Bio-engineered Dinosaur in the immortal world

The Empower Lion's paw dwiped, Wei Long dodge by pulling his prehistoric Dinosaur head. Then, the lion took a step back. And it glared at him fiercely.

Wei Long grinned. "Oh? Now, that's surprising. You're still standing? I thought you'd have fallen flat like the rest of your little family."

That was when the world cracked apart.

The lion inhaled deeply, his chest expanding to its full, terrifying breadth, and then—

ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!

The savanna trembled beneath the sheer force of his voice.

The ground cracked, ripples of power spreading through the earth.

Trees lost their leaves in an instant, the branches shaking violently as if caught in a raging storm.

The golden grass flattened to one side, bending as though it had been slapped by an unseen hand, never daring to rise again.

The roar deepened, its power growing stronger with every second it lasted.

The very air quivered, carrying the raw, deafening might of the lion's fury.

It was not just a sound.

It was a declaration.

A command to the world that the king was still alive.

Still standing.

Still ready to fight.

Wei Long stood his ground, his grin widening.

The sheer pressure of the roar was enough to make the average beast cower, enough to crush bones, to force entire armies to retreat. But him? He barely felt it.

The lion's deep golden eyes widened slightly at the sight of Wei Long remaining unmoved. His roar finally ceased, the echoes still bouncing across the endless plains. He exhaled heavily, eyes narrowing. "Who… are you?"

Wei Long chuckled. "Oh, now you're interested in talking? After all that noise?"

Without another word, Wei Long lunged. His body blurred in an instant, claws extending, fangs bared.

The lion's reflexes, however, were as sharp as ever. With a swift, fluid move, he dodged, twisting his massive frame away from the strike. His golden mane whipped in the air as he pivoted, avoiding the attack completely.

Wei Long's claws slashed in empty space.

"Hoh?" He tilted his head, intrigued. "You're quick."

The lion wasted no time. Before Wei Long could regain his balance, powerful jaws clamped around his neck. With a guttural growl, the lion bit down and swung his massive head, hurling Wei Long like a ragdoll.

THUD!

Wei Long crashed into the earth, dust erupting into the air.

But his feet dug into the soil, refusing to budge. His muscles coiled, his stance unwavering.

The lion's pupils shrank again. That attack should have torn apart mountains, should have sent him flying. But instead, Wei Long merely staggered back a single step.

Then, the lion swiped.

A massive paw, thick as a tree trunk, crashed into Wei Long's side.

CRACK!

Wei Long's feet slid back another inch.

A dull pain coursed through his ribs, the force strong enough to make him feel it, even through his bio-engineered defenses.

Both of them stilled.

Wei Long rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "Well, well. That actually hurt a little." His eyes gleamed, voice laced with excitement. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Meanwhile, the lion's mind raced.

He had fought countless beasts before.

Had slaughtered entire armies.

Had crushed the strongest challengers under his might. But never—never—had he met one who stood toe-to-toe with him like this.

His ability, Empower, elevated him beyond mere Mortal Beast status, pushing him to the realm of Awakened Beasts when defending his territory. And yet, the creature before him remained.

This wasn't normal.

This wasn't possible.

Wei Long smirked, his tail flicking. "Alright, big guy. You're stronger than I thought. Maybe this'll be more fun than I expected."

The lion's deep, rumbling voice carried his disbelief. "You… you are not from the sanctuary, are you? No beast has ever stood before me and remained upright."

Wei Long grinned. "I'm just a passing traveler with a big appetite. And you?" He licked his fangs. "You're about to be on my dinner plate."

The lion's eyes darkened. "You attack my pride. You poison my family. And now you wish to consume me?"

Wei Long cracked his knuckles. "That about sums it up."

The lion's lips curled into a silent snarl. "You underestimate me."

Wei Long chuckled, stepping forward. "Or maybe you overestimate yourself."

They began circling each other, muscles tense, eyes locked, every movement calculated.

The savanna had fallen silent, even the wind refusing to disturb the impending clash.

The lion's voice remained steady. "Why? Why invade my home? Why go through all this trouble?"

