Deep within the Endless Beast Plains, the trees rose like pillars into the heavens. The air was thick with demonic qi and carried a faint tang of blood.
Light filtered through layers of tangled branches, scattering across the forest floor in flickering patterns that added to the eerie, dangerous atmosphere.
Xie Zhaolin carefully spread her divine sense, keeping it within a hundred-zhang radius. It was wide enough to detect danger but not so broad that it'd alert whatever powerful creatures might be lurking nearby. Her goal was clear: a beast at mid to late Golden Core stage, preferably one with a violent temperament and a tough, resilient body.
A full day passed.
At the edge of a swamp heavy with the stench of sulfur, she stopped.
Her gaze locked on the center, where a massive black rock jutted out of the mire, faint steam rising from its surface. Beneath that rock, something stirred. From the thick, murky sludge below came a pulse of ferocious, scorching energy that made her heart clench.
That was mid-stage Golden Core power, tainted with heat and corrosion.
"Found you."
A cold gleam flickered through her eyes.
Judging from the aura, this had to be a Bone-Eroding Flame Lizard, a beast known for its brutal nature, its thick hide, and its deadly ambush tactics.
More importantly, she remembered something from the beast compendium she'd bought at the Tianxing City auction: this type of lizard had one weak spot—its belly. Beneath the overlapping scales lay a patch of softer armor, far weaker than the rest of its body.
If she attacked that spot precisely, she could kill it faster and with less risk.
But...
Excitement burned in her eyes. She wanted to fight it head-on. Of course, this wasn't reckless.
First, such a direct, brutal battle would be the best way to temper her baleful qi and sharpen her mindset, pushing her potential to the limit and helping her break through her current bottleneck.
Second, her body—remade by heavenly lightning—was now as strong as that of a Golden Core body cultivator.
She needed a fierce, bone-shaking fight to truly test and adapt to this new strength. She wanted to know exactly where her limits lay.
"Come on!"
She stopped concealing her aura. The baleful qi around her erupted like a storm, releasing a powerful wave of killing intent.
"ROAR!"
The swamp exploded as the Bone-Eroding Flame Lizard lunged out of the mud, its massive body shaking the ground. Its crimson eyes locked on the human who dared challenge it.
No hesitation. No circling.
Xie Zhaolin shouted, charging forward like a streak of black lightning straight at the monster.
"Blazing Ghost Palm!"
She slammed her palm out. Thick black baleful qi surged forth, condensing into a giant spectral hand that collided head-on with the lizard's sweeping tail.
Boom!
The air shook. Mud splattered in all directions.
She staggered back a half-step, her arm numb from the impact—but her eyes gleamed with wild exhilaration. What terrifying strength!
But her body held.
The lizard, on the other hand, let out a pained roar, its tail twitching uncontrollably. It hadn't expected this frail-looking human to match its raw power.
"Again!"
Her fighting spirit flared hotter.
She completely abandoned defense and fancy techniques, unleashing her full speed as she darted around the lizard's massive body. Fists, palms, fingers—every strike was merciless, each one heavier than the last.
She attacked where its scales were thickest, its back and head, forcing her body to withstand every counterstrike.
Baleful qi clashed violently against beastly energy. The lizard's claws tore her skin, and its flames scorched her flesh, yet her wounds healed almost instantly under the power of her reborn vitality.
Blood seeped, then sealed. Bones creaked under pressure, then hardened. It was brutal, almost self-destructive—but incredibly effective.
Under that relentless pressure, her Annihilation Yinsha Core spun wildly, refining her baleful qi with unprecedented speed.
Her control sharpened. Her instincts honed. And deep inside, the barrier to mid-stage Golden Core began to tremble.
Three hours later.
Soaked in blood, Xie Zhaolin finally struck the finishing blow. Her finger, charged with all her strength and will, pierced straight through the lizard's skull.
The monster let out a dying screech before collapsing, shaking the swamp with its fall.
The battle hadn't been easy.
By the latter half, when the Bone-Eroding Flame Lizard realized its claws and venom couldn't kill her—and that her attacks only grew stronger—it started to panic.
For the first time, fear flickered in its eyes. It knew that if this went on, it'd be the one to die. Its instincts screamed for escape.
During a heavy clash, it suddenly shifted its weight and bolted backward, using the recoil to retreat. Its thick limbs churned through the mud, trying to dive back into the swamp's depths.
It was trying to flee.
Like hell she'd let it.
"Trying to run?" Her eyes flashed coldly as her baleful qi exploded again.
The lizard's body sank halfway into the swamp when her voice tore through the air.
"Get back here!"
Ignoring her injuries, she lunged forward and grabbed the lizard's massive tail just as it was slipping under.
"ROAR!"
The beast shrieked, pain lancing through its body as she pulled with all her strength.
It thrashed wildly, the swamp churning as it struggled to break free. Its crimson scales oozed thick, burning venom from the seams, hissing as it ate through her skin.
Ssshhh!
White smoke curled up from her hands where flesh met scale. The stench of burnt meat filled the air.
Her palms split open, raw bone gleaming beneath. The venom spread fast, numbing her arms as it seeped through her wounds.
The pain was searing enough to make her vision blur. But she clenched her jaw and glared with feral determination.
"Poison flames like this... and you think that'll make me let go?"
Instead of releasing, she poured every ounce of baleful qi into her arms, her body trembling from the strain. Planting her feet deep into the swamp's edge, she drew on every muscle in her body.
"Up!"
With a low growl, she heaved—and the massive lizard actually lurched upward, dragged several feet out of the swamp.
Panic filled its eyes. It could feel death closing in. It roared and twisted desperately, tearing up the swamp in its frenzy.
But her grip never loosened. No matter how the venom burned or how the scales sliced her skin, she refused to let go.
That brief moment of deadlock gave her the perfect opening. She gathered all her remaining strength, the baleful qi condensing at her fingertip into pure destruction.
"Extinction Finger!"
Her strike shattered the lizard's last defense, piercing straight through its skull and ending the fight in one final, decisive blow.