C14 Encountering the Vicious Beast

Qin Yu was ravenous, and as soon as the rabbit meat was perfectly roasted, he eagerly began to chew with gusto. In no time at all, he had devoured more than half of the rabbit. His mouth was greasy, and he couldn't have been happier.

However, just as Qin Yu was about to polish off the remaining half, he suddenly froze, sensing a faint rustling in the grass behind him. "Could the disciples from the Clear Essence Sect still be around?" he wondered, alarmed. He quickly set aside the rabbit meat and turned around cautiously. By the dim light of the fire, he could see the grass stirring behind him. Suddenly, a sharp claw reached out, and soon after, a white wolf emerged. The wolf was massive, standing about as tall as two men, with two large, sharp teeth at the corners of its mouth. It fixed its gaze on him, occasionally licking its coarse tongue.

"This is a Giant Fang Wolf!" Qin Yu's body shook with the realization. He had never expected to encounter such a formidable Vicious Beast in this place.

Vicious Beasts were not to be taken lightly on the Profound Wind Continent, especially among the Human Clan. Any cultivator who could tame a Vicious Beast and earn its loyalty would be the envy of all. Vicious Beasts came in various types, categorized from top to bottom as Wisdom Awakening Beasts, Upper Grade Vicious Beasts, Middle Grade Vicious Beasts, and Lower Grade Vicious Beasts.

Of these, the Wisdom Awakening Beast was the most powerful. Legend had it that these beings were remnants of the ancient times, having existed on the Profound Wind Continent for millions of years. With their intelligence awakened, they possessed their own thoughts and were not subject to the control of anything on the continent. Their history predates that of the Human Clan, and thus, the Wisdom Awakening Beast has become more of a myth, spoken of in stories but never seen.

Below the Wisdom Awakening Beast is the Upper Grade Vicious Beast. While not as mystical as their superior counterparts, Upper Grade Vicious Beasts are still incredibly rare and valuable, particularly in the Human Clan World, where they are considered exceptionally rare treasures.

It is said that the strength of a High-Grade Vicious Beast could reach the middle phase of the Nirvana Stage. This means that a warrior capable of taming such a beast as their Spiritual Beast must possess strength beyond the middle phase of the Nirvana Stage, likely in the late phase. Only a handful of individuals within the Human Clan have ever achieved such formidable power. Following this are the Middle Grade Vicious Beasts.

The power of a Middle Grade Vicious Beast is comparable to that of a human between the Meridian Integration Stage and the Forging Stage. Such powerful individuals are far more common in the Human Clan World, though still out of reach for the average person. Take, for example, the current Sect Master of the Clear Essence Sect, who is at the peak of the Meridian Integration Stage Level Two and on the verge of advancing to Level Three. Yet, he has not tamed his own Spiritual Beast, so the presence of Middle Grade Vicious Beasts within the sect is nonexistent.

Lastly, there are the Low-Grade Vicious Beasts, which are quite prevalent. They can be found throughout the mountain ranges of the Profound Wind Continent. These beasts are not particularly formidable, with strengths varying from Level One to Nine of the Body Tempering Stage.

For this reason, Low-Grade Vicious Beasts are the preferred training adversaries for many sect disciples. Some particularly enthusiastic disciples might even tame a few to serve as their Spiritual Beasts, treating the endeavor more like a hobby.

The Giant Fang Wolf confronting Qin Yu belongs to the lower tier of Vicious Beasts, with a strength equivalent to a human at Level Six to Seven of the Body Tempering Stage. Although not overwhelmingly powerful, it poses a significant threat to Qin Yu and most disciples of the Clear Essence Sect.

The Giant Fang Wolf occasionally glances at the rabbit meat behind Qin Yu, clearly lured by its enticing aroma. Qin Yu cautiously steps back, his brow furrowed. With his current level of power, he cannot afford to let his guard down for even a moment against the Giant Fang Wolf.

Sensing Qin Yu's presence as a threat, the Giant Fang Wolf lowers its head, the corners of its mouth curling up to reveal its massive teeth, exuding an intimidating aura. It advances towards Qin Yu with deliberate steps, emitting a deep growl that forces Qin Yu to retreat further.

Qin Yu was acutely aware that the Giant Fang Wolf could launch an attack at any moment. The best course of action for self-preservation was to avoid provoking the beast further and to seize the right opportunity to make a swift escape.

Despite his intentions, the situation took a turn for the worse. While Qin Yu was plotting his escape, the Giant Fang Wolf unleashed a thunderous roar and charged at him with ferocity. Its jaws gaped open, revealing sharp, slender fangs that snapped viciously towards Qin Yu's head. A successful bite would likely sever his head in one fell swoop.

With a slight shift in his expression, Qin Yu nimbly dodged the onslaught, leaping over ten meters away in a few swift moves. The Giant Fang Wolf, demonstrating remarkable agility, halted its charge and lunged at Qin Yu once more, giving him barely a moment to catch his breath.

Qin Yu evaded again and sprang onto a nearby large tree. Clenching his fist, he struck the trunk with force, snapping off a branch as thick as a thigh to wield as a makeshift weapon. He cast a cold glance at the Giant Fang Wolf, let out a disdainful snort, and with Genuine Qi coursing through him, he swung the hefty branch down at the wolf's head.

Attacking from a higher vantage point, Qin Yu caught the wolf off guard. The creature took the full brunt of the blow to its head. Yet, instead of injuring the wolf, the sturdy branch shattered, sending a shower of splinters scattering.

Unharmed but infuriated by the strike to its head, the Giant Fang Wolf roared in rage and swiped its front claw at Qin Yu's face. He retreated hastily, but the wolf's claws were incredibly swift. Although he narrowly avoided a direct hit, his face was still marked with three deep scratches.

The Giant Fang Wolf, missing its initial strike, lunged at Qin Yu once more, this time with both claws bared and its maw wide open, attempting to tear into him with a frenzied assault.

The wolf's speed was alarmingly fast, and for a moment, Qin Yu found himself unable to counterattack. He dodged desperately, narrowly escaping several near hits. Finally, he managed to evade the attacks by the skin of his teeth, only to witness the large tree behind him being cleaved in half by the Giant Fang Wolf's powerful claw, a testament to the beast's formidable strength.