All of Gu Yi's power was suppressed, and he couldn't even sense the vast amount of energy he had absorbed earlier. His body, spiritual, and spirit power were all weakening.
As the darkness lifted, Gu Yi saw the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger standing in front of him, now significantly smaller. He also noticed his current state, looking exactly as he did when he was six years old. His martial spirit hadn't yet awakened, and he had no internal energy—nothing at all. His physical strength was only slightly better than that of an average child, and he was still far inferior to his peer, Tang San.
It seems that this was the Life and Death Arena.
Gu Yi felt somewhat fortunate. It was a good thing he had shattered the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's protective shield before entering. Otherwise, he would be facing not a juvenile tiger but a formidable adult one, which would have made the battle impossible to win. Without spirit power or the ability to manipulate heavenly energy, he could only rely on his not-so-strong physical strength and combat skills.
Fortunately, this skill only limited his power, not his memory; otherwise, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Gu Yi knew that the juvenile Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was at most a ten-year-old spirit beast. Although it had the most elite bloodline, elevating its power above ordinary ten-year-old soul beasts, it still wasn't overwhelmingly strong. Perhaps, with his proficiency in both Ming Jin[1] and An Jin[2]—victory was possible.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger lunged at him with a fierce roar, its crimson eyes filled with intense killing intent. Although Gu Yi lacked spirit power and couldn't use advanced techniques to evade, he could still manage basic footwork. He gathered all his strength and unleashed it in a swift strike that produced a sharp sound in the air, landing squarely on the tiger's back.
The tiger screamed and fell to the ground. Although six-year-old Gu Yi was much stronger than his peers, he still couldn't surpass an adult, let alone compare to a spirit beast. Just this one hit left Gu Yi feeling exhausted. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, puzzled by how this seemingly powerless human had avoided its pounce and inflicted such damage. It shook its head and stood up, continuing its assault without pause.
Gu Yi's full-force punch did little damage, which surprised him. He dodged carefully, realizing that simple external attacks wouldn't secure his victory. He needed to damage it from the inside out.
Estimating that he could only muster three more punches like the one he just delivered, Gu Yi knew he had to make every move count to avoid a fatal mistake. Observing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, he prepared his right hand for a decisive strike.
Despite its top-tier hunting instincts, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was still an animal and acted on animalistic thinking. It seemed wary of Gu Yi's previous attack and did not pounce again. Instead, it began to form a black energy ball, albeit slowly. Gu Yi felt an intense threat from it. Unable to rush in and interrupt the spell due to his current speed, he couldn't take the risk.
As the completed dark energy ball shot toward him at incredible speed, Gu Yi's scalp tingled with fear. He rolled to the ground in a desperate dodge. The ball exploded nearby, sending black light scattering. One stray beam hit Gu Yi's leg, leaving it numb and seemingly broken, with blood pouring from a wound the size of a bowl.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, now showing a human-like expression of satisfaction, leaped at Gu Yi again, determined to kill him this time and trample his corpse. Feigning helplessness from the pain, Gu Yi didn't dodge.
Just as the tiger's claws were inches from his throat, Gu Yi raised his head, his delicate face showing a fierce determination. This was his boldest move yet. He could have avoided the dark energy ball, but then what? How could a six-year-old fight a spirit beast?
"Die."
Gathering his strength, Gu Yi punched the tiger's head. This time, his punch was silent, carrying the strength of a child but infused with potent hidden energy that could damaged internal organs without harming the exterior. The punch was aimed directly at the tiger's brain, intending to destroy it.
Sensing something wrong but unable to evade, the tiger could only see who would strike first. Bloodlust gleamed in its eyes.
Boom!
Having calculated and executed perfectly, Gu Yi's punch was faster. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's attack halted abruptly, its claws stopping just five centimeters from Gu Yi. If it had been a fraction faster, Gu Yi would be dead. But there are no "ifs" in reality; Gu Yi was quicker, so he survived.
Despite the increased blood flow from his leg wound, Gu Yi remained unfazed. Soon he would leave the arena, and his sealed power would return, making this injury insignificant compared to the damage from using the secret technique.
Dugu Bo felt relieved when he saw Gu Yi reappearing. However, he also saw the corpse of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. Unexpectedly, Gu Yi was able to actually kill this powerful spirit beast.
However, what he was worried about most now was how Gu Yi would survive. Under such a huge amount of heaven and earth energy, no one could possibly survive.
Just as he emerged, Gu Yi grabbed a pearl that was trying to escape into a black hole, recognizing it as a valuable treasure. He stored it in his spirit guide and began addressing his injuries.
Now a blood-covered figure stood in stained white clothes, his internal meridians shattered, it was only thanks to his years of fortification that had saved him from being pulverized by the massive heavenly energy. Unable to use spirit power at the moment, Gu Yi remained calm, having anticipated this scenario.
The Heaven Devouring Secret Technique was created specifically for his fifth spirit skill. Without it and the attached spirit bone, this secret technique wouldn't have been usable.
Communicating with the stored spirit power in his external spirit bone, his spirit ring appeared, activating his fifth spirit skill.
(End Of Chapter)
Glossary:
[1]Ming Jin- It translates to "obvious power" or "visible force." It is the initial and most straightforward form of power generation in martial arts.
[2]An Jin- It translates to "hidden power" or "concealed force." It is a more advanced level of Meng Jin, characterized by subtlety and internal strength. Practitioners focus on refining their techniques, achieving greater efficiency, and using less apparent force.