Chapter 7
Spirit beasts tended to be more powerful than cultivators at the same star. When encountering a spirit beast an entire star ahead—a little more, in this case—the general consensus was to run with your tail between your legs.
It was all I could do to duck and weave under its agile claws, tearing through the icy air like a blizzard. Each of its bestial roars sent the nearby snow billowing into the air, giving the spirit beast cover to launch a fresh assault while I shook myself out of a daze.
Perhaps if I'd been more aware of my surroundings instead of caught up admiring the beauty of a lone flower, I could've escaped. No, escape had never been an option, I realised. Running away would mean leaving the defenceless villagers to the mercy of the rabid bear.
And rabid it was. The sharp battle instinct it displayed could be mistaken for intelligence, but it was just a by-product of the beast's power far outclassing my own. However, the bear's eyes were cloudy and bloodshot while its mouth spewed drool across the snow.
This monster had been driven to madness and I was just unfortunate enough to cross its path. I misstepped, the thick coat of snow making me miss my footing, and the bear's claws raked across my forearm.
Three deep valleys were carved into my flesh, burning and freezing simultaneously. The snowstorm was a blessing in this instance, slowing the flow of my blood so that the vicious wound was less deadly.
However, that didn't make it painless. Wincing from the blow I stumbled back. I was no stranger to pain, but being savaged by a wild beast was new to me. The sudden tearing burn knocked me off balance and the bear pounced with mad fury.
Even with the surge in my cultivation bringing me around halfway through the seventh star, I was near powerless. If the spirit beast wasn't in this mindless rage, there may have been a chance to drive it away, but as things stood I was stuck fighting for my life.
A gaping jaw burst through a wall of powdered snow, the bear intent on snapping my head off in a single bite. I grit my teeth, searching for a way out.
Right now it wasn't focusing, convinced it was about to snag an easy snack. I kicked off the snowy grass as hard as I could, narrowly avoiding the bear's teeth snapping shut right where my head had been.
As I dodged the near fatal attack, I spotted a festering wound on the bear's underbelly. I'd seen the greenish hue of its fur before and thought little of it, but the evidence was plain as day. Tainted blood laced with poisonous sludge dripped from the wound, burning the snow where it touched.
In fact, I should've guessed from the moment I saw it was a bear attacking me that something odd was at play. Right now it was the heart of winter—even spirit beasts hibernated through the cold season.
However, there was no time to wonder why the bear was attacking me. It had already recovered from the miss and was tearing towards me once more. If I could survive this encounter, then and only then would I think about what had caused it.
Each time I dodged a swipe of its claws I lashed out with precise counter-attacks. However, my blows seemed ineffective.
I wasn't making progress like this. If I continued to fight all that would happen is my eventual death.
Another glimpse of the festering wound confirmed my suspicions. The bear had almost certainly been struck with a potent venom, the likely cause of its current madness.
Knowing what I knew about the behaviour of bears—which admittedly, was based on their cousins from another world—I suspected that treating the wound might clear the beast's head and force it back into hibernation.
Then again, it might just slaughter me as thanks and then take a few of the villagers as crunchy treats for its winter sleep. But, I wouldn't know until I tried.
My healing technique was undoubtedly the most potent weapon at my disposal. I'd proven how lethal it could be when I killed the bandit leader back at the inn, but now I was going to do something utterly insane.
I planned to heal my enemy in the middle of our battle. There are many who would call me insane, but I knew my limits and this fight would only end in my death if I continued to struggle. This was the only option available to me.
If all else failed, I still had the option to run away, though that route seemed doomed to failure. Even with the superhuman speed of a seven-star Body Tempering cultivator I wouldn't be able to outrun the spirit bear.
Having decided how I would win this battle—or at least give myself the slimmest hope at victory—I faced another problem. My technique required prolonged physical contact with the patient.
I felt as though every new encounter was forcing me to rethink my application of the technique. The scientist in me was rejoicing at the constant need for experimentation, but the doctor cringed at the instability it brought.
Neither of them were as important as my monkey survival brain, which was telling me to cling to anything that would let me survive the battle with the bear. So, even though I couldn't see a way to make contact with the bear I started drawing on my blood essence.
It was rather peaceful when resting in my body, bar the occasional spark lancing down one of my limbs as I dodged or parried the monster's strikes. As soon as they felt my call, the sparks vibrated with glee, eager to escape the prison of my vessel and work their magic.
I directed almost half of my blood essence into my left hand. I would've preferred to use my right, but since the bear's wound was on my left I would have to make do with my weaker arm.
