Zhou Yan's thoughts raced.
At this very moment, he finally understood why the old man had lingered here for half a day.
It turned out the old man wanted to explore the secrets of the canyon.
Alas, in the end, he perished at the hands of the black bear, his remains utterly lost.
"With the old man's strength, he should be considered a master in Jiangnan Commandery. How could he die here? Was it the black bear's doing?"
Zhou Yan pondered, his eyes growing brighter.
This canyon definitely held some hidden secrets!
"No! I must figure this out!"
Zhou Yan hardened his resolve and decided to venture into the canyon again.
Whoosh…
Zhou Yan's toes lightly touched the ground, and he leaped into the air, soaring towards the depths of the canyon.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
Along the way, various demonic beasts lunged at him, their fangs bared and claws extended, ferociously attacking with foul-smelling breaths.
"Begone!"
Zhou Yan roared, his aura erupting. He unleashed a punch, its force vibrating the void, seemingly tearing through the air and stirring up a tempestuous wave.
Bang, bang, bang…
As his fist swept out, the demonic beasts' bodies shattered, their blood splattering.
Although these demonic beasts were of decent rank, they were merely low-level creatures and posed no fatal threat to Zhou Yan.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed as he gazed ahead.
He saw a colossal python, its body covered in gray-white scales, slowly slithering out from behind a towering ancient tree.
"Mystic Tier Demonic Beast?"
Zhou Yan's eyes showed vigilance.
Serpentine demonic beasts were the most cunning and insidious.
Especially this Mystic Tier demon python before him, its immense size, its body covered in gray-white scales, and its potent, virulent poison.
"Hmph… just a mere Mystic Tier demon python. Today, I'll slay you and stew you for soup!"
Zhou Yan sneered, hefting his iron hammer, and charged behind the ancient tree.
Hiss!
Zhou Yan swung his iron hammer, striking the demon python's body.
Instantly, blood splattered.
The resilient body of the Mystic Tier demon python, however, could not withstand the force of Zhou Yan's hammer blow.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The iron hammer swung, sparks flying, the demon python cried out in agony, its massive body thrashing, smashing against the mountain walls with booming sounds.
Zhou Yan's gaze flickered. Seizing the opportunity, he darted to the black bear's side, grabbed its shoulder, and leaped up, fleeing into the distance.
Although this black bear possessed immense strength, it lacked intelligence and was no match for Zhou Yan.
"Roar…"
Moments later, Zhou Yan and the black bear had created distance. He heard the black bear's furious roars and rumbling sounds.
"It seems the black bear has caught up to that old man."
Hearing this, Zhou Yan felt a sense of relief and abandoned his further search, returning along the riverbank.
"Huff… puff…"
Zhou Yan panted heavily, sitting on the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
During this time, worrying about the black bear's pursuit, Zhou Yan had been sleepless and mentally exhausted, leaving him utterly weary.
At this moment, Zhou Yan collapsed on the ground, his face pale.
This battle had been too arduous!
"The black bear, just how much combat power does it possess? How many humans has it killed over the years?"
Zhou Yan felt lingering fear.
This black bear was a second-grade savage beast, its strength comparable to a congenital master.
"I need to recover my energy quickly, otherwise, what if I encounter other demonic beasts…"
Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, took out a pill, swallowed it, and closed his eyes to recuperate.
…
Night fell, a gentle breeze rustling, bringing a hint of coolness.
"Where is this?"
Zhou Yan opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.
Before him stood towering trees, reaching for the clouds and obscuring the moon.
This was a desolate land, vegetation withered, leaves yellow, a dense scent of decay assailing him.
Zhou Yan frowned. The location he was in seemed to be a cave, empty within, save for a bronze mirror embedded in the stone wall, radiating light.
This sight startled Zhou Yan.
"The bronze mirror left by that old fellow is actually still here…"
Zhou Yan was astonished.
According to the old man, the bronze mirror was a treasure capable of discerning good from evil, possessing immense power, and had once saved his life.
Unfortunately, the bronze mirror was lost at Black Wind Stronghold and its whereabouts were unknown.
Now it seemed the rumors were true; the old fellow had indeed harbored ill intentions.
Whoosh!
Zhou Yan's figure flashed, and he moved to the side of the bronze mirror, observing it carefully.
"Huh?"
Zhou Yan was surprised to find the bronze mirror's surface heavily rusted and severely damaged.
Not only that, but a piece was missing from the inside of the mirror.
"This bronze mirror seems to have suffered a heavy blow!"
Zhou Yan rubbed his chin and murmured.
"Forget it, whether it's damaged or not. I can't use it anyway!"
Zhou Yan shook his head, put the bronze mirror away, sat down cross-legged, and silently tended to his injuries.
…
At the same time.
Three hundred meters away from Black Wind Stronghold, within a dense forest, a man with tattered clothes and disheveled hair stood on a rock, a long sword on his back, his gaze icy as he stared in the direction of Black Wind Stronghold.
"Everyone in Black Wind Stronghold deserves to die…"
The man clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred, and uttered word by word: "And you, Zhou Yan…"
Before he finished speaking, the man staggered, nearly falling to the ground.
"Cough cough…"
He quickly held onto a tree trunk, coughed a few times, and spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.
"Zhou Yan!"
The man's pupils turned blood red, his gaze fixed on Black Wind Stronghold, his hatred boundless.
"I didn't expect the Black Wind Stronghold chieftain's martial spirit to awaken, becoming even more formidable!"
After a long while, the man finally calmed his anger and sighed.
Then, the man turned and quickly left the area.
Zhou Yan knew nothing of all this.
That night, Zhou Yan slept soundly, even having a dream.
In his dream, he transformed into a divine demon, sweeping through eternity and suppressing the Nine Nether Demon Emperor!
"Hahaha…"
In his dream, Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh heartily, feeling immense joy.
…
"Ah… pain…"
The next day, Zhou Yan slowly awoke, jolting upright.
The dream of last night had greatly impacted him, leading to new enlightenment in his mind.
"I am currently at the peak of the Congenital realm, my true qi is abundant, and I can fully attempt to condense the Wheel of Vital Energy."
Zhou Yan's eyes burned with intensity. After pondering for a moment, he decided to find a secluded spot to condense the Wheel of Vital Energy.
The Wheel of Vital Energy, imbued with vital energy, could amplify attacks and was extremely formidable.
However, condensing the Wheel of Vital Energy was extremely difficult, requiring not only accumulated true qi but also a catalyst or certain special opportunities…
Not long after, Zhou Yan entered the jungle and carved out a small cave.
In the cave, Zhou Yan sat on the ground, circulating the "Devouring Vital Energy Technique," absorbing the world's vital energy, tempering his muscles and bones, and strengthening his true qi.
After a while, Zhou Yan stopped cultivating.
"The Wheel of Vital Energy is too difficult to condense. It requires a catalyst, or some heavenly treasure, or a fortuitous encounter…"
Zhou Yan murmured to himself, falling into thought.
His cultivation resources were depleted. Unless he could find a heavenly treasure, he would not be able to smoothly condense the Wheel of Vital Energy.
However, this process would be very long and by no means easy.