Hybrid.
This term didn't refer specifically to a fusion of Honkai and Quantum energies.
It also denoted existences that had integrated Honkai energy with the creations of a civilization.
They were not artificially created Honkai Beasts, nor were they "humans" wielding the power of Honkai Beasts. Instead, they were a true fusion of the two, uniting them in a meaningful way.
Super Perception relayed every piece of intelligence into Lu Xing's mind, clearly presenting the forms of these "Hybrid" Honkai Beasts:
Nuclear engines and Honkai cores.
Mechanical/Honkai energy hybrid pipelines (serving as blood vessels), metal/Honkai energy composite shells, and a computer operating hub (or perhaps a brain) of an unknown type, which emanated fluctuations of consciousness.
All of these components.
They collectively formed the four hundred or so Hybrid Honkai Beasts below.
Although the Hybrid Honkai Beasts varied in appearance, the differences in their strength and combat styles were not significant. Their levels were all locked at the peak of lower-tier Honkai Beasts: Lv.60.
Evidently.
This level did not represent their true strength.
Lu Xing personally witnessed a Hybrid Chariot-class in combat. It fired a thermal ray from the single horn on its head, easily severing a limb from a Quantum Beast as high as Lv.70. While such an attack wasn't fatal to the Quantum Beast, this combat style was clearly not something a normal Chariot-class should excel at. It was obvious that the "modifications" they had undergone had surpassed a certain "limit," which was why they were classified as "Hybrids."
The reason the Hybrid Honkai Beasts' battle line could hold was also closely related to the energy level of the Honkai energy they wielded.
Quantum energy held a crushing advantage over ordinary Honkai energy.
Only high-tier Honkai Beasts—no, only Judgement-class Honkai Beasts and above—could utilize Honkai energy with a concentration that could barely suppress Quantum energy.
However.
The "live feed" below refreshed Lu Xing's understanding.
The Honkai energy used by all the Hybrid Honkai Beasts—still the same signature purple, but with a subtle yet distinct difference in hue—showed no signs of being suppressed by Quantum energy. On the contrary, when an equivalent amount of Quantum energy clashed with it, the Quantum energy showed a clear disadvantage.
In other words.
The Honkai energy used by the Hybrid Honkai Beasts was half a step higher in energy level than Quantum energy!
"..."
This was incredibly unbelievable.
After all, even the golden Honkai energy that an Emperor-class like himself directly absorbed from the Imaginary Space and compressed was only on par with Quantum energy.
It couldn't be...
No, it was possible.
Watching the heated battle on the ground, Lu Xing vaguely began to understand something.
Just then—
"BOOM!!!"
A circular shockwave spread across the sky.
Even Lu Xing, in his distant spectator's seat, was inevitably affected.
The two combatants were, on one side, the leader of the Quantum Beasts, the Lv.80 "Tonatiuh, Shadow of the Sun-Eater."
At this moment, however.
The massive lobster's figure was hurtling backward rapidly. In the process, it swiftly collapsed into a sphere, then vanished directly into the void.
On the other side, the being that had just sent the giant lobster flying was now observing its surroundings with extreme vigilance.
Truthfully.
Lu Xing had no idea if it was actually observing anything.
He couldn't see the "creature's" face at all. He only perceived extremely distinct "wave lines" from the mental power it was radiating.
"This fellow..."
"Do I know this fellow?"
Lu Xing's curiosity was piqued by something else.
That's right.
The "aura" Lu Xing sensed was emanating from this humanoid Honkai Beast. Yet, its appearance was completely different from any Honkai Beast he knew! The form it had taken... was vastly different from a typical Honkai Beast, its size... no, its physique was closer to that of a human. This "Hybrid"... no, "suspected Hybrid"...
In any case!
Its appearance was...
The color scheme was somewhat similar to his own, while its form resembled a mechanical angel version of Tyrael:
Metallic armor shimmering with a black halo covered its entire body. The magical runes engraved upon it represented a "faith" of this civilization that Lu Xing did not understand.
The sound of turning gears emanated from the curved shoulder armor, which was adorned with bas-reliefs of a winged humanoid figure kneeling in prayer.
Translucent, deep purple rivets connected the various parts of the armor like energy nodes.
Behind its shoulders were six... no, six ribbon-like "wings" of bright purple light. Honkai energy and an excess of light and heat radiation constantly surged from between these "wings," leaving behind a trail of color like an aurora.
Its left hand was bare, without a shield.
At the end of its right arm's gauntlet was a heavy, cross-shaped sword that burned like a flame, flowing with the same light as its wings.
Beneath a profound, purple Honkai energy halo.
The humanoid's most defining feature, its face, was completely concealed by a hood-shaped metal helmet.
Name: ???
Level: 80
Other: Unknown
Just like with Elysia's giant manta ray, [Spiritual Perception] could not obtain any information from this being other than its level. If the other party didn't possess a special method of concealment, then it meant this maxed-out [Spiritual Perception] skill was due for retirement.
Of course.
It could also be due to Lu Xing's own "cognition."
He was incapable of using [Spiritual Perception] to directly analyze a creature he couldn't comprehend in his mind, especially when encountering it for the first time.
Setting aside the intelligence on this "angel-type" Honkai Beast for a moment.
Beside it, two other "angels" with larger bodies—in comparison, this Lv.80 one looked more slender and feminine—but slightly weaker combat power and only two pairs of "wings" circled nearby. They were responsible for repelling the "Quantum Emperors (Shadows of Rebirth)" that broke through from the main battlefield.
These three together formed the high-end combat power of the "Hybrid" faction.
"CLANG!!!"
A "lobster claw" and the cross-shaped sword clashed in mid-air!
The purple flames burning on the sword's edge rapidly spread along the giant lobster's pincer, instantly engulfing the latter in a massive fireball!
Tonatiuh wasn't using a spatial ability, but had directly merged with Quantum energy to execute a combination of [Hidden Slash] and [Assault Kill]. In a World Bubble saturated with Quantum energy, it was nearly impossible to perceive its movements accurately.
However.
Lu Xing's "familiar Honkai" had still effortlessly parried the giant lobster's sneak attack.
Such perception, combined with the attack and speed it had already demonstrated, which were on par with Tonatiuh...
A Herrscher.
No, the combat strength of Herrschers varied too drastically; using that term was somewhat inaccurate. Whether it was the giant lobster or the "angel," the combat power they displayed was similar to that of Elysia's manta ray, both belonging to the level of "Kevin without using the Judgement of Shamash."
Before absorbing the authorities of "Flame" and "Rock," Lu Xing's own frontal combat capability was only slightly stronger than this level... after all, most of his battles had relied on "strategy." But now, although his Honkai energy supply wasn't quite sufficient, if he just added a little weight to the scales of the battle above—
After finishing off the giant lobster.
He should be able to ask that "angel" for some information about this civilization.