My skin took on a shade of red from the sheer quantity of essence stored within and I felt a burning itch. Every second I held back, the sparks vibrated faster until my hand was home to a raging storm of blood.
The entire time this was happening I just about managed to avoid the bear's razor sharp claws and in its anger it had decided to try and bite my foot off. Prey that couldn't move was an easy meal.
Once again, the change in tactics gave me a window of opportunity. As the bear shot forward I leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding its slobbering jaws.
Putting all my faith into this working out, I dove forwards at the festering wound that gaped on the bear's underbelly. I winced as a line of fire was carved into my calf by an errant claw, but couldn't withdraw my focus from my target.
Forming a hasty seal with two fingers, not exactly a necessity but it helped me focus, I jammed it into the wound and let my essence loose. My fingers sunk into the soft and sticky cocktail of flesh and corrupted blood.
It was far from the worst injury I'd seen, but the smell nearly made me gag. I was used to wearing a mask while working, which tended to save my delicate nostrils from the worst of the awful aromas that came as part of the job.
It had barely been a second since I struck, but already I could see my blood essence exploding like fireworks on the fourth of July. Perhaps the severity of the wound and size of the beast were accelerating the process?
Unfortunately, my target had no idea of my good intentions. The moment I'd struck the wound it roared in agony and fury, turning its bloodshot eyes on me and lifting its front leg to strike away the nuisance.
I couldn't let it hit me this close. Even an accidental cut from those claws had nearly crippled my calf. All of them striking in concert would carve me into ribbons.
Luckily, my essence made the decision for me. Right when I was thinking how best to disengage, I felt an overwhelming torrent of energy blasting up my arm. The sheer force of it almost made me pull away, but that would cost me everything I'd risked my life to earn.
I saw a silver flash as the bear's claws caught the winter sun at the peak of its stretch, before it swung them down with the force of a speeding truck. The surge of blood essence had slowed and I knew there was only a little left, so I was committed to a narrow escape.
While waiting, I lifted myself so that both feet were firmly planted against the bear's stomach and the moment I felt the stream of energy stop I leapt with every ounce of strength I could muster.
A sense of foreboding dread crept over me and an icy sting lanced down my forearm as I sailed through the air. I smiled as I saw the bear's claws pass harmlessly underneath it, my glee growing when I noticed the wound already looking less like a mouldy swamp.
My backside planted itself in the soft powdery snow. The bear was already snarling at me, taking slow steps in my direction. I did notice it throw a few puzzled glances at its belly and even shake itself a little.
I wasn't close enough to tell, but I would've bet my life that the glassy glaze in its eyes had faded. However, my help had only infuriated it further and the spirit bear now seemed determined to devour me.
One added benefit of my risky gambit was that my cultivation had skyrocketed, the multiplication of my blood essence bringing me right to the cusp of breaking through to the eighth star. While still far from a match for the muscular beast I would at least be able hold my own as I attempted to finish what I'd started. The wound was still not treated yet.
Just then, another burning spear of energy cut through my arm, reaching all the way to my shoulder. I looked down at my hand, eyes widening as I saw the sickly green colour it had taken on.
Immediately I realised what had happened. For the first time since I began using the technique, I'd discovered a drawback—one that might prove fatal.
Along with the massively increased quantity of blood essence I'd received after treating the bear's wound, the foul toxin which had been eating away at the spirit beast had infected my essence itself and passed into my body.
I let out a booming laugh, that made the bear halt for a moment. Seeing I was still a rather unthreatening, yet frustrating meal it continued to stalk forward.
By healing the bear I had brought its affliction unto myself and was now infected with the same potent venom that had driven the spirit beast to madness. I felt the sickly tendrils of energy worming their way up my arm.
Ironically, my decision to use my left hand might end up killing me faster since the venom would have an easier route to my heart. I raced through memories, trying to recall what I knew about treating venomous wounds.
However, everything I'd been taught regarding the corrupting creatures of Earth fell flat of addressing this rather more mystical venom. I'd never learned how to treat an energy toxin—and neither had Zhao Dan.
I clutched at my burning arm and fell to one knee as the pain consumed me, not realising my enemy was just metres away. Close enough to strike.
The bear let out a roar, its anger the only warning I had before two sets of claws descended from above, caging me in its razor-sharp assault. I had been given just enough time to roll out of the way thanks to its roar, but three claws still raked down my back, carving valleys of severed flesh and flowing blood into my skin.
I lay there on the ground, unmoving as rivers of my blood painted the surrounding snow a beautiful crimson. Looking towards the bear, I saw that instead of jumping to finish me off, it was pawing at its half-healed wound.
