The Purple-Striped Black Bear Had Come Too

Lin Feng raised his head and said to Sadius, "Sadius, stand over there and don't move. Let me see how powerful this punch of mine is."

"Lin Feng, are you trying to use me as a punching bag?" Sadius snorted, looking displeased. "Just don't hit me in the head. I want to see how strong your pseudo-dragon form can get, too."

"Sure thing!"

Lin Feng suddenly pushed off with both legs and shot forward. Clenching his right fist, he slammed it straight into the thick scales on Sadius's back.

"Bang!"

Fist met flesh, and the impact sent Lin Feng flying backward, though he wasn't hurt.

"Hmm, your strength is decent. It's about half of what mine was before I advanced. But compared to me now, it's only good for scratching an itch." Sadius gave her "fair" assessment.

"Half?" Lin Feng laughed. "I'm already very satisfied with that."

Spined Iron-Armored Dragons were famed among dragon-type magical beasts for their strength and speed. Few beasts of the same level could surpass them in either regard. Given Lin Feng's strength as an Eighth-level Warrior, it was impressive that his dragon transformation let him reach half the strength of a peak ninth-level Spined Iron-Armored Dragon.

Lin Feng had initially wanted Sadius to punch him and test his defenses, but after thinking it over, he gave up. With Sadius's abnormal strength, even a casual punch would leave him either dead or gravely injured.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

For those six months, Lin Feng and Sadius spent every day sparring. Their realms hadn't improved much, but after half a year of practice, both had fully stabilized at the initial Saint Realm stage.

During the first few months, Lin Feng had relied mainly on magic, with his warrior abilities as support, when fighting Sadius. But as his warrior strength grew, he could just barely hold off her attacks using only his warrior abilities and dragon transformation.

After spending half a year together, Lin Feng and Sadius's relationship had changed from a transactional one into a friendship.

One day, as Lin Feng and Sadius were sparring, a roar echoed through the tunnel.

"Sadius, get out here and die!"

Lin Feng was taken aback, but immediately understood. Who else would come here now besides Sadius's old enemy, the Purple-striped Black Bear?

"Sadius, looks like your old enemy's come to settle the score." Lin Feng smiled, ending his dragon transformation and pulling on a robe.

His intentions were clear: he wouldn't get involved and would just watch from the sidelines. In the original story, Sadius had been only at the peak of the ninth level, yet she and the Purple-striped Black Bear had managed to kill each other. Now that she'd fully stabilized at the Saint Realm, wouldn't dealing with the bear be a piece of cake?

"Santo, I blinded one of your eyes, and you still haven't learned your lesson. You actually dare come here to die?" Sadius roared back.

A moment later, a colossal creature entered the cave.

From where Lin Feng stood, he could clearly see a black bear ten meters tall, hovering in midair. Its fur was like steel, and purple stripes ran across its body, giving it an eerie appearance.

As soon as the Purple-striped Black Bear entered the cave, it stared at the imposing Sadius before it and said incredulously, "Sadius, you broke through too?" It completely ignored Lin Feng in the corner and Beibei on his shoulder.

"If even a stupid bear like you can break through, why can't I?" Sadius licked her claws. "Since you're looking to die, I'll grant your wish."

The Spined Iron-Armored Dragon fixed its icy gaze on the Purple-striped Black Bear, then lashed out with its tail, which was like a steel whip. "Whoosh!"

A piercing sonic boom rang out as its steel-whip tail swept toward the Purple-striped Black Bear's head.

"Hmph!"

The Purple-striped Black Bear snorted coldly and swung its huge, millstone-sized paw at the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon's tail.

With a sharp ripping sound, blood sprayed from the bear's furry paw, splattering across the stone wall five meters away.

The Spined Iron-Armored Dragon truly lived up to its reputation as the most fearsome of the dragon clan. A Purple-striped Black Bear of the same level was no match for it. Watching coldly from the side, Lin Feng couldn't help feeling surprised by the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon's first exchange with the bear.

