The Leviathan Wyrm
As Xiao Feng and Su Mei ventured deeper into the forest, the air grew heavier and more foreboding. The towering trees blocked out most of the sunlight, their dense canopy casting eerie shadows across the ground. The silence was unnatural, a stark contrast to the chirping of birds and rustling leaves they'd encountered earlier.
"This place is way too quiet," Su Mei murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Xiao Feng, his silver eyes scanning their surroundings, frowned. "Yeah, there's definitely something off. We've been walking for hours, and not a single beast. Not even the small ones."
Su Mei nodded uneasily. "It's like they're avoiding this area."
Xiao Feng scoffed, his disappointment evident. "What kind of trash world is this? Strong enemies, my ass! I came here expecting some real excitement, and all I get is silence. If this keeps up, I might as well start hunting humans for sport."
Before Su Mei could respond, a low rumble shook the ground beneath their feet. Xiao Feng's eyes lit up with excitement as the trembling intensified, the vibrations becoming more violent with each passing second.
Suddenly, the earth erupted before them, and a colossal creature emerged. Its segmented body was covered in metallic scales that shimmered with an ominous black sheen. The beast, a Leviathan Wyrm, towered over the treetops, its height reaching an astounding 120 meters. Its head was adorned with sharp, jagged horns, and its glowing red eyes burned with primal fury. The wyrm's gaping maw revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth, dripping with corrosive saliva that hissed as it hit the ground.
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Xiao Feng exclaimed, a manic grin spreading across his face.
Su Mei, however, was frozen in shock. Her face turned pale as she recognized the beast. "This… this is a Leviathan Wyrm. It's a monster that even seasoned Core Formation Realm cultivators struggle to defeat. It takes at least four of them to bring one down!"
Xiao Feng ignored her warning, his excitement reaching its peak. Without hesitation, he lunged toward the beast.
The Battle Begins
The Leviathan Wyrm let out a deafening roar that shook the forest, the soundwaves flattening the nearby vegetation. It reared back and lashed out with its massive tail, striking the ground where Xiao Feng had been standing a moment ago.
Xiao Feng dodged effortlessly, his body merging with light, allowing him to reappear unscathed a few meters away. He smirked, taunting the beast. "Is that all you've got, big guy?"
Angered, the wyrm lunged at Xiao Feng with terrifying speed, its massive jaws snapping shut just inches away from him. But as Xiao Feng attempted to counter, the wyrm's tail swung around, catching him off guard and sending him crashing into the ground with a resounding impact.
Su Mei gasped, her heart racing. "Xiao Feng!"
From the crater, Xiao Feng's laughter echoed, chilling and unhinged. "Perfect. That's exactly what I wanted!"
He emerged from the debris, unscathed, his body shimmering with a faint glow. The light energy had absorbed the brunt of the attack. "Let's see how you handle round two."
Xiao Feng's Strategy
Xiao Feng dashed toward the Leviathan Wyrm again, but this time he was more cautious. The beast's size and power were overwhelming, and its movements, though slow, were devastating. He circled the wyrm, looking for an opening, but its thick, armored scales left little room for attack.
"Ugh, what a pain," Xiao Feng muttered, dodging another swing of the wyrm's tail. He glanced at Su Mei, who was still standing in shock. "Hey, stop standing there like an idiot and do something useful!"
Su Mei snapped out of her daze, her hands trembling. "I can't… I can't fight that thing! It's too powerful!"
"Then watch and learn!" Xiao Feng yelled, vanishing into a streak of light.
He reappeared on top of the wyrm's head, his hands glowing with dark energy. Activating his Soul Absorption skill, he pressed his palms against the beast's scales.
The Leviathan Wyrm let out a guttural roar as its energy was forcibly drawn from its body. The process was slow, the sheer volume of qi within the beast overwhelming Xiao Feng's absorption capacity.
"Tch, stubborn bastard," Xiao Feng muttered through gritted teeth.
The wyrm thrashed violently, trying to dislodge him, but Xiao Feng held on, his grip tightening as he absorbed more of its energy. The beast's movements began to slow, its attacks growing weaker.
The Turning Point
"Su Mei!" Xiao Feng shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Stop standing there like a scared little girl and attack! Aim for its head with your strongest technique!"
Su Mei hesitated, her fear warring with her determination. But as she looked at Xiao Feng, a mixture of awe and disbelief filled her. Despite his seemingly lower cultivation level, he was holding his own against the monstrous wyrm, even weakening it.
Summoning her courage, she closed her eyes and began channeling her qi. Flames burst to life around her, swirling into a concentrated sphere of energy.
"Flame Lotus Barrage!" she yelled, unleashing the attack.
The fiery lotus shot toward the wyrm's head, exploding on impact with a deafening roar. The blast engulfed the beast in flames, searing its weakened scales and eliciting a pained scream.
Xiao Feng leaped off the wyrm's head just in time, landing gracefully beside Su Mei. The Leviathan Wyrm staggered, its body swaying unsteadily before crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.
Victory and Reflection
As the dust settled, Xiao Feng approached the wyrm's lifeless body, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Now that's what I call a good fight."
Su Mei, still catching her breath, stared at him in disbelief. "How… How are you not injured? And how did you even manage to fight that thing?"
Xiao Feng glanced at her, his silver eyes glinting. "I told you, didn't I? I'm special."
Su Mei shook her head, overwhelmed. "You're insane."
"And you're welcome," Xiao Feng said smugly, patting her on the shoulder.
The system notification appeared in his mind, confirming his gains from the fight.
[System Notification: Leviathan Wyrm defeated. Host has absorbed 20% of the beast's soul energy. Host's cultivation has advanced to Origin Realm Stage 4. Progress toward Stage 5: 30%.]
As they stood over the massive corpse, Xiao Feng's excitement hadn't waned. "If this forest has creatures like that, I can't wait to see what's deeper inside."
Su Mei, on the other hand, wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or terrified. One thing was clear: staying by Xiao Feng's side would be anything but ordinary.