But when the sound of this wind reached He Yiming's ears, his auditory organs immediately trembled violently. This was because, within the sound of the wind, he detected a peculiar noise.

This sound carried with it a powerful, seemingly omnipresent force.

He was not unfamiliar with this force; he had experienced something similar twice before he advanced to the Xiantian realm. Once was when he encountered the Golden Crown Python, and the other time was upon meeting the Long-Armed Raccoon.

Although these two creatures were different, both were revered spirit beasts that reigned supreme in the mountains, possessing exceptional intelligence.

Thus, when He Yiming felt this sensation again, his heart leaped wildly.

Encountering a spirit beast was far more difficult than defeating one. Before entering the mountains this time, He Yiming had never dared to dream of such luck.

He sprang to his feet, intending to give chase immediately, but glancing at Yuan Lixun before him, a hint of hesitation crept in.

This was deep within the dense forest. Grandfather and Master Bao, both peak Houtian masters at the tenth layer of Neijin, were unlikely to encounter any true danger. But Yuan Lixun was different; with only her fifth-layer water-elemental Neijin, staying in this place carried far too great a risk. Even a mere Fox-Bear could easily cause her demise.

Thoughts raced through his mind: What if I take her with me?

Given her skill level, what if something unforeseen happens?

Suddenly, He Yiming's eyes lit up. He pulled Yuan Lixun closer and whispered urgently, "Take off your outer clothes, quickly..."

Yuan Lixun, dizzy and disoriented, barely registered the words. She paused, then sobered instantly. A burning blush heated her face, enough to cook a meal.

She demurred softly, "Young Master, this isn't the place."

"Why not? Hurry up, or we’ll be too late," He Yiming urged, his hands already moving swiftly. In a few quick motions, he stripped off his own outer garment, revealing a peculiar, tight-fitting inner suit underneath.

Though young, his physique was perfectly developed; his bones were balanced, and his body stood firm, like a towering, straight pine.

Yuan Lixun’s cheeks flushed deeper. She quickly averted her gaze, daring not to look higher.

He Yiming pulled the inner suit off entirely and handed it to her, then turned his back. "Hurry and put it on."

Yuan Lixun held the garment, staring at it with puzzled eyes. It was only then that she realized something was indeed unusual.

He Yiming prompted, "Lixun, hurry and put it on. Don't dawdle; the spirit beast will soon lose its trail."

Yuan Lixun responded with surprise. After a slight hesitation, she gritted her teeth, pulled off her outer clothes, but instead of removing her undergarments, she slipped this strange inner suit directly over them.

The clothing was remarkably odd, possessing incredible elasticity. More surprisingly, once worn, she felt absolutely nothing different.

Girls are surprisingly fast when dressing. By the time He Yiming caught the faint scent of fragrance wafting toward him, Yuan Lixun had finished the entire process, even reapplying her outer coat perfectly.

He Yiming nodded once, then reached out and grasped her hand. A strange and powerful energy flowed into her, and Yuan Lixun felt as if she were lifted into the air, swept away from the spot alongside He Yiming.

As for the belongings on the ground, He Yiming only took his Great Broadsword; he could not spare time for the other trivial items.

While those things held some value, if he could secure a Spirit Beast Inner Elixir, everything else would be worthless in comparison.

Holding Yuan Lixun's delicate hand, the two of them zipped through the forest like a single gust of wind, sweeping past one stretch of woods after another.

Within the forest, there remained the faint trace of the spirit beast’s aura, so thin it seemed almost processed by some external power, ready to dissipate at any moment.

He Yiming analyzed that if more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed, this aura would vanish completely, leaving no trace behind.

He marveled inwardly. This was clearly a special ability of that spirit beast, allowing it to dilute and mask its residual scent. This not only indicated the beast's high intelligence but also suggested it would not be easily provoked.

He Yiming’s expression grew solemn. He vaguely sensed that the power wielded by this spirit beast might surpass the capabilities of the three he had encountered before.

His ears suddenly twitched sharply, and a look of suspicion crossed He Yiming’s face.

After tracking for that period, he was drawing close to the beast. But at that moment, he heard it—as if it had sensed his presence—suddenly increase its speed, sprinting ahead at an unimaginable velocity.

He Yiming let out a cold snort. He simultaneously quickened his pace and pulled Yuan Lixun into his embrace, chasing after it half-carrying her.

Yuan Lixun’s eyes closed slightly. This was not the first time she enjoyed this close proximity. Now, accustomed to the routine, she rested her delicate head against He Yiming’s chest, a trace of blissful happiness curving her lips.

He Yiming, of course, could not appreciate the maiden’s tender feelings; his ears constantly twitched, perfectly relaying every sound he perceived.

Gradually, a strange expression surfaced on He Yiming’s face. He vaguely detected two distinct sets of breathing sounds ahead, and remarkably, both sets maintained the exact same rhythm.

