After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 23 Between life and death

The Wind Leopard Forest remained unusually quiet, as if even the wind had vanished from this area, leaving only the swaying leaves to proclaim its presence.

Facing this area that could take his life at any moment, Shen Xu naturally dared not relax in the slightest. A faint aura of blood covered his body, and he could hear the sound of the blood flowing through his body.

The essence of blood grants his body a high sensitivity to blood energy, which allows him to distinguish creatures with blood energy within the dense canopy, including the wind leopard.

Shen Xu glanced again at the treetop where he had stared at the wind leopard last time, but found no creature. He continued forward, passing the tree, remaining extremely cautious with each step, almost pausing between each movement.

He wasn't afraid of being surrounded, because the wind leopard wasn't a social animal; there could only be one wind leopard in this area.

After searching for a while, Shen Xu realized that his behavior of actively seeking out the Wind Leopard was foolish. His abundant blood energy was like a torch in the dark of the forest, and the Wind Leopard couldn't possibly have missed him. It was probably watching him closely from the canopy of a tree nearby, ready to attack at any moment.

As for why it hasn't made a move for so long, Shen Xu guessed, thinking of those mocking eyes, that it probably wanted to see what he was going to do.

Not only do humans get bored after they've eaten their fill, but so do demonic beasts! Especially a creature like the Wind Leopard, which possesses considerable intelligence.

Since that's the case, he had no choice but to cause destruction. Shen Xu drew his sword, and a quadruple wave struck a tree, sending wood chips flying everywhere. The tree, which took two people to encircle, was smashed open with a huge, arc-shaped gash.

After he drew his sword, he suddenly heard a muffled roar coming from the canopy of a tree. Shen Xu immediately tensed up, and his blood aura became thicker. He scanned his surroundings but found nothing unusual.

But he could clearly sense a strange and powerful source of blood energy rushing through the surrounding trees, and wherever it passed, only the leaves swayed as if blown by the wind, and that was the source of the name Wind Leopard.

Shen Xu held the sword in one hand. His purpose this time was not to dodge, but to leave a wound on the wind leopard so that he could quickly find its figure later. The wind leopard was equivalent to a human cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation.

If you want to break its defense, the Overlapping Waves Sword Technique, which relies on overwhelming force, is not suitable. As for suitable sword techniques, he only knows one move, Pine Breeze Through the Forest.

Sensing the approaching speed of the wind leopard and the distance between them, Shen Xu's face turned blood red. Blood energy surged from his body and then dissipated into the air like clouds. The essence of blood could greatly enhance his body's various abilities by consuming his essence blood.

Shen Xu heard a whistling sound from beside him, accompanied by the all-around enhancement brought about by the consumption of his essence and blood. This time, Shen Xu finally saw the figure of the Wind Leopard clearly. A black leopard about one meter long was stretching out its sharp claws, which gleamed with a cold light, and reaching for his head.

Shen Xu instantly drew his sword, and a solid sword light, carrying a trace of blood energy, pierced towards a space beside him like lightning.

"The wind rustles through the pines!"

Shen Xu's sword pierced through the black panther's brocade-like fur, and streaks of scarlet blood seeped from the wound.

"I've remembered your taste!" Shen Xu's eyes were bloodshot, and his face was deathly pale, like a demon from hell.

After being injured, the wind leopard immediately fled into the distance, as if transforming into a black wind and disappearing without a trace.

After the wind leopard disappeared, the bloodlust in Shen Xu's eyes gradually faded, and the blood aura around him also dimmed. He couldn't help but feel dizzy.

But now is not the time to relax. He knew that the Wind Leopard had not left. It must be licking its wounds somewhere in the canopy, watching him with hatred, observing his weaknesses and waiting to deliver the most fatal blow.

However, he did not have a second chance to expend his essence blood, and he had already gone deep into the Wind Leopard Forest. Even if he wanted to escape, the Wind Leopard would not let him go a second time.

In other words, he had no way out. If he hadn't obtained the talent boost provided by the Dragon Body, he would have definitely died at the hands of the Wind Leopard.

Having experienced the speed of the Wind Leopard, Shen Xu knew that his five senses were no match for that speed; in fact, their presence would only hinder his judgment. Only the Dao Intent and the Soaring Dragon Body were what he could rely on now. He could sense the Wind Leopard's attacks through the Dao Intent and dodge them with the Soaring Dragon Body.

A white mist rose up and enveloped the area where he was. Unlike last time, this time the white mist was mixed with wisps of red, which was the blood energy he had intentionally released and spread out earlier. That blood energy was connected to his body, and if any blood energy changed, it would be immediately reflected here, allowing him to react quickly.

Furthermore, Shen Xu had infused his blood with vital energy. If the Wind Leopard wanted to cross the fog to attack Shen Xu, it would inevitably be hindered by the vital energy. Although it was better than nothing for the Wind Leopard, every extra bit of reaction time it had to face the Wind Leopard's attack would increase its chances of survival.

He essentially used two different Dao principles to weave a giant net for the Wind Leopard, but this net wasn't for hunting; rather, it was for discovering the Wind Leopard's tracks and buying him time to react.

After doing all this, Shen Xu closed his eyes and stood in the center of the giant net, waiting for the wind leopard to attack. To be honest, he wasn't sure how effective the net would be, but he had done all the preparations he could.

By continuously consuming Qi-Nourishing Pills to replenish the vital energy consumed in maintaining the giant white net, Shen Xu could clearly sense through the wound that the Wind Leopard was located on the treetop to his right.

He couldn't see the Wind Leopard's expression, but he could sense the ferocious aura contained within the swirling blood energy emanating from it.

The wind leopard was enraged, but it waited, waiting for the white mist in front of it to dissipate, and patience was something it had no shortage of.

Shen Xu was also waiting, waiting for the moment when Feng Bao couldn't help but make his move. He had a premonition that if he could dodge Feng Bao's next attack, he would most likely receive the talent boost from the Soaring Dragon Step.

In the silent Wind Leopard Forest, the two sides remained deadlocked. But Shen Xu knew he absolutely could not drag this out any longer, because he was running out of Qi Nourishing Pills. Without them, he would not be able to maintain the existence of the giant net.

So he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and forcefully threw the longsword stained with the wind leopard's blood, which stuck into the trunk of the tree where the wind leopard was.

Suddenly a gentle breeze blew by, the leaves rustled, and the wind leopard moved to the tree behind it. Wisps of blood seeped from its wounds into the air, carrying endless ferocity and ruthlessness.

Then a gust of wind swept by, instantly scattering the white mist surrounding Shen Xu. Just as Shen Xu revