Peerless Genius, Saber Slays True Form

Outside Beihe City, Lin Jinwei held a guan dao. A terrifying vertical eye suddenly opened between his brows.

A-Class talent ability, Heavenly Eye!

Lin Jinwei wielded the guan dao one-handed and brought it crashing down with thunderous force. At the same time, streaks of golden light shot from the Heavenly Eye.

Yet the Great Ape King's strength was just as terrifying. Its fists lashed out without pause, blasting back both the golden light from the Heavenly Eye and the guan dao.

"Elder Lin, I'll help you!"

With an angry roar, Zhang Wanke finally arrived.

The Purple-Gold Spear in his hand shook fiercely. As he drew a deep breath, a dharma manifestation like a Fire God abruptly emerged behind him.

S-Class Breathing Technique, Flame God Breathing Technique.

His Blood Qi burned, and the great spear in his hand transformed into a fiery phoenix that streaked through the air.

Boom!

The Great Ape King shot upward and leaped fiercely, smashing the fiery phoenix apart by brute force. Zhang Wanke was also sent flying back, crashing into the ground like a cannonball.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Jinwei attacked again. Yet the Great Ape King kept swinging its arms, darting and shifting about, or smashing apart the highway and using boulders as weapons to meet his attacks.

Even when Lin Jinwei and Zhang Wanke, two Fifth-grade Grandmasters, joined forces, they were unable to do anything to the Great Ape King for the moment.

Two thousand meters behind the Ape King, the Sixth Grade demonic beast that had taken human form was dragging its heavily wounded body away.

Its face was twisted with fury, and its eagle-like eyes brimmed with rage and venomous hatred.

"Lin Jinwei, one day, I, Ying Li, will use the lives of thousands upon thousands of Nanfang University students to wash away today's humiliation!"

He had never imagined that Lin Jinwei would use Lin Lingfei as bait to lure him out.

As a result, he had suffered a crushing defeat. Not only had two Fifth-grade Grandmasters beaten him into a grievously wounded state, but he even had to rely on the Great Ape King to save his life.

For a demonic beast that had taken human form, what humiliation could be greater?

Suddenly, Ying Li's eyes narrowed, and his speed gradually slowed.

Before him, a youth wearing a black T-shirt, track pants, and black sneakers appeared with a saber in hand.

"Eighth Grade!? No, there must be an ambush!"

Ying Li's heart jolted, and his expression instantly turned incomparably ugly.

"Could it be that another Fifth-grade Grandmaster is waiting for me outside the city? How could a tiny Beihe City possibly have three Grandmasters!?"

He roared inwardly, yet on the surface, he carefully sensed his surroundings, trying to find traces of the Grandmaster.

But after sweeping his gaze around, he still could not find any sign of a Grandmaster, making him even more uneasy.

"Come out. A dignified Grandmaster—why hide your head and show your tail?"

Ying Li's cold voice rang out across the wilderness.

Jiang Li, standing with his saber in hand, was slightly taken aback. He looked around. "Grandmaster? Where is there a Grandmaster?"

"Stop putting on an act. Without a Grandmaster helping you, would a mere Eighth-grade Martial Artist dare block my path?"

"Using the weak as bait—humans have always been this despicable. I, Ying Li, fell for it once. I will never fall for it a second time."

Ying Li's expression was cold and severe, but in the next instant, he seemed to see something utterly unbelievable.

This insignificant Eighth-grade Martial Artist actually charged straight at him.

"Idiot."

That was Jiang Li's simple two-word reply to Ying Li.

He exploded into motion. At the same time, the Heavenly River Crimson Blood Art within him was activated to its fullest.

At the same time, he drew a deep breath. Fourth layer of the Fire Spirit Breathing Technique!

At that moment, his Blood Qi surged explosively.

The Great Sun Silhouette behind him made Ying Li's expression change drastically.

"No, his Blood Qi Value has already reached Seventh Grade—Sixth Grade!"

Ying Li was utterly shocked. Even as a demonic beast, he had seen the records of many human geniuses.

But he had rarely seen anyone who, at Eighth Grade, could raise their Blood Qi Value to the level of Sixth Grade, crossing two great realms.

Moreover, how old was this youth before him? He was about the same age as Lin Lingfei.

Ying Li was stunned. He had not expected the human race to have such an undiscovered genius.

In the next instant, bloodthirsty light erupted from his eyes.

"An Eighth Grade wants to kill me? Hahahaha! Good, good!" Ying Li laughed loudly. Strands of astonishing Demonic Power rose from his body like curling smoke, then formed a terrifying giant golden eagle behind him.

Demonic Beast True Form!

When a strange beast became a demon and a demonic beast took human form, it had to abandon all its cultivation and cultivate anew.

But after taking human form, demonic beasts gained another ability: Demonic Beast True Form. Once unleashed, it allowed them to wield the power of a demonic beast at the same realm.

Ying Li's true form was astonishingly a Fifth-grade Grandmaster-level strange beast, the Golden Feather Sky Eagle!

Not only were the Golden Feather Sky Eagle's feathers hard as steel, but its speed and strength also ranked in the upper-middle tier among Fifth-grade Grandmaster-level strange beasts.

