The Black Qilin Leopard leader was astonishingly fast. In the thick mist, it became little more than a black shadow, its claws gleaming with a chilling light as it lunged straight at him amid a powerful, bloody gust.
Xiao Yan's pupils narrowed slightly. The Dou Qi beneath his feet-most of which had now transformed into Origin Qi, though he still used the old name out of habit-erupted, sending him gliding several meters back and to the side like a ghost. He narrowly avoided the deadly swipe.
"Screech!"
The Black Qilin Leopard's claws brushed past his shoulder, trailing sparks. Five deep claw marks scored the hard rock beneath him, sending fragments flying.
So fast!
Xiao Yan was inwardly startled. The Black Qilin Leopard leader was even faster than some of the Dou Zun-class magical beasts he had encountered on the Dou Qi Continent. It was evidently an instinct honed by years of hunting in the mist.
Before he could regain his footing, the other four Black Qilin Leopards pounced, attacking from all sides and cutting off every avenue of escape. Their claws and fangs, combined with movements that rendered them nearly invisible in the mist, formed a vast, deadly net.
"Come on, then!"
There was no fear in Xiao Yan's eyes. Instead, a spark of fighting spirit ignited within them. Rather than retreat, he advanced, unleashing all the Origin Qi in his body. The Green Lotus Core Flame quietly rose, forming a faint halo of fire over his skin. Its scorching heat instantly drove away the surrounding chill and made the charging Black Qilin Leopards falter slightly-the deterrent power of Heavenly Flames over exotic beasts was unmistakable.
"Rock Shatter!"
With a low shout, Xiao Yan clenched his fist. Origin Qi gathered upon it until it became tangible, and he smashed it toward the head of the Black Qilin Leopard to his left with the force to topple mountains and shatter rocks.
The Black Qilin Leopard had clearly not expected this human to dare counterattack. A flicker of panic passed through its eyes, and it instinctively raised a forepaw to block.
"Bang!"
Fist and claw met with a muffled thud. The Black Qilin Leopard let out a shrill scream, its massive body hurled sideways as though struck by a boulder. It slammed into a huge rock, the sound of bones breaking clearly audible. After struggling a few times, it lay still-Xiao Yan had killed it with a single punch!
He had killed an Initial Origin King Black Qilin Leopard with one punch!
The brutal sight stunned the remaining three Black Qilin Leopards and their leader for a moment. They looked at Xiao Yan with a measure of apprehension.
But the leader's apprehension was quickly replaced by rage. It let out another screech and blurred, leaving an afterimage in its place while its body appeared behind Xiao Yan, its claws viciously raking toward the center of his back.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Yan had been ready. His soul force had long since locked onto its movements. He spun around, held two fingers of his left hand together like a sword, and sent an extremely condensed ribbon of Origin Qi slicing through the air. At the same time, he flicked his right hand, sending several flaming lotus seeds infused with the power of Heavenly Flames whistling toward it.
The ribbon of Origin Qi slashed toward the Black Qilin Leopard leader's waist with a sharp gust, while the flaming lotus seeds cut off its escape routes.
Alarm flashed in the Black Qilin Leopard leader's eyes. It could sense the terrifying power contained in the flames and dared not take the attacks head-on. It forcibly twisted its body and narrowly avoided the ribbon of Origin Qi, but a flaming lotus seed grazed its hind leg.
"Hiss!"
The flaming lotus seed erupted. How could ordinary flames compare to the power of the Green Lotus Core Flame? Even that glancing blow instantly set its fur alight. The intense pain drew an anguished roar from the Black Qilin Leopard leader and made it falter.
Now!
Xiao Yan seized the fleeting opportunity and darted forward like lightning. His right fist, infused with the full measure of his Origin Qi and a trace of the Fallen Heart Flame's overbearing power, smashed viciously toward the Black Qilin Leopard leader's head!
That punch brought together his control over Origin Qi, the empowerment of Heavenly Flames, and the experience accumulated through years of battle. It struck with tremendous force, leaving no room to dodge!
"Bang!"
Another muffled boom rang out, like a thunderclap exploding in the mist.
