Translator: AnubisTL
West of the Black Wind Domain, in a mountain hollow overgrown with strange mushroom trees, chaotic sounds echoed incessantly.
A One-Eyed Giant Deer, radiating overwhelming ferocity, was devouring the mushroom trees one by one.
Snort! Snort!
Periodically, it let out thunderous snorts that violently shook the densely packed mushroom trees, scattering waves of spores in all directions.
Within a hundred-mile radius of this peculiar Mushroom Forest, not a single living strange beast could be found.
Clearly, the One-Eyed Giant Deer was too powerful; all the creatures in the vicinity had perished beneath its merciless iron hooves.
Suddenly, an equally savage roar erupted from the east!
Aow-hoo!
As the sound reverberated across the distance, the One-Eyed Giant Deer slowly raised its head. Its single eye, bloodshot and brimming with primal rage and madness, glared toward the source of the challenge.
The roar was answered by a piercing screech:
Hiss-howl!
From the east, a Variegated Giant Tiger of similar colossal size charged forward. On its back rode a tall, upright youth and a beautiful woman with cat ears.
"We've found it."
Having finished his meditation, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the One-Eyed Giant Deer concealed within the black Mushroom Forest.
It was unmistakably the same One-Eyed Giant Deer that had once chased him into utter disarray. Li Qing recognized it instantly.
"Master... shouldn't we avoid this fight? Do we really need to hunt this third-tier exotic beast?" Lin Jing's hands trembled slightly, cold sweat beading on her furry palms.
The One-Eyed Giant Deer, slowly emerging from the Mushroom Forest, exuded an overwhelming aura. Each earth-shaking step it took sent tremors through the ground.
Thump! Thump!
Yet Li Qing remained utterly calm. He rose to his feet, his gaze leisurely fixed on the One-Eyed Giant Deer charging toward them.
To Li Qing's senses, the deer's aura was now far more formidable than before.
Clearly, it hadn't stagnated over the years; its strength had also advanced rapidly.
From a second-tier strange beast to a third-tier exotic beast!
But Li Qing and Fan Tong were no longer the same either. The young cultivator who had once been at the qi refining realm had now transformed into a being worthy of being revered as an ancestor.
"Xiao Jing, stay here. Fan Tong and I will go deal with this Giant Deer."
With that, Li Qing soared into the air, his figure resembling a great roc soaring through the sky—swift and deadly.
Boom!
Fan Tong followed closely behind. As a powerful late second-tier demon beast, its speed was naturally formidable.
"Aooo!"
Li Qing didn't immediately resort to his immortal dao techniques. He intended to use the One-Eyed Giant Deer to test his recent progress in body arts.
Brahma King True Body!
Rip!
In an instant, Li Qing's body swelled, tearing through his clothes to reveal a treasure armor that covered his entire body, radiating a brilliant silver light.
The innate true qi in his dantian surged forth like sharp swords, extending from his fingertips to strike the One-Eyed Giant Deer's massive frame.
"Roar!"
The One-Eyed Giant Deer roared in fury, charging at Li Qing with its menacing antlers.
Bang!
Li Qing dodged the attack with a swift movement, narrowly avoiding the strike before landing on the deer's back. He clamped his hands around the Giant Deer's massive antlers, restraining the beast.
"Fan Tong, now!"
Fan Tong responded instantly, leaping forward with a thunderous roar. Its colossal form blotted out the sky as it descended upon the restrained One-Eyed Giant Deer below.
In the next instant, the One-Eyed Giant Deer braced itself and, with a thunderous kick, sent Fan Tong, who was plummeting from above, flying backward.
"Damn it!" Li Qing cursed inwardly, never expecting this frenzied beast to possess such primal combat instincts.
He had only restrained its most threatening weapon—the antlers—completely overlooking its ability to rear up and kick with its hooves.
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed through the air as Fan Tong, caught in its descent, was sent hurtling backward by the force of the kick, clearly disoriented.
