The Competition Intensifies

  Umbra surged forward, pursuing what appeared to be a Great Sand Worm, though he had yet to fully understand what kind of creature it truly was. He initiated the assault using the ability Phantom Claw, already mastered at its highest level, that is, at the state of mastery. This technique allowed him to strike from a distance of up to 1,500 meters, delivering 25% of his physical damage compared to a direct attack. The technique moved at the speed of sound, as fast as Huang Di when using Sound as a Weapon, but with far superior range.

  While Huang Di could strike across dozens of meters, considered mid-range, Umbra’s reach qualified as long-range, easily surpassing 300 meters. Huang Di approached with caution, observing Umbra accelerate and attack from afar. To his surprise, the damage caused by Phantom Claw was virtually ignored by the Great Sand Worm.

  It was only when Umbra enlarged himself using the skill Gigantism, increasing from six meters in length and four in height to a staggering thirty-six by twenty-four meters, that the battle began to shift. However, that technique had a time limit of five minutes at its current stage, and its usage consumed a massive amount of energy. In return, it doubled all of Umbra’s attributes.

  The creature, which until then reacted as if bothered by mosquito bites, now began to feel the true impact of Umbra’s attacks. The closer he got, the more effective Phantom Claw became. At less than 300 meters from his target, its damage rose to 50% of his physical power, finally breaching part of the Giant Worm’s defense.

  Huang Di observed the scene closely, intrigued by the writhing beast, like a scale-less serpent or a giant worm aged by sand and time. He still questioned how a creature of such colossal size could exist in a space less than fifty kilometers wide, and what, exactly, it fed upon.

  Suddenly, Umbra reached the worm’s body and activated the second stage of Gigantism, reaching an awe-inspiring sixty meters in length and forty in height. Now truly colossal, with vast wings outstretched, he sank his fangs into the enemy with fury. The creature thrashed violently, but that only seemed to enrage Umbra further. He clawed and bit savagely. In that state of direct contact, all of Umbra’s attributes increased by 200%, making each blow devastating. However, this second stage could only be sustained for one minute.

  In a matter of moments, the Great Sand Worm began to falter. Its movements slowed... and eventually ceased altogether. Huang Di approached, finding Umbra, now back in his normal form, holding an enormous beast core in his mouth.

  With a faint smile, Huang Di retrieved a dimensional ring from his storage, one he had repaired during the night. With a motion, he absorbed the creature’s body into the ring and took the core from Umbra’s mouth.

  “It’s not yours yet, remember?” Huang Di said. “The spoils go to the winner. That was your rule.”

  Umbra, though clearly frustrated at having his prize “confiscated”, simply nodded in silence. After a moment to rest and regain some energy, he glanced at the hourglass, realizing nearly an hour had passed between locating and defeating the creature. That realization made him uneasy, he now feared losing the bet.

  He knew Huang Di was formidable. After the battle with Arachne, he had seen Huang Di defeat, with his bare hands, a creature that had once wounded him. Worse still, he had witnessed that mysterious entity emerging from Huang Di’s unconscious body and heal his wounds effortlessly, a figure more powerful than even the oldest elders of the ghost city.

  Just recalling that moment it sent a chill down his spine.

  He also remembered his mother, a mighty beast of unfathomable power, who had saved him and his siblings, sending them to different worlds in an attempt to protect them from deadly enemies. The memory of her mother's strength, … mirrored the power he had sensed in Huang Di’s mysterious protector.

  The Hunt in the Boar Cavern

  After an hour of rest and energy recovery, Huang Di and Umbra departed from the south toward the west, in search of that region’s boss. Upon arrival, Umbra flipped the hourglass, marking the official start of Huang Di’s turn in the competition. Huang Di shot a sidelong glance at his companion before focusing intently on the direction of his target.

  He activated two abilities in combination: Sound as a Weapon and Phantom Step. With a burst of acceleration, he launched forward, surprising Umbra, who quickly began to fall behind, unless he unleashed everything he had. When the distance between them reached a full kilometer, Umbra was forced to activate his strongest techniques and use his wings to catch up, maintaining a gap of about 300 meters.

  In less than three minutes, Huang Di arrived at the location where he had previously sensed a powerful beast during his exploration of the plains. Catching his breath after the intense energy expenditure, he watched Umbra approach and search the area for signs of a target. To his surprise, Umbra found nothing and assumed Huang Di was merely showing off. Yet the unwavering focus in Huang Di’s eyes made him reconsider.

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  Using his newly acquired techniques and deeper comprehension, Huang Di now felt an internal pressure that provided insight and instinct, equipping him with tools for an effective hunt. The teachings of the elders had expanded his understanding, not only of abilities but of beasts, scents, space, soul, aura, and energy, making him nearly a master tracker.

  Recalling the characteristics of the creature he had once felt, he employed his spiritual sense to locate traces: markings on the ground, energy-scent residues left by the beast. He found a trail leading them directly to a large cave hidden behind a modest waterfall.

  After about ten minutes, Huang Di entered the cave with confidence. What he saw left him speechless: dozens of boars of various sizes, shapes, and colors. One among them stood out, it bore massive black-iron horns protruding from its body and colossal tusks. Measuring at least sixty meters in length and thirty in height, the beast was gigantic, its gaze seething with rage and fury as it locked eyes on Huang Di and Umbra, the unwelcome intruders.

