Chapter 12: Super Saiyan Mimicry.
Based on years of experience battling spirit beasts, Li Tianyi instantly guessed the approximate level of the black bear before him.
Seeing the massive black bear charging at him with such force, Li Tianyi wasn't surprised, but rather delighted.
A look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and he instantly increased the force of his punches.
"Bang!"
His relatively small fist collided with the massive bear's paw, and the resulting energy kicked up a cloud of dust that spread in all directions.
After the dust settled, both the man and the bear were knocked back three steps, seemingly evenly matched.
Li Tianyi's stern face revealed a sense of unfulfilled desire. He rubbed his palms together and gave the giant black bear a provocative look. "Brother, you're big enough, but you're not strong enough."
The black bear's pupils instantly seemed to spit out flames, and a flash of black light flashed around it. Its aura unexpectedly increased by another three points, and it lunged at Li Tianyi again, its fangs and claws bared.
The sounds of intense fighting and the angry roars of the black bear continued to echo through the mountains, startling countless mountain birds into the distant sky.
Li Tianyi leaped atop the black bear, his hand gleaming with golden light as he flicked his fingers. With a thud, the massive figure collapsed. Li Tianyi, with a stern expression, gazed upon the unconscious black bear, as if lost in thought.
He raised his right hand, then lowered it again. Then, he swiftly turned and scurried away to hide in a nearby treetop.
"Shua shua" hearing the distant sounds, Li Tianyi, who had crouched in the treetops, held his breath, tensing every muscle in his body with alertness.
"Hiss!"—a giant python, several meters long, with inky scales, swam rapidly in an S-shape across the ground.
Seeing the unconscious black bear, the python's prismatic eyes lit up with excitement, and it unconsciously released its bright red tongue, revealing its gleaming fangs.
"Looking at this creature, it looks about three thousand years old, with an oval head and no delicate teeth, it's probably non-venomous,"
Li Tianyi, hidden in the treetops, thought to himself, his face sullen as he touched his nose. Seeing the giant python not leaving but instead eyeing the black bear's flesh, a cold glint flashed in Li Tianyi's eyes, and he gathered his strength.
The python arched its bowl-sized body towards the black bear, its eyes gleaming with greed, perhaps plotting how to devour the giant.
Seizing his opportunity, Li Tianyi, like an arrow from a bow, pierced through the branches beneath his feet and punched the python in the vitals.
Inky scales fluttered, but no blood splattered.
The python, caught unawares by the blow, was naturally furious and, raising its tail, swept towards Li Tianyi.
A solemn expression crossed Li Tianyi's face, and he thought, 'This ink-scaled giant python's cultivation must be more than three thousand years old. Judging by its power, it had already reached the level of a forty-fifth-level Soul Sect."
Hastily dodging the sweeping snake's tail, Li Tianyi's right hand flashed, revealing a small "metal blade." He thrust it towards the python's vital point, slicing once more.
The python coiled itself, releasing its vital point to allow Li Tianyi's thrust, seemingly unfazed.
"Puff!"
The "metal blade" sliced through its flesh without resistance, sending blood spurting out.
Li Tianyi, however, secretly cried out in alarm, realizing the python wasn't dying immediately.
Just as he was about to pull away, the python's speed suddenly increased several times, engulfing him. Staring at Li Tianyi, its eyes revealed a mocking, humanlike derision.
Trapped within the python's grasp, Li Tianyi struggled mightily, but found his strength elusive. His body, shrouded in inky scales, left him no room to exert his strength.
The mockery in the python's eyes grew thicker, and the force of its coiling increased.
Li Tianyi felt the forces pressing against him from all sides, his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, his bones creaking.
No, this couldn't happen. He had to break free quickly. Li Tianyi knew the nature of snakes well. If he continued to coil like this, he was in for a real death.
Li Tianyi strained his muscles, veins bulging, and exerted his full strength to the utmost, forcing the python's coils apart.
A hissing flashed of disdain in the python's eyes, its inky scales gleaming with a dark, cold light. Its strength and resilience seemed to have increased several times, instantly squeezing Li Tianyi back, its force increasing in intensity.
"Crack!"
The sound of bones grinding against each other resonated in Li Tianyi's mind, and his previously stern expression began to change.
A hissing sound filled the python's eyes as it watched Li Tianyi, who was about to be crushed to death by it, a cruel excitement flickered in its eyes.
At that moment, Li Tianyi suddenly relaxed his strength, ceasing resistance. His relatively small body was instantly submerged in layers of swirling inky scales.
Seeing its prey give up resistance, the giant python's prismatic eyes flashed with disdain and triumph.
Just as it was about to devour its foolish prey, a golden light appeared through the cracks in the inky scales.
Fear flashed in the giant python's eyes, and its body was stretched apart, bit by bit, by an extraordinary and overwhelming force.
In its panic, its overwhelming desire to survive prompted it to unleash its innate ability once again. The inky scales lit up again, but to no avail.
The giant python's body was shattered by a golden figure, and a rain of blood instantly filled the air.
Drops of snake blood rained down from the sky, but not a single drop landed on the figure.
Once the blood droplets approached the figure, they would be instantly evaporated by the golden flames that enveloped the figure.
The figure was Li Tianyi, who had been nearly killed by the python before.
At this moment, his hair stood up, the pupils in his eyes disappeared, and his face exuded a violent look, without a trace of his previous coldness.
Looking at the snake body that was broken into several pieces, endless wildness flashed in his eyes, and he swung the "iron sheet" in his hand and cut it repeatedly.
A faint light suddenly flashed on the "iron sheet", and ran along Li Tianyi's right hand to his mind.
The sudden coolness in his mind made Li Tianyi regain consciousness instantly, and the golden flames also dissipated at this moment.
Li Tianyi, whose eyes had regained clarity, saw the mess on the ground and was silent for a while.
He approached the purple spirit ring that had been created by the python's death and couldn't help but sigh, "Haha, thank you."
For years, he had been trying to transform into a Super Saiyan, expending countless sweat and blood. His physical body had clearly reached a certain limit, yet he seemed stuck, unable to make any progress.
It wasn't until this life-or-death crisis posed by the Ink-Scaled Python that aroused his rage and the potential within his Saiyan bloodline, allowing him to successfully complete the transformation from ordinary warrior to Saiyan.
Although he had only transformed into a mimic form, the most basic Saiyan form,
Li Tianyi's eyes were filled with deep satisfaction, as he felt his years of hard work had paid off. With a flicker of joy in his eyes, Li Tianyi quickly brought the "small iron disc" in his right hand close to the purple spirit ring.
An inexplicable suction force immediately emerged from the "small iron disc," sucking the purple spirit ring in like smoke. A hissing sound echoed through the purple smoke, as if the snake spirit was struggling and roaring in frustration.
However, all his struggles were in vain, as the purple energy was completely absorbed by the ordinary "small iron disc."
Li Tianyi looked expectantly at the "small iron piece" that had absorbed the purple spirit ring.
As if infused with power, the "small iron piece" seemed to have gained spirituality and vitality, spinning in Li Tianyi's palm.
(End of this chapter)