Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear

"Wait a moment, you will feel your consciousness being pulled out of your body. This is a normal phenomenon, so do not be nervous."

The staff member's voice came from the side.

"You will stay in the Spirit Ascension Platform for a period of time. When you die within the Spirit Ascension Platform, your consciousness will automatically exit."

"If you are injured or die in the Spirit Ascension Platform, there will be no impact on reality, so rest assured."

Han Li nodded slightly and closed his eyes.

The staff member pressed the start button.

In an instant, Han Li only felt his vision go black.

Immediately after, the world spun, as if his entire being had been violently yanked by an invisible giant hand.

That feeling was very strange, like his soul detaching from its shell and drifting toward another world.

A moment later, the darkness dissipated, and light reappeared.

Han Li opened his eyes.

He was no longer in that room at the Spirit Pagoda.

Beneath his feet was soft soil, and overhead was a dense canopy of trees. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows upon the ground.

All around him were towering trees that blocked out the sky.

Vines were intertwined, and bushes grew in abundance.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation, and the cries of unknown birds echoed from afar.

Everything here was just like reality.

It made it somewhat difficult to distinguish truth from illusion.

Han Li did not linger in place for too long; he identified a direction and headed toward the depths of the Spirit Ascension Platform.

His goal was very clear—

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear.

That thousand-year-level Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear resided in a certain area deep within the Spirit Ascension Platform.

He needed to find it, and then kill it.

The forest deep within the Spirit Ascension Platform was even darker.

Along the way, Han Li encountered quite a few soul beasts.

Hundred-year Wind Wolves, thousand-year Iron-Back Crocodiles, hundred-year Flame Birds, and thousand-year Rock Turtles.

These soul beasts appeared one after another.

Some blocked his path, some ambushed him from behind, and some suddenly lunged out from beneath the ground.

And Han Li's way of dealing with them was very simple—

Kill.

Regardless of what soul beast it was, or what its age...

He simply killed his way through.

His fighting style was extremely brutal, devoid of any flashy techniques; it was pure head-on collision, trading injury for injury.

Whenever he was injured in battle...

He would summon the Heavenly Bottle, and a crystal-clear green droplet would condense at the mouth of the bottle and drip down.

His wounds would heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if the injuries from moments ago had never existed.

Therefore, if he was wounded, he would heal.

If he was wounded again, he would heal again.

As long as his soul power was not exhausted...

His recovery ability was practically infinite.

It was just one word: reckless.

In any case, with the Heavenly Bottle there to repair his injuries, he could afford to be reckless.

Thus, he did not need to dodge, he did not need to defend; he only needed to ensure that every strike landed on his opponent.

To others, this fighting style would be considered suicide.

But for Han Li...

This was the most efficient way to fight.

Crushing his way through, killing his way through.

Just like that, Han Li traveled through the primeval forest of the Spirit Ascension Platform for who knows how long.

The surrounding trees began to thin out.

The light gradually grew brighter.

There was a strange sense of oppression in the air.

It felt as if some powerful entity was entrenched in this area, keeping all other soul beasts from daring to approach.

After walking for quite a while, he had not encountered a single soul beast; the surroundings were eerily quiet.

Han Li stopped in his tracks and tilted his head to listen.

Deep within the forest...

A low, heavy breathing sound drifted over. It was thick and powerful, each breath carrying a vibration that made it seem as if the very ground were trembling.

Then, a roar exploded.

The sound was filled with tyranny and killing intent, carrying an innate pressure that stirred fear from the depths of one's soul.

Suddenly, a dark golden light flashed from the depths of the forest, moving with astonishing speed.

A dragon's roar erupted from Han Li's throat.

The sound shook the wilderness.

Golden light burst forth from his right hand.

He did not dodge, but instead met that dark golden light head-on, striking out with a claw.

Claw collided with claw.

A dull, thunderous boom rang out.

A massive shockwave rippled outward from the point of impact, kicking up a sky full of fallen leaves and dust.

A tremendous recoil surged through his entire body.

Han Li felt as if his right arm had been struck by a mountain; a sharp pain traveled from his fingertips all the way to his shoulder.

In just a single exchange...

Han Li's right hand was instantly drenched in blood.

Blood gushed from the wounds, dripping down his fingers onto the ground and staining the soil red.

But the next second, the Heavenly Bottle appeared.

The small, emerald-green bottle floated out from within Han Li, hovering above his head with its mouth facing downward.

A single, crystal-clear green droplet fell, landing precisely on Han Li's right hand.

First Soul Skill: Life Liquid.

The moment the green liquid seeped into the wounds, the flesh began to squirm rapidly; torn muscles reconnected, and the lacerated skin healed swiftly.

In just two or three seconds, the injuries on Han Li's right hand were completely restored to their original state.

Han Li shook his right hand, flexed his fingers, and after confirming there were no issues...

He raised his head and looked forward.

At this moment, a giant bear covered in dark golden fur slowly emerged from the woods.

It stood over three meters tall.

Its arms were thick, and its shoulders were broad and imposing.

At the ends of its two arms were incomparably sharp giant claws, with the length of the claws alone exceeding a meter.

This was the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, hailed as one of the strongest in the soul beast world.

Han Li looked at the giant bear, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Immediately, Han Li charged forward.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear stared fixedly at the charging Han Li with its dark golden eyes, letting out a low growl.

It did not retreat, for as the overlord of this region, it had never feared any opponent.

Man and bear collided head-on.

Han Li struck first, his Golden Dragon Claw carrying a golden radiance as he slashed fiercely toward the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's chest.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear did not dodge or evade, swinging its right claw simultaneously. Its meter-long dark golden talons sliced through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

"Clang—"

Claws collided, sending sparks flying everywhere.

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the forest, startling a few birds from the treetops in the distance.

Han Li felt a mountain-toppling force surge from his Golden Dragon Claw. His entire right arm went numb, and his body staggered back two steps involuntarily.

He looked down at his right hand; three deep claw marks had been left on the golden scales, and blood seeped from the wounds, dripping down his wrist.

The strength of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear...

Was even greater than he had anticipated.

Han Li did not pause, charging forward once again.

A metallic "clang" rang out.

A long gash was torn into Han Li's left arm, and blood spurted out.

At the same time...

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear swept its right claw across. With no time to dodge, Han Li could only raise his right arm to block.

The immense force sent him flying, slamming him heavily against a large tree.

The trunk shuddered violently.

Leaves showered down to the ground in a rustling cascade.