At that moment an explosion of fire consumed my shoulder and focusing my gaze inwards I saw that my blood essence was furiously battling the invading toxins, both sides consuming the other endlessly. All I could do was watch and cheer myself on, hoping my raging essence would outlast the vile venom.
I couldn't help but tear my gaze away to snatch a look at the bear, but to my relief it was still prodding at the wound, throwing puzzled glances my way every so often. Despite that, I didn't believe the beast would give up on eating me, knowing I was basically crippled.
Devouring a cultivator at the zenith of seven-star Body Tempering would propel the beast's own cultivation. Spirit beasts advanced by devouring other beasts and absorbing their cores, or through consuming cultivators like myself.
I'm so glad that humans can't advance their cultivation in the same way, I thought to myself, because I'm one hundred percent sure some psychopath would resort to cannibalism to achieve a breakthrough or two.
To my great relief, my raging blood essence had started to win the war. The venom was cut off from its source and unable to multiply while my own essence had the home field advantage.
The corrupting energy was being pushed back down my arm, though a few patches of festering skin remained. I would need to heal myself the traditional way even after I was clear of this ordeal.
Healing my own injuries to progress my cultivation would've been an incredible cheat, but even when I screamed at my blood essence to heal the damage as it forced the venom back, it refused.
About halfway down my forearm the battle reached a tipping point. The venom had been putting up a grand resistance until now but it suddenly collapsed and my blood essence surged forth, the hungry sparks racing to devour what remained.
Once the final drop of venom had vanished, my body shivered and I noticed that my own blood essence had adopted an extremely faint green hue. I chuckled, noticing that the red and green combo looked rather festive for the winter season.
What did this mean for my technique? Would I no longer be able to heal others without also infecting them with venom, or would I have an easier time curing toxic wounds?
There was no time to figure it out because the bear had decided that despite me partially healing its underbelly it still wanted to eat me. I clambered to my feet just in time to step out of the way of a wild slash, before lashing out with a kick of my own.
I felt my toes tremble as they smashed into a wall of solid muscle, but I actually managed to knock the bear's arm backwards! The increase in my cultivation was showing already and I knew my chances of survival were now much greater.
There was only one path left for me—finishing what I'd started. Gathering my newly upgraded essence in my fingers once more as I traded countless blows with the beast, I kept my eyes peeled for an opportunity.
I needed to find one soon, because the blood loss was making me light headed and there'd been a few times I mistimed a dodge or block and the bear had torn even more chunks of flesh from my arms. In fact, I nearly missed the perfect chance to strike.
The bear had struck across my chest, but I deftly stumbled backwards to avoid the blow, leaving its underbelly ripe for healing. I fell forwards, slapping my hand against the half-healed flesh and felt my eager essence racing into the wound.
Apparently the bear was as shocked as I that I'd managed to pull this insanity off twice in a single battle, because for a moment it just stared at its paw, wondering why it had struck empty air.
I saw my essence beginning to swirl and merge with the bear's own. In fact, the festering corruption seemed to be getting erased even faster than before, proving that devouring the toxins had in fact improved my technique.
However, I still needed more time to completely heal the wound. Time I wasn't going to get, because the bear had opted for a new strategy. It roared and reared up on its hind legs, tearing me from the ground as I clung onto the hole in its stomach for dear life.
It reached the peak of its stretch, standing almost ten feet tall as it roared its fury at the icy sun. I felt the blizzard tearing at my skin as I was exposed to the elements, before my stomach dropped as the bear threw itself back down.
Chapter 8
Air whipped my skin, the tiny flakes of ice burning into me as the bear fell towards the snow with me along for the ride. I couldn't just throw myself off or I would lose all the blood essence I'd poured into the beast's belly—which was most of it.
I might even fall back to the sixth star if I did that, not quite sure what the ramifications of a failed healing would cost me as I'd not needed to cancel the technique mid-way until now. So, I hurried to think of a solution, seconds from being turned into a squashed snack for the bear.
In the end there was no genius answer. I just clung to the bear, shifting my body away from its underbelly so that all that remained was my hand clutching its healing flesh. Sensation in my fingers vanished as the hulking beast slammed into the snow, sending a giant powdery cloud into the sky.
My vision went white and all I knew was that I may never recover my left hand. I hoped it was still inside the bear, because then my sacrifice would have been slightly worth it.
As the snow settled I felt myself being pulled upwards as the bear jumped to its feet. I didn't feel anything except a gentle strain on my shoulder, having lost all feeling in my arm and hand. However, looking at the wound I saw a dozen swirls spinning faster than I could track, blasting away the venom as the flesh knitted together at a visible rate.
