Bing Tian Frost Continent
In a desolate, primal jungle, a massive demon beast, built like a tank, was hurled through the air, crashing through ancient trees and scattering flocks of birds in a frenzy.
This beast was robust, its four limbs brimming with power, its broad back and long body exuding strength. Its razor-sharp tusks gleamed, capable of shredding any foe. Its aura marked it as a Late-Stage Second-Tier demon beast—a Wild Boar, equivalent to a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment human cultivator.
Yet now, the Wild Boar lay broken, its bones shattered, its trembling form gazing at its opponent with palpable fear.
Not far away stood a striking young man, his right eye a haunting silver with a crescent moon in its pupil, coldly fixed on the beast.
Behind him loomed a shadowy black bear, flickering in and out of existence, radiating dense Earth spiritual energy as if it could swallow mountains and rivers. The bear's imposing aura sent the Wild Boar quivering, too terrified to resist.
This was the Earth Bear Soul Guardian, one of the Four Spirits Soul Guardian Technique.
Ten days had passed since Lan An parted with Yan Ruo. His latest teleportation had landed him in this vast, untamed forest.
Having successfully condensed the Spirit Earth Cauldron and Mysterious Water Cauldron, Lan An's control over heaven-and-earth spiritual energy surpassed even spiritual roots. Thus, he resolved to train the Mysterious-Grade Supreme martial skill, Four Spirits Soul Guardian Technique.
Within his dantian, the Spirit Earth Cauldron spun furiously, absorbing and expelling Earth spiritual energy, converting it into spiritual energy to fuel Lan An's activation of the technique, summoning the majestic Earth Bear phantom.
ROAR!
The Earth Bear phantom reared back, its bellow shaking the forest. Its aura, intertwined with Lan An's, silenced lesser demon beasts within a hundred miles, leaving them trembling in submission.
"Hmph, you were so ferocious when you ambushed me, treating me like prey," Lan An sneered at the Wild Boar.
To dare view him as prey was a death sentence.
As his words fell, Lan An's figure blurred into motion, the Earth Bear phantom trailing like a loyal sentinel.
Raising his fists, Lan An mirrored the Earth Bear's movements. Earth spiritual energy surged into his strikes, aimed at the Wild Boar.
Grr…
Unwilling to die passively, the Wild Boar, suppressing its pain, staggered to its feet, its tusks thrusting toward Lan An.
Lan An's expression remained icy. Facing the tusks' blade-like assault, he didn't retreat an inch. The Earth Bear phantom roared, its earth-shaking fists smashing forward.
Crack!
The tusks, hard as steel, snapped in two. The overwhelming force sent the Wild Boar flying once more.
Seeing the beast on the brink of death, Lan An pressed his attack. The Earth Bear extended its muscular arms, seizing the Wild Boar's neck and twisting sharply.
Snap!
The neck broke, and the Late-Stage Second-Tier Wild Boar perished.
As Lan An gazed at the corpse, the crescent moon in his right eye glowed eerily. The Wild Boar's lingering soul, unable to resist, was drawn into the White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye.
"Too weak," Lan An muttered, sensing a negligible increase in his soul force, shaking his head in disappointment.
The White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye could seize enemy souls to bolster his own, but only from foes of equal or lesser strength. Absorbing a stronger soul risked backlash, potentially crippling his own soul. The soul of a Second-Tier beast like the Wild Boar was of little use to him now.
"I could've infused soul force into the Earth Bear to amplify its power, but my soul cultivator identity is too sensitive. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't use soul force recklessly," Lan An mused.
Through training, he'd discovered that the Four Spirits Soul Guardian Technique was also a soul-based martial skill, capable of leveraging soul force to enhance its might.
Relaxing, he dissipated the Earth Bear phantom, his formidable aura retracting. Were it not for his eerie silver eye, Lan An would appear an harmless mortal.
One Month Later
Lan An remained in the jungle, sparring with various Third-Tier demon beasts to hone his combat skills. His recently achieved cultivation, unstable from rapid breakthroughs, gradually stabilized. His mastery over spiritual energy grew, marking significant progress.
