The Spirit Rock Leopard's Terrifying Strength

In the Monster Mountain Range, before a small hill naturally formed from stone, He Qingfeng stopped.

"It's up ahead. I investigated earlier—there's only one Spirit Rock Leopard on this mountain. It's a First-order Peak Magical Beast, and there's a strong chance it will become a second-order Magical Beast within a year," He Qingfeng said.

"Good. Then I'll go test myself against this Spirit Rock Leopard," Liu Yun said confidently.

"Young Clan Leader, you must be careful. The Spirit Rock Leopard is nothing like the Union Ape. Its combat strength is extremely terrifying, so you must not let your guard down.

"The Spirit Rock Leopard's greatest danger lies in its skill at camouflage. Its fur is almost identical in color to stone, and it will usually disguise itself as a rock before launching a fatal strike when its target is unprepared.

"Remember, if you find yourself outmatched, shout for me immediately. I'll arrive at once," He Qingfeng said solemnly.

"Mm, I'll remember!"

Liu Yun answered, then drew his longsword and held it in his hand as he carefully moved forward.

One step, then another. Liu Yun walked increasingly slowly. With every step forward, he compared the rocks around him with one another.

He remained this cautious until dusk was nearly upon him, yet he still found no trace of the Spirit Rock Leopard.

That thing is really good at hiding! Liu Yun cursed inwardly. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, partly because the forest was too hot and partly because he had remained intensely focused for so long.

Liu Yun knew it was time to retreat. Otherwise, once night fell, his vision would certainly be affected. If the Spirit Rock Leopard launched a sudden ambush then, he would be in serious trouble.

However, just as he was about to withdraw, a rock ahead of him seemed to tremble slightly. Liu Yun, who had been preparing to leave, abruptly halted.

After comparing it again, he was shocked to discover that this rock was exactly the same as the others. There was not the slightest difference.

Liu Yun was confident that he had not seen wrongly. Nor had it been an illusion.

So, this Spirit Rock Leopard could really disguise itself to look exactly like a rock. That was simply heaven-defying!

Liu Yun was grateful that night had not yet fallen, because the Spirit Rock Leopard was right on his path.

If he had continued with his previous method, he would never have discovered it. By the time he walked up to it, he would have been met with its suddenly attacking fangs.

But now that he had discovered it, Liu Yun had no intention of retreating. The reason the Spirit Rock Leopard had moved just now was likely because it had sensed that he was about to leave and reacted instinctively.

Liu Yun regarded the Spirit Rock Leopard as a target he had to kill, but in the Spirit Rock Leopard's eyes, was he not prey as well?

Feline creatures were strange. Once you ran, they would definitely chase with all their strength. Rather than that, it was better to catch it off guard.

You think you're hidden while I'm exposed, but actually, we're both out in the open. Since you're lying there without moving, I'll unleash my big move. Thanks!

Light flowed along the longsword in his hand. Liu Yun was still using the same move—he only knew one Dou Technique, the Wind Spirit Fractal Sword. That left him in a very passive position.

It was not that he did not practice Dou Techniques. It was simply that learning Mysterious-tier Fighting Skills took too much time, while he had no interest in Yellow Tier Fighting Skills. Thus, he had ended up in this awkward situation.

Looks like I'll have to find time to get closer to Nalan Yanran! Liu Yun thought.

That thought lasted only an instant before he realized something was wrong. He was in the middle of battle—how could he let himself be distracted?

Liu Yun hurriedly steadied his mind. What came next would be a bitter battle, and he absolutely could not afford to lose focus.

A cyan sword shadow appeared once more. It rose into the air before tearing through the void and descending toward where the Spirit Rock Leopard lay concealed.

Although his Dou Qi, compressed a hundredfold, was extremely abundant, Liu Yun's true cultivation was only at the Tenth Stage Dou Qi. This Mysterious Tier Mid-grade Dou Technique instantly drained thirty percent of his Dou Qi.

At the critical moment, the Spirit Rock Leopard actually reacted in time. It sprang aside at incredible speed. Liu Yun only saw a blur leap away, evading most of his attack.

But even after taking only half the damage, the Spirit Rock Leopard did not fare well. When the dust settled, its entire body was covered in blood as it bared its fangs at Liu Yun.

The Spirit Rock Leopard had been thoroughly enraged. Like a phantom, it pounced in a flash and arrived before Liu Yun, opening its sharp fangs to bite him.

