Chapter Seventy: Strange Energy

Although he couldn’t see what was happening behind him, Luo Tian’s keen ears caught the faintest whisper of wind, alerting him at once. Something was amiss!

There was no time to turn and look. Luo Tian abruptly quickened his pace, and only after two breaths had widened the gap a little did he risk tilting his head for a glance backward.

It was that fanged rat!

Luo Tian was greatly surprised. He had already suspected something, but witnessing it with his own eyes still left him incredulous. Rodent-type magical beasts were generally known for their speed or attack prowess, but their physical defenses were negligible. Fanged rats in particular were infamous for their frailty; to call them paper-thin might be an exaggeration, but even outer sect disciples from humble backgrounds could defeat one with little effort.

So what was happening now? Its throat had been slit, and yet it still lunged to attack?

In the brief time that had passed, Luo Tian saw that the wound he’d just inflicted on the fanged rat had completely healed, leaving only the faintest trace behind.

A gentle breeze brushed past, and Luo Tian felt no unusual movement beneath his feet. His heart eased—there was no sign yet of a disaster like a rat swarm. He brushed aside his lingering worries.

Since the situation allowed, he decided to see just what was going on with this fanged rat.

He stopped and thrust his sword again, this time striking the creature’s throat with perfect precision.

It was the same attack as before.

The fanged rat collapsed without suspense, but this time Luo Tian did not leave. He stared intently, eager to see what strange phenomenon might allow this rat to rise from the dead.

At first, the fanged rat lay weakly on the ground, gasping for breath. But in the blink of an eye, the wound on its neck, not especially large to begin with, began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. The blood coagulated, and new tissue formed over the severed skin, sealing the injury.

The newly grown, pink, tender flesh was conspicuous against the rat’s slender throat, but within moments it too began to return to its normal color.

Luo Tian’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Clearly, the fanged rat’s defenses were still as fragile as the records described. Under the power of his medium-grade treasured sword, imbued with vital energy, it had offered no resistance at all; its thin pelt was next to useless.

Yet its astonishing regenerative power granted this not-yet-dead fanged rat an almost miraculous ability to recover from fatal wounds. The only sign of change was that the blood at its neck wound had congealed a little more than before.

Even when Luo Tian activated his special divine sight, he found nothing unusual inside the fanged rat. This extraordinary healing seemed to be a natural instinct, triggered automatically.

But this was far from normal. Had the fanged rat somehow consumed a legendary elixir? Otherwise, how could such a bizarre phenomenon be explained?

A shrill squeak echoed.

Though the fanged rat seemed somewhat dispirited, its body was otherwise healthy. Without a moment’s hesitation, it sprang at Luo Tian again, its teeth and claws glinting like silver needles, poised to pierce his flesh.

Courting death!

A flicker of anger ignited in Luo Tian’s heart. This fanged rat was one of the weakest among second-tier magical beasts, yet it dared to recklessly attempt to kill him?

Once again, his blade struck with the swiftness of a tempest and the urgency of a shooting star. This time, though, the blue aura enveloping the sword shimmered and pulsed, even causing the air around the blade to waver, as if combusting.

Luo Tian no longer attacked in jest; this time, he infused his strike with the essence of searing flame, a power realized from fire elemental energy.

He drove his sword into the fanged rat’s throat, then, without pausing, twisted the blade and plunged it toward the creature’s abdomen.

Though the fanged rat was many times larger than an ordinary rodent, it could not withstand such punishment. Under the searing force, its blood sizzled softly, the intense heat preventing its wounds from healing.

With his cultivation at the seventh tier of the Qi Condensation Realm, his foundation solidly established, Luo Tian already possessed overwhelming strength against the fanged rat. Now, wielding the insight gleaned from fire elemental energy, his advantage became absolute—the rat instantly lost its regenerative power.

It was dead beyond any hope of revival.

Yet even in death, the fanged rat’s body appeared vibrant, as if full of life. Though it no longer breathed, its heart stilled, its outward appearance could have easily convinced Luo Tian it was merely sleeping.

Only after several breaths, when he saw no sign of the rat returning to life, did Luo Tian finally relax. Though astonished by the creature’s abilities, he felt no fear; absolute strength bred absolute confidence. Still, the situation was perplexing. If he couldn’t unravel the mystery, it would gnaw at him.

A fanged rat was one thing, but what if a more formidable second-tier beast—or even a third-tier one—possessed such power? How would one cope?

Just as Luo Tian straightened, a faint, strange energy traveled from the sword into his body.

It was lively, vibrant.

Alarmed, Luo Tian immediately activated his divine sight and discovered the energy’s source lay within the fanged rat. As it left the rat entirely, its pelt dulled, losing all luster.

This peculiar energy set Luo Tian’s heart on guard. He unleashed his fire elemental energy, surging it through the meridians of his arm to clash with the foreign energy flowing along the sword.

He didn’t know if the rat was to blame, but this energy’s eerie appearance left him no choice but to be cautious.

In cultivation, aside from the risk of internal deviation, such foreign energies were among the greatest threats, often causing severe consequences.

No matter what, it was best to try to expel it first!

He wasn’t certain if this strange energy was the source of the rat’s resurrection, but Luo Tian dared not let it invade his body unchecked.

Compared to the unknown, which might be blessing or curse, Luo Tian much preferred to cultivate methodically. With his divine sight, he had every confidence in his future—no mere Yuan Core master of the Human Spirit Pill realm could draw his attention.

Desperate men might gamble everything, but cultivators who hadn’t reached the end of their rope would never give up resistance.

As the faint green energy neared his fire elemental power, Luo Tian’s heart leapt to his throat.

What in the world was this?