Chapter 43

"The early warning has been completely lifted; it should be safe now." Li Yuan pondered for a moment before walking out of his room.

His aunt and younger siblings had not yet woken up.

"I'll head to school first." Li Yuan left the house and walked out of the residential complex.

The military vehicle that had been at the end of the intersection at four in the morning had already disappeared.

There were no patrolling soldiers to be seen either.

However, Li Yuan’s eyes were sharp; he could see a drone still hovering in the sky, several hundred meters away and high up.

It seemed to be on alert.

Li Yuan went straight to the tram stop, but after waiting for a long time, no tram arrived.

"Forget it."

"I'll just run to school." Li Yuan turned around and began jogging along the street toward the school.

With Li Yuan’s physical fitness, his so-called "jogging" could still maintain a pace of about eight or nine meters per second.

He would be able to reach the school in less than ten minutes.

On both sides of the street, many shops were opening one after another, and there were many pedestrians who appeared to be heading to work.

Once there were many people, a sense of security increased.

As he turned another street corner.

Suddenly.

"Young man, you seem a bit late for your morning run today." A cheerful voice rang out.

"Wasn't there an Astral creature attack last night? I only left the house after the early warning was lifted." Li Yuan slowed his pace significantly and responded with a smile: "Boss, you're still opening the shop today? I never see you take a break."

The person calling out to Li Yuan was none other than the owner of the Fuwei Noodle Shop.

He was in the middle of moving things.

The two had met many times; they were very familiar strangers.

"I have to pay rent, I can't stop." The owner said with a chuckle. He was slightly plump, but his arms were very strong, and he easily lifted a large table.

"May you make a fortune, Boss." Li Yuan said casually as he continued to run forward.

He passed a small alleyway, one person wide, which was pitch black.

Subconsciously.

Li Yuan glanced at it.

Immediately following that, Li Yuan saw a blurry figure darting out from the sewer at the end of the alley.

Judging by its path, it seemed to be heading along the alley, about to dash out onto the main road here.

"Hmm?" Li Yuan’s heart tightened suddenly, as if he felt an instinctive danger.

But his body, while running, had already carried him forward by inertia for another twenty-plus meters.

Then.

Li Yuan finally stopped completely, turned around, eyes fixed firmly on the alley entrance, and his footsteps subconsciously retreated.

"Thump~" "Thump~" Li Yuan’s keen hearing had already picked up the continuous, light, and rapid sounds coming from the alley.

"Hoo!"

"Hoo!" It seemed there was also the sound of heavy, rapid breathing.

Subconsciously.

Li Yuan retreated to the side of a closed shop on the roadside because there were two hollow metal poles leaning against the wall, which seemed to be used for supporting goods.

In the dark, something was warning Li Yuan that he should run immediately.

But before Li Yuan could react.

Boom!

A thin, tall figure suddenly darted out from the narrow alley and stood on the sidewalk.

How good was Li Yuan’s eyesight? He saw it clearly in an instant.

This was a humanoid creature nearly two meters tall, with four arms, skin that was a vibrant blue like the color of the ocean, long emerald green hair, and scarlet eyes that flickered with the light of intelligence.

It was as if it were a creature that had run out from the water.

Its limbs were slender, with proportions longer than a human's, giving one a sense of elegance. The tips of its hands and feet had evolved into sharp webbed claws, and most eye-catching was the structure on its back that looked like a fish fin or a fish tail.

"Fish Spirit Race? An Astral creature!" Li Yuan recognized it instantly, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Astral creatures were strange and varied; some were similar to various animals on Blue Star, some were humanoid, and some were like oversized insects... but humanoid creatures accounted for one-third of them.

And the Fish Spirit Race was a very famous type; they were amphibious and could live on land and in water.

In the many attacks Jiangcheng had encountered in its history, the Fish Spirit Race had been the main force.

"How could there still be an Astral creature slipping through the net here?" Li Yuan’s hair stood on end, feeling as if he were facing a formidable enemy: "Wasn't the early warning lifted?"

Almost instinctively.

[Target creature, life level is 10.2, an initiated creature, in a heavily injured state, currently approximately 9.2, killing it can obtain spiritual nourishment.] Li Yuan’s mind stirred, and his spiritual consciousness felt a wave of fatigue, but he had already obtained the target's life information.

Level 10.2!

It had already reached the initiated stage, equivalent to a true martial artist.

However.

Among the information obtained, what gave Li Yuan a slight boost in spirit was the target's heavily injured state.

The physical fitness it could unleash seemed to be only level 9.2.

"Was it shot?" Li Yuan then discovered a bullet hole in the chest of this Fish Spirit, but not much blood was flowing out, which was why he hadn't seen it at first.

If physical fitness reached the level of a martial artist, the body would be strong; if it were a small-caliber bullet, it would be impossible to kill with one shot unless it hit a vital point.

Besides discovering the target's heavily injured state, Li Yuan also noticed the last sentence in the detection information: "Killing it can obtain spiritual nourishment."