He Yiming was perplexed. Could there be two spirit beasts ahead? Yet, his hearing only registered a single set of pounding footsteps.

Although He Yiming's capabilities were extraordinary, limited by his experience, he could not conceive what sort of spirit beast he was tracking.

Man and beast bolted through the forest at unparalleled speed. Every ferocious beast they encountered wisely tucked its tail and fled.

These wild beasts, surviving in this environment, possessed an inexplicable sixth sense for impending danger. They could feel the immense pressure emanating from this pair, a pressure they absolutely could not withstand. Thus, as soon as this terrifying duo approached, they fled as far away as possible.

Fortunately, this pair was preoccupied with their pursuit and did not notice the surrounding beasts, continuing their chase.

A full two hours passed. By their pace, they had scaled countless peaks and covered an immense distance.

Suddenly, the spirit beast’s trajectory shifted, and its speed seemed to increase by another notch.

But following far behind, He Yiming’s eyes brightened slightly, revealing a hint of joy.

He had sensed that the spirit beast, realizing it could not shake him, had lost the confidence to continue fleeing blindly. It was heading toward a specific direction, perhaps where another spirit beast of its kind awaited, intending to unite against him.

However, even if two spirit beasts joined forces, He Yiming possessed absolute confidence that he could cut them down.

Cheng Fu’s martial arts were immensely powerful. During their confrontation, He Yiming had fought with all his might, ultimately relying on the power of Wind, Cloud, Rain, and Mist to successfully counteract Cheng Fu’s fire ability.

But that was because they fought barehanded. If He Yiming had been permitted to use his Great Broadsword, he guaranteed that during the initial execution of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, he would have cleaved Cheng Fu in two, preventing him from neutralizing that force with his highly defensive sleeves.

Everyone has martial arts suited to their strengths, and wielding a weapon versus fighting without one are decidedly different matters.

Anyone who claimed the two were equivalent would surely be an absolute fool.

Now, with his Great Broadsword in hand, He Yiming was brimming with confidence. He exerted slight force with his feet, increasing his speed by a tenth, following closely behind the spirit beast without losing an inch.

Finally, as He Yiming entered a certain ravine, the spirit beast let out an extremely unpleasant roar and halted.

This sound was filled with menace and resentment, yet it simultaneously signaled extreme danger.

He Yiming laughed heartily, executing a sharp turn mid-air, easily bypassing a gigantic, ancient tree whose trunk required several men to encircle. He arrived before the spirit beast.

When He Yiming finally saw the creature, the laughter in his mouth changed its tone, replaced by sheer astonishment.

He finally understood why he had heard two sets of breathing but only one set of pounding footsteps.

Because this spirit beast possessed two heads.

It was a creature resembling a tiger crossed with a leopard, with a long tail held upright like a steel rod. Its body, as hard as iron, nevertheless conveyed an impression of agility. From its neck sprouted two heads, somewhat like tiger heads, but each bore a large, protruding knot on top, resembling a developing horn from a distance.

He Yiming’s expression turned grave. Facing this bizarre monster directly, and seeing its four cold, fierce eyes, a sudden sense of danger washed over him.

This spirit beast induced a feeling of peril in him!

Ever since advancing to the tenth layer of Neijin, even when confronting the two Long-Armed Raccoons, he had never experienced such a strange sensation. Yet, now, merely facing this one spirit beast gave him the distinct feeling that it possessed the power to kill him.

Of course, He Yiming was not the only one feeling this way; the spirit beast opposite him clearly harbored similar apprehension.

It lowered its body silently, its two heads and four eyes locked firmly onto He Yiming. The entire body remained motionless, seemingly merged completely with the earth itself.

He Yiming slowly stepped back one pace, gently tossed Yuan Lixun from his arms behind him, and simultaneously flipped his wrist. The three segments of the Great Broadsword instantly snapped the vines restraining them, soaring high above He Yiming’s head.

Seemingly sensing He Yiming’s newly solidified resolve, the two-headed spirit beast knew that this dangerous human before it was prepared for a fight to the death.

Its body, previously crouched low, suddenly moved like a streak of lightning, slicing through the air as it lunged toward He Yiming.

Its speed was extreme, as if its entire form had transformed into a sharp sword—a blade capable of piercing anything in the world.

Simultaneously, its two massive mouths split open, revealing vicious teeth flashing with white light, between which seemed to cling wisps of red flesh.

A pungent, bloody smell instantly filled the air, and He Yiming even inhaled a mouthful of the fetid odor.

At that very instant, his body moved. In that fleeting moment, he seemed to transform into the wind—a light, weightless breeze.

The iron-hard body, like a sword, instantly sliced He Yiming at the waist, but the spirit beast’s four eyes grew even colder.

Because what it had passed through was not He Yiming’s actual body, but merely an afterimage he had left behind.

In terms of sheer speed, He Yiming was actually a notch faster than it.