The Black Qilin Leopard leader's head burst apart like a watermelon, scattering blood and brains. Its massive body swayed, then crashed to the ground, completely lifeless.
With their leader dead, the remaining three Black Qilin Leopards panicked. Fear showed in their eyes, and they no longer dared approach, merely pacing where they stood and letting out low whimpers.
Xiao Yan gave them no chance to hesitate. He moved among them like a tiger in a flock of sheep, alternating between Origin Qi and Heavenly Flames, striking with fists and palms, chopping and slashing.
Screams rang out one after another. In just a few moments, the last three Black Qilin Leopards lay in pools of blood, all defeated by Xiao Yan.
Silence returned to Mist Valley, broken only by Xiao Yan's slightly labored breathing.
He looked calmly at the Black Qilin Leopard corpses covering the ground. Though the battle had been dangerous, it had made him more proficient in his use of Origin Qi and given him a more direct understanding of the fighting power of exotic beasts in the Great Thousand World.
"The Black Qilin Leopards' fur and claws are good materials." Xiao Yan stepped forward, drew a dagger, and removed the fur, claws, and inner cores from all five Black Qilin Leopards. These things should fetch quite a few Origin Qi Pills at the Beast Hunting Pavilion; he couldn't let them go to waste.
After dealing with his spoils, Xiao Yan continued deeper into Mist Valley. With the deterrent of his Heavenly Flames and his recent killing of the Black Qilin Leopard leader, he encountered no more blind exotic beasts along the way.
The deeper he went, the thicker the mist became, until it even began to interfere with his soul force's probing. Xiao Yan dared not be careless. He slowed his pace and carefully observed his surroundings.
According to the map, Mist Valley's Spiritual Origin Crystals were mainly found in a place called the Crystal Light Cave.
After walking for another hour or so, he glimpsed a faint seven-colored light through the mist ahead. At the same time, the concentration of Origin Qi in the air abruptly increased severalfold.
"I'm here." Delighted, Xiao Yan quickened his pace.
He passed through the final layer of dense mist, and the view before him suddenly opened up.
It was an enormous cavern, its inner walls studded with countless Spiritual Origin Crystals of varying sizes. They radiated brilliant seven-colored light, illuminating the entire cavern like a paradise. The Origin Qi within the crystals was so dense it was nearly liquid; with a single breath, he could feel the Origin Qi in his body coursing joyfully.
"Such dense Origin Qi!" Xiao Yan exclaimed. The number of Spiritual Origin Crystals in the Crystal Light Cave far exceeded his expectations.
He did not immediately begin mining. Instead, he carefully inspected the cavern first, only getting to work after confirming there was no danger.
The Spiritual Origin Crystals were embedded in the rock and were not easy to remove. They had to be carefully pried loose with Origin Qi. Xiao Yan patiently mined them one by one, storing the high-quality crystals in his Storage Ring.
Before he knew it, an hour had passed. He had accumulated nearly a hundred Spiritual Origin Crystals in his Storage Ring, including quite a few high-grade crystals that were large and pure in color.
"That should be enough." Xiao Yan glanced at his haul and nodded in satisfaction. Even if he gained nothing else afterward, these Spiritual Origin Crystals alone would be enough to earn the city lord's manor's reward.
Just as he was preparing to leave, faint footsteps suddenly came from deep within the cavern.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. He immediately suppressed his presence and hid behind a huge rock, quietly extending his soul force toward the sound.
Two figures emerged from the depths of the cavern. Leading them was an elderly man in blue robes, none other than the Wang Clan elder Qian Tong had mentioned. His cultivation had reached Advanced Origin King. Following him was a young man in his twenties, dressed in fine clothes, with the cultivation of an Initial Origin King. He was presumably a member of the Wang Clan.
"Elder Wang, there really are plenty of Spiritual Origin Crystals here!" The young man looked at the crystals gleaming on the cavern walls, a greedy smile spreading across his face. "With these Spiritual Origin Crystals, I have hope of breaking through to Intermediate Origin King!"
The blue-robed elder stroked his beard, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. "Indeed, the Crystal Light Cave lives up to its reputation. But let's move quickly. We shouldn't stay here long."
