Gingerly wiggling his toes in the water, Jiang Wen's reflection shimmered on the clear surface. He held a stone spear, slowly wading through the river. Carefully observing the bottom, his muscles tensed, ready to strike at any fish that dared to swim within range.
Perhaps because they hadn't experienced human capture, the plump fish at the bottom of the river were all incredibly naive. He hadn't been there long, but his haul was already quite impressive, enough to stew a fish soup that could feed dozens.
It was just a shame that there was no rice, and no grain-like plants nearby to substitute. Otherwise, he would have loved to have a steaming bowl of white rice, followed by several bowls of fish soup. Although there were no seasonings here, the wild, natural flavors were more than enough, and the taste was extremely refreshing even without any additives.
"Splash!"
Even if his soul were scattered, his physical body could still exist for millions of years without decaying. Mortal flames and blades were useless against him, making him seem to be beyond the Five Elements.
The only thing that confused him now was where he was. There were some things in this world that seemed familiar, as if he had seen them in the Great Qian Dynasty. But upon closer inspection, they were somewhat different, which was truly intriguing.
Where was he? Why did he come here? These were the questions in Jiang Wen's mind.
Carrying the fish he had caught on his back, Jiang Wen jumped back to his temporary residence. This forest was too vast, and he had not been able to walk out of it. Even though the distant mountains were visible to the naked eye, they were difficult to reach even when walking towards them.
Crossing a small hill, Jiang Wen seemed to hear some kind of sound. He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows slightly. He quickly walked forward, towards the place where the sound came from.
What came into view was a group of armored people, surrounding something and seemingly confronting it.
In the middle of the group, a woman lay on the ground, covered in blood. Her chest was pierced by a curved tusk, and her thighs and abdomen were covered in deep claw marks. Crimson blood stained her body, and her rapidly twitching belly seemed to be making a final struggle.
It looked like she was injured. Jiang Wen frowned, wondering whether to help when the armored guards suddenly moved.
"Defend!!"
Several guards roared, and their bodies instantly swelled. Just like the person Jiang Wen had once seen on the battlefield, they transformed into a non-human, non-beast form.
The wind whistled past, and sharp spears were thrown forward like lightning. The roars of beasts, accompanied by strange screams, approached them.
A guard was caught off guard and knocked to the ground. Looking back, he saw a beast that had slaughtered several people. It was more appropriate to call it a ferocious beast than a wild animal. Its bloody maw and foul breath rushed towards him, and he could clearly see the blood on the fangs at the corners of its mouth.
Its mouth was covered with fragments of armor and hair, the remains of the guards it had devoured. Although they seemed incredibly powerful, they had already died tragically under the claws and teeth of this ferocious beast, turning into minced meat in its mouth, leaving only mottled blood clots congealed on the beast's fur.
The guard closed his eyes in despair. He knew he couldn't escape. The ferocious beast's breath was getting closer and closer, spraying on his face and making him tremble involuntarily.
Thinking of the mission he and his comrades were carrying out, the guard felt utterly hopeless.
But after waiting for a long time, he didn't feel any pain. He heard the ferocious beast's angry growl. It seemed to have met an opponent and was issuing a guttural warning to the enemy who had disturbed its meal. The guard cautiously opened his eyes and saw a spear jammed into the beast's mouth, preventing it from biting down.
The ferocious beast's round head was close to his face, and saliva dripped onto his body. From such a close distance, he could feel the brutal wildness in its scarlet eyes, the extreme violence and ferocity.
The guard quickly retreated a few steps, away from the head. After breathing a sigh of relief, he realized that the owner of the spear was standing beside him. He saw that the man had a well-proportioned figure, and although his limbs were clearly muscular, they had a soft beauty. This man must be an expert, the guard thought with great joy.
Jiang Wen didn't know what the guards thought of him, and he wouldn't have cared even if he did. The spear in his hand pressed tightly against the beast's mouth, and the enormous force from the tip made it difficult for him to hold onto his weapon. He stared at the huge, bell-like eyes, never imagining that the sharp spear wouldn't even scratch the beast's hide.
With such copper skin and iron bones, he might actually bite the dust here today. Jiang Wen observed the surroundings, preparing to find an opportunity to escape.
“Ooo Awoo!”
In that brief moment of distraction, the beast roared and snapped the spear, its sharp claws slamming heavily into Jiang Wen, and with a crisp bone-cracking sound, he was sent flying like a cannonball into a distant tree root.
