The commotion outside the camp had not yet completely died down, and Zhao Hu's curse of "Troublemakers are here!" still echoed in their ears. Yè Chén's eyes were cold, and he was about to follow the messenger to the command post to meet the people from the Jingzhao Yin's office.
Just then—
"Roar!!"
A completely different, more ferocious and sharp beast roar exploded from the depths of the nearby ruins, instantly drowning out all other noises! The roar carried a scalp-tingling crackling sound, as if lightning was hissing.
"What was that sound?!" Wang Kun turned his head sharply towards the source of the sound, his face changing drastically.
Almost simultaneously, a visible, distorted blue-white electric light, like a python, shot out from behind a pile of broken concrete pillars and lashed fiercely at the open ground!
Boom!The ground turned black, and gravel flew everywhere. The air was instantly filled with a pungent smell of ozone and scorched fur.
"It's a Thunder-Patterned Leopard! Rank Four! How did it wander so close to the outer city!" a knowledgeable old soldier exclaimed in fear.
The crowd instantly descended into chaos, their nerves, which had just relaxed, tightening to the extreme once more! A Rank Four Thunder-Patterned Leopard, extremely fast and capable of controlling lightning, was an exceptionally troublesome ferocious beast. An ordinary squad facing it meant utter annihilation!
That bolt of light was just the beginning. The next second, a blur of anethereal blue figure, moving so fast it left only afterimages, lunged out of the ruins, its target directly at several soldiers in the crowd who were carrying wild boar carcasses! It was clearly attracted by the smell of blood and the commotion.
Its speed was beyond imagination! Along its ethereal blue fur, bright electric patterns flickered and danced, twisting the very air around it.
"Scatter! Quickly, scatter!" Zhao Hu's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared, drawing his long saber, ready to charge. But he was too far away; it was clearly too late!
The Thunder-Patterned Leopard's claws were already entwined with dazzling electric light, and it was about to tear the terrified soldiers to shreds!
Yè Chén moved.
The trouble with the Jingzhao Yin was instantly forgotten. The instinct for survival and the will to protect those who had just fought alongside him took precedence.
He instinctively activated the rudimentary form of the 'Shrinking Ground into Inches' technique. The ground beneath his feet sank imperceptibly, and his figure seemed to teleport across a dozen meters, resolutely blocking the Thunder-Patterned Leopard and the soldiers!
His speed was so great that it even created a small sonic boom, making Zhao Hu, who was rushing over, twitch his eyes.
Facing the giant beast lunging with crackling lightning, Yè Chén's expression was terrifyingly calm. The ancient bronze sword in his right hand had just been condensed, but it was too late to swing it.
He abruptly raised his left arm, and with a thought, the pale green Yuan Qi shield, carved with the Yin-Yang fish pattern, instantly materialized before him.
This time, as the shield condensed, Yè Chén had an epiphany. Instead of just injecting Yuan Qi to strengthen its defense as before, he recalled Xuanjizi's previous scolding and his understanding of 'sinking, condensing, and turning' the Yuan Qi while practicing martial arts just now.
The drop of liquid Yuan Qi within him spun madly. The surging Yuan Qi was not evenly distributed across the shield's surface but followed a mysterious trajectory, instantly passing over the Yin-Yang fish formation pattern on the shield, which had been somewhat blurry.
Hum!
The Yuan Qi shield emitted a faint hum, its surface glowing intensely blue. The Yin-Yang fish pattern instantly became crystal clear, even beginning to rotate in reverse. An aura of completeness and rebound emanated from the shield!
All this may have taken time to describe, but it happened in the flash of an eye!
Just as the Yuan Qi shield completed its transformation, the Thunder-Patterned Leopard's claws, entwined with violent lightning, smashed down fiercely!
Crack!
A piercing explosion sounded! The blue-white electric light instantly erupted, engulfing Yè Chén's entire body! The powerful impact lifted him off his feet and sent him sliding backward, leaving two shallow gouges in the ground.
Everyone who witnessed this scene held their breath! To withstand the full force of a Rank Four Thunder-Patterned Leopard's enraged strike and lightning!
But the next moment, a shocking scene unfolded!
The exploding, rampant lightning, capable of instantly electrocuting a person to a crisp, did not completely dissipate. Instead, more than half of it seemed to be forcibly constrained and twisted by an invisible force, reflecting back fiercely along the rapidly rotating Yin-Yang fish formation pattern!
Fighting fire with fire, or rather, lightning with lightning!
Crackling sounds echoed!
The reflected lightning, though significantly weaker, landed squarely on the unprepared Thunder-Patterned Leopard itself!
"Aowuu!"
