After obtaining two top-tier sword techniques, Ji Ning naturally practiced hard. He could perform the moves from "Dripping Water Scripture" and "Remnant of Thunderfire Sword" to some extent, which had slightly improved his strength. However, that was merely scratching the surface, not even close to mastery, especially considering that his father, Ji Yichuan, was still contemplating the "Dripping Water Scripture."
Lightning speed was one of the three ultimate killing moves of "Remnant of Thunderfire Sword"—it's all about speed!
"Ji Ning's swordplay and footwork are exquisite," praised Wei Chi Xue from the stands. "Though the Howling Moon Wolf is faster than a phantom, Ji Ning controls the entire battlefield with his 'Wind Shadow Steps,' changing directions effortlessly. His sword techniques are subtle, capable of multiple transformations in an instant, leaving no openings against this wolf demon."
Ji Yichuan nodded, "With the body-refining methods of gods and demons, Ji Ning has the advantage in power but is slightly slower. However, this is a divine beast with extremely strong vitality; the injuries it sustains are merely surface wounds. If it fights desperately, Ji Ning, who has never experienced such intense life-or-death battles, faces an uncertain outcome."
...
Below, Ji Ning felt a sense of control over the situation as he continued to advance on the Howling Moon Wolf with his sword.
"Howl!" The Howling Moon Wolf, sensing the death threat from the young human, let out a sudden roar. Its silver fur bristled like needles, its pupils glowed green. Anyone familiar with the Howling Moon Wolf would understand—it had entered a frenzied, desperate state.
An invisible aura enveloped Ji Ning, making him feel momentarily stifled.
Killing intent?
"Roar!" The Howling Moon Wolf suddenly charged, shaking the ground beneath it.
Ji Ning, like a gentle breeze, shifted positions in a few simple steps, and with a flash of his sword... splat! Blood sprayed as a massive wound appeared on the wolf's chest. Yet the Howling Moon Wolf was unfazed; its claws lunged directly at Ji Ning, sharp as knives slicing through the air.
Remaining calm, Ji Ning retreated while blocking with his sword.
"Crack!" As the wolf's left paw met the blade, its claws, resembling hooks, latched onto the sword. But Ji Ning's divine and demonic strength made his sword too difficult to grasp. If they collided, the wolf would be flung back by the impact, but attempting to withstand that force with a paw was another matter.
Crack! The Howling Moon Wolf's left paw clearly splattered blood, accompanied by a faint sound of bone cracking.
Whoosh! The other paw shot toward Ji Ning's chest, too close to defend. Ji Ning could only take a deep breath, bracing as his chest sunk in three inches. Rip! The tough beast hide was torn open, blood spraying as Ji Ning was thrown back, crashing into the ground, which cracked under the impact.
With a swift motion, Ji Ning created distance.
"I've been injured." He looked at the Howling Moon Wolf, his pupils contracting.
Just now, the wolf's paw had managed to latch onto his sword... it had attacked without regard for its own injury. Its left paw was half ruined, and its speed would decrease significantly. However, the claw that had struck Ji Ning's chest had torn through his beast hide, which was made from the remains of a primordial creature's fur—lacking demonic energy, it was much weaker in defense. Normally, this fur could withstand the bites of postnatal beasts, but the Howling Moon Wolf was a divine beast, capable of tearing through it.
To hone his skills further, Ji Ning had reduced the protective range of his golden armor, only shielding vital areas.
"Life-and-death battles are different from sparring. I can't rely on experiences from regular sparring sessions to fight it." Ji Ning quickly shifted his mindset. "In sparring, no one would self-harm. But in a life-and-death struggle... the goal is to kill the opponent, and for that goal, one can risk everything."
"I must be more careful and vigilant."
Ji Ning absorbed lessons like a sponge. The gruesome wound beneath his torn beast hide began to visibly heal, the bleeding stopping rapidly as it transformed into a thin red line, eventually returning to unblemished skin. Not a scratch remained!
This was the incredible regenerative power of divine and demonic body refinement.
Generally, as long as one entered the innate stage, they could regrow limbs. Ji Ning's technique was the top-ranked body-refining method, and his recovery was nearly as good as "regrowing limbs" now.
"Great!" Ji Ning grinned. "You even took my sword."