I was tossed and turned as the bear shook itself free of snow, my bones rattling as I was struck against the ground over and over. Each time I felt the gaping wounds on my back peel further open and drench the snow in my blood. I was barely conscious, but forced my eyes to remain open.
Everything hinged on the result of me healing the bear. I hoped that once cured of the foul corruption it might realise that it should be hibernating and return to the forest, but with a free meal in its paws it might decide to drag me along for the ride—probably after snapping my neck.
All I could see through the slits of my eyes was the raging blizzard and the matted fur of the bear. My head was blasted with a wave of hot air as the spirit beast roared at me. When I saw the descending claws, I resigned myself to my fate.
Suddenly, I felt a burning explosion in my left hand. The same hand which had been crushed under the bear and hung uselessly, stuck to the creature only by sheer tenacity.
A monstrous wave of blood essence roared down my arm, signalling the completion of my technique. I tried to laugh, only to spray blood at the descending paw. Not only did I fail to escape, but I healed the bear and gave it a meal… I chuckled inwardly at the irony.
But as the essence surged into my chest, the venomous green hue a little denser than before, I felt as though my body was going to burst. It swelled and swelled as more essence poured into me until finally it could take no more.
An aura of pure power exploded from me and the bear stumbled backwards, abandoning its strike. The claws still raked across my gut, carving another brutal wound into my flesh.
However, that was the least of my worries. I knew exactly what that explosion heralded—I was breaking through to eight-star Body Tempering—in the middle of a battle, no less. Zhao Dan had heard tales of such breakthroughs, but only by geniuses and prodigies.
I supposed that with a technique like mine that caused unrestrained growth of essence, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Though this was not the first time I cursed my rapid growth.
It was one thing to worry about shaky foundations and another to be completely immobilised as my body destroyed itself from within while facing a hungry spirit beast. Though if I somehow survived, my slim chance of escape might actually become more tangible.
Matching the bear's cultivation would mean I might be able to put up enough of a fight to scare it back into the forest, now that it was no longer consumed with venomous madness. I wasn't really able to focus on my surroundings though, only keeping myself awake as my organs, then muscles, then bones were torn asunder.
The process was actually more bearable now than it had been the last few times. Whether that was because I'd grown used to the agonising sensation of my own body ripping itself apart or because I only had about half of the required quantity of blood flowing through me I didn't know.
I tried to keep a closer eye on the process this time. I needed to know more about my body. I knew something was different about it and knowing exactly what would perhaps help me to control my techniques—and unruly blood essence.
I noticed that it was my essence that led the reforging of my body, the process unfolding similarly to how my technique worked to heal wounds. Additionally, my bones and muscles had adopted a similar green hue to my blood essence, which I hoped wasn't going to be a problem in the future.
A doctor with a poison-based physique and techniques seemed like a rather poor combination. However, just as too much medicine was poisonous, the reverse could also be true—many treatments involved poisons or other types of damage to drive out infection.
My eyes snapped open as my skin was renewed, the only part of my body that hadn't adopted a green tinge. For that I was grateful, since I didn't want to be wandering around looking sick when I was supposed to be a healer…
I was greeted by the sight of a confused spirit bear pawing at a patch of fur-less skin on its underbelly. Its eyes were no longer cloudy and bloodshot and its movements seemed sluggish.
Standing up and brushing the snow from my blood-stained robe, I realised that most of the wounds on my body had healed after breaking through. Not all of them—the three vicious gashes on my back still throbbed faintly—but enough that I no longer felt as though I would pass out from a single movement.
The bear reassessed me, no longer a weak seven-star snack but an eight-star Body Tempering cultivator who could pose something of a threat to it. And now that it was no longer intoxicated with madness, I hoped it would make the smart decision and return to the forest.
Now that I had a clear head I decided to try something. Spirit beasts were supposed to be intelligent—even approaching human levels as they drew close to the Qi Gathering Realm.
So, while the bear was still dazed and debating whether or not to continue attacking me I shouted over the raging blizzard. "I don't want to fight you! Return to the forest," I cried, pointing at the forest and taking a step backwards in the hope that my gestures might drive the message home.
At first the bear wasn't having any of it, plodding towards me while still seeming rather confused at the whole situation. I wasn't sure to what extent the venomous infection had warped its mind but I imagine I'd be pretty baffled too if I woke up from a murderous rage in the middle of a blizzard with a guy yelling at me.
"Listen," I cried, throwing my hands up in surrender and taking a step back. "I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. FIGHT," I punctuated every word with another wave of my hands towards the forest.
