Even worse, there were quite a few vials of beast essence and some ancient ruins that greatly boosted his strength, eventually making him a renowned innate Grandmaster in China's martial arts world, unrivaled.
However, for various reasons, Zhou Yan had not ventured into the core region of the Monster Beast Forest, only scouring the periphery.
This time, he deliberately bypassed the core area and came to the edge of the Monster Beast Forest, all for the sake of collecting spirit stones.
He knew that within the Monster Beast Forest, there must be many precious materials, especially the remains of certain ancient demonic beasts, which were important ingredients for refining pills.
"It is rumored that deep within the Monster Beast Forest lies Dragon Blood Wood. If I can procure even a section, I can refine three Yuan Gathering Pills to help me break through to the Innate realm."
Zhou Yan's thoughts raced, his eyes gleaming with intense light.
In his previous life, his cultivation had faltered, leading to a shortened lifespan.
Now, this opportunity had presented itself.
Zhou Yan did not want to miss it.
Moreover, he had a faint feeling that deep within the Monster Beast Forest, there might be some earth-shattering secret hidden.
Otherwise, this forbidden zone would not have nurtured so many precious medicinal herbs, and even the remains of demonic beasts would occasionally be found.
There was definitely an earth-shattering secret hidden deep within this forbidden zone!!
"Roar!!"
Suddenly, a furious roar echoed through the sky.
Instantly, Zhou Yan's hairs stood on end, and he felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.
Rumble!!
At the same time, the earth shook violently, as if the crust had undergone a cataclysmic shift. Tremors wracked the ground, and surges of ferocious energy swept through the air.
Following that.
Numerous roars and growls merged, resounding through the clouds, sending chills down one's spine, as if being surrounded by a pack of wolves.
Zhou Yan was terrified, his face pale, his heart in a panic, completely bewildered by what was happening.
At that moment, a massive black panther appeared before him.
This black panther was exceptionally robust, akin to a young calf. It exuded a dense aura of malevolence, its eyes as red as blood.
"This is... a Rank Six demonic beast!?"
Zhou Yan was petrified. He was just an ordinary person, facing a Rank Six demonic beast was like an ant confronting a colossal elephant.
His legs trembled uncontrollably.
"The aura of this demonic beast is too powerful. Is it preparing to hunt?"
Zhou Yan swallowed, and a preposterous thought crossed his mind.
Without another word, he turned and bolted.
A demonic beast of this caliber was equivalent to an Innate expert among cultivators, possessing formidable combat prowess. A single claw strike could easily shatter granite as thick as a steel plate; it was terrifying to the extreme.
"Roar!!"
Seeing Zhou Yan flee, the black panther immediately gave chase.
The two ran, one after the other, into the distance.
Soon, Zhou Yan could hear fierce roars from behind, the angry growls of the black panther. It had clearly fixated on him, vowing to tear him apart and devour him.
"Damn it!"
Zhou Yan cursed inwardly, feeling his luck was abysmal to have encountered such a monster.
The black panther was incredibly fast, rapidly closing in, already surpassing Zhou Yan's position.
Whoosh—
At this very moment, a jujube fruit struck the black panther on the head.
Pfft!
Blood splattered, and the black panther cried out in pain, dazed.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The black panther roared incessantly, lunging madly but unable to shake off the jujube fruit.
This left Zhou Yan both surprised and shocked.
"This, this is actually a jujube tree?"
The jujube tree was enormous, with a trunk diameter of at least ten meters and a circumference exceeding one and a half meters. Its leaves were a brownish-red, translucent and crystal-clear.
"What a massive jujube tree!" Zhou Yan exclaimed. "This is a treasure! I must move it and sell it for money."
Crunch, crunch!!
The roots of the jujube tree were deeply embedded in the ground, its branches and leaves luxuriant. On one branch hung seven or eight golden-yellow jujube fruits.
Zhou Yan quickly ran over, plucked one, and popped it into his mouth. It was sweet and delicious, bursting with juice, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Not only that.
The jujube tree contained a vast amount of energy. After just one fruit, Zhou Yan felt a warmth spread through his entire body, as if he were immersed in a hot spring, so comfortable it felt explosive.
"Fantastic! It truly is a treasure tree!" Zhou Yan shouted excitedly.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, he noticed a round, crimson fruit at the very top of the jujube tree.
This fruit was only the size of a fist, entirely scarlet, like a ball of flame, exuding a magnificent luster and a rich aroma that made Zhou Yan involuntarily swallow.
"Could it be..."
Zhou Yan's eyes widened, staring at the crimson fruit in disbelief: "The legendary 'Crimson Fruit'!?"
The Crimson Fruit was a legendary heavenly treasure with all sorts of miraculous effects. It could cleanse marrow and refine the body, slow aging, increase vitality, and even be used to refine elixirs.
It could be called a sacred item for cultivation!
Even in this era of declining spiritual energy, the Crimson Fruit remained priceless and unobtainable. The few found on the market each year were typically unearthed from perilous caves and auctioned off by high-ranking sect members.
Zhou Yan had never dreamed that a Crimson Fruit would appear in these mountains!
And precisely when he needed such a spiritual essence!!
"Hahaha, I've hit the jackpot! I've really hit the jackpot! This trip was absolutely worth it!"
Zhou Yan's mood soared, and he hurried over to pluck the Crimson Fruit.
All of this was observed by the Rank Six black panther.
It immediately became enraged, hot air spewing from its nostrils. With a low growl, it leaped up, baring its sharp claws, and lunged ferociously at Zhou Yan.
Its speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, it had reached Zhou Yan.
"Scram!"
Zhou Yan snorted coldly and, with a swift counter, kicked the black panther in the abdomen.
The kick was immensely powerful, sending the black panther flying and crashing to the ground, tearing up a patch of earth.
"Awooo!"
The black panther cried out in excruciating pain.
Although Zhou Yan's kick hadn't killed it, it had inflicted severe injuries, leaving a gaping, terrifying wound on its abdomen, almost crushing it into a meat patty.
"You dare attack me?"
Zhou Yan was stunned. He looked at the black panther lying on the ground, utterly bewildered.
The black panther's strength was at least at the early Rank Four, so how could it have been knocked out by a single kick from him?
This defied logic.
Did this black panther have some sort of intellectual deficit?
Even with a deficiency, it should have possessed the instinct for self-preservation.
"Awooo!"
Just then, the severely injured Rank Six black panther raised its head, its eyes filled with bloodthirsty rage, fixed on Zhou Yan.
Boom!
Then, it suddenly sprang up and lunged at Zhou Yan.
"Damn!"
Zhou Yan's soul nearly departed his body as he scrambled backward.
However, the black panther's movements were even swifter, like lightning. In an instant, it covered hundreds of meters and appeared before Zhou Yan.
Bang!
Caught off guard, Zhou Yan was sent flying again, spitting up blood uncontrollably.
"Bloody hell, still no good!"