The gentle horse is ridden by all; the weak are prey to the leopard.

Yudao Yi was completely immersed in his own little world of despair.

Wuwuwu, I actually forgot to bring a weapon! My dear father and mother didn’t even ask before letting me roam outside like this! Am I really their own flesh and blood?

The forest was filled with the sound of everyone’s breathing, so quiet it was almost frightening. From time to time, a low, menacing growl echoed from ahead.

A sleek black leopard emerged slowly from the thicket, its body marked by dark grey stripes, with occasional golden streaks hidden among its fur, and a menacing expression on its face.

“A blackgold leopard. But it should only be a mid-stage first-tier blackgold leopard, so it probably matches around the fifth stage of Qi Refinement,” Song Qiuling finally exhaled, her voice calm.

“Blackgold leopards are the most common leopard-type beast in the mountains behind Greenhill Town. They’re solitary, hate sunlight, and a grown blackgold leopard can reach nine feet in length. Occasionally, there are blackgold leopards at the ninth stage of Qi Refinement roaming the back mountains,” Yudao Yi added.

Clearly, a mid-stage first-tier blackgold leopard posed little threat to the group, though it was still enough to put them through their paces. After all, beasts were not like humans. Their physical strength far surpassed that of a typical fifth-stage Qi Refiner, not to mention leopards were known for their speed, which made them even more troublesome.

“We must not be careless. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit,” Song Qiuling reminded.

Yes, yes, don’t be careless, you all must do your best! I’ll be in the back cheering you on, waving my imaginary flag! Someone like me, a third-stage Qi Refiner with nothing to offer, should stay out of the fray—especially since I don’t even have a weapon. Just treat me as your lucky mascot! With the true protagonist here, you’re guaranteed to make it through several more chapters!

Just then, the blackgold leopard padded forward and, without warning, charged at the group as if it were here to snatch up a meal and run—a real delivery.

What the…?

Is it that the horse is always ridden and the weak are always bullied—even by leopards now?

Do you take me for an easy mark?! Just because I have neither weapon nor cultivation, you decided to charge at me?

Yudao Yi braced himself, clenching his fists, lowering his body, and drawing in a deep breath.

“Brother! Save me!” he shouted, his voice full and confident.

Yu Yunfan spun around, forming a seal with his left hand, pointing with his right. The small black cauldron floating before him suddenly expanded and came crashing down toward the blackgold leopard, arriving in an instant.

A howl tore through the air as the blackgold leopard was launched skyward and crashed to the ground. The awkward position in which it landed seemed oddly familiar to Yudao Yi.

He spared it a moment’s sympathy—one second for the leopard, three days and nights for himself.

Right now, all Yudao Yi wanted was to stride over and show off his skills.

With a swagger that brooked no familial ties, he walked up to the convulsing, struggling blackgold leopard.

“Throughout the ages, there have been two supreme skills in the martial world: the Sun Finger and the Lion’s Roar. For thirty years—yes, thirty whole years—I’ve combined these two into one ultimate technique.”

He stomped his foot, took a deep breath, stretched his hands before him, curled his right index finger in a beckoning gesture, and shouted, “Come over here if you dare!”

Then he began leaping around the blackgold leopard, shouting, “Come on! Get up! Didn’t you want to eat me? Here I am! Come and eat! Eat, eat, eat!”

His attitude was outrageously arrogant.

The other three watched this fool in silence, well aware that he was spouting nonsense again. Thirty years? Who does he think he is? Has he even finished growing his hair?

“You really think I’m just something to be squeezed?” Yudao Yi grumbled.

A glint of viciousness flashed in the blackgold leopard’s eyes. It let out a low growl, suddenly sprang up, and pounced at Yudao Yi—so fast and from such close range that he had no time to react.

The others sprang into action. Song Qiuling dashed forward, Yu Yunfan’s expression turned even colder as he sent the black cauldron flying, and Song Cheng watched indifferently from behind. He’d said it before—he wasn’t much use here. If anything, he’d be more likely to fly away than help. Just ignore him—he’d remain background for these chapters.

