Chapter 8: Desperate Counterattack

Roar!

Frank had just stepped into the Demonic Beast Forest when he heard the roar of a demonic beast.

With his mind highly focused, Frank carefully walked deeper into the forest. Unlike in the past, the forest was filled with hidden dangers, and there was the risk of losing his life at any moment. Even with his experience, he didn't dare to let down his guard.

Half an hour later, Frank stopped on top of a rock.

Standing on high ground, Frank squinted as he observed his surroundings. His gaze was drawn to a glowing Spiritual Grass on a rock wall not far ahead.

The Spiritual Grass emitted a purple light, surrounded by spiritual energy. It was known as the Purple Ginseng. Frank was familiar with this Spiritual Grass. Consuming it would help calm the mind and eliminate distractions, making it a rare spiritual herb.

"Lucky," Frank muttered, but he didn't move immediately. From his experience, he knew that wherever there was a Spiritual Grass, a demonic beast was likely nearby.

Sure enough, as Frank scanned his surroundings, rustling sounds came from the dense forest, followed by a scent of blood and a fierce, violent aura. The ground even shook slightly.

"Fire Wolf." Frank squinted his eyes. "I was just looking for you."

Soon, the dense forest parted to the sides as a massive creature lunged out. It was over ten feet tall, its body engulfed in purple flames. Its huge, blood-red eyes were filled with brutality and bloodlust.

Roar!

The Fire Wolf roared, opening its mouth and spewing purple flames.

Seeing this, Frank jumped off the rock, leaping out instantly. Using a large boulder to rebound, he turned sharply and unleashed the golden sword energy he had condensed, aiming directly at the Fire Wolf's eyes.

Frank had killed Fire Wolves before and knew that although their bodies were strong and their flames powerful, their weakness was their eyes. With a thick-skinned beast who was able to control fire like this, he needed to strike its weak point in one blow.

Clang!

The golden sword energy made a sharp sound, piercing through the air.

Splat!

Splat!

With a spurt of foul-smelling blood, the Fire Wolf let out a shrill scream, its large eyes now a bloody mess.

Thud!

With a heavy thud, Frank gripped his Heavenly Palace Sword with both hands and smashed it into the Fire Wolf's head, dealing another severe blow. The Fire Wolf's skull was shattered. Frank's hands reeled from the impact, and it even knocked the Heavenly Palace Sword out of his grip.

But the heavy blow left the Fire Wolf stunned, barely able to stand.

Strike while it's down!

Frank knew this principle well. He took a few quick steps forward, gathering true energy in his palm, with lightning crackling between his fingers.

Thunderbolt Palm!

With a strike from the air, Frank hit the Fire Wolf's head.

Splat!

The Fire Wolf's head exploded on the spot as brain matter splattered. A foul-smelling blood sprayed out. Its massive body collapsed with a thud. Perhaps even in death, it would be bewildered that it was taken down by a mere cultivator at the 凝气一重First Level of Energy Condensation1st Level of Energy Condensation.

Phew!

Frank exhaled deeply, but his tense body did not relax. This was truly unlike the past. With his cultivation only at the 1st Level of Energy Condensation, his strength was limited. Though the fight with the Fire Wolf wasn't long, every step was dangerous, and one careless move would have turned him into the Fire Wolf's meal.

Without delay, Frank pried open the Fire Wolf's head, pulling out a small stone with a bloody glow.

The stone was irregular, with a pitted surface, still dripping with foul-smelling blood.

This was the Fire Wolf's demonic core.

The demonic core contained the essence of the demonic beast and was its most valuable part. Cultivators usually killed them to obtain those cores, which were filled with essence beneficial for cultivation.

"Mission accomplished." Frank wiped the blood off the demonic core and tucked it into his pocket, not expecting to complete the task so quickly.

Hm?

His eyebrows furrowed suddenly as he felt a cold, stabbing pain in his back.

With a jolt in his heart, Frank quickly retreated.