The two mouths of the twin-headed spirit beast suddenly let out an enraged roar, and its body violently bent mid-air, recoiling like a slingshot as it sprang back.

To execute such a sharp turn while airborne was extremely rare even among human experts, let alone a spirit beast. Yet, this creature performed the maneuver with such ease and fluidity, without the slightest hesitation, proving it had mastered this skill long ago.

Its intelligence was certainly no less than a human’s. It fully expected to catch this man completely off guard and throw him into a panic.

However, the instant its two heads turned, they were met by a blur of light and shadow. Then, its head and body were struck by a barrage of attacks, dense as falling rain.

Each blow felt like a massive hammer pounding into its frame. Even with its innate adamantine hide, it felt as if it were about to be completely dismantled.

The twin-headed spirit beast let out a muffled cry and plummeted downward, like a bird suddenly deprived of flight mid-air, crashing heavily onto the ground.

In just the first exchange, its fur was rent in countless places, and large beads of blood welled up from its body.

He Yiming let out a long, exhilarating laugh, feeling utterly satisfied.

Although the twin-headed spirit beast was intelligent, it could never have conceived that there existed a profound secret art in this world that allowed one to "listen" to all its movements without using sight.

During those two hours of pursuit and flight, it had unconsciously utilized its ability to maneuver freely in the air multiple times. Even if He Yiming missed it once, he could not have missed it every time.

Spirit beasts, ultimately, were not human. Though clever, their actions possessed certain recognizable patterns.

Its lunge just now, and the mid-air course correction during its escape, were movements structured identically. He Yiming was already intimately familiar with them; if he failed to recognize them now, he would be unworthy of being called a Xiantian Grandmaster.

Thus, he seized the moment to evade, first assembling his Great Broadsword, and then hacking out toward the predicted location. Indeed, he intercepted the twin-headed spirit beast, delivering a crushing blow directly to its head.

However, the only thing that exceeded He Yiming's expectations was the beast's extreme resilience. Its bones were harder, and its hide thicker, even surpassing the Long-Armed Raccoon. Despite being battered by his Great Broadsword until it was covered in blood, the core of its being remained unharmed.

As soon as the twin-headed spirit beast hit the ground, it immediately charged forward, accompanied by an extremely intense surge of fierce aggression.

He Yiming shifted his body slightly, dodging away immediately.

He had experience hunting and understood the meaning of "a trapped beast fighting desperately." It was better to leave it a chance to survive and maintain relentless pursuit than to engage in a full-force confrontation.

Although the twin-headed spirit beast was not gravely injured—only suffering superficial wounds—it was bleeding profusely. If given time to recuperate, it might recover fully, but under strenuous activity, it might not even get that chance.

However, just as He Yiming moved to create an opening, the twin-headed spirit beast dug its four legs in and suddenly plunged into the dark canyon ahead.

He Yiming’s heart jolted; he realized his mistake—he had forgotten that this spirit beast had deliberately fled toward this location.

This creature’s strength was actually far beyond his estimations. If he hadn't used trickery earlier, he might not have managed to injure it at all. If there were another equally powerful beast inside this place, he might truly be outnumbered.

His ears twitched violently once more. A moment later, a look of pleasant surprise flashed in He Yiming’s eyes.

The sounds perceived by his Clairvoyant Ear confirmed that only one spirit beast was inside the canyon.

If there was another spirit beast capable of deceiving his Clairvoyant Ear, then even if he were utterly defeated, he would accept it willingly.

His steps paused, and He Yiming shot into the canyon like a flying arrow. Moments later, he passed through the tranquil ravine and entered a secluded valley, almost untouched by human presence.

Arriving here, He Yiming’s gaze sharpened. This valley was divided into two sections. The outer valley contained an irregular, level clearing spanning about a thousand square meters, completely devoid of any tall trees, offering a clear view of the entire area.

At the boundary between the outer and inner valley, there was a scattered cluster of rock faces. Looking through the gaps in the stone, he could see an unusual light emanating from within.

But what truly shocked He Yiming was seeing the very same twin-headed spirit beast.

This creature stood precisely at the entrance to the passage leading to the inner valley, its two sets of eyes gleaming fiercely, locked onto him.

He blinked, almost unable to believe what he saw. He was certain, judging by the beast's hateful glare and its aura, that this was absolutely the same one he encountered outside the canyon.

Yet, unlike before, there was not a single scratch upon its body.

The wounds He Yiming had inflicted with his Great Broadsword through calculated maneuvers had completely vanished.

If it weren't for the countless dried blood droplets still clinging to its hide, He Yiming would truly have doubted if this was the same beast from moments ago.

He Yiming turned his gaze toward the inner valley. He finally began to understand why this spirit beast had chosen this location to confront him.

It seemed that within that inner sanctum lay some kind of magical power capable of instantaneous restoration.

Ps: Another chapter coming in two minutes ^_^