The beast abandoned the others nearby, glaring menacingly at Jiang Wen, who was struggling to get up. It bared its teeth, let out a low growl, and charged towards him like a gust of wind. Obstacles in its path were reduced to fragments by its savage power. In just a few breaths, it had leaped to Jiang Wen's side, raising its giant claws, gathering several bolts of lightning upon them, as sharp and ear-piercing as a thousand birds chirping.
“Boom!!”
Mud and dirt flew everywhere, and mist billowed. Splinters of wood from the giant tree scattered around. Under such immense power, the guards felt a chill in their hearts, not believing that the man could survive. It was also because of this immense power that their squad leader had perished in the mouth of this beast.
The guards no longer had the strength to run. Now that the princess was seriously injured, there was no point in him surviving. Sitting on the ground, he watched the dust settle in the distance. The roots of the giant tree emitted a burnt smell under the lightning. The flat ground was blasted into a huge pit by the beast's claws, and fragments of lightning flickered, the charred earth indicating the beast's terrifying power.
It retracted its claws, calmly observing the scene before it. A disdainful smile tugged at the corners of its rugged mouth. It had seen many prey that didn't know the immensity of the situation.
No matter what kind of two-legged sheep, they were all so fragile and vulnerable. Even giants several yards tall, even wild men with immense strength, were nothing more than meat under its pack. In its eyes, two-legged running people were the easiest prey to catch. They lived in collective groups, were easily angered, and some didn't even know to run. It was truly laughable.
“Fortunately, I recently completed the refinement of my False Core, or I would have really died at your hands.” Jiang Wen's indifferent voice came from above. The beast looked up in surprise, and before it could see clearly, a golden shadow descended from the sky as fast as lightning.
The symphony of bone colliding with bone, accompanied by its miserable wail, the beast's ferocious head was crushed into the mud as if by Mount Tai, countless cracks spreading outwards.
Hopeful Sun Stance——!!
Large chunks of mud within a few meters were lifted, and the beast was thrown into the air. Jiang Wen planted one foot on the ground, his fist like the blazing sun, even causing a burning sensation in the surrounding air. Breaking through the air, his fist struck the beast's head like a fully drawn arrow, and the beast only stopped after crashing through several trees that several people could encircle.
Blood flowed from its steel-like body. Its body, which it once prided itself on and had crushed countless enemies, was now tragically damaged by the hands of a mere two-legged sheep. The humiliation in its heart was immense. It stood on a tree trunk, looking at the prey standing on the ground.
The king's shame must be washed away with his blood and life. It would not only tear him apart but also take the lives of his entire clan as the price. It would let all two-legged sheep know that the king's majesty was inviolable.
Lightning swirled around its body, and the sizzling sound filled the forest. Like a divine beast from mythology, its scarlet pupils turned deep blue.
Jiang Wen looked at the beast with lightning flashing above, the powerful pressure putting a little pressure on him. This was brought about by the huge difference between the powers, and it was the most difficult enemy he had encountered since coming to this world.
There was no retreat, and in this situation, only one of them could survive. Jiang Wen's heart was clear, and his whole person fell into an unusually calm state. Everything around him gradually quieted down, shielding him from sounds, except for distracting thoughts.
“Roar!” The beast roared, carrying thunder from above, and the blazing white electric light enveloped everything around it. Countless plants were turned to scorched earth under the lightning. The towering trees were marked with finger-deep traces by the lightning, as if this world was born in a Lei swamp.
Dense lightning came head-on. Even though Jiang Wen was agile, he still withstood several lightning strikes. The paralyzing power slowed him down several times, almost causing him to fall to the ground. He leaped onto a giant tree, shuttling between the trees, with huge crashes echoing behind him, and giant branches were constantly destroyed.
The beast, releasing the power of thunder, was clearly slower than before. Jiang Wen relied on his flexible movements to move back and forth in the jungle. For a time, the two were at a stalemate, and neither could do anything to the other.
From time to time, lightning flashed in the great forest, startling countless birds.
Being chased extremely embarrassingly, Jiang Wen looked at the ferocious guy behind him. After such a long time of displaying the power of thunder, it had not shown any signs of weakness. Even the lightning specialist cultivator of Life Fire would sigh to himself, what did it eat to grow up? Cursing secretly, he accelerated and jumped to a higher place.
Jiang Wen didn't know how tall the trees in this forest were. As the branches and leaves gradually became denser, white clouds lingered. He felt his physical strength was a little weak, and the beast behind him was still chasing relentlessly. Without magical power, he temporarily had no way to deal with this thing. If he didn't remove the thunder power from it, he would be caught up by the other party sooner or later.
Not far away, dark clouds were gathering, rolling towards him like black ink. Looking at the dark clouds, Jiang Wen suddenly had an idea.
