This was the exact moment it had been waiting for: the instant Chen Yuan turned his back to practice his stance, his guard at its lowest.
Its hind legs kicked off the ground, exploding a cloud of black mist and snowy mud. Its entire body lunged forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. All four hooves fell soundlessly; it moved so fast it left behind only an afterimage. It knew that as long as it killed this human, it could freely feast upon this Medicinal Garden.
But Chen Yuan’s reaction was faster than it had anticipated.
As he turned, his right hand snatched the spear leaning against the Medicinal Garden’s fence. The moment the shaft entered his grip, his entire aura abruptly changed. The Black-Scaled Leopard’s front claws were less than three feet from his face, the cold gleam of its talons making the skin between his eyebrows prickle. Instead of retreating, he advanced, stepping a half-pace forward with his right foot and raising the spear shaft horizontally to block. Horizontal Spear.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the leopard’s claws clashed against the spear shaft. Chen Yuan felt an immense force transmit through the shaft, slightly numbing the webbing of his hand. The Black-Scaled Leopard’s strength had increased by at least twenty percent since their last encounter.
But he was no longer the Chen Yuan of that day. Supported by his Elephant Bone Perfection, the bones throughout his body were as sturdy as an iron tower. The rebounding force lingered in his hands for merely a split second before vanishing into nothingness. The gaze he fixed on the Black-Scaled Leopard even carried a trace of excitement—the thrill of a hunter spotting their prey.
"You delivered yourself right to my door just after my breakthrough? Perfect time to test my current strength!"
Following the momentum, he twisted the shaft, pressing the leopard’s claws down to unload its force. Simultaneously, he whipped the tail of the spear from his waist, striking out like a whip-kick toward the beast’s abdomen—Cannon Spear. Before the blunt end even landed, the sheer wind pressure caused the scales on the beast’s belly to cave in slightly.
The Black-Scaled Leopard’s pupils contracted. Relying on instinct, it twisted in mid-air to change direction, narrowly evading the sweeping strike. As it landed, its four claws plowed four deep trenches into the muddy ground. It turned and lunged once more, issuing a low, guttural roar.
It didn’t believe it. Last time, this human had exerted all his strength just to barely scrape off its scales. How much stronger could he have become in just a few short months?
Chen Yuan didn’t give it a chance to close the distance. He pushed off with his left foot, vaulting into the air like a soaring sparrowhawk, his spear carving a brilliant silver arc through the sky. Cleaving Spear. It came crashing down in a vertical loop, like an axe chopping firewood. The spearhead tore through the air with a muffled WHOOSH. The strike was more than twice as heavy as his attack months ago.
Relying on its speed, the Black-Scaled Leopard dodged sideways. The spear tip grazed past the tip of its ear and cleaved into the muddy earth with a loud BOOM, smashing out a three-foot-deep trench. Capitalizing on the moment, the beast pounced forward, opening its maw to bite Chen Yuan’s spear-wielding right hand. This was its usual trick for hunting Martial Artists: first destroy their weapon, then take their life.
But before its jaws could clamp down, Chen Yuan released the spear shaft. His left hand simultaneously whipped up from his waist, fingers pressed together like a snake’s head, thrusting sharply upward at the Black-Scaled Leopard’s jaw. Snake Style: Spirit Snake Hisses.
Hidden Force coated his fingertips. It was an immensely heavy and continuous power, contained but unreleased, concealed at the very tips of his fingers.
Sensing the danger, the Black-Scaled Leopard jerked backward. Chen Yuan’s fingertips brushed past its jaw scales, but the Hidden Force penetrated straight through its natural armor. With a muffled THUD, that specific black scale remained perfectly intact, yet the flesh underneath began to bleed, ruptured by the shockwave. Hidden Force—a power that could pierce armor.
Whimpering in pain, the Black-Scaled Leopard issued a low growl and hastily retreated several steps. For the first time, alarm and uncertainty flickered in its dark golden, slit-like pupils.
Something was wrong. This human was completely different from last time. During their last encounter, when his spear struck its scales, only thirty percent of his full power had managed to seep through; the scales had blocked the rest. This time, he had merely grazed it with his fingertips, and although the scale didn’t shatter, the force had drilled straight in to damage the meat underneath. It was a penetrating type of force.
The intent to retreat sprouted in its mind. Its hind legs bent slightly, preparing to turn and flee into the mountain forest.
This was the exact moment Chen Yuan had been waiting for. "I let you escape last time. You think you can run away again?"
He stomped his right foot heavily against the ground and surged forward in a darting stride. Swapping the spear back to his right hand, he dragged the tip along the muddy earth, striking a trail of sparks. The instant the Black-Scaled Leopard turned to flee, its hindquarters were exposed to the spear tip. A patch of old scarring rested there, left behind after his Cannon Spear had shattered its scales during their last encounter.
The spearhead pierced the air silently. For this thrust, Chen Yuan did not use Manifest Force. Manifest Force was explosive, destructive, a booming crack of harmonized muscles and bones. Instead, he drew a breath from his Dantian, channeling Hidden Force all the way to his fingertips and pouring it into the spear shaft—a spiraling, drilling penetration that remained contained until the moment of impact.