The Thunder-Patterned Leopard let out a cry of surprise and pain. The ethereal blue fur on its body stood on end, emitting wisps of smoke. Its pouncing motion instantly froze and became numb.
Now!
Although Yè Chén's Qi and blood churned from the immense force, his left arm felt numb, and the Yuan Qi shield's light dimmed, with cracks appearing, he grasped this fleeting opportunity with eyes as sharp as knives!
Ignoring the paralyzed Thunder-Patterned Leopard, he used the momentum of his backward slide to spin his body violently. The ancient bronze sword, which he had been holding loosely in his right hand, suddenly thrust out like a coiled viper!
His target was not the Thunder-Patterned Leopard's tough head or body, but its gaping maw, which had partially opened due to the paralysis, revealing its soft upper palate!
*Splash!*
The ancient bronze sword, condensed with the Yuan Qi of the nascent Foundation Establishment stage, accurately pierced from the Thunder-Patterned Leopard's mouth and emerged from the back of its head!
The Thunder-Patterned Leopard's massive body stiffened abruptly. The ferocity and electric lights in its eyes rapidly dimmed. Finally, it crashed to the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before falling completely silent.
The scene fell into dead silence.
From the Thunder-Patterned Leopard's surprise attack, to Yè Chén's interception, reflection of lightning, and killing blow, the entire process took only two to three seconds.
Everyone was stunned.
Especially those soldiers who had narrowly escaped death. They slumped to the ground, looking at Yè Chén's retreating back, who stood blocking them, slowly retracting his sword, as if watching a god.
Zhao Hu's rushing steps froze mid-stride, his mouth agape. He knew Yè Chén had broken through and was powerful, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong! That was a Rank Four Thunder-Patterned Leopard! And it was killed in one exchange?!
That was lightning! And it could be reflected?!
Yè Chén slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, dispelling the Yuan Qi shield, which was dimming and almost shattered. His left arm trembled slightly, and his internal Yuan Qi was significantly depleted. He glanced at the Thunder-Patterned Leopard's corpse on the ground, especially its scorched fur, and gained a clearer understanding of the defensive and reflective capabilities of the Yin-Yang fish shield.
"Tsk, finally got a little clue."
Xuanjizi's unique voice, tinged with a hint of disdain yet satisfaction, echoed in his mind.
"You know how to use the 'rebound' technique of the Two Forms formation pattern, 'Li'? Not just stubbornly resisting head-on. But your technique is still crude and unsightly. Seventy percent of the lightning's power was lost in the rebound, otherwise, it would have been more than enough for that beast. And your shield is almost broken. Next time you encounter lightning, remember to add a 'Guiding Flow' formation pattern at each eye of the Yin-Yang fish to divert most of this darn lightning, and then reflect the rest. It will be more energy-efficient and sturdier."
Yè Chén silently noted the keywords: "Guiding Flow formation pattern" and "eyes of the Yin-Yang fish."
"Also, the Two Forms give rise to the Four Phenomena, and the Four Phenomena evolve into the Eight Trigrams.Next time you encounter an elemental attack like this, don't just be a fool and reflect it. Try using a counteracting method. For example, this lightning is associated with wood and fire. You could condense a shield with earth-attribute Yuan Qi, or engrave a 'Mountain' pattern on the shield's surface to absorb it forcefully. Perhaps the effect would be even better. Or, what about the power of your Mountain Breaking Fist just now? Infuse it into the shield, and shake back the force that it attacked with! Fight with your brain! Don't let your 'Cosmic Nexus Body' go to waste!"
Xuanjizi launched into another barrage of scolding and guidance.
Yè Chén's eyes flickered, and several ideas for improving the Yuan Qi shield and dealing with different attacks flashed through his mind. The old man's words were harsh, but his advice was always pointed.
At this moment, Zhao Hu and the others finally surrounded him, their gazes towards Yè Chén completely changed, filled with shock and reverence.
"Ye... Brother Ye... Are you alright?" Zhao Hu's voice was a little hoarse.
"I'm fine." Yè Chén shook his head, bent down, and skillfully cut open the Thunder-Patterned Leopard's head, extracting a blue beast core that flickered with fine electric light. A Rank Four beast core, with immense energy, was quite valuable.
He handed the beast core to Zhao Hu, "Captain, please handle it. The pelt and fangs are also valuable."
Zhao Hu subconsciously took the beast core, feeling the surging lightning energy within, his hand trembling slightly. This was a Rank Four beast core! And a rare lightning attribute one! He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he just nodded heavily, "Good! Good! It's all your credit!"
Yè Chén didn't say anything further. His gaze turned to the messenger who was still waiting, his eyes turning cold once more.
"Let's go, let's go see the people from the Jingzhao Yin's office."