He had only bathed in this vital essence for a moment.

His physical body shone brightly, emitting a lucent, glazed light like that of a human-shaped Magical Treasure—indestructible. The aura within his body continued to condense and climb. The vital essence in every fiber of his being was sublimated.

ROAR—

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from all directions. The forests quivered, and even the ground trembled.

Qingzhou looked up, his expression changing subtly. He saw a dense swarm of Fierce Beasts and ancient species that had previously fled in fright. Now, drawn back by the rich vital essence suffusing the air, they were rushing back to form a beast tide. The scale was so vast it made one's scalp tingle and inspired awe-inspiring fear.

In the distance, the many prodigies who had arrived late were shocked by the scene. They halted in their tracks, not daring to approach any closer.

"What's happening?"

"So many Fierce Beasts, and a lot of ancient species! There are even Devil Beasts with the bloodline of ancient Divine Beasts, and they've all gone mad!"

"Stay back a bit!"

The disturbance was enormous. Mountains were trampled flat, and the ground cracked open. Rivers changed their course. Huge swathes of dense forest were felled. Many of the Fierce Beasts were as strong as the Human Race's prodigies, yet in this turmoil, countless were trampled to death by even more powerful beasts. Others, facing Demon Birds with ancient bloodlines, were killed by the shockwave from a single flap of their wings.

All living beings had gone mad, their eyes blood-red as they stared fixedly at the area where Qingzhou stood, as if they had discovered a supreme treasure. The greed inherent in their nature was ignited, and they charged forward recklessly.

Qingzhou slowly rose to his feet, his expression solemn as he stared at the surrounding beast tide. His childlike body stood arrow-straight, towering and unyielding. "A bunch of animals, trying to snatch my fortuitous encounter? Have you asked my hammer first?"

The moment his voice faded, he leaped into the air, shattering the ground beneath him as he swooped into the sky like an eagle. He directly grabbed the wings of an ancient Demon Bird.

That ancient Demon Bird was massive, its wings spread wide enough to blot out the sun. Its aura was ferocious, and it possessed the bloodline of a Roc, making it savage to the extreme. Yet Qingzhou grabbed its wings, planted a foot on its abdomen, and roared with a ferocious expression.

RIP!

A rain of blood fell from the sky as a wing was gruesomely torn clean off.

Stained with blood, Qingzhou grew even more savage. Like a god of slaughter, he swung his Meteor Hammer, smashing it directly onto the Demon Bird's head.

BOOM!

The ancient Demon Bird's head burst open, and it died on the spot.

The area fell silent. Even the rampaging Fierce Beasts were stunned. This human was far too ferocious! He had killed the Demon Bird with the bloodline of a Roc in a single blow.

HISS—

"That person… could it be Qingzhou? The Saint Heir of Qingtian Dongtian?"

"Who else could it be but him?"

"The fourth-ranked Saint Heir of Qingtian on the Golden Core Ranking! With an unparalleled physical body, ferocious and invincible, he truly lives up to his reputation. He's just like a humanoid Fierce Beast!"

"Rumor has it that when the Saint Heir of Qingtian was born, he was cursed. He was unable to circulate mana, so he was deemed a waste body with no prospects for cultivation. His body even stopped growing at the age of eight, leaving him with the appearance of a child for life! And yet, with astonishing talent and perseverance, he forged his own incredible path of pure Body Refinement!"

"That is an ancient path, one that hasn't been seen since the near-ancient era. It's almost hopeless!"

"But there's no denying his combat power is astonishing. If it weren't for his inability to use mana and cast Spells, such an obvious disadvantage, he could easily be ranked in the top three of the Golden Core Ranking!"

"Times have changed. He has no mana in his body, so he can't even fly. He can only rely on his astonishing physical strength to hover briefly... Faced with that kind of barbaric approach, the top three prodigies on the Golden Core Ranking have a hundred ways they could play him to death..."

"Don't be so absolute. You saw his combat power just now. Frankly, I don't think the ones ranked above him are any stronger!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion. Qingzhou was a living legend. To many, his story was even more inspiring than those of the top three prodigies on the Golden Core Ranking. Born with a waste body, unable to cultivate, he walked a path of pure Body Refinement unseen since the near-ancient era.

One must understand that even for a power like the Qingtian Immortal Gate, famous for its Body Refinement techniques, their cultivation method still involved infusing Spiritual Energy into the body to temper and strengthen the flesh. The Sanqing Immortal Sect's Physical Sect followed the same path.

But Qingzhou couldn't do that. His body was unable to store any mana, his meridians seemed blocked, and Spiritual Energy could hardly enter his body. His only way to grow stronger was through hellish trials, forging the power of his qi and blood. The hardship and pain involved were unimaginable.

And yet, using this very method, he had claimed the fourth spot on the Golden Core Ranking. It was a testament to how extraordinary he was. He had pioneered a new path. There were rumors he had received the legacy of an ancient master of pure Body Refinement from a bygone era, which was the source of his current strength. The specific details, however, remained unknown.

But what nobody could deny was that Qingzhou was truly strong.

At this moment, he charged into the endless beast tide, a lone warrior with his hammer, like a god of slaughter. The Fierce Beasts, further enraged by the sight of blood, charged at him in a frenzy. They were like a vast ocean swallowing a solitary boat.

The battle wasn't flashy, but its visual impact on the spectators was immense. With each punch and kick, he shattered mountains, ripped apart beasts, and blasted the very void to the brink of collapse. His Red Meteor Hammer, heavy as a mountain, seemed as light as a ribbon in his hands. Wherever it fell upon a Fierce Beast's head, a skull would burst on impact.

But no matter how ferocious he was, he was still just one person. Injuries began to accumulate on his body, and bit by bit, his condition deteriorated.

He stumbled back several paces, shaking the mountains as he gasped for breath.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.