The moment the spear tip touched the old scar on the Black-Scaled Leopard’s hindquarters, the Hidden Force breached its armor. The scales instantly shattered under the sharp spearhead and immense power. The spiraling force had already penetrated the scales, membrane, and muscle, directly flooding its internal organs. Boosted by the power from his Great Success in bone refining and his Elephant Bone Perfection, even if he hadn’t comprehended Hidden Force, his pure physical strength alone was not something this mere Black-Scaled Leopard could withstand.
SQUELCH!
The spearhead sank a full foot into its flesh.
The Black-Scaled Leopard unleashed a shrill, agonizing howl, its entire body pinned to the ground. It struggled madly, its four claws tearing into the earth and sending mud and snow flying. However, with both hands tightly gripping the shaft and his knee pressed firmly against the pole, Chen Yuan remained as immovable as an iron tower.
As the spear tip churned inside its abdominal cavity, fresh blood gurgled out along the shaft, pooling into a dark red puddle on the muddy ground.
The Black-Scaled Leopard’s struggles grew weaker and weaker, its dark golden, slit-like pupils gradually losing their luster. The last thing it saw before it died was the human—the very same one who could previously only manage to chase it away—standing before it, gripping the spear shaft with a serene expression, barely even breathing heavily. Until its dying breath, it couldn’t figure out how this human had become so terrifying in just a few short months.
Chen Yuan yanked out the spearhead. The Black-Scaled Leopard’s corpse twitched twice before falling completely still. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking a large patch of dirt.
He stood beside the corpse and fell silent for a moment. Moonlight spilled through a gap in the clouds, illuminating the very scales that had once left him utterly helpless. He recalled how, just a few months ago against this exact same Black-Scaled Leopard, an all-out strike combining his Great Success Manifest Force and the power of his Elephant Bone had only managed to chip off a few black scales. With today’s thrust, those same scales had shattered at the touch like flimsy paper, allowing his force to instantly pierce through.
This was Elephant Bone. This was Hidden Force.
He crouched down and inspected the beast’s corpse. Its scaled armor was mostly intact, making it excellent material for crafting protective gear. That pair of dark golden slit pupils had already glazed over, the last trace of bewilderment lingering in the depths of its eyes. Setting his spear aside, Chen Yuan grabbed the Black-Scaled Leopard’s hind legs and dragged it toward the Medicinal Garden’s utility room.
This mutated beast was full of treasures. Handing this scaled armor alone over to the Li family would net him at least a few dozen taels of silver. The flesh and blood of a mutated beast were extremely nourishing, highly beneficial for tempering one’s muscles and bones. Tonight’s harvest was far more lucrative than two months’ worth of wages working as a guard for the Li family.
A faint smile graced Chen Yuan’s face. "You got away last time and even ruined seven or eight Stone Scale Flowers in the process. Today, I’ve taken back my capital with interest."
A short while later, a hidden sentry patrolling the various Medicinal Gardens caught a faint whiff of blood as he approached the Fourth Medicinal Garden.
Realizing something was wrong, he hurriedly rushed toward the area. He knew the person on duty at the Fourth Medicinal Garden was a newcomer who had arrived a few months prior, someone who had previously suffered a loss at the hands of a mutated beast, the Black-Scaled Leopard. Mutated beasts possessed a certain degree of intelligence; after gaining an advantage, they were prone to lingering attachment and would very likely revisit old haunts. Hence, he sprinted forward, hoping he wasn’t too late.
Arranging hidden sentries to patrol at night served a practical purpose: to routinely check the status of all major Medicinal Gardens, ensuring that the guards were at their posts and hadn’t been killed by mutated beasts. If Chen Yuan had been killed by a mutated beast, for example, regular patrols would allow them to cut their losses in a timely manner.
However, when this hidden sentry arrived at the Fourth Medicinal Garden, he was instantly dumbfounded.
Bathed in the lantern light, Chen Yuan was still steadily practicing his stance with a tranquil expression. Not far behind him, outside the utility room, lay the quiet corpse of a Black-Scaled Leopard. Judging by its sheer size, it had definitely been a formidable beast!
Gulping, his scalp tingling with a mix of shock and awe, the hidden sentry asked, "Brother Chen, did this Black-Scaled Leopard attack the Medicinal Garden just now and get slain by you?"
Chen Yuan smiled and nodded. "Indeed. I managed to kill it by a stroke of luck. Thank you for your concern, brother. Could I trouble you to inform the Steward on my behalf? I’d like to get this Black-Scaled Leopard processed. Otherwise, if the scent of blood spreads, it might attract other mutated beasts."
He had been waiting for the patrolling sentry to arrive. It wasn’t an urgent matter, so there had been no need to use a whistling arrow.
The hidden sentry took a deep look at the composed Chen Yuan. The young man’s robes were spotless, completely devoid of injuries, and there were no signs of a fierce struggle in the surroundings. Clearly, this newcomer was frighteningly strong. To slay such a ferocious mutated beast with such ease meant Chen Yuan’s strength absolutely surpassed his own!
An involuntary trace of respect appearing on his face, the sentry cupped his fists and said, "Brother Chen, your strength and demeanor truly fill me with admiration. Informing the Steward is no problem at all. Please wait a moment, Brother Chen."
"Many thanks," Chen Yuan said with a faint smile.
As the hidden sentry headed toward the First Medicinal Garden, he pondered to himself, recalling that the one in charge of the Fourth Medicinal Garden was Steward Mr. Li Changgui.