A wave of indescribable, sharp pain surged, a tormenting sensation that made Zhou Yan feel as though his entire body was about to explode. His teeth gnashed together, producing crisp, grinding sounds.
After an unknown duration, Zhou Yan's body finally began to calm down.
"Hoo!"
Zhou Yan slowly opened his eyes, finding them filled with exhaustion. Two tears still clung to his eyelashes. He felt utterly drained, his body devoid of strength, making even walking an arduous task.
This time, his injuries were more severe than ever before.
Zhou Yan looked at his palm. On it rested a thumb-sized red stone, crystal clear like amber and remarkably beautiful.
"What is this? The energy actually burrowed into the stone? This is truly bizarre. This stone must hold a secret."
Zhou Yan felt the immense energy emanating from the stone, his face etched with confusion.
This energy was far too potent. Zhou Yan sensed that his strength was no longer what it once was.
"It seems I need to find this stone and study it. Perhaps it's the seal on that giant rock, and maybe it can break the seal?"
With this thought, Zhou Yan grasped the stone again. To his surprise, the stone solidified in his hand.
"What's going on?"
Zhou Yan stared at the stone in his hand, a flicker of astonishment on his face.
He then proceeded to try throwing the stone far away, then in another direction, and then in a circle. Yet, it showed no reaction.
Zhou Yan frowned, filled with bewilderment. "What is happening? This stone seems to possess a powerful magnetic field. No matter how I throw it, it returns to its origin."
"Could it be that this stone acts like a large net, encompassing this entire space?"
"Do I have to wait for this net to disappear before I can leave?"
"Alas!"
Zhou Yan couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Subsequently, Zhou Yan sat cross-legged on the ground, began to regulate his breathing, and recover his strength, before absorbing the stones into his body once more.
Zhou Yan had no idea how long his cultivation would take, but he knew he had to seize this time to recover. He needed more power.
Two days passed in this manner.
On the evening of the third day, Zhou Yan awoke from his cultivation.
At this moment, his strength had reached its peak.
Zhou Yan surveyed his surroundings, noticing that the stone door had closed, leaving the stone chamber shrouded in darkness.
Aside from himself, there was no other soul in the chamber.
Zhou Yan's heart tightened. He sensed an extremely dangerous aura within the space. Furthermore, he could feel that a ferocious beast was watching him, and he even sensed that the beast's target was him!
"I must be careful!"
Zhou Yan thought to himself. He stomped his foot, his body soaring into the air, and then, transforming into a blur, he streaked into the distance.
He had to escape this valley as quickly as possible to evade the beast.
This beast was too terrifying; he stood no chance against it.
Zhou Yan's speed was extraordinary, covering a thousand meters in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he burst out of the valley and sped away.
Within the valley, a massive cave lay ahead, its entrance blocked by rocks.
Inside the cave, a blazing fire burned, raising the temperature to several hundred degrees. Even Zhou Yan felt an intense heat.
Zhou Yan dared not linger and quickly accelerated his escape.
However, the cave was not wide. Zhou Yan could only run for a few kilometers, bringing him progressively closer to his original cave dwelling.
Yet, Zhou Yan's current speed had reached its absolute limit, placing an even greater strain on his body.
But Zhou Yan could only run for his life now; he had no time to consider anything else. He knew that if he stopped, the beast would pursue him.
At this moment, Zhou Yan had only one thought: a desperate flight. He could not be killed by the beast.
As Zhou Yan sprinted madly, he unleashed several powerful punches forward. These blows were so potent that they shattered the stone walls, and his body left deep gouges in the ground.
Under these circumstances, Zhou Yan's speed increased once more, and soon he was out of the cave.
In his vision, several structures appeared. Within these structures were many houses, all desolate and empty. Yet, Zhou Yan did not hesitate, rushing towards a building, as it was the nearest city.
Zhou Yan moved with the agility of a leopard, covering vast distances in an instant. With a few strides, he reached the entrance of a building.
Two guards stood at the entrance. Seeing a youth suddenly leap from the stone wall, they were stunned. Then, reacting swiftly, they drew their swords and charged.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yan snorted coldly, formed hand seals, and a golden light flickered from his body. A colossal golden palm print materialized out of thin air, striking directly towards them.
Zhou Yan's golden palm print sent the two guards flying, and then the massive palm print slammed down onto the building.
A clear cracking sound echoed, and the enormous structure instantly collapsed, reduced to rubble.
A deafening roar erupted, and a colossal creature suddenly lunged out, its gaping maw snapping towards Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan snorted coldly, formed hand seals, and golden energy surged from his fists, striking towards the beast's mouth.
The beast's mouth was directly hit by the golden fist energy, and immediately, its entire mouth was mangled by the force, revealing stark white bone.
The beast let out a pained shriek, and then its body exploded with a bang, scattering into a mist of white.
Zhou Yan's body flickered, and he fell from the air, landing on the ground. His body trembled, as if he had suffered a violent internal collision.
Zhou Yan struggled to his feet and looked around, a sense of relief washing over him.
Earlier, while fleeing, he had accidentally brushed against a rock, causing a powerful rebound force that had sent him reeling.
If Zhou Yan's physique hadn't been as robust, he would likely have died.
He then sprinted away, needing to leave this place quickly.
At this moment, a massive shadow fell over Zhou Yan. The beast was slowly approaching him.
This beast resembled a lion, its body over twenty meters long. Its sharp teeth were coated with a dense, malevolent aura and a viscous, blood-red liquid, as if stained with blood.