The hottest part of the day was fast approaching.
Hooo...
The weather was scorching. A gust of wind blew past, sending a rolling wave of heat through the air. It shook the branches and leaves of the surrounding flowers and trees, which were already drooping listlessly under the sun.
In this weather, only the cicadas in the trees still chirped with endless energy. Every other creature had already started looking for a place to hide from the sun.
The giant Wild Boar Beast, enraged by its earlier failure to kill Lin Li, had rampaged for a while before finally settling down to rest in the shade of a large, leafy tree.
It had numerous wounds, all inflicted by that detestable human. As the giant Wild Boar Beast silently recovered its spent stamina and Spiritual Energy, it plotted its revenge. ’I’ll find a chance to get back at those wretched humans.’
"Hm?!!!"
The giant Wild Boar Beast, resting with its eyes closed in the shade, suddenly sensed a Spiritual Energy Wave not far from its position.
It had just opened its eyes and looked toward the source of the Spiritual Energy Wave when it saw him—that detestable human.
The next thing it saw was the massive, one-meter-wide Fireball that had formed in the human’s hands hurtling straight for it.
’It’s a sneak attack! And it’s that same wretched human who disappeared without a trace. Why did he come back? And how does he dare to attack me?’
ROAR...
The giant Wild Boar Beast couldn’t believe that this pathetic human, so much weaker than itself, actually had the gall to return.
With a furious roar, it scrambled to its feet. It opened its massive jaws and spewed forth a great cloud of frigid air.
This time, it didn’t use its Superpower to create a barrage of ice spikes as it had before. Instead, it formed just a single one.
However, this new ice spike was far larger than any of its predecessors, measuring three meters long and about a meter and a half wide.
WHOOSH...
BOOM!
Lin Li’s massive Fireball and the giant Wild Boar Beast’s ice spike collided in midair. The Fireball shattered the spike into pieces, and the two Superpower attacks canceled each other out.
ROAR...???
The giant Wild Boar Beast was utterly astonished to see its meticulously formed ice spike get neutralized by the human’s Fireball.
’But this despicable human’s cultivation is clearly lower than mine! Logically, a Fireball created with his Superpower shouldn’t have been able to cancel out my ice spike. Why is this happening?’
But Lin Li, his power now greatly enhanced, didn’t leave the giant Wild Boar Beast wondering for long.
Back on the Mysterious Small Island, he’d already decided that if the giant Wild Boar Beast that had attacked him was still around when he got out...
...he would use it as a sparring partner before heading home to see just how strong he’d become after his breakthrough.
That was why, after waking the beast with his Fireball, he immediately mobilized the Spiritual Energy in his Dantian. He would unleash his full power and fight it fair and square to truly test his current strength.
ROAR...!!! The giant Wild Boar Beast had been wondering how this detestable human managed to nullify its ice spike.
Suddenly, its Perception registered that the human’s Spiritual Energy Wave was rapidly intensifying. In the blink of an eye, its intensity reached a level equal to its own.
Lin Li looked at the giant Wild Boar Beast, its eyes wide with shock, and said with a smile.
"You attacked me earlier and forced me to hide. Now, I’m back to settle the score."
The moment the words left his mouth, he charged toward the still-stunned giant Wild Boar Beast.
ROAR... As much as the giant Wild Boar Beast refused to believe it, its Perception didn’t lie. It was certain that this wretched human now possessed a Spiritual Energy Wave as strong as its own.
’Now that this human is charging at me, I have to focus and give it my all.’
’If I let my guard down, I could very well die. After all, our cultivation levels are now the same.’
HFFF...
It activated its Superpower, breathing out a cloud of frigid air. In an instant, dozens of sharp ice spikes materialized.
’This move again? Doesn’t this thing have any other tricks?’
His strength vastly increased, Lin Li was now brimming with confidence. He watched the giant Wild Boar Beast form its sharp ice spikes and muttered calmly to himself.
He kept charging forward at the same speed, completely ignoring the spikes as if they didn’t exist.
ROAR... The giant Wild Boar Beast watched Lin Li continue to charge at the same speed and thought, ’How can this wretched human be so stupid?’
’After seeing me use my Superpower to create these spikes, a normal person would stop and prepare to dodge.’
’But he’s just charging right at me without slowing down. Is he trying to get himself killed?’
FWOOSH...
FWOOSH...
FWOOSH...
When Lin Li was just a dozen meters away from the giant Wild Boar Beast, the newly formed ice spikes shot out. At such a short range, facing such a wide and dense barrage, it would be impossible to dodge, even for someone of the same cultivation level.
ROAR... The giant Wild Boar Beast was sure this attack would turn the foolish enemy before it into a human Hedgehog, killing him on the spot. It let out a triumphant cry as it launched its assault.
However, the scene it had imagined—the enemy pierced like a Hedgehog—never happened. Its triumphant cry died in its throat as it stared in shock at what unfolded before it.
The instant Lin Li saw the giant Wild Boar Beast’s ice spikes shoot out, he activated his own Superpower.
Flames erupted from his body. In the blink of an eye, he underwent Elementalization, transforming into a Flame Man made of roaring fire.
PSSSH, PSSSH, PSSSH...
The sharp ice spikes struck Lin Li’s transformed body, instantly riddling his Flame Body with holes.
After the giant Wild Boar Beast’s barrage of ice spikes ended, Lin Li, the Flame Man, was still standing, his body full of holes.
’So when you use Elementalization to become a Flame Man, you don’t feel any pain from attacks!’ Lin Li mused, looking at the holes covering his body.
Then, the pierced sections of his body began to close rapidly. In less than three seconds, he was completely whole again.
ROAR... The giant Wild Boar Beast let out a low growl and slowly took a step back.
The movement was subconscious, a clear sign of how deeply shaken it was to see that its enemy possessed the ability of Elementalization.
An enemy who could use Elementalization was incredibly difficult to kill. This was a truth known not only to humans, but to Mutant Beasts as well.
It was well aware of its own condition. It had suffered significant injuries in the previous battle, and its stamina and Spiritual Energy were not yet fully restored.
’Fighting an enemy with the same cultivation level, who can also use Elementalization... The outcome is obvious. Victory will most likely go to the one who’s in peak condition and is nearly impossible to kill.’
Deactivating his Elementalization, Lin Li reverted from his Flame Man form back to normal and immediately attacked the giant Wild Boar Beast.
He crossed the dozen-meter distance in an instant. Lin Li raised his right hand, roaring flames coiling around his fist, and smashed it into the giant Wild Boar Beast’s massive head.
BANG.
CRACK.
ROAR...
The sound of cracking bone was accompanied by a blood-curdling shriek.
...