The dark shadow shot towards Han like a sharp arrow, stirring the water into a wild frenzy. Its speed was terrifying.

Han's heart tightened, and with a surge of spiritual energy, he sent a mental shock toward the shadow.

Once a cultivator reached the Visualization Stage, with just a bit of practice, techniques like mental attacks and telekinesis could be mastered quickly.

The shadow slowed for just a split second under the impact of Han's spiritual shock, granting him the opportunity to react.

Han swiftly dodged to the side, and at the same time, the Eagle Beak Spear appeared in his hand. With a powerful swing, he aimed the shaft at the dark shape.

"Whoosh!"

To Han's surprise, the shadow dodged his attack!

It was a black serpent, about the size of a baby’s arm, with glossy scales that shimmered in the light. Its tongue flicked silently in and out.

"A water barbarian beast?"

Han narrowed his eyes, realizing that this serpent, able to dodge his attack, could only be a savage beast.

"It seems you’re after the spirit plant too..." Han muttered.

The serpent’s tail flicked, and it lunged at Han again, its mouth wide open, revealing venomous fangs.

Han didn’t intend to leave.

If he had encountered the spirit plant, he wasn't going to let it go.

There were no particularly powerful savage beasts in this stretch of Yunjiang near Black Cloud Town, so Han wasn’t overly worried.

He went with the simplest method: a mental shock, targeting the serpent's mind.

The Eagle Beak Spear in his hand was swung with great force, but the serpent was too fast, dodging Han’s strikes several times. The environment gave it a significant advantage.

Even with the Water Avoidance Pearl, Han still found it difficult to match the serpent’s speed in this watery terrain.

However, Han was patient. He didn’t panic or rush. Over the past few days, he had sparred with his senior brothers, gaining some battle experience.

When the serpent charged again, Han released his most powerful mental shock and, at the same time, reached out with his hand to meet it head-on.

The serpent, seeing Han unarmed with the spear, was further disoriented by the repeated mental assaults. Its limited intelligence almost entirely vanished, and it became ferocious, charging directly at Han’s outstretched hand.

"I’ll crush you!" Han thought.

The serpent collided with Han’s hand with a massive impact, but Han's face lit up with joy. He seized the snake and slammed it down with the spear.

The serpent thrashed wildly, but its strength had already waned, and its speed was slowing.

In the silent water, the shaft of the spear landed with a resounding strike.

The serpent froze for a moment. Without hesitation, Han brought the spear down a second time.

The serpent's struggles ceased abruptly, and it went completely still.

Han wasn’t entirely familiar with this type of savage beast, so he struck the serpent a few more times to ensure it wasn’t feigning death. He then proceeded to cut it into several pieces, satisfied that it was truly dead.

The weapons’ fragments, especially the "Hundred Forged" ones, were hard enough to cut through the serpent.

Looking down at the severed pieces of the black serpent, Han couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

You’re out of your league, snake. With my Hundred Forged Gloves, what can you do?

Trying to charge at me with a snake’s head? What are you, a Hundred Forged Serpent?

After securing the spirit plant, Han swam toward the river’s surface, carrying the severed pieces of the serpent’s body.

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With the serpent’s death, its blood began to spill into the water. Han didn’t want to stay in the river for too long—if the scent of blood attracted more savage beasts, it could get troublesome.

More importantly, the blue glow from the Water Avoidance Pearl was already dimming.

Before Han could make it out of the river, the pearl’s effect had worn off, and the cold water began slapping against his face.

Fortunately, he wasn’t far from the surface. Han swam up, emerged from the water, and crawled onto the riverbank, drenched through.

He squeezed out the water from his clothes, then smiled at his good fortune.

He had obtained the spirit plant, but this was the first time he had gotten one in such a way.

He didn’t waste any time and was ready to head back to the martial hall. However, just then, Han noticed three figures in the distance, walking toward him.

Han furrowed his brows as he recognized them.

Could they be… from the Tenglong Martial Hall?

He didn’t want to confront them, so he planned to leave from another direction.

However, Han discreetly equipped his Hundred Forged Gloves once again, and with one hand, he dipped it into the water to pull out the Eagle Beak Spear's shaft, preparing it just in case.

The mystical tree secret realms, being game-like in nature, couldn’t store items like a spatial artifact, but the dropped items could be retrieved and used on the spot.

As soon as Han turned to leave, the three men quickened their pace.

"Hey, stop right there!" they called.

Han, of course, had no intention of stopping. Why should he? They weren’t his superiors.

