Chapter 34: Ancient Beast Body
As the wind whipped past Lin Yuan’s face, his mind briefly echoed with the parting words of the old man. Just moments before Lin Yuan had taken off, the old man had leaned heavily on his walking stick, the brown sable resting quietly across his shoulders.
"This is where our paths diverge, young dragon," the old man had said, offering a wide smile. "But heed my words: do not relent on your bodily cultivation. In your current Foundation Establishment realm, and even when you step into Core Formation, tempering the flesh may seem like an unnecessary weight compared to the dazzling flash of flying swords and spells. But do not be fooled by the arrogance of the modern era."
The old man had pointed his stick toward the distant heavens. "In the latter days—when you break through the mortal limits, when the heavenly tribulations attempt to violently crush your soul, and when the chaotic void of higher realms tears at your very existence—a forged body will prove unimaginably powerful. Keep forging. If fate permits it, we shall surely meet again."
Lin Yuan had bowed respectfully to the master before flash stepping. Now, ascending into the elevations of the mountain, he took those words completely to heart.
The air here grew incredibly thin, and this was a domain where Beasts transitioned into terrifying predators, infused with the ambient violence of the area.
Rustle. SNAP.
Lin Yuan abruptly halted his movement. His gaze darted toward a dense thicket of bamboo.
Before the bamboo could even part, a massive blur of spotted fur and overwhelming killing intent erupted from the shadows.
It was a giant four-headed leopard.
The beast was the size of a carriage, its muscles coiled tight like steel springs. Each of its four heads possessed a pair of glowing yellow eyes and jaws lined with serrated fangs capable of shredding various grade of armor. It moved with the agility of the wind, attempting to ambush Lin Yuan and tear him to pieces before he could even take another step.
But Lin Yuan didn’t shiver. Using his overwhelming strength had gotten from the giant elephant, Lin Yuan simply stepped half a pace to the side. The massive leopard missed his throat by a mere inch.
Before the beast could correct its trajectory, Lin Yuan’s hand shot out with terrifying speed. His fingers clamped down onto the leopard’s tail with the unstoppable force of a mountain.
The four-headed leopard let out a chorus of startled roars, attempting to claw at the ground to propel itself forward.
"Too slow," Lin Yuan stated coldly.
With a profound physical strength, Lin Yuan hoisted the beast completely off the ground by its tail. He swung the massive creature over his head and slammed it directly into the bedrock beneath his feet.
BOOM!
The entire mountain slope trembled. A massive crater spider-webbed across the floor of impact. The four-headed leopard bounced off the shattered ground, completely stunned and disoriented by the sheer trauma of the impact.
Lin Yuan did not give it a chance to recover. He rapidly circulated his qi, wrapping a layer of spiritual energy around his right arm. He straightened his fingers, forming a flawless sword gesture.
He lunged forward, thrusting his arm with the combined power of his tempered flesh and his explosive qi.
Squèlch!
His hand plunged straight into the center of the leopard’s chest. The dense muscle and thick ribs offered no resistance against the hardened spear of his arm. He pierced its heart instantly, extinguishing the terrifying predator’s life in a single motion.
Lin Yuan pulled his blood-soaked arm free and immediately set to work. Using his bare hands, he cracked the leopard’s massive spine. He dug into the bone and extracted the thick marrow. He tossed it into his mouth raw.
It was incredibly sweet, carrying a spicy, electrifying kick that sent a jolt of pure adrenaline through his veins. Instantly, he felt his muscle fibers twitch and re-weave themselves, assimilating the leopard’s explosive speed and agility.
"Exquisite," Lin Yuan grinned, licking the sweet essence from his lips.
From that moment on, time went by in an absolute blur.
Two weeks passed.
For fourteen days and fourteen nights, Lin Yuan turned the middle and upper elevations of the towering mountain into his own personal banquet.
He encountered giant armored boars, crushing their shells with his bare fists and eating their marrow to fortify his skin. He fought massive, twin-tailed serpents, absorbing their flexible, whip-like bone structures. Every battle pushed his physical limits, and every meal rebuilt him stronger, faster, and infinitely more durable than before.
He didn’t just endure the raw marrow; he had completely enjoyed every single bit of it. To Lin Yuan, the marrow of these ancient beasts had become an absolute culinary delight. The varied textures, the rich, savory undertones, the bursts of sweet, chaotic vitality melting on his tongue—this had quickly become his favorite dish since transmigrating to this world.
Through this relentless cycle of slaughter and consumption, Lin Yuan’s physical vessel underwent a fundamental change. The traits of dozens of beasts fused and harmonized perfectly within his flesh.
On the dawn of the fifteenth day....
[Ding!]
[Physique Evolved: Ancient Beast Body (Rank 1) Acquired!]
With that, standing near the precipice of the mountain peak, Lin Yuan stretched his arms, hearing his joints pop with the satisfying sound of grinding boulders.
Suddenly, a massive shadow fell over him.
Lin Yuan looked up. Blocking the rising sun was a creature that looked completely absurd, yet radiated an incredibly lethal aura. It was a giant rooster.
It towered over the trees, possessing feathers that glinted like sharpened steel blades and a massive, curved beak that looked capable of effortlessly piercing a Core Formation barrier. It let out a deafening, earth-shattering crow that sent shockwaves rippling through the air, before diving aggressively toward Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan simply laughed.
He met the giant rooster head-on. Relying entirely on his newly forged Ancient Beast Body Rank 1, he sidestepped and grabbed the beast by its massive legs, utilizing the elephant’s strength and the leopard’s speed to completely outmaneuver the monster. With a brutal twist and a devastating hammer fist to its skull, the giant rooster collapsed, lifeless.
Lin Yuan happily cracked open the monster’s massive, tree-trunk-sized drumsticks.
He extracted the marrow and took a massive bite. The flavor was phenomenal—it tasted like the absolute richest, most savory chicken essence imaginable, melting like warm butter down his throat and deeply nourishing his newly acquired physique.
Sitting upon a blood-stained boulder, watching the morning sun illuminate the boundless valleys below, Lin Yuan took another deeply satisfying bite of the raw marrow. He chewed happily, his mind drifting back to the quiet courtyard in the outer city.
He swallowed, wiping a bit of the rich essence from his chin, a deeply affectionate smile gracing his face.
"Delicious," Lin Yuan murmured to the wind. "I would definitely love for my wife to taste this."