C11 The Two of Them Were both Injured and the Crisis Was Finally Averted

Su Ping'an had only one thought in his mind: it looked like today was the day he'd meet his end.

He was merely at the Qi Sea realm, and the colossal beast before him was not only his equal in that regard but also possessed a far superior physique.

As Su Ping'an grappled with his uncertainty on how to proceed, the situation took an unexpected turn. The snow leopard charged ferociously at the giant ape.

It knocked the giant ape off balance and bared its teeth in a menacing glare.

It was as if the leopard was declaring, "This human is under my protection. Come at me if you dare."

Su Ping'an was deeply moved by this gesture of loyalty, especially since his bond with the snow leopard was formed over a mere pill. He never imagined the creature would defend him so fiercely.

The snow leopard then sprang into action, outpacing the giant ape and sinking its teeth into the ape's thigh.

It clung on with a relentless fury, intent on dragging the giant ape down.

Meanwhile, the giant ape's wild nature was fully ignited. It tried to hurl the snow leopard away with both hands but failed to dislodge the determined beast.

Amidst the clash of the Strange Beasts, Su Ping'an saw his chance. It was the perfect opportunity.

He stealthily searched the area and hefted a stone weighing around a hundred kilograms, hurling it with all his might at the giant ape.

Though aimed at the head, the ape miraculously dodged the lethal blow, which instead struck its shoulder, further enraging the massive creature. It pounded its chest in a display of raw power.

With a surge of strength, it flung the snow leopard aside and barreled towards Su Ping'an with murderous intent.

The giant ape had a singular focus: to annihilate the small human who had dared to challenge it.

As the giant ape thundered closer, Su Ping'an resolved to make a stand. Constant evasion was no longer an option.

He braced himself in a horse stance, silently awaiting the arrival of the fearsome beast. And when it was upon him,

Su Ping'an summoned all his might, astonishingly managing to withstand the giant ape's charge with his bare hands, leaving the snow leopard at his side utterly dumbfounded.

The display was beyond comprehension; the strength of a human had proven to be incredibly formidable.

At that moment, Su Ping'an's heart was filled with complaints. Catching that blow had left him feeling as though every bone in his body was on the verge of breaking.

The excruciating pain drove him to scream wildly.

"Ah, Snow Leopard, come help me quick! Otherwise, we're both done for."

Remarkably, the Snow Leopard seemed to understand and charged forward, sinking its teeth into the giant ape's neck.

Everyone knows the neck's artery is a human body's most vulnerable spot; a rupture there means certain death from blood loss.

Since the giant ape's anatomy was identical to a human's, blood gushed from its neck like a fountain.

This infuriated the region's ruler, who, in a rage, swatted Su Ping'an away with a powerful palm strike.

Su Ping'an crashed to the ground, dazed and confused, his situation looking utterly hopeless.

He hadn't imagined that a period of secluded reflection could lead to a life-threatening situation. Clearly, this strange world was no easy place to survive.

Watching Su Ping'an being flung through the air, the Snow Leopard gave him a smile that seemed like a final farewell.

Then, the Snow Leopard's body radiated a blinding light, and it unleashed a white beam from its mouth.

The beam blasted a massive hole through the giant ape's chest, and the beast collapsed with a thud that echoed like an earthquake.

After swallowing a healing pill, Su Ping'an felt a surge of vitality and approached the Snow Leopard, smiling broadly.

"Why didn't you pull out that trick sooner? We wouldn't have had to take any crap from that brute."

But as soon as Su Ping'an spoke, the Snow Leopard collapsed.

Suddenly at a loss, Su Ping'an realized the Snow Leopard had sustained grave internal injuries. He watched over it, deeply moved by the creature's sacrifice.

Yet, as an alchemist capable of anything, he quickly rummaged for a pill that might avert the Snow Leopard's dire predicament.

Unexpectedly, the Snow Leopard let out two pitiful cries, turned its head towards him, and breathed its last.

He was out of options. The snow leopard had passed away, and though he had the ability to treat its wounds, not even a deity could bring it back to life now.

Su Ping'an sighed repeatedly, marveling at the irony of being saved by a leopard in this foreign world. It seemed that, at times, animals proved more noble than humans—humans who would connive and scheme, while an animal would repay a kindness with its very life.

With the leopard gone, the least he could do was ensure a proper burial, a final resting place of peace.

As Su Ping'an strained to move the leopard, a faint cry emerged from his body. His heart leapt with hope—could the snow leopard still be alive, clinging to a thread of life?

He checked for a heartbeat, but found none, leaving him perplexed. Had he imagined the sound? That couldn't be; his prowess had reached the Qi Sea realm, ruling out such a basic error.

After a thorough examination that yielded nothing, Su Ping'an resigned himself to the idea that his longing for the leopard had played tricks on his mind.

Heaving a deep sigh, he prepared to bury the leopard, but then the sound came again.

This time, Su Ping'an was certain he hadn't been mistaken. There was a sound, unmistakably emanating from the leopard's belly.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered movement at the wound in the leopard's midsection. A pregnant leopard? Without hesitation, Su Ping'an retrieved his sword from the system space and delicately sliced open the leopard's abdomen.

With a soft mew, a tiny black leopard cub emerged, finally free from its mother's womb.