As a third-tier exotic beast, comparable to a core formation realm cultivator, it was never going to be subdued so easily.
After dealing with Fan Tong, the One-Eyed Giant Deer immediately began thrashing its head violently, attempting to break free from Li Qing's grip.
Clinging tightly to the antlers, Li Qing felt an overwhelming force surge through his palms. Even with his current mastery of body arts, he struggled to contain the Giant Deer's desperate struggle.
"Looks like my body arts cultivation isn't yet strong enough to match the One-Eyed Giant Deer's raw strength," Li Qing sighed, though he remained undeterred.
His primary focus was mana cultivation; body arts were merely a supplementary discipline. It was only natural that he couldn't immediately match the Giant Deer's physical prowess.
Li Qing immediately released the deer's antlers and retreated several steps. He then covered his fists with gilded battle armor and unleashed a flurry of punches on the Giant Deer below.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A dense rain of fists hammered down on the Giant Deer's back, each strike infused with his newly cultivated innate true qi.
The innate true qi did inflict some damage, at least causing the One-Eyed Giant Deer considerable pain.
However, Li Qing's expression was equally remarkable. The relentless barrage of punches had sent jolting feedback through his fists, causing him considerable pain.
Had it not been for the protection of the gilded battle armor, his injuries would likely have been far more severe.
"So tough..."
Realizing this, Li Qing abandoned testing his body arts. He now had a clear understanding of his limitations.
While his fleshly body was formidable, it was still insufficient to kill third-tier exotic beasts, and even breaking their defenses remained a significant challenge.
Li Qing soared into the air, his gaze sharpening as he slowly opened his mouth.
A hazy, primordial light erupted forth, coalescing into a massive war hammer.
Boom!
Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer!
Li Qing's natal magic treasure roared into existence, the air cracking with explosive force as the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer slammed down upon the Giant Deer below.
Boom!
A deafening roar erupted as the surrounding earth seemed to sink an inch.
Beneath the hammer, the One-Eyed Giant Deer stubbornly withstood Li Qing's devastating blow.
"Tough bastard," Li Qing clicked his tongue, then channeled his natal magic treasure once more, this time unleashing the Netherworld Cold Fire!
Boom!
Blazing white flames erupted, engulfing the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer!
The hammer, now wreathed in raging white flames, whistled down again, slamming into the One-Eyed Giant Deer.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A relentless series of dull thuds reverberated through the air. Li Qing felt like he was playing whack-a-mole, only his target was the One-Eyed Giant Deer.
The earth trembled with each strike, the ground sinking further with every blow, cracks spiderwebbing across the landscape.
Before long, the One-Eyed Giant Deer was battered beyond recognition, its flesh torn and blood gushing forth in crimson streams. It was dead beyond any doubt.
Staring at the blood pooling around the corpse, Li Qing pondered for a moment, recalling the blood lotus seed he had obtained in Precious Lotus City.
"After all, it's the blood of a third-tier exotic beast. It seems a waste to just let it go."
As his words faded, Li Qing used both hands to guide the blood into several bottles and jars, which he then stored in his storage pouch.
"Awoo! Awoo!" Fan Tong approached slowly, its voice tinged with dissatisfaction. It was clearly displeased that Li Qing had abandoned it to handle the battle alone.
"Stop complaining," Li Qing said. "This Giant Deer was beyond your current capabilities. There will be plenty of opportunities later."
As he spoke, Li Qing precisely extracted a crimson crystal from the One-Eyed Giant Deer's corpse.
A third-tier crimson crystal!
This was Li Qing's first time seeing a third-tier crimson crystal. Compared to the first and second-tier crystals, this one was much larger, about the size of an adult's fist.
Its color was also darker, the Red Moon Secret Power within it far more concentrated than in lower-tier crystals.
Of course, the greater concentration of Red Moon Secret Power also meant a higher concentration of malevolent energy. A moment's carelessness could corrupt one's spiritual intelligence.
