By conventional wisdom, Fang Senyan’s optimal approach against the grey-robed Belon would certainly not be this clumsy tactic of fighting while retreating.

The most efficient strategy would have been: allow Belon’s high-energy laser to lock on, absorb one or perhaps two blasts, close the distance for melee combat, and then use Verdict Judgment to declare him a heretic. Following that, for the next five seconds, he should swing the +13 West to properly greet the Predator before him, culminating the combo with the final strike of Beast of Erosion!

If this sequence were directed at one of Belon’s legs, barring any surprises, Mr. Belon would inevitably be crippled. Dealing with Mr. Belon, who would have lost almost all mobility, would then open up countless avenues of attack.

The true reason Fang Senyan would rather forgo the initial advantage and opt instead to lure the enemy deep was his unwillingness to expose his trump cards to others.

At this moment, Fang Senyan trusted no one; the most reliable variable remained his own powerful weapon, which approached artifact status in its attributes: the +13 West!

Who knew whose blood this weapon would soon be stained with? Perhaps a Predator’s blood, but possibly a Contractor’s as well, should they dare stand in Fang Senyan’s way!

Mere seconds after Fang Senyan initiated combat, Ronnie had already slapped a Death Mark onto a Predator’s head, while Aldaris lazily beckoned to another Predator with a finger. Simultaneously, a drop of blood slid from his fingertip, falling onto the grass between the ground cracks, where it coagulated, unscattering like a ruby.

The 1-on-1 engagements had fully commenced!

On the other side, the grey-robed Belon was, of course, unaware of these developments. He pursued Fang Senyan at high speed. Predators possessed formidable leaping abilities, allowing their full-speed pursuit to possess an almost antelope-like grace. Their running involved perpetual knee-bending, coiling energy, launching themselves at least ten meters, and then landing. At this pace, it wouldn't take long before Fang Senyan was caught.

Though the grey-robed Belon was immensely experienced in combat, hadn't Fang Senyan clawed his way here through constant immersion in blood and fire?

Targeting the long arc of Belon’s every leaping sprint, Fang Senyan adopted a tactic of immediately changing direction the moment Belon launched into the air. This ensured that by the time Belon landed, he would be charging in the complete opposite direction, often resulting in a considerable miss.

Seeing this, the grey-robed Belon immediately altered his strategy. At the apex of his jump, he quickly swept his waist, spreading his palm. Already resting in his palm was a throwing disc! Belon gave the disc a light touch, and five menacing blades immediately sprang out from its edges! Belon then hurled it forward violently, and the disc emitted a piercing shriek, spiraling through the air in a strange figure-eight pattern, slicing toward Fang Senyan!

According to Belon's plan, this disc was meant to cut precisely across the enemy's running path. If the target didn't stop, he would face the dismal fate of being sliced in half.

However, Fang Senyan’s reaction was stunningly audacious: he simply extended his open palm and snatched the disc. Although Belon clearly saw blood spray out, the disc struggled fiercely a few times before yielding into Fang Senyan’s grip.

The grey-robed Belon’s eyes widened, but he quickly noticed the armored glove Fang Senyan was wearing. Belon attributed the capture of his supposedly indestructible disc to this gauntlet. Thus, he immediately swapped it for a high-speed disc that looked identical but possessed fundamental differences, hurling it once more toward Fang Senyan.

The initial disc’s primary function was cutting, but this new projectile was packed with 178 grams of high-energy annihilation particles—a charge typically reserved for dealing with the Alien Queen. In Belon’s mind, if this guy dared to catch it with his bare hand again, unless he was physically stronger than the Alien Queen, he was in for a spectacular firework display.

But Fang Senyan’s powerful senses proved invaluable; this explosive high-speed disc radiated a far greater threat than the previous one from the moment it appeared! To catch this one with his hand under these circumstances would only merit the description of having a brain malfunction.

A massive explosion erupted next to Fang Senyan, but the intense shockwave paradoxically accelerated his retreat.

Following this, the grey-robed Belon unleashed every method in his arsenal—Predator shuriken, full-titanium capture nets, and more—but all met with minimal effect. The shuriken, while possessing speed and precision, were limited in both power and quantity.

