Lu Feng noticed that Tang Yuan's body was tempered to a degree unlike that of ordinary people, and guessed that he had cultivated some body-refining technique. Though he had been struck head-on by the Ape-Lion, his injuries were not particularly severe.
"I'll find a chance to interfere with that Ape-Lion." To put Jiang Ruoyun at ease, Lu Feng took out the Netherworld Bow, nocked an arrow, and calmly watched ahead. As long as the Ape-Lion revealed an opening, Lu Feng was confident he could shoot it. That instant of delay would certainly create an opportunity for Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glanced at the wound on his chest. His expression turned serious, and the muscles across his body tightened further. He instinctively looked toward Lu Feng and Jiang Ruoyun. Upon seeing Lu Feng's fully drawn bow, a hint of refusal appeared between his brows, and he resolutely shook his head at Lu Feng.
Seeing this, Lu Feng lowered his bow and arrow and nodded knowingly to Tang Yuan, a trace more admiration in his eyes.
"Why did you put it away? Shoot it!" Jiang Ruoyun clearly had not noticed Tang Yuan, her attention wholly fixed on the Ape-Lion.
"He's strong. The strong do not permit anyone to interfere in their battle. That is respect for him," Lu Feng explained slowly. Though Tang Yuan was not especially powerful at present, he possessed the awareness and conduct of a strong man.
That man before him would one day surely become terrifyingly powerful. This was Lu Feng's first assessment of Tang Yuan.
When he saw Lu Feng put away his bow, Tang Yuan actually smiled faintly, seeming to thank him. Yet his expression soon became intensely focused again. The Ape-Lion before him had become extraordinarily terrifying in both strength and speed, leaving no room for even the slightest relaxation.
The aura around Tang Yuan began to change. Then, like a leopard, he sprang forward and arrived before the Ape-Lion in the blink of an eye. His footwork was nimble and swift, completely different from before, and his fighting style changed as well—from head-on clashes to flexible, hit-and-run movements like those of a spirit cat.
One moment he appeared before the Ape-Lion; the next, he slid beneath it. One moment he was behind it; the next, he stepped on its back and leaped up, returning to its front. The Ape-Lion was toyed with until it spun in circles.
Yet Tang Yuan did not injure it in the slightest, continually evading instead. Still, he threw the Ape-Lion's footwork into disarray.
Tang Yuan's aura changed once more, and a clear eagle cry rang from his mouth. Startled by the cry, the Ape-Lion froze for a moment, its expression turning somewhat vacant.
Even Lu Feng and Jiang Ruoyun in the distance were left somewhat dizzy by the eagle cry, their blood and qi churning.
Seizing the instant the Ape-Lion paused, Tang Yuan dashed forward. His right arm transformed once again, his fingers curling into claws, sharp as blades.
Returning the treatment in kind, Tang Yuan turned his hand into a blade and tore through the Ape-Lion's defenses, leaving three claw marks across its chest.
Compared to Tang Yuan, the Ape-Lion was far more seriously injured.
The pain jolted the Ape-Lion awake. Furiously, it raised a paw and struck at Tang Yuan's left arm, sending him flying several zhang away and stirring up a cloud of dust.
Watching this battle of violence against violence, life against life, both Lu Feng and Jiang Ruoyun felt their blood surge and their hearts pound. They greatly admired Tang Yuan's fierce spirit.
Tang Yuan climbed to his feet and looked at his left arm, which had been dislocated by the Ape-Lion's blow. Gritting his teeth, he endured the agonizing pain, braced it against the ground, and forcibly set it back into place.
"Hiss..." Jiang Ruoyun could not help drawing in a sharp breath.
Lu Feng was deeply moved as well. A man capable of being so ruthless toward himself must possess an extraordinarily steadfast heart and a will beyond that of ordinary people.
Tang Yuan charged at the Ape-Lion again. After striking it, he was sent flying once more. After this repeated many times, both man and beast were covered in all manner of wounds.
Violence against violence, head-on clashes—man and beast fought with blazing intensity. Even Lu Feng had rarely seen such a savage battle.
After another clash, the Ape-Lion let out a resentful roar, glared fiercely at Tang Yuan, then actually turned and fled into the depths of the forest.
At last, that deadlocked battle had come to an end.
Yet the outcome left them rather speechless. The Ape-Lion had been the first to admit defeat and flee. Its desire to survive had made it lose to the man before it.
"Big Brother Tang Yuan!" Jiang Ruoyun shouted excitedly after seeing the Ape-Lion flee.
Tang Yuan turned around, looking somewhat flustered. Without even tending to his wounds, he hurriedly took out a large black robe from his Storage Ring and draped it over himself.
Jiang Ruoyun assumed he was covering his wounds so as not to frighten her, and immediately joked, "Big Brother Tang Yuan, who hasn't been injured before? No need to hide it away. Hurry and treat your wounds."
Seeing this, Lu Feng took out a bottle of healing medicine and handed it to Tang Yuan.
After accepting the medicine, Tang Yuan's gaze shifted evasively. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but recalling the words he had seen earlier, he stopped and could not help looking at Jiang Ruoyun. "Did you leave those words? What happened to Xue Er?"
"Sister Qiao was framed and thrown into prison," Jiang Ruoyun said frankly, her face full of worry. Then she saw that Tang Yuan's black robe had slipped off due to his anxiety and concern. Looking at his right arm, she could not help jumping in fright.
Lu Feng had initially thought that Tang Yuan's fur-covered hand was the result of a technique he cultivated. Who would have thought that, even after the battle had ended, his right arm would remain in that state—like a beast's limb, looking utterly savage.
