Chapter 171: Lian’s Path (3)

The silver-armored beast did not give him room to breathe.

Another heavy strike drove Lian sideways across the cracked stone. He rolled with the impact as best he could, but the creature was already there, one massive hand slamming down to pin his shoulder. Bone plates scraped against the rock beside his head. The weight behind every movement was overwhelming. Lian’s attempts to create distance were shut down almost as soon as they began. A short blade formed along his forearm and scraped uselessly across the silver armor, leaving only a thin white line that did not even draw blood.

He was being beaten down without any real chance to fight back.

Blood ran freely from the corner of his mouth. His left arm responded a fraction slower than it should have. Each breath carried a sharp edge of pain from the earlier impact against the rocks. The difference between Star 1 and Star 3 was not something technique alone could close when the opponent’s raw physical power and natural armor were this far above his own.

In the middle of the one-sided exchange, the Nexus device on his wrist finally locked onto the creature and began feeding information directly into his vision.

Species: Argent Colossus

Origin: Veythara’s Grave (native)

Current Cultivation Equivalent: Stellar Circuit Star 3

Lian’s eyes flicked across the cascading data even as he was forced to twist away from another crushing downward blow. The beast’s knee drove into the stone where his chest had been a moment earlier, shattering it.

The scan continued.

Physical Characteristics:

Dense bone-plate armor covering 87% of vital areas. Extreme blunt-force resistance. Regenerative capacity under high atmospheric pressure. Muscle density far exceeds standard carbon-based lifeforms of comparable size.

Special Traits:

Kinetic Redirection: Impact force delivered to the outer plates can be partially stored and released in the opposite direction.

Seismic Sense: Detects movement through ground vibration within a wide radius, even while stationary or concealed.

Short-Range Phase Climb: Can temporarily reduce its effective mass and adhesion to vertical or inverted surfaces, allowing sudden changes in elevation without normal climbing motion.

Bone Resonance: At higher stages, the silver plates can vibrate at frequencies that disrupt internal organs and Qi circulation of nearby targets.

Growth Projection:

Upon reaching Stellar Circuit Star 9, Argent Colossi develop near-human intelligence and limited speech capability. Social structure becomes more complex. Territorial behavior intensifies.

Another massive hand swung toward him. Lian barely managed to get his reinforced forearm up in time. The impact still sent him sliding several meters across the broken ridge, fresh blood marking the stone behind him. The creature followed at once, pale silver eyes locked onto him with cold focus. It did not roar. It did not waste motion. It simply continued the systematic process of breaking him down.

Lian forced himself up again, using the brief window to pull more data from the scan.

Weak Points:

Joint gaps at the shoulders, hips, and base of the skull. Armor is thinnest along the inner arms and lower abdomen. Sustained high-frequency energy attacks can create micro-fractures in the plates over time.

Behavioral Notes:

Highly territorial. Displays limited tactical intelligence even at lower stages — capable of ambush, herding, and delayed pursuit.

The final line of the current scan packet settled into place as the Argent Colossus closed the distance once more.

Additional Warning:

Argent Colossi do not hunt alone. They operate in packs.

Lian’s blood ran cold for a fraction of a second.

Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)

Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.

Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.

Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.

Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.

Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc

Power Scale Reminder

Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.

Elara Voss: Core Condensation Peak

Keep it as reminders