"No... no... I refuse!"
"Energy... I need energy..."
Trembling, Lu Lei fumbled in his robes and pulled out a few Spirit Recovery Pills, stuffing them into his mouth all at once.
However, once the pills reached his stomach, they were like stones dropped into the ocean. The system’s cold, mechanical voice sounded again:
【Insufficient energy! Please continue to supplement!】
"Damn it... I’m going all in!"
A flash of madness crossed Lu Lei’s eyes. He pulled out the entire bottle of Spirit Recovery Pills that Senior Sister Zhou had given him and swallowed them all in one go.
A massive surge of medicinal power exploded within him. His skin began to crack inch by inch, but his bones took on a chilling, metallic hue.
The broken bones knit together instantly, and his muscle fibers tightened like steel wires, every inch of his skeleton forged as if from dark iron.
【Ding! Host energy replenishment complete. Physical realm upgraded to Iron Bone Realm (Early Stage)!】
"BOOM!"
Lu Lei lunged toward the Man in Black, the terrifying power of the Iron Bone Realm cracking the ground beneath his feet like a spiderweb.
He glared at the man, his eyes shimmering with killing intent.
"You’re the one who’s going to die!"
The Man in Black’s pupils constricted. Clearly, he had not expected Lu Lei’s injuries to heal so inexplicably.
He hurriedly formed a seal, and the ghost fire condensed once more into a shield before him.
"Yellow-grade Mid-tier Spirit Skill: Ghost Fire Shield!"
The Man in Black sneered, "So what if your injuries are healed? A mere Bronze Skin Realm cultivator dares to think he can break my Ghost Fire Shield?"
Lu Lei didn't waste a breath. His iron fist, surging with the force of wind and thunder, slammed into the shield.
"Mountain-Crushing Fist: Quake-Peak!"
"BOOM—!"
The collision between fist and shield erupted with a deafening roar.
Under the impact of the iron fist, the Ghost Fire Shield fractured. Violet-black flames splattered everywhere, corroding deep pits into the surrounding ground.
"CRACK!"
The shield shattered completely. Lu Lei’s fist didn't lose its momentum, slamming heavily into the Man in Black’s chest.
"Pfft!"
The man spat out a mouthful of blood, the sound of his sternum snapping audible in the air.
His body flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the scorched rock wall.
"You! How could you! You’re at the Iron Bone Realm! That’s impossible!"
The Man in Black clutched his collapsed chest, his eyes filled with terror and bewilderment.
"You were clearly at the peak of the Bronze Skin Realm just a moment ago. How could you reach the Iron Bone Realm in the blink of an eye? Body Cultivators are supposed to require day after day of tempering to advance! You aren't a Body Cultivator at all!"
"Are you stupid? I’m cheating!"
Lu Lei said coldly, his figure closing in on the man like a ghost.
The Man in Black panicked, frantically forming seals. The Hundred Soul Banner rose again, and chains of vengeful spirits lashed out like vipers.
However, Lu Lei’s iron fist crushed the chains as if they were rotten wood; wherever his fist wind passed, the vengeful spirits dissipated with shrill screams.
"Damn it!"
Gritting his teeth, the Man in Black crushed a life-saving jade talisman, his body turning into black mist as he prepared to flee.
"The Blood Skull Cult won't let you go..."
"Trying to run?"
A cold light flashed in Lu Lei’s eyes. He threw a punch, gathering all his strength toward the direction where the black mist was dissipating. The immense power generated a gust of wind that instantly blew the mist away.
"BANG!"
A muffled sound came from within the mist. The Man in Black stumbled into view, his chest sunken, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.
"Cough, cough..."
The man looked down at the wound on his chest, his eyes filled with resentment.
"You... how dare you..."
"You talk too much."
Lu Lei spoke coldly and drove a fist into the man's neck.
"CRACK!"
The sound of the neck bone snapping was crisp and clear. The Man in Black’s head lolled to the side, his eyes lingering with incredulous terror as his body slowly slumped to the ground.
