"Father, Mother, what is a magical beast?"
Amidst the forest, a young boy raised his head and looked at his parents.
The boy's parents both carried bows and arrows on their backs, gripping spears in their hands. Their clothes, made from animal pelts, marked them as hunters.
"Yin'er, a magical beast is just… a magical beast," his mother said with a smile.
"Then what's the difference between magical beasts and ordinary animals?" the boy asked, puzzled.
Guang Yin's father reached out and ruffled his son's hair. "Ordinary animals, like rabbits, foxes, lions, tigers, or wolves, have a chance to gain spiritual awareness if they encounter the right opportunity. Once they do, they can cultivate and eventually become demons.
When animals gain spiritual awareness and especially after becoming demons, their intelligence becomes comparable to ours. Some can even further cultivate and take on human form. That's called shapeshifting.
But magical beasts are different. Magical beasts have existed since ancient times and are far stronger than ordinary animals. However, magical beasts cannot cultivate or shapeshift, and their intelligence is very limited. Almost all magical beasts are born with a fixed limit to their potential. Even if they train and grow stronger, they can never surpass that limit."
"Oh…" Guang Yin nodded, half-understanding.
"In short, if we encounter a magical beast, we must—"
Before his father could finish, his expression stiffened, and he instinctively shielded his son.
Guang Yin's mother also stepped in from the other side, protecting him. Both parents slung their spears onto their backs and drew their bows, ready to fire.
From the bushes emerged several wolf-like creatures, their bodies covered in armor-like scales resembling a pangolin's.
"Earth-Armored Wolves? How are they here?" the mother asked her husband.
"I don't know!" The man's forehead was slick with sweat, his expression tense. "Yin'er, run!"
"Father, Mother…" Guang Yin stared at them in shock.
"Run!"
The man gave his son a push, just as the Earth-Armored Wolves lunged forward.
Guang Yin swallowed hard and turned to flee.
Suddenly, one of the wolves sprang out from nowhere, aiming to pounce on him.
But his father tackled the wolf, pinning it to the ground and punching it furiously. Another wolf sank its fangs into the man's shoulder, followed swiftly by a third.
"Ah!" the man cried out in pain.
"Run! Go!" he shouted to his son.
The next moment, a wolf tore into the man's throat.
---
The Thunderstorm Bear drew closer and closer to Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan.
Facing the massive beast, Guang Yin's eyes trembled, and his legs refused to stop shaking.
"Move! You need to move!" Guang Yin shouted at himself.
But his legs wouldn't obey.
"If you don't move now, they'll die! Are you going to just watch again, like before?" Guang Yin pounded his thighs in frustration.
Panic surged within him, but his legs remained rooted to the spot.
The Thunderstorm Bear stood before Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan.
Panting heavily, the enormous creature glared at the two humans who had caused it so much trouble. A savage smile played on its beastly face.
"Roar!"
The Thunderstorm Bear let out a deafening roar, as if proclaiming its victory and reaffirming its dominance over the forest.
The Thunderstorm Bear opened its jaws wide, ready to bite down on Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan.
Just as the bear was about to strike—its saliva already splattering onto Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan's faces—its head suddenly jerked to the side.
The next moment, the massive creature was sent flying backward.
Wu Yanhan stared in shock at the boy now standing in front of her and Xu Ming.
Did she just imagine it? Did Guang Yin really kick that bear away?
Not far away, the man watching furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected that the timid boy, who had been trembling moments ago, could unleash such explosive power.
"Roar!"
The Thunderstorm Bear got back on its feet and charged at Guang Yin.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Swallowing his fear, Guang Yin let out a loud cry and dashed forward. Despite the trembling in his legs, his speed increased as he ran.
Guang Yin kicked aside the bear's paw as it swiped at him, then landed a punch square on its chest. The Thunderstorm Bear was knocked back a meter, and a small fist-shaped dent appeared on its chest.
The qi and blood from the Asura Fist technique swirled around Guang Yin, forming an almost armor-like barrier.
Every swipe of the Thunderstorm Bear's claws was intercepted by the aura emanating from Guang Yin's body. Seizing every opportunity, Guang Yin struck back with precise punches, his eyes darting constantly to spot the bear's weaknesses.
Gradually, Guang Yin's eyes turned blood-red, his qi and blood surging uncontrollably. It was as though he had completely succumbed to the technique's power.
"Go help Guang Yin! If you can get me close, I can end this bear with a single punch!"
At some point, Xu Ming had regained consciousness and was now speaking from where he lay on Wu Yanhan.
Wu Yanhan looked deeply into Xu Ming's eyes.
To be honest, she didn't believe Xu Ming could kill the Thunderstorm Bear with just one punch.
But still, she nodded.
---
"I'm… out of strength…" Guang Yin muttered, swallowing hard as he dodged another swipe from the bear.
He kicked the bear's knee, forcing it to kneel, then followed up with another punch.
Although it looked like Guang Yin had the upper hand, the power behind his punches was visibly waning.
Guang Yin was using the third form of the Asura Fist—Blood Fury. This technique, inspired by the natural talents of demon-kind, allowed him to temporarily enhance his strength by fully channeling his qi and blood. However, the effect was short-lived, and the power would diminish over time. Afterward, the user would be left severely weakened.
Xu Ming noted that Blood Fury was very similar to his own skill—Blood Frenzy. The difference was that while Blood Frenzy had a shorter duration, it delivered more power and did not weaken over time.
The Thunderstorm Bear, noticing Guang Yin's sluggish movements, found an opening and swung its paw toward him.
Seeing the bear's claws coming, Guang Yin knew he should dodge, but with Blood Fury nearing its limit, his body couldn't respond in time.
"Looks like… I've done all I can…" Guang Yin thought, preparing to throw one last punch before accepting his fate.
But just as the bear's claws were about to strike him, Wu Yanhan's heel smashed into its wrist, forcing its paw to collapse to the ground.
"Go for its eyes!" Wu Yanhan shouted.
Understanding her intent, Guang Yin leaped into the air with the last of his strength, aiming straight for the bear's eyes.
"Roar!" The Thunderstorm Bear howled in pain, its head jerking back as both fists struck it hard, leaving it dazed.
As the bear prepared to retaliate, its beastly instincts caught a whiff of death in the air.
In its fading vision, Xu Ming's figure appeared reflected in its pupils.