Wei Long shrugged. "Hunger. Curiosity. Call it whatever you want. But let's be honest, big guy—" His grin widened. "—I just wanna see if you can survive me."

The lion's claws flexed. His tail flicked once. "Foolish."

Wei Long's body coiled, his legs tensing.

Then, in the blink of an eye—

He pounced.

His claws slicing through the air like razors, his muscles coiling and snapping like a drawn bowstring released.

The lion met him head-on, their bodies colliding with a deafening boom that sent shockwaves through the land.

Dust spiraled up, leaves and broken branches scattering from the force of their impact.

The ground beneath them trembled as two titans fought for dominance.

Wei Long grinned as he twisted his body mid-air, his tail whipping forward in a blur. But the lion ducked, a golden blur moving with unnatural speed, its massive paws striking out with lethal precision.

Wei Long barely managed to block, his scaled arms bracing against the sheer force. His feet dug trenches into the earth as he skidded backward.

"Not bad," Wei Long chuckled, shaking off the sting. His toxic scales had failed to weaken the beast, something that had never happened before.

That alone made the lion interesting.

The lion huffed, shaking its mighty mane. "You expected me to roll over and die?" it growled, baring its gleaming fangs. "I have ruled this land for years. No mere poison can bring me down."

Wei Long's grin widened. "Oh? That just makes me want to devour you more."

He moved.

A blur.

A shadow.

His claws carved through the air toward the lion's throat.

The lion, however, was faster than he had anticipated.

With a single powerful leap, it dodged his strike and countered with a brutal swipe to Wei Long's ribs.

The impact sent Wei Long flying, his body smashing through a tree, snapping it in half.

He hit the ground, rolling, but immediately sprang to his feet, shaking off the debris.

His ribs ached, but nothing was broken. His Bio-engineered durability had ensured that. But something felt… wrong.

Wei Long frowned. His body wasn't healing as quickly as it should.

The lion smirked, its golden eyes gleaming. "You feel it now, don't you?"

Wei Long's frown deepened. He flexed his fingers, feeling the slow crawl of his regenerative ability. Why wasn't it working?

"I see you're confused." The lion's deep voice was laced with amusement. "My ability isn't just brute strength. My territory enhances my power. Here, I reign supreme. Any creature that fights me here fights at a disadvantage."

Wei Long's pupils shrank.

So that was it. The reason why this lion had been so dominant in the sanctuary.

It wasn't just strength—it was the land itself.

The lion's influence twisted the environment, making it harder for intruders to regenerate, sapping their vitality while boosting its own.

A slow chuckle rumbled from Wei Long's throat. "Interesting. So you've been winning fights by cheating."

The lion's brow twitched. "It's not cheating. Its power. If you think you can defeat me, then do it. But your body is already faltering, isn't it? Plus, who is talking about cheating when you sneak attacked me!"

Wei Long rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "That just means I need to finish this quickly."

With a flicker of movement, Wei Long pounced, but the lion anticipated it.

The two clashed again, their strikes shaking the air, creating powerful gusts that whipped through the trees.

Wei Long slashed, but the lion evaded. The lion lunged, but Wei Long twisted away.

Their movements blurred together, neither gaining the upper hand, yet both refusing to fall.

However, Wei Long felt it—the creeping fatigue.

Without his rapid healing, the damage was accumulating. Small wounds, normally insignificant, were adding up. His muscles burned from exertion.

The lion noticed. "You're slowing down."

Wei Long bared his teeth. "You talk too much."

He feinted left, then spun right, lashing out with his tail.

The lion dodged again, but this time, Wei Long had anticipated its movement. He drove his claws into the lion's flank, sinking them deep.

The lion roared, its powerful body twisting in an attempt to shake him off, but Wei Long held firm, driving his fangs toward its throat.

But before he could land the final bite, the lion's body tensed.

A blinding golden aura erupted from it, forcing Wei Long to release his grip and leap away.

The lion turned, panting, but still standing tall.

"You really think I would let you devour me so easily?" the lion growled.

Wei Long clicked his tongue. "Tch. That would've been too easy."

The two predators faced each other, both battered, both bruised, but neither willing to back down.

Then, suddenly, Wei Long disappeared.