Unexpected

The process of condensing the Senluo Death Seal went very smoothly. Moreover, with the improvement in his physique and the boost from the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Art, Liu Bai's body had undergone a qualitative transformation.

After successfully condensing the second and third seals, Liu Bai once again felt that terrifying backlash when he attempted the fourth. Even his Spirit Wheel Realm spiritual energy could not withstand it. If not for the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Art's enhancement, Liu Bai would likely have been injured by that blow.

"Three seals are the most I can condense now..."

Although Liu Bai was somewhat dissatisfied, this was already an astonishing achievement.

One had to know that in the original story, Instructor Mo, who had also cultivated the Senluo Death Seal, had only condensed two seals even after reaching the Divine Soul Realm. Mu Chen had condensed a third seal at the late Spirit Wheel Realm, but only by borrowing the Nine Nether Sparrow's power.

Moreover, Liu Bai had to admit that the spiritual energy cultivated through Mu Chen's Great Pagoda Art was the most tyrannical spiritual energy in the early stages, bar none. The Senluo Death Seal had practically been tailor-made for him. Even with his cheat, Liu Bai had to acknowledge that he could not compare to Mu Chen in this regard.

The next day, the camp became lively once more.

Many young men and women gathered together, discussing their plans for the day. Quite a few declared indignantly that they definitely would not return empty-handed like yesterday.

Liu Bai silently watched it all without paying much attention.

Over the next few days, he still needed to hunt hard. If all he wanted was first place in this training exercise, then with his current gains, Liu Bai could already sit back and wait for victory.

But his purpose was to kill monsters and gain experience, so the slaughter would not stop in the slightest.

With that in mind, Liu Bai immediately set off at top speed, vanishing alone into the forest.

Zhang Jie and Shi Lin, who had been secretly watching him, could not help curling their lips when they saw this...

After seeing Liu Bai return spotless yesterday, they had decided that he definitely had not fought any of those savage Spirit Beasts. He had most likely hidden somewhere and cheated.

After all, he was the young master of the Liu Domain. What if he had the Liu Domain's experts hunt Spirit Beasts and deliver them directly to him? Who could guarantee that such a thing had not happened?

Just wait. I'll expose you for the cheat you are! Zhang Jie thought disdainfully, but the jealousy in his eyes betrayed him.

On the other side, Zhao Pei and Li Yuan saw this as well. However, unlike Zhang Jie, they did not hate Liu Bai. They simply did not take him seriously.

"Zhao Pei, how were your team's gains yesterday?" Li Yuan asked with a faint smile, looking at the person he regarded as his rival.

"Heh, I'm also curious about your gains..." Zhao Pei did not take the bait and countered directly.

Li Yuan did not answer. He merely snorted before turning and leading his teammates toward the depths of the Northern Spirit Plains.

Zhao Pei naturally set off at once as well.

After their initial period of adjustment, the elite teams of Northern Spirit Academy were ready to start exerting themselves today...

Bang!

Within the forest, Liu Bai flashed past. He struck backward with his palm, and two pitch-black death seals surged from his palm. Violent power erupted, directly shaking a low-grade Spirit Beast at the Spirit Movement Realm Mid-stage to death.

"Sure enough, the power of the Senluo Death Seal is built up through quantity. I only used two death seals just now, yet their power was even more terrifying than the Spirit Grade Low Rank Star Shattering Fist."

Liu Bai silently assessed it.

Most importantly, the Senluo Death Seals had already been condensed and remained in Liu Bai's palm. He only needed a thought to use them, and their consumption was minimal. Compared to a Spirit Grade Spiritual Art, they were not only faster but also less draining. They had countless benefits.

After collecting the Spirit Beast Core, Liu Bai did not linger or rest. He immediately began searching for his next prey.

It could not be helped. These low-grade Spirit Beasts were now nothing more than instant kills before him, not even enough to count as a drain. Liu Bai thus began heading deeper inside.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Liu Bai's figure was like an illusion as he continuously darted through the woods.

"This should be close to the depths of the Northern Spirit Plains. I should have entered the territory of mid-grade Spirit Beasts..."

From this point onward, Liu Bai no longer dared to be so unrestrained. His pace gradually slowed, and his entire body tensed with vigilance.

Suddenly, just as Liu Bai set foot on a massive tree, the low growl of a Spirit Beast entered his ears.