After killing the man, Lu Lei rushed over to check on Yanxin.
He knelt on the scorched earth, holding the beast in his arms, but its body temperature continued to fade along with its blood-flame aura.
The crimson patterns on its horns were as dim as ash, and the beads of blood seeping between its scales evaporated upon hitting the ground with a sizzling sound.
Those beastly eyes that once held tenderness for him were now veiled in a murky, gray haze.
"Big Sister, didn't you want to drag me back to your lair to be your trophy husband?"
Lu Lei tremblingly pressed his palm against Yanxin’s cold nose, his voice so hoarse it was barely audible.
"Get up..."
His fingers unconsciously stroked Yanxin’s scales, as if he could spark life back into it by doing so.
However, the heat coming from its body was fading, growing cold enough to make his heart race with panic.
"Didn't you say you’d feed me spirit fruits every day?"
Lu Lei’s voice choked with sobs, his eyes turning red.
"Get up... I promise you, I’ll promise you anything..."
Yanxin’s tail twitched slightly, as if it were using its last ounce of strength to rub against his wrist. A thread of bloody foam spilled from the corner of its mouth, blooming like a dark red flower on Lu Lei’s blood-stained lapel.
"Don't... don't sleep..."
His voice cut off abruptly, his throat feeling as though it were blocked by something, leaving him unable to say another word.
【Ding! Suggest the host take immediate emergency measures.】
The system’s mechanical voice rang out abruptly.
"You have a way?"
Lu Lei snapped his head up.
【Target is detected to have suffered excessive injuries and overextended its spirit and bloodline power, damaging its core. Its internal fire-attribute spiritual energy is exhausted. It requires a large replenishment of fire-attribute energy. Suggest feeding it Blazing Sun Fruit.】
"Are you crazy? If it eats that stuff, it’ll succumb to fire deviation!"
【Between a 97% mortality rate and a 100% mortality rate, the host should know how to choose.】
Lu Lei stared at the giant beast, its breathing now thin as a thread, and suddenly tore off the cloth bag at his waist—three crimson fruits rolled into his palm.
These were the evidence he had brought back from the spirit garden; now, in the face of life and death, they were his only lifeline.
"Open your mouth!"
He crushed the fruits, and the crimson juice dripped into Yanxin’s mouth between his fingers. As the pulp touched its tongue, a gurgling sound rose from Yanxin’s throat, but it lacked even the strength to swallow.
"It’s not enough... this isn't nearly enough!"
As an outer disciple, he didn't have a Storage Bag, so the majority of the Blazing Sun Fruits were still back at the Flaming Rhinoceros Garden.
Lu Lei tore his bloody hem into strips and lashed Yanxin onto his back.
"Hold on, I'm taking you home!"
Before leaving, Lu Lei snatched the Storage Bag from the Man in Black and stuffed all the magical artifacts into it.
When Lu Lei kicked open the dilapidated iron gate of the Flaming Rhinoceros Garden, a pungent smell of blood rushed to meet him.
The scorched earth was covered in ice crystals and sword marks. Several Flaming Rhinoceros carcasses were frozen in pillars of ice, still locked in their ferocious charging poses.
"Senior Sister Zhou..."
Zhou Muxue was no longer at the Flaming Rhinoceros Garden, but Lu Lei had no time to think about that. His gaze was already drawn to the pile of Blazing Sun Fruits in the corner—the ones he had confiscated from the Flaming Rhinoceroses' mouths just a few days ago.
Yanxin suddenly convulsed violently, sparks flying from beneath its scales.
Lu Lei scrambled to pry open its jaw, stuffing the Blazing Sun Fruits—skin, pits, and all—down its throat. The crimson juice flowed through its teeth, and a "gurgling" sound of swallowing came from Yanxin’s throat. The lava-like patterns beneath its skin began to writhe as if they were alive.
Before long, a drastic change began to take hold.