  Without hesitation, Huang Di recognized the pack leader. He activated his derived technique Sound as a Weapon, forming deadly needles from the vibration in the air, launching them toward the lesser boars, beasts ranging from rank 1 to 3, between three and twelve meters tall. With measured confidence, he spoke:

  “Oh, you must be the leader here. I have a proposition: surrender, and no one needs to get hurt. Fight... and many will suffer.”

  Umbra found the gesture childish. Beasts weren’t easily intimidated; most would rather die than be humiliated. As no response came, Huang Di watched the beast rise slowly, overflowing with fury at the provocation.

  “So be it... If you don’t care about the consequences of your choices for your offspring, then why should I?”

  As the boars prepared to follow their leader, a hail of vibrating needles rained down upon the weaker ones, slicing and slaughtering them where they stood. The impact was devastating. The massacre enraged the rank 4 and 5 boars, and above all, the rank 6 leader, whose eyes now burned crimson with hatred at the sight of his children and heirs being obliterated, something unseen for generations.

  All surviving beasts charged toward Huang Di and Umbra, who, after their initial strike, retreated strategically from the cave, using the waterfall as cover. The two were closely pursued by a horde of enraged enemies.

  The Fate of the Iron Boars

  At that moment, Huang Di found himself facing eight rank 4 beasts and three rank 5, all led by the rank 6 boss. This force was equivalent to a Sky Rank specialist, plus three at the peak of Earth rank, and eight at the peak of Profound rank, a formidable power he would have to face alone. However, unlike before, he did not feel pressured. His recent achievements had strengthened his self-esteem, making him more confident to face his enemies head-on.

  Umbra ascended into the sky, keeping a safe distance from the battle, observing and calculating mentally. He was already anticipating the abundance of boar meat he would consume, thinking about different preparations: grilled, roasted, fried, seasoned with various herbs. His only concern was how quickly Huang Di had located his target, which made him uneasy.

  Huang Di took the lead, confronting the enemies directly. The rank 4 and 5 beasts stood no chance: with a single punch, he knocked them unconscious. Within just five minutes, only the rank 6 boss remained, watching him with fear and apprehension, yet unable to retreat, the survival of his family depended on victory.

  The beast retreated to an area away from its companions' bodies, attempting to lure Huang Di to a place where they could fight without risking their offspring. Huang Di perceived the intent and followed respectfully, fixing a firm gaze on the imposing Iron-Horned Boar. Soon, they were in a flat area with low vegetation.

  The two stared each other down, evaluating one another. Without wasting time, Huang Di launched into combat, unleashing multiple larger wind and sound vibrating weapons. Despite having less impact, these new forms were specifically designed to test the endurance of boss creatures. The Boar possessed great offensive power, but its defense was concentrated on its head; the rest of the body was protected only by thick fur.

  After the initial test, Huang Di understood the Boar trusted too much in its own strength. While lower rank beasts relied on charges and headbutts as primary skills, the Boar surprised Huang Di with something more: a massive fireball launched from its mouth, colliding with Huang Di’s attack.

  The clash between fire and wind abilities resulted in a rare phenomenon: a fiery tornado rising to the sky, forcing both combatants to retreat due to the intense heat. The fireball, now transformed into a swirling flame vortex, grew rapidly. Huang Di continued sending layers of energy, shaping the ability with fire, wind, and sonic vibrations.

  The beast, believing the fire originating from itself could not harm it, bravely charged into the tornado. It was its last move. The new attack, a fusion of elements, possessed unprecedented properties, and the spinning sound waves, in circular vectors, paralyzed the creature inside the fiery column. Unable to escape, the Iron-Horned Boar was roasted alive, its screams echoing horrifically.

  Huang Di ceased channeling his technique. The tornado became extinguished, leaving only the scorched body of the beast, eyes open and lifeless, an image he would not soon forget.

  Looking at Umbra and the hourglass, Huang Di noted it had taken him twenty minutes to complete his part. Without fanfare, he removed the ring containing the Great Desert Worm, stored the boar’s body inside, and extracted the core, glowing with a strong reddish hue.

  “Looks like I won, friend. I hope there are no hard feelings. As for the prize, I’ll keep your promise to let me ride you on long journeys... or not, depending on the situation. But regarding the contents of the ring, I take both cores. You can keep all the meat. That ring is yours,” Huang Di said, tossing the object to Umbra. “Consider it a gift from a friend. I’ll still need your help after we leave here. What do you say?”

  Umbra, stunned, almost dropped the ring but quickly caught it, fitting it precisely on his right front paw. He stared at Huang Di and asked:

  “So... everything I catch is mine to keep, right?”

  Huang Di nodded slightly.

  Immediately, Umbra flew to the cavern where the boar corpses lay and, after collecting them, swiftly eliminated the wounded, storing them inside his new ring.

  Huang Di watched thoughtfully. He realized the world of beasts was brutal, straightforward, and merciless. There was no room for compassion or hesitation.

  He looked up at the artificial sky and sighed. Then, he glanced at Umbra, who was chasing his own tail, smiling like a puppy, and thought:

  “In the end, he’s still just a beast... Maybe, in the future, he will develop more human traits.”

  With the spoils gathered, the two returned to the city, ready for one last visit before the awaited test.