Shi Hao

Hiss-

Seeing that its fully charged strike had failed to hurt Li Dao, the Purple Snake's slit pupils widened.

In just the few months since they had last met, Li Dao's strength had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.

Before, he had barely been able to withstand a single strike from it. Now, he made it look effortless.

A chill shot from the base of its spine straight to the crown of its head. The bones in its tail rapidly contracted as it coiled up.

Like a spring, it launched itself at Li Dao again.

Its tail seemed to transform into an indestructible spear, arcs of purple lightning winding around it.

As it cut through the air, a faint scorched smell drifted out.

Clang-

The snake's tail collided with the Black-and-Yellow Furnace once more, unleashing an even more terrifying blast of air than before.

Li Dao formed a hand seal. Runes flickered across the Black-and-Yellow Furnace, and a blood-red rune faintly emerged.

The two were locked in a stalemate, the ripples bursting from their clash sweeping relentlessly across the surrounding wilderness.

The Taiyin River beneath them churned. Its waters overflowed, coating everything they touched in a layer of mystic ice.

Golden dao patterns flashed across Li Dao's body, and a vicious gleam shone in his eyes.

Bang! Crack-

The Black-and-Yellow Furnace shattered. Delight stirred in the Purple Snake's heart; it thought Li Dao could no longer hold out.

It poured divine power into its tail, intent on impaling Li Dao and crushing him outright!

But in the next instant, its body stiffened, as though an immense weight had pressed down on it.

A Divine Gold Chain had bound its tail tightly.

Looking down, it saw Li Dao radiating a terrifying ferocity as he wrapped his arms around its tail.

Their gazes met, and it sensed a dreadful killing intent in his eyes.

Li Dao gave it no chance to react. Holding the Purple Snake's body, he slammed it into the ground.

Boom! Crack-

An enormous crater opened in the earth, cracks spreading to either side like a spiderweb.

Li Dao did not relax his grip in the slightest. His five slender, pale fingers gleamed like white jade, yet now they were like five pincers forged from divine gold.

Keeping the Purple Snake's body firmly restrained, Li Dao swung it behind him and slammed it down again.

In his hands, the Purple Snake's enormous body was no more than a toy, smashing one great pit after another into the ground.

Pfft-

The Purple Snake writhed incessantly, but could not break free. Droplets of crimson blood spilled from its mouth.

Bang! Bang! Bang-

For a time, the dull thuds of a heavy object hitting the ground rang out beside the Taiyin River.

Meanwhile, as Li Dao dealt with the Purple Snake, somewhere not far away-

A little boy dressed in animal hide, a red silk sash tied around his waist, raced through the forest.

A tiny monkey with brilliant golden fur clung to his hair at the back of his neck, glancing behind them from time to time.

"Furball, I told you not to steal eggs! We'll be in trouble if we get caught!"

Shi Hao looked back. A Blood-Maned Tiger with menacing scales and scarlet eyes raced on all fours, pursuing them closely.

"Eek, eek, eek-"

Furball pointed at itself, then at the egg still smeared around Shi Hao's mouth, its eyes widening.

"Hehe, run, run! This big fellow really is hard to handle!"

Shi Hao paid it no mind. His steps remained steady and sure as he flew over the rugged mountain rocks.

Rumble-

Just then, the sounds of something heavy smashing into the ground reached him. Shi Hao sensed the terrifying might emanating from that direction.

His eyes rolled, and he immediately changed course, planning to divert this flood of trouble onto someone else.

"Stinking tiger, follow me if you dare!"

"Let's see if you can end up as a dish on the table!"

Behind him, the Blood-Maned Tiger seemed to sense the provocation in Shi Hao's eyes.

"Roar-"

After letting out a roar, it accelerated again, its paws making the earth tremble with every stride.

It pursued Shi Hao viciously, making no effort to conceal the killing intent in its eyes.

Beside the Taiyin River.

Bang-

Li Dao hurled the Purple Snake's body like a cannonball into a mountain, breaking the mountain in half.

"Hiss... hiss-"

As the dust dispersed, the Purple Snake crawled wretchedly out of the enormous pit. Purple lightning crackled all over its body, and violet light flashed in its eyes.

It opened its mouth, slowly gathering a searing sphere of lightning filled with terrifying thunderous power.

Squelch-

But in the next instant, a jet-black spear descended from the sky and pierced straight through its head.

The lightning sphere in its mouth burst as well. Lightning erupted, instantly spreading over the surrounding ground and scorching it black.

Li Dao folded the golden wings behind him and landed directly in front of the Purple Snake. He reached out, gripped the Evil Dragon Spear, and pulled it free.

Shhk-

The blood that came out with it was scalding hot, carrying tiny arcs of lightning.

He spun the spear beside him, flicking the blood off its tip. Behind him, five great suns blazed with countless rays of light.

On an ancient tree on the opposite bank of the Taiyin River-

Shi Hao steadied himself at the sight of the boy surrounded by five great suns. Though clearly younger than him, the boy looked extraordinarily imposing.

"Gulp-"

"What an amazing little brother! Are those cave heavens?"

"They're several times bigger than Grandpa Village Chief's cave heaven! Incredible!"

Meanwhile, Furball, perched on his shoulder, sensed the mysterious aura emanating from Li Dao.

It began waving its claws and baring its teeth, trying to tell Shi Hao something.

That mysterious aura from Li Dao frightened it despite itself, as though something deep within its soul was about to emerge.

Seeing Furball's reaction, Shi Hao assumed it, too, had been stunned by the might Li Dao had displayed.

"Furball, you..."

Just as he was about to say more, every hair on his body stood on end, and his vital energy erupted.

"Green-Scaled Eagle Treasure Art!"

He sent a rapidly spinning azure blade from his hand flying forward. At the same time, he bent his knees slightly and threw himself backward.

He shot back at tremendous speed, only to see a jet-black spear tearing through the air toward the spot where he had just stood.

He knew he had been discovered. Before he could think further, he saw the Green-Scaled Eagle Treasure Art strike the spear without inflicting the slightest damage.

The Green-Scaled Eagle Treasure Art was immediately cleaved by a streak of spear

light, splitting in two, while the spear continued with undiminished force.

It pierced straight through the Blood-Maned Tiger's body, splashing blood across the ground.

The moment he landed, Shi Hao smelled blood and looked toward its source.

He saw the Blood-Maned Tiger, split in half from head to tail.

A chill shot from the base of his spine to the crown of his head. Had he not moved first, he thought he would have been the one to die.

Yet looking at the Blood-Maned Tiger that had been so easily cleaved in two, he could not help feeling a surge of fighting spirit.

"He casually killed a ferocious beast with six cave heavens. This little brother really is amazing."

"I wonder if I could beat him in a fight at the same cultivation level!"

Fierce fighting spirit burned in his eyes. The earlier strike had not frightened him.

Moreover, he saw the Evil Dragon Spear fly back after killing the Blood-Maned Tiger.

He realized that he had been standing in the path of the other boy's attack and had suffered an undeserved calamity.

But wasn't I trying to divert this flood of trouble onto him in the first place?

He shook his head, pushed those thoughts aside, and looked toward Li Dao.