Book 2 Chapter 84: The Two-Headed Beast - Martial God

Chapter 84: The Two-Headed Beast In the forest, a gentle breeze wafted through, unnoticed by anyone else. But when this breeze reached He Yi Ming's ears, his ears trembled intensely. For hidden within the sound of the wind, he detected an unusual noise. The sound carried with it a strong, omnipresent force. He was not unfamiliar with this power; he had felt it twice before his innate awakening. Once when encountering the Golden Crowned Python, and the other when he met the Long-armed Macaque. Though different, these creatures were both lords of the forest, highly intelligent spirit beasts. As He experienced this sensation once more, his heart pounded with excitement. Spirit beasts were much harder to encounter than they were to defeat. Before entering the forest this time, He never imagined he would be so lucky. Standing suddenly, he intended to pursue it, but a glance at Yuan Li Xun brought on some hesitation. This was the heart of the dense forest. His grandfather and Granduncle were masters at the peak of the tenth level of internal strength and were unlikely to encounter danger. But Yuan Li Xun, with her mere fifth level of water-based internal strength, faced significant risk in such a place. Even the arrival of a lone fox-bear could be perilous for her. His mind rapidly weighed the options: should he take her along... What if something happened to her, given her skills? Suddenly, He's eyes lit up. He pulled Yuan Li Xun close and whispered urgently, "Take off your clothes, quickly..." Yuan Li Xun, caught off guard and still disoriented, froze at his words, then quickly regained her senses. Her face flushed hotly as if she could cook rice upon it. Shyly, she protested, "Young Master, not here!" "Why not? Hurry, or we'll be too late." He spoke quickly, his actions even swifter, removing his outer clothing and tunic in a flash, revealing a strange, tight-fitting undergarment. Despite his youth, his physique was perfectly developed—his frame balanced and his posture stout like a towering pine. Yuan Li Xun averted her gaze, her face deepening in crimson, not daring to look up. He removed the undergarment, handed it to Yuan Li Xun, and turned around. "Put it on, quickly." Holding the garment with bewilderment, Yuan Li Xun finally realized something seemed amiss. He urged, "Li Xun, put it on quickly, no dawdling—we'll lose the spirit beast's trail." Surprised, she nodded, hesitated briefly, then bravely shed her outer clothing, though she wisely kept her intimate garments, slipping the strange undergarment over them. The clothing was peculiar, remarkably elastic, and astonishingly, when worn, felt as if it wasn't even there. Girls are quite quick when donning clothing; by the time He inhaled a whiff of fragrance, Yuan Li Xun had completed her outfit and even dressed back in her coat. He nodded approvingly, grasping her hand as a peculiar and strong force swept her off her feet, following He away from their spot. He only bothered to carry the guān dāo with him, abandoning the other items. Those, though valuable, paled in comparison to the worth of a spirit beast's core. Holding Yuan Li Xun's delicate hand, they soared through the forest like the wind, flitting past grove after grove. In the woods, traces of the spirit beast lingered. The scent was faint, seemingly manipulated by some force, as if it could vanish at any moment. He surmised that in the time it took to steep a cup of tea, these traces would utterly disappear, leaving no trace behind. This only served to confirm the special abilities of the spirit beast. Not only was it astute, but it was also a formidable creature not easily provoked. He's demeanor turned serious; he sensed that the power of this spirit beast far surpassed any of the three he had encountered before. His ears twitched suddenly, filling him with a flicker of doubt. Through the chase, He closed the distance to the spirit beast. But now, it seemed to sense him too, abruptly accelerating with an unimaginable speed. Scoffing, He quickened his pace, pulling Yuan Li Xun into his embrace to gain more speed. Yuan Li Xun, her eyes gently shut, had experienced this before. Now, she leaned familiarly against He's chest, a hint of happiness at her lips. At this moment, He had no time to ponder over the tender feelings of the girl in his arms. His ears twitching, he absorbed every sound, relaying them back perfectly. Gradually, an odd expression surfaced on his face. In front, he could discern two distinct breaths, yet they maintained the same rhythm. Confused, He wondered if there were two spirit beasts ahead. Yet, all he heard were singular footsteps. Despite He's prowess, limited by experience, he couldn't deduce what kind of creature awaited him. Man and beast raced through the forest at unparalleled speed, their presence prompting other beasts to flee in fear. Inhabitants of such environments naturally sensed impending danger. The overwhelming pressure from this man and beast duo was too much to bear, so the wild beasts retreated as far as possible when the terrifying pair approached. Fortunately, this duo paid no mind to the beasts and continued their pursuit. For two full hours, traversing countless mountains and covering unknown distances, they pressed on. Then, the spirit beast altered its course, seemingly increasing its speed further. Trailing behind, He noticed this with bright eyes and a smile. He realized the spirit beast knew it couldn't evade him, losing all hope of escape. So it headed in a particular direction—perhaps where another beast resided, intending to join forces against him. Yet, He was supremely confident, even against two spirit beasts, assured he could fell them. Cheng Fu's martial arts were extraordinarily powerful. During their bout, He had given his all, only overcoming his fire power with the elements of wind, cloud, rain, and mist. That was because of their bare-handed combat; had He wielded his guān dāo, he would have bisected Cheng Fu with the Mountain-splitting Thirty-six Forms instead of letting his powerful defense dissipate it. Weaponry or no weaponry, they are two wholly different disciplines. Anyone claiming otherwise was nothing short of a fool. Now, guān dāo in hand, He brimmed with confidence. Pressing harder with his feet, he accelerated to the limit, remaining right on the spirit beast's tail without conceding an inch. Finally, as He reached a ravine, the spirit beast let out an extremely unpleasant roar, halting. The screech