Even Li Qing, with his cultivation level, felt a pang of unease.
Nearby, Fan Tong stared at the crimson crystal in Li Qing's hand with intense longing.
It was currently stuck at the late second-tier bottleneck, unable to break through to the third-tier barrier.
Sensing Fan Tong's gaze, Li Qing naturally understood its meaning.
"Resisting the corrosive effects of this malevolent energy on one's mind is no easy task," Li Qing said, his expression grave.
"Awooo!" Fan Tong's howl rang out with unwavering determination.
"Let's wait for now. We'll discuss it later. You're still injured, and recklessly undergoing metamorphosis with a third-tier crimson crystal in this state would be unwise," Li Qing said, shaking his head.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with the crimson crystal. For him, Fan Tong's growth in strength was paramount.
However, the malevolent energy contained within this third-tier crimson crystal far exceeded Li Qing's expectations. He didn't want Fan Tong to begin its metamorphosis in such a vulnerable state.
At the very least, they should wait until they returned to the Great Wilderness Domain and Fan Tong's injuries had healed.
Hearing this, Fan Tong finally stopped staring at the crimson crystal in Li Qing's hand and began tearing into the carcass of the One-Eyed Giant Deer.
Li Qing didn't stop it. The most valuable part of the One-Eyed Giant Deer was its antlers—materials from a third-tier exotic beast that could be used to refine magic treasures.
Of course, the malevolent energy within them was exceptionally dense. Refining them into a magic treasure would require a tremendous amount of effort just to purge the demonic energy.
"Master! You're truly amazing!"
"You defeated such a powerful exotic beast! Is there anyone in the world who could possibly be your match?"
Lin Jing hurried over, her eyes shining with admiration as she gazed at Li Qing.
In her eyes, it seemed there was no challenge her master couldn't overcome.
"Enough nonsense," Li Qing retorted, his tone gruff. "This master wouldn't dare claim invincibility. If I were truly that powerful, I would have already avenged your two senior brothers in the south."
Even now, having reached the core formation realm, he wouldn't underestimate that eerie demonic willow.
Hearing this, Lin Jing's spirits dimmed slightly.
The four disciples, raised together in the same lineage, had shared countless experiences and relied on each other for years. Losing two senior brothers had been a heavy blow to her.
Seeing her downcast expression, Li Qing shook his head and said, "Alright, there are other strange beasts to hunt. This master will take you along to see them."
As he spoke, he waited for Fan Tong to finish most of the One-Eyed Giant Deer. Then, Li Qing stored the entire skeleton in his storage pouch and retrieved the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat.
With Fan Tong injured, riding him for travel was no longer appropriate.
As they boarded the spirit boat and soared into the sky, Lin Jing's lingering gloom vanished instantly. Her eyes widened as she took in the world around them.
"We're flying! I'm flying too!"
"So this is what it feels like to fly! I always wanted to catch a flying strange beast and ride it, but those winged creatures are too cunning—I never had a chance to hunt one down!"
Lin Jing spread her arms wide in the air, even leaping onto the prow of the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat, her face alight with excitement.
"Hahaha, Master, this is absolutely incredible!"
As the wind roared past her ears and her hair whipped wildly, Lin Jing felt as if she were living in a dream.
Inside the spirit boat, Li Qing, now with significantly enhanced cultivation, effortlessly controlled the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat.
The spirit boat streaked across the night sky like a spiritual light, hurtling toward other regions of the Black Wind Domain, carrying the pair in search of more third-tier exotic beasts.
Finally, in a secluded Cold Pond, Li Qing's extraordinary spiritual sense detected a yin serpent lurking beneath the icy waters.
That day, the Cold Pond region of the far north erupted in continuous turmoil.
The commotion lasted for hours, sending icy water splashing across the land.
When the chaos subsided, Li Qing stored a massive black serpent into his storage bag.
Another third-tier exotic beast had fallen by his hand!
(End of the Chapter)
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