Chapter Sixteen: The Bloody Battle

Deep within the ancient forest, Ye Zihan and his companions moved forward at a measured pace.

In the span of two years, Ye Zihan had grown considerably taller, and had also fully mastered both Source Qi and Form Qi—though he was not yet completely proficient. Now, with two elders and a beast for company, he stood on the threshold of leaving the old woods behind to experience true battle for the first time.

Though this ancient forest lay deep within the mountains, there were surprisingly few demon beasts. It was as if some hidden force kept them away, and those that dared stay were all at least of the fifth rank—far beyond what Ye Zihan, at the mid-stage of the Duality Realm, could contend with. Thus, Hong Yan and Lan Yu had decided to leave the forest in search of beasts whose strength would match Ye Zihan’s, hoping to temper him through real combat.

“The Illusory Divine Continent is divided into three realms: the Human World, the Beast Domain, and the Infernal Abyss. Geographically, the Human World lies in the southwest of the continent, bordered on the east by the Beast Mountain Range, sharing a frontier with the Beast Domain. To the north lies the Demon Sea, with the Infernal Abyss beyond, the three realms forming a tripod that divides the land.”

As they walked, Hong Yan recounted to Ye Zihan the broad sweep of the world’s current state.

“The continent’s principal powers are the Nine Clans and Sects of the Human World, the Eleven Territories of the Beast Domain, and the Thirteen Houses of the Infernal Abyss. The Nine Clans and Sects of the Human World are the Qi Clan, the Forestwind Clan, the Ice Clan, the Willow Clan, the Ye Clan, as well as the Celestial Secrets Pavilion, Phoenix Academy, the Valley of Silent Sound, and Misty Rain Pavilion…”

Ye Zihan listened with keen attention. Understanding the forces that shaped the world would be invaluable for his future cultivation.

Thus, as Hong Yan narrated tales of heroes and strange occurrences, the group made their way slowly out of the ancient woods.

“Humans, beasts, and demons have different origins, yet all are living beings, capable of both good and evil. There is wickedness among men, and virtue among demons. Do not assume that all demon beasts are inherently evil. Yet, in the present age, men slay beasts for their beast cores, and demons for their demon crystals—acts born of greed that only increase needless slaughter…”

Hearing this, Ye Zihan nodded thoughtfully. Within his family, he had always been taught that humans walked the righteous path, and all demon-kind were evil, to be slain on sight. Compared to that, Hong Yan’s words struck him as far more reasonable.

“Reward kindness with kindness, and answer evil with evil. Zihan, you must not be overly merciful. This world is one where the strong prey upon the weak—when the time comes, you must not hesitate. Otherwise, it is you who will suffer in the end. This is an unchanging truth…”

At this, Hong Yan suddenly halted, eyes narrowing as a murderous intent flickered within them. “Now, it’s time to test that truth.”

No sooner had he spoken than the forest ahead stirred, and a dark shape flashed out—it was a demon beast!

The beast stood as tall as a man, its entire body a fiery red and shaped like a lion. It crouched low, growling softly, jaws parted to reveal sharp fangs dripping with viscous saliva. Its eyes glinted with ferocity as it fixed its gaze on the group, clearly hostile.

“A Crimsonflame Lion of the late second rank—just right for practice,” Lan Yu said with a gentle smile, her voice uncharacteristically tinged with a hint of coldness. “Zihan, do your best and kill it.”

Though the beast’s rank was slightly higher, Lan Yu did not believe Ye Zihan would lose. In battle, victory depended on more than just cultivation—resourcefulness and adaptability could be decisive factors.

Ye Zihan nodded in understanding. Against a creature like this, the slightest hesitation could be fatal.

Drawing the black iron dagger he had forged himself from his waist, Ye Zihan pushed off with a burst of speed, charging towards the Crimsonflame Lion on the right!

As he closed in, he did not hesitate. Lifting his arm, he slashed the dagger in an arc towards the beast’s flank, the blade gleaming sharply.

“Shadow Arts—Windcleaver Slash!”

But the Crimsonflame Lion reacted with astonishing speed. Its body tensed and sprang aside an instant before the dagger struck, then twisted in midair to pounce back, razor claws raking at Ye Zihan!

Startled by the beast’s agility but not flustered, Ye Zihan dropped low, dodging the attack, then spun on his left foot, swinging the dagger in a wide circle to slash at its paw from the other side.

The lion, suspended in midair with nowhere to brace itself, swiftly retracted its paw to parry Ye Zihan’s strike.

A metallic clang rang out as claw met dagger, and man and beast recoiled from the force of the impact.

Ye Zihan tightened his grip on the dagger, feeling the lingering numbness in his palm from the exchange. A late second-rank beast was indeed formidable.

