Zhang Ye spent the entire morning sparring with Leona. The area they used as their training ground was already in a state of utter ruin.
Zhang Ye himself was covered in bruises and scratches.
Because he was afraid of ruining his school uniform, he had taken it off, leaving only his boxers. He then fashioned a grass skirt out of condensed magic to wear while sparring with Leona. Now, his entire body was riddled with minor wounds.
Specifically, there was a massive bump on his forehead.
It had swollen into a huge lump. This was the result of a bet he made with Leona after he learned the Combat Technique [Breathless Combo]. Brimming with overconfidence, he bet that he could touch her just once.
The loser would get a flick to the forehead.
He lost. Leona’s flick sent him flying over a hundred meters, and his forehead swelled up so much he looked like a unicorn.
The morning’s training had been highly effective. Zhang Ye had learned six Combat Techniques, and his physical coordination, combat skills, and combat awareness had all improved significantly.
However, he was still no match for Leona. Throughout the entire morning, he hadn't managed to touch her even once of his own volition; he was essentially being ground into the dirt.
But he had also learned a great deal.
For instance, Leona taught him to turn his body into a weapon. Fists, elbows, shoulders, knees, legs, and even his head—every part of the body was to be transformed into a lethal weapon for attack.
Furthermore, every muscle, joint, bone, and ligament had to be trained to move in perfect coordination. Only then could one perfectly guide and unleash the full extent of their power.
Leona taught him step-by-step how to fight and how to use his body to maximize damage, which Zhang Ye found incredibly beneficial.
Finally, the sparring session ended. Zhang Ye put his uniform back on and wiggled his little grass skirt as he pestered Leona for healing.
Leona couldn't win against him—after all, having a bald guy with a "unicorn horn" on his head acting cute in front of you was truly eye-searing.
For lunch, Leona told Zhang Ye to find the ingredients himself. This time, the requirement was a Tier Six magical beast, and he wasn't allowed to use any magic; he had to rely solely on the skills and Combat Techniques he had learned.
Moreover, she required Zhang Ye to maintain the condensation of [Mana Thread] and [Mana Skin] throughout the battle.
Ultimately, Zhang Ye completed the task, though the price was a heavy injury.
As Leona treated him, she said helplessly, “I told you to attack vital points, but I didn't tell you to go for the balls! Look at you now!”
Zhang Ye gave a sheepish grin.
Leona had taught him to look for an opponent's openings and weaknesses. His opponent had been a male Tier Six Forest Magic Ape.
As everyone knows, the vital points of all males are the same.
So, Zhang Ye went on a suicide mission, focusing exclusively on the lower body.
He nearly drove that Forest Magic Ape into Demonization. It was willing to die just to kill Zhang Ye. Under normal circumstances, Zhang Ye wouldn't have sustained such severe injuries.
He didn't even know how many ribs he had broken.
It was a miracle the guy could still smile.
However, judging from this battle, Zhang Ye's combat skills had consolidated significantly. The circulation of mana within his body, the execution of Combat Techniques, and his overall fighting style were becoming increasingly fluid. In time, Zhang Ye's combat skills would surely be on par with Leona's.
When combined with his terrifying magic talent, his combat power would absolutely crush anyone of the same tier!
In the days that followed, Zhang Ye engaged in actual combat with Leona every day. For his three daily meals, he would head out to find magical beasts to fight and use them as ingredients, following Leona's requirements.
As soon as the Devour digestion time was up, Zhang Ye would immediately consume magic cores to increase his cultivation.
In the afternoons, he would set aside time for [Magic Innovation].
At night, he continued his meditation and cultivation.
Thus, the days passed one by one, and soon, the one-month deadline Leona had mentioned arrived.
...
In the forest, a figure was leaping rapidly through the trees. He wasn't using any magic or mana; relying solely on his physical constitution, his speed was quite formidable.
Finally, he spotted his target.
A mid-stage Tier Eight Earth-splitting Tiger.
It was one sub-rank lower than the Rockland Monitor from before, but in terms of the threat it posed to humans, the Earth-splitting Tiger was an entire level higher.
A month ago, if he had encountered such a beast, he would have definitely bolted. But now, he was no longer afraid!
“Gujiu, what do you think of it?” Zhang Ye rubbed the Gujiu clinging to his shoulder and smiled.
Over the past month, Gujiu's size hadn't changed at all, but Zhang Ye was certain that the energy within its body had reached a terrifying level—after all, Zhang Ye fed it a large amount of magic and various energy-rich foods every day.
