Looking at the small beast about thirty zhang away, Han Li took a deep breath, and his slightly erratic breathing instantly steadied.
Yet he dared not take his eyes off the creature for even a moment.
This beast, resembling a leopard but shrunk several times to the size of a cat, moved with terrifying speed.
Even with his Misty Steps technique, Han Li was still slightly slower than it.
The result of their earlier battle was his green robe being shredded, revealing a dull gray armor and his faintly golden bare skin.
Not only was the beast astonishingly fast, but its four claws were also unbelievably sharp.
Aside from the deep and shallow claw marks on his armor, even his formidable body, tempered to its current state, was scratched with faint blood trails when struck by its claws.
Fortunately, under the nourishment of the Corpse Pearl and Dragon Scale Fruit, every muscle in Han Li’s body was as tough as ordinary magic treasures, and his recovery ability was astonishing. Within moments, these superficial wounds had already healed.
Even so, Han Li was greatly frustrated.
When he first encountered this unknown small leopard-like beast, it had been peacefully sleeping on a nearby tree branch, appearing completely harmless.
At the time, Han Li had been inexplicably overcome by a childish impulse and had leaped onto the branch, reaching out to pet the creature.
But to his utter shock, the moment it was startled awake, the beast became terrifyingly fierce in its rage.
Its leaps and flashes made it seem as if a dozen small leopards were attacking him simultaneously.
With his spiritual sense unable to extend outside his body, Han Li, despite having sharp eyes, was at a severe disadvantage without being able to channel his magic power.
In an instant, he was forced into retreat, his body covered in wounds.
Left with no choice, Han Li pushed his Misty Steps to the limit while channeling his immense strength into his arms, swinging his spear-like spiritual tool into a blur of black light.
The howling wind from the spear’s movements finally made the beast hesitate slightly, easing its assault.
However, even with Han Li’s extraordinary strength, such furious exertion couldn’t last indefinitely.
The moment his spear slowed even slightly, the small leopard’s claws slipped through the spear’s defense, grazing his throat.
Naturally startled, Han Li instinctively reacted by swinging his spear three times faster than before, the shaft narrowly brushing past one of the beast’s limbs.
The small beast, equally shocked, leaped back several zhang, its emerald-green eyes glaring at Han Li with extreme wariness.
Thus, the two reached a stalemate, leading to their current standoff.
Han Li suspected that the beast was just as frustrated as he was, having encountered such an indestructible, monstrously strong opponent.
Now, with his spear held horizontally before him, Han Li took the opportunity to narrow his eyes and carefully examine the small beast.
After a while, he sighed softly.
Aside from its unusually small size, it looked exactly like an ordinary leopard, with no discernible abnormalities. He had combed through all the intelligence he had gathered in Sunset City, yet none mentioned any ancient beast of such appearance being particularly formidable.
As for demon beasts, that was even less likely.
This small creature, like him, relied purely on physical prowess, showing no signs of demonic energy.
Perhaps it was a mutated beast?
After much deliberation, Han Li could only conclude—though he barely believed it himself.
The small beast, having endured the prolonged standoff, finally lost patience. A flash of ferocity crossed its eyes as it crouched slightly, preparing to attack again.
Han Li tensed, tightening his grip on the spear and assuming a defensive stance.
At the same time, a white light flashed in his other hand, revealing a spirit beast pouch.
Inside were tens of thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles.
Han Li had made up his mind—the moment the beast charged, he would use the spirit ring to open the pouch.
Though he currently had no magic power to command the insects, their instinct to devour everything would naturally deal with the beast. The only trouble would be recollecting them afterward, a tedious task without his spiritual sense.
But right now, Han Li had no choice.
The small beast let out a low growl, and in a flicker, it split into two, then four…
In an instant, over thirty identical beasts appeared on the opposite tree branch, baring their fangs as they prepared to pounce.