Truth be told, beating the bear black and blue might've helped relieve my frustration at being clawed and beaten, but ultimately I couldn't blame the creature for acting in its nature. I could, however, blame the bastard who'd wounded it.
The heavens hadn't favoured me much in this new world, but by a stroke of luck—and a little bit of quick thinking—the bear actually snorted before turning and retreating into the forest. I watched it plod through the powdery snow, sighing and falling onto my ass when it finally disappeared from view.
And these crazy cultivators actually get a kick out of fighting non-stop? Absolute insanity. Funnily enough, I was barely wounded despite the hell I'd been through.
My breakthrough had healed most of the damage to my body, only leaving three nasty scars running down my back. A reminder of my struggles wasn't a bad thing and every badass had a collection of awe-inspiring scars.
Though I wasn't sure how awe-inspiring my battle had been, given that I didn't actually defeat the spirit beast and instead healed its wounds before begging it to leave. Regardless, I was just glad that I'd made it out alive and perhaps saved Nine Paddy Village from a tragic fate.
I stared into the forest, wondering what had been able to wound such a powerful beast. Surely, I couldn't just leave the village with such deadly threats lurking nearby?
Shaking my head, I turned away and started to walk back towards the village. I'd just about survived one encounter with a spirit beast and while I thought of myself as a little heroic, I wasn't suicidal.
****
The bear roared, spittle flying across the snow as I hastily retreated into the trees, leaving it to plod back towards wherever it made its home for the winter. I wasn't quite sure why I'd decided to chase after it, but something told me I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't at least try to find out what was going on.
Perhaps breaking through in my cultivation had given me the confidence. The spirit bear was still undoubtedly stronger than me, but I wouldn't be a powerless ragdoll if we fought once more.
Even so, I retreated to a safer distance so that the bear wouldn't be able to sense me tracking it. Usually it would be near impossible to follow after a spirit beast, but after our battle and given it was the middle of winter, the bear wasn't that aware of its surroundings.
Though it was aware enough to utterly savage a few wolves who tried to pick it off on the way. I grimaced as I stepped over their brutalised corpses. I wasn't sure what I hoped to find at the end of this journey, but my curiosity wouldn't be sated until I at least found something.
I noticed the further we went, the hotter and thicker the air grew. Which was strange, given it was the dead of winter. The snow beneath my feet was sludgier, almost liquid.
As I travelled, I noticed insects hovering in the air. One tried to bite me, but I caught it with a slap that squished it against my skin. No magic xianxia malaria for me! I chuckled inwardly.
The bear's steps were slower and it was far more aware of its surroundings now, head on a swivel as it went deeper and deeper. The environment was more like a jungle than a forest, but I noticed that the trees seemed… twisted?
As for our destination, I no longer believed the bear was leading me to a hibernation cave. No, I knew what this was.
After healing from any devastating wound, an intelligent beast would only have one target in mind—the foe who'd injured it in the first place. Revenge was a dish best served cold and they were in the middle of a raging blizzard.
Unfortunately, following the bear on its quest meant I was caught in an seemingly endless battle with the determined insects. One slap after another rang out as I deftly parried their attacks.
This continued for half an hour and the battle became so intense I struggled to keep half an eye on the bear. "Fuck!" I cried as one of the bastard biters slipped through my defences and pierced the back of my neck.
It was quickly crushed under my palm, but that distraction let two more slip through. I slapped one into the nine hells, but the other managed to make off with a spark of my damn blood essence.
It seemed like the magic mosquitoes weren't content with regular refreshments like their mortal cousins… However, I had the last laugh.
The now bulging insect managed to fly just a metre before it suddenly stopped and fell from the air. Inspecting its corpse, I saw it was festering with rot just seconds after its death.
That didn't bode well for my healing technique. I winced, wondering how this new aspect of my blood essence would interact with a patient. Then again, it had been stolen essence, so perhaps that's why it crippled the insect?
The raging behaviour of my blood essence until now made it seem semi-sentient, so perhaps acting in self-defence wasn't outside of the realm of possibility. I could only find out more through testing.
Just then, I was interrupted by a bestial roar that shook the forest, scaring a few birds from the trees and blasting the insects away. I'd have to thank my new bear-st friend for that. Okay, you're better than that, Zhao Dan, I cringed.
Looking ahead, I saw that the bear had entered a clearing in the forest—jungle?—that contained a pool of greenish sludge that bubbled ominously.
Its roar made the surface tremble, sending small waves rolling to the other side, where they splashed against tree roots and dissolved the green-ish wood.