As an unusual member of the bear clan, the Purple-striped Black Bear inherited the clan's immense strength and had decent defenses. But compared with an abnormal creature like the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon, there was still a huge gap.

Having suffered a minor loss in their first exchange, the Purple-striped Black Bear was furious.

The Purple-striped Black Bear slowly landed on the ground. Its whole body began to crack and pop as its muscles swelled, and its bones and sinews snapped and crackled. Its ten-meter frame somehow grew another two meters, reaching a height of twelve meters, while its arms and legs thickened as well.

"Hmph, you dare show off such a cheap trick in front of me?"

Sadius shot forward like a black streak, lunging at the Purple-striped Black Bear's head.

"We've both only just entered the Saint Realm. You won't kill me that easily."

His voice rang like a bell. At the same time, the Purple-striped Black Bear swung its uninjured paw straight at Sadius's head.

Sadius was stronger than the Purple-striped Black Bear by a considerable margin, but she still couldn't kill it in an instant.

Seeing the bear's paw coming straight for her head, Sadius felt a little wary. The Purple-striped Black Bear belonged to the bear clan, after all, and possessed immense strength. If it struck her head, it wouldn't crush her skull, but it would definitely leave her dizzy.

Sadius lashed her tail at the Purple-striped Black Bear's waist. With a slap, she used the rebound to narrowly evade the bear's paw.

The two fought with ever-increasing ferocity. Sadius's terrifying speed was on full display as the sounds of blows rang out again and again. The Purple-striped Black Bear truly became a "blood-soaked bear."

Although Sadius had gained the absolute upper hand, it was still rather difficult to finish off the Purple-striped Black Bear. Of course, if Sadius used her desperate trump card and released the barbs on her back, that would be another matter. But now that she had reached the Saint Realm, she naturally wasn't going to risk her life fighting the Purple-striped Black Bear.

Leaning against the stone wall, Lin Feng watched their battle with boredom and said impatiently, "Sadius, you're taking this long to deal with one big, stupid bear? Want me to help?"

"No need!"

Sadius replied, and her speed increased once more. The Purple-striped Black Bear, which had already been reduced to barely defending itself, was immediately overwhelmed.

"Smack!"

The bear's back was caught off guard by a lash of Sadius's tail, and it staggered. Seizing her chance, Sadius opened her jaws and lunged for the Purple-striped Black Bear's throat.

"Crack!"

The Purple-striped Black Bear's throat was bitten through. Blood sprayed out, staining Sadius's scales.

"I'm not willing to accept this! I'm not willing!"

As the Purple-striped Black Bear felt its life slowly fading away, it let out an angry roar. But no matter how furiously it howled, it was no use.

"Boom!" The enormous twelve-meter body crashed to the ground. The Saint-level Purple-striped Black Bear's soul was powerless to resist as the Netherworld drew it in and devoured it, vanishing forever from the Material Plane of Yulan.

Sadius pounced beside the Purple-striped Black Bear's corpse and struck with her Dragon Claw. Its enormous head burst open, revealing a Magic Core that was black and gleaming, with its magical energy completely concealed.

Sadius picked up the Darkness Element Magic Core and tossed it into her mouth. She chewed a few times and swallowed it.

Sadius was a Darkness Element magical beast as well. Although this Saint Realm Magic Core wouldn't directly increase her strength, it could make her dark magic purer and more concentrated.

"That's a Saint Realm Magic Core, a priceless treasure, and she just ate it like candy. What a waste." Lin Feng watched as the Magic Core disappeared into Sadius's mouth, secretly regretting it. But the Purple-striped Black Bear had been killed by her, so the Magic Core was naturally hers to do with as she pleased.

After digesting the Magic Core's energy, Sadius's aura seemed to grow slightly stronger. Black light rippled over her body, and the bloodstains from the Purple-striped Black Bear vanished from her scales.