Extraordinary Creature

"Bang!"

Inside the abandoned zoo, an explosion rang out. In the darkness, a figure seemed to suffer a terrifying attack, flying backward and crushing weeds and bushes along the way before slamming hard against a thick, moss-covered concrete wall.

The powerful impact caused the wall to crack.

"Gah!"

Qin Qing spat out a mouthful of blood, her entire body instantly wilting. Her pair of green, vertical pupils were now bloodshot.

"Waaah!"

The eerie baby's cry sounded again, echoing in the darkness, shifting unpredictably. Sometimes it was far away, sometimes it was right beside them, and sometimes it came from behind, sending chills down their spines.

Qin Qing's vertical pupils darted rapidly, trying to pinpoint the location of the ferocious creature in the darkness, but each attempt failed. She could only catch fleeting glimpses of a strange, humanoid figure in her peripheral vision.

"In front? To the right? No, that's wrong, it's to the left."

Suddenly.

The strange humanoid figure in the darkness lunged out, attacking again with incredible speed. Even though Qin Qing had locked onto it, she could only see afterimages in her eyes.

This was due to its movement being too fast for her vision to accurately capture.

A figure that even her evolved vertical pupils couldn't track clearly indicated that the ferocious creature's strength far surpassed Qin Qing's current level. If she were to let her guard down for even a moment, she would perish instantly.

"You're asking for death."

Suddenly, Yang Yilong's furious roar echoed. White light erupted around him, dispelling the darkness. He burst out from another direction, attempting to intercept the ferocious creature before it could attack Qin Qing.

The strange humanoid figure seemed to sense danger. It abandoned the opportunity to finish off Qin Qing, paused mid-air in an unbelievable manner, then abruptly changed course and quickly disappeared, melting back into the surrounding darkness.

"Waa~!"

The baby-like crying sounded again, still echoing around them.

Yang Yilong stopped in front of Qin Qing. Looking at the hidden ferocious creature, his expression was filled with anger. His current state was extraordinary; his hair and clothes seemed to be affected by static electricity, floating gently. His eyes emitted a white light, and a terrifying aura coiled around his right arm.

Nearby fallen leaves and weeds were instantly ground into dust upon approaching it.

Beneath the swirling dust, the outline of an invisible long sword vaguely appeared on his arm.

"Compared to last time, this thing has gotten stronger again. Its growth rate has surpassed our cultivation speed, and it's become more cunning. It knows it can't beat you, so it's been targeting me, wanting to eliminate me first before wearing you down," Qin Qing said, coughing weakly twice as she stood up again.

Although she could still move, she had lost her combat ability. Self-preservation was a struggle.

"Yang Yilong, let's retreat. The energy within your body is being consumed at an alarming rate. That 'sword' won't last long. Once its power wanes, we'll both die here," Qin Qing said, looking at Yang Yilong's right hand.

In her sight.

The energy in Yang Yilong's right hand converged and condensed in a special trajectory. This energy was invisible to the naked eye, but to her vision, it was incredibly brilliant. The condensed energy resembled a sharp, precious sword, capable of tearing apart anything in reality.

"If I were weaker than that thing, I could accept defeat. But now I have the strength to kill it. If I still have to run away, it means I, Yang Yilong, am just a waste of resources. I'm sorry, Qin Qing, for dragging you into this. I originally planned to hunt that thing down and give you half as thanks for saving my life last time. I didn't expect things to turn out this way."

Qin Qing replied, "It's not your fault. After suffering a slight loss last time, that thing changed significantly. And its growth this time has completely compensated for its previous shortcomings. Before, I could still hold my own with my agile movements, excellent dynamic vision, and reaction speed. But this time, it's completely crushed me."

"I can see that. This thing has extremely high intelligence and a strong ability to learn. If we don't kill it this time, we'll have no chance at all next time," Yang Yilong said with resolute eyes. "So, Qin Qing, no matter what, let's give it one more shot."

"If we truly lose, I'll die here with you."

Sensing Yang Yilong's determination, Qin Qing stopped trying to persuade him. "Since you're prepared to fight to the death, there's nothing more to say. Let's hunt it down and go back together."

"Alright," Yang Yilong nodded slightly.

"Go."

Qin Qing moved again, her body darting forward at extreme speed. She seemed to be flying close to the ground. Her green vertical pupils constantly scanned, now locking onto the eerie, infant-like cry in the distance.

Yang Yilong also moved abruptly. He and Qin Qing surrounded the target from the left and right.

The infant-like crying echoed again.

The humanoid ferocious creature sensed their killing intent and the danger. It chose not to engage in a head-on confrontation but instead fled rapidly, giving Yang Yilong and Qin Qing no opportunity. Moreover, it deliberately maintained a distance while escaping, a distance that was insufficient for them to catch up but allowed it to turn back and counter-attack in time.

Clearly, this humanoid ferocious creature had no intention of letting Yang Yilong and Qin Qing go and wanted to eliminate these two evil Earth Prisoners here.

Perhaps, in the creature's view, Yang Yilong's growth rate was also too fast. It had the chance to kill him last time, but after a while, the creature itself was almost killed. If it couldn't kill Yang Yilong today and let him continue to grow, it would be in danger itself.

Each holding the conviction that they must kill the other, this battle continued, not yet over.

"It's not an illusion. My eyes can already track that thing. Is it deliberately slowing down to lure me into a trap for a counter-attack? Or has its speed actually decreased?"

