Not far away, five Fifth-Order Magical Beasts were watching the battlefield.
They were all subordinates of the Lion King: the Fifth-Order Magical Beast Spineburst Mad Ape,
the Fifth-Order Magical Beast Wind-Piercing Eagle,
the Fifth-Order Magical Beast Howling Moon Wolf King,
the Fifth-Order Magical Beast Fanged Tusk Boar,
and the Fifth-Order Magical Beast Silver Spirit Snake King.
They merely watched the battlefield, showing no intention of intervening. It was not that they did not want to, but that they did not dare.
The Lion King had the dignity of an emperor and would not allow anyone to interfere in his battles. If they intervened without his permission, they would receive not a shred of gratitude, but boundless fury.
Thus, all five magical beasts tacitly stayed out of it, quietly waiting nearby for the battle to end.
The battle overhead continued, waves of energy scattering in every direction. The Wind-Piercing Eagle was accidentally struck by one of the shock waves, causing its head to tilt.
That slight movement brought into view a human it had once "thought about day and night."
"Scree!"
Its old fury and killing intent surged up, and the Wind-Piercing Eagle could not suppress a piercing cry.
Its reaction also drew the attention of the other four magical beasts.
Following its gaze, they saw a human hiding behind a boulder not far away, secretly watching the battle overhead.
The Spineburst Mad Ape immediately recognized him as well. He was the human who had enslaved its capable subordinate.
It could never forget that human's infuriating expression when he had escaped its palm, then turned back to smile at it.
That smile had been carved deep into its memory, leaving it seething with frustration for a long time afterward.
"Roar!"
The Spineburst Mad Ape let out an enraged howl, passing the information to the other magical beasts.
The other four, including the Wind-Piercing Eagle, learned about the human from its howl and froze for a moment.
Then uncontrollable killing intent welled up in the eyes of all five beasts.
So this was the human who had been stealing away their subordinates all this time!
The Wind-Piercing Eagle was even more furious. Not only had this wretched human escaped its talons, he had also enslaved one of its subordinates!
Even if Uncle could stomach this, Auntie certainly could not!
Without waiting for the others to move, the Wind-Piercing Eagle beat its wings and dove toward Xiao Yu with tremendous force!
Elsewhere,
Xiao Yu was still enjoying the spectacle when a sudden sense of danger rose from the depths of his soul, rather like Spider-Man's spider-sense.
He turned to look into the distance, only to see a gigantic eagle hurtling toward him amid raging winds!
Fuck.
Xiao Yu had never imagined he would run into an old feathered acquaintance here.
For a moment, memories of being riddled with wounds by the Wind-Piercing Eagle resurfaced piece by piece.
"I haven't even come looking for you yet, and you're already picking a fight with me?!"
Xiao Yu was furious. Their last encounter had been his most wretched experience since arriving on the Dou Qi Continent. He had nearly died beneath its talons.
This was a blood feud. He had planned to settle the score after becoming a Dou Wang or Dou Emperor, yet here they were. Enemies truly met on the narrowest roads.
Without wasting words, Xiao Yu unleashed all his Dou Qi. Blue-Silver Cold Lightning and Extreme-Breaking Ice Flame erupted from his body, releasing an aura stronger than a Dou Ling's but weaker than a Dou Wang's.
The Wind-Piercing Eagle ignored that aura and tore through the air with hundreds of wind blades.
Channeling Blue-Silver Cold Lightning and Extreme-Breaking Ice Flame through both hands, Xiao Yu charged toward it as well. This time, he would teach the beast a lesson.
"Uh..."
Just as Xiao Yu was about to strike the Wind-Piercing Eagle with a Blue-Silver Flash, he abruptly turned around. Lightning burst beneath his feet, and he fled into the distance at full speed.
The Wind-Piercing Eagle was utterly baffled. A moment ago, this hateful human had been charging in, brimming with aggression and ready to fight. Why had he turned tail the very next instant?
Confusion in its eyes, it glanced behind itself and immediately understood. Four magical beasts were charging up behind it, their target clearly Xiao Yu!
Then cruelty filled its eyes, and it pursued him in the direction he had fled.
Overhead, Yun Yun and the Amethyst Winged Lion King did not notice what was happening below. A battle between Dou Emperors left no room for distraction.
Xiao Yu had never expected that, just as he decided to fight the Wind-Piercing Eagle with everything he had, four Fifth-Order Magical Beasts would appear behind it!
"This beast has no martial honor!"
As he cursed the Wind-Piercing Eagle through gritted teeth, Xiao Yu thanked his luck that he had not become tangled up in a fight with it.
Otherwise, once those four Fifth-Order Magical Beasts arrived, he would have had to face all five alone.
"Brr..."
The thought of that terrifying outcome sent a chill through him, so he urged his Dou Qi on again and fled even faster.
"Scree!"
Before long, an eagle's cry rang out behind him, accompanied by sharp talons clawing toward his head.
Xiao Yu's expression darkened. The beast had caught up after all. It truly was a king of the winds, with speed rivaling a Sixth-Order Magical Beast.
He darted aside, avoiding the incoming talons, then kicked backward with one leg and flipped upward, dodging the wind blades howling toward him.
"Heh, now there's really no escape. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come."
Xiao Yu muttered with a bitter smile. With the Wind-Piercing Eagle holding him up, he no longer had any chance of escaping the encirclement. He could already feel oppressive auras approaching from the other directions.
Clearly, the five Fifth-Order Magical Beasts had surrounded him.
"Whew!"