"My only martial skill is the Earth Bear from the Four Spirits Soul Guardian Technique. While I can wield Water spiritual energy, I lack a suitable skill to unleash it," Lan An reflected, assessing his weaknesses.
His combat repertoire was limited, lacking defensive and movement skills. This had cost him in battles against agile, hard-hitting demon beasts.
Without the White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye's ability to detect weaknesses, he might have suffered severe injuries multiple times.
"The System hasn't issued new missions. It's time to leave this forest," Lan An decided, setting off.
"Jin'er, when will the System qualify for an upgrade?" he asked while moving. He yearned to enhance the System's functions, as its current mission-only feature was insufficient.
Jin'er's petite figure materialized beside him, her large eyes twinkling. "For the System to upgrade, you must at least condense a third cauldron or reach soul force near the Nascent Soul realm."
Lan An gave a wry smile. In his dantian, the Spirit Earth Cauldron and Mysterious Water Cauldron tirelessly cycled spiritual energy, incrementally boosting his strength. Over the past month, he'd focused on combat training without tedious meditation.
Yet, he knew condensing another cauldron was arduous. His prior success relied on potent items and Yan Ruo's Nascent Soul assistance—a rare convergence of fortune. The next cauldron wouldn't come so easily.
Night fell, cloaking the jungle in darkness.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground quaked violently, the din of battle echoing through the trees. Lan An's attention snapped to the sound, recalling the Black Mountain Bears' clash over the Earth Spirit Herb. The ongoing commotion hinted at a conflict surpassing that of two Mid-Stage Third-Tier beasts.
His lips curved into an eager smile.
Demon beasts typically guarded their territories, rarely clashing unless vying for land or treasures. Such battles were rare, sparked only by significant stakes.
Far-Reaching Clairvoyance!
Channeling soul force, veins pulsed around Lan An's silver eye, spreading across half his face. He activated one of the White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye's functions.
His vision expanded, encompassing a hundred-mile radius. Though far from true "ten-thousand-mile" clairvoyance, his current cultivation allowed a 200-mile range—more than enough.
Sixty miles away, he spotted the battle. Three demon beasts were locked in ferocious combat—two ganging up on one. Lan An hastened toward the battlefield while observing.
The clash intensified, toppling trees and churning the earth. Roars shattered the jungle's eerie silence, turning it savage.
Finding a large rock outcrop, Lan An concealed himself to watch.
A black-furred Brute Strength Ape, its face twisted in ferocity, wielded an uprooted ancient tree as a weapon.
It allied with a Blazing Flame Bird, its body wreathed in fire, its sharp claws and drill-like beak poised to pierce any foe.
Their opponent was a 30-meter-long White Star Serpent, its body as wide as five grown men. Its pristine white scales, like polished jade, gleamed exquisitely, rivaling any masterpiece. Its large, luminous eyes glared at its assailants with fury.
Hovering above, Jin'er observed the trio, her voice clear. "Brute Strength Ape—Mid-Stage Third-Tier. Blazing Flame Bird—Mid-Stage Third-Tier."
Her gaze shifted to the serpent, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "White Star Serpent, bearing a trace of ancestral bloodline. Though faint, it's remarkably rare."
"Indeed extraordinary. Only Early-Stage Third-Tier, yet holding its own against two Mid-Stage Third-Tier beasts," Lan An remarked, impressed. Though unaware of the serpent's bloodline, its ability to fight above its tier was formidable.
That it astonished even the discerning Jin'er underscored its exceptional nature.
Lan An continued watching. The Brute Strength Ape relentlessly swung its tree at the White Star Serpent's head.
With agile grace, the serpent dodged, its movements fluid and precise, while its mouth spewed white light to counter the Blazing Flame Bird's fiery assaults.
BOOM!
Collisions reverberated, incinerating nearby lesser beasts, the scent of roasted flesh permeating the air.
"What power does the White Star Serpent wield?" Lan An asked, intrigued by the white light.
"Star Essence Force. The White Star Serpent excels in Star Essence attributes," Jin'er explained, pointing to the serpent's shimmering scales. "Notice anything unique about its scales?"
