Chapter Nineteen: The Realm of the Three Talents

Midday, at the outer reaches of the Beast Domain.

On a patch of grass, Ye Zihan steadied himself, lowering his center of gravity and bending slightly, a gleaming dagger clutched in his hand catching the sunlight with a dazzling flash. His gaze was sharp, focused intently on a spot not far ahead.

A dozen or so yards away, a bone leopard covered in mottled spots let out a low, rumbling growl. Though not particularly large, the creature’s body was built of remarkable, resilient bones that warned of its speed and explosive power.

Blue Rain and her companion stood quietly to the side, observing the scene.

Man and beast faced off for a few tense moments before Ye Zihan opted to strike first. He thrust his right foot back with force, launching himself toward the bone leopard, leaving a deep imprint in the grass behind.

Sensing the attack, the bone leopard flickered, darting forward even faster than Ye Zihan. Mid-charge, it twisted with uncanny agility, suddenly circling behind him and swiping a formidable claw.

Hearing the wind rush from behind, Ye Zihan didn’t turn. He bent his legs, spun, and sprang into a swift side-flip, deftly evading the blow.

The bone leopard, undeterred by its miss, closed in with a flurry of rapid claw strikes, each aimed at a vital point.

Ye Zihan pressed forward instead of retreating, his dagger flashing as he engaged at close quarters, the two locked in a fierce melee.

With a metallic clang, Ye Zihan reversed his grip to parry the leopard’s powerful claw, while his left hand moved in a blur, forming a seal with just one hand.

Normally, forming seals required both hands, channeling source energy into the palms to activate an arcane technique. One-handed seals were far more difficult; with unbalanced energy flow, few could master it, let alone execute a technique.

Typically, only those who reached the realm of the Five Elements—and had gained significant mastery over source energy—could channel it through one hand and activate techniques. Yet Ye Zihan, only at the early stage of the Three Talents, managed this feat. His movements were a bit clumsy, but it was nonetheless astonishing.

“Thunder Illusion Force!”

With the seal complete, Ye Zihan uttered a sharp command. A surge of power erupted from within, channeling into his right arm.

The force traveled through his limb, and as it reached the bone leopard’s claw—locked against his dagger—it exploded forth.

A muffled, booming crack echoed as the bone leopard leaped backward in haste, but too late. The shockwave caught it, and several bones in its forepaw snapped with crisp, splintering sounds.

The beast whimpered in pain, then reared up and turned its back to Ye Zihan. Its body began to tremble, and from deep within its skeleton came a series of sharp, clicking sounds. With a violent shudder, the bone leopard suddenly launched a barrage of bone spikes!

They whistled through the air, a dense volley flying toward Ye Zihan with deadly speed.

Ye Zihan only smiled faintly. He’d already encountered such sweeping attacks in sparring matches with Red Flame.

“Earth Flow Wall!”

His hand flipped and formed a series of seals with practiced ease.

The ground in front of him trembled. Mud surged upward, forming a thick wall. The bone spikes struck, embedding themselves in the mud, and then—caught in the muck—slid down harmlessly.

Having defended himself, Ye Zihan immediately shifted to offense. With a flick of his sleeve, he tossed out a crimson talisman and called out, “Spirit Summon—Flame Wolf!”

A mid-grade, second-tier Flame Wolf sprang forth from the talisman, and under Ye Zihan’s command, lunged at the bone leopard in a blaze of fire.

The leopard dodged left, slipping past the wolf’s jaws, and with a counterstrike, slammed its paw into the wolf’s side.

Unable to pull back in time, the Flame Wolf took the blow head-on. A sharp crack signaled a broken spine as it collapsed, lifeless.

Against a mid-tier, third-grade bone leopard, a mere second-grade beast stood no chance—it was slain in a single blow.

Ye Zihan, of course, hadn’t expected victory from the Flame Wolf alone. Its purpose was a feint, buying him precious moments.

“Wind Blade!”

At some point, Ye Zihan had silently positioned himself at the leopard’s right and unleashed a new technique.

Air currents spun, forming razor-sharp blades that shrieked as they slashed toward the bone leopard in a sweeping assault.

Faced with such a relentless, wide-range attack, the bone leopard couldn’t parry them all. It bounded toward the dense woods behind, hoping to use the trees as cover from the wind blades.

Unbeknownst to it, this played right into Ye Zihan’s hands. He pressed his palms together, incanting quickly, “Seal—Binding Wood Cage!”

With a thunderous activation, a pre-set array sprang to life. Dozens of verdant runes lit up on the surrounding trees, spreading outward. The runes pulsed, and from the trunks emerged new branches, twisting and stretching.

With sharp snaps, the branches interwove, forming a cubic wooden cage around the retreating bone leopard, trapping it firmly within.

With the beast confined, Ye Zihan didn’t pause. He charged at the cage, hurling his dagger in one smooth motion.

The narrow confines left the bone leopard nowhere to escape. The blade struck its left shoulder, drawing a flow of bright red blood.

The leopard, in agony, leapt and slashed at the cage, desperate to break free. Yet the wooden bars were thick and sturdy; its claws only scored deep grooves, but escape was impossible for the moment.

Seeing Ye Zihan approach, the bone leopard growled with mounting fury, its eyes burning with hatred.

Ye Zihan only smiled. “Soon, you won’t hate me anymore.”

With that, he flicked his wrist and produced a thumb-sized, dark ochre pill—a Beast-Taming Pellet, used in capturing spirit beasts.

He pinched the pellet between three fingers, crushing it, and with a swift motion, sprinkled the powder onto the bone leopard’s wound.

As the powder seeped in, the bleeding slowed and stopped. At the same time, the hatred and ferocity in the beast’s eyes ebbed away, replaced by a docile, gentle gaze.

A short while later, the medicine took full effect—not only had the bleeding stopped, but the leopard slipped into a light sleep, lying motionless.

Satisfied, Ye Zihan formed another seal. “Disperse!”

The wooden cage, as if understanding his order, unspooled its branches and retreated back into the trees. The runes faded, and the forest looked as if nothing had happened.

Kneeling by the leopard, Ye Zihan gently drew out his dagger. Noticing the nicked blade, he marveled at the hardness of the beast’s bones.

“To trade a mid-grade, second-tier demon beast for a mid-grade, third-tier spirit beast is well worth the cost.”

Rising, Ye Zihan drew out a summoning scroll.

A summoning scroll was used to seal spirit beasts—much like the talisman for spirit familiars, except the scroll was for beasts, and the talisman for demon creatures.

With a flourish, he unrolled the scroll and pressed his palm to the summoning sigil at its center, intoning, “Bone Leopard, return!”

At his command, the air shimmered. In an instant, the bone leopard vanished, and a new icon appeared in the scroll—a sleeping bone leopard, peacefully at rest.

Having succeeded, Ye Zihan sat down on the spot, ignoring his exhaustion, and began to meditate on the details of the battle he’d just fought.

Not far away, Blue Rain and her companion both nodded approvingly at the sight.