The growl was filled with intense warning, as though its owner would launch an attack the very next moment.

Liu Bai's body stiffened, and every hair on his body stood on end. His instincts told him that a terrifying beast had already locked onto him. Any movement could provoke a fatal strike.

"I was targeted the moment I arrived. It seems my so-called caution and vigilance are a joke before Spirit Beasts..."

There was nothing he could do about it. Before this, Liu Bai had only learned some wilderness survival knowledge from his second uncle, Liu Zong, when he was in the Black Nether Abyss. This was only his second time venturing into the wild, so mistakes were unavoidable.

It had been fine in the outer regions, where Liu Bai was far stronger than those low-grade Spirit Beasts and could conceal himself through sheer strength.

But within the territory of mid-grade Spirit Beasts, things were completely different.

While Liu Bai was lost in thought, a huge black shadow suddenly shot out from ahead of him. An enormous claw carrying surging force smashed toward him.

Thud!

Liu Bai lightly tapped off the ground. Crimson spiritual energy burst forth, and his body retreated dozens of meters like a phantom.

Boom!

Liu Bai avoided the blow, but the massive tree beneath him was not so fortunate. It was smashed to pieces by the violent strike of a several-meter-long beast.

Amid the shattered tree fragments, the beast's figure gradually emerged. It was a giant ape—and, crucially, it had four arms...

"A Four-armed Spirit Ape? It's actually this beast!"

Once fully grown, a Four-armed Spirit Ape could become a high-grade Spirit Beast known as a Six-armed Spirit Ape. The latter ranked 125th on the Earth Ranking of the Myriad Beast Record, even above Liu Qingtian's Thunder Scale Beast.

While Liu Bai observed it, the Four-armed Spirit Ape moved again.

It stomped heavily on the ground, making the earth tremble. Borrowing the fierce force of the push, its body shot into the air like a massive cannonball. In the blink of an eye, it appeared before Liu Bai. Its claw clenched as violent spiritual energy rapidly gathered over it, forming a massive blade-like claw in an instant that clawed down at Liu Bai's head.

"Good!"

Liu Bai's fighting spirit surged. He let out a roar as violent spiritual energy gathered around his Kirin Arm. His fist became like a small meteorite as it smashed toward the giant claw.

Star Shattering Fist!

Although the Star Shattering Fist was still only at the Initiation stage, driven by Liu Bai's current spiritual energy, its power was several times greater than when he had faced the vice leader of the Blood Fiend Adventuring Group!

Bang!

The giant claw collided fiercely with the Star Shattering Fist. Spiritual energy exploded in all directions amid a thunderous crash. Liu Bai felt a huge force swat him away, sending his body flying backward at high speed. The trees he crashed into along the way were nearly all snapped in half. By the time he came to a stop, a faint trace of blood had appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"As expected of a high-grade Spirit Beast bloodline. Even though it hasn't reached adulthood, its combat strength is far beyond that of ordinary mid-grade Spirit Beasts."

If Liu Bai's spiritual energy and physique had not both improved so dramatically yesterday, that blow would not have merely injured him lightly—it would have killed him outright!

"Very good. Now then, you little fellow, have a taste of my power!"

With a thought, Spirit Seals began flying from Liu Bai's hands. As he evaded the Four-armed Spirit Ape's attacks, he continuously sent the Spirit Seals into the air.

A closer look would reveal that although Liu Bai was constantly leaping and shifting, he had remained within a fixed area all along.

Once all fifteen Spirit Seals had entered the air, Liu Bai formed the hand seal to activate a spirit array. In the next moment, crimson lines of flame emerged in the air, swiftly outlining a complex spirit array. Three enormous Fire Serpents erupted once again!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Furious beast roars rang from the Four-armed Spirit Ape's mouth, with the pain in them exceptionally clear.

Clearly, even the Four-armed Spirit Ape could not endure the ravaging of the three Fire Serpents. Its originally golden fur was scorched black, and even its flesh had been burned.

However, while the Fire Serpents were terrifying, they could not last long. The instant the spirit array was about to dissipate, Liu Bai leaped onto the Four-armed Spirit Ape's back. He clenched his right fist, and three death seals instantly appeared in his palm.

"Die!"

Boom!

The three Senluo Death Seals slammed viciously into the back of the Four-armed Spirit Ape's skull.

This was the fatal weakness of its species. Normally, because it had four arms, it was nearly impossible to attack that spot.