"Howl!" The Howling Moon Wolf stared at the blade beneath its paw, its eyes filled with madness. From the boy's terrifying recovery ability, it understood... this was a being clad in human skin, with regeneration stronger than that of a divine beast.
With a flick of his wrist, Ji Ning summoned another sword.
"Let's go again."
Ji Ning transformed into a phantom and charged at the Howling Moon Wolf.
"Roar!" The wolf charged back.
...
The two clashed repeatedly, each encounter teetering between life and death. Ji Ning possessed immense regenerative ability, terrifying strength, and sharp sword techniques! Meanwhile, the Howling Moon Wolf had teeth, claws, and a tail as weapons, its massive body making it less vulnerable to typical blade wounds.
"He's only protecting the vital areas with the golden armor." Ji Yichuan rarely showed a smile.
"Ji Ning is pushing himself too hard," Wei Chi Xue said anxiously, watching the blood stains on her son's body.
"Don't worry; Ji Ning is still protecting his vital areas with the golden armor. Even if he gets hurt, it won't be fatal," Ji Yichuan reassured. "At worst, he'll lose an arm or a leg... With his recovery, he'll grow back in a few hours."
"Losing an arm or a leg?" Wei Chi Xue felt a pang of anxiety, knowing the hardships that strong warriors must endure.
...
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Even with Ji Ning's divine physique, he couldn't help but gasp for breath. His beast hide had numerous tears, but the wounds were rapidly healing.
"Howl!"
The Howling Moon Wolf let out a desperate roar, struggling to stand. Its two front paws trembled, threatening to collapse at any moment. It bore dozens of deep wounds, especially a gaping hole in its head.
Its leg bones were broken; it was already an act of sheer will to stand.
"You've lost." Ji Ning wiped the blood from the corner of his eye, his voice low. "My strength is truly greater than yours, yet I've won so poorly... It's because your madness unsettled me, preventing my full strength from manifesting. You're the first demon I've killed, so I'll ensure you die under my utmost power!"
With that, Ji Ning summoned a sword in his left hand, holding two blades as he faced the Howling Moon Wolf.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Ji Ning became a blur, charging at the Howling Moon Wolf. The wolf let out one last roar and lunged at Ji Ning.
Two massive beams of sword light flickered and severed the wolf's remaining foreleg. Another flicker left a deep, crossed gash on its head, blood and brain matter splattering out.
Ji Ning landed.
The Howling Moon Wolf collapsed heavily onto the ground, its head pouring blood and brain matter into the soil, which mixed with its once-beautiful silver fur, now muddied and bloody—a divine bloodline wolf demon had perished!
"How does it feel?" Ji Yichuan looked at his son from the stands.
"Very satisfying." Ji Ning gazed at his father, his eyes ablaze with enthusiasm. "Let's have one every day."
Ji Yichuan's eye twitched slightly as he snapped, "Do you think capturing postnatal perfected beasts is easy? Once every three days... and most will be ordinary beasts. If you want to encounter a divine beast, that depends on your luck. I'll arrange for Long Fortress to send the most formidable postnatal beasts for you to practice against."
Ji Ning nodded. "If I encounter weaker beasts, I can just use my internal energy."
With his god-like strength, ordinary postnatal perfected beasts were nothing but victims. Only divine beasts with bloodlines could offer Ji Ning a challenge.
...
Time passed.
Through countless battles with demons, Ji Ning's swordplay and footwork became even more refined. He also realized that in life-and-death struggles, maintaining a tranquil heart was even more crucial. If the heart isn't calm... then strength cannot be perfectly unleashed.
...
Autumn arrived, and the Yanshan region had grown incredibly cold, making survival more difficult for some weaker tribes. Particularly with the rampages of demons in the deep mountains and marshes... some small tribes might face extinction!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled.
On a grass-covered wasteland, a large group of black-armored guards riding long-haired beasts surged forward like a black tide.
"Stop." A commanding voice rang out, and three hundred powerful black-armored knights halted.
"Commander, this is where that serpent demon last appeared, the residence of the Sharp Horn Tribe. Three days ago, it suddenly attacked, devouring eighteen people and killing over a hundred, completely scattering the tribe," a black-armored guard reported respectfully. "During the months of its rampage, it has killed over a thousand, wreaking havoc across more than ten tribes. However, all were minor tribes... Judging by its strength, it should be a postnatal perfected demon with a divine