Very soon, the Li family experts reacted, many people took water bottles and ran over, uncorked them, and poured them over Wei Yao's injuries, trying to wash away the blood. Yet, unknown to them, the toxic fire within this blood was being rapidly absorbed by Li Xuan.
"Yaohua!"
"Yaohua!!"
"Wake up, don't fall asleep!!"
Li Xuan's nose was clogged, his eyes were sore.
He took detoxifying and restorative pills and placed them in Yaohua's mouth.
Seeing Yaohua's face as pale as paper, her breath faint, he angrily stood up, seized the spear next to him, and fiercely stabbed the already dead giant beast, repeatedly thrusting it and roaring in fury.
The Li family experts watched silently, while besides Yaohua's injury, the first sword-wielding expert who confronted the beast was also gravely wounded, now lying on the ground unable to rise.
The other few were all more or less injured.
On the ground, the mist slowly dissipated, but the beast's blood had formed a stream that wouldn't coagulate, seemingly like lava, exuding a hidden toxic fire's scent.
After venting, Li Xuan threw the spear aside, squatting on the ground gasping, then went on to check the others' conditions, urging everyone to hurry to save lives.
Soon after, the Li family experts were surprised to find Yaohua was not dead, but her body was covered with many scorch marks, reddened in places, considered "disfigured."
People naturally assumed that Li Xuan acted quickly, wiping the toxic fire off Yaohua's body with clothes, and since Yaohua practiced martial arts, her physique was strong, hence there was a sliver of hope.
Elsewhere, the county soldiers began moving bodies, tending to the dead and wounded;
Some in fear wanted to flee;
Some pondered how to carry the giant demon beast out of the mountain;
Some soldiers from Chiyue County were at a distance, looking at the County Captain Ma whose abdomen was slashed open, intestines scattered, even beneath him completely eaten, thinking about how to bury this official.
The mountain was chaotic, each occupied with their own tasks.
Li Xuan, amidst the chaos, raised his hand and touched the blood stream of the giant beast.
The power in the magic blood rushed into his body rapidly.
Meanwhile, he also saw the beast's form clearly.
This was indeed a demon leopard, covered with fantastical cloud-like patterns, seeming both beautiful and strong, but considering the demon had eaten so many people, this beauty turned extremely perilous, making one's skin crawl.
Warm currents surged along his fingers.
Li Xuan felt immense comfort.
Yet he also sensed, as the magic blood surged in, his body seemed destined for some terrifying transformation.
He hurried to summon the activation of the magic blood back. Suddenly, 8 agility points reverted to 6.
The weakening of his body caused exhaustion to greatly increase, nearly leading Li Xuan to faint.
He gritted his teeth, continuing to hold on.
Shortly, the warm currents stopped. The magic blood absorption completed.
Li Xuan withdrew his hand, departing.
Behind him, the blood seemed to lose its magic power, and began coagulating like ordinary blood.
...
...
Over two hours later.
The Li family carriage, under the escort of dozens of elite riders, rapidly headed south, returning to Xiongshan County.
The carriage cabin had been generously turned by Li Xuan into a resting area for the wounded.
Besides the injured from the Li family, there were also a few county soldiers from Xiongshan County.
The interior was somewhat crowded, but the wounded spontaneously left a large space for Eldest Young Master Li.
Li Xuan held the comatose Wei Yao in his arms, amidst the jostling of the carriage, obviously extremely tired but also very excited.
Uncomfortable, yet unable to rest.
He glanced at his own status.
The status clearly had updated significantly.
[Li Xuan]
[Stage: Amateur]
[Demon Points: 6]
[Strength: 6/10]
[Agility: 6/10]
[Constitution: 7/10]
[Spirit: 6/10]
Below the "nine-tier blood bar," the glowing first tier had transformed from not being a drop of blood icon, to a white leopard with cloud-woven patterns.
Beside this cloud-patterned white leopard, naturally surfaced the information: Mist Peering Trickster Leopard (Young Demon) (Complete).
And then emerged further information: Infusing complete young demon Mist Peering Trickster Leopard blood can provide 14 extra agility points and mastery of the demon technique [Exhale Smoke].
