There were two sides to everything. Of course it was infuriating to be the target of judgment, but everyone had their own opinions. 

“Wow, was that even real? How did he dodge that?” 

“He’s just lucky!” 

Hearing his teammate’s gasps, the pain of Li Zihao’s injuries was forgotten. He, too, was sweating from Xiang Ning’s daredevil dodge from the Grimclaw’s attack. He didn’t want this mission to fail, either. 

However, things tend to go in an opposite direction when they are at an extreme.

“Wow, he dodged again!”

“What? He dodged again!” 

“That must’ve been fake, how did he dodge again?” 

“That was fake, that wasn’t real!” 

Several consecutive dodges provoked both the Grimclaw, who supplied vast quantities of Fury Points, and Li Zihao’s team, who were having heart attacks. In the beginning, they were merely cursing vulgarly, praising his dodges. But after a few times, they realized that Xiang Ning might not actually be barely dodging. Once, twice, thrice, even four times could be coincidences. But as they watched his graceful, floating fighting style.…

They slowly grew jealous. Just as the people before, they wondered why they weren’t as strong or capable as this person who was the same age. They had always thought they were the sons of God, the elites of the elite. But now they felt like nothing. They felt a sense of helplessness that they hadn’t felt in a very long time. The kind of feeling they’d had when they were in elementary school, when they hadn’t started cultivating and were helpless against adults beating them or just anyone older. 

The Grimclaw’s attacks gradually slowed. 

When the crowd had gone numb, Xiang Ning absorbed an attack from the Grimclaw. It wasn’t a full-force attack like before, but it was painful. He frowned, emerging from a tree, which a skull fell out of. 

Experience Points + 4431

Level: Tier four, two-star martial artist (6000/7823) 

Slowly exhaling a cloud of mist, he smirked. He was capable of withstanding its attack. He deactivated Keen Observation; now, the Grimclaw was a considerable sparring partner. 

Then, Li Zihao and the rest were treated to a great battle between man and beast. Before, they had still been wondering if they were wasting their time, because Xiang Ning only dodged but never attacked enough to beat the Grimclaw. But now, jealousy crept in again as they put themselves in his shoes. If they were in his place, there was an eighty percent chance that they would be pulp by now! 

Xiang Ning’s Devourer was ravenous! 

It was a brutal fight. Xiang Ning kept getting struck while the beast was slashed again and again. Both sides roared and shook the skies as they fought. 

Li Zihao and the rest were speechless. Was he even human? He was a beast in human form! Not many people had mentioned this nickname in a while, but now it had resurfaced. 

Within the truck, Liu Yi was loyal as always, holding up his phone and recording the fight. Marsh City residents knew that Xiang Ning’s every fight was a textbook. Just like those epic dodges, which were all valuable lessons. Liu Yi wasn’t slacking off there—he understood that if he went up to help, it would be futile. He knew his limits well and the fact that he would be severely injured if ever struck by the Grimclaw. 

This was a rare fight against a Grimclaw. Liu Yi didn’t believe that Xiang Ning couldn’t find a single opportunity to retaliate when he was busy dodging. Marsh City residents knew him better than others. 

There must be a hidden reason. 

Yes, that must be it. Liu Yi believed it. Otherwise, why would Xiang Ning fight like this? He fell into deep thought, but quickly made the connection. The Grimclaw was obviously much slower than it used to be, and its attacks weren’t as powerful. 

Unless.… Startled, beads of sweat sprouted from his forehead. He couldn’t believe that Xiang Ning was treating a Grimclaw as a sparring partner! Based on his disorganized attacks and how he recklessly allowed the Grimclaw to hit him, it looked like he was conditioning his body!

Liu Yi was in awe of Xiang Ning. 

Experience Points + 3553

Level: Tier four, three-star martial artist (0/70000) 

Xiang Ning successfully leveled up, which meant his objective had been achieved. The Devourer was also satisfied, so there was no need to continue. 

When he dodged the Grimclaw’s attack once again, his foot twisted and his body turned sharply by forty-five degrees. He stabbed the Devourer right into the Grimclaw’s chest at a sharp angle just as the crowd thought Xiang Ning was looking for an opportunity to retreat. He roared; the first of the Eight Gates was opened! 

The immense surge of power was channeled through the Devourer as it sliced deep into the Grimclaw, spattering blood everywhere. Xiang Ning felt a sense of delight—not from himself, but from the Devourer. It was overjoyed like never before, bathing in the shower of blood. It felt like a man who had been surviving on dry crackers for several months trekking through the Sahara finally taking a shower and eating at a steakhouse! 

“Mmmaaargh!” Xiang Ning cried, powerfully slashing his Devourer. The paw that was about to hit Xiang Ning fell vertically to the ground. Blood gushed like a spring, spattering on his face; he felt its warmth on his skin. 

Fury Points +999 

Fury Points +999 

… 

The Grimclaw’s eyes were burning red, though the thought of retreat never even crossed its mind. The desire to shred Xiang Ning to pieces had wholly consumed it. 

Xiang Ning dodged several furious attacks. 

“Combo Attack!” 

That was Xiang Ning’s self-made technique, combining Triple Slash and Mountain-Splitting Slash. A knife, fortified with Oscillate and Mental Power, slashed toward its other arm, a second knife flew at its waist, which was one of its weak spots, and a third knife slashed diagonally down its neck toward its heart. 

Everything had only taken five minutes and seven seconds; a tyrant of beasts was officially dead. Xiang Ning stabbed the Devourer into its heart like a conquerer. In reality, the Devourer had penetrated into the carcass, turning into a gooey substance as it devoured the beast’s beast core and blood until nothing was left. 

RIP Grimclaw