As they spoke, the two began mining Spiritual Origin Crystals. They worked roughly, blasting the rock directly with Origin Qi and collecting the crystals along with the rubble, plainly wasting a great deal of the resources.
Xiao Yan frowned but said nothing. He did not want a conflict with the Wang Clan and planned to leave after they had gone.
But things did not go as he wished.
After mining for a while, the young man in fine clothes happened to glance at the rock hiding Xiao Yan. A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, and he immediately shouted, "Who's there? Come out!"
The blue-robed elder also became alert at once, releasing his Advanced Origin King presence without restraint and enveloping the entire cavern.
Xiao Yan knew he could no longer hide, so he walked out from behind the rock and looked at them calmly.
"You?" The young man recognized Xiao Yan as the person who had crossed paths with Li Xuantong at the city gate. Disdain flashed in his eyes. "So it's that wild outsider. You dare come to the Crystal Light Cave for a share of the spoils?"
The blue-robed elder sized Xiao Yan up. Sensing the presence of an Initial Origin King within him, he looked at him with contempt. "Boy, this isn't a place you belong. If you know what's good for you, get lost and leave your Spiritual Origin Crystals behind. We might just spare your life."
Xiao Yan said indifferently, "The Crystal Light Cave isn't the Wang Clan's private property. What gives you the right to make me leave?"
"What gives us the right?" The young man in fine clothes sneered. "The fact that we're from the Wang Clan! Around Northern Region City, the Wang Clan's word is law! You're a piece of trash who crawled up from some little realm, and you dare challenge the Wang Clan?"
The blue-robed elder's expression darkened as well. "It seems you won't know how high the heavens are or how thick the earth is until I teach you a lesson. Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, I'll have to take action myself!"
Before he finished speaking, the blue-robed elder moved. He blurred, appearing before Xiao Yan in an instant, and struck with his palm. A fierce wind accompanied the blow as his Advanced Origin King presence pressed down like a mountain. Clearly, he thought little of Xiao Yan and intended to subdue him in one move.
Xiao Yan's gaze turned cold as he circulated his Origin Qi and Heavenly Flames at the same time. He knew that against an Advanced Origin King expert, he had to give it his all.
"Heaven Burning Palm!"
Xiao Yan gave a low shout. The Green Lotus Core Flame blazed over his right palm, perfectly fused with his Origin Qi, and met the blue-robed elder's palm with the force to burn mountains and boil seas.
"Bang!"
Their palms collided, and a terrifying shock wave of power instantly spread outward. The Spiritual Origin Crystals in the cavern walls rattled, and quite a few low-grade crystals shattered outright.
The blue-robed elder felt an incomparably overbearing, scorching power surge from the other man's palm. His Origin Qi was instantly burned away and scattered, and a piercing pain shot through his arm. He involuntarily staggered back three steps before regaining his balance.
He stared at Xiao Yan in shock, his eyes full of disbelief. "You... how can there be Origin Fire in your Origin Qi? And how can it be so powerful?"
He had never imagined that a seemingly ordinary Initial Origin King youth could withstand one of his palm strikes and even force him back!
The young man in fine clothes was equally dumbfounded, clearly not having expected this result.
Xiao Yan gave him no chance to react. While his previous strength was spent and fresh strength had yet to arise, Xiao Yan closed in again and swept up his left hand. The Fallen Heart Flame formed a whip of fire that lashed toward the blue-robed elder's waist with a sharp gust.
The blue-robed elder's expression changed drastically. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly circulated his Origin Qi to protect his body while retreating rapidly.
"Sizzle!"
Although the fire whip failed to strike him directly, the scorching blast still caught his robe, instantly burning a large hole in it and leaving a charred mark on his skin.
"Damn it!" The blue-robed elder was both shocked and furious. When had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"Boy, you've thoroughly enraged me! Today, I'll grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!"
A vicious glint flashed in the blue-robed elder's eyes. His hands rapidly formed seals as he unleashed his Advanced Origin King presence without restraint. The temperature in the entire cavern seemed to drop several degrees.
"Wang Clan secret art-Cold Bone Spikes!"