Qin Qing and Yang Yilong had been working together to surround it for a while without any success. However, at this moment, she noticed that the creature's movements had become slower.

"No, it's not deliberately slowing down. Like us, its strength is starting to wane, which is why my vision can capture it. This is an opportunity. Being locked onto by my vertical pupils means I have a chance to hunt it."

Qin Qing then glanced at Yang Yilong.

Yang Yilong was panting. The brilliant light on his right hand had dimmed considerably and was about to extinguish, yet he was still trying his best to maintain it. Because once this 'sword' extinguished, they wouldn't be able to condense it again today, and they might truly be counter-killed by the ferocious creature.

"Is there still a chance to attack?" Yang Yilong seemed to have noticed Qin Qing's gaze and looked over.

Their eyes met, and they seemed to understand each other's thoughts.

Qin Qing nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Yang Yilong's gaze showed a hint of hesitation, but it quickly turned firm.

The next moment.

Qin Qing's speed suddenly increased, her remaining stamina within her body being frantically consumed.

She had to squeeze out her last bit of strength to create an opening for Yang Yilong to attack.

In the darkness, Qin Qing's figure suddenly streaked by like a white rainbow. In the blink of an eye, she had caught up to the monstrous creature's figure, even overtaking it.

"Wah~!"

A startled cry rang out.

This humanoid monster seemed unprepared for this turn of events. It had been controlling the distance, and when its stamina weakened, its opportunity was seized.

However, upon seeing that it was Qin Qing who had made the move, the humanoid monster instead let out a roar. It immediately extended a furry, humanoid arm. Strangely, this arm was not a human hand but a beast's hoof.

The hoof glowed, forming a circular mark. Even without activating her Spirit Medium abilities, one could see this glowing mark with the naked eye.

"Qin Qing, fall back." Yang Yilong's premonition of danger made him roar.

But it was too late.

Battles at this speed were over in the blink of an eye.

Qin Qing's figure and the humanoid monster's figure briefly overlapped. But then, the two figures quickly separated. Afterward, Qin Qing's figure flew backward like a kite with a broken string, blood scattering in mid-air. A strong smell of blood instantly filled the air.

The humanoid monster's figure only paused for a moment, retreating a few steps, and was not critically injured.

But Qin Qing's desperate attack was not meant to kill; it was only to intercept it and create an opportunity for Yang Yilong to strike.

"Die!"

Yang Yilong's eyes lit up. He attacked like a divine being, a sword-shaped outline appearing on his right arm. He slashed towards the humanoid monster at an extremely fast speed.

Sensing the danger of death.

The monster let out a sharp cry like an infant's and turned its head.

But it was too late.

The surroundings suddenly brightened, and an invisible sword had already sliced through its body.

And in the brief illumination, the monster's appearance was truly revealed.

It was a monster with a human body but the head of a goat. Its appearance was close to the demons in Western legends, but with some differences. The monster had ferocious fangs in its mouth, bloodthirsty and cruel.

Clearly, this was an unknown Extraordinary Creature.

However, at this moment.

This Extraordinary Creature was cut in half at the waist, blood gushing from the severed point, splattering everywhere.

Yet, even after being cut, the monster was not dead. It was still alive. Its human-like arms, ending in hooves, exerted force, supporting its upper body as it lunged towards Yang Yilong.

However, such a counterattack was futile.

Yang Yilong's anger had not subsided. He immediately raised his right arm and swung it down.

The monster's head was instantly split in two.

Under such a fatal attack, the Extraordinary Creature's life began to rapidly fade. But even as it was dying, the severed head twitched on the ground, emitting faint whimpering sounds.

"Qin Qing, how are you?"

Yang Yilong ignored the struggling monster in its death throes and rushed to his teammate's side.

"I... I'm not going to die. I can't feel my lower body." Qin Qing lay limply on the ground in an awkward position.

Yang Yilong quickly checked Qin Qing's injuries and couldn't help but his expression change slightly.

Qin Qing's back was a bloody mess. Nearly half of her body had been taken by the monster's hooves, and her spine was mangled. If not for the resilience of cultivators, such an injury would have been fatal.

"Several vertebrae are shattered. The injury is quite severe, but thankfully her internal organs are fine. It's okay, as long as we get back safely, she can be healed. It'll just cost more money. Don't worry, I'll heal you." Yang Yilong's mind rapidly went through various medical plans, and he then breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Cultivators were evolving, and the world's medical system was also constantly changing.

"That's good. We can't stay here now. The smell of blood will attract other monsters. Let's get out of here quickly." Qin Qing's face was pale, but she remained rational.

"Okay."

Yang Yilong nodded. He no longer had the strength to hunt other monsters. They had to withdraw from here immediately. Otherwise, if they encountered any more dangers, neither of them would be able to leave the danger zone alive.

He quickly hoisted Qin Qing onto his back, preparing to pack up the corpse and leave.

But at this moment.

Within the darkened abandoned zoo, the roars and growls of various fierce beasts echoed.

"No, that monster's cries are transmitting some kind of message to the surrounding beasts." Qin Qing realized, seeing the goat-headed, human-bodied monster still whimpering, and felt a sense of dread.

"I see it too."

Yang Yilong understood. He immediately delivered a final blow, silencing the monster's cries. Then, he packed the corpse and quickly retreated.