Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension

Yao Lao added, "After entering the Magic Beast Mountain Range, aside from gathering medicinal herbs and magic cores, I will alert you when it's necessary."

"Everything else will depend on you. Unless you face a life-and-death situation, I won't step in to help you."

Flexing his wrist, Xiao Yan wasn't the least bit surprised by this statement. He had expected it to be this way and resignedly walked toward a forest ahead.

Within the forest, there was a large clearing where a massive leopard with a blazing fiery-red coat was lying down.

The leopard's robust physique, combined with its flaming red fur shimmering under the sunlight like a raging inferno, and its bulging muscles, showcased its immense physical power.

"You're just walking in directly like that?" Yao Lao, now back in the Bone Flame Ring, asked with a hint of surprise.

"It's just a small leopard. I prefer to get things done in one step," Xiao Yan replied, scanning the area and quickly spotting the two herbs Yao Lao had mentioned.

"Blazing Fire Grass and Scorching Sunflower… Looks like they've been growing for thirty to fifty years. These two herbs alone would fetch at least one to two thousand gold coins in the marketplace. And these are just two herbs. If I had to buy all the materials, I wouldn't be able to afford them."

Familiar with the value of medicinal herbs, Xiao Yan instantly recognized their worth and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Roar~" Sensing the uninvited guest scrutinizing its treasures, the Blazing Fire Leopard angrily opened its fiery eyes that seemed to burn with intense flames.

"Good luck to you. This Blazing Fire Leopard is incredibly fast, and some of them even possess a bloodline berserk ability. Once activated, not only will its already impressive speed increase further, but its strength will also be enhanced," Yao Lao said with a sly smile before going silent in the Bone Flame Ring.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan suddenly stomped his foot on the ground. The immense force caused the ground to sink three inches, and cracks spread rapidly outward.

With a thunderous boom, Xiao Yan shot forward like a cannonball, transforming into a black shadow that streaked toward the massive Blazing Fire Leopard, several times his size. His fist, enveloped in a dense yellow glow, struck out: "Eight Extremes Collapse!"

Yao Lao, although seemingly indifferent, was still observing Xiao Yan closely from the Bone Flame Ring.

"What incredible speed. If not for the Heavy Xuan Ruler suppressing his speed, this Blazing Fire Leopard wouldn't even know how it died," Yao Lao murmured to himself.

Just as it got up, the Blazing Fire Leopard was utterly unprepared for a mere human to display such speed.

However, it was no weakling. Its body erupted in flames again, and its muscles swelled to an exaggerated degree as red light coursed over its frame.

Its massive body twisted sharply, turning ninety degrees. As it dodged Xiao Yan's charging attack, its thick tail, resembling a fiery whip, lashed toward Xiao Yan's face with a whistling sound of breaking air.

Xiao Yan's keen soul perception, which constantly spread out around him, allowed him to track the Blazing Fire Leopard's every move as if it were right in front of his eyes.

Xiao Yan's soul power, far exceeding that of ordinary people since childhood, had further strengthened after cultivating techniques that enhanced it. By now, it had nearly reached the Elementary Mortal Realm.

Although the Elementary Mortal Realm was the most basic level of soul power, it still surpassed 90% of the alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent.

Many alchemists spent their entire lives unaware of the concept of soul realms.

With an uncanny spin, Xiao Yan's body twisted abruptly. His right elbow struck out with a sharp whistling sound: "Dark Force!"

The strike landed heavily on the fiery-red body of the Blazing Fire Leopard, and a thunderous sound exploded through the forest.

A force as overwhelming as a tidal wave exploded forth, sending the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard flying and raising a cloud of dust.

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled thuds echoed amidst the dust, resounding from within the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard's body. Moments later, it slammed heavily into a towering ancient tree.

For a moment, the entire forest seemed to tremble, and the air was filled with the searing scent of fire.

Boom!

Another muffled sound followed, albeit much softer than the previous two, but still enough to make the ancient tree sway unsteadily.

Yao Lao exclaimed in surprise, "His understanding of the Eight Extremes Collapse has deepened—three waves of hidden force!"

However, the intervals between the waves were still slightly too long, giving the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard time to disperse the force. Yao Lao felt a tinge of regret but was amazed nonetheless. For someone like Xiao Yan, who had only been practicing the Eight Extremes Collapse for a single day, his progress was astonishing.

"Huff..." Xiao Yan exhaled deeply. "This low-grade yellow-rank Flame Art sure consumes Dou Qi quickly."

He already had some ideas on how to address this flaw, but implementing them would take time.

Suddenly, the air trembled, and a piercing flame lit up amidst the dust. Waves of scorching heat surged forth, scattering the dust into the wind.

"Be careful, it's gone berserk!" Yao Lao warned.

At this moment, the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard's flames burned even fiercer, as though it had ignited itself. Its eyes glowed like two fiery red lanterns, and even its breaths spewed fire.

The injury on its left hind leg was clear—a gory mess revealing stark white bone with visible cracks. The leg seemed on the verge of shattering, a result of Xiao Yan's earlier strike.

Xiao Yan nodded slightly. The blow he landed on its hind leg was indeed powerful, but it wasn't lethal—especially for a magical beast with such an incredibly tough body.

[Due to your mastery of the hidden force within Eight Extremes Collapse, you have experienced enlightenment and developed a new Dou Technique: "Eight Extreme Sky Cannon."]

[Eight Extreme Sky Cannon: Condenses the hidden forces of Eight Extremes Collapse into a single strike. All eight waves of force combine into one, achieving power comparable to an earth-rank Dou Technique.]

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yan's lips. His extraordinary comprehension wasn't limited to theoretical insights; even combat experience allowed him to unlock his potential.

Having performed the Eight Extremes Collapse multiple times, Xiao Yan's remarkable perception enabled him to achieve this minor breakthrough, resolving the delay issue between the hidden forces.

For the first time, the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard had suffered such grievous injuries. Enraged and driven by pain, its body and spirit entered a berserk state, launching a frenzied assault.

Though its hind leg was gravely injured, the berserk enhancement had increased its speed even further, making it faster than before.

A streak of fiery red lightning shot forward, leaving behind faint afterimages.

Xiao Yan felt an intense heat wave surging toward him. Locking his dark eyes onto the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard's position, he suddenly threw a powerful punch aimed directly at its descending head:

"Eight Extreme… Sky Cannon!"

The three hidden forces fused into one as all of Xiao Yan's Dou Qi surged out like a torrential flood.

The Blazing Fire Wild Leopard's eyes widened in disbelief. Despite entering a berserk state and pushing its speed to new heights, how had this human's strike still managed to outpace it?

(End of Chapter)

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