Yet, the three still caught up to him.

"So, this is the new disciple of the Taibai Hall? Seems like he’s rather old." The leader, recognizing Han from his attire, sneered.

"That old fool Bai Tian didn’t want me, a young genius, back in the day, but now he accepts you, some useless old man."

Seeing Han’s clothes bulging with the spirit plant and the beast’s body, the leader snorted and asked, "What’s in your clothes?"

"It’s none of your business," Han replied coldly.

He studied the three men. The leader wore the Tenglong Martial Hall’s uniform, while the other two were dressed as apprentices. The apprentices of the Taibai Martial Hall didn’t have a standard uniform, unlike the other two martial halls, which made them easily recognizable.

So, this guy had almost been accepted by Bai Tian as a disciple in the past?

"You dare ignore me?" The leader, Yang Xing, frowned and made a move on Han.

What kind of brainless fool have I run into now?

Han immediately retaliated, swinging the spear shaft in a wide arc.

Yang Xing’s body flashed to the side, dodging the strike, and his hand transformed into a hawk’s claw, aiming straight for Han’s chest with incredible speed.

As he made the move, a faint glow appeared on his skin.

The glow of the skin—this was the peak of the Flesh Stage!

Han blocked with the spear, holding it in front of his chest to deflect Yang Xing’s strike. However, the immense force of the peak Flesh Stage still sent Han stumbling backward, causing the spirit plant inside his clothes to partially reveal itself.

Yang Xing’s eyes lit up.

"Ah, so it's a spirit plant! I didn’t find much in Black Mountain, but to come back and get this kind of opportunity...!” Yang Xing’s voice was filled with greed.

"King Da, King Er, take him down together! Do it fast!"

Surrounded by three enemies, Han immediately realized the situation was troublesome.

The other two apprentices weren’t at the peak of the Flesh Stage like Yang Xing, based on their strength, King Da was likely a beginner, while King Er was at the small success level.

But Han himself was still a beginner!

"Seems Bai Tian is generous after all, giving you this new disciple a Hundred Forged weapon," Yang Xing said, recognizing the spear.

"Hundred Forged weapons, I have one too," he added.

With that, Yang Xing unsheathed his blade and slashed toward Han, the momentum fierce.

Han’s eyes narrowed. His internal energy surged as he swung the spear with all his might, meeting Yang Xing’s sword head-on.

"Clang!"

Yang Xing’s Hundred Forged blade actually suffered a crack!

His hand went numb for a moment, almost losing grip on the sword. Yang Xing stared at the damage to his blade, momentarily stunned.

Han was also knocked back by the impact, nearly falling to the ground.

Without hesitation, the other two apprentices launched their attacks. Han twisted his body to meet King Da’s punch, using the spear as a shield to block King Er’s palm.

Then Han gripped the spear, pushed with even greater force than King Er, sending him flying back. With the spear lifted high, Han brought it crashing down onto King Er’s chest.

King Er’s chest caved in slightly, and he flew backward, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.

"Bang!"

As Han dealt with King Da and King Er, Yang Xing’s sword slashed into Han’s side, but his inner armor absorbed the impact. The clash of metal rang in the air, and the blade failed to penetrate.

"Hundred Forged Inner Armor?!!" Yang Xing blurted out in shock.

"Poof!"

Despite the protection, the force from Yang Xing’s peak Flesh Stage strength still made Han spit out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes red.

"Brother!" King Da exclaimed, no longer attacking Han. Instead, he rushed toward King Er.

Having been hit in the chest by Han’s weapon, King Er was in no condition to keep fighting—he was either dead or gravely injured!

"You’re not using a Hundred Forged weapon? How could you be so strong?" Yang Xing’s face twisted in disbelief. "This can’t be! It’s impossible!"

He stared at Han, his expression darkening.

Han’s weapon had shocked him, but what truly amazed Yang Xing was Han’s strength.

This was definitely not the power of a beginner in the Flesh Stage!

Yang Xing couldn’t wrap his head around it. How could this be? Wasn’t this supposed to be an old, useless fool?!

Han chuckled, though the blood on his lips made him look somewhat menacing.

"You think you’re robbing someone, huh?"

"I’m practicing secret martial arts—what are you training in?"

"When I was a mortal, my body was already on par with a martial artist’s. And what about you, back then? What level were you at?"

"From the moment I started practicing martial arts, it’s only been four days."

"Impossible?"

"What’s impossible about it?!"

"How could someone like you, an ordinary person, understand the genius I am?!"