But after being scorched by the Fire Serpents, the Four-armed Spirit Ape's four arms were busy extinguishing the flames on its body. Its fur and flesh had also been numbed by the fire, so it did not notice Liu Bai's sneak attack at all.

That one blow smashed the enormous ape head apart with the terrifying power of the Senluo Death Seals. Liu Bai even reached in and snatched out the Spirit Beast Core from its skull.

This was the Spirit Beast Core of a Four-armed Spirit Ape!

Even though this Four-armed Spirit Ape had yet to reach adulthood, its core was still extraordinarily precious. Even Divine Soul Realm experts would covet it.

After all, a Spirit Beast Core could still be nurtured after fusion. What mattered was whether its bloodline was strong enough!

As for why those unable to obtain the cores of powerful high-grade Spirit Beasts did not seek out the young of high-ranked high-grade Spirit Beasts...

Setting aside the fact that the cores of young beasts could not compare to those of true high-grade Spirit Beasts in the short term, they were not easy to find in the first place...

After all, if there was a powerful child, there would certainly be even more powerful parents. Hunting a young beast from the lair of one or even two high-grade Spirit Beasts would undoubtedly be more dangerous than hunting a high-grade Spirit Beast itself!

After obtaining the Four-armed Spirit Ape's Spirit Beast Core, Liu Bai did not hesitate in the slightest. He turned and ran into the distance.

If its parents caught him, he would be finished!

After finding a mountain stream, Liu Bai changed his clothes again. He even found some black grass leaves, squeezed out their juice, and smeared it over his body.

These could conceal his scent. Northern Spirit Academy had taught them this. Once he had left the battlefield, he absolutely could not overlook such small details.

"Looks like I can't go any deeper today. I'll just hunt some low-grade Spirit Beasts around the outskirts."

Time passed quickly. When night fell once again, Liu Bai hurried back to camp, still looking spotless.

He had prepared plenty of clothes in his Mustard Seed Bracelet, all similar training outfits, so it was difficult for others to notice anything different about him.

However, what Liu Bai did not expect was for Instructor Mo and Instructor Xi to also emerge hurriedly from the Northern Spirit Plains. They even looked somewhat disheveled.

Curious, Liu Bai could not help asking, "Instructor Xi, what happened to you two?"

Hearing this, the two instructors noticed Liu Bai in the distance.

Instructor Mo simply nodded and left, while Instructor Xi walked over, sighed, and said, "Don't mention it. I don't know which bastard killed a Four-armed Spirit Ape and provoked the old ape deep within the Northern Spirit Plains into going berserk. It charged out and started killing everywhere."

"If Instructor Mo and I hadn't joined forces to force it back, there would have been trouble today..."

That old ape was the king of the Northern Spirit Plains. All the experts of the Northern Spirit Realm knew it was hiding there, yet no one dared set their sights on it because they feared its strength.

To kill that old ape, at least three experts at the Divine Soul Realm Middle Stage or above would likely need to act together. Yet that was precisely something none of the Nine Domains in the present Northern Spirit Realm could provide.

As for having the Domain Lords join forces... leaving aside the fact that there was certainly more than one high-grade Spirit Beast in the depths of the Northern Spirit Plains, the very prospect of joining forces was unlikely.

Although the Nine Domains often formed alliances and rivalries, there was only one Six-armed Spirit Ape. Who would receive its Spirit Beast Core in the end?

One had to know that this was something guaranteed to nurture a powerful Divine Soul Realm expert, enough to change the current balance among the Nine Domains!

Who would yield such a thing? Who would dare to yield it?

After hearing Instructor Xi's words, Liu Bai immediately felt somewhat awkward.

It seemed he had caused this disaster himself...

Instructor Xi did not notice Liu Bai's expression. He merely sighed and said, "All right, make your preparations. You probably won't be allowed to go out tomorrow. We'll first see whether that old ape settles down. Otherwise, this training may not be able to continue."

Of course, there was another point Instructor Xi did not mention: news of the Six-armed Spirit Ape's appearance would surely draw countless covetous eyes.

Normally, it hid in the deepest part of the Northern Spirit Plains, and no one dared trouble it out of fear of the other high-grade Spirit Beasts. But if the old ape emerged again, it would likely attract many people.

Instructor Xi was even considering whether they should summon the headmaster and have the three of them act together, find an opportunity, and take down the old ape first!