"No wonder throughout the long river of time, those who obtained the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron did not necessarily become the best under heaven. It turns out everyone's cultivation method was entirely contrary to the cauldron itself.

"To truly harness the power of the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron, one needs human-cauldron unity!" Tang Yan muttered. Sensing the power within his body, he was startled to find that he had already reached the seventh grade of the Black Rank!

Tang Yan stood up, preparing to go find Wan Fei and the others, only to realize that his skin was sticky and covered in a dark, foul-smelling filth.

After a moment of thought, he guessed it was the work of the Star Spirit Liquid. During the cultivation process, the liquid had performed a thorough Marrow Cleansing on his constitution.

He quickly found a river, washed himself clean, and changed into a fresh set of clothes before letting out a long sigh of relief.

He hadn't expected the Star Spirit Liquid to bring so many benefits. It truly exceeded his expectations.

He was about to resume his search for Lin Dongxue and the others, but before he had taken more than a few steps, he heard voices drifting over from not far away.

"I wonder what that heaven-and-earth spiritual treasure really is, for Yun Zhonghe and the others to make such a massive fuss over it!"

"Who knows? But if we can find that kid, we'll get thirty Third-Rank pills. If I get my hands on that bounty, I'll be rich! As expected of descendants from major clans, their pockets are truly deep."

"Alright, stop talking and keep your eyes peeled. With such a high bounty, half the people in the eastern district are looking for him. We need to hurry..."

Tang Yan concealed his aura and remained hidden in the shadows. Hearing the group's conversation, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Those three experts were indeed extraordinary. They had seen through his trick so quickly, and were even offering thirty Third-Rank pills just for information on his whereabouts. What generous hands!

Tang Yan decisively abandoned his plan to find Wan Fei and the others. It was better not to implicate his companions right now.

Although he was confident he could hold his own against a ninth-grade Black Rank expert for a while, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could face all three of them at once.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Yan dashed off into the distance. He needed to rapidly improve his cultivation in the coming days.

Four days passed quickly. Tang Yan deliberately chose remote paths, avoiding contact with others as much as possible. Under his relentless day-and-night cultivation, his newly broken-through seventh-grade Black Rank strength was finally consolidated.

There were still four days until the assessment ended. Although his Star Value had already reached a staggering 1400 points, Tang Yan knew very well that the higher his Star Value, the more attention he would receive at the end-and that meant more cultivation resources!

"My strength is polished enough. It's time to go out and hunt for some Star Value to boost my score." Having made up his mind, Tang Yan moved out.

"Bang! Bang!" A slight tremor traveled through the earth. Tang Yan pricked up his ears, instantly discerning the sounds of a battle in the distance.

Listening closely, Tang Yan's heart stirred. Neither side was weak.

Executing the Phantom Step, Tang Yan's figure flickered like a ghost as he rushed toward the direction of the fight.

A few minutes later, he arrived at a valley. From a distance, he spotted a Spirit Beast the size of a calf fiercely fighting a person.

The Spirit Beast resembled a wild boar. With two sharp tusks jutting out from under its arched snout, it looked exceptionally sinister. Its body was a fiery red, and it moved with terrifying speed. Even from a distance, Tang Yan could sense an acute aura of danger.

A Fifth-Rank Spirit Beast, the Tuskbeast!

It was said that Fifth-Rank Spirit Beasts possessed innate divine abilities, and those with noble bloodlines could even contend against Earth Rank experts!

The Tuskbeast was not only astonishingly fast, but also possessed tremendous brute strength. Its two tusks were incredibly sharp. Fierce and aggressive, it was not a creature to be trifled with. Furthermore, as a fire-attribute Spirit Beast, its fiery red fur could erupt into blazing flames, rendering it impossible to approach.

For someone to actually fight such a formidable Spirit Beast-who was so audacious?

Tang Yan narrowed his eyes. When he saw exactly who was battling the Tuskbeast, a strange expression crossed his face.

That handsome young man was none other than the eldest young master of the Rakshasa Sect-Yu Juechen!

