Sneak Attack

The morning sun shone into the depths of the forest, bathing Li Tianlan in its light. Faint arcs of lightning flickered around his body.

Li Tianlan suddenly opened his eyes, and they seemed ready to shoot out a bolt of lightning. His body moved. "Lightning Flash!"

Li Tianlan's figure flickered, waves of lightning radiating from his body.

The lightning flashed, and Li Tianlan was already twenty meters away. Seeing that his position had changed, his face was immediately filled with surprise and excitement.

In the Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Yan watched Li Tianlan master the first level of Three Thousand Lightning Movement in just one night, his eyes full of shock. Back when he had cultivated Lightning Flash himself, it had taken far, far longer than it had taken Li Tianlan.

"Tianlan, now that you've mastered the first level of Lightning Flash, at least you won't die when you go to Sunset Forest."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Li Tianlan nearly stumbled and fell. "Teacher, isn't that a bit harsh?"

Xiao Yan said indifferently, "What's wrong? I'm telling the truth. Besides, you didn't have much room to survive before this anyway."

Li Tianlan was rendered even more speechless. He stopped arguing with Xiao Yan and briefly sensed the changes within his body, as well as the cultivation method of Three Thousand Lightning Movement. Through his insights over the night, even Li Tianlan himself could sense just how profound this technique was.

Yet what surprised both Li Tianlan and Xiao Yan was that this technique had originally belonged to the Dou Qi Continent. Why was it so easy to cultivate here?

Before Xiao Yan had given Li Tianlan this technique, he had already mentally prepared himself for the possibility that it could not be cultivated.

Logically speaking, techniques from two different worlds should not have been compatible. Perhaps Li Tianlan was simply special.

"Teacher, let's set out. We're going to Sunset Forest," Li Tianlan said firmly.

Xiao Yan looked at Li Tianlan. This boy was clearly only six years old, yet why did he seem as mature and steady as an adult?

Nuoding City was quite far from Sunset Forest. Even by carriage, the journey would take several days.

However, Xiao Yan had insisted that Li Tianlan not hire a carriage and instead walk there. On foot, it would take about a week, which was quite troublesome.

But Xiao Yan told Li Tianlan that this was also a form of cultivation. It was simply something Li Tianlan did not understand yet.

Five days later, a youth completely covered in a black robe appeared before Sunset Forest.

"Teacher, you're going to torment me to death! What kind of teacher trains his student like this? I've been using Lightning Flash to travel nonstop, draining my Soul Power again and again. I feel like I'm done for, Teacher!"

"What's so bad about that? The hardships I endured when I cultivated were far worse than yours, all right? You're blessed and don't even know it."

Xiao Yan was telling the truth. His cultivation environment back then had been exceptionally harsh. Those experiences were unforgettable for the rest of his life...

Li Tianlan entered Sunset Forest. The scenery was still indistinct in the thick mist, and only the dew on nearby branches and leaves could be seen, trembling as though about to fall.

Farther away, there were only hazy silhouettes, muddled together in an indistinct blur. Even the sky overhead seemed veiled by a thin layer of gauze. The morning light was faint, and all was silent, as though time itself had stopped here.

Spirit Beasts occasionally appeared in the forest, but despite seeing them, six-year-old Li Tianlan was not afraid.

In his eyes, he had waited too long to obtain his first spirit ring. He believed this would be a wonderful beginning.

Lost in his thoughts, Li Tianlan walked deeper into Sunset Forest, breathing in the scent unique to the woods. It made him feel very comfortable.

But this was Sunset Forest. It would not give anyone the chance to slack off.

Xiao Yan suddenly shouted from within the Sea of Consciousness, "Tianlan! Dodge!"

Li Tianlan immediately snapped awake and instinctively used Lightning Flash. Something swept past him at incredible speed, almost brushing against his body, leaving a slash across his outer black robe.

Li Tianlan looked at the Spirit Beast not far away. It was a Ten Year Blazing Tiger, its entire body red. It continued baring its teeth, while scraps of Li Tianlan's black robe still clung to its sharp claws.

Li Tianlan's eyes were filled with terror, and his heart pounded without pause.

Xiao Yan spoke from the Sea of Consciousness. "Li Tianlan, this is why I made you travel on foot while constantly using Lightning Flash. If you hadn't been able to cast Lightning Flash instantly just now, tell me—would you still be alive even with my warning?"

Only then did Li Tianlan understand how important Xiao Yan's intentions had been.

But first, he had to deal with this Ten Year Spirit Beast before him. Li Tianlan circulated his Soul Power. "Eight Extremes Collapse!"

As Li Tianlan unleashed Eight Extremes Collapse, the strength throughout his body trembled, and the air nearby seemed to quiver in fear. His figure shot forward, meeting the Blazing Tiger's pouncing claw head-on. Then came a loud Bang!

Dust and dirt from the surrounding ground exploded into the air. When the smoke cleared, only the Blazing Tiger remained, lying on the ground and twitching continuously. Its two front claws had been reduced to powder, and it was already dead.

Li Tianlan's hands were visibly trembling, and his ten fingers were slightly red and swollen. Yet his face was full of excitement. "Teacher, the power of Eight Level Collapse is way too great! I didn't even use my full strength, yet I instantly killed this Ten Year Blazing Tiger."

As everyone knew, among Spirit Beasts, tiger-type beasts were considered a relatively powerful race. They were naturally somewhat stronger than other species, and this Ten Year Blazing Tiger was already much stronger than Spirit Beasts of the same age. Yet Li Tianlan had still killed it in an instant.

"Of course. Eight Level Collapse is no low-level combat technique. It's more than enough for your current level. By my estimate, you can use it until around the fourth ring."

Listening to Xiao Yan's words, Li Tianlan's face was filled with excitement. The swelling pain in his fingers seemed to have vanished. At that moment, waves of white light emerged from the Blazing Tiger's body on the ground, gathering in midair to form a white spirit ring that radiated the domineering aura of the tiger race.

Looking at the white spirit ring, Li Tianlan murmured, "So this is a spirit ring. This is only a Ten-Year Spirit Ring. I must get infinitely close to my own limit; a Ten-Year Spirit Ring is far from meeting my requirements."

After saying that, Li Tianlan quickly left the area to avoid attracting other powerful Spirit Beasts with the bloody scent of the Blazing Tiger. That would be troublesome.

Li Tianlan continued deeper into Sunset Forest, eager to obtain his first spirit ring.

"Teacher, what kind of spirit ring should I choose for my first spirit ring?"

Xiao Yan pondered briefly before answering, "Your first spirit ring should preferably be fire-attributed. The stronger the spirit ring, the better. The purer it is, the better."