As the blackgold leopard leapt at him, Yudao Yi’s mind went blank, his heart racing. His right fist faintly glowed red as he reflexively swung at the beast.

At the last instant, Yudao Yi saw terror flash across the leopard’s face, as if it had seen something unspeakably horrifying and was desperately trying to flee.

With a thunderous blow, the blackgold leopard exploded with a deafening bang—its body shattered, blood mist filled the air, and the ground was left smeared with blood and unrecognizable remains.

My goodness, did I just get possessed by Ultraman or something?

When Yudao Yi came to his senses, he was left trembling—once again shocked by his own miraculous feat.

The other three stared at him as if they’d seen a ghost.

Yu Yunfan eyed his elder brother with a thoughtful look but said nothing.

Song Qiuling’s wide, sparkling eyes bore into him. Had he taken some sort of medicine today? As someone who’d reached the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, she knew she couldn’t possibly manage such a feat. Beasts’ bodies were renowned for their strength; even Yu Yunfan’s cauldron could only cause severe internal injuries by slamming into the blackgold leopard. Outwardly, the damage was never this extreme. Yet this guy had blown it to pieces with a single punch!

Song Cheng regarded Yudao Yi with a complicated mix of admiration and disbelief. He was also a third-stage Qi Refiner—how could the gap be so vast? It was clear he was just background material.

Looking at the bloody mess on the ground, Yudao Yi felt a swirl of emotions. Had he finally gotten his cheat code?

He glanced around, then grinned.

“Come, Brother Song Cheng, let your brother try his fist on you.”

The shame of Jingkang remains unavenged, the ministers’ hatred never quelled, and the easiest target is always picked! I can’t mess with the other two!

“Brother Dao Yi, I am your most loyal Cheng’er!” Song Cheng wailed, devastated at being singled out as the softest target.

His expression was just like those tragic lines from old dramas—

“Your Majesty, do you still remember Summer Rain Lotus by the Daming Lake eighteen years ago!”

What the heck! Since when did this guy become like this? Where did his dignity go? Why does his pathetic look remind me so much of myself?

Song Qiuling glared at her brother and thumped him hard on the head.

“Have you been taking anything you shouldn’t?” she asked Yudao Yi, bewildered.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be testing my fist on your brother…” Yudao Yi replied, at a loss.

He lowered his head to study his hands, vague suspicions forming in his heart, yet everything remained as hazy as a dream.

“No point thinking about this for now. This is beast territory—we shouldn’t linger. Whatever’s going on, we need to leave first,” Yudao Yi said, shaking his head.

No sooner had he spoken than more beastly growls echoed from the surrounding woods.

Yu Yunfan: “……”

Song Qiuling: “……”

Song Cheng: “……”

Is my mouth cursed or something?

“Go!” Song Qiuling commanded without hesitation.

The group immediately dashed back the way they’d come, not pausing for a moment.

Despite being only a third-stage Qi Refiner, Yudao Yi was already well ahead of the others, not even out of breath, leaving the rest speechless.

Should they say his body was powerful, or that he was simply a master at running away?

After the time it took for half a stick of incense to burn, the beastly roars behind them faded into the distance.

From the dense woods ahead came the occasional clash of weapons and pained cries.

The group stopped in their tracks, drawn by the scene before them.

A colossal serpentine beast was coiled upright, its body stretching several yards long. Its jet-black scales shimmered under the sunlight, and two pale yellow, vertical pupils regarded the humans before it with icy indifference. Its blood-red tongue flicked in and out, and a bright crimson crest sat atop its head. Several deep wounds—some down to the bone—marked its body, all evidently caused by swords and blades.

Opposite the beast, a team of five struggled desperately against its attacks. One of their number lay to the side, covered in blood, his chest unmoving—clearly unable to survive his grievous injuries.