Qi Shield

The moment An Yi appeared,

the six massive male lions trembled slightly, their enormous eyes flickering with fear.

There was no helping it—this bastard had been hunting high-level demonic beasts all over the forest!

Every single one that could put up a fight had been slaughtered by him!

When he first arrived in the forest, hordes of beasts had chased An Yi around.

Now, the tables had turned.

Fourth-level demonic beasts were already rare, and now, An Yi had to roam around with his sword, searching for them.

Those black crocodiles, giant wolves, and the like? Long dead by his hand.

These six lions were his new prey!

The reason they had appeared on the outskirts was to flee for their lives.

Normally, aside from occasionally snacking on humans, they wouldn’t venture this far out.

Roar!

The lion whose forelimb had been severed didn’t hesitate—it turned tail and ran the moment it saw An Yi.

Having grown accustomed to treating humans as food, it had never considered them frightening before.

This was the first time it had encountered such a terrifying "meal."

The crowd erupted in excitement, their gazes fixed on An Yi in the sky.

A single man forcing back fourth-level demonic beasts—truly a god among men!

Wei Feng’s face flushed with exhilaration.

He could sense it—this man’s aura was overwhelmingly powerful.

Even stronger than the peak of the Void Realm!

In this world, only the ancestral masters of the immortal sects could rival him.

Roar!

The six lions roared at An Yi while backing away, then turned and fled!

They had witnessed too many of the forest’s most fearsome beasts being "de-nutted" by this human brat.

Running was their only chance at survival.

An Yi, of course, had no intention of letting them go. He stepped through the air, closing the distance.

One, two… eleven, twelve!

An Yi narrowed his eyes, scanning the horde of beasts.

Aside from the six lions, there were quite a few other fourth-level demonic beasts, though their auras paled in comparison.

He glanced at his mission progress.

96/100!

Hmm, just four more to go.

Well, might as well go all out.

A vicious grin spread across An Yi’s face as he activated Flame Step, leaving behind an afterimage in the sky as he pursued the fleeing beasts.

Watching the scattered horde, the Wei family disciples finally let out the breaths they’d been holding.

Clang!

Wei Feng’s greatsword fell to the ground as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

To repel a beast tide single-handedly—what kind of monstrous strength was this?

Of course, what he didn’t know was the real reason behind the beast tide…

"Dragon-Slaying Nine Swords, Second Form—Dragon’s Descent!"

An Yi swung his heavy sword downward, descending from the sky like a meteor wreathed in flames. A crimson streak split the air as he plummeted.

Below him—a massive lion!

Roar!

The beast let out a heaven-shaking roar, but before it could dodge, the heavy sword struck.

Boom!

Flames erupted in a rolling wave!

An Yi landed and calmly sheathed his sword.

In the crater, the lion’s corpse lay in pieces, having taken the full brunt of the impact.

Wei Feng’s scalp tingled with shock.

These man-eating lions had devoured countless members of the Wei family.

For a century, they had been the stuff of nightmares.

Yet before this young man, they were obliterated in a single strike.

"97," An Yi said coolly.

Another lion, its mane bristling, charged at him.

With a flick of his wrist, his ring transformed into the Dragon Fang Demon Sword.

A single slash—silent, effortless.

The massive lion was cleanly bisected at the waist, the cut smooth as a mirror, blood gushing like a fountain.

"Dragon-Slaying Nine Swords, Fifth Form—Autumn’s Mark!"

"98."

An Yi swept past, his sword flashing.

A fourth-level jackal that had been trailing behind was also cleaved in two.

"99."

Now, An Yi’s gaze turned icy.

His eyes locked onto the sky.

A fourth-level falcon dove at him like lightning, its speed so great that only a shrill whistle could be heard—its form nearly invisible.

"Young hero, be careful!" Wei Feng shouted, unable to hold back.

The falcon’s beak was harder than steel, and its piercing strike was terrifyingly powerful.

What’s more, falcons specialized in ambushes—even the mightiest beasts often fell to a single surprise attack.

Crackling electricity coiled around the Dragon Fang Demon Sword.

An Yi didn’t dodge. Instead, his lips curled into a smirk.

"Dragon-Slaying Nine Swords, Fourth Form—Thunderbolt!"

In an instant, An Yi moved.

He pivoted, his sword lashing out in a burst of lightning, its speed skyrocketing as it pierced toward the falcon.

"100."

An Yi sheathed his sword and spoke softly.

The falcon disintegrated midair, its blood raining down in a crimson shower.

Ding! [Hunt] mission complete!

Ding! Evil Power Value +20! Reward obtained—[Qi Shield]!

An Yi’s grin widened.

Three days!

Finally done!

With the falcon slain, An Yi prepared to leave.

But to his surprise, the remaining lions had gone berserk. Instead of fleeing, they surrounded him from all sides.

Roar!

Four ten-meter-tall lions launched a coordinated assault.

"Qi Shield."

An Yi’s voice was calm.

A translucent dome of energy encased his body.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, the lions’ attacks landed—one after another.

An Yi didn’t budge an inch.

The soldiers gaped in disbelief.

To withstand the combined assault of four fourth-level demonic beasts—was this kid even human?

Wei Feng’s shock ran even deeper.

An Yi’s smirk turned wild.

Then, it vanished.

Because he noticed the [Qi Shield] skill icon had turned gray.

"24-hour cooldown? Seriously?" An Yi raised an eyebrow. "This thing has a CD?!"

The lions, having failed to harm him despite their combined strength, panicked.

"Returning Dragon Slash!"

An Yi activated Flame Step, appearing behind one lion in an instant. His dagger flashed.

A 150% damage multiplier—enough to critically wound the beast in a single strike. It collapsed with a pained howl.

This wasn’t like a game.

A near 50% increase in lethality was absolutely devastating in reality.

A massive paw swiped at him.

An Yi remained composed, raising two fingers to casually catch the tip of the lion’s claw.

The scene was surreal.

Despite the vast difference in size, the young man had effortlessly halted the beast’s attack with just two fingers.

Several soldiers rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were hallucinating.

Was this even possible for a human?

The lion roared, straining with all its might, but An Yi’s grip was unshakable. It could only growl in frustration.

An Yi smirked confidently.

"Fourth-level demonic beast?

Sorry, but I’ve slaughtered a hundred of you."

Swish!

A claw tore through the air!

The gust of wind tousled An Yi’s black hair.

A deep gash now marred his back.

The crowd: "…"

They had seen it—a lion had sneaked up behind An Yi and landed a full-powered strike.

The force of a fourth-level beast’s attack was unimaginable.

Was he… still alive?

Wei Feng gulped, curiosity overtaking him.

"Damn it!"

Rage ignited in An Yi’s eyes as he spun around, the Dragon Fang Demon Sword in hand. His murderous intent surged like a tangible force.

His tattered coat fluttered dramatically in the wind, radiating dominance.

The ambushing lion froze in terror, then turned to flee without hesitation.

"Dragon-Slaying Nine Swords, Third Form—Storm of Blades!"

An Yi raised his sword.

A tempest of sword energy engulfed the last three lions, reducing them to a bloody mist.