Lan An focused, gasping, "They're absorbing some force to replenish its strength!"
"Exactly—Star Essence from the stars," Jin'er confirmed, glancing at the twinkling night sky, her expression unusually grave.
Before Lan An could react, she continued, "Its ancestor was the ancient Supreme White Star-Devouring Serpent, famed for swallowing stars to amplify its power. In ancient times, even in the Immortal Realm, it dominated regions. Though its clan was sparse, unlike the Dragon Clan, its individual combat prowess made even dragons wary."
"Terrifying!" Lan An exclaimed, awed. In his mind, the Dragon Clan held mythical status.
On the Bing Tian Frost Continent, dragons were mere legends, yet they feared the Supreme White Star-Devouring Serpent's might, highlighting its fearsome power.
"While the White Star Serpent isn't as dominant as its ancestor, it can still harness some Star Essence to boost its strength," Jin'er said. "The duo likely teamed up, recognizing its threat, aiming to eliminate it before vying for that herb."
She gestured toward a purple herb swaying in the distance, ripening near the battlefield.
Lan An had noticed it earlier but didn't know its nature.
"Form Transformation Herb. It allows demon beasts to instantly assume human form," Jin'er revealed, her vast knowledge unmatched, save by the Immortal Genesis Scripture.
"No wonder they're so frenzied," Lan An mused.
Typically, demon beasts required Fifth-Tier cultivation—equivalent to human Transformation Realm—to assume human form. Human form enhanced spiritual energy absorption, accelerating cultivation and easing movement.
The Form Transformation Herb was a priceless treasure for sub-Fifth-Tier beasts.
"This is clearly the White Star Serpent's territory. Those two are thieves, shamelessly ganging up," Jin'er huffed, her small lips pouting in disdain.
"Trouble—the sky's clouding!" Lan An's face darkened as storm clouds gathered, blocking the starlight fueling the White Star Serpent, weakening its power.
As expected, the sudden loss of Star Essence disrupted the serpent. Its scales dimmed, and the Blazing Flame Bird seized the moment, its flaming claws raking its body.
HISS!
The serpent's pained cry echoed as it collapsed, gravely wounded.
"Danger!" Lan An shouted, spotting the Brute Strength Ape aiming a tree at the serpent's head. Instinctively, he called out, his voice drawing the attention of all three beasts.
The ape paused its attack, eyeing Lan An warily.
The White Star Serpent's luminous eyes fixed on the approaching youth, blinking curiously.
CAW!
The Blazing Flame Bird, temper flaring, conjured flames on its wings and dove at Lan An.
ROAR!
The Earth Bear phantom materialized behind Lan An, twice as large as a month ago, thanks to his improved spiritual energy control.
Lan An glared at the incoming bird. In his dantian, the Spirit Earth Cauldron spun, channeling Earth spiritual energy. The Earth Bear solidified, nearly indistinguishable from a real beast.
"Scram!" Lan An bellowed, clenching his fists.
The Earth Bear's massive arms clamped onto the bird's wing mid-charge, hurling it with a spin.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
The bird smashed through three ancient trees, struggling to rise, its body marred with wounds. It retreated to the ape's side, both beasts eyeing Lan An cautiously.
Lan An dashed to the White Star Serpent's side. Meeting its curious gaze, he smiled warmly. "Let me help you."
Clang! "Triggered side mission: Conquer the Serpent. Reward: One Earth-Grade martial skill summon."
The System's voice startled Lan An, who quickly checked the details.
Mission Note: The White Star Serpent's exceptional bloodline makes it a vital ally on the Path of the Overlord.
Closing the System, Lan An would've acted regardless. Facing the serpent's wide eyes, he asked gently, "May I assist you?"
The youth's silver eye, with its crescent moon, radiated sincerity, stirring an inexplicable kinship in the serpent. Its eyes curved into crescents, its head nodding lightly.
"Haha, let's fight together!" Lan An's confident laughter rang out, shaking the jungle.
Across from them, the Brute Strength Ape and Blazing Flame Bird tensed, their gazes heavy with apprehension.