Watching the kid leave, the panther now healed almost entirely from the injuries, censored itself for the pleading attitude it had while on the verge of death. Never had it been more humiliated and he would make sure to repay in kind.

Slowly getting up, cracking and popping noises could be heard as it moved its massive frame, it made note of every small muscle sore, ache and pain, just to later he himself, inflict those on the accursed youngster.

Limping more than walking the beast smelled the air in search of the boy's scent, rarely having its nose fail at the challenge to search for prey and when it did he would eventually find the elusive prey by sheer willpower and perseverance.

He had wanted to speak to the boy, tell him to stay just to have a second match and eventually kill him but he knew that today was not going to be the day the human died, so he followed the human throughout the dense forest, always hiding and making sure it wasn't seen.

During the night the task was easy but when the sun shined it had to maintain a safe distance from him as to not draw unwanted attention. Just like this, a couple of days passed as the panther slowly but meticulously stalked its prey, waiting for a fated chance to attack, one second of distraction was all it needed.

Just like it had hoped, the moment did come in the form of a sunny and humid day deeper in the dragon forest than he cared to be, because of the Azure mountain a few kilometers away.

Just as he watched the boy stretch while looking at his now healed hands, it heard the noise before the human.

'Footsteps!' The Panther thought while looking towards the dense trees.

It knew that from the sound, the footsteps would be human. Cursing for its bad luck to encounter even more dangerous humans that could gang up on him, the panther retreated to a more safer area where he blended perfectly with the surrounding, and he waited.

It didn't take long for the human to realize he wasn't alone after they surrounded his make-shift camp on a rocky ground and badly masked.

Out from the threes came four youngsters like the accursed one but with a much weaker cultivation. The panther sneered at their intimidation attempts and the weak bloodlust emitted by the one that looked like the leader.

Had he not seen the four foundation establishment and Qi refiners making a move against a Core cultivator, the panther wouldn't have believed it.

********************

They gestured and yelled while they cut off any exit for the accursed one - not that he needed one - as they still hadn't noticed their difference in cultivation realm due to Li repressing his actual level.

Trying to pay more attention to the conversation in search of any useful information that he could exploit, he used the Qi sense-enhancing technique it had discovered when he was barely a cub to eavesdrop on the humans.

"Li, damn you and your ancestors for not giving me any face even after I saved you, is this how you repay debts?" After the childish tantrum that was done by the leader of the group, the accursed one's face distorted in an abnormal way and as if by magic his expression changed to that of an old man looking at innocent children.

Everyone was taken aback by the mature demeanor exuding from the young looking man as he lifted his arm while a finger pointed to the heavens and said.

"Yi Shao Long, I do not owe you a thing after you tried to extort me on the pavilion, so do not bother me as I do not have time for this childish play, go back to the sect and l will not pursue any form of bodily harm."

"D-don't screw with me, I am an inner disciple, a genius among trash like you and your friends. You do not get to lecture me on what I should or shouldn't do!" First taken by surprise the face of the kid named Yi rapidly distorted into a sneer.

"You are seeking death!"

"How dare you speak to Elder brother Yi in that manner."

"Elder, we should teach this kid a lesson!" A human child with the face of the horse incited even more wrath, threatening to make things physical.

"Yes, yes we should!" At the three companions indignant words, Yi agreed that they should all beat 'Li' the accursed one to a pulp.

'Ignorants, do they not understand? Li stronger!'

Flabbergasted by the lack of respect towards its mortal nemesis, the panther bubbling with rage couldn't hold any longer and made itself known to everyone.

He truly did not know why he had felt so insulted when the kids had slander Li, but he had felt its blood boil from it.

'Maybe me mad because them insult me when insult person acknowledge as rival?'

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Outrage gushed out from the feral animal as the kids simply stood still while the accursed one grimaced at his appearance.

"A-an oblivion leopard!"

"SHIT!"

"Curse my luck!"

Everyone except Li had a look of fright at seeing a Core realm daemon beast appear out of nowhere. It had to be said that Core realm beasts were rare, and Oblivion leopards even rarer as they were considered elusive hunters with high intellect.

"You're here? I thought  we were going to leave for our separate ways and avoid each other from now on."

With a frow, Li admonished the beast, but the beast did not care for that as it gaze was focused on the four youngsters. Seeing that they were shaking with fear and worry the panther harrumphed in delight and said to Li by its telepathic technique.

'They disrespect, I teach manners!'

"W-what? Look, I don't know why you're here or why you're defending my honor, but I'm not a damsel in distress and you of all people should know it."

