Facing the lethal strike of that thousand-year Wind Baboon, which was wrapped in a fishy wind and killing intent, the expression on Liu Yuan's face did not change in the slightest, and he did not even blink.
In his deep eyes, the rapidly enlarging, hideous face of the Wind Baboon was reflected, yet they remained as calm as an ancient well, without a single ripple.
Escape? Dodge?
No, those were not choices he would make now.
Just an instant before the Wind Baboon's cold, glinting claws could touch his throat, Liu Yuan moved.
He did not retreat; instead, he took a step forward, his body sinking slightly.
"First Spirit Skill—Extreme Speed!"
Along with a low shout in his heart, the ten-thousand-year spirit ring within him, emerald green and entwined with golden light, suddenly lit up!
A power of the ultimate Law of speed, originating from the Primeval Divine Dragon, instantly erupted from every part of his body!
"Swish!"
In the Wind Baboon's beastly pupils, which were filled with shock and confusion, the young man's figure before it instantly blurred, as if transforming into an afterimage completely invisible to the naked eye.
At this moment, time seemed to have been put on slow-motion for Liu Yuan.
He could clearly see the ripples created as the Wind Baboon's claws sliced through the air, see every single black hair tensing due to the exertion of force, and even see the predatory cruelty in its eyes, certain of its victory.
However, all of this was too slow.
A golden-green stream of light followed a trajectory that completely defied the Laws of physics, ghosting around to the Wind Baboon's side.
Liu Yuan's figure solidified once more, his right hand's fingers pressed together like a sword, covered in a faint pattern of emerald-green dragon scales, with surging spirit power highly concentrated at his fingertips.
"Puchi—!"
Without any fancy techniques, relying solely on the infusion of spirit power and the terrifying inertia brought by "Extreme Speed," Liu Yuan's fingers were like the sharpest soul-engineered blade, easily piercing through the Wind Baboon's tough fur and muscle, accurately penetrating its heart.
"Heh... heh..."
The Wind Baboon's movements came to an abrupt halt; it stiffly lowered its head, looking in disbelief at the hole in its chest from which blood was constantly gushing.
In its violent eyes, the ferocious light quickly faded, replaced by extreme shock, fear, and a sense of daze as its life rapidly ebbed away.
It did not understand why this human, who did not seem powerful, would possess speed so fast that even it could not react.
"Bang."
The massive body collapsed powerlessly to the ground, twitched twice, and then completely lost all signs of life.
The entire process took place in the blink of an eye.
Liu Yuan slowly withdrew his hand; there was not even a trace of blood on his fingertips.
Looking at the Wind Baboon's corpse on the ground, he showed no joy of victory; instead, he gently shook his head and uttered a whisper only he could hear.
"Sigh, I have only just tasted the sweetness of power, and using an opponent of this level for practice is really... a bit unsatisfying."
He laughed self-mockingly,
"It's like using a cleaver meant for oxen to kill a chicken; I cannot feel any pressure at all, it's not satisfying. A thousand-year Spirit Beast... is indeed too weak for the current me."
This was not arrogance, but a fact.
Having awakened the Mega Rayquaza Spirit and obtained the Spirit Ability "Extreme Speed," which represented the ultimate Law, his strength had already undergone a world-shaking transformation.
He was no longer that Three-ring Soul Elder who needed to be cautious around thousand-year Spirit Beasts.
"Forget it, becoming stronger is what matters." Liu Yuan quickly composed himself, tossing that slight bit of regret to the back of his mind.
He identified the direction, reaffirmed his goal of heading to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and set off, preparing to leave this vast forest.
He sped toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Under the enhancement of "Martial Soul Possession," his speed was far greater than before, and the scenery of the woods receded rapidly.
By the time he felt he was about to exit the forest, it was already noon. The scorching sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
"Gurgle..."
An untimely sound came from his stomach.
The high-intensity travel had consumed a lot of physical strength, and hunger washed over him like a tide.
Liu Yuan was wondering if he should just find some wild fruit to satisfy his hunger when his nose suddenly caught a faint fragrance.
It was... the scent of grilled fish!
And one could tell just by the smell that the skill was excellent; the meat was grilled to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The aroma of grease mixed with the scent of charcoal grilling permeated the woods, making one's mouth water.
"Oh? Someone is actually grilling fish here?" Liu Yuan's spirits lifted as he walked quickly toward the direction of the fragrance.
Passing through a thicket of bushes, the view suddenly opened up.
In a forest clearing, a campfire was burning brightly, with several golden, oily grilled fish on a rack over the fire, making a "sizzling" sound.
Three figures were sitting by the fire.
Liu Yuan's gaze swept over them, and his heart stirred slightly. Two of them were actually familiar faces!
A girl in blue martial attire with neat, short blue hair was staring longingly at the grilled fish, drool almost escaping her mouth, while one of her hands had already started to sneak toward it.
Beside her, a tall, handsome young man with a gentle smile always on his face helplessly reached out and lightly pressed down on the girl's restless wrist.
The one responsible for grilling the fish was an unfamiliar boy.
He looked only eleven or twelve years old, with a somewhat thin build, wearing simple, patched clothes, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and spirited, as if they contained stars.
He was rotating the grilled fish with full concentration, his movements skillful; he was clearly an expert.
That girl was Tang Ya, the current Sect Leader of the Tang Sect, and the young man was her Senior Brother, the famous figure of Shrek Academy, "Thunderbolt Bei Bei."
As for that unfamiliar boy... Liu Yuan already had a guess in his heart. Given this timing, this location, and those unique eyes, who else could it be but the future "Ice Spirit Douluo," Huo Yuhao?
"Tang Ya, Bei Bei, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet you here."
Liu Yuan walked out from behind a tree with a smile and took the initiative to greet them.
"Liu Yuan?!"
Tang Ya and Bei Bei, who were struggling with the grilled fish, looked up at the same time. Upon seeing who it was, their faces were instantly filled with pleasant surprise.
"It really is you! Why are you here?" Tang Ya jumped up happily, ran to Liu Yuan in a few steps, and looked him over curiously.
Bei Bei also stood up, a sincere smile of reuniting with a friend on his face: "Liu Yuan, long time no see. I thought you were still cultivating hard at the academy."
"It's a long story." Liu Yuan responded with a smile, turning his gaze toward the nearby Huo Yuhao and nodding friendly.
"Come, let me introduce you."
Bei Bei pulled Liu Yuan to the campfire and said warmly to Huo Yuhao:
"Yuhao, this is Liu Yuan, one of Xiaoya's and my best friends at Shrek Academy."
"He's a true celebrity in our Outer Court; his strength and fame are not at all inferior to mine or Xu Sanshi's."
Huo Yuhao hurriedly stood up and bowed somewhat reservedly to Liu Yuan: "Big Brother Liu Yuan, hello."
"Hello, Yuhao."
Tang Ya also excitedly introduced him to Liu Yuan: "Liu Yuan, this is our newly recruited Tang Sect Disciple, Huo Yuhao. He's amazing; his fish-grilling skills are simply top-notch!"