When Qi Xu stopped focusing on his arms, which were already aching to the extreme, the pain didn’t feel as unbearable anymore.
After successfully completing the final 60 push-ups—plus one extra—he casually brought his knees forward, stood up, and dusted his hands.
Exhausted or not, a leader’s style had to be maintained.
Sure enough, the trio screamed in excitement, tears streaming down their faces, while the others erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Qi Xu flashed a calm smile. His fatigue level was at 76, and his health at 69. As long as he took a calculated hit in the next round, he could instantly trigger the [Undying War God] state.
One more challenge—he could do it!
Qi Xu shared his plan with the team and told Old White Dragon in the Waves to decide whether to drink depending on the situation.
He then distributed all his remaining ammunition equally among his teammates.
While the others had mostly recovered, Qi Xu deliberately chose not to heal. Without hesitation, he clicked the button to start the next round.
The moment they saw the monsters on the other side, Old White Dragon in the Waves yanked the stopper from the gourd at his waist and chugged the entire bottle in one go.
Instantly, all three of his core stats surged by 10 points. Strength and agility aside, his stamina skyrocketed to 97, making prolonged battles no longer a concern.
Because aside from a stitched monstrosity, this round also included six fire-breathing wolves.
"Don’t attack the stitched monster yet!"
"Got it!"
Qi Xu and Dongfang Yuan fired simultaneously, aiming straight for the fire-wolves.
Good news: two fire-wolves went down. Bad news: even though they hadn’t hit the stitched monster, it charged straight at Qi Xu.
Meanwhile, War Wolf 009 and Old White Dragon in the Waves launched their own attacks.
Thanks to his boosted strength, Old White Dragon’s thrown weapons packed far more punch.
The stitched monster immediately turned its rage toward him.
Qi Xu unloaded bullets into its back, but the creature didn’t even glance behind.
A split second of hesitation—and the stitched monster was already upon Old White Dragon, leaving him no time to dodge.
Qi Xu sprinted forward, unloading his gun and revving his pink chainsaw at point-blank range, finally forcing the monster to turn.
This gave Old White Dragon a chance to reload his weapons.
Qi Xu scrambled backward, but he wasn’t fast enough—the stitched monster’s fist slammed into his back, sending him flying five meters into the air.
"AHHHH—BOSS!"
Unfazed, Qi Xu adjusted mid-air—just like he’d practiced countless times in the gym’s combat ring—and twisted his body to land sideways, minimizing the damage.
But his health still plummeted.
Soon, it dropped below 20, while his fatigue soared past 80.
The title [Undying War God]—activated!
All three core stats exploded by 20 points, each breaking 100, while his health and fatigue locked in place.
To the others, their invincible leader now seemed shrouded in a crimson aura—utterly badass.
Qi Xu instantly turned cocky. Instead of retreating, he tossed his pistol to War Wolf 009 and charged forward with his pink chainsaw and a long blade, going toe-to-toe with the stitched monster.
He met its fist with the chainsaw. The monster tried to grab and throw it aside—only to lose its entire hand in the whirring blades.
A deafening roar followed. Qi Xu, standing closest, felt his ears ring, drowning out all sound.
But his assault didn’t stop. Seizing the moment, he drove the long blade into the monster’s gut and left it there, not bothering to pull it out.
War Wolf 009 rushed in next, hacking at the wound with his heavy sword, trying to divert the monster’s attention—worried that Undying Black Whirlwind might not hold out.
The stitched monster’s thigh gushed blood as it swung a fist at War Wolf.
Thanks to Dongfang Yuan’s warning, Qi Xu and War Wolf 009 dodged just in time.
A hail of machine-gun fire further weakened the creature.
Old White Dragon’s projectile attacks never let up. Working with Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt, they took down the remaining four fire-wolves before turning their focus back to the stitched monster.
Once recovered, Qi Xu fearlessly advanced again, chainsaw roaring. The monster, dumb as ever, reached for it with its remaining hand.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu adjusted his swing—this time cleaving off half its arm.
Dongfang Yuan leaped and plunged a dagger into the monster’s lower back, dragging it downward in a brutal slash that nearly split its torso open—before being flung into a wall.
He coughed up blood but forced himself back up.
The stitched monster shrieked in agony, flailing wildly before charging blindly in one direction.
The team tensed—it was heading straight for the trio.
Huddled in a corner, Vitality Girl and Magical Boy clung to Master Chef’s arms as the three ducked perfectly behind his shield.
Qi Xu and Dongfang Yuan attacked the monster’s legs from both sides, dealing heavy damage—but its blood-red eyes remained fixed ahead, ignoring everything else.
Finally, it smashed its arm stumps against Master Chef’s shield with terrifying force.
The trio braced desperately, using the corner walls to reinforce the shield—otherwise, it would’ve shattered instantly.
Seeing the monster fixated on the shield, the team unleashed their strongest attacks.
Qi Xu mimicked Dongfang Yuan’s move, leaping to saw at its lower back, carving deep until bone fragments sprayed out.
War Wolf 009 and Dongfang Yuan ignored their injuries, pouring bullets into its sides.
Old White Dragon and Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt hacked relentlessly at its legs.
After enduring three brutal strikes, Master Chef’s shield held—and the stitched monster collapsed.
Another round—cleared!
The team slumped to the ground, gasping in relief.
Right on the half-hour mark, Old White Dragon’s buff wore off. Weakly sprawled on the floor, he muttered, "Master Chef, your shield’s insane."
The moment he finished speaking, the shield cracked down the middle with an unceremonious snap.
........
