Chapter 63: Slaying the Mutant Beast

This mutated Blood-Armored Lizard possesses astonishing strength—no wonder it is an existence nearing the level of a Martial Marquis, Lu Yan thought to himself in alarm.

In terms of raw power, the mutated lizard even surpassed Zhou Zhengkong, the peak Five-Break expert. Even with his current strength, Lu Yan was no match for it.

With a furious roar, the beast shook its head, clearly pained by his punch, and charged at Lu Yan like an armored vehicle, its limbs pounding the earth.

Suddenly, a graceful figure leapt from the side. With a swing of her black iron pot, she smashed it down on the lizard’s head.

A heavy clang rang out. The mutated lizard staggered back, dazed by the blow.

Such strength! Lu Yan marveled inwardly. Shen Yinuo’s abilities were truly unfathomable. Every time she struck, it seemed she held back, her true power impossible to discern. What martial art had she trained in? Could a top-tier discipline really be so formidable?

With a swift motion, Lu Yan drew his refined steel saber. He slashed, cutting through the air—a white arc flashed, and the blade struck the creature’s neck.

After merging man and weapon, the fifty-four forms of the Sky-Splitting Blade had fused into one, the ultimate strike. The blow should have split gold and iron, unstoppable as a breaking wave.

But when the edge landed on the beast’s neck, it met not yielding flesh but layers of thick, leathery hide and scales, leaving only a faint mark. And this was the softest part—the rest would be even tougher.

At that moment, the lizard’s tail lashed toward Lu Yan like a steel whip, only to be intercepted by Shen Yinuo and her iron pot.

"The mutated Blood-Armored Lizard’s hide is too tough. Aim for its eyes—I’ll hold it off, you go for the kill," Shen Yinuo called.

Lu Yan retreated, gathering his vital energy and channeling it into the saber, which took on a blood-red hue. With a shout, he dashed forward, both hands gripping the blade, thrusting directly at the creature’s eye.

The beast tried to dodge, but Shen Yinuo swung her pot mercilessly. Whatever the pot was made of, it was heavy and indestructible—the lizard reeled, stunned, while the pot remained unscathed.

With a sharp sound, the refined steel saber pierced precisely into the creature’s eye socket, the blade sinking a full foot before hitting bone.

The beast howled, thrashing wildly to throw Lu Yan off. Suddenly, a bone spike on its back detached and shot toward him.

Startled, Lu Yan withdrew his blade and leapt back, raising it just in time to deflect the spike.

The lizard, having forced him back, turned to flee. But neither Lu Yan nor Shen Yinuo would let it escape—they pursued at full speed.

Shen Yinuo overtook the beast in a few bounding steps, hurling a flying knife at its remaining good eye. The lizard twisted away; the knife struck its head scales, sparking harmlessly off.

Lu Yan caught up, saber thrusting again at its good eye. But now the beast had learned caution, desperately dodging and shielding its eyes with other parts of its body, leaving Lu Yan’s attack to strike empty air.

“Hold still!” Shen Yinuo shouted, swinging her pot in a furious barrage—blow after blow, like a blacksmith hammering iron. For someone so petite, her strength was terrifying.

She’s practically a human female tyrannosaur—whoever marries her… well, good luck! Lu Yan silently vowed never to cross this formidable woman unless absolutely necessary.

Even as that thought flitted by, he pressed his attack. Taking advantage of the lizard’s daze, he thrust his saber with all his might.

His refined steel blade, styled like a Tang saber—narrow, long, with a pointed tip—was perfect for piercing, unlike heavier broadswords or ringed sabers.

With a wet sound, the blade struck true, piercing the lizard’s remaining eye. He immediately withdrew, dodging the beast’s frenzied counterattack.

Wounded and blinded, the lizard bolted, crashing through undergrowth and snapping trees like an armored tank.

“Hold it off—I’m preparing my killing move,” Shen Yinuo shouted.

“Hurry, I can’t last much longer,” Lu Yan replied, charging forward with a flurry of slashes. Yet the berserk lizard was unstoppable—each clash left his arms numb.

He tossed aside his saber and switched to his Vajra Body and Gale Fist techniques, launching a barrage of punches. Though forced back step by step, he managed to block the creature’s advance.

Meanwhile, Shen Yinuo stood to the side, her face grave as her vital energy surged, gathering in her right hand. Her hand glowed crimson, turning deeper in hue, as if carved from blood-red jade.

“Are you ready yet?” Lu Yan called, straining to hold the lizard at bay. A careless moment, and the beast’s tail whipped into him—pain lanced through his body, as if he would split apart.

If not for his unified Vajra Body and powerful physique, a regular Five-Break martial artist struck by that tail would have been torn in two.

“Kill!” Shen Yinuo cried. She flashed forward, palm extended like a divine blade, stabbing at the lizard’s neck.

With a sickening sound, her hand pierced the beast’s hide, which even the Sky-Splitting Blade could not breach—her entire arm sank in. She slapped its head with her left hand and used the momentum to leap back ten meters.

The lizard howled, thrashed, and then fell still.

“What martial art was that?” Lu Yan stared at Shen Yinuo in awe. That technique was on par with a Martial Marquis’s strike. Had it landed on him, his Vajra Body would have torn like paper.

Its flaw, of course, was the long buildup—no expert would allow an opponent that much time. But with allies, such power was devastating.

No wonder Shen Yinuo had always wanted to partner with him.

They dragged the mutated lizard’s body back to the blood-blossom field. After eating some martial rations and recovering their strength, Shen Yinuo wasted no time and began a meticulous dissection.

With a small knife, she opened the wound at the neck, slicing carefully down to the heart. The lizard’s heart still beat rhythmically; in front of it lay a large, vivid red mass of flesh.

Mutated Heart Meat.

Lu Yan and Shen Yinuo were overjoyed. The piece was enormous—surely more than ten pounds.

Shen Yinuo weighed it in her hand. “About twenty pounds. As expected of a second-tier mutated beast. First-tier ones rarely yield more than ten pounds of heart meat.”

“What about the rest of the meat?” Lu Yan asked.

“Useless,” Shen Yinuo said, shaking her head. “The mutation draws all the essence into the heart. The rest is saturated with blood poison—completely fused. Not even a Master Martial Chef could remove it.”

“Such a waste,” Lu Yan sighed. The lizard’s carcass must weigh over a thousand pounds, all for nothing.

“For a while, I need to focus on training and refining my culinary skills—striving to become a Master Martial Chef as soon as possible. Of course, I need martial rations as well, so I’ll still cook from time to time. You can come by every few days,” Shen Yinuo said. “By the way, we’re still missing some ingredients for the Mutated Nine-Section Heart Meat dish. I’ll need your help finding them.”

“The auxiliary herbs are expensive. You want me to front the money again?” Lu Yan frowned.

“Perspective, my friend! Once I become a Master Martial Chef, I’ll cook as many Mutated Nine-Section Heart Meat dishes as you want—you can’t lose. Besides, I promised to cook for you for a year. The better my skills, the greater your profit. Would you rather have a year of meals from a high-level chef or a Master Chef?” Shen Yinuo fired off several questions.

Lu Yan was left speechless. She was right—he would be a fool not to invest.

Without another word, he turned to leave.

Afterward, Lu Yan used every connection he had to help acquire the rare herbs needed for the Mutated Nine-Section Heart Meat. Naturally, he did not appear in person. The more common ingredients he left to the Green Bamboo Gang and the Tiger Gang; the rarer, more valuable items he entrusted to Zhou Zhengkong.