C22 Eightheaded Beast

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the sound of the intermediate spiritual beast crunching on its lesser counterpart reached his ears. Ye Han only caught a glimpse of the Eight-Headed Beast's full form as it departed from the pond. It was then he confirmed the creature possessed eight long tentacles, though the ones that had entangled with him never exceeded five at a time. This spoke volumes about the beast's vigilance.

Stealthily, he crept closer to the intermediate spiritual beast, carefully severing its route back to the pond. Since it had strayed from the water, he was determined to prevent any chance of its return. Ye Han held his breath, minimizing his movements and noise as he inched toward the Eight-Headed Beast with utmost caution.

Even while engaged in its meal, the spiritual beast remained alert, scanning its surroundings. Regrettably, it consistently neglected to check behind itself. This oversight was surprising, given its intermediate status and presumed intelligence.

Ye Han closed the gap swiftly, plunging his sword into the beast's flesh. A pitiful cry echoed from the creature as a striking arc of blood painted a dark stain across the verdant grass. Ye Han retreated quickly; his strike was severe, yet not fatal.

The Eight-Headed Beast spun around, eyes ablaze with fury, and unleashed a barrage of roars. It charged at Ye Han, its eight tentacles whipping through the air in a frenzied assault. The young man's reflexes were sharp; he dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding lethal blows while his sword left shallow yet damaging cuts on the tentacles.

The beast's growls intensified, but its strength waned as it grew increasingly desperate for the rejuvenating waters of the pond. Its blood-red gaze fixated on the water behind Ye Han, the longing unmistakable in its eyes.

With a cold smirk, Ye Han's movements quickened, his body surging with energy. He had no intention of allowing the Eight-Headed Beast a retreat. After all the effort to draw it out, he wouldn't simply let it slip away.

Perched atop a majestic tree, Jiang Xiaoxiao observed the intense battle below. A part of her yearned to join the fray, yet she remained silent, contemplating the scene before her.

Jiang Xiaoxiao felt increasingly powerless as the gap between her and Ye Han widened. A sense of helplessness welled up within her.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't seem to close the distance between them. Eventually, she let out a resigned sigh, her weapon still in hand, ready to leap into action at a moment's notice.

She kept a vigilant watch over the entire scene, aware that the commotion could attract other spirit beasts or humans. Dealing with a lower-level spirit beast was straightforward—simply kill it. However, if faced with a higher-level beast, the best strategy was to escape quickly. There wouldn't be any significant issues either way.

But the presence of humans complicated matters. She wondered if Lei Ba was still on their trail. In any case, it was best to avoid humans as much as possible.

She suspected that Lei Ba wouldn't give up so easily, not having obtained the medicine he sought. He would likely persist in his pursuit.

The thought filled Jiang Xiaoxiao with sadness; she hadn't anticipated their situation becoming so passive. It felt like being trapped between a rock and a hard place, not to mention the secret she harbored, which she wasn't sure she could keep safe.

In just a brief moment of distraction, the situation below had dramatically shifted. The once arrogant Eight Beasts now seemed to falter.

Their attacks had lost speed and strength, and Ye Han had managed to sever several of their tentacles. The spirit beast's demeanor had completely changed—it had gone from aggressively advancing to continuously retreating, moving further away from the pond as if terrified of the young man before it.

"Why, thinking of running away?" Ye Han asked, a light smile playing on his lips. His clothes were soiled, but they did nothing to detract from his striking appearance.

Jiang Xiaoxiao's heart skipped a beat. She turned her head away, unable to bear watching any longer.

Ye Han, seizing the opportunity presented by the beast's severe injuries, was not about to let it off easily. He advanced swiftly, his sword whirling in a relentless dance.

The eight-limbed beast lay on the grass, drenched in blood, its tentacles severed.

Ye Han gazed at the defeated spiritual beast, now resembling a lump of mud, and allowed himself a small smile of relief.

Turning to Jiang Xiaoxiao perched atop the towering tree, he beckoned to her.

With the threat now gone, they could safely relish the pristine water source.

Their presence had caused quite a stir in the area, making it unwise to linger. They needed to wrap things up quickly.

Had they not been so filthy, they wouldn't have spent so much time here, but it wasn't without its rewards.

Ye Han, at least, had grown stronger. The recent skirmish had honed his speed and strength.

It was clear that battling spiritual beasts was an effective way to train.

With that in mind, he resolved to keep honing his skills through combat.

Jiang Xiaoxiao descended swiftly from the tree, sidestepping the blood, and followed a clean path.

"Now that we've secured this water source, fill up some water quickly so we can clean ourselves and get out of here," Ye Han instructed in a low voice, then walked towards the more secluded parts of the water's edge.

He kept his distance, respecting the privacy between men and women as Jiang Xiaoxiao cleaned her clothes.

Jiang Xiaoxiao's cheeks flushed once more, but her gaze fell upon a youthful silhouette.

A subtle smile graced her lips as she turned and headed for the pool.

She retrieved the water bag Ye Han had discarded and filled it to the brim.

Tying the bag securely, she set it aside.

Seeing no danger or cause for concern, she cautiously shed her outer garments. Clad in her underclothes, she stepped into the chilly embrace of the pool.

A refreshing breath escaped her; the sensation was immensely comforting. It had been too long since she'd cleansed herself of grime.

She reveled in the cleansing feeling, lingering in the water a bit longer than necessary. Once clean, she reluctantly left the soothing embrace of the water source.

She also took the opportunity to wash her clothes and tidy up her belongings.