After leaving Mist Canyon, Hillman raced deeper into the Magical Beast Forest.
The farther he traveled into its heart, the denser and thicker the surrounding natural energy became, as though it had turned into tangible mist. With every breath, he could feel pure energy flowing through his limbs and bones. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, their thick branches interlacing into a natural canopy that split the blazing sunlight into tiny flecks scattered across the thick layer of decaying leaves. Beneath those leaves, unknown fungi gave off a faint fluorescence, weaving together with the flecks of light into a fantastical display of light and shadow. The air carried the crisp scent of vegetation and the rank musk of magical beasts, the two mingling into something primal and dangerous. Long beast roars occasionally reached his ears, some deep, others shrill. Each carried a heart-quaking pressure, clearly beyond anything an ordinary high-level magical beast could produce.
[Ding! Detected: surrounding natural energy concentration has risen to ten times that of the outside world. Cultivation efficiency bonus: 50%! Host is advised to take this opportunity to refine the remaining energy in the Winged Bird Dragon magic core and challenge the bottleneck of the half-step Saint-level peak!]
The system notification sounded at just the right moment, but Hillman merely shook his head. His destination was Blackwind Valley, recorded in the Dragonblood Secret Manual, where earth elemental energy was even denser and the Earth Core Body-Tempering Flower could help him break through to Saint-level. For now, reaching his destination took priority; he could not afford the slightest delay. He kept his earth affinity talent active, blending his presence into the surrounding rocks and vegetation. His steps were as light as a wildcat's, his feet making not the slightest sound against the decaying leaves as he sped through the forest.
That day, Hillman was following the direction recorded in the manual when he reached a stretch of rolling hills. Suddenly, a terrifying surge of energy swept toward him from several miles ahead. It was so powerful that the air twisted slightly, and even the ground beneath him rumbled as though an ancient behemoth were awakening.
[Ding! Highest-level danger alert! Two Saint-level energy signatures detected!] [Target one: Purple-Striped Black Bear. Early Saint-level, earth-element magical beast. Specializes in earth manipulation and physical combat!] [Target two: Crimson Flame Demon Python. Early Saint-level, fire-element magical beast. Specializes in flame breath and constriction!] [Warning! The two energy signatures are colliding violently. The area covered by the energy shock waves continues to expand. Host is already at the edge of the danger zone!]
The system's alarm rang urgently, its red warning text almost exploding inside Hillman's mind. Every hair on his body instantly stood on end, and even the battle qi within him began to churn involuntarily.
Deeply shaken, Hillman instinctively suppressed his entire presence and darted behind the thick trunk of a thousand-year-old tree. It would have taken more than ten people joining hands to encircle the trunk. Its rough, hard bark was covered in furrows left by the years, and it concealed him completely. Peeking out with only half his head, he held his breath and looked toward the source of the energy fluctuations.
Above the distant hills, two enormous magical beasts were fighting with earth-shaking force. The surrounding hills had been razed flat, rocks hurtled through the air, and dust filled the sky. On the left, the Purple-Striped Black Bear was over fifteen meters long, covered in fur as hard as black iron. Purple markings flickered beneath its fur, moving like living things, and every swipe of its paws unleashed a visible shock wave. On the right, the Crimson Flame Demon Python had a body as massive as a small mountain and stretched over thirty meters long. Its scarlet scales gleamed with an eerie sheen, and as its forked tongue flicked in and out, scorching heat warped the surrounding air.
The battle between the two Saint-level magical beasts grew fiercer. The Purple-Striped Black Bear slammed both paws into the ground, sending dozens of ten-meter earth spikes erupting upward and shooting toward the Crimson Flame Demon Python. The python twisted aside and spat a three-meter-thick column of flame, blasting a nearby hill into a pool of lava. Energy shock waves spread outward like tides, flinging millstone-sized rocks into the air and snapping towering ancient trees at the waist, black smoke rising from their broken trunks.
[Ding! Detected: energy shock waves are spreading toward the host. Estimated arrival in ten seconds! Host is advised to evacuate immediately!]
The system notification sounded again. Not daring to hesitate, Hillman turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. At the same time, he pushed his earth affinity talent to its limit, a pale earthen-yellow glow enveloping his body.