14 additional points in agility, combined with Li Xuan's current 6 points in agility, reaching a terrifying 20 points.
This figure is already quite absurd.
Li Xuan thought to himself: 'No wonder I just had the feeling that my physique was about to change.
With agility suddenly reaching 20 points, who knows what my body will transform into...
Moreover, being able to grasp Demon Technique.
Exhale Smoke?
No wonder the deep winter forest easily fogs up.
But I imagine that such monsters can't cause such a vast mist, it must be the mist of this monster acting as a guide alongside the natural tendency of the deep winter forest to fog up. Only then is it possible to manipulate the fog, and thus hunt within it.
If it were a place or season where fog doesn't easily form, it wouldn't be this easy.
But still, it's impressive.
Unexpectedly... such a terrifying ability has become mine.'
His joy was short-lived, as he noticed the words "young demon" behind the Fog-Lurking Bewildering Panther.
If there's a "young demon", then there must be an "adult demon", even higher-level demons.
This world... is undergoing changes he does not know.
He looked at the unconscious Wei Yao in his arms, and thought of his eldest sister, whose fate is still uncertain, feeling heavy at heart.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look outside the carriage.
The mountains... still immersed in thick fog, like a sea of pale gold under the moon, while the carriage floats and drifts within it, heading away.
...
...
Days later.
Inside the Li family courtyard, by the sickbed.
'How could a young master feed porridge to a maid, Yaoyao must be overjoyed inside, hmph!' Rose said angrily while tugging at the dry yellow grass roots, feeling aggrieved.
Beneath her drooping pink skirt, the embroidered shoes were neatly placed together, motionless, showing the posture of a well-mannered and sensible maid, completely at odds with her upper body's anger.
However, when Li Xuan came out of the room, Rose approached him with a gentle and calm tone saying, "Young Master need not worry, the doctor has checked and said Yaohua's body has mostly recovered. It's just that the burn marks on her body still need careful treatment."
She deliberately mentioned the "burns".
Li Xuan said nothing, only replied: "Treat them, no matter the cost!"
"Yes, Young Master." Rose respectfully bowed, then after Li Xuan left, she ran to Wei Yao's room, complaining in a low voice, "Yaoyao, do you know? Without you at night, Young Master to me...
Hey!
I almost can't endure it alone. Hurry and get better."
She spoke while touching her small belly, occasionally rubbing her inner thigh, showing a look of resentment, and cried "Ow, ow" as if she were in considerable pain.
Wei Yao gave her a cold glance but said nothing, looking into the distance as if she were transparent.
...
...
The inner chamber.
Li Xuan stood alone, hanging a bronze mirror on the opposite wall, facing himself.
With no one around, he glanced at the [Fog-Lurking Bewildering Panther], then silently recited in his heart.
'Inject.'
As the thought settled.
In the copper mirror, the young man suddenly began to change.
His frame started to enlarge, growing taller, and magical cloud mist patterns appeared on his skin, looking like white leopard spots, these patterns crawled onto his face, giving it a fierce aura.
This enlargement wasn't overall but a compression of flesh, his body became extremely disproportionate, showing a bizarre existence like a thin bamboo pole in the mirror.
Containing explosive power, nearly two heads taller than before but absurdly thin...
Li Xuan paused, thought a bit, and tried investing some Demon Points into physique.
Immediately, his frighteningly thin body seemed to inflate slightly.
He continued to add points, consuming "3 Demon Points" to raise the "physique bar" to "physique (10/10)".
Finally, his body became filled out significantly, still thin but within a normal, robust visual range.
The mirror showed the youth over two meters tall, black hair draped over shoulders, cloud mist patterns covering his body, wisps of chilling pale mist exhaling from his mouth, just barely uncontrolled, causing the chamber to grow hazy.
In the haze, a pair of fierce eyes flashed cold light, making one afraid to stare directly, this feeling... reminded Li Xuan of a character from an anime he had watched in a past life.
It was the CP9 who ate the Neko Neko no Mi - leopard form — Rob Lucci.
However, he wasn't as burly as Lucci.
And Lucci wouldn't exhale smoke.