[Incoming violence, you've been warned.]
Kheon stood high in the sky, her robe fluttering against the wind. Supported by the wind element she possessed, her presence was hidden to the point where neither Clifford nor the wyvern could detect her. She hadn't been at this place long, and what had caught her attention was the smoke rising from it. After scanning the area with her divine sense, Kheon witnessed Clifford being burned by the flames, prompting her to rush over.
A smirk painted her face as she watched with curiosity, waiting to see how the boy would navigate his way out of the situation he'd gotten himself into. Instead of backing down, his killing intent ignited, covering every inch of his being as a strange aura leaked from within. Watching in amusement, Kheon formed a throne of rocks using her earth element before sitting on it and enjoying the show.
Clifford marched forward toward the sneering wyvern, which looked at him with disdain. Although the human walking in its direction appeared angry, what could he do in his current state? The majority of his body was skinned, and the rest was scorched—how could he even handle the pain? The beast's expression changed, admiring his willpower, but that was it.
"What will you do with that feeble appearance? Transform back to a bird and flee for your life?" the wyvern mocked sarcastically, ignoring its intuition, which warned it of the coming threat. As a 3rd tier beast, its pride didn't allow it to back off from a fight, especially with an opponent far weaker than it.
Hearing the beast's mocking words, Clifford clenched his fists in anger. If its size gave it an advantage, then all he had to do was shift into something bigger that could take it on. Making up his mind, Clifford transformed into his great ape form, intending to engage it in savage warfare.
"What?" Watching the great ape charge at it, the beast cursed, anticipating his arrival. Both monsters collided, each trying to push the other back in a battle of pure strength. Tension assaulted both as their strength seemed equally matched, prompting Clifford to take the chance and bite the beast's long neck, making it roar in pain.
Fearing its impending defeat, the beast used its weight to push Clifford to the side, breaking their balance and causing both of them to roll on the ground for a couple of seconds before coming to a stop with Clifford lying on top of it.
Rough fists rained down on its head, causing it to scream in anger. Using its right leg, the beast struck Clifford, sending him flying further away and giving it a chance to get on its feet once more.
Taking the chance, the beast took its stance, preparing to burn him once more while he was still vulnerable. Watching the familiar scene, Clifford didn't allow himself to repeat his mistake. Charging at the beast, Clifford dodged the line of flames, managing to land a heavy slap on its face, interrupting it and causing it to cough in frustration.
Shifting his right arm into a blade, Clifford drove it deep into the beast's ribcage, drowning it in agony. Pushing him aside, the wyvern flapped its wings, attempting to escape after receiving the fatal injury. Witnessing the beast lift off the ground, Clifford jumped high, catching it by its left foot and preventing it from flying higher.
Annoyed by the beast's attempts to shake him off, Clifford slashed its foot with his blade, causing it to scream before reforming his arm back to normal. As the wyvern flew toward a tree, trying to dislodge him, Clifford prepared for the impact with a plan in mind.
Anticipating the collision, Clifford spread his legs wide. When the impact came, he wrapped his legs around the tree, preventing the beast from going further. Using all his strength, Clifford pulled the beast down, smashing it against the ground. The heavy impact caused the beast to cough up a mouthful of blood, internally damaging it.
Watching his foe fall, Clifford jumped down from the tree and then onto the beast's ribcage, pinning it against the ground. Using his massive hands, Clifford forced the helpless beast's jaws open before shoving his left arm inside. Holding its tongue, Clifford transformed his right arm back into a blade, severing the tongue and throwing it away, causing the beast to scream in pain with its mouth dripping blood.
Venting his anger, Clifford held the beast's head and smashed it against the ground. Using his fingers, he popped the wyvern's eyes, rendering it blind, before grinding its head against the floor. Fueled by the dark force, Clifford couldn't stop. Standing up, he grabbed the beast, lifted its body, and flipped it back to normal before stomping it with his left foot against the ground once more.
Standing on top of the beast, Clifford held its right wing and started pulling, drowning the beast further in agony. Once done with the first wing, he continued with the second wing, which met the same fate. Celebrating his victory, Clifford danced on the wyvern's body, stomping it again, ending its life shortly.
His madness came to an end once all his dark force ran out. Finally, he flipped the beast upside down again before using his blade to split it open. Locating its organs, he started devouring them one by one, replenishing the dark force he had lost in the battle.
Kheon watched in astonishment as Clifford fought against the odds and emerged victorious. Her interest in him grew silently as she watched his ruthless display against his opponent. Though savage, victory remained victory regardless of the means. Time passed slowly until Clifford fell to the ground, taking a deep breath, unable to continue.
"Well done," Kheon muttered softly as she descended from the sky, her throne disappearing slowly. Although her voice was low, Clifford heard it clearly, bringing his attention to her as he lay flat on top of the wyvern.
"Sleep well and leave the rest to me," Kheon assured, lifting and carrying him gently as she teleported the beast into one of her space rings. Before closing his eyes and drifting into sleep, Clifford requested her to let his body heal on its own. Confused, she nodded in acknowledgment, granting his wish.
After flying for a while, she returned to her humble house and placed him back on the mat he had slept on previously. Time passed slowly as Kheon cultivated nearby, checking his body from time to time.
Nodding her head, Kheon understood why he had attacked her earlier and why he had gotten himself into a dangerous situation. She witnessed his body slowly return to a normal state as the dark aura gradually diminished, consuming more energy to heal.
Inspecting his body, she noticed that not only did it gradually heal, but it also strengthened itself. His soul and all that had happened up to this point tempted her to take him as a disciple. However, after watching all his abilities, she believed that progressing on his own would be the best for him.
A couple of hours passed, and the next day arrived. Clifford awoke in the afternoon. His body was fully healed and ready to continue his cultivation. After greeting Kheon, he took his position and started following her instructions. Slowly circulating his energy through his meridians using a method she provided, Clifford cleared the paths, purifying them in the process. Given his incredible talent, it took him about three days to clean all the impurities from his meridians.
After taking a break, Clifford began the final step for this stage. Following Kheon's guidance and supported by a marrow cleansing pill, Clifford was able to achieve a breakthrough in under a week.u