Liu Yun was greatly alarmed. He swung his sword toward the Spirit Rock Leopard's gaping jaws, but its claws easily caught the blade.

As its jaws were about to clamp down on his face, Liu Yun roared and clenched his left hand into a fist, smashing it into the Spirit Rock Leopard's mouth.

In that instant, Liu Yun heard a crack, as if bone had broken. His fist directly shattered the Spirit Rock Leopard's upper jawbone, but in exchange, its teeth gouged several deep bloody gashes into his arm. Blood poured out, and the pain made him grit his teeth.

At that moment, he had no time to care about that, because the Spirit Rock Leopard had gone completely mad!

Despite its injured mouth, it pounced again. Its sharp claws were like life-reaping sickles, making Liu Yun feel the breath of death.

He could clearly see the Spirit Rock Leopard's sharp claws, its pointed fangs that seemed capable of crushing rock, and the blood spurting from its nostrils.

So this is actual combat? A battle where I could lose my life at any moment, where I squeeze out my potential and train my ability to react through real combat. Such thoughts flashed through Liu Yun's mind.

At that moment, he seemed to understand the purpose of the system's mission. It was to prevent him from becoming someone who blindly pursued cultivation but could not fight—a mere ornament. After all, cultivation did not represent combat strength, nor did talent represent true power.

With his mind clear, Liu Yun faced the Spirit Rock Leopard's desperate attack in a different way. He switched his sword to his left hand, raised one leg to brace against the Spirit Rock Leopard's abdomen, and used his right hand to meet the claw swinging toward him. Then, gripping the sword in his left hand, he drove it into the Spirit Rock Leopard's throat.

Liu Yun was sent flying by the Spirit Rock Leopard's terrifying impact. He fell into a seated position on the ground, breathing heavily. His body, comparable to that of a Dou Master, was covered in wounds. His left hand bore the deep gashes from the Spirit Rock Leopard's teeth, while his right hand had nearly been stripped to the bone by that claw. His condition was utterly miserable.

Liu Yun had no doubt that this Spirit Rock Leopard already possessed the strength of a Dou Master, at least initially.

Compared with Liu Yun, the Spirit Rock Leopard was in even worse condition. It kept covering its mouth with its front paws, its body unable to stand steadily. It panted violently through its nostrils, but all it breathed out was blood.

It had to be said that, as a First-order Peak Magical Beast, the Spirit Rock Leopard not only possessed formidable combat strength but also astonishing vitality. After suffering such a fatal wound, it struggled for more than ten minutes before gradually losing all signs of life.

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing a First-order Peak Magical Beast: Spirit Rock Leopard. Current mission progress: (1/10)

Listening to the mechanical voice in his mind, Liu Yun let out a long breath of relief, then searched his Ring for Healing Medicine.

Once the battle ended, He Qingfeng hurried over. Seeing the Spirit Rock Leopard's corpse nearby, he was completely bewildered. Just what kind of monster was he protecting?

"Elder He, hurry and help me apply the medicine. I feel like I'm about to die," Liu Yun howled.

He Qingfeng came back to his senses. Hearing Liu Yun's cries, he could not help but laugh bitterly. The boy's injuries were indeed serious, but they were nowhere near life-threatening.

Shaking his head, he took out his treasured high-grade Healing Medicine and gently applied it to Liu Yun's wounds.

"These are all flesh wounds. None of your bones are broken. You'll probably need two days of rest before you recover," He Qingfeng concluded.

"Oh, that's good. That First-order Peak Magical Beast was too powerful. I nearly got myself killed this time," Liu Yun said with a sigh.

"That's because you lack experience fighting Magical Beasts. Things may become easier from here on. This Spirit Rock Leopard was comparable to half a second-order Magical Beast. Even in the Monster Mountain Range, it is rare to find such a powerful Tier 1 Magical Beast," He Qingfeng said.

The Spirit Rock Leopard had been extremely vigilant. When He Qingfeng had come to investigate before, it had hidden itself, so he had failed to gauge its strength and made this misjudgment. Otherwise, he never would have chosen it as Liu Yun's first target.

Pulling the sword from the Spirit Rock Leopard's throat, He Qingfeng was delighted to discover that it had produced a Magical Core. It was truly an unexpected gain. Together with the Spirit Rock Leopard's undamaged hide, it could definitely be made into a very valuable inner armor.