Only Two-star Demon Beasts can condense Demon Qi within their bodies, making their roars so terrifying.
Without hesitation, Luo Cheng turned and bolted in the opposite direction of the sound.
Crack!!
In the instant Luo Cheng took off running, the trees at his original position were instantly smashed apart by a Demon Bull the size of a small mountain.
The Demon Bull was over four meters long, with a pair of silver horns atop its head. Its body was covered in rock-like protrusions, making it look like a moving hill of earth.
"Silver-horned Rock Ox!"
Luo Cheng darted a glance backward, pushed his speed to the limit, and began to sprint wildly.
It really is a Two-star Demon Beast!
The Silver-horned Rock Ox is a Two-star Low-Level Demon Beast with unbelievably strong defenses—blades and swords can barely harm it. Even a First Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artist would have to steer clear of it!
Moo!!
The Silver-horned Rock Ox charged after him crazily, snapping smaller trees in half with every collision!
Seeing this, Luo Cheng's heart pounded with fear. If that thing rammed into him, he'd be lucky to escape with his life!
Not daring to idle, Luo Cheng even tossed away his bundle of Demon Beast Materials, zigzagging through the forest and deliberately choosing narrow paths to run through.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump…
Tree after tree was snapped apart. The infuriated Silver-horned Rock Ox gave chase recklessly, closing the distance between them at an alarming rate.
Thirty meters!
Twenty meters!
Ten meters!
Hearing the thunderous rumble growing closer behind him, Luo Cheng felt his scalp go numb.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
Up ahead, the densely packed forest abruptly thinned out, revealing a rocky canyon not far away with a narrow crack barely wide enough for a person to fit through.
But he was still about a hundred meters away from the crack!
And the Silver-horned Rock Ox was already breathing down his neck!
"No choice!"
Clenching his teeth, Luo Cheng pivoted sharply the moment he broke out of the forest.
"Move Mountains and Rivers!"
He summoned his Martial Soul as his body surged upward, channeling all his strength into his right fist before slamming it down forcefully.
Bang!
The Silver-horned Rock Ox did not expect Luo Cheng to suddenly fight back. Taken by surprise, the beast staggered backward, its massive body skidding several meters away.
Using this momentum, Luo Cheng propelled himself toward the canyon crack, darting inside in just a few strides.
Rumble!
The rocky mountain trembled!
Nearly at the same moment Luo Cheng squeezed into the crack, the Silver-horned Rock Ox charged at it with a tremendous impact, causing the rocky mountain to crumble with debris flying everywhere.
"That was close!"
Luo Cheng let out a deep breath, relief washing over him.
But just then, outside the crack, an even bigger shadow descended from above, biting into the neck of the Silver-horned Rock Ox.
Squish!
The massive beast opened its jaws and ripped ruthlessly, tearing off the Silver-horned Rock Ox's enormous head in one savage motion. Blood spattered everywhere!
"A Two-star Intermediate Demon Beast, the Flame Scale Leopard!"
Luo Cheng gasped in horror and immediately spun on his heels to flee.
He could barely manage to contend with a Two-star Low-Level Demon Beast—but against a Two-star Intermediate Demon Beast, he'd be a dead man!
Fortunately, the Flame Scale Leopard was busy feasting on its prey and paid him no attention.
Not daring to tempt fate, Luo Cheng dashed out of the canyon from another direction, sprinting for over ten miles before finally stopping.
"Lucky I ran fast enough!"
Luo Cheng muttered his relief, but his brows quickly furrowed as he surveyed his surroundings.
During his frantic escape, he hadn't had the chance to orient himself. Now, he had no idea where he was—whether he'd accidentally ventured deeper into the heart of the Black Cloud Mountain Range.
"Doesn't matter—I'll find a place to rest first!"
Forcing himself to stay calm, Luo Cheng resolved that even if he was in the mountain range's core area, he'd have to take things one step at a time.
After scanning the vicinity, Luo Cheng spotted a hidden tree hollow and crawled inside.
"Hiss!"
As soon as he entered the hollow and relaxed his taut nerves, a stinging pain flared in his right hand.
Lowering his head, he saw that his entire right hand was swollen, his fist bloodied and mangled.
"Two-star Demon Beasts really are terrifying!"
Luo Cheng forced a bitter smile, acknowledging how narrowly he'd escaped with his life this time.
Wait!
Suddenly, Luo Cheng's expression shifted with surprise.
His body felt warm, suffused with an unprecedented sense of raw power coursing through him.
Clenching his fists tentatively, Luo Cheng could distinctly feel that his strength had increased significantly—surpassing five hundred pounds!
"Body Tempering Extreme Realm!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Cheng was incredulous.
Breaking through the five-hundred-pound barrier meant he'd shattered the limits of the Body Tempering Realm, achieving the long-coveted Body Tempering Extreme Realm!
"So this adventure wasn't in vain after all."
Luo Cheng realized that the close brush with death had forced him to his utmost potential, enabling him to surpass the limits of the Body Tempering Realm!
Having reached the Body Tempering Extreme Realm, his strength could continue to grow.
Below the Transcendence Realm, he was now an uncontested powerhouse! This would bring untold benefits to his future cultivation!
"Even ten Qi Tings wouldn't stand a chance against me now!"
Elated, Luo Cheng reminded himself of his precarious current situation and decided to rest for the night before making his way back in the morning.
As for the Four-star Spiritual Medicine, he no longer entertained the thought.
This experience had made it clear to him that this region was still far beyond his reach.
The night passed quickly.
"Hopefully, I won't run into that Flame Scale Leopard!"
Luo Cheng's heart still raced with unease. Even with his breakthrough to the Body Tempering Extreme Realm, he stood no chance against a Two-star Intermediate Demon Beast!
Exiting the tree hollow, Luo Cheng carefully traced his steps backward, staying alert as he moved.
Roar!
Not long after, a thunderous and overwhelming roar erupted in the distance.
Looking in the direction of the sound, Luo Cheng's face paled.
A kilometer away, clouds churned as Demon Qi surged skyward. Far off, he could see an enormous black serpent, menacing and sinister in appearance!
The monstrous serpent towered over the sea of trees. From its wide-open maw, it spewed out beams of pitch-black light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wherever the light beams struck, vast expanses of trees were leveled, and even mountain peaks were punctured!
"What kind of monstrosity is that?!"
Seeing the massive serpent, Luo Cheng felt a bone-chilling dread wash over him.
This was something beyond a Two-star Intermediate Demon Beast! No, it was something far surpassing the realm of a Two-star Demon Beast!
What made Luo Cheng's hair stand on end was that the serpent, crushing trees in its path, was heading straight in his direction!