Published: February 8, 2025
Time moved slightly forward.
Ye Zhongming, Xia Bai, and Xiao Peng faced off against the eighth-level upper dragon.
Ye Zhongming knew about this kind of monster; he just had never encountered one in his past life. However, according to rumors, this was a type of dinosaur that should have gone extinct many years ago along with its species.
It was unclear why such a life form had reappeared in the apocalypse and mutated. Perhaps due to its powerful genes, the upper dragon was a very tricky existence among sea beasts.
But this was just hearsay. While every survivor in the apocalypse would memorize the characteristics and abilities of mutated life forms, encountering one face-to-face still brought a strong sense of strangeness and uncertainty.
The battle began with Xiao Peng firing the V1 type grenade launcher. It wasn't intentional; it was out of nervousness.
Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai didn't blame Xiao Peng because, given his evolutionary level, it was impressive enough that he hadn't collapsed under the pressure of the eighth-level mutated life form.
The V1 type grenade launcher, as a battle weapon, had decent power, and at this distance, Xiao Peng aimed quite accurately, the rocket hitting the mutated upper dragon directly.
Following that, Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai also launched their attacks.
They didn't think that one rocket could kill such a strong eighth-level mutated life form.
The metal osmium giant and the earth giant were the first to rush into the haze, followed by the dark cataclysm and the crystal energy magic bullet gun as their master entered the battlefield.
In his two lives, this was the highest-level evolved life Ye Zhongming had faced.
In his past life, there had been a few instances when the targets were eighth-level monsters, but those were collective actions of the team. As a six-star evolver, he could only shoot a few rounds from the periphery to clear out the smaller monsters, while the real main force consisted of the captain and a select few.
Now, facing the eighth-level mutated life form directly, Ye Zhongming finally experienced what true strength meant.
The upper dragon was in poor condition; after being attacked by several seventh-level sea beasts at the cost of their lives, it was suffering significantly, with multiple wounds visible down to the bone.
For the sake of that mysterious golden light, the upper dragon's level advantage couldn't deter other sea beasts from fearing it.
It had naturally noticed these humans, but to it, they posed no threat. As long as it received the golden light and completed its second evolution, these humans would merely serve to enhance its power with a hint of blood flavor, becoming a nice appetizer.
The upper dragon didn't expect these weak humans to actually dare to attack it.
It had roamed the oceans for a long time, and no one had dared to challenge it. Arriving here after traveling a thousand miles, it was intolerable to be disturbed just as it was about to achieve its goal.
Thus, the upper dragon grew enraged and decided to eliminate these ignorant humans first.
The upper dragon had a pair of wings on its back, which were not meant for flying; at least not at the eighth level. It would only gain the ability to soar the skies upon reaching the ninth level.
However, the wings allowed it to move faster in the water and change direction more nimbly, making them important offensive and defensive weapons for the upper dragon.
From the first to the eighth evolution, the upper dragon's level was enough to attract the attention of all life forms on this planet. However, similarly, its experiences and journey along the evolutionary path were also the most abundant and arduous.
It might disdain these few humans, but once the battle began, it wouldn't be careless; it would give its all, as this was a principle that had allowed it to survive until now.
The upper dragon didn't foolishly withstand the humans' attacks; instead, it raised the hardest part of its body—the wings—before it.