Chapter 36: Devouring Dragon, White Clothed Girl

  Wisps of vibrant blood-red energy rose slowly from the body of the fallen wolf, drawn by an invisible force like smoke drifting toward flames. The crimson streams flowed in gentle currents through the air before entering Su Tianhao's body, creating an almost mystical scene in the dappled forest light.

  Whoosh!

  The activated vortex in his dantian rapidly absorbed the strange energy, then sent it coursing through his body along the natural pathways of the Supreme Dragon Transformation Technique. Refined and purified with each circulation, the energy tempered his physique and strengthened his cultivation foundation with every passing moment.

  Su Tianhao watched it all in a daze, unsure why his bloodline ability had activated on its own. The process felt both foreign and strangely natural—as if his body already knew what to do.

  Then his eyes widened.

  The wolf corpse was shrinking. Withering. Within minutes, what had been a powerful spirit beast was reduced to nothing more than a dried husk.

  As the final wisp of crimson energy entered his body, understanding broke across his face.

  "Blood essence," Su Tianhao breathed. "It's really absorbing the spirit beast's blood essence."

  The confirmation sparked a rush of information from his inherited memories. Heavenly Devouring Dragons could devour anything under the heavens—absorbing spiritual energy was merely one aspect of their power. Another ability, rarer and far more potent, was the capacity to devour the spiritual energy and blood essence contained within other living creatures.

  Blood essence was a special type of energy present in every living being, tied directly to their bloodline, vitality, and natural talent. By refining it from other beasts, Heavenly Devouring Dragons could strengthen their own bloodline, elevate their cultivation base, enhance their physique, and build a foundation that ordinary cultivation simply couldn't replicate.

  "Such a heaven-defying ability," Su Tianhao murmured, shaking his head slowly. "No wonder Heavenly Devouring Dragons are so powerful even among other Supreme Dragon Clans. Not only can they rapidly raise their cultivation level—they build a foundation unlike anything else."

  He could already feel the difference. The absorbed energy settled into him like liquid warmth, dense and nourishing in a way that spiritual energy alone never was. His cultivation base felt more solid. His body, more refined.

  'I'm only one step away from the 5th level of Martial Apprentice Realm,' he realized. A confident smile spread across his face. 'With this ability, defeating Su Jian in a month will be far easier than I thought.'

  He turned toward the dried husk and gave it one last look. This beast had done more for him than it would ever know—not only had fighting it brought him to Small Success in the Raging Dragon Fist, it had revealed an ability that changed everything about how he would approach his training.

  "Thank you," he said quietly.

  Then he turned back toward the outer forest.

  'Right now, I can only safely train in the outer area. I might not be so lucky if I encounter another grade two beast unprepared.'

  He began moving again, golden eyes scanning the undergrowth for his next target.

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  After several minutes of running through the forest, he found it—a hulking, boar-like beast with jagged bristles running down its spine like a row of spears. Blood-red eyes gleamed with savage intelligence, and thick mud-caked tusks caught the filtered light with a dull, dangerous sheen.

  "Bristleback Boar," Su Tianhao identified the creature immediately. "9th level grade one beast."

  The Bristleback Boar was one of the most aggressive creatures in the outer forest—highly territorial, with a hide dense enough to deflect shallow cuts and tusks strong enough to shatter solid stone. It stood at the absolute peak of grade one beasts, and it had the temperament to match.

  "Perfect. You're exactly the right opponent," Su Tianhao said with a bright smile as he stepped forward.

  The moment he crossed into the boar's territory, the beast erupted. Its bristled fur stood on end like thousands of tiny blades, and it let out a deep, guttural roar that shook the nearby trees.

  "HUUAARH!"

  It charged immediately—no hesitation, no posturing—hooves thundering against the forest floor as dust and debris flew in every direction.

  Su Tianhao watched it come with a slight frown. "I knew this species was violent, but isn't this a little excessive?"

  The boar arrived in an instant, shaking the earth with every stride.

  "Since you're so eager, I'll gladly play," Su Tianhao said coldly—and charged directly to meet it.

  Any ordinary 4th level Martial Apprentice attempting this would be seeking death. But Su Tianhao's strength far surpassed that of others at his level. He wasn't just any Martial Apprentice.

  "Raging Dragon Fist!"

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  His fist surged forward like a cannonball fired at close range.

  "SKREEEEE!"

  The boar shrieked as it sensed the power behind the strike—but instead of retreating, it doubled down, charging with even greater fury.

  BOOOM!