Even Leona had grown fond of the cute slime and would occasionally feed it with her high-quality Three-star Saint-tier mana.
Consequently, if Gujiu wanted to, it could instantly expand to over a hundred meters in size!
“Gujiu~” Gujiu rubbed against Zhang Ye’s cheek and let out a cute sound.
Zhang Ye chuckled. “Alright, we’re having tiger whip for lunch!”
With that, Zhang Ye stomped down hard. The branch beneath his feet bent to its limit before he shot forward like an arrow toward the napping Earth-splitting Tiger.
The Earth-splitting Tiger immediately sensed danger, its feline eyes snapping open.
However, before it could react, Zhang Ye was already in front of it.
“Take my [Fire Cloud Kick]!” Zhang Ye shouted. Mana surged within him as he unleashed the Combat Technique. Flames erupted from his leg as he kicked the Earth-splitting Tiger square in the face.
The tiger’s massive body was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground. It scrambled to its feet, spitting out a dozen teeth with a wet thud.
Earth-splitting Tiger: “...”
What the hell?!
The Earth-splitting Tiger was absolutely livid.
It looked at Zhang Ye, who was perched on a branch, its eyes burning with a rage that threatened to consume him.
“ROAR!!!” it bellowed. But the moment it opened its mouth, Zhang Ye flicked his wrist and stuffed a [Lion Fireball] directly down its throat.
Earth-splitting Tiger: “...”
Do you have any martial ethics?!
Don't you know you're not supposed to interrupt someone when they're showing off?!
Damn it!
The Earth-splitting Tiger spat out more blood, along with a few more teeth.
It had learned its lesson. It slammed its paw onto the ground, and dozens of massive boulders rose into the air, hurtling toward Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye chuckled and darted forward. His legs became a blur in mid-air as he kicked every single boulder into pieces. Then, he spread his arms wide.
Tenfold—[Flame Snake Binding]!
Ten overlapping Tier Seven magic circles were instantly cast, enveloping the Earth-splitting Tiger. Flame snakes slithered out, tightly wrapping and binding the beast!
The Earth-splitting Tiger struggled frantically, but even with its mid-stage Tier Eight strength, breaking free from a tenfold [Flame Snake Binding] was no easy task.
Zhang Ye wasn't about to show any martial ethics. He immediately unleashed a seamless combo.
Tenfold Tier Six [Hydrogen-Oxygen Enhanced — Lion Fireball], followed by threefold Tier Eight [Hydrogen-Oxygen Enhanced — Fire Rain from the Heavens], followed by a hundredfold Sub-tier [Hydrogen-Oxygen Enhanced — Spark] for some extra visual flair and bling!
The blue flames from the Hydrogen-Oxygen Enhancement instantly engulfed the Earth-splitting Tiger. The tiger’s roars blended with the sound of explosions, turning the surrounding hundred-meter area into a field of ash.
Countless blue sparks lit up the sky like tiny stars, shimmering beautifully.
The special effects were maxed out!
After the magic subsided, the Earth-splitting Tiger surprisingly wasn't dead. It unleashed its strongest innate magic, [Tiger Earth-splitting Claw], swiping at Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye was completely unfazed. Magic circles appeared on his body, and several [Sharp Cable] lines embedded themselves into a nearby tree trunk. Simultaneously, blue flames erupted from his other side, quickly propelling him away from his original position.
The [Tiger Earth-splitting Claw] swept past, leaving three massive trenches dozens of meters deep and hundreds of meters long in the ground, but it didn't scratch Zhang Ye in the slightest.
Zhang Ye took a deep breath and funneled mana into [Bursting Flame]. Using the powerful thrust of the flames, he closed the distance to the Earth-splitting Tiger in an instant and unleashed a seamless close-quarters combo.
[Breathless Combo]!
He unleashed his fastest and most violent combo in a single breath, giving the Earth-splitting Tiger no room to even gasp for air!
The already heavily injured tiger had no strength left to fight back. Its massive, fifteen-meter-long body was juggled in the air, unable to land.
As Zhang Ye delivered his final [Angry Lion Flame Punch], the rock armor covering the tiger shattered piece by piece. It was sent flying over a hundred meters before crashing to the ground, its life extinguished.
Having finished the job, Zhang Ye let out a long breath and cupped his fists toward the tiger’s corpse.
“Rest in peace!”
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