Suppressing the little fear in his heart, Xiao Yu exhaled a warm breath, making yet another contribution to continent-wide warming.
He did not know whether he would survive this time. He had originally intended to leave the Magical Beast Mountain Range after breaking through to Dou Ling, but a little greed had landed him in this deadly predicament.
Still, none of that mattered now. It had already happened, and regret was useless. What came next would depend on him.
"If I can't escape, then I'll fight for my life!"
Once he calmed down, Xiao Yu immediately launched an attack on the Wind-Piercing Eagle.
To break out of this crisis, he had to kill it first. Otherwise, escape would be impossible.
Once the Wind-Piercing Eagle was dead, no beast could hold him back. The others would never be able to catch him.
Icy blue light flared. Xiao Yu bent his legs and sprang forward, instantly appearing before the Wind-Piercing Eagle's face. Without hesitation, he unleashed a Blue-Silver Extreme-Breaking combination of punches.
With Blue-Silver Cold Lightning and Extreme-Breaking Ice Flame reinforcing his fists, their power increased tremendously. The Wind-Piercing Eagle struggled to fend him off and could only send wind blades stabbing toward him from behind.
Having experienced the wind blades' power before, Xiao Yu would not fall for them easily. Now the explosive speed of a lightning-attribute Dou Zhe came into its own.
He flashed downward, avoiding the blades, and returned to the ground with a lightning afterimage trailing behind him. Then he stamped his foot again and darted behind the Wind-Piercing Eagle, intending to strike once more.
After suffering those painful blows, the Wind-Piercing Eagle no longer underestimated this human. The instant Xiao Yu vanished, it beat its wings and left its position, causing his attack to miss.
All of this happened within a single breath.
Yet at that moment, the other four magical beasts caught up.
They offered Xiao Yu no courtesies, swarming him all at once.
Seeing the danger, Xiao Yu darted several times in succession to avoid their attacks. Finally, he sprang forcefully off the ground, using the tremendous momentum to remain airborne for a moment.
His left hand brushed the Storage Ring on his right index finger, and an imposing greatsword appeared in his grasp.
Gripping the greatsword in his right hand, Xiao Yu stirred his dantian. Surging streams of Dou Qi poured through his meridians, extending from his right hand into the blade.
The magic core in the hilt instantly lit up, casting icy blue radiance in every direction. Frost clung to the blade, while lightning and flames coiled around it.
With a shake of his left hand, purple force burst forth, dyeing his entire left arm a deep violet.
Within that purple light, the might of heaven came rolling forth.
His eyes changed color as well. Purple light poured from his left eye, while blue and silver intertwined in his right.
"Come and fight!"
Brimming with fighting spirit, Xiao Yu unleashed his full strength, seeking only to battle his way toward a sliver of survival!
The five magical beasts sensed the peerless might emanating from him, already on par with their own rank-five power. None dared be careless, and they all launched fierce attacks.
"Scree!"
With a cry from the Wind-Piercing Eagle, hundreds of wind blades condensed and shot toward Xiao Yu!
"Roar!"
Not to be outdone, the Spineburst Mad Ape charged furiously at Xiao Yu alongside the Fanged Tusk Boar, its body covered in spikes. They intended to engage him in close combat.
The Howling Moon Wolf King spat out a crescent-shaped energy slash. Moonlight flowed across its surface, and its edge was so sharp that anyone grazed by it would surely have their head severed from their body.
The Silver Spirit Snake King's attack was simpler. It opened its jaws, and a small opening beneath its tongue spat out a straight stream of foul-smelling liquid, shooting directly toward Xiao Yu.
With his powerful soul perception, Xiao Yu sensed every detail of the five beasts' attacks in less than a second.
Clang, clang, clang...!
Not daring to be careless, Xiao Yu extended the greatsword in his right hand and used Dou Qi to spin it, forming a circular barrier of sword energy to fend off the wind blades.
The wind blades struck the barrier and were destroyed by lightning and flames, turning into ordinary air.
Gray baleful energy rose around his right foot. Finding purchase in empty air, he shot upward and stamped down on the crescent slash. Dark gray flames spread across it, corroding it away in an instant.
Once the wind blades stopped, Xiao Yu immediately pulled back his sword, turned, and slashed downward. The Spineburst Mad Ape and Fanged Tusk Boar had already reached his back!
"Roar!"
The Spineburst Mad Ape had seen the lightning and flames on the greatsword and did not dare take the blow with its head. Instead, it crossed its arms, the bristles on them standing straighter and growing sharper.
Boom!
Their collision produced a tremendous crash, and the resulting force hurled both human and ape several meters apart.
"Oink!"
Left momentarily rigid by the recoil, Xiao Yu had no time to dodge. The Fanged Tusk Boar's tusk pierced straight through his abdomen!
"Ugh..."
Xiao Yu grunted in pain. Before he could free himself from the tusk, a stream of venom shot toward his face.
In his panic, he could only raise his arm to block it.
Hiss, hiss, hiss...
The venom struck the white sleeve covering Xiao Yu's left arm, producing a sizzling sound. That sound alone revealed its extraordinary toxicity.
Enduring the agony, Xiao Yu kicked the Fanged Tusk Boar in the head with his left foot, using the resulting force to wrench his body free.
Then he flew backward, putting distance between them.
I'm a new author and not very good at writing fights. If there are parts I haven't written well, please offer some guidance. Any suggestions are welcome too; otherwise, I keep feeling that this book is lifeless.
Let's all improve together.
Um, I'd also like to ask for an investment. If you still have a free investment opportunity and enjoy this book, please consider investing. Thank you.
Before you continue