Chapter 54: Exploring the Fragment Realm (2)

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Exploring the Fragment Realm (2)

Seeing the beast, Li Jian didn’t attempt to fight it head-on.

Instead, he picked up a nearby stone and threw it to the side.

The horned lizard reacted immediately, lunging toward the noise.

Taking advantage of the opening, Li Jian moved around its flank, retrieved his sword from his spatial ring, and thrust it into the softer flesh beneath the beast’s jaw.

Strangely, his movements were smoother and faster than he had expected.

The sword seemed to follow his instincts almost naturally, reminding him once again that he was no ordinary person anymore.

He was a cultivator, after all.

SPLURT!

The horned lizard let out a furious hiss and thrashed violently.

Before Li Jian could pull his sword free, its thick tail swept across his side, sending him tumbling several feet away.

Sharp pain shot through his ribs, nearly forcing the breath from his lungs.

"Argh!"

Li Jian gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet.

The horned lizard was already turning toward him again, blood dripping from the wound beneath its jaw.

Knowing he couldn’t afford to drag this out, Li Jian tightened his grip on his sword and charged forward.

He dodged another swipe of its tail before striking at the wounded area again.

This time, however, he adjusted his angle and drove his sword deeper, forcing the blade through the beast’s open mouth and into its skull.

SPLURT!

The horned lizard let out a pained roar and thrashed violently, desperately trying to shake Li Jian off.

Its thick tail lashed wildly, forcing him to brace himself as he gritted his teeth and pushed his sword deeper into the wound.

For several agonizing moments, the horned lizard continued to struggle, its claws scraping against the ground as it fought to survive.

Gradually, however, its movements began to slow.

Its furious roars weakened into low, labored hisses, and the strength behind its struggles steadily faded.

Finally, its legs gave way, and its massive body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Li Jian remained on guard for another moment, watching as the beast’s body twitched a few times before falling completely still.

Only then did he finally withdraw his sword and lower his weapon.

"Haa... Haa... Dammit."

He stood there for a moment, breathing heavily with one hand pressed against his aching side.

"Even at the Fifth Stage of Qi Refinement, I can’t afford to be careless."

Although the horned lizard was only at the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement, its physical strength was considerable.

Had he underestimated it or reacted a moment too slowly, he might have suffered a much worse injury.

After catching his breath, Li Jian collected the beast core and several intact scales.

The core wasn’t particularly valuable, but he could still exchange it for some resources at the Resource Hall.

He didn’t linger for long.

The smell of fresh blood might attract other demonic beasts, and he had no intention of risking another fight while already injured.

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Continuing deeper into the forest, he eventually came across a collapsed stone platform that had been partially swallowed by vegetation.

While examining the area, he noticed two herbs growing in the cracks between the broken stones.

One was a common medicinal herb, while the other was of slightly better quality, its leaves marked by faint spiritual veins.

Li Jian carefully collected both before turning his attention to his surroundings.

There were clear signs of a recent battle nearby.

Several broken swords lay scattered across the ground, and patches of dried blood stained the stones.

Yet, there were no bodies to be found.

Whoever had fought here had either managed to leave or had been dragged away by something.

Li Jian glanced around briefly before deciding not to investigate further.

He had no idea what had happened here or whether the danger had already passed.

There was no reason to risk his life over a mystery that had nothing to do with him.

Li Jian had just turned to leave when a voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Wait! Oi, isn’t that Li Jian?"

He paused and turned around, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Several figures emerged from between the trees, their clothes bearing the insignia of the Purple Shade Sect.

There were three of them, all male outer disciples.

The one in the lead was a young man with a sturdy build and a somewhat familiar face.

He stared at Li Jian for a moment before a look of recognition spread across his features.

"Hah! It really is you!"

The young man walked closer, his eyes briefly sweeping over Li Jian before settling on the sword in his hand.

"What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to run into you here."

Li Jian narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to recall where he had seen this person before.

A moment later, memories belonging to the original Li Jian surfaced in his mind.

He recognized them.

These three outer disciples were acquaintances of the original Li Jian.

They had spent some time together in the past, and the original owner of this body had even considered them his friends.

Of course, that was only his own opinion.

In reality, these so-called friends had often taken advantage of him, ordering him around and making him do their chores.

Whenever they needed someone to help with a task or take the blame for their mistakes, the original Li Jian was always their first choice.

To put it bluntly, they were nothing more than a group of bullies who had disguised themselves as friends.

Li Jian’s expression remained unchanged as he recalled these memories.

’So, these are the people the original owner used to hang around with...’

He couldn’t help but feel a little speechless.

The original Li Jian had certainly been a pitiful fellow.

But then Li Jian’s curiosity was piqued, and he quietly checked their details through the system as he had a feeling they also... owed him Favor Debt.

Three familiar panels appeared before his eyes.

[Ding!]

[Name: Wang Hun, Sixth Stage of Qi Refinement]

[Favor Debt: 1320]

[Name: Zhang Zhao, Fifth Stage of Qi Refinement

[Favor Debt: 1580]

[Name: Chen Lei, Fifth Stage of Qi Refinement]

[Favor Debt: 1850]