As for the net ejected from his shoulder cannon… if it had been the tough, viscous, dense web of a spider, Fang Senyan would truly have been troubled. But this capture net, relying on his formidable gauntlets, was torn apart effortlessly.

Seeing the forest line ahead, a killing intent flared within Belon. If pursuing this slippery target in open ground was this difficult, wouldn't it become exponentially harder once they entered the woods? Firing the shoulder cannon during intense pursuit was nearly impossible to aim correctly. Thinking this, Belon’s gaze grew colder. He reached behind him, pulling out a segmented steel rod about a foot long and the size of an egg.

The rod was etched with patterns, its surface a reddish-brown hue, like dried blood. Combined with the etchings, it gave the impression of an instrument of torture from the Inquisition.

But Belon triggered some mechanism, and with a forceful flick, a light snap sounded as the “rod” rapidly extended, transforming into a long spear of an indescribable reddish-brown color. Merely looking at it suggested an edge of unparalleled sharpness!

While gripping this spear, Belon felt as if his very soul was igniting. He stopped abruptly, standing motionless on the spot, exuding an air of both piety and sanctity. Ahead of him, Fang Senyan was rapidly retreating into the distance!

Then, he hurled the hunting spear in his hand with ferocious power. The ensuing flash of light nearly burned Fang Senyan’s eyes as he glanced back. He instantly sensed overwhelming danger, turned, and felt an icy coldness pierce his chest, followed by his entire body being impaled and flung backward by the hunting spear!

“Such speed… and power!” Fang Senyan suddenly realized he might have gravely underestimated the man before him! Concealing strength was one thing, but being killed before even deploying one's greatest power would be dying with profound regret!

The spear impaling his body vibrated slightly, a subtle oscillation that unnervingly sent waves of numbness through Fang Senyan. Predators didn't typically poison their weapons, but this was clearly a specialized technique utilizing the weapon itself.

Yet, it was precisely Fang Senyan’s formidable stamina that asserted itself. Gritting his teeth, he glanced back one last time before stumbling forward, using the momentum of being thrown by the spear to lurch into the dense woods. This maneuver caused Belon’s subsequent high-energy laser blast to go wide! In Belon’s experience, no living creature that had been skewered by his flying spear should still be capable of movement!

Seeing Fang Senyan successfully escape into the forest, Belon hissed a sound like a snake flicking its tongue, his expression growing intensely cautious. He tapped several points on his left forearm, activating his cloaking device. His figure dissolved into the air. The grey-robed Belon felt a long-forgotten thrill: How long had it been since he had gone all out? Ten years? Twenty? This sensation of excitement, the anticipation of slicing the neck of his prey, the feel of warm blood trickling over his fingers—it all made him highly aroused, reminding him of his last encounter with a female Predator, that indescribable surge of release and pleasure!……… (Note: The Yautja species is a matriarchal clan society; females are rarer and immensely powerful. Only about one-third of strong males can successfully breed with a female Predator. A single female Predator typically bears offspring with five different male Predators throughout her lifetime.)

Belon was a master tracker; moreover, his prey was suffering from a severe penetrating chest wound. The blood clearly betrayed his position; the enemy was cornered, with nowhere left to flee. Yet, the look the prey had given him before vanishing into the forest lingered in Belon’s mind!

He had never encountered prey possessing such a look amidst such dire circumstances! Such a steady gaze! Such a calm expression!

Just as he pondered this, he spotted the prey again. The target was leaning against a nearby tree, angled sideways, obscuring his expression. All Belon could discern was his chest heaving violently, suggesting torment from massive blood loss and pain. His hunting spear, dripping with blood, had been pulled out and set aside. The target clearly appeared weakened, his arms hanging limply at his sides, seemingly on the brink of collapse.

Upon seeing this scene, the grey-robed Belon’s vigilance immediately waned. He fixed his gaze on the prey’s feet and began slowly ascending the trunk of the tree the target was leaning against. He quickly secured a rope around the victim’s legs to hoist him upside down. Next would come the pleasure of a feast—the throat-slitting, the skinning!

Belon advanced slowly toward his target. His advanced gear filtered out all ambient noise; he was now completely transformed into a wraith summoned from the underworld, poised to usher his prey into the realm of death.