"A blessing in disguise—who could have known? Lin Lingfei survived, but if I kill you, I can still answer to the Great King!"

Accompanied by an incomparably shrill eagle cry, the Golden Feather Sky Eagle swooped at Jiang Li like a divine eagle pouncing on a rabbit.

Jiang Li stared at the enormous Demonic Beast True Form as Blood Qi circulated wildly through his body.

Bang!

With a deafening impact, the Black Horizontal Saber collided with the Golden Feather Sky Eagle's massive claw.

Terrifying power swept over him in an instant, and Jiang Li's body was forced steadily backward.

At this point, Ying Li was certain that no Fifth-grade Grandmaster was lying in ambush nearby. This human was simply courting death.

"A mere Eighth-grade Martial Artist—do you really think you're some peerless genius? Even if I'm heavily injured, you're still not capable of stopping me!"

Ying Li swept away his previous gloom and fury. So long as he brought this human youth's head back, not only would he avoid punishment upon returning, but he would earn great merit.

Chu Dongyang and the others in the distance were completely dumbfounded as well. The moment they saw Jiang Li go out, they had already been stunned senseless.

They had never expected Jiang Li, an Eighth Grade, to dare seek trouble with a demonic beast that had taken human form.

"Damn it, what do we do? Should we save him?"

"Is your brain broken? Save him? That would be going to our deaths! That's a demonic beast that has taken human form!"

Chu Dongyang gritted his teeth. He wanted to save him too, after all, he owed Jiang Li his life.

But even if he went out now, he would not be able to save Jiang Li. Instead, he would only throw his own life away.

Meanwhile, as Jiang Li was continuously forced back beneath the Golden Feather Sky Eagle's giant claw, a curve rose at the corner of his lips.

"Looks like I overestimated you."

The calm voice rang out, leaving Ying Li, Chu Dongyang, and the others all stunned.

In the next instant, a two-meter-tall figure with two battle flags crossed behind its back abruptly appeared behind Jiang Li.

The battle flags snapped in the wind. In that instant, Jiang Li's Blood Qi Value rose at a frightening rate.

He stomped both feet onto the ground, leaving two footprints in the highway. Then he exerted force through both arms and forcibly stopped the Golden Feather Sky Eagle.

That was not all. Jiang Li suddenly raised his head, and the Headless Martial Soul behind him abruptly enveloped his body.

Full power unleashed!

Martial Soul Protection!

Boom!

The Martial Soul fused into Jiang Li's body. His Blood Qi Value rose again, while a layer of the Martial Soul's outline appeared over the surface of his body like outer armor.

The defensive strength of that outer armor was equivalent to his Blood Qi Value. Martial Artists whose Blood Qi Value was lower than his would find it difficult even to break through its defense.

The Golden Feather Sky Eagle's reflection filled Jiang Li's eyes, and a flash of blood-red Killing Intent swept through them.

Third stage, Crimson Blood Transformation!

Bloodshot veins filled his eyeballs, while the veins across his body showed crimson through his skin.

With a tremendous crash, the Golden Feather Sky Eagle's massive claw was severed by force.

"Ah!"

For Ying Li, an injury to his Martial Soul True Form was like having his palm cut off. He instantly let out a miserable scream.

Seizing this chance, Jiang Li abruptly lowered his body. Thick white mist poured from the corners of his mouth.

"Triple Thunderous Charge Saber, slash!"

Jiang Li's figure vanished instantly. In the next moment, he leaped into the air, appearing more than ten meters above the ground.

Behind him, a terrifying saber scar ran from the head to the tail of the enormous Demonic Beast True Form. Then, like smoke, it scattered and vanished into thin air.

"Impossible! You're only a mere Eighth Grade!"

Ying Li clutched the ground with both hands in agony and let out a shrill scream. "How could you possibly break my Demonic Beast True Form..."

Jiang Li landed with a bang, swift and decisive, giving Ying Li no chance whatsoever to recover. He intended to kill this demonic beast that had taken human form.

But just as the Black Horizontal Saber drew near, Ying Li suddenly raised his head and opened his eyes. His hands transformed into eagle claws within those beast-like eyes, forcibly blocking the strike from the Black Horizontal Saber.

His eagle-like eyes were full of mockery.

Golden feathers grew across Ying Li's face, as though he were about to revert to his original strange beast form.

"I lied to you!"

As he spoke, Ying Li's head had already transformed into that of a Golden Feather Sky Eagle, and his terrifying eagle beak had become an absolute killing weapon.

If he pecked toward Jiang Li's head, Jiang Li would die without a doubt, even if his skull had been forged from iron.

But at that moment, the Martial Soul on Jiang Li's arm moved. It drew a Seventh Grade longsword from behind his back and pierced straight through Ying Li's heart in an instant.

Ying Li's pupils abruptly dilated, and the mockery on his face turned into shock and fury.

Jiang Li looked down from above at Ying Li, whose body had already partially transformed into a strange beast.

"What a coincidence. So did I!"

As his words fell, Ying Li's half-beast body staggered backward, blood continuously seeping from his chest.

"Run!"

Suddenly, a horrifically shrill scream burst from his mouth.

In the distance, the Great Ape King, which was also badly injured, froze. It turned its head in disbelief, then let out a roar of unparalleled grief and rage.