At his low shout, countless spikes of Origin Qi imbued with a frigid chill appeared out of thin air and shot toward Xiao Yan like a torrential downpour, cutting off every avenue of escape. The spikes gleamed with a ghostly blue light and radiated a bone-piercing cold. They clearly contained some kind of ice-aspected Origin Qi secret art.
Xiao Yan's expression grew grave. He could sense that the Cold Bone Spikes were extraordinarily powerful. If they struck him, he would likely suffer even with Heavenly Flames protecting him.
He took a deep breath, and the Heavenly Flames within him abruptly surged. The Green Lotus Core Flame and Fallen Heart Flame circulated at once, intertwining to form a huge barrier of fire before him.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The Cold Bone Spikes struck the flame barrier with a rapid series of impacts. The flames continually burned and melted them, turning them into wisps of cold that dispersed.
But there were simply too many Cold Bone Spikes, as though they were endless. The flame barrier fluctuated violently, showing faint signs that it could not hold.
"Boy, let's see how long you can last!" The blue-robed elder grinned viciously, continuing to channel Origin Qi and intensify his attack.
Xiao Yan frowned deeply. This could not go on; he had to break through the attack as soon as possible.
A flash of resolve passed through his eyes. He circulated his Origin Qi madly, driving the power of both Heavenly Flames to its limit.
"Heavenly Flames Eternal Ruler!"
Xiao Yan gave a low shout and formed seals with both hands. The Green Lotus Core Flame and Fallen Heart Flame instantly condensed into an enormous flaming ruler. Flames churned along its length, radiating a terrifying presence that made the heart tremble.
This was a move he had created by combining Origin Qi and Heavenly Flames to improve one of his old Dou Techniques. Its power was even more overbearing than it had been on the Dou Qi Continent!
"Break!"
Xiao Yan gripped the flaming ruler and swung it fiercely forward.
The enormous flaming ruler tore through the air with a howl, smashing into the Cold Bone Spikes that filled the sky.
"Boom!"
An earth-shaking explosion rang out as the flaming ruler collided with the Cold Bone Spikes, unleashing a terrifying burst of power. Flame and ice annihilated and canceled each other out. The entire cavern shook violently, and numerous rocks fell from the ceiling, filling the air with dust.
When the dust settled, a huge crater had appeared in the center of the cavern. The blue-robed elder's assault of Cold Bone Spikes had been utterly shattered. He stood pale-faced at the crater's edge, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. Clearly, his internal injuries were serious.
"You... you actually broke my Cold Bone Spikes?" The blue-robed elder stared at Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with shock and fear. He simply could not understand how an Initial Origin King youth could possess such terrifying strength.
The young man in fine clothes was even more frightened, his face drained of color as he backed away repeatedly. He looked at Xiao Yan as though he had seen a ghost.
Holding the flaming ruler, Xiao Yan walked toward the blue-robed elder step by step, icy killing intent flickering in his eyes. "Now, who do you think should get lost?"
The blue-robed elder watched Xiao Yan press closer and felt the terrifying pressure radiating from the flaming ruler. The last trace of hope in his heart vanished. He knew he was no match for the young man before him; if they kept fighting, he might truly lose his life here.
"We're leaving!" The blue-robed elder gritted his teeth, grabbed the still-dazed young man, and turned to flee from the cavern, abandoning even the Spiritual Origin Crystals they had mined.
Xiao Yan did not pursue them. His goal was only to protect himself, not to kill them all. Besides, the Wang Clan wielded considerable power in Northern Region City, and making mortal enemies of them would be disadvantageous to his current situation.
Watching the two flee in disgrace, Xiao Yan put away the flaming ruler and let out a long breath. Fighting an Advanced Origin King expert had taken quite a toll on him as well.
He walked deeper into the cavern, where the Spiritual Origin Crystals were of better quality. Without wasting time, he quickly mined a number of them, filling his Storage Ring to the brim before leaving the Crystal Light Cave in satisfaction.
Following the map, Xiao Yan did not return directly. Instead, he planned to take a detour to the edge of Shattered Space Cliff. It was said that the Spiritual Origin Crystals there contained a trace of spatial power, which was very useful for cultivation.