  The collision sent shockwaves rippling across the clearing, the sound cracking through the trees like a thunderclap. The boar was sent crashing backward into a thick tree trunk with enough force to bring the ancient tree down entirely. Su Tianhao remained exactly where he stood, wisps of steam rising from his clenched fist.

  "So this is the true power of the Raging Dragon Fist at Small Success," he murmured in quiet amazement.

  SNRRKK!

  The boar snorted—and for the first time, there was fear in its red eyes. Its survival instincts had finally overridden its aggression. It wrenched itself free from the broken debris and bolted desperately toward the thick bushes.

  "Where do you think you're going?" Su Tianhao snorted with amusement and gave chase.

  He closed the distance easily.

  "Raging Dragon Fist!"

  CRACK!

  His fist came down on the beast's skull with full force. The bone shattered completely. The boar collapsed, twitched once, and went still.

  Su Tianhao stared at his own fist. "That punch carried about 1,300 pounds of force."

  He turned the number over in his mind. His base strength was 1,000 pounds. Before Small Success, the Raging Dragon Fist boosted that by roughly ten percent. Now it had jumped to thirty.

  'What happens when it reaches Great Success?' he thought. 'Or Perfection?'

  He couldn't even begin to calculate the possibilities.

  Taking a steadying breath, he pushed the excitement aside and focused on the next matter.

  "Time to test my devouring ability on another target."

  He turned his golden eyes toward the dead boar and extended his hand.

  "Devour."

  This was a technique drawn from his inherited memories—directing his focus to a specific target rather than allowing the ability to activate indiscriminately and absorb everything around him. The control made all the difference.

  The vortex in his dantian responded immediately. Blood-red wisps of energy rose from the boar's corpse in steady streams, drawn into his body like iron filings to a magnet.

  'It works,' he thought with satisfaction.

  But his satisfaction was short-lived. The boar withered into a dried husk within seconds—and the increase to his cultivation was barely noticeable. Nothing close to what the Silver Fanged Wolf had provided.

  Su Tianhao narrowed his eyes as the pattern became clear. "The higher the cultivation level of the target, the greater the benefit. There's simply no comparison between a grade one beast and a grade two beast."

  He smiled with mild frustration. "I'm being too greedy. Grade two beasts are still too risky at my current level. For now, I'll focus on grade one—and if I absorb enough blood essence from them, I should be able to break through to the next level."

  With that plan settled, Su Tianhao turned and headed deeper into the undergrowth, moving swiftly and silently.

  The forest around him felt different now—not just a testing ground, but a resource. Every spirit beast he encountered would provide both combat experience and cultivation fuel. The two were inseparable out here, and that suited him perfectly.

  ----

  Soon evening settled over the Dragonspire Forest like a heavy blanket. The once bright sky dimmed to deep orange and fading gold, casting long shadows beneath the towering trees. The forest shifted to a quieter rhythm—distant rustles in the undergrowth, the occasional call of unseen beast, the gentle whisper of wind through the dense canopy. The air grew cooler and heavier with the rich scent of moss and damp earth as darkness crept slowly across the ancient land.

  Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.

  A young man in azure robes moved swiftly through the undergrowth, his steps quick and purposeful as he wove between the massive tree trunks.

  BAM!

  With a powerful jump, he launched himself onto a tall tree, moving like an agile monkey across the thick branches before coming to rest at the very top. From his high perch, the surrounding forest stretched out in all directions beneath the fading sky.

  Su Tianhao sat back against the branch and gazed upward. The evening light danced in his golden eyes like fireflies caught in amber.

  "Looks like I won't be breaking through today," he murmured with slight disappointment.

  Even after an entire day of training and devouring the blood essence of his fallen prey, the breakthrough he had been chasing remained just out of reach. He had thought a dozen spirit beasts would be enough—but he had failed to account for the importance of beast grade. The outer forest edge was dominated by lower level grade one beasts, with only two peak grade one encounters all day. The benefits had fallen far short of his expectations.

  He chuckled softly. "I really would have broken through if I had found a dozen peak grade one beasts... Too bad they're not so easy to come by out here."

  He shook his head with a wry smile. "My efforts weren't wasted though. Tomorrow, I'm confident."

  With a satisfied expression, he lay back against the branch, eyes fixed on the darkening sky above. The tree rustled gently as the cool evening breeze swept through. For a moment, the world felt perfectly still.

  Unfortunately, tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.

  BOOM!

  A loud explosion thundered from deep within the forest, shattering the quiet instantly.

  Su Tianhao sat up straight. "What was that?"