carried undertones of threat and defiance, but equal parts danger. He laughed heartily, twisting in mid-air to steer clear of a massive, ancient tree, and landed before the beast. As he beheld the spirit beast, his laughter shifted, tinged with astonishment. Now he understood why he heard two breaths but only one set of footsteps. Because the spirit beast had two heads. It appeared like a tiger crossed with a leopard, its long tail erect and hard as steel, its body simultaneously robust yet agile. From its neck sprouted two heads resembling a tiger's but with large lumps atop, reminiscent of horns yet to grow. He Yi Ming's face grew somber as he directly confronted the beast. Those four cold, fierce eyes bore into him, stirring a sudden sense of danger within. This spirit beast, it actually made him feel threatened! Since advancing to the tenth level of internal energy, not even when faced with the Long-armed Macaques had he felt such a peculiar sensation. Yet now, this single spirit beast before him seemed capable of possessing the power to kill him. Of course, it wasn't just He who perceived this feeling; the spirit beast clearly shared a similar sense. It lowered its body silently, its two heads and four eyes locked onto He Yi Ming, as if it had merged entirely with the earth beneath it. He took a step back, gently tossing Yuan Li Xun behind him, and with a flick of the wrist, the segmented guān dāo broke free from its bindings, soaring above his head. Sensing He's firm resolve, the Two-headed Spirit Beast realized this dangerous human was resolved to fight to the death. Its body, once lying prone, suddenly sprang into action, shooting through the space like a bolt of lightning aimed straight at He Yi Ming. Its speed was extreme, transforming its entire form into a sword, one that could pierce through anything in its path. Simultaneously, its two large mouths opened wide, revealing fearsome, gleaming white fangs, streaked with red as if still clinging to scraps of flesh. The stench of blood rose sharply in the air, so potent that He Yi Ming could almost taste its rancid breath. He moved just then, transforming into a breeze, a light and weightless gust. The beast's steel-like body sliced through the air where He Yi Ming had stood, but its four eyes grew even colder. For it hadn't struck He Yi Ming himself—only an afterimage left behind. In raw speed, He was faster. The Two-headed Spirit Beast let out an angry roar, twisting its body mid-air like a slingshot rebounding back. That it could change direction so effortlessly even mid-flight was rare even among human experts, let alone spirit beasts. Yet it performed the maneuver as if second nature, without a trace of hinderance, clearly mastering this ability long ago. Its intelligence rivaled that of humans, fully expecting its sudden change in tactics to catch its opponent by surprise. However, as its heads turned, it saw a blur of light before being pelted by a barrage of attacks, like rain beating down on it. Each blow felt like a sledgehammer crashing against its body, nearly unraveling its natural armor despite its iron-like skin. With a whimper, the beast plummeted from the air, crashing heavily to the ground like a bird losing flight mid-air. From just that first encounter, its hide burst open in numerous places, oozing droplets of blood. He Yi Ming laughed heartily, an indescribable thrill and satisfaction washing over him. Though the Two-headed Spirit Beast was clever, it hadn't anticipated someone capable of "hearing" all its actions, solely through their ears. During the chase over those two hours, it had unknowingly displayed its mid-air turning ability multiple times. Even if He had let it slip once, he couldn't forever feign ignorance. Spirit beasts may be clever, but their actions still follow certain patterns. Its pouncing move mirrored its evasive mid-flight turns during their chase, becoming familiar to He Yi Ming. If he had failed to recognize it by now, he wouldn't be fit to call himself a master. Thus, avoiding the attack, he seized the opportunity to assemble the guān dāo and slashed at the anticipated spot, striking the Two-headed Spirit Beast as it arrived. Unexpectedly though, the beast's resilience—bones and skin tougher than the Long-armed Macaque—meant that even under the barrage of He's strikes, it sustained only superficial wounds. The beast landed, charging forth with renewed vigor and ferocity. He sidestepped, letting the beast pass. Hunters know well the peril of cornered beasts; fighting headlong against them isn't wise. Better to leave an escape to exhaust them in pursuit. The Two-headed Spirit Beast's injuries were minor—mere surface wounds. While it bled continuously, allowing it time to heal might restore it entirely. But under duress, it wouldn't have the chance. Just as He cleared the path, the beast dug its legs in, diving into the dark gorge ahead. Startled, He realized he had overlooked the beast's intentional retreat to this place. This spirit beast exceeded his expectations; without his previous tactics, he might not have injured it at all. If another equally formidable beast lurked within, he might not stand a chance. He's ears twitched again, a sign of impending danger, but to his surprise they confirmed only the presence of this single beast within the canyon. If any creature could escape his keen hearing, he'd concede readily. Halting abruptly, He darted into the gorge. Moments later, he emerged into a remote valley, untouched by worldly footsteps. His gaze hardened at what he saw within: the valley—divided. The outer valley was an irregular clearing spanning over a thousand square meters, devoid of towering trees, easily overlooking the entire space. At the boundary of the outer and inner valleys, scattered rock walls stood, through which an unusual light seemed to shine. But it wasn't this that amazed He; it was the same Two-headed Spirit Beast. Standing at the passage between valley sections, its four eyes glared fiercely at him again. Blinking in disbelief, He couldn't fathom the sight. Judging by its vengeful gaze and the energy it exuded, this was indeed the spirit beast he'd fought outside. Yet, unlike before, it bore no scars. The wounds left by He's guān dāo were all gone. Without the many still-drying blood beads on its body, He would have doubted it was the same beast. He looked towards the inner valley, understanding at last why it chose this spot to confront him. Here lay a force capable of instantly restoring its vitality.