Abyssal Power

In the perception of the Yellow Rock Bear, although it could not sense a shred of spirit power from the humans before it, it had an illusion—an illusion that if Duke Molong and his group were like a vast, boundless ocean, then Xia Linyuan was a bottomless abyss.

The predator's instinct was telling it that if it did not retreat now, the only thing awaiting it would be death!

During the brief moment it hesitated, Xia Linyuan had already walked to a spot ten meters away.

"Actually..." Xia Linyuan tapped the palm of his hand lightly with the blade of his short knife, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he murmured, "I am not a person who particularly likes... battles without profit!"

As soon as his voice fell, a blur flashed through the air and vanished. In less than a single breath, a massive spray of blood bloomed across the chest of the Yellow Rock Bear.

After the blur pierced through the thick body of the Yellow Rock Bear, its momentum barely diminished, maintaining its speed until it vanished into a massive tree trunk dozens of meters away.

With its body pierced, the Yellow Rock Bear remained sluggish for a second before crashing to the ground. Shortly after, a translucent white Spirit Ring rose from its corpse.

Duke Molong and the others watched this scene in utter astonishment, unable to believe what their eyes had just witnessed.

Given their strength, they could clearly see that the blur that had flashed through the air was the very short knife Duke Molong had given Xia Linyuan for self-defense.

Even though this Yellow Rock Bear was only a ten-year spirit beast, its skin and bones were as tough as copper and iron, impervious to ordinary blades; yet, it had been killed in a single strike by Xia Linyuan, a six-year-old child who had just awakened his Martial Soul!

One must know that the short knife Duke Molong had just given Xia Linyuan was a standard military blade; it should have been impossible for it to slice through the Yellow Rock Bear's hide like cutting through vegetables as they had just seen!

Duke Molong stepped forward to examine the corpse of the Yellow Rock Bear, and his burly frame shuddered in shock.

He saw a large gash torn open in the center of the Yellow Rock Bear's chest, and its fist-sized heart had been shredded into pulp by an unknown force.

A kill in one strike!

Duke Molong looked up at the giant tree dozens of meters away. In the next second, almost in the blink of an eye, Duke Molong arrived before the giant tree. His calloused hand slammed against the trunk, and a short knife stained with fresh, crimson blood clattered to the ground.

Duke Molong did not care about the blood on the blade; he picked it up and examined it carefully.

Logically speaking, such a military knife striking the copper-like hide of a Yellow Rock Bear should have at least dulled, but the blade showed no signs of wear at all.

Recalling the cold, sinister aura that had suddenly emanated from Xia Linyuan—though it had appeared and vanished in an instant—he had still sensed that fluctuation of power, and he immediately formed a few guesses in his heart.

Putting the knife away, Duke Molong walked up to Xia Linyuan. "Did you infuse spirit power into this knife just now?"

Xia Linyuan deliberately feigned a look of surprise and nodded. "I just wanted to see what would happen if I infused spirit power into a weapon. I didn't expect it to be able to pierce through the Yellow Rock Bear's tough hide. Father, am I impressive?"

Duke Molong looked at him deeply, his heart filled with dread.

How could normal spirit power infused into a military knife have such power? The only explanation was that Xia Linyuan's spirit power had some special effect that allowed it to cause such damage.

The truth was not far from what Duke Molong had guessed. If it had been ordinary spirit power, it might not have even left a mark on the Yellow Rock Bear's hide.

But was what Xia Linyuan used really spirit power?

No!

What he used was Abyssal Power!

What is Abyssal Power?

It is the most primitive, most pure power of destruction and nothingness! A power capable of destroying things from their very roots!

Infused with such formidable power, even if Xia Linyuan had used a withered twig, he could have easily delivered a "heart-piercing" service to the Yellow Rock Bear.

Duke Molong stroked Xia Linyuan's hair. "Linyuan is truly impressive. You managed to kill a ten-year Yellow Rock Bear not long after awakening your Martial Soul."

Xia Linyuan smiled until his eyes turned into slits, seemingly very pleased with Duke Molong's praise.

But no one saw that in the depths of those golden eyes, there was only a coldness devoid of any emotion.

"Let's go. The smell of blood will attract quite a few spirit beasts. Although they are mostly weak, even ants can bite an elephant to death."

Bypassing the corpse of the Yellow Rock Bear, Xia Linyuan and his group set off again on their path to find a spirit beast.

It was unclear what kind of spirit beast Duke Molong was looking for to serve as Xia Linyuan's first Spirit Ring.

Just like that, a day passed.

Although the Star Dou Great Forest was the largest gathering place for spirit beasts in the Peerless Tang Sect and possessed a vast variety of species, finding a suitable one still depended on luck.

If the attributes were right, the age wouldn't be; if the age was right, the attributes wouldn't be. Going through this repetitive cycle was truly exhausting.

Duke Molong, perhaps due to some hidden motive, had instructed Xia Linyuan not to kill weak spirit beasts at will, yet he had let him use that Yellow Rock Bear for practice. After he killed it on his first attempt, he never let him strike again.

Feeling bored, Xia Linyuan spread his divine sense, covering the entire Star Dou Great Forest.

Instantly, everything in the Star Dou Great Forest, from the smallest blade of grass to the most powerful spirit beasts, was laid bare before Xia Linyuan's god-like perspective.

Hmm...

He also discovered an interesting fellow currently sleeping deep underground in a place as beautiful as a fairyland within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Presumably, this fellow must be that Lord of Spirit Beasts—the Silver Dragon King.

Not only that, but Xia Linyuan also discovered that Big Worm.

Its situation didn't seem to be looking too good.

However, none of this had anything to do with Xia Linyuan. He wasn't interested in the worm; it would last until Huo Yuhao came to the Star Dou Great Forest alone in six years anyway.

Under his formidable divine sense, everything was presented before him with absolute clarity.

Finally, Xia Linyuan's gaze fixed upon a golden figure.

It was shaped like a lion, its entire body possessing the eerie texture of semi-transparent golden crystal. Its four claws were like dragon claws, with a cluster of golden flames burning beneath them. Even more surprising was the vertical eye growing in the center of its forehead.

"This must be the Three-Eyed Golden Ni, right?" Xia Linyuan murmured, his lips curling upward slightly. "The ending is truly pathetic. Under the manipulation of Tang San, it became half of Tang Wutong's existence, and even Huo Yuhao eventually forgot about it."

"Perhaps, it could make for a decent pawn."

Seeing that the sun was about to set, Duke Molong found a river and settled down for the time being.