For the next grueling thirty minutes, Bai Yu fought a relentless battle against the Iron-Hide Bear. He utilized every skill he possessed – the elusive Azure Cloud Steps to dodge the boar's furious charges and snapping tusks, the deceptive Meandering Stream Cut to create openings, the rapid Cascading Rapids Slash hoping to wear down its defenses, and even attempting the River Reversal Counter again, though the bear's sheer weight made redirecting it difficult.
But to Bai Yu's growing frustration and surprise, despite landing numerous blows with his Qi-infused saber, he only managed to inflict some small, superficial wounds on the bear. Its iron-like hide lived up to its name, deflecting or minimizing the impact of almost every strike. He managed to draw blood from multiple shallow cuts, but nothing deep enough to significantly hinder the enraged beast.
The Beast, covered in minor cuts but otherwise unharmed and increasingly furious, had clearly had enough. It let out a deafening, enraged roar. This time, when Bai Yu slashed downwards with his saber aiming for a previous wound, the bear didn't even try to dodge. It tanked the slash directly on its thick shoulder hide with barely a flinch, and simultaneously lowered its head and rammed its massive body straight into Bai Yu with terrifying force.
Caught off guard by the beasts sheer brute force tactic, Bai Yu had no time to evade properly. The impact felt like being hit by a runaway boulder. He got knocked violently into the air, flying backwards nearly ten meters before crashing heavily onto the forest floor, tumbling several times.
When Bai Yu finally came to a stop, he immediately spat out three mouthfuls of blood, the impact having severely jolted his internal organs. Pain flared through his chest and back.
Elder Jian was instantly at his side, appearing seemingly out of nowhere from his watchful position. He knelt beside Bai Yu, quickly assessing his condition. "You already performed exceptionally well, Young Master," Elder Jian said calmly but firmly, seeing the frustration and pain on Bai Yu's face. "Although it's only a mid-Grade 2 magical beast, the Iron-Hide Bear's defense is notorious. Even some Late Stage Qi Refining martial artists have significant trouble killing one quickly, let alone someone still in the Early Stage like yourself. You pushed it hard."
Bai Yu spat out another mouthful of blood and, ignoring the searing pain, pushed himself up onto his feet, swaying slightly. He grimaced and sheathed his saber, acknowledging tacitly that he couldn't defeat this particular beast with his current capabilities.
But the Beast wasn't finished. Seeing its opponent injured and vulnerable, it let out another triumphant roar and rushed towards them, its beady eyes fixed on Bai Yu, wanting to finish him off.
Just before the charging beast could reach the injured Bai Yu, a silver blur flashed through the air. There was no grand movement, no dramatic technique announcement – just an almost invisible flicker of motion from Elder Jian's side. A sword blurred by, impossibly fast, tracing a line of pure light. It was so fast Bai Yu couldn't even properly track the movement. The charging boar abruptly stopped, its head sliding cleanly off its neck and thudding onto the ground with a wet smack, its body collapsing an instant later.
It was Elder Jian. He stood calmly, his sword already back in its sheath at his waist as if it had never moved. The difference between an Early Stage Qi Refiner and a seasoned Martial Master swordsman was displayed in that single, effortless, lethal strike.
"Let's go," Elder Jian said simply, his tone neutral. He walked over to the Beasts corpse, expertly made a small incision, and retrieved a small, faintly glowing orb – the Bears monster core. He pocketed it without comment. They walked away from the scene, leaving the headless carcass behind.
Thirty minutes later, having found a secluded, defensible spot deeper in the woods, Bai Yu took out some healing pills from the pouch he'd bought at the Alchemy Association and swallowed them gratefully. The soothing energy began to mend his internal injuries. He then sat down, crossing his legs, and began mediating, circulating his Qi both to aid his recovery and to process the harsh lessons learned from the fight with the Iron-Hide Bear.