Letting out an involuntary shiver, I ducked behind the nearest tree trunk and watched as the bear stood still at the edge of the bubbling swamp. Not a moment later, the surface of the swamp broke and a scaled head burst through.
A thick neck followed, winding its way out of the corrosive green waters. When it continued to unwind, I realised it wasn't a neck but the body of a snake. Yellow slit-eyes blinked as they gazed down imperiously on the bear, towering over it by a good two feet.
This damned viper was huge and almost certainly the culprit behind the bear's previous wound. However, I was a little baffled.
The spirit snake was only at the peak of the seventh star, below the bear and now even me after my recent breakthrough. Yet somehow, when I looked at that beast I felt primal dread crawling down my spine.
Even the ferocious bear which had tossed me about like a rag doll seemed to shrink under the serpentine gaze.
Moments later, I knew exactly why.
The snake hissed and spat a glob of green venom at the bear, which deftly dodged to the side. The ground where it splattered immediately dissolved, leaving a small crater.
Another shiver ran down my spine. Nope! I decided to get the hell out of there, turning to run back to the village.
I felt sorry for the bear. Even without the influence of the snake's mind-altering, corrosive venom, it seemed to lack brains.
Otherwise, why would it have gone back to challenge a creature that had soundly defeated it and driven it to madness the moment it was healed? I wasn't so foolish.
I took two steps across the sludgy snow, picking up speed as I committed to my escape. I heard a vicious hiss from behind, then yelped in shock as a glob of green blasted the snow ahead of me.
Chapter 9
Raising my arms to guard my face, the acidic spit splashed against them and burned. The pain was searing, but after my agonising breakthroughs I wasn't fazed.
In fact, when I lowered my arms I saw there was barely any damage where the spit had sprayed against them. Another side effect of absorbing the venomous essence?
The viper had noticed me despite my cunning and stealth. That was a bear faced lie. I hadn't even been able to escape my furry friend's detection.
I turned to see its slit-eyes staring right into my own, hateful venom lacing its gaze. This snake really needed a massage. Or perhaps a mate…
Seeing as my cover had been exposed, I had little choice but to join the battle. It had proven it could strike me at a distance so running wasn't an option, but how could I fight back?
The snake refused to leave its bubbling swamp, the bear helpless to attack no matter how furiously it tried to. All it needed to do was sit back and spit venom at us until we succumbed to its toxins or fatigue.
Despite that I still moved to close the distance. I was useless this far away and at least up close I'd have a better chance of spotting a weakness.
The bear didn't seem to notice my approach, but I figured it was more enraged with the viper right now and wouldn't bother me anyway. As I ran, the viper spat more globules of its vile venom at me, aiming for my face.
Most were easy to dodge. They flew fast but each time it spat, its neck would bulge, telegraphing the strike before it happened.
The worst part of the spit though, was that even when I dodged it splashed against my legs and arms, burning through my robe and skin. Finally I reached the edge of the swamp, jumping backwards to avoid a huge spray of toxic sludge the snake flicked my way.
I hadn't expected the sudden shift in tactics. I could only curse my tendency to tunnel vision as the sludge soaked my left arm.
The poor hand was taking a beating today—first crushed under the weight of an eight-star spirit bear, then after being healed it was about to get dissolved.
The bear growled in my direction, but I only saw pity and rage in its eyes. It held no malice towards me, only the viper which had turned it rabid.
In that moment we came to a silent understanding, a shared bond of hatred and a disdain for venom that I hoped would let us work together to slay the snake.
Unfortunately for both of us, working together still didn't solve the problem of the snake's terrain advantage. It hissed at me as I grit my teeth through the pain of my skin rotting, unable to strike back.
The pain faded fast and looking down I saw only a little of my flesh had been consumed by the potent venom. Again? But my blood essence is still dormant… I wondered why my body was so tough even while the aggressive sparks remained unaffected.
They'd rushed to devour that venomous energy before, so what had changed? Was it my body itself, rather than the blood essence that filled it, which made me tough against toxins?
I had these questions and more racing through my mind, but right now I had to focus on the battle at hand. I saw the bear's rage reaching a boiling point and its legs tensed.
Did this dumb beast seriously think jumping into the swamp would end well? So much for the fabled intelligence of spirit beasts… Given the two I'd met I was starting to think such tales were massively exaggerated or just straight up lies.
On second thought however, perhaps it wouldn't be so suicidal for the bear to take the fight to the viper's swamp? It wasn't fighting alone after all.
And if there was one thing I was confident in, it was my ability to heal wounds. I'd already proven I could cleanse the venomous corruption and my blood essence had even evolved since then, taking the vile energy and making it my own.
