Entering the Spirit Void for the First Time 28. Encountering Xiong Again

“Wait, how can you just leave like that, Jiela? At least wait for me!” Mo Dao hurriedly ran after her. “Mo Dao, why are you following me?” Jiela asked, her expression puzzled.

In Jiela’s mind, Mo Dao ought to be searching for his own friends, not tagging along with her, since their positions were fundamentally different.

“Of course I'm coming with you to signal the spirit beasts,” Mo Dao replied with obvious certainty, smiling at Jiela. “Shouldn’t you be looking for your friends? Why follow me?” Jiela frowned.

“To be honest, I’m not here just to catch that ground sloth. You’ve taught me much, and I, Mo Dao, am not someone who forgets gratitude. If you choose to protect these spirit beasts, I’ll stand with you,” Mo Dao’s voice suddenly trembled, his whole being charged with emotion.

“There’s no need. You won’t be much help,” Jiela replied, and dashed off into the distance. Mo Dao quickly chased after her, but her movements were far too swift; within moments, she had left him behind.

Seeing he couldn’t catch up, Mo Dao stopped where he was. Now alone, he had no idea what to do next, so he simply sat on the ground, preparing to continue practicing the Six Harmony Fist.

But just as he entered his spiritual sea, a sudden sense of danger surged within him. He quickly withdrew, springing to his feet and dodging to the side. The spot where he’d been sitting was suddenly smashed into a deep pit.

A Xionghou appeared before him, its forehead marked by a blood-red hole resembling an eye, its body stretching over five fathoms long. Seeing the Xionghou, Mo Dao’s face grew tense.

He had nearly died at this creature’s hands before; now, facing it again, his nerves tightened. The Xionghou, seeing Mo Dao dodge its strike, roared furiously and lunged at him once more.

Mo Dao hastily unleashed a Grand Qi Slash toward it. His spiritual energy was now far greater than before; the space within was vast, so casting this move no longer depleted half his energy as it once had.

The Xionghou, seeing the Grand Qi Slash, quickly twisted in midair, then continued its assault. Mo Dao frowned and flashed aside again.

The beast’s claw nearly caught him, but Mo Dao rolled with the momentum, stood, and stared coldly at the Xionghou. With a flick of his right hand, the Five-Colored True Sword appeared.

He weighed the sword in his palm, instantly calming his mind. With the blade in hand, his confidence against the Xionghou soared. He leveled the sword before his chest, preparing for the next attack.

Failing to land a blow, the Xionghou hammered its chest and roared, eyes bulging with rage. It clawed the ground and lunged again.

Mo Dao sighed inwardly—was this beast only capable of the same move over and over? He shifted, charging toward it, but didn’t confront it head-on. Instead, he sidestepped and thrust the spirit sword from an unexpected angle.

The Xionghou hadn't anticipated such a cunning strike and failed to dodge in time. Mo Dao’s sword left a gash on its arm—fortunately, it wasn’t a deep cut, or the limb might have been severed.

The Xionghou cried out in pain and lunged again, this time at a much greater speed. Mo Dao’s brow furrowed; he dared not rush in recklessly now.

Sensing he couldn’t easily evade, Mo Dao conjured a spiritual shield before him and retreated several steps.

Though he dodged most of the beast’s bulk, its claw struck his chest. Thankfully, the shield absorbed the blow, or Mo Dao would surely have been gutted.

Seizing the moment, Mo Dao slashed at the Xionghou with his sword, but the creature twisted, barely evading, and landed to the side.

Now, the Xionghou regarded Mo Dao with seriousness, its earlier disdain vanished. At first, it had seen Mo Dao as a mere monkey, easily dispatched. Yet as the fight continued, it realized it had underestimated him.

Mo Dao had dodged its attacks, wounded its arm with a single sword stroke, and now blocked its powerful strike. This infuriated the beast.

In Xionghou’s eyes, Mo Dao was no match, yet now they fought evenly. The blood-red eye on its forehead emitted a sinister aura.

Suddenly, Mo Dao felt his surroundings turn blood-red. He was caught off guard. The Xionghou’s shadow vanished; not only could he no longer see it, even his hearing faltered.

His senses—sight and hearing—seemed compromised. Suddenly, a powerful force struck him, sending Mo Dao flying.

As he tried to rise, another blow hit him, nearly making him spit blood. In desperation, Mo Dao released his spiritual sense to perceive his surroundings.

Though deprived of sight and hearing by the Xionghou’s influence, his spiritual sense allowed him to locate the beast.

The Xionghou was beside him, poised to strike again while he was disoriented. Mo Dao rolled, narrowly dodging a fatal blow.

The Xionghou was shocked—how could Mo Dao evade its attack despite losing his senses? It stomped and lunged at him again.

This time, the Xionghou shot toward Mo Dao like an arrow. Mo Dao agilely sidestepped, avoiding the blow.

The beast’s claw extended, but Mo Dao slashed it off with his sword. The Xionghou howled, blood gushing from the wound; Mo Dao’s senses returned in an instant.

He saw the beast crouched in pain, wailing. Mo Dao seized the chance, charging at it—now was the perfect moment to strike, so he didn’t hesitate, swinging his sword.

Unfortunately, despite its agony, the Xionghou reacted swiftly, darting aside. Its remaining claw lashed out at Mo Dao.

Mo Dao had expected to decapitate the beast, but was stunned by its speed. Not only did it evade his fierce strike, it counterattacked.

With no time to think, Mo Dao conjured another spiritual shield. The claw collided with the shield with a screech, and the Xionghou suddenly rammed its head into Mo Dao’s.

Though the shield absorbed the claw, Mo Dao was unprepared for the headbutt—a resounding impact left him dazed.

His head spun, dizziness overwhelming him. He shook himself clear, stepped back several paces, and put distance between himself and the beast.

Seeing its attack succeed, the Xionghou ignored its pain and lunged again. Mo Dao now felt the creature was truly troublesome, relentless as if it didn’t care for its own life, attacking in a wild frenzy.

He swung his spirit sword at the Xionghou, who shuddered, dodged the blow, and clawed at Mo Dao’s abdomen.

Mo Dao frowned, his stomach contracting as he retreated. The claw grazed his clothes, nearly tearing open his belly. He silently cursed his luck and steadied himself.

Seeing Mo Dao’s agility, the Xionghou abruptly halted its assault, as if pondering its next move. Mindless attacks had failed to harm Mo Dao, so it needed another strategy.

But Mo Dao wouldn’t allow it time to think. He gripped his spirit sword in both hands, his aura surging, causing the air around him to tremble.

The Xionghou sensed something amiss, frowning as it braced for defense. Mo Dao gathered strength, then lifted his sword and delivered a mighty slash.

The blade’s aura was immense, enveloping the Xionghou. The air itself quaked, a booming sound echoing.

The beast knew well the power of this blow, but it was too late to escape. It raised both arms to block, attempting to withstand Mo Dao’s earth-shattering strike.

But as the sword descended, the Xionghou realized its grave mistake—this blow was beyond its endurance. The sword cleaved its body, making it feel as if it might split apart.