Han Li was stunned—this beast hadn’t even been fighting seriously earlier. He immediately brought the spirit beast pouch to the front, ready to toss it.
At this critical moment, a strange cry echoed from the distance, resembling a crow’s call but far more piercing.
Hearing it, the dozens of small beasts froze, their illusions vanishing instantly, leaving only the original creature.
It gave Han Li one last deep look before twisting around and darting into the dense forest, disappearing without a trace.
Han Li exhaled in relief and stowed the spirit beast pouch.
Though he didn’t understand what had happened, he had no intention of chasing after the beast. Instead, he needed to find a place immediately to meditate on the insight he had just gained.
That moment of extraordinary performance in battle had given him a faint glimpse of something—a possible breakthrough opportunity.
Han Li retrieved a green robe from his storage bracelet, draped it over himself, and then swiftly headed in the opposite direction.
Fearing the fleeting inspiration might vanish, he didn’t go far, only running a hundred li before finding a small valley. There, he punched a crude cave into the stone wall and settled inside to meditate.
This epiphany lasted three full days and nights.
When Han Li opened his eyes again, his expression carried a trace of disappointment.
Though he had gained some insights, they weren’t enough to break through his bottleneck.
Still, he wasn’t overly disheartened.
This attempt might have failed, but it proved that life-and-death battles could indeed aid breakthroughs. A few more such experiences, and success would come naturally.
After calming his mind and organizing his belongings, Han Li left the cave.
Standing at the entrance, he pondered for a while before concluding that the small beast was still his best opponent. A few more fights might trigger another epiphany.
Though risky, compared to regaining his magic power, it was a risk worth taking.
After some hesitation, Han Li resolved to seek out the beast once more.
He left the valley and headed in the direction where the creature had vanished.
But to his great disappointment, after scouring the surrounding hundreds of li of mountains, he found no trace of it.
Left with no choice, Han Li had to temporarily leave the area and search for another suitable target.
Over ten days later, by the shore of a vast lake, a dozen human body refiners in varied attire found themselves surrounded by a swarm of crimson snakes with rooster-like crests.
The snakes attacked in two ways—spitting blood-red poisonous mist or launching themselves like arrows.
The mist was manageable, as the humans had antidote pills, but the snakes’ physical strikes were another matter.
Though small, their impacts were incredibly forceful. Even with their spiritual tools, the humans could only knock the snakes aside, not seriously injure them.
After several rounds of defense, the humans’ arms grew heavy, their movements sluggish.
Beyond the swarm, a giant snake, far larger than the rest, lurked—the serpent king. Seeing its side gaining the upper hand, it let out a triumphant croak.
Suddenly, a thunderous rumble came from beneath the lake’s surface. Before anyone could react, countless crystalline water arrows shot out, engulfing both humans and snakes in a deadly rain.
The humans barely had time to scream before they, like the snakes, were riddled with holes, collapsing in pools of blood.
Only the giant serpent, reacting swiftly, leaped away, narrowly avoiding the barrage.
But before it could land, the ground beneath it split open, and a silver hand shot out, seizing its neck.
The snake, in panic, stretched its neck like a spring, twisting back to bite the silver hand.
A crisp *clang* later, the hand remained unharmed, while the snake’s fangs shattered, blood dripping from its mouth.
Before it could retreat, another silver hand appeared, gripping its head. With a brutal twist, the snake’s head was torn clean off, its neck spurting blood.
The headless corpse thudded to the ground as the dust settled, revealing a silver-glowing humanoid figure.
At the same time, the lake’s surface churned, and a translucent water figure, about a foot tall, emerged.
“Water Wraith! So it is you!” the silver figure boomed.
“Iron Blade, you came here seeking me, didn’t you? Where’s Crimson Annihilation? Call him out,” the water figure replied coldly.
A new voice chuckled. “No need for an invitation. I’ll show myself.”
A crimson flame flickered beside the silver figure, coalescing into a half-foot-tall fire being, wreathed in rolling flames.
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