What was this?

Li Yuan had previously detected the life levels of many martial artists, but he had never encountered such a prompt.

It sounds slow to tell.

In reality, within the one second that this Fish Spirit rushed out of the alley, Li Yuan had already completed identifying the enemy and assessing it.

At the same time, subconsciously.

Li Yuan grabbed the hollow metal pole beside him, vaguely assuming an attack stance, staring fixedly at the opponent.

In the various materials on Astral creatures that Li Yuan had studied from childhood to adulthood.

These Astral creatures were incomparably brutal; once encountered, a battle would inevitably break out.

However, to Li Yuan’s surprise.

"Boom!"

This injured Fish Spirit, seemingly sensing that Li Yuan was not to be trifled with, turned around instantly. Its figure was agile, its webbed claws stepping across the brick floor, and it lunged fiercely toward the owner of the Fuwei Noodle Shop, who was dozens of meters away.

Its speed was astonishingly fast.

Clearly, in its perception, Li Yuan was very difficult to mess with.

"Astral creature?" The noodle shop owner had also seen the Fish Spirit lunging over. His adrenaline surged, and he subconsciously picked up a kitchen knife from the side!!

Just at this moment.

"Hoo!" The air exploded, erupting with a sharp, whistling sound like a low moan!

A hollow metal pole nearly three meters long, like a giant arrow, streaked across the sky and stabbed directly at that Fish Spirit.

The Fish Spirit was fast, but the metal pole roared in faster and harder!

"Roar~"

This Fish Spirit instinctively sensed it and tried to dodge, but its speed on land was already slower, and it was injured on top of that.

"Thump~"

The long metal pole slammed fiercely into the Fish Spirit’s shoulder, the terrifying impact sending its nearly two-meter-tall slender body crashing directly to one side of the ground.

The bricks shattered.

Its body rolled on the ground.

Blood seeped out from the surface of its shoulder, which was shaped like fish scales, and then quickly stopped!

"Heh! Boom~~"

The Fish Spirit suddenly flipped over, letting out a series of strange low roars, seemingly filled with rage, staring at Li Yuan who was standing dozens of meters away, completely ignoring the closer Fuwei Noodle Shop owner.

It raised its arms slightly, the sides of its arms gleaming with a chilling cold light, just like bone blades.

"Want to kill me?" Li Yuan had already gripped the last long metal pole, staring fixedly at this Fish Spirit.

Just now.

Seeing the noodle shop owner in danger, Li Yuan had almost subconsciously launched the metal pole in his hand.

Li Yuan had always been very cautious in his actions and was unwilling to take risks easily.

Because Li Yuan knew that one only had one life.

However, to stand by and watch someone die, especially an acquaintance?

Li Yuan asked himself, he really couldn't do it.

And when he launched the metal pole.

Facing this Fish Spirit, seeing its bloodthirsty eyes, Li Yuan no longer had any cowardice in his heart.

Or rather, he couldn't have any more thoughts; only instinct remained.

"Martial Dao is for killing the enemy." In Li Yuan’s heart, only unspeakable courage and hot blood remained.

"Roar~"

That Fish Spirit had already let out a low roar and lunged over, its speed astonishing.

"Boom!"

Li Yuan also didn't hesitate at all. As soon as his figure moved, he executed the "Dragon Movement Technique," actively charging at the opponent like a swimming dragon.

A long weapon requires sufficient space to be wielded.

"Hoo" "Hoo!"

This Fish Spirit had already realized that Li Yuan was not to be trifled with and did not attack as casually as it did when slaughtering ordinary humans. It waved its arms like twin blades, attempting to hack Li Yuan to death.

"Puchi!"

The long metal pole, like a great spear, surged in speed the moment it was about to touch the Fish Spirit’s arm, creating dozens of phantoms, causing the Fish Spirit to be distracted for an instant.

Following closely, the long metal pole had already lightning-fast pierced through the gap between the Fish Spirit’s arms.

It slammed directly into its head and eyeballs.

The "Rock-Solid Spear Technique" five great killing moves — Mountains and Myriad Phenomena.

"Thump~" As if a grape had been suddenly smashed, its eyeballs burst instantly.

Water and blood splattered everywhere!

"Thump~" The impact generated by the collision also made Li Yuan’s arm tremble, and his figure suddenly darted backward.

To dissipate the force.

"Ahhh~" The pain of the bursting eyeballs caused the Fish Spirit to feel a heart-piercing agony instantly, and its vision couldn't help but go black.

Subconsciously, one hand covered its injured eyeball.

"Thump~"

But the long metal pole in Li Yuan’s hand was extremely flexible; it had already stabbed out like lightning again, mercilessly, slamming into its other eye.

Burst!

Both eyes blinded!! The entire body began to wail crazily.

"Your technique is too poor, not even reaching the third stage." Li Yuan murmured to himself.

The heavy pole was raised high, his arm exerted force again, and he smashed it fiercely toward the top of the opponent’s head.