Solo Kill of a Seven-Hundred-Year Spirit Beast

At dawn the next morning, with the sky only beginning to brighten, Lu Yuan left Spirit City with Shao Ping and sped north.

After traveling for nearly an hour, the terrain along the way gradually became uneven and rolling. The trees grew sparser, while bare gray-black rocks became increasingly conspicuous across the ground. Shao Ping led Lu Yuan into a stretch of low stone ridges, where a figure had long been standing between the hills. It was the Worship Hall deacon who had remained behind yesterday to watch the Quake-Armor Beast.

Seeing the two arrive, the deacon skipped any unnecessary pleasantries and directly raised a hand toward the east. "It moved less than two li in that direction last night. It is still entrenched in the stone ravine ahead."

"How are its injuries?" Shao Ping asked in a low voice.

"No obvious improvement, but no deterioration either," the deacon reported truthfully. "Its right hind leg is still dragging along the ground, and the wound on its flank was still bleeding last night. However, it still retains its fighting strength. A hundred-year Stone Badger approached recklessly last night and was rammed to death on the spot."

Shao Ping nodded slightly. "Lead the way."

The three moved silently along the rock wall. After more than a hundred zhang, they rounded a bend, and the seven-hundred-and-twenty-year Quake-Armor Beast finally came into view. The real creature was far more oppressive than the beast-hide drawings. Its body was thick and solid, its limbs stout and powerful, and layers upon layers of dark brown armor plates covered it from the side of its neck all the way to the base of its tail, forming an impregnable defense. Two armor plates on its flank had shattered and fallen away, with dark red scabs covering the damaged flesh beneath. A deep tear across its right hind leg was especially glaring. Every time it planted that foot, its body tilted slightly, revealing just how badly the injury hindered it.

The deacon observed it intently for a moment before saying with certainty, "Its cultivation is around seven hundred and twenty years. Its condition is stable, and it still retains roughly sixty percent of its combat strength."

Shao Ping turned to Lu Yuan at his side and asked softly, "Its condition is still decent. Do you want to change targets?"

"No."

Lu Yuan raised his hand. A cold glint flashed, and the Piercing Spear was already in his grasp. He had spent years fighting hundred-year Spirit Beasts alone in the North Hunting Forest and was long accustomed to solitary combat. Yet the pressure brought by this heavily injured seven-hundred-year Spirit Beast far surpassed that of every opponent he had faced before.

Shao Ping did not try to persuade him further. He retreated with the deacon to the edge of the stone ravine, leaving behind a warning. "Retreat if you cannot win. Do not force yourself or try to show off."

Lu Yuan nodded, then slowly entered the stone ravine with his spear in hand, facing the entrenched Quake-Armor Beast head-on.

The Quake-Armor Beast became alert in an instant. Its lowered head snapped up, its front hooves heavily gouging apart the rocky ground, while the layers of armor on its back suddenly tightened as its entire body went on guard. Once Lu Yuan came within ten zhang, it abruptly surged forward. Its heavy body crushed through the stones, sending fragments flying everywhere as it charged with fierce, domineering force.

Lu Yuan knew that meeting it head-on would put him at a severe disadvantage. His footwork shifted sharply, and he sidestepped to the left while lowering his spearpoint and precisely thrusting toward the Quake-Armor Beast's damaged flank.

Clang!

The spear tip scraped across the damaged armor plates, producing a piercing metallic screech. A thick, brutal recoil surged wildly up the shaft. Lu Yuan's right palm went numb, the flesh between his thumb and forefinger splitting open instantly as sharp pain shot through him. The Piercing Spear nearly flew from his grasp.

Before he could steady himself, the Quake-Armor Beast had already twisted around and slammed sideways. Its massive shoulder and back crashed toward him with crushing force. Lu Yuan hastily raised his spear to block, but the tremendous impact sent him staggering backward. His soles carved two long trails through the gravel, while his chest churned with pain and turbulent blood.

That exchange completely dispelled any thought of confronting it head-on.

The Quake-Armor Beast paused briefly before charging again with ferocious speed. Having learned his lesson, Lu Yuan circled to the right in advance, no longer attacking the creature's heavily defended body. His spearpoint suddenly dropped, locking firmly onto its injured right hind leg. Taking advantage of the sluggish gap as it turned, he precisely drove the spear into the crack in its old wound.

The searing pain made the Quake-Armor Beast's entire body shudder, and its hind hoof lashed out viciously. Lu Yuan had anticipated it and yanked his spear back as he retreated. Even so, the tip of the hoof still grazed his calf, making him stagger back several steps.

But that strike had also allowed him to understand his opponent's weakness. The Quake-Armor Beast's straight-line charges remained fast and fierce, but its badly injured right hind leg severely hampered its turning speed. As long as he forced it to turn repeatedly, its openings would continue to reveal themselves.

In the ensuing struggle, Lu Yuan completely stabilized the rhythm of the fight. He constantly circled and harassed the Quake-Armor Beast from its badly injured right side. Whenever it charged straight ahead, he sidestepped; whenever it turned to shift its attack, he immediately lowered his body and rushed in. His spearpoint relentlessly targeted the right hind leg and the wound on its flank. He did not greedily pursue lethal points, only continuously wore down its fighting strength.

After several rounds, Lu Yuan had gained multiple scrapes on his shoulder and calf. Blood continued to seep from the split in his palm, staining the spear shaft red. But the Quake-Armor Beast's old wounds had been torn open again and again, blood dripping continuously down its hind leg. Its originally steady and swift movements had visibly become sluggish and cumbersome.

