Sword Monarch

The panther charged directly at Han. The murderous aura emitting from its body was so thick that it almost liquefied.

Han slashed downwards and his sword collided with the panther's head.

Clang

Under the impact, the panther couldn't help itself but slow down its advancement. Han didn't have time to waste and immediately slashed at the panther a second time.

The panther was muddle headed after colliding straight on with the sword and didn't notice that its foe had launched another attack, the slashed landed on the same wound on its forehead.

WRAAAA!

Its skull cracked and a tiny split appeared, the panther let out a roar several times more powerful.

This time, it was truly angry.

As the roar echoed, the momentum that Han painstakingly built up was destroyed quickly.

Although both were injured, Han had the upper hand. He had swallowed a self regeneration pill halfway through battle.

The panther was getting slightly dizzy after losing so much blood from its head, its senses started to became duller.

Han saw this and didn't want to waste the opportunity.

He immediately used "Mirage steps", closing in on the panther and wanted to slash at its jugular, dealing a fatal blow.

Notifications constantly sounded out.

Quick Draw Blade has gained experience. EXP +

Quick Draw Blade has gained experience. EXP +

Quick Draw Blade has gained experience. EXP +

Quick Draw Blade has leveled up, Quick Draw Blade is now level 2!

The panther let out a roar and flung its huge paw towards Han, hoping that it could at least change the trajectory of the sword.

'Puk'

The sword landed on the panther, but it did not managed to land on the jugular but instead, it was on the lower segment of the paw that was hitting towards Han.

It was only a minor injury.

Han was feeling exhausted at this point, it was his first time battling and his whole body was tense. The panther, although more seriously injured, had gone through multiple life and death battles that had occurred throughout its life, it managed to stay calm and collected.

Steel Bone Body has gained experience, EXP+

Steel Bone Body has reached level 4!

Han felt giddy.

The panther stopped attacking and circled around Han.

It knew that this human though inexperienced, was not a foe to be looked down upon. It was already regretting its decision to attack.

This was supposed to be an easy prey, who knew that the 'easy prey' had managed to deal such serious injuries to itself. It was not worth it.

The wounds it suffered were serious, it might take quite a while to heal them, but a beast living in the jungle had no luxury to take their time and slowly heal their wounds, who knew when some other beast might feel that its weakened state was an optimal chance for it to be killed and have its territory be taken over.

After some consideration, it felt that killing Han was not possible unless it wanted to suffer even more injuries and be at risk of needing a long term recovery session.

It growled at Han and backed off, its eyes seemingly hinting.

You're lucky, Today is not the day you meet your maker.

After staring for awhile more at Han, it retreated back into the dark forest. Its figure that was illuminated under the moonlight slowly faded, as if it was never here in the first place.

The only way that one could tell that a battle happened here was the marks and damage that was imprinted onto the trees around Han.

Bite marks, sword slashes and dents on the trees were all marks of evidence that a battle had happened here.

As soon as Han saw the panther leaving, he plopped down onto the ground, panting for air.

He pulled out the last regeneration pill he had and popped it into his mouth, letting the medicine do its job.

He then took out the oil and gingerly applied it onto his wounds. His flesh wounds were more serious. It was lucky that his physical body state had already reach the Qi refining 6th stage.

If it was someone else with a lower physical body cultivation, he might have already been mauled to death by the panther by this time. Becoming the dinner of the canine.

Han was safe for the time being, the aura of the panther was still lingering around the area after the battle took place. Beasts who dwell around this area were mostly weaker then the panther and would be scared off by its residual aura.

Han knew that he was lucky this time, lucky that the panther chose to retreat and not fight to the death.

'Although the beast was very strong, I could still deal with it and even deal such injuries to it… However, looking at it now, it seems that the beast didn't use its full power. Presumably, it was afraid of something'

Even if the panther really tried to fight to the death, it wouldn't really die, it would at most suffer serious injuries, but for Han, it was a close shave. He was dancing between the border of life and death, the panther was the one who decided to let him live.

Realizing this fact. Han had a bitter taste in his mouth. It did not felt good knowing that it wasn't due to his own capability that scared off the panther, but the potential threat that the panther might face after finishing him off.

Unlucky.

Han was unlucky to have met the panther, it could be said that the panther was one of the stronger beasts that lurked in this forest and it was his misfortune to have been picked out by it to be its dinner.

But he knew that in life, he couldn't cherry pick the enemies he had, not every enemy coming at him will be like those canon fodder sending themselves to die. There will certainly be strong ones who he will have difficulty dealing with, and the battle this time allowed him to gain some experience and insights on how to handle opponents stronger then him.

It was not all bane and no boon for Han either, his skills had leveled up and his overall fighting prowess has been increased a notch further. Even if the increment still couldn't allow him to kill the panther, if it chooses to come back again to fight, going head to head with it, fighting to a draw and not suffering such heavy injuries like before is highly possible.

Han climbed up the tree and decided to rest, his body needed recuperation, it was only the first night, he still had his mission to finish.

----

Martial Skills :

[Steel Bone Body] lv 4

[Quick Draw Blade] lv 3

[Mirage Steps] lv 6

[Pangu Visualization Art] lv 4