[Ding! Earth affinity talent operating at full capacity. Speed bonus: 30%. Presence concealment effectiveness increased by 50%!]
The system's support took effect instantly. Hillman shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, the soil beneath his feet seemingly lending him strength as his speed reached its limit.
But just then, a terrifying energy fluctuation suddenly locked onto him. Clinging to him like maggots to bone, it sent a chill through his entire body and made his hair stand on end.
[Ding! Warning! In the Purple-Striped Black Bear's enraged state, an earth-element shock wave has veered off course and is heading toward the host!] [Shock wave level: Saint-level basic attack. Powerful enough to severely injure someone at the half-step Saint-level peak!] [Host is advised to cast Earth Shield immediately and concentrate all battle qi on defense!]
The system notification had barely ended when Hillman felt a mortal threat behind him. He whipped his head around and saw an earthen-yellow shock wave more than ten meters wide bearing down on him like a small mountain, pulverizing every tree and rock in its path.
Not daring to delay in the slightest, Hillman unleashed all his remaining battle qi, pressed both hands against the ground, and roared, "Earth Shield!"
[Ding! Host detected casting Earth Shield. Battle qi input: 98%! Shield hardness temporarily increased to the limit of half-step Saint-level!]
In an instant, a thick earthen shield five meters tall and three meters wide materialized behind him. It contained all the battle qi he had at that moment, its surface shimmering with a rich earthen-yellow glow, its hardness far beyond the ordinary.
Yet against an attack from a Saint-level powerhouse, all of it remained utterly fragile.
"Boom!"
With a deafening crash, the earthen shield collided violently with the shock wave. Almost the instant they touched, the shield shattered like glass, and terrifying residual energy swept over him like a tide.
[Ding! Host has sustained severe injuries! Six ribs broken, internal organs damaged by concussion, battle qi reserves below 5%!] [Detected: host's vital signs are dropping rapidly. Immediate consumption of a healing pill is advised!]
The system notification carried a hint of urgency. Hillman flew backward like a kite with a severed string and slammed into an ancient tree, coughing up a large mouthful of blood as his vision repeatedly darkened.
The agony nearly made him pass out, but the system's warnings forced him to stay conscious. He knew that if he delayed another moment, he would certainly die when the next energy shock wave arrived. Enduring the excruciating pain, he fumbled a healing pill out of his storage space and stuffed it into his mouth-it was a top-grade healing pill awarded by the system, far more effective than ordinary medicinal herbs.
[Ding! Top-grade healing pill has taken effect. Wound healing speed increased by 200%. Internal organ damage alleviated!]
A warm current instantly swept through his body, easing the piercing agony. Gritting his teeth, Hillman struggled to his feet and sprinted away once more. He did not dare look back; his mind held only the system's constantly updating notifications.
[Ding! The battle between the Purple-Striped Black Bear and the Crimson Flame Demon Python has reached a fever pitch. The area covered by the energy shock waves has expanded again!] [Distance between host and battlefield: 500 meters → 800 meters → 1,200 meters...] [Danger level: extremely high → high → moderate...]
After he had fled for an unknown length of time, the rumbling behind him finally began to fade until it disappeared altogether. The system notifications finally grew calmer as well.
[Ding! Host has left the danger zone!] [Current physical condition: severely injured, fractured ribs, internal organ concussion, battle qi reserves below 5%!] [Host is advised to find a safe, concealed location, take pills, and refine a magic core to recover!]
Only then did Hillman dare stop. Leaning against a large tree, he gasped for breath, every muscle in his body trembling. He looked down at his injuries, his face as pale as paper. That energy shock wave had merely grazed him, yet it had already left him severely injured. Had it struck him head-on, there might not even have been bones left.
"A Saint-level powerhouse... truly terrifying," Hillman murmured, his eyes filled with awe. Without the system's timely warning and support, he would likely have died there today.
Hillman did not dare linger. Following the system's directions, he found a secluded cave. He took his remaining healing pills, then brought out the Winged Bird Dragon magic core and began refining it. Outside the cave, danger still lurked everywhere in the depths of the Magical Beast Forest, but with the system's assistance, Hillman felt a little more confident.
He knew this was only his first trial after entering the depths of the Magical Beast Forest. More dangers and opportunities still awaited him.
Before you continue