If I defeat you, I’ll become even stronger!

A fierce glint flashed through Ye Zihan’s eyes. He tossed the dagger upwards and, with his hands free, formed a rapid sequence of seals, shouting, “Hunting Art—Thousand-Fathom Arrows!”

The technique triggered, and countless arrows materialized in the air before him, interlacing and merging into a single massive arrow. With a roar of wind, the giant arrow shot towards the Crimsonflame Lion.

The beast dared not meet such force head-on. It twisted its body, leaping aside. But as if foreseeing this, Ye Zihan appeared like a phantom at the very spot where the lion landed, snatching his dagger from the air and stabbing fiercely at its flank!

Caught off guard, the Crimsonflame Lion could not react in time, and the dagger plunged into its side. Without mercy, Ye Zihan wrenched the blade, carving a deep wound.

The lion roared in pain, whipping its tail savagely at Ye Zihan. He had no intention of lingering and quickly withdrew, dodging the lashing tail.

But this attack only enraged the beast further. Ignoring its bleeding wound, it flashed forward, jaws gaping to spit a fireball at Ye Zihan!

The flames were blisteringly hot and swept toward him in a wide arc. Taken by surprise, Ye Zihan rolled desperately aside, but the fire still grazed his back, burning him painfully.

He rolled several times more before managing to extinguish the flames, sweat streaming from the agony. The brush with death was sobering—never before, even in sparring against Hong Yan and Lan Yu, had he felt such mortal danger. In their training, there was never a true intent to kill; here, a single mistake could cost him his life.

His instincts screamed that if he had been a moment slower, the flames would have struck him head-on, leaving him grave injuries if not outright dead.

This was true combat—a battle where survival hung by a thread.

Victory meant life; defeat meant death.

Rising slowly, Ye Zihan let out a wicked grin, the red in his eyes flaring as he charged the Crimsonflame Lion again, undaunted by death.

The taste of danger sent his blood surging, as if he craved that razor’s edge between life and death.

Seeing him advance, the lion twisted its head, jaws snapping towards him. Ye Zihan feinted and dodged, circling behind it, and slashed with his dagger at the base of its tail.

But the beast’s tail swept out even faster, intercepting the attack.

Ye Zihan pressed on regardless, braving the risk of a blow from the tail to drive his dagger home.

A wet thud—a heavy crack.

The dagger struck true, burying itself in the beast, but even as he landed the blow, the lion’s tail slammed into him, sending him flying before he could even withdraw his weapon. He crashed heavily to the ground.

The Crimsonflame Lion, howling in pain, leapt toward Ye Zihan’s prone body.

Pain lanced through his chest, ribs surely broken. His scorched back still burned, and his reserves of elemental Qi were nearly depleted. The lion was almost upon him.

At that desperate moment, Lan Yu gasped, about to intervene, but Hong Yan stopped her.

“Zihan seems to have his own plan,” Hong Yan said, eyes narrowing. Though gravely injured and facing imminent death, Ye Zihan’s aura was not chaotic but eerily calm. Instinct told Hong Yan the boy had something left in reserve.

The lion closed in, crossing the final distance in a flash, leaping high to strike down at him.

Yet in that instant, Ye Zihan grinned, blood trailing from his lips, hands forming seals across his chest.

“Hunting Art—Bladeburst!”

At his command, the dagger left within the lion began to tremble, glowing ever brighter—then with a thunderous bang, it exploded!

The shockwave blossomed outward like a dazzling flower, and the Crimsonflame Lion, caught midair with no way to evade, was struck head-on and killed instantly.

Hong Yan and Lan Yu exchanged a glance, both shaken. They had not expected Ye Zihan to be so ruthless—willing to leave his dagger inside the lion, using it as the medium for his Hunting Art: Bladeburst.

But it was not only his ferocity that impressed; his combat instincts were equally remarkable. He had timed his move perfectly, unleashing the technique just as the lion leapt, unable to maneuver in midair.

“You’ve got a ruthless streak,” Hong Yan remarked, helping Ye Zihan up and settling him gently on his back.

“In battle, victory means survival and defeat means death. Mercy only brings ruin. That’s what you taught me, Teacher,” Ye Zihan replied, licking the blood from his lips with a pale smile.

Hong Yan chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. In this world where the weak are prey, decisiveness and cunning were not faults.

“It’s nearly midday. Let’s find a place to rest, and tend to Zihan’s injuries,” Lan Yu suggested, joining them.

Hong Yan nodded. The three figures slowly disappeared into the depths of the ancient forest, leaving behind only the beast’s mangled corpse, glistening in the sunlight—a stark testament to the ferocity of the battle just fought.