couldn't defeat him, Qin Hao activated the spatial teleportation disk and headed to Oceania. Shortly afterward, he discovered that the remaining Ancient Demons had actually gathered together.

Using the Trackerless to conceal his presence, he watched with his own eyes as the Ancient Demon priest prayed, culminating in the appearance of three Ancient Demons.

As these three Ancient Demons discussed their mission, it never once crossed their minds to question why, if they were being sent to hunt down a human hero, they had not materialized near humans, but right beside a divine statue.

At that exact moment, a majestic wave of energy erupted.

With the appearance of this formidable power, the stealth energy of the Trackerless was instantly shattered and dispelled, revealing Qin Hao's true form.

Moving with terrifying speed, like a gale sweeping across the land, he gathered power in his fist and punched straight at Shen Lang.

Stellar energy enveloped Qin Hao's fist, expanding and amplifying the destructive force.

Shen Lang had never expected an intelligent lifeform to be hiding right beside them. Sensing the terrifying power behind the blow, he was struck with alarm. Subconsciously, he threw out a counterattack as his arm swelled violently in size.

Their fists collided, and stellar energy clashed fiercely.

The next moment, the clothing on Shen Lang's arm ripped apart, followed by his muscles exploding outward in a spiral, shredded away like strips of raw meat—the sheer aftermath of the overwhelming force grinding everything in its path.

"Ah!!!"

Shen Lang let out a miserable scream as he was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the outer wall of a high-rise building and instantly disappearing from sight.

Seeing how utterly vulnerable this Ancient Demon was, Qin Hao couldn't help but sneer.

"Didn't you say you were going to tear me apart? How laughable."

Shen Zhi shrieked as raging flames engulfed her body. A moment later, a twisting serpent of fire lunged toward Qin Hao.

Such an attack was something ordinary Level Three evolvers could never hope to execute.

With an indifferent gaze, Qin Hao looked at Shen Zhi as the power of his consciousness surged.

A cloud seemed to drift across the sky overhead, instantly releasing a colossal torrent of water.

It wasn't merely raindrops, but a massive pillar of water fully three meters wide. Crashing downward, it forcefully intercepted and blocked the fiery dragon. The water pillar then smashed into the ground with a roar resembling a roaring waterfall, creating a massive wave that surged across the terrain like a tsunami.

Waves over five meters high crashed toward Shen Zhi and the remaining Ancient Demons.

Feeling the terrifying destructive might of the surging water, those Ancient Demons turned and fled in terror.

Even the Ancient Demon priest wore an expression of horror.

For the aura of a Level Four evolver that Qin Hao was radiating at this moment was suffocating him.

Daring not to let herself be swallowed by the surging tide, Shen Zhi leaped into the air, surrounded by flames once more, and charged at Qin Hao again.

However, the tide was under Qin Hao's control; how could he possibly allow Shen Zhi to act freely? A column of water suddenly lashed out from the waves, engulfing Shen Zhi and swallowing her whole.

Shen Zhi felt immense pressure bearing down on her. Even though she was enveloped by the stellar energy bestowed by the deity, sparing her from needing to breathe the air of Blue Star, the water pressure generated by this element-crafted torrent was so immense that her bones began to emit cracking sounds.