As the dust filling the sky gradually settled, Shi Yi's figure became clearer in the enormous crater. The Wind-Thunder Leopard at his feet was already on its last breath. Its once majestic coat had lost its luster, and only its faint breathing proved that a spark of life remained.
Shi Yi held a Primitive Treasure Bone traced with blue-violet lightning patterns. It radiated warmth as blood slowly dripped along its markings. Profound runes flickered across its surface, harboring mysterious power.
"Impossible... the Wind-Thunder Leopard clan... is renowned throughout the world for speed... how could I lose to you..." The Wind-Thunder Leopard's voice was barely a thread, filled with resentment and disbelief.
Shi Yi looked down at it from above, a cold light flowing through his Double Pupils. "The speed you're so proud of is nothing but child's play in my eyes. If I weren't somewhat interested in your clan's Treasure Art, your soul would have scattered to the winds long ago."
In this world, powerful races all possessed unique legacies, and Primitive Treasure Bones were the vessels that carried them. To prevent those legacies from falling into outsiders' hands, each race placed intricate formations on its treasure bones.
If someone tried to seize the bone by force, if its host died, or if the host deliberately activated the formation, it would detonate the treasure bone and destroy it completely. For countless millennia, this had been the races' unfailing method of safeguarding their legacies.
Yet before Shi Yi's Double Pupils, which could pierce through to the essence of all things, these intricate formations were mere child's play. He easily found the formation's weak points, perfectly avoided every self-destructing restriction, and extracted the precious Primitive Treasure Bone intact.
"Lowly human... in the Ancient Era, you were nothing but food for the other races... now you dare covet our legacy... you're bringing annihilation upon the entire Human Race..." The Wind-Thunder Leopard spent its last strength on this curse, its eyes gleaming with venomous hatred.
At those words, a cold smile curled Shi Yi's lips. "It seems you remnant clans have spent far too long in this secret realm. The Ancient Era has long since passed into history. The Human Race of today is no longer a swarm of ants for others to slaughter at will." He gently stroked the treasure bone in his hand. "Now you can die in peace."
With its Primitive Treasure Bone removed, the Wind-Thunder Leopard's vitality drained away rapidly. It widened its eyes in defiance, as though trying to engrave the face of the human before it deep into its soul. In the end, however, its eyes closed helplessly, and its life was extinguished. Only fine dust stirred by a passing breeze remained in the crater, bearing witness to this brief clash of life and death.
Shi Yi gazed at the Wind-Thunder Leopard's corpse, his Double Pupils flickering slightly as though he were weighing the gains and losses. A moment later, he swept his hand through the air. Runes flowed across his palm as he extracted all the treasure blood that had yet to dissipate from the leopard's body and collected it in a jade bottle.
"Back in Medicine Capital, Master used a great quantity of medicinal ingredients to revive me. Their medicinal power is still stored in my body, enough even to attempt a breakthrough to the Venerable Realm," he murmured to himself. "But that would inevitably leave my foundation hollow. If I broke through, it would surely become a hidden danger later."
His gaze deepened, and his thoughts surged. Rather than rush to advance his realm, he would use this opportunity to strengthen his foundation, using fierce beast treasure blood as a catalyst to make up for his shortcomings in the Blood Moving Realm. After all, true powerhouses were never built by piling up cultivation realms, but by perfecting every step.
"Looks like I'll have to hunt down some suitable fierce beasts." Shi Yi's lips curved slightly, and a trace of icy battle intent flashed in his eyes.
After leaving the Wind-Thunder Leopard's territory, Shi Yi searched along his way for suitable targets. This secret realm held many fierce beasts, but most were mediocre in strength and could hardly meet his needs.
Only several days later did he finally discover a Primordial Remnant with a savage aura deep within a gloomy swamp-a Primordial Bull Python.
This fierce beast was in the late stage of the Array Formation Realm. Its entire body was black as ink, long and slender like a python's, yet covered in hard armored scales, each gleaming with a chilling sheen.
Its head resembled a wild bull's, with two sharp horns whose tips faintly glowed a sinister green, clearly harboring deadly poison.
At that moment, the Primordial Bull Python lay coiled in the center of the swamp, breathing poisonous mist. Every plant within a hundred zhang had withered, and even the air had become foul and pungent.
Sensing Shi Yi's presence, it abruptly raised its head. Ferocity blazed in its bronze-bell-sized eyes, and two streams of black mist shot from its nostrils. Its low roar shook the swamp mud into churning waves.
"A human?" The Primordial Bull Python spoke in a hoarse, sinister voice. "You dare enter my territory? You're courting death!"
Shi Yi remained calm. Runes flowed within his Double Pupils, and he had already seen through the fierce beast's weaknesses. He slowly raised a hand, gathering a strand of dazzling divine light in his palm, and said mildly, "I'm taking your blood."
Before his words had faded, the Primordial Bull Python flew into a rage. Its enormous body shot forward like a bolt of black lightning, lunging straight at Shi Yi!
Boom!
The Primordial Bull Python's mountain-like body charged with savage force. Wherever it passed, swamp mud exploded and poisonous mist churned. Shi Yi's eyes turned cold. Rather than retreat, he stepped forward, abruptly clenched his right fist, and met the charge head-on, dazzling runes flowing over his knuckles!
Bam!
The instant his fist struck the bull's horn, savage force erupted. Shock waves swept in every direction like raging surf, blasting a crater dozens of zhang wide into the swamp below. Mud sprayed everywhere like a torrential downpour.
Man and beast held each other at a stalemate, but just then-
Hiss!
A piercing whistle suddenly tore through the air! The Primordial Bull Python's thick tail swept toward him like a steel whip, its pitch-black scales flashing with a chilling light. Wherever it passed, even the air cracked under its lash!
Shi Yi's pupils contracted slightly. His Double Pupils instantly caught the incoming killing strike, and he decisively withdrew his force, retreating like a phantom.
Whoosh!
The python's tail swept past almost flush against his face, its sharp gale cutting a thin bloody line across his cheek. Yet before he could steady himself, the Primordial Bull Python abruptly twisted its head. Its two black horns slammed toward his chest like a pair of razor-sharp war spears!
Boom!
The blow struck Shi Yi squarely. His body flew backward like a falling star and crashed heavily into the depths of the swamp. The earth shuddered, and waves of mud surged into the sky!
At the bottom of the enormous crater, Shi Yi slowly straightened. He raised a hand to wipe a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, then rolled his neck, producing a series of crisp cracks.
"As expected of a Primordial Remnant renowned for strength. This is somewhat interesting." His lips curved slightly, and the battle intent in his eyes burned brighter. "But that's all you amount to."
The Primordial Bull Python growled, a trace of startled doubt flashing through its scarlet eyes. That charge had been powerful enough to shatter an ordinary Array Formation Realm expert's flesh and bones, yet this human had suffered only a minor injury?
"Human, you can take more punishment than I imagined." The Primordial Bull Python's voice was low, poisonous mist churning around its body. "But the next blow will kill you without fail!"
Shi Yi chuckled at those words. The runes surrounding him abruptly blazed, and an even more terrifying aura slowly rose.
"Is that so? Then give it a try."