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The Harmony Palm did not disappoint Lan An. The fusion of three types of Spirit Energy unleashed a terrifying force beyond description. Before the stunned gazes of countless beasts and the Monkey Clan twins, the massive body of the Unicorn Eagle King was pierced by a gaping wound, right through its heart.
At the gruesome injury, three distinct Spirit Energies raged, tearing through flesh without pause. Wherever they passed, not a drop of blood remained the body was annihilated.
"How… how is this possible?" The Unicorn Eagle King's senses dulled, pain fading as it stared at its crumbling form, its blood-red eyes wide with disbelief.
Despair, terror, and sorrow overwhelmed the beast.
"ARRGH! I won't let you rest easy!" it roared, its soul bursting from its body, fleeing into the distance.
Unlike humans with Nascent Souls, beasts relied on their souls to escape when their bodies failed.
"Hmph, a Sixth-Order Mid-Stage beast soul? I'm looking forward to this!" Lan An sneered.
His White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye activated, a sinister moon glowing in his pupils. The night amplified its power. Soul Seizure unleashed, a mystical energy locking onto the Unicorn Eagle King's soul, drawing it into his eyes.
"AAA! What is this? Spare me!" The beast's soul shrieked, its cries echoing across the sky.
The watching beasts were dumbfounded, scrambling for explanations.
"Someone tell me I'm dreaming! How can a human be this terrifying?" one gasped.
"What was that technique? Fusing three Spirit Energies?" another stammered.
"It's fake! He must be an old monster sealing his cultivation!" a third insisted.
"Rip off his mask! He's some ancient human in disguise!" a fourth demanded.
"Let him leave alive, and U Yuan Continent will be shamed!" a fifth growled.
The onlookers refused to believe a human could be so monstrous. Lesser beasts trembled, never having seen a Sixth-Order beast like the Unicorn Eagle King reduced to such a state.
"He's a Soul Cultivator too?" Hou Jun muttered, rejoining Hou Xiu, their faces grim as they watched Lan An devour the soul.
"Aren't Soul Cultivators rare? Counted on one hand across the continent!" Hou Xiu swallowed hard.
Lan An's power was overwhelming, especially the heaven-destroying Harmony Palm. For the first time, the Monkey Clan prodigies felt dread facing a peer.
Ignoring their thoughts, Lan An focused on refining the soul. The mysterious runes on his soul glowed, the Immortal Genesis Scripture Soul Refinement activating. His face twisted slightly; refining such a high-level soul was painful, like needles piercing his soul, especially with the beast's relentless resistance.
"Perfect chance!" Hou Jun seized the moment, firing an arrow.
ROAR
Little Lion roared, dodging with agility. Lan An continued refining, undeterred. Though risky, a Sixth-Order Mid-Stage soul was too valuable to pass up.
"Attack together!" Hou Jun signaled Hou Xiu.
The twins nodded, unleashing a barrage of attacks. Little Lion weaved through them, struggling to keep up.
"Monkey Arrow of Fate!" Hou Jun's face contorted, channeling all his Spirit Energy. A massive flaming arrow formed, morphing into a giant monkey phantom wielding a fire spear, charging Lan An.
"Magma Strike!" Hou Xiu roared, his Blazing Trident growing ten zhang long, slashing down with sky-scorching flames.
The two techniques sealed most of Little Lion's escape routes.
ROAR
Little Lion roared defiantly, its wings summoning a lightning storm to meet the attacks head-on. But its cultivation was slightly lower, and the lightning shattered, the enemy strikes pressing forward.
BOOM
In the critical moment, Lan An's Heavenly Wood Cauldron spun wildly in his dantian. A Wood Turtle materialized, its sturdy form blocking the attacks. Formed from Devouring Heaven Wood, it resisted the flames, even absorbing some of their energy. The attacks were stopped, but the Wood Turtle collapsed, dissipating with a groan.
"How?! He blocked it?" The Monkey twins gaped, frustration itching beneath their fur.
As they reeled, a new figure appeared beside them a sinister-looking man with gray fur, a wolf tail sprouting from his rear, a Fifth-Order Early-Stage beast.
"Lang Keo, from the Earth Wolf Clan?" The twins recognized him.
Before they could respond, another voice echoed.
"Exactly! This human is a monster! If he grows further, he'll be a calamity for U Yuan Continent!"
A gaunt figure emerged from the dark, bat wings flapping, another Fifth-Order Early-Stage beast.
"Bat Jie? You're joining too?" The twins were surprised.
"No more talk! Five of us against him!" A gruff voice interrupted. A burly man covered in spines burrowed from the ground—a Fifth-Order Mid-Stage beast.
"Earth Hedgehog? Fine! We'll team up to slay him! Let him see the folly of invading U Yuan Continent!" The twins sneered.
Lesser beasts watching from the shadows buzzed with shock.
"Five Heavenly Beast Ranking geniuses at once?!" one gasped.
"Five prodigies? That human's doomed!" another declared.
"These are top freshmen from Heavenly Beast Academy! He's finished!" a third added.
