Guo Li had spent years roaming the world. Most of the time, he had only dabbled in petty dealings, making a living through street-level schemes no different from those of common hoodlums, but he had also fought others with real blades and spears. He was a ruthless man who could stomach bloodshed and dared to fight for his life.
The instant he sensed his body was about to freeze, he drove his essence blood into action regardless of the cost, using Essence-Blood Spirit Offering to summon the earth-rank spirit hidden within him.
On the previously empty ground, the demon tiger serving as his mount was instantly swallowed by ice and snow, turning into an ice sculpture. Another spirit creature materialized out of thin air, shielding him from the wind and frost.
It was a jackal-like demon beast that resembled a wolf yet was not one, with a long, pointed muzzle. Its form manifested through Spirit Garment Protection, wrapping Guo Li like fiercely burning flames.
Guo Li had not yet cultivated to the point where he could draw in that spiritual radiance and flame to condense a dharma aspect within his body, but he had grasped the spirit creature's traits and possessed genuine middle earth-rank strength.
This spirit creature was called Sharp Fang, a demon beast famed among Fur Beasts for its cunning and cruelty. It was naturally adept at stealth and ambush, with agility as its greatest strength.
This kind of demon beast had an imprinting instinct much like that of birds, treating the first living being it saw upon opening its eyes as its parent. Years ago, Guo Li had happened to find a Sharp Fang cub that had taken refuge in his home on a night of driving wind and rain. That was how his rise had begun.