Lu Yuan remained clear-headed. The vitality of a seven-hundred-year Spirit Beast was far beyond that of a hundred-year one. The closer it came to death, the more likely it was to launch a frenzied counterattack. He kept his mind restrained and never rashly closed in.

Sure enough, after repeatedly failing to turn and with its injuries worsening, the Quake-Armor Beast suddenly halted its attacks. It lowered its head and panted heavily for a moment, then directly turned and fled toward the exit of the stone ravine, intending to escape the battlefield.

Shao Ping and the deacon remained where they were, quietly watching without intervening.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan immediately chased after it with his spear. After fighting this long, he would never allow his opponent to escape. Though heavily injured, the Quake-Armor Beast was still not slow as it fled. Lu Yuan pursued it for more than ten zhang, and his First Spirit Ring suddenly lit up. Piercing Edge erupted instantly, propelling him through the air and closing the distance. The Piercing Spear accurately stabbed toward the base of its hind leg.

The spearpoint sank deep into flesh, and violent recoil struck again. Lu Yuan's palm split completely open, blood streaming down it. But this forceful blow thoroughly destroyed the Quake-Armor Beast's support. Its massive body suddenly lost balance and crashed heavily to the ground, sending shattered stones flying.

That Soul Skill consumed a great deal of energy, draining another portion of Lu Yuan's already limited Soul Power. Without hesitation, he quickly circled to the side, preparing to end the battle.

The Quake-Armor Beast endured the agonizing pain and struggled to rise. The broken armor plates on its flank spread apart with the movement, exposing the still-unhealed wound beneath. Lu Yuan seized that fleeting opening, gripping the spear shaft tightly with both hands and using his momentum to drive the Piercing Spear viciously into the wound, straight to the depths.

The intense pain completely enraged the Quake-Armor Beast. It suddenly rolled and struggled, its enormous strength making the spear shaft tremble violently and nearly dragging Lu Yuan down with it. Lu Yuan made a quick decision, instantly dismissing his Martial Soul to release the force before retreating rapidly. He then summoned the Piercing Spear again and returned to a fighting stance.

The Quake-Armor Beast had now gone completely berserk. Supporting itself on only three legs, it forced itself upright and charged again with its head lowered despite its severe injuries. The distance was too short for Lu Yuan to evade completely. While twisting aside to avoid the fatal collision, his shoulder was struck hard, sending him flying several feet. When he landed, the right side beneath his ribs slammed heavily against a rock, and the piercing pain abruptly stole his breath.

Outside the stone ravine, Shao Ping stepped forward half a pace. The deacon had also raised a hand, gathering power and preparing to intervene at any moment.

But Lu Yuan braced himself against his spear and gritted his teeth as he quickly rose to his feet.

He knew that the Quake-Armor Beast was already at the end of its rope, with only the ferocity of a dying counterattack left. His own Soul Power was also greatly depleted, leaving him with only enough strength for one final full release of Piercing Edge. If this spear thrust could not finish his opponent, he would have no choice but to give up today.

Dragging its crippled leg, the Quake-Armor Beast laboriously turned its body, lowered its head, and gathered strength for its final strike.

Lu Yuan stood still, calming his mind and waiting for the best moment. When his opponent charged to within several zhang, he suddenly sidestepped toward its most heavily injured right side. The Quake-Armor Beast instinctively turned to defend, but its badly injured right hind leg suddenly gave way. Its massive body instantly tilted out of balance, and the tightly fitted armor plates along its neck shifted apart, revealing a tiny gap.

The opportunity was fleeting!

The bright Yellow Spirit Ring lit up once more. Lu Yuan poured all his remaining Soul Power into his strongest attack. The power of Piercing Edge flooded the spear shaft, and its dark golden gleam surged. The Piercing Spear shot fiercely upward from below, accurately piercing through the gap in the armor and driving deep into the Quake-Armor Beast's vital point at the side of its neck.

Carried by momentum, the massive beast staggered forward several steps before crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom, falling completely silent.

Lu Yuan did not rashly approach. He stood several zhang away with his spear in hand, concentrating until he confirmed that his opponent had completely ceased moving. Only then did his taut shoulders slowly relax as he exhaled a breath of foul air.

Only then did Shao Ping and the deacon enter the stone ravine. The deacon crouched down to inspect the body carefully. After confirming that the Quake-Armor Beast was completely dead, he looked toward the perimeter. "There are no unusual movements from other Spirit Beasts nearby. I will stand guard outside." With that, he turned and withdrew.

Shao Ping walked over to Lu Yuan, raised a hand to inspect the split in his palm, then lightly pressed his shoulder and ribs. He said in a deep voice, "They are all superficial wounds. Your muscles and bones are unharmed. Treat your injuries first and recover your Soul Power. Do not rush to absorb the Spirit Ring."

Lu Yuan nodded in response and found a flat rock to sit on.

Specks of pale yellow light rose from the Quake-Armor Beast's corpse, slowly gathering and condensing into a lustrous Yellow Spirit Ring that quietly floated in the air. Its glow was gentle yet heavy. It was unmistakably an exceptional seven-hundred-and-twenty-year Spirit Ring.

Lu Yuan quickly treated his wounds, regulated his breathing, and closed his eyes to calmly recover his depleted Soul Power.

Once his Soul Power was full and his condition restored, this Second Spirit Ring, which would make up for his weakness in close combat, would completely become his own.