Two soldiers of the Black Armored Army were sent flying backward, shattering a giant boulder and falling into a comatose state from their severe injuries.
In the next moment, Zhou Yan's body turned into afterimages, darting towards several other directions.
He pounced on his prey like a wolf or tiger.
"Pfft—"
Blood gushed out.
In just a moment, dozens of Black Armored Army soldiers all fell into pools of blood.
They didn't even see clearly how they had died.
Only their commander's face changed drastically, filled with terror. His strength was far greater than the others, and he barely managed to block Zhou Yan's attack.
However, even so, he suffered extremely heavy internal injuries.
"Damn it!"
The commander's heart pounded, his eyes turned red, and he roared, "Retreat! Quickly retreat!"
He had already realized that Zhou Yan was not an ordinary person at all.
Even if he were a triple-layered Divine King martial artist, he might not be Zhou Yan's match.
If he continued fighting, he would undoubtedly lose!
*Whoosh—*
In the next instant, the commander turned around and retreated from the battlefield at the fastest speed possible.
The reason he had stayed behind earlier was purely to witness firsthand how Zhou Yan would be captured alive by the Black Armored Army and handed over to the sect for judgment.
"Can you escape?"
Zhou Yan's eyes flashed.
He raised his hand, and a ball of blazing flame materialized in his palm.
"咻—"
This fireball detached from Zhou Yan's hand, instantly shot out, pierced directly through the commander's chest, carrying a large amount of scarlet blood mist, and pinned the commander to the ground.
*Rumble—*
Zhou Yan exerted force with his legs, stomped on the ground, shaking the earth and rocks. His aura surged, and he sprinted rapidly forward.
...
"Huu—"
A breath of turbid air escaped Zhou Yan's mouth. His muscles bulged, as if containing an endless amount of energy.
"With this breakthrough in cultivation, I should be able to withstand a punch from a second-level Martial Venerable expert, right?" Zhou Yan muttered to himself.
His gaze swept across the surroundings.
He saw corpses lying everywhere, blood forming rivers, staining the entire ancient ruin red.
"Hiss—"
Suddenly, a strange sound came from afar.
Following that, a beast about half a meter long, with a dark body, soared into the sky. It possessed a pair of sharp fangs, spread its massive wings, and emanated a fearsome aura that made one tremble with dread.
It was a Black-Winged Bat Leopard!
The Black-Winged Bat Leopard was a rare existence among demonic beasts, possessing extraordinary spiritual intelligence and high wisdom. Moreover, it knew how to use various secret techniques, making its combat power astonishingly powerful. Among those of the same realm, it was considered invincible.
However, these were all things of the past.
The current Zhou Yan was no longer what he used to be.
"Hmph! A mere Black-Winged Bat Leopard dares to seek trouble with me? You're courting death."
Zhou Yan sneered repeatedly, his figure accelerating sharply. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Black-Winged Bat Leopard.
"Swish—"
Zhou Yan swung his right arm, his palm like a blade, striking down fiercely.
"Crack—"
The Black-Winged Bat Leopard's tough skin couldn't withstand Zhou Yan's sharp claws.
Its neck bone snapped, and blood sprayed out.
Zhou Yan seized the Black-Winged Bat Leopard, lifted its head, and threw it to the ground.
Instantly, the ground trembled.
Dust billowed.
"Aowuuu—" The Black-Winged Bat Leopard wailed, struggling painfully, but it could not escape Zhou Yan's control.
"This fellow can actually control Black-Winged Bat Leopards?"
Nearby, a group of Black Armored Army soldiers showed expressions of shock and fear.
Black-Winged Bat Leopards were their bane; they were powerful and could also use various secret arts, making them difficult to defend against.
"Who among you dispatched this Black-Winged Bat Leopard to hunt me?"
Zhou Yan asked coldly.
"It was... it was Deputy Officer Lin."
A soldier stammered and replied.
Deputy Officer Lin was the person in charge of this Black Armored Army. He was also a peak sixth-level Innate realm expert, possessing great strength.
"So it was Deputy Officer Lin."
Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing. "I've noted you down."
He stepped forward, pointed his finger at the Black-Winged Bat Leopard's forehead, and pure vital energy surged out.
"Buzzzzzz—"
The Black-Winged Bat Leopard trembled all over. Streams of black mist emanated from it, quickly entering Zhou Yan's body and disappearing.
Following that, the Black-Winged Bat Leopard's massive body gradually shrunk, returning to its original form.
Finally, it transformed into a miniature Black-Winged Bat Leopard, no bigger than a thumb, lying obediently at Zhou Yan's feet.
"As expected, the essence blood of the Black-Winged Bat Leopard can be used for alchemy." Zhou Yan gently stroked the miniature Black-Winged Bat Leopard at his feet.
This Black-Winged Bat Leopard was one he had deliberately chosen. Although its strength was slightly inferior, it was a rare and precious variety, worth a considerable amount.
"Alright, let's go," Zhou Yan said with a light smile.
This Black-Winged Bat Leopard was an unexpected gain that pleased him greatly.
He rode the Black-Winged Bat Leopard and continued deeper, preparing to find more demonic beasts to hone his skills.
"Hmm? What is that?"
Not long after, Zhou Yan frowned.
He felt a bone-chilling, icy wind blowing, and a strong, pungent stench vaguely wafted through the air.
Moreover, the further he went, the more intense this stench became.
"It can't be..." Zhou Yan's expression turned grim. A bad premonition rose in his heart.
This underground world was an ancient sect's ruins, and its danger level was definitely no less than the Dragon Tomb.
Furthermore, it was rumored that the core of the Dragon Vein was buried with the skeletons of ancient dragons, containing opportunities for fortune.
Therefore, this place was bound to give birth to all sorts of demonic beasts, and their numbers would certainly be large.
For the sake of caution, Zhou Yan immediately disguised himself as an ordinary person and slowly proceeded into the depths.
...
"Aowuuu—"
Suddenly, Zhou Yan heard a series of mournful cries.
Looking out, he saw giant pythons coiled on the ground in the distance, their forked tongues flickering, bloodthirsty and fierce.
"Black-Winged Pythons?"
Zhou Yan's heart tensed, and he sighed at his bad luck.
He was extremely cautious, not daring to disturb these poisonous insects and scorpions, but unfortunately, trouble still found him.
"Roar—"
The Black-Winged Pythons hissed, their might sky-high.
"Bang bang bang—"
In an instant, the Black-Winged Pythons shot out like lightning, incredibly fast, leaping a hundred zhang, and pounced directly at Zhou Yan.
"Get lost!" Zhou Yan shouted coldly, striking out with both palms.
This was the most powerful martial skill he had mastered so far, "Azure Cloud Palm"!
In an instant, he unleashed a palm strike, and vast true qi poured out, flying wildly and colliding with the Black-Winged Pythons, emitting a loud noise.
With a "boom."
One of the Black-Winged Pythons' tails exploded, scattering blood mist. The other pythons were affected, their scales shattered, their flesh mangled, and they let out wails.
"Hiss—"
The Black-Winged Pythons gasped, no longer daring to attack rashly, and quickly fled.
"Hoo—"
Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
These Black-Winged Pythons were too cunning. Once they sensed danger, they would retreat quickly, making them difficult to guard against.
"It seems that in the future, I'll need to be careful when encountering Black-Winged Pythons, lest I capsize in the gutter."
Zhou Yan's heart was vigilant, and he slowly walked forward.