Chapter 119: Spectating the Battle

“Roar!”
The weaker beast let out a fierce roar, suddenly turning to face its pursuer head-on. The distance between them was now less than ten feet.

Yi An’s eyes narrowed. It seemed that both beasts possessed considerable intelligence. The dominant one knew to press its advantage, while the weaker, sensing its dire predicament, chose to fight back desperately, understanding that there was still a sliver of hope if it could resist to the end.

Their deadly struggle had reached a fever pitch. The previously weaker beast had thrown caution to the wind, even exposing its fatal vulnerability to the enemy’s gaze. It was ready to use every ounce of strength to bite into the neck of its adversary if the latter struck.

It was gambling: if it won, it would turn the tide and eliminate a formidable foe; if it lost, it would meet a tragic end, paying with its life.

“Bold indeed.”

Yi An couldn’t help but admire its courage. The weaker beast was exceptionally clever. Had it been timid, it would have inevitably been devoured bit by bit. Instead, it wagered its life, choosing to fight with all its might.

After all, there was no worse outcome than death. Better to risk everything in a fierce battle and die gloriously than to perish ignominiously.

Yi An’s gaze was fixed, unwilling to miss a single moment of this thrilling scene.

The dominant beast, seizing the opportunity, lunged toward the exposed weakness of its opponent. Unexpectedly, the weaker beast reacted even swifter. Just as the other was about to deliver a fatal blow, it seized the perfect moment to strike back, targeting the flaw revealed during the assault.

“Bang!”

Its sharp claw struck squarely in the other’s chest, half its paw sinking deep. Accompanied by a piercing roar, the massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash.

It had won the gamble. Proudly, it raised its head and chest, scornfully looking down upon the vanquished foe beneath its feet.

But its triumph was short-lived. Suddenly, it felt a sharp pain in its neck, then numbness, and finally the loss of life. Yet, until the very end, its expression remained blank, unprepared for the sudden turn of fate.

“This is… a tiger and a leopard, both far larger than ordinary beasts.” Yi An studied the two carcasses before him, sinking into thought.

The beasts each weighed at least three to four hundred pounds, and Yi An detected no trace of demonic aura, indicating neither had attained any spiritual transformation.

After further examination, Yi An confirmed that neither the tiger, felled by the leopard, nor the leopard he had slain, possessed any special talent or extraordinary bloodline. Aside from their unusually large size, they were merely ordinary beasts.

Moreover, their strangeness extended beyond this: neither beast showed any fear of the toxic miasma that filled the area, moving freely without harm.

“Could it be that these two beasts inadvertently inhaled a fragment of primordial Yin-Yang energy, triggering such a terrifying transformation?” Yi An pondered deeply before reaching this conclusion.

Only the primordial Yin-Yang energy could cause such radical change in ordinary beasts.

Fortunately, judging by the current state, they had not absorbed much of it; otherwise, the situation would be far more severe than what he had just witnessed.

The greatest Yin and Yang are the heavens and earth; their fusion produces the vital essence known as “Jing Qi.”

All living beings can consume primordial Yin-Yang energy. Although it does not directly cause rapid cultivation leaps, it greatly benefits the path of cultivation. A trace of the original Yin-Yang energy embedded in the dantian can continuously refine one’s true essence and accelerate cultivation at an astonishing rate.

Primordial Yin-Yang energy is miraculous. Whoever obtains it will benefit immensely.

However, few truly understand its wondrous applications; many remain completely ignorant. Otherwise, this place would not have remained untouched until Yi An’s arrival.

Such a treasure is worth countless fights and ruthless struggles.

With this matter settled, Yi An resumed his quest for primordial Yin-Yang energy. Time was running short. Watching the battle between the two beasts had already wasted nearly half an hour. Delay any further, and this journey might end in vain.

After traveling some distance, Yi An suddenly halted. His eyes sharpened as he fixed his gaze ahead.

In the darkened sky, he saw a faint silhouette—due to the moonless night and strong winds, the outline was blurry but resembled a large bird.

Soon, Yi An sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible killing intent drift toward him.

Then, the faint sound of something slicing through the air reached his ears, growing louder as the creature approached.

Following the sound, he saw a strange bird circling above him. It bore a striking resemblance to the two beasts he had just encountered, causing Yi An to pause in surprise.

How many of these strange creatures were there? One pair had died, and now another appeared. However, now was not the time to ponder this. The bird was watching him intently, ready to strike at any moment.

In the next instant, Yi An’s figure flashed as he launched a lethal strike at the bird. But the bird’s speed was astonishing. Even as Yi An attacked, it was already prepared, evading his blow before it could land.

Continuing like this would be futile.

Yi An focused his mind, waiting patiently for the bird to attack again. He planned to seize the perfect moment to deliver a decisive blow and end its life. Being the ruler of the skies, the bird held a natural advantage in this duel. Though Yi An’s techniques were exquisite, they were useless if he could not reach his opponent.

The bird seemed to see through Yi An’s strategy, repeatedly taunting him. Each time it approached within about ten feet, then retreated just in time—not one step closer or farther. It was a maddeningly elusive foe.

Yet Yi An showed no sign of frustration. He sensed something unusual and, in a short time, his mind raced with numerous possibilities.

The Book of Wonders