With a low growl showing its canines the Oblivion Leopard indignantly said.

'You soft, by now them should have been dead. I am here because you can not die before we have rematch.'

The leopard not having lived with any humans, still could not talk in a proper manner but for the sheer bloodlust emanating from it, Li had a pretty good idea of the beasts intention.

'Now, I kill.' Turning as fast as lightning, the leopard who was placed in between the two groups, pounced towards Yi Shao Long and his friends. Not wasting any time either Li also went forwards.

"No!" Li shouted while releasing all of his aura creating small ripples in the air and shocking Yi's group even further.

To Yi the whole situation seemed unreal, how could trash like Li Xiao Nu who no one ever paid attention to could release a core establishment aura as if walking down the park. Didn't that mean he was at least above the middle stage of the core formation? And even worse, didn't he, Yi Shao Long sought death willingly by messing with a hidden expert?

Even if that was all, he could probably grovel in the ground and ask for Li's compassion. After all, he didn't intend to kill Li but beat him until he understood his place, but now, there was a matured Oblivion Leopard headed its way with frightening speeds to kill him but on top of it both Li and the beast knew each other?

*BOOOOOOOM*

To his surprise and confusion, Yi didn't see what had happened but on the other hand, the beast knew, he indeed knew very well the fear it had felt when Li had used those hard fists, no longer being mildly soft as in the previous battle, but true steeled fists.

As the panther neared by seconds Li had suddenly appeared at his side and had thrown both fists with so much speed and power behind that the leopard had been sent flying towards a couple of trees, destroying them on the process. 

Dazed the panther had stood on its four legs to glare at Li while searching for injuries when it downed on the beast that no injuries were done. Confused by this, the animal once again checked itself for any cracked bone or torn muscle and once again came empty-handed.

'How?'

Li, who had up until now the face of a man who was fed up with the childish attitude of its grandsons finally eased his expression after seeing the panther's confused face that tilted like a household cat that had been tricked.

"I used momentum you uselessly big cat. Instead of punching, I pushed you out of the way creating enough inertia that lifted you off your feet, but not enough momentum to seriously injure you upon impact."

Chuckling at the previous thought, Li wondered if the 'big cat' would also chase toys if he had any to make the test.

Shaking his head, the once old man with a childish demeanor approached Yi's group after delivering an explanation to the stunned animal and said while keeping an eye on any sudden movements from the panther.

"You four should return to the sect and never speak of this to anyone, else this big cat will eat you guys whole for breakfast."

"Y-yes Elder brother Li, I am sorry to have caused you any trouble so please spare us."

Quickly nodding their heads and agreeing, Li couldn't help but notice their pale demeanors and stained pants while they hastily got up to leave.

********************

Having the children left, the two powerful core cultivators looked at each other while neither broke the silence in an awkward atmosphere. The silence ran deeply between the two as they didn't fully trust the other in any way until finally, Li broke the standstill with a sarcastic remark.

"If we're to be here all day while looking at each other, couldn't you just come with me? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

'You, very calm, I not like you, I want revenge for humiliation!'

Intrigued more than frightened Li couldn't help but ask.

"Can't you just wait after I find my friend? We could just have our murder session then."

With a mix of feelings, the animal faltered in its resolve. Having fought the human and even stalked it afterward the panther could no longer distinguish its hatred, having this become diluted along the way.

Oblivion Leopards were a race that took pride very seriously, but what made them the number two predator in the dragon forest was not their thirst for blood but their survival instincts. Knowing when to back away and when to strike was the most prominent trait in their race, having that earned them the moniker 'Silent shadows'.

On the other hand and oblivious to all these facts, Li made the proposition only to dissuade the beast from going for another bothersome round of who dies first.

"So, what do you say? Call it a pause, and we sort our business later?"

With what Li supposed to be a charming smile he once again questioned the animal.

'Ok, but I have rule. One, you do not go near human, second, you do business and we fight and third if you die after fight I eat friend of you.'

With a grimace on his face, Li agreed to the rules laid out by the panther while both still eyed suspiciously each other.

"Say, I can't keep referring to you with pronouns so I might as well name you." With a sneer on his face, Li saw the panther contort in disgust at the proposition.

'Me, not pet, me beast of the wild. I make people shake terror.'

"Whatever you say...Basheera." Smile widening at the name he thought up from one of the stories his mother had long ago told him, he saw how the panther made a move to claw at him.

And thus began their journey to rescue Yao and eventually form an unbreakable bond.