Black Wind Ridge was shrouded in black mist all year round. The air, thick with miasma, carried a faint scent of blood. Spiritual qi was scarce here, yet dense ferocious baleful intent permeated the land. This was precisely where the innate ferocious beast Qiongqi had made its lair.
Xuan Chen and Nüwa landed at the foot of the mountain and activated their Qi-Concealing Talismans, their figures vanishing into the black fog. Xuan Chen said, "Qiongqi's sense of smell is sharp. It can detect the aura of living beings within a hundred li. The Qi-Concealing Talisman can only conceal us temporarily, so do not let your guard down." With a wave of his hand, a strand of Primordial Unity Power dispersed the miasma ahead, revealing a rugged mountain path. "Follow me. Qiongqi's nest is in a cliff cave at the summit."
The two carefully climbed toward the mountaintop. Beast bones lay scattered along the way, some even stained with fresh blood—clearly the remains of prey Qiongqi had devoured not long ago. Nüwa tightened her grip on the water essence qi in her hand. The Chaos Purple Lotus Garment glimmered with a faint halo as she remained on constant alert.
When they reached the mountainside, an earthshaking roar suddenly rang out. The black mist churned violently as a massive shadow burst from the forest and blocked their path. The ferocious beast resembled a tiger and possessed a pair of wings. Jet-black scales covered its entire body, and saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth. It was none other than the innate ferocious beast Qiongqi!
"Roar!" Savage light blazed in Qiongqi's eyes. Though it had not detected the pair's exact positions, it had sensed unfamiliar auras. With a beat of its wings, it whipped up black fog that filled the sky and lunged fiercely toward them.
"Move!" Xuan Chen barked. His figure flashed as he retreated to the side to watch over the battle.
Nüwa had long been prepared. The Water Dao within her circulated at full force, and pale-blue water essence qi gathered into a Water Dragon as thick as a bucket, charging straight at Qiongqi. She shouted, "Water Dragon Break!"
The Water Dragon collided with Qiongqi in a thunderous crash. Water sprayed in every direction, scattering more than half the black mist. Qiongqi was driven several steps back by the impact, its scales coated in damp vapor. The savage gleam in its eyes intensified as it opened its jaws and spat out a black water arrow saturated with dense ferocious baleful intent, shooting directly at Nüwa's face.
"The Dao of Water Manipulation must not only be forceful—it must also understand guidance." Xuan Chen's voice sounded beside Nüwa's ear. "Qiongqi's water attribute carries baleful intent. You can borrow the accommodating power of the Water Dao to dissolve its ferocity, then turn it back upon its body."
Nüwa understood in an instant. Her hands rapidly formed seals, and a curtain of water appeared before her. Like a flowing mirror, it perfectly refracted the black water arrow's trajectory. At the same time, she activated the Nourishing Creation divine ability. A thread of luminous white Creation Qi merged into the water curtain, which instantly became gentle yet resilient. When the black water arrow struck it, its ferocious baleful intent was rapidly purified, turning into ordinary water that dripped to the ground.
"Good chance!" Nüwa's gaze sharpened. Taking advantage of the moment when Qiongqi's old strength had faded and its new strength had yet to arise, she unfolded the Chaos Step beneath her feet. Her figure ghosted behind Qiongqi as her hands condensed water essence qi into a sharp water blade, which stabbed toward a gap in the scales on Qiongqi's neck.
Qiongqi sensed the danger and tried to turn around to counterattack, but the binding power of the Water Dao entangled its body, slowing its movements for an instant. In that instant, the water blade pierced its neck. Black essence blood erupted forth. Nüwa had been prepared; she took out a jade bottle for storing essence blood and caught it precisely, while circulating her art to initially suppress the ferocious baleful intent within it.
"Roar—!" Wounded, Qiongqi flew into a furious rage and savagely beat its wings, trying to break free of its restraints. Seeing this, Xuan Chen flicked a finger. A strand of Primordial Unity Finger Force struck Qiongqi between the brows, directly shattering its soul. Its enormous body crashed to the ground, utterly bereft of life.
Nüwa put away the jade bottle and let out a long breath. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her brow. This was the first time she had hunted an innate ferocious beast on her own. Though Xuan Chen had watched over the battle from the side, she had led the entire process, and the expenditure of her mind and Dao power had been immense.
"Not bad." Xuan Chen walked over, approval in his eyes. "You understood how to adjust your tactics according to the enemy's traits. You used the Water Dao's union of hardness and softness, avoided a contest of brute force, and struck directly at its weakness. This is the first rule of battle I wish to teach you: 'Seek Opportunity'—in the Primordial World, ferocious beasts and cultivators alike have weaknesses. What makes a skilled fighter is not great strength, but finding the chance to break the enemy."
He bent down to inspect Qiongqi's corpse, then took out a jade knife and cut off several pieces of beast flesh containing its origin. "Qiongqi flesh contains innate baleful qi and can be refined into body-tempering pills. Its scales can reinforce magical treasures. All of these are rare cultivation resources. To survive in the Primordial World, one must not waste anything useful. This is the second rule: 'Accumulate Resources'—every hunt and every trial must build resources for oneself, accumulating thickly before bursting forth."
Nüwa nodded earnestly, committing Xuan Chen's words to heart as she began collecting Qiongqi's scales and beast bones. Over the next month, following the map of ferocious beast distributions, the two successively hunted seven types of ferocious beasts, including Taowu, Taotie Remnant Lineage, Jiuying, and Zhuhuai, successfully gathering seven types of essence blood. In every hunt, Xuan Chen let Nüwa lead the battle, only offering guidance or rescue at critical moments. Nüwa's practical combat ability also rose swiftly.
When hunting Jiuying, she used the Water Dao's water-controlling qualities to seal the channels through which Jiuying's nine heads spat attacks. When facing Zhuhuai, she relied on the terrain to build a trap with water curtains, luring the enemy deep inside before delivering a fatal blow. Her combat techniques grew ever more refined, and her control over the Water Law quietly rose to 30% through real combat. She could even use the Spirit Water Nourishes the Heart divine ability to disrupt ferocious beasts' minds.
Xuan Chen continuously imparted his combat insights from the side. "Avoid the enemy—when encountering an opponent far stronger than yourself and fraught with danger, your first reaction should be to conceal your tracks or withdraw from the scene, not blindly fight head-on. Once you strike, you must hit the vital point. In these cruel life-and-death struggles of the Primordial World, not the slightest hesitation can be tolerated. Either do not fight, or fight to win."
On this day, the two arrived at the habitat of the last two ferocious beasts—Soulbreak Valley. Their targets were the innate ferocious beast Zaochi and the ancient ferocious beast Xisi. Soulbreak Valley's terrain was exceptionally treacherous. Sharp rocks filled the valley floor, while the valley winds howled through it like ghosts weeping and wolves howling.
"Zaochi excels at close combat. The fangs in its mouth can tear through gold and stone. Xisi is thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, with astonishing defenses, and it can also spew thunderfire." Xuan Chen pointed toward the valley floor. "This time, you must face two ferocious beasts at once. Remember: do not let them catch you between them."
Nüwa took a deep breath, determination flashing through her eyes. "This disciple understands!" She circulated the Chaos Purple Lotus Garment, raising her defenses to the utmost limit. At the same time, she condensed water essence qi into several water blades that hovered around her body, then slowly walked toward the valley floor.
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