But he was still too slow. Three silver needles pierced through the air toward him. Though he tried his best to dodge, it was futile. The three silver needles lodged in his arm, spreading poison rapidly. In less than three breaths, his entire arm had turned black.

"As an Origin Realm cultivator, how could you resort to ambush?" Frank clutched his arm, coughing up blood. He retreated while staring into the dense forest.

"Kid, you have quite the keen senses!" A sinister voice came from within.

The next moment, an old man in gray clothes with a hunchback stepped out, leaning on a cane. His face was covered in warts, and his wrinkled skin seemed about to fold over itself. His deep eye sockets and blood-red eyes gave him a terrifying, venomous look.

This man was full of murderous intent and was someone who specialized in robbing and killing.

"Hand over everything you have, and I'll leave your corpse alone. Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead." The old man smiled, showing his yellow teeth.

"As a mere 1st Level of Energy Condensation cultivator, what treasure could I possibly have?" Frank glanced at the old man, his vision beginning to blur.

The poison in the three silver needles was specially refined and spread quickly. In no time, most of his meridians and bones were corroded, and his true energy was useless against it.

"Oh, aren't you a stubborn one," The old man sneered, walking forward slowly, his palm shrouded in a dark mist.

Frank knew he was doomed.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. The old man before him was a poison expert with a 1st Level of Human Origin cultivation, a full realm higher than Frank. He knew that even without the poison, he was no match for him.

But at that moment, the golden fire in his Elixir Sea trembled, splitting into dozens of strands that surged through Frank's meridians and bones, forcefully refining the poison.

Though the poison spread fast, it couldn't match the refining speed of the golden fire. Within a few breaths, the poison in Frank's body had been mostly cleared.

"It can even refine poison?" Surprised, Frank looked inwardly at his body, seeing a glimmer of hope.

As the old man approached, Frank stood still, not moving a muscle.

With the poison neutralized, he regained his ability to move. But he stayed in place, preparing to deliver a blow when the old man let down his guard. With his cultivation suppressed, he knew he couldn't win in a direct fight.

However, if he could deal a severe blow suddenly, the outcome might be different.

"Kid, don't blame me." The old man approached, his eyes filled with malice, pretending to show sympathy despite his wicked nature.

"I don't blame you." A glint of cold light appeared as a slight smile crossed Frank's lips.

The hunchbacked old man squinted, sensing danger.

Thunderbolt Palm!

With a sudden shout, Frank, who had been still, attacked.

"You…" The old man was stunned, trying to dodge, but at such a close distance, Frank's quick strike left him no time to react. The Thunderbolt Palm hit squarely on his chest.

The hunchbacked old man's eyes were filled with shock as he stumbled backward.

He hadn't expected that Frank could remove the poison in such a short time and deliver a counterattack so unexpectedly.

Thunderbolt Palm!

With his first blow successful, Frank roared and attacked again.

The hunchbacked old man, still unsteady, couldn't defend in time and was forced back, coughing up blood from Frank's relentless strikes.

Frank's true energy surged, giving the old man no chance to breathe. Like a ferocious beast, Frank delivered several more Thunderbolt Palm strikes.

The hunchbacked old man tried to retaliate several times, but Frank didn't allow him any opening.

Thud!

As a cold dagger plunged into the old man's chest, he fell back, trying to speak, but blood gushed from his mouth. His eyes were filled with fear. Even in death, he hadn't anticipated being taken down by a cultivator in the 1st Level of Energy Condensation.

On the other side, Frank knelt on one knee, swaying.

The repeated use of Thunderbolt Palm had exhausted his true energy, but the victory was worth it. Killing an expert at the Origin Realm was a remarkable achievement, even beyond what he had accomplished before.

Although he relied on an ambush, it was something to be proud of.

Without delay, Frank staggered to his feet, not daring to linger. He took the old man's storage bag, retrieved his Heavenly Palace Sword, and quickly dashed into the forest, not forgetting to pluck the Purple Ginseng as he left.