Observing Yu Juechen closely, Tang Yan couldn't help but sigh in admiration. The man was indeed from a prestigious faction. Yu Juechen completely surpassed ordinary cultivators of the same rank in both sheer power and combat experience, and held a massive advantage in his martial techniques.

The strength of a ninth-grade Black Rank cultivator was displayed to its absolute fullest. His dazzling moves and seamless combos were truly worthy of applause.

Unfortunately...

The Tuskbeast ranked near the very top among Fifth-Rank Spirit Beasts. Its strength was comparable to the peak of the ninth grade of the Black Rank, and an adult Tuskbeast could even rival an early Earth Rank expert. And this particular Tuskbeast was very clearly a fully grown adult.

Poor Yu Juechen. Despite his formidable ninth-grade Black Rank cultivation, he was currently being completely suppressed by a pig.

He couldn't win the fight, and he couldn't outrun it to escape!

A smile curled at the corner of Tang Yan's mouth. He stood up and lazily strolled out toward the battlefield.

With Tang Yan's arrival, both man and beast grew instantly alert.

Yu Juechen recognized Tang Yan immediately, a hint of joy flashing through his eyes. He hadn't seen this guy in days, and he was just worrying about his lack of cultivation pills; now he could use Beast Cores to trade with him. But the moment his attention wavered, the Tuskbeast seized the opening, charging at Yu Juechen like a streak of crimson light.

The disparity in strength was already great; this sudden lapse immediately threw Yu Juechen into an even more desperate position.

"On your next move, strike its left leg bone. Use ten parts of your strength, do not hold back," Tang Yan called out leisurely.

Yu Juechen, who had just been preparing to counterattack, was startled. How did this kid know he was only planning to use nine parts of his strength? Though puzzled, Yu Juechen didn't hesitate. He let out a low shout and punched forward with every ounce of his power.

"Bang!" Under the heavy blow, the Tuskbeast's charging momentum immediately stalled.

Overjoyed, Yu Juechen was about to press the attack when Tang Yan's voice rang out again: "Do not face it head-on! Shift to the left and strike its flank. Don't worry, the Tuskbeast's tusks won't be able to reach you. Strike with everything you have!"

After only a split-second of hesitation, Yu Juechen decided to trust Tang Yan. He already knew that a continued frontal assault would never break the Tuskbeast's defenses, so he might as well take the gamble.

Activating his movement technique, his figure instantly blurred, appearing at the Tuskbeast's side as he twisted his body to deliver a crushing blow.

Exactly as Tang Yan had predicted, the Tuskbeast whipped its head around, trying to use its massive tusks to intercept Yu Juechen's strike.

"Bang!" Although the tusks were incredibly sharp, they simply weren't long enough to pierce Yu Juechen in time. Meanwhile, Yu Juechen's heavy fist slammed brutally into the Tuskbeast's flank.

The Tuskbeast staggered violently.

This was the very first time Yu Juechen had managed to actually injure the beast!

"Don't hesitate. Sweep its legs and bring it down," Tang Yan directed once more.

This time, Yu Juechen didn't hesitate at all. His leg whipped out like an iron pillar, viciously sweeping the Tuskbeast's legs out from under it.

Yu Juechen's heart surged with triumph. He was just about to close in and deliver the fatal blow when the fallen Tuskbeast's body suddenly glowed a blinding, fiery red. A terrifying wave of heat blasted outward, making Yu Juechen's heart skip a beat.

The Tuskbeast's innate divine ability had erupted.

Forced to abandon his attack, Yu Juechen leaped back.

The Tuskbeast seized the opening to scramble to its feet. Opening its maw, it spewed out a scorching, magma-like crimson liquid that rained down like a sudden tempest.

The liquid radiated a blistering heat and carried a foul, venomous stench. Not daring to let a single drop touch him, Yu Juechen retreated frantically.

"Roar!"

As if realizing that these two shameless humans were in cahoots, the Tuskbeast abandoned the fight entirely. The moment it forced Yu Juechen back, it turned tail and fled into the distance.