"Pity the top ten from the Heavenly Beast Ranking aren't here, or he'd suffer more!" a fourth lamented.
The Heavenly Beast Ranking, curated by Heavenly Beast Academy, listed the top fifty freshman prodigies. The academy held a status on U Yuan Continent akin to Saint Spirit Academy on Bing Tian Continent.
"Hmph! Bullying with numbers? How noble," a sultry, lazy voice scoffed.
A pink figure appeared in the void, exuding a fragrant aura. Her presence made male beasts' hearts race, even the five prodigies, their eyes turning heart-shaped.
Before them stood a breathtaking woman, arms crossed, hovering in the air. Her curvaceous form was draped in a pink princess gown, her watery eyes brimming with allure. Her nose was delicate, her skin snow-white, her cheeks rosy, and her ruby lips bore a small mole, enhancing her enchanting beauty. Three fluffy pink fox tails swayed gently behind her.
Despite her mockery, the prodigies didn't dare retort, gazing at her with adoration. This was Hu Yu Yan, ranked third on the Heavenly Beast Ranking, a Fifth-Order Late-Stage beast, a Three-Tailed Fox from the Fox Clan, one of U Yuan Continent's mightiest races, led by a Seventh-Order Six-Tailed Fox.
"Lady Hu jests!" Hou Jun puffed his chest. "This human is too vile. The five of us must unite to eliminate him!"
"Exactly! Look, he's devouring Senior Unicorn's soul!" Lang Keo chimed in.
"Heh, care to join, Fairy?" Bat Jie said, flapping his wings with a roguish grin.
"Fairy's strike would kill him ten times over!" Earth Hedgehog added earnestly.
"Hmph! I'm not interested," Hu Yu Yan snorted, stepping aside.
Her gaze remained fixed on Lan An, as if trying to pierce his mask. She was intensely curious about him. Even if I fought him myself, I might not win, she thought. Among her peers, few earned her respect, but Lan An's feats demanded it.
Lan An exhaled, feeling his soul power surge, nearing Nascent Soul Perfection. Satisfied, he glanced at Hu Yu Yan, blowing her a playful kiss.
"Shameless!" she huffed, startled by his audacity at their first meeting.
"How dare you flirt with the Fairy? Die!" Hou Jun roared, firing an arrow.
"Hmph!" Lan An didn't bother dodging. Purple flames enveloped his hand, catching and incinerating the arrow effortlessly.
"Wolf Mountain Claw!" Lang Keo, eager to impress, charged, a wolf phantom howling behind him, his claws slashing at Lan An.
Sensing a Fifth-Order Early-Stage foe, Lan An sneered, not lifting a finger.
ROAR
Little Lion roared, lightning crackling. Its front paws slammed into Lang Keo, sending him staggering back dozens of steps, arms numb, while Little Lion stood unmoved, gazing disdainfully.
"Die!" A gaunt figure appeared beside Lan An in the dark, sharp teeth biting at his neck.
CLANG
A metallic clang rang out. Bat Jie's face twisted, his teeth breaking. He screamed in disbelief, "He's a Body Cultivator too?!"
"What?! Impossible!" The beasts erupted, hairs standing on end.
Spirit, Soul, and Body cultivation—a triple cultivator. It was absurd.
Even Hu Yu Yan gasped, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes shimmering with shock. Beasts naturally had strong bodies, and Bat Jie's teeth, honed for assassination, were deadly. Yet Lan An's body broke them, indicating at least Third Transformation Body Cultivation.
When did humans produce such a freak?
Two Sixth-Order beasts, hidden in the shadows, felt a chill, their killing intent rising. If Lan An grew further, beasts would have no refuge.
"He must die!" one transmitted secretly, its intent chilling.
"No rush," an older voice replied. "Let the Heavenly Beast Ranking brats test his limits and learn a lesson."
"Good idea. Those arrogant kids need a wake-up call," the other agreed.
Drawn by the Unicorn Eagle King's True Form, they hadn't expected such a terrifying human, sparking their resolve to crush him early. No one noticed these Sixth-Order beasts or their murderous intent.
"Hmph! Body Cultivator, huh? Take my fist!" Earth Hedgehog sneered, his spine-covered fist swinging.
"Wood Form Fist!" Lan An met it head-on, leaping off Little Lion. His fists glowed with ancient tree energy, clashing directly.
BOOM
A shockwave rippled. Lan An stepped back three times, steadying himself. Earth Hedgehog retreated dozens of steps, several spines broken.
"Terrifying!" he muttered, face grim.
"All together! He defies reason!" Hou Xiu bellowed.
The five prodigies surrounded Lan An.
"Come on, boys!" Lan An roared, his sneer echoing across the heavens.
WHOOSH
Purple flames blazed, enveloping the sky. A colossal figure formed wings spanning zhangs, eyes cold and proud, gazing at all life like ants.
As the Fire Phoenix appeared, the bloodlines of countless beasts trembled, a primal fear gripping their souls.
The Fire Phoenix had descended upon U Yuan Continent.