Chapter 13 Two Demonic Beasts

• His strength continued to surge.
• Another day and night passed, and Francis had absorbed all the crystal stones, his power surging to an impressive two thousand pounds. His cultivation had reached the mid-stage of Sky Gate Realm Level Four.
• Riding on the momentum of just breaking through Level Four, Francis practiced Palm of Light again.
• He had initially hoped to make a breakthrough with Palm of Light, but unfortunately, the intricacies of Palm of Light were too profound to easily overcome. However, he managed to reach Level One of Palm of Light.
• “Right now, I possess the strength of two thousand pounds, equivalent to the power of four tigers. My Palm of Light has already reached the advanced level of Level One, which allows me to exert a force of two thousand and five hundred pounds with a single strike. Even if I encounter a Sky Gate Realm Level Six expert, as long as they're not at the peak-stage of Level Six, I'm more than capable of handling them! However, my method of cultivation is too draining. I didn't notice it yesterday, but today, I realized that the two spiritual stones that were crushed and absorbed by the ancient cauldron, once transformed into spiritual energy, only provided me with the equivalent energy of one spiritual stone. The rest of the energy must have been absorbed by the ancient cauldron. That's quite normal. After all, operating the ancient cauldron requires energy consumption. My method of absorption is incredibly fast, seven and a half times the speed of an average martial artist. However, the amount of spiritual stones it consumes is also substantial. Right now, I urgently need spiritual stones or medicinal herbs filled with spiritual energy, internal essence cores, crystal cores, and so on!”
• Francis took several sips of the mountain spring water, bathed in the stream, and donned a fresh set of clothes. He then ascended to the top of a small mountain peak.
• The cool mountain breeze swept over him, leaving him feeling refreshed. Though he was only sixteen, he stood tall, a striking figure. His long, dark hair was as black as ink, his eyebrows sharp, and his eyes bright. He was indeed a charming young man.
• Arrow Peak was a good hundred miles away from there. After leaving his thatched cottage the previous day, Francis headed east and was then essentially out of the sphere of influence of Quadriga Sect. The deeper one went into Evergreen Mountain Range, the more powerful the demonic beasts became. Francis did not dare to venture too deep. He had traveled nearly a hundred miles into the mountains but was still considered to be on the outskirts.
• The peak he was on wasn't particularly high, but it offered a clear view of everything within several miles.
• Beneath his feet stretched an ancient forest, its age unknown. The vast expanse of trees swelled like an ocean, offering nothing but a deep, rich shade of emerald as far as the eye could see.
• Francis glanced around, his brows suddenly furrowing as his gaze locked onto a particular spot.
• Approximately seven to eight miles away from him, within a patch of forest, a series of noises echoed. Trees were continuously falling as if snapped by some tremendous force. It seemed as though the roars and growls of ferocious beasts were carried over by the wind.
• A thought struck Francis, prompting him to hastily descend the mountain and dart in that direction.
• The closer he got, the louder the commotion became. There were no roars of wild beasts, but rather, the thudding sound of heavy impacts echoed in the distance. Francis moved cautiously, taking cover behind a large boulder as he peered toward the noise.
• In a clearing within the forest, two demonic beasts were engaged in a fierce battle. The surrounding trees bore the brunt of their conflict. Many trees were broken, and the area was left in total disarray.
• Those two demonic beasts were a massive python and a colossal bear, respectively.
• The massive python, easily thirty to forty feet long, was as thick as a water barrel. Its body was coated in pitch-black scales, each the size of an open palm, their edges sharp as blades. The python's eyes were a chilling blood red, reminiscent of two glowing lanterns, filled with a wicked, icy glimmer. Its lower body coiled while its upper body reared up, flicking its forked tongue out at a distance. The snake's saliva dripped down, as black as ink. The venomous drool was potent enough to cause the ground to corrode and emit white smoke upon contact. Opposing the python was a colossal bear, its body a deep earthy yellow. Standing on its hind legs, it towered over two humans in height. Key parts of its body were covered in similar earthy yellow scales, suggesting strong defensive capabilities.
• The python was a Sky Gate Realm Level Five Black Blood Snake, and the bear was a Sky Gate Realm Level Five Earthen Armor Bear.
• Back in the day, when Francis was unable to cultivate, Queben had taught him a variety of miscellaneous knowledge, which included the identification of various demonic beasts and spiritual herbs.
• Francis held his breath, realizing he was no match for either of the two demonic beasts. He had the strength of about two thousand pounds, roughly equivalent to a martial artist of Sky Gate Realm Level Five. Yet, even at the same level, these demonic beasts were generally more formidable than any martial artist.
• Yet, his eyes shimmered with an excited gleam. Two beasts were in a conflict, so one was bound to perish. He might just profit from their fight. What thrilled him even more was the fact that the Black Blood Snake, a demonic beast, was known for guarding heavenly treasures. Generally, wherever a Black Blood Snake was found, heavenly treasures were bound to be present.
• However, what he needed to do then was to patiently wait.
• The colossal bear was drenched in its own blood, its fur damaged in several places. Even its sturdy scales were ripped off in chunks, revealing the raw flesh beneath. The Black Blood Snake also had a few scales damaged, but it was far from severe. Clearly, the Black Blood Snake had the upper hand, and the Earthen Armor Bear sustained heavier injuries.
• Suddenly, the Earthen Armor Bear let out an enraged roar, lunging forward as if ready to engage in a fierce battle with the Black Blood Snake. The snake, in response, drew back its body, assuming a defensive stance.
• Right then, the Earthen Armor Bear abruptly turned around, darting off in the opposite direction. It turned out that its previous aggressive stance was merely a bluff. In reality, it was planning to escape.
• Francis felt a surge of criticism in his heart. The Earthen Armor Bear was quite the trickster. If it couldn't win a fight, it would turn and run, even feigning an attack in the process. The intelligence of these demonic beasts was in no way inferior to that of humans. He quietly reminded himself to be cautious, not to underestimate these demonic beasts.