Then again, just because the spirit bear had left me alive once, that didn't make us friends. It had proven its intelligence wasn't the greatest. It roared in defiance and the snake turned its attention towards the furry beast.
Right now, I had a window of opportunity. I could make a run for it. I knew the venom wasn't deadly to me, at least not in small doses.
I took a single step back, then another. No. I wasn't a coward. I scolded myself, halting my retreat.
A faint murmur of icy dread faded from my core. It seemed my oath wouldn't have allowed me to run anyway, at least not without suffering a backlash.
Even though the bear got itself into this mess, it was still suffering and in need of my help. I clenched my fists. The bear narrowly dodged a ball of corrosive spit.
It roared and I saw it bend down on its hind legs. It was now or never. I raced forward, leaping into the air at the same moment as the bear.
We collided mid flight, though I managed to grab hold of its fur and awkwardly straddle its back as we flew towards the viper. The snake seemed shocked that we would dare challenge it in its foul domain.
I noticed the bear had sustained more corrupting wounds and immediately poured my blood essence into them. It glanced back at me, a puzzled expression on its face, but didn't have time to question my actions.
We slammed into the snake.
A roar and a whirlwind of claws erupted, the snake spewing its venom as fast as it could while snapping with its jaws, vicious fangs dripping with corrosive bile. The fight in the air lasted a few seconds at most, but the snake sported deep cuts down its neck. Perhaps we could win after all.
That thought was crushed mercilessly when we landed in the swamp. The bear screeched in pain as the potent toxins began eating away at its paws.
I intensified my efforts, forcing as much of my blood essence into its wounds as I could. I wondered if using my technique continuously like this would have any unexpected side effects, though I soon had no time to think at all.
The bear was able to stand up in the swamp, barely. The sludge coated it up to its midsection and the more vicious bubbles sprayed me in acidic slime, burning at my skin. And that wasn't all.
Now that we were well and truly stuck, the snake let out a series of hissing sounds. I could've sworn it was laughing. It reared up before diving under the water, vanishing in a spray of sludge.
Shit.
If we couldn't see our opponent how were we supposed to fight it? The bear seemed to share my thoughts, but it was far from intelligent.
It roared and seemed prepared to dive into the deep end of the swamp, to chase after its prey. I took the liberty of grabbing the scruff of its neck and pulling back, making it growl at me and bare its fangs.
"Listen, bear. I think you can understand me a little. If you jump in there, we're both dead. We need to let the snake think it has the upper hand, then drag it out of the swamp. You get it?" I asked, gesticulating wildly with my hands in the hope the visual cues might drive the point home.
For all my efforts, the bear just tilted its head and let out a softer growl. Despite the fact its legs were the battleground between the burning swamp and my rejuvenating blood essence, it still wanted to dive in.
However, my wild shouts seemed to have gotten through its thick skull. It remained in place, with me perched atop its back. Suddenly, I saw the swamp bubbling more than usual right beside us.
"Right there, get ready!" I cried, pointing at the swamp to grab the bear's focus.
Two fangs broke the surface, followed immediately by the biggest ball of spit I'd ever seen. The bear reared up on its hind legs with a roar and I grabbed onto its fur tightly.
My legs flung outwards, but I held on. And then the beasts clashed in a spray of blood and venom.
A surge of power raced up my arm, causing me to almost let go of the bear. My blood essence returned, stronger and more numerous than before.
Which was odd, because I hadn't ceased the technique since leaping onto the bear and making it my mount. In fact, that wasn't the only change in my technique.
I realised that not only could I see the chaotic battle between my blood essence and the viper's venomous energy, but I could feel every clash. Every explosion of blood and venom.
Faintly, but still. This was a miraculous change. I drooled thinking of the future possibilities.
Would my healing technique reach a point where I could use my blood essence to sense where a patient needed healing; to pinpoint the source of their pain in an instant?
Such an ability was unheard of on Earth, but doctors would've killed for it. Well, perhaps only wounded—death was bad for business, after all.
I nearly fell once again as the viper struck, biting deep into the bear's neck. My companion roared in agony, but it was not going to be outdone.
It swung its paws, rending the viper's flesh with its razor-sharp claws. Purplish-red blood seeped from the wounds and the spirit snake hissed in fury.
But my companion wasn't finished.
The bear unleashed a furious barrage of strikes, slashing at every scale it could see. A few were torn off and others carved in two.
We were finally turning the tides. However, just then I felt the swamp tremble. I cried out, "Bear, dodge!" But it was too late.
The snake's tail smashed into the bear's torso and sent us both flying. It roared out, catching the tail with an errant swipe of its claws.
