Chapter 19: A Moment Between Life and Death
"It's a Shadow Leopard!" Zong Ling was shocked, but his numerous experiences in life-and-death situations allowed him to react quickly. He immediately retreated—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Using his snake tail for momentum, he leaped with astonishing speed, darting three times in succession until he reached the high branches of a distant tree.
However, the Shadow Leopard merely cast a cold glance at Zong Ling with its gray, dull eyes before shifting its gaze back to Dongbo Xueying.
It did not take that silver-haired serpent man seriously at all. As a renowned Tier-5 magical beast known for its speed, killing a Heaven-ranked knight? One strike would be enough! Furthermore, with its incredibly tough body… even if it stood still and let the knight slash and stab at it, he wouldn't be able to leave a scratch. It completely ignored Zong Ling, focusing almost all its attention on Dongbo Xueying.
This black-clothed human youth… was the real threat!
Even after being ambushed, he could still counterattack.
"Uncle Zong, get as far away as you can," Dongbo Xueying said in a low voice.
"Xueying, be careful, the Shadow Leopard is extremely fast!" Zong Ling called out from afar, knowing he wouldn't be able to help. He swiftly retreated even further.
Dongbo Xueying fixed his gaze on the Shadow Leopard and grinned. "I never expected to encounter a Tier-5 magical beast on my first trip to the Destruction Mountains." As he spoke, he ripped open the two cloth straps on his chest. Clang! The weapon case he carried on his back dropped heavily to the ground. The case had already been torn to shreds, and his outer clothing had been ripped as well. Luckily, he was wearing protective inner armor—otherwise, that single claw strike would have seriously injured him.
"Ho ho~~" The Shadow Leopard let out a low growl, slowly circling around Dongbo Xueying. Its four paws, cushioned with pads, moved lightly and silently.
Dongbo Xueying kept his eyes locked on it.
A man and a magical beast.
They stared into each other's eyes.
Life and death were but a breath away!
"Swish, swish!" The Shadow Leopard suddenly moved. It first leaped to the side but immediately pressed down on the ground with its paws, instantly changing direction and charging straight at Dongbo Xueying.
"Die!" Dongbo Xueying thrust his spear forward like a venomous snake, the tip reaching the Shadow Leopard in an instant.
The Shadow Leopard's gray eyes remained fixed on Dongbo Xueying.
As it lunged, its four paws stayed as close to the ground as possible, making subtle, lightning-fast adjustments. It shifted directions effortlessly, narrowly evading the deadly spear tip.
A series of attacks, a series of dodges.
Dongbo Xueying fought with all his strength to defend himself.
"Swish, swish, swish…" The Shadow Leopard moved like a ghostly blur, circling around Dongbo Xueying.
All around him were countless spear shadows and drifting snowflakes formed by his 'Flying Snow Spear Technique.'
"Too fast, way too fast."
"Not enough, still not enough." Dongbo Xueying felt his own speed was lacking. Although his spear technique incorporated some skills from the 'Mystic Ice Spear Technique,' which emphasized speed, the gap between him and the Shadow Leopard was still obvious.
The Shadow Leopard moved around him as if taking a leisurely stroll, constantly searching for an opening. For the Shadow Leopard, this phantom-like speed and maneuverability were far from its limit!
Its gray eyes remained calm, everything under its control.
"Boom!"
The air twisted as the Shadow Leopard suddenly accelerated, charging at Dongbo Xueying with a burst of speed.
"Now!" Dongbo Xueying's eyes turned crimson, and faint streams of blood-red energy surged around him. In that moment, he fully unleashed his ancient bloodline.
A surge of power!
"Boom!" His spear tip spun, tearing through the air, drawing a twisting arc as it pierced toward the Shadow Leopard.
The Shadow Leopard was shocked.
This spear strike was completely beyond its expectations! If it had been on guard, it could have dodged easily. But at this moment, it had already committed to an all-out attack, rushing straight toward Dongbo Xueying. The distance was too close, and its momentum too fast—it couldn't dodge in time!
"Roar~~~" The beast let out a ferocious snarl, striking out with both front paws against the spear.
The spear twisted, moving like a writhing serpent.
The impact deflected most of the force, but the spear still pressed forward, aiming for the Shadow Leopard's soft underbelly.
The leopard's body twisted like a boneless snake, desperately trying to evade the lethal thrust.
"Rip!"
The spear tip grazed the Shadow Leopard's pale, soft abdomen, leaving a deep wound.
Using the force from striking the spear, the Shadow Leopard immediately leaped high into the air, landing on a thick branch atop a large tree. A gash nearly two feet long marked its abdomen, though the wound quickly closed up, with only a few drops of blood trickling down. Its gray eyes burned with fury and madness, glaring at Dongbo Xueying below.