  His eyes snapped toward the source. Flocks of birds burst into the air in blind panic, wings beating wildly as they fled. A distant rumble followed, and a thick cloud of dust rose high above the canopy, swirling like dark smoke through the treetops.

  "Someone's fighting," he muttered.

  He hesitated for only a moment—then leaped down from the tree and dashed toward the disturbance.

  Within minutes he had crossed several kilometers, his footsteps gliding silently over the forest floor. He arrived at the edge of a wide clearing surrounded by ancient towering trees—and only then realized he had crossed into the inner region of the Dragonspire Forest without noticing.

  He pressed himself against the thick trunk of a massive tree and peered out carefully.

  The sight before him stole the breath from his lungs.

  In the center of the clearing stood a massive bear-like creature over three meters tall. Its slate-gray fur bristled like rough stone, jagged rock-like armor jutting from its shoulders and spine. Each step it took shook the ground and its amber eyes blazed with savage fury.

  "A Berserk Bear," Su Tianhao whispered. "Grade three beast."

  But it wasn't the bear that truly stunned him.

  Standing calmly before the raging creature was a girl who appeared no older than sixteen. She wore flowing white robes decorated with faint silver patterns that shimmered like morning frost in the fading light. Her beauty was breathtaking, so mesmerizing that it was almost impossible not to stare—skin as fair and smooth as polished jade, delicate features framed by long black hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall of silk, and eyes as calm and sharp as a crystal-clear lake. A single glance was enough to know that one day she would be the kind of woman capable of shaking the foundations of kingdoms.

  In her right hand she held a slender sword. Simple yet elegant, its blade pulsed faintly with spiritual energy, casting a soft glow in the dim forest light. She stood perfectly still—and yet there was something unmistakably dangerous about her presence. Like a sharp blade hidden in a silk sheath. Quiet, and absolutely lethal.

  'Who is she?' Su Tianhao thought, completely caught off guard.

  ROOOOAR!

  The Berserk Bear charged. Every footstep struck the ground like a war drum. Its massive frame hurtled forward with speed that belied its enormous size, claws slashing through the air with devastating precision—aimed to tear the girl apart in a single blow.

  She didn't move.

  At the very last instant, her foot shifted slightly. Her figure flickered and blurred, leaving only a faint afterimage as she reappeared several meters away in one fluid, effortless movement.

  Swoosh!

  Her sword flashed—clean and precise, like silver moonlight cutting through darkness. The arc sliced across the bear's muscular shoulder, sending a spray of dark blood into the air.

  "A movement technique," Su Tianhao breathed. "And she's fighting a grade three beast directly—she has to be at Martial Adept Realm at least."

  The realization landed heavily. He had spent the past several days believing he was making extraordinary progress. In absolute terms, he was. But the world was vast, and this girl—no older than him—had just reminded him of exactly how vast it was.

  'I'm still very far behind the real geniuses,' he thought, smiling bitterly as he turned his attention back to the fight.

  ROOOOAR!

  The Berserk Bear twisted its massive body and drove a crushing paw toward her, the sheer force of it distorting the air around the strike.

  Boom!

  She met it head-on. Her sword pulsed with brilliant white light as spiritual energy surged into the blade. A sharp metallic clang rang out across the clearing—refined steel meeting stone-like flesh—and yet she didn't retreat a single step.

  Her stance shifted. Light and balanced, yet carrying absolute deadly intent. She moved like water around the bear's attacks, and when she struck, she cut through its defenses like wind through leaves.

  She stepped forward again, sword gleaming cold.

  Chi! Chi! Chi!

  Three perfectly clean strikes. Three deep, bleeding gashes appeared across the bear's thick hide. The massive creature staggered back with pained snarls of rage.

  "That sword awareness..." Su Tianhao murmured, his eyes widening. "Those instinctive reactions—the perfect harmony between her and the blade... She's comprehended Sword Sense."

  Even without drawing inspiration from his inherited memories, he knew that Sword Sense was the foundational step of all sword dao cultivation—the stage where a practitioner develops intuitive awareness of their weapon. Achieving it required genuine talent and deep comprehension. Achieving it at her age, while simultaneously reaching Martial Adept Realm, was something else entirely.

  The white-clothed girl continued her graceful, deadly dance around the Berserk Bear. Every movement flowed into the next like water. Every strike was precise and unhurried. Despite the massive difference in size and raw power, she was in complete control.

  Su Tianhao watched in silence, unable to look away.

  "It's... beautiful," he said quietly.