At least we'd done some damage back. However, the snake wasn't satisfied with a single strike.
It pounced from the swamp, darting straight at the bear. The spirit beast raised its claws to guard its exposed neck as the snake closed in.
But at the last moment it switched directions and sailed right past the bear's head. I realised too late that I was its target.
A final burst of essence exploded up my arm right as two venomous spears pierced my shoulder. I cried out as the snake bit down and felt my body jerk to the side.
The bear roared out, but it was powerless to save me. The viper ripped me from my perch and dragged me into the bubbling swamp below.
Not willing to die like this, I writhed and fought against the iron clamp that was the snake's jaw. It had locked it shut like a vice around my shoulder, refusing to release its prey now that it had been caught.
My punches and kicks made it tremble, its slit-eyes burning through me with a venomous glare. However, its fangs didn't budge.
All the while, I felt a hundred spears of cold corruption bleeding into my chest through the viper's fangs. The same energy I'd once devoured, but ten times more potent.
My blood essence stirred, eager for another battle. However, I was weak right now. I'd not had time to finish my healing technique on the bear.
How could I? I'd been constantly renewing it, once again doing something unheard of with the technique.
Most of the applications felt that way. I'd never received proper guidance on the qi healing technique, since Zhao Dan had never reached that level before his unfortunate suicide.
I could only go off my brief observation of Wang Ren's use of the technique, my instincts and past knowledge, and the desires of my blood essence. It was far from enough.
Missing a large quantity of my blood essence, I was barely able to fight the venom to a standstill. And worse, with the snake's jaws buried deep inside, they were able to pump a constant stream of corrupting energy into my chest.
It was a repeat of when I'd devoured the toxic energy, but the roles were reversed. This time I was on the losing side.
The air was suddenly knocked from my lungs as the snake smashed me against the surface of the swamp. I coughed and spluttered, but all that did was make me inhale foul sludge.
My chest burned as the combined attack of the venomous snake and the corrosive swamp water ate away at my insides. After all my struggles and triumphs, was this the end of my second life.
I'd accomplished more than Zhao Dan ever had; ever expected to. And yet to me, this was just the beginning of a life, despite having all the memories of an unfamiliar childhood.
I refused to go out without a fight.
Anything would do. I clawed and kicked, screamed and scratched, punched and pulled at the snake. I wanted—no, I needed—to tear its fangs out.
Rip its head from its neck and feed it to the bear. However, for all my valiant efforts and vengeful fury, I accomplished little.
The snake hissed in anger, one eye swollen and half shut while bleeding from a dozen wounds. I grinned, seeing that my dying desperation hadn't been entirely futile.
However, the corrosive cold was spreading through my chest. My blood essence was losing the battle, slowly but surely.
The snake dragged me under the surface and my entire body began to burn and blister as the corrosive swamp went to work. It was agonising, even with my body's resistance to toxins.
In fact, that strange ability of mine made this worse. Instead of a quick death, the torture dragged on, the snake refusing to release its prey.
My movements grew sluggish as the venom took hold, petrifying my muscles in place. Even wiggling a finger became hard, though that didn't stop me from clawing desperately at the viper's jaws.
Eventually I wasn't able to even close my eyes, every muscle in my body locked in place. My furious blood essence still fought on, trying its utmost to devour the venom and restore me to health. However, it was futile.
The spirit snake's venom continued to surge into my chest, constantly renewing whatever I was able to absorb. Finally, I could truly resist no more.
Instead of devouring me then and there, the snake released me at last, letting my body fall towards the swamp's depths. But it was too late.
Even without more venom surging into my veins, the swamp water was working from the outside, burning through my skin. The outer layer was almost flayed off entirely and I was almost glad my eyes were frozen, stopping me from watching the gruesome process unfold.
All I could do as my mind slowly shut down was cheer on the final valiant dregs of my blood essence as they raged against the odds. They'd taken on a deeper green hue now, stuffed full of venomous energy.
I noticed how effectively they were dissolving the viper's venom, but there was simply too much of it.
My thoughts went out to the bear. It still had plenty of my blood essence. Perhaps it had healed enough to take down the snake.
At least then my soul could rest easy, knowing I hadn't died in vain. Though I wasn't too confident in my rather dumb ally.
So cold…
I moaned, but I couldn't even shiver. Turning my gaze inwards, I watched as the venom and swamp sludge ate through my body.
The morbid curiosity of a doctor let me appreciate the process with an almost sterile detachment. My mind was so foggy…
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to fall asleep right now. I needed a good rest after all the crap I'd been through. A faint part of me protested, but I was powerless to resist.