"You actually survived? You're really lucky," Dongbo Xueying muttered, staring up at the Shadow Leopard. He felt a tinge of frustration—his sudden burst of power had caught the beast off guard, giving him the best chance to deal a fatal blow. But now that the Shadow Leopard was on high alert, things would become much more difficult.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."
The Shadow Leopard, enraged, suddenly pounced down, sprinting vertically down the tree trunk. In just three leaps, it was upon Dongbo Xueying again.
"Whoosh!"
Blood-red energy flared around Dongbo Xueying's body. He stabbed his spear at the charging Shadow Leopard, but it deftly dodged the fatal thrust.
"Get lost!" Missing his mark, Dongbo Xueying immediately changed his strike from a stab to a sweeping motion!
The spear swept across with earth-shattering force. The Shadow Leopard's eyes widened in alarm—if it were hit, even if it survived, it would be gravely wounded! What it didn't know… was that Dongbo Xueying's awakened ancient bloodline granted him immense strength. Now, his sweeping strikes could fully unleash his power.
The Shadow Leopard's body undulated like water, and its claws lightly tapped against the spear shaft to redirect itself away.
"Boom!"
The spear struck a nearby tree, which exploded with a thunderous crack, splitting in half. The massive tree collapsed with a loud crash.
"Die!"
Dongbo Xueying lunged forward, his spear attacking in rapid succession—thrusting, slashing, sweeping.
His relentless assault forced the Shadow Leopard to keep dodging, retreating step by step. The surrounding forest was caught in the crossfire—Dongbo Xueying's attacks shattered massive boulders and pierced straight through thick tree trunks. The once lush forest was now being utterly destroyed.
…
The fierce battle raged on.
Dongbo Xueying soon realized that he had left Uncle Zong far behind, which brought him some relief. But at the same time, anxiety gnawed at him.
Although his power surge made it seem like he had the upper hand…
Whenever he tried to retreat, the Shadow Leopard immediately closed the distance, never letting him escape.
Its speed was simply too fast—if it chose to pursue, Dongbo Xueying would never be able to outrun it.
"What do I do? What do I do? My stamina is draining fast… I won't last much longer."
Once his strength was exhausted, he would die!
"Ho ho~~~"
The Shadow Leopard, the ultimate predator, continued to wait for the perfect moment to strike.
The Shadow Leopard was the most experienced hunter, always searching for the perfect moment to strike.
Finally—
Dongbo Xueying's rapidly depleting stamina caused a flaw in his attacks.
In an instant, the Shadow Leopard lunged like lightning, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
"Not good!"
A chill ran down Dongbo Xueying's spine, his scalp tingling.
The threat of death had arrived suddenly and without mercy!
"Die, die, die!"
Dongbo Xueying went berserk. His eyes turned completely red.
It was kill or be killed.
With every last ounce of strength in his body, he thrust his spear with all his might.
This was his final struggle!
Just like a cornered beast fighting desperately before death, Dongbo Xueying's survival instincts were fully ignited in the face of his imminent demise.
All the power in his body surged forth, and at that moment—
Time seemed to slow down.
He could see the Shadow Leopard's fangs in crystal-clear detail.
He could feel the battle-wind brushing against his face.
He could hear the rushing river of blood flowing through his veins.
He could sense the power transferring through his muscles, bones, and tendons.
At that moment—
Everything clicked into place.
His strength became perfectly refined, his energy flowing as one.
Under the ultimate threat of death, he had finally broken through!
The way his blood flowed, the way his bones connected, the way his muscles transferred power—
He felt it all.
It was beautiful.
For the first time, he could control every ounce of his power—with absolute precision, without waste, without excess.
"Hah!"
Like a river flowing seamlessly, his entire body worked as one—a sensation more exhilarating than anything he had ever felt.
His spear twisted through the air, and in that moment—
Its speed exploded!
"Pfft!"
The spear pierced through the Shadow Leopard's chest, emerging from its back in an instant.
Holding his spear tightly, Dongbo Xueying stared down at the dying beast.
The Shadow Leopard twitched and struggled, its blood gushing onto the ground, its eyes still locked onto Dongbo Xueying.
But this time—
The cold gray eyes were filled with fear, rage, and despair.
It was dying.
Despite its powerful life force, the beast struggled for nearly half a minute before finally falling silent.
As tension drained from his body, Dongbo Xueying collapsed onto the freezing snow, breathing heavily.
His gaze landed on the lifeless beast, its unseeing eyes still wide open—its corpse impaled on his spear.
"You die, I live!"
Looking at the Shadow Leopard's corpse, Dongbo Xueying felt an overwhelming sense of relief and triumph.
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