Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Power of the Beast Hide

Liu Feng had no chance to dodge at all; he could only watch helplessly as the sphere of vital energy descended upon him. In the blink of an eye, the sphere was right before him, its immense force shattering the surrounding trees and gouging deep cracks into the earth itself.

He felt as if the very space around him had become as solid as steel, rendering him utterly immobile.

A thunderous rumble erupted.

Liu Feng’s body soon bore the marks of terrible pressure—fissures split across his skin as blood seeped out from within. His clothing was stained a patchwork of crimson, his appearance pitiful beyond compare.

He sensed his body teetering on the verge of collapse, closer to death than he had ever been.

The sphere of vital energy continued its relentless descent, pressing upon his flesh. Blood vessels burst under the crushing weight, and blood spurted from his skin in swift rivulets.

Drenched in blood, he resembled a living specter, and he could feel his life force ebbing away. It was as though Death itself was raising its scythe, poised to claim his soul.

"It seems today my life will end here. Father, Mother—I am powerless to protect you, unable to fulfill my filial duties." Despair swallowed Liu Feng; he abandoned all resistance.

At that critical moment, he felt the silvery beast hide he carried with him suddenly emit an immense suction force. Instantly, the crushing pressure lessened, and the massive sphere of energy began to shrink.

In no time, the sphere was completely absorbed by the silver beast hide, and the suffocating force vanished.

Now, Liu Feng’s breath was faint—so feeble a mere breeze might scatter him to pieces. He sat on the ground, forcing himself to calm his mind and activate the "Qi Potential" technique. Thin threads of vital energy began to flow within him.

As time passed, those faint threads grew thicker, the energy circulating ever faster. Liu Feng felt his meridians, flesh, and blood vessels swiftly healing, his body growing stronger.

At last, his vital energy was fully restored—and even growing stronger still. Liu Feng urged it to flow rapidly, pushing against the blockages within him.

A muffled crack seemed to echo from within—one of his internal meridian blockages had shattered. He had broken through to the eighth stage of the Qi Gathering realm.

Instantly, Liu Feng felt a surge of clarity and vigor. His vital energy became more potent; every movement now seemed effortless and harmonious.

Gazing at his blood-soaked clothes, he shook his head with a rueful smile. Fortunately, he had packed spare garments before leaving home—otherwise, had anyone seen him like this, it would have been disastrous.

After changing, Liu Feng felt much more comfortable.

A thunderous roar erupted nearby. Liu Feng saw that the phantoms of two people and a beast were still locked in fierce battle.

Like ancient giants, their every movement toppled trees and sent rocks flying, even shattering the ground beneath them.

Now, the figure wielding a long blade swung it swiftly at the phantom wolf’s head. The blade sliced through the air, drawing powerful vortexes with a mighty roar.

The phantom wolf opened its massive jaws, and its two great fangs crashed against the blade.

A deafening explosion followed. The shockwaves shattered everything—trees, rocks, and earth. Both the humanoid and the wolf phantoms were driven back by the force.

The other humanoid, armed with a spear, lunged forward, striking at the retreating wolf. The spear was like a divine weapon, its thrust sending ripples through the air and exploding with a mighty boom.

Though stunned and forced backward, the wolf did not dodge. As the spear neared, it suddenly spat out one of its enormous fangs, like a pillar striking toward the heavens.

The fang shattered the massive spear, and both vanished.

Seeing the now empty-handed humanoid, the wolf bared its remaining huge fang and thrust it out at great speed.

The humanoid reached out with both hands, which were wrapped in swirling dragon-shaped columns of energy, and caught the fang at its midpoint.

Though the dragon energy offset some of the impact, the remaining force split the figure’s palms, and the tip of the fang pierced his chest before the energy dissipated.

The wolf saw that its opponent was gravely injured and swiftly swiped at the figure’s head with its massive claws.

The humanoid, using his cracked palms, met the wolf’s claws head-on, but was forced back by the blow. The wolf phantom pressed its advantage, snapping its jaws at the figure’s hands.

A sickening crunch—the humanoid’s hands were crushed. He quickly raised a foot to kick the wolf’s flank, but the beast dodged and slammed into him, sending him stumbling backward.

The wolf gave him no respite, unleashing two massive spheres of vital energy from its mouth that hurtled at the figure.

Just as the humanoid was about to sustain a grievous wound, a blade flashed in from the side, swift as lightning, thundering through the air and cleaving both energy spheres apart.

Then, the swordsman darted toward the wolf, his blade vibrating dozens of times in rapid succession, each strike ringing with explosive power as he slashed fiercely at the wolf’s waist.

The wolf howled in pain, its claws clashing with the blade in a cataclysmic collision.

Blow after blow, the force from the blade sent tremors through the wolf’s claws, which soon cracked under the strain.

The wolf, yelping in agony, retreated and no longer dared to confront the blade head-on.

The swordsman pressed his advantage, blade flashing like lightning, every strike aimed at the wolf’s body, forcing it to withdraw step by step.

But pride would not allow the wolf to retreat forever. When the swordsman attacked again, the wolf lunged forward, jaws clamping down on the blade.

The force sent tremors through its teeth, but it refused to let go, swinging a claw at the swordsman’s leg.

The humanoid did not evade; instead, he poured his strength into the blade. Waves of force crashed into the wolf’s fangs like raging rivers, cracking and finally shattering many of them.

At the same moment, the wolf’s claw landed on the figure’s leg with a crunch, gouging a deep wound and causing vital energy to gush forth.