Though Tang Yuan was not particularly handsome, his features were upright and well-defined, giving him an air of resolute Yang Hardness.
Lu Feng's first impression of him was somewhat like Huo Gen, whom he had met back in Worryfree Village. Yet compared to Huo Gen, Tang Yuan was much younger and far stronger.
Tang Yuan's muscles were firm and tightly knit, exuding explosive power, and the lines of his body had been honed into something hard and perfect.
Looking at the abnormality in Tang Yuan's right arm, Lu Feng searched through certain memories in his mind and guessed that Tang Yuan might have cultivated a technique with a beast-like nature.
Only by cultivating techniques such as Beast Arts could one become like this. Yet any Beast Art would generally turn its practitioner into something resembling a beast after mastery. They were strange techniques that sacrificed one's own appearance.
After picking up the black robe from the ground, Tang Yuan did not put it back on. Since he had already been discovered, there was no need to hide anymore. He casually sprinkled the medicine Lu Feng had given him over his wounds.
Tang Yuan was astonished to discover that after the medicinal powder covered his wounds, they rapidly began to heal. Blood clotting and healing took place at a rate visible to the naked eye. The powder's effects far surpassed those of ordinary healing medicine.
"Who are you?" Tang Yuan looked at Lu Feng with some wariness. From the quality of such high-grade healing medicine, he could tell that Lu Feng was no ordinary person.
Jiang Ruoyun was also somewhat surprised by the medicinal powder's efficacy. But when she heard Tang Yuan question Lu Feng's identity, she felt a little displeased and stepped forward to defend him first. "He's my good friend. His name is Lu Feng."
Lu Feng understood that Jiang Ruoyun had not revealed his identity as her contract slave because she wished to preserve his dignity, and warmth rose in his heart.
Lu Feng smiled and gently tugged Jiang Ruoyun back. "This isn't something that needs to be hidden."
As he spoke, spiritual energy surged. The mark of a contract formation emerged on his forehead, and a demon-red character for "Yun" appeared at its center.
Lu Feng did this because he wanted to see Tang Yuan's character—whether he would look at him with strange contempt.
Tang Yuan froze upon seeing it, immediately understanding the relationship between Lu Feng and Jiang Ruoyun. Yet he did not reveal even the slightest disdain. Instead, because of Jiang Ruoyun, he looked at Lu Feng with several degrees more warmth and trust.
This also greatly improved Lu Feng's attitude toward him.
Without bothering to steady his injuries, Tang Yuan urgently asked, "Who exactly framed Xue Er?"
Jiang Ruoyun carefully recounted the entire course of events.
Tang Yuan showed no reaction when he heard of Yan He's death. But when he heard that Qiao Xue'er had mistakenly believed Tang Yuan had killed him and stepped forward to confess, his face filled with tender pity and affection. Such genuine emotion was enough to show that he, too, loved Qiao Xue'er deeply.
After hearing the whole story, a trace of guilt appeared on Tang Yuan's face. He reproached himself, saying, "This is all my fault. I avoided Xue Er for over half a year. It's all my fault..."
"Big Brother Tang Yuan, where have you been these past six months? Why were you hiding from Sister Qiao?" Jiang Ruoyun was somewhat dissatisfied, but she did not mean to blame him. She knew Tang Yuan's character; he must have had unavoidable hardships.
Tang Yuan revealed a bitter smile, stretched out his arm helplessly, and said, "How could I dare go see Xue Er looking half-man, half-beast like this..."
"Sister Qiao isn't that shallow. How could she look down on you because of a change like this?" Jiang Ruoyun spoke up for Qiao Xue'er. Then she pointed at Tang Yuan's arm and asked with concern, "What happened to you?"
Tang Yuan sighed and explained, "Half a year ago, I was attacked at the most critical moment of cultivation. It disrupted my gathering of the seven souls, causing the spiritual energy within me to lose control and run wild. Something went wrong when the final soul was linked through, and I became like this."
At this point, Tang Yuan paused, then mocked himself. "Though I have now reached the Spirit Gathering Realm, this arm has turned into a beast's limb and cannot be restored no matter what I do."
"Spiritual energy running wild can actually cause this?" Jiang Ruoyun asked fearfully.
Lu Feng smiled after hearing this and said, "It should be because the technique Brother Tang cultivates is unusual, which led to this."
A flash of surprise crossed Tang Yuan's eyes at Lu Feng's words. Having had it exposed in a single sentence, he nodded and explained, "The technique I cultivate is called the Beast Origin Art. Unlike ordinary cultivation methods, my increase in strength mainly depends on absorbing the power of different beast cores. While obtaining the rich energy contained within beast cores, I also bear tremendous risk. The slightest carelessness results in a situation like this."
As Tang Yuan spoke, he waved his beast-like arm and smiled bitterly.
Though Tang Yuan's account differed somewhat from the Hundred Beast Art Lu Feng had seen, all roads led to the same destination. Lu Feng instantly understood Tang Yuan's cultivation method.
No wonder his earlier battle displayed so many vastly different moves.
After understanding Tang Yuan's Cultivation Dao, Lu Feng guessed that he had absorbed at least five different beast cores, allowing him to wield five utterly distinct kinds of Beast Power—for example, an eagle-type beast core for the eagle cry, a bear-type beast core for a bear strike, and so on.
Lu Feng looked at Tang Yuan, who was smiling helplessly, and abruptly said:
"It is not as though there is no way to restore your beastified arm."
Before you continue