In the quiet forest, a small stream flows down from a distant mountain peak, resembling a slender galaxy, adorning the lush mountain range. The serene atmosphere imbues the surroundings of the stream with a sense of calm and peace. "Boom!" Yet this tranquility did not last long. Suddenly, a massive black silhouette burst forth from the forest, crashing to the ground and leaving a long streak of marks on the scattered stones around the stream. It then gradually came to a halt. The great, fierce beast, with a menacing aura radiating from its entire body, struggled briefly before losing all vitality. On its abdomen, a section remained scorched black. The sudden commotion caused several beasts near Xiao Xi to panic and retreat hastily, especially upon seeing the fallen creature. The more intelligent among them hastened even further, for only a truly exceptional being—be it human or beast—could have defeated the region's strongest earth giant bear. As these beasts retreated, faint footsteps began to echo through the forest. A moment later, a slender human figure emerged slowly. Standing just outside the forest, the figure looked up at the blinding sun overhead, then glanced at the large creature nearby, shaking his head and murmuring, "Couldn't you just stay put and guard your territory? You've got to be the fool who keeps sending scouts and leading the charge." The sunlight illuminated the familiar young face, giving him a vibrant, energetic appearance. This man, none other than Xiao Yan, who had chosen to walk through the mountain range on foot. And thus far, he has walked through this mountain range for ten days, during which numerous less-perceptive beasts have fallen under his hands. As the blood of countless beasts has soaked into the ground, a faint, fierce, blood-tinged aura has subtly emanated from Xiao Yan, sharpening his eyesight to a more keen, almost wild, predatory intensity—giving him a distinctly dangerous, beast-like presence. The vast, misty forests seem to be an excellent place for refinement. Within this mountain range, many powerful beasts reside—not only those comparable to high-tier, Battle Emperor-level warriors—but on one occasion, while seeking a rare medicinal herb, Xiao Yan unexpectedly engaged in battle with a superbeast of the seventh rank, equivalent to a Battle Sect-level master. The very earth-magic bear that Xiao Yan had previously defeated, a warrior of ordinary Battle Emperor caliber, had actually been dispatched by the famed Celestial Wolf King, the acknowledged ruler of this mountain range, as a scout. In terms of human rank levels, the strength of the Celestial Wolf King would be equivalent to a Two-Star Battle Sovereign, further enhanced by his exceptionally keen movements and instinctive, wild-beast-like intuition—making him nearly comparable to a Three-Star Battle Sovereign. Previously, such a level of opponent would have been difficult for Xiao Yan to match solely on his own. However, now, with his Nine-Star Battle Sovereign strength, bolstered by the power of the Tianhuo Sanxuan Transformation and the exceptional efficacy of the Strange Fire, even the Celestial Wolf King finds it hard to land a decisive killing blow on Xiao Yan. Over these four days, they have clashed twice, each time allowing Xiao Yan to escape unscathed. Thanks to Xiao Yan's formidable spiritual strength, he has effortlessly evaded the Celestial Wolf King's pursuit, forcing the latter to rely instead on other wild beasts within the mountain range to track Xiao Yan's movements. Of course, with the trump card in his hand, Xiang Yan only needed to summon the Earth Demon Puppet to defeat the Sky Wolf King. Yet he chose not to do so. This level of opponent was precisely what he needed most. Compared to the past—Shen Yun, and the three senior elders of Fenglei North Pavilion—whose strengths far surpassed his own, he had previously had to rely on various strategies to keep up. Now, facing the Sky Wolf King, he could simply rely on his own strength to engage and successfully escape, which was nothing short of the ideal training for him. Thus, he naturally wouldn’t so easily deploy his strongest move to finish him off. At the edge of the small stream, he cleaned the magic core and stored it in his storage ring. Looking at his reflection on the lake surface—slightly clumsy and disheveled—Xiao Yan couldn't help but shake his head in resignation. These days of eating on the go and sleeping under the open sky had truly made him comparable to a wild man. "The Three-Thousand-Thunder Technique is becoming more and more refined, yet the formation of the duplicate body still remains unachieved. Indeed, this cursed Three-Thousand-Thunder Phantom Form isn't as easy to master as I'd hoped..." He brushed the water droplets off his palms with a shimmering emerald flame, evaporating them completely, then furrowed his brows and spoke softly. "Now that the energy tides of the Tianmu Mountain Range have begun, there are still over twenty days left. At my pace, within another ten days, I should be able to exit this mountain range and then head straight for Tianmu Mountain. As for whether I can凝聚 a copy of myself within this final timeframe—it all depends on fate..." With a light sigh, Xiao Yan stood up and was about to turn to leave, when his brow suddenly arched, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. There, vast shadows were breaking through the wind, and even the faint scent of fierce intensity could be detected. "This time, they've come quite swiftly..." Seeing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile, and instead paused, arms folded, smiling calmly as the shadows gradually approached. "Young one! Leave the Wujiang Fruit behind—otherwise, I'll tear out your entire body and devour it!" The roar came before the shadows had even reached the ground, sending tremors through the forest's beasts, causing them all to shiver in fear. As the shadow drew near, it revealed a colossal flying beast, its massive wings spreading out and generating a powerful gust of wind that crushed the forest beneath it, forcing all the trees to bend and bow. Standing proudly atop the beast's head was a bearded man with a broad, scarred upper body, his intense, crimson eyes fixed firmly on Xiao Yan by the side of the small stream. Behind him, numerous other large-bodied beasts stood in formation, each appearing formidable—clearly, this man had brought out all his strongest forces. "You claim to be a lord who rules his mountain, yet you pursue me for merely a fruit with no juice? Isn't that a loss of dignity?" Xiao Yan gazed at the bearded man, bare-chested, and smiled. "This man is the sovereign of this mountain range—the Celestial Wolf King. He's exceptionally strong. Moreover, it's said that he transformed into human form through his own abilities, which is no small feat. After all, when a beast undergoes transformation, it's akin to the emergence of a high-grade elixir—there will be a thunderbolt storm that descends. Only those who withstand it can successfully transform; otherwise, they might be struck dead by lightning. Of course, if one possesses an elixir of transformation, the perilous phase can be bypassed. Yet the Celestial Wolf King clearly lacks such a high-grade elixir. After all, the elixir of transformation is a seventh-tier elixir, one of the rarest in the world of beasts. Securing it is no easy task." "Hand it over, or I'll tear you apart right now!" The Wolf King's eyes blazed red as he stared at Xiao Yan. With a powerful kick to the ground, massive cracks spread outward from his feet. In a flash, his figure surged forward, his sharp fingernails slicing like blades toward Xiao Yan's throat, carving faint black streaks across the space along the way. "Skipped past by Xiao Yan, the Celestial Wolf King roared in frustration—this was the most vexing aspect: though his strength far surpassed Xiao Yan's, the latter moved with the elusive grace of a eel, his movements so strange and unpredictable that it was nearly impossible to reach or touch him. Observing the Celestial Wolf King's growing agitation, Xiao Yan smiled, about to speak, when his gaze suddenly sharpened and his eyes instantly fixed upon the lingering silhouette before him. The stillness lasted a moment before Xiao Yan finally regained his composure, a surge of exhilaration shining in his eyes. He swiftly raised his hand, and the faint outline of the shadow transformed into an intangible luminous dot, which then pierced into the center of his brow. Though this was merely a seed of a partial body, the most challenging step in creation had now been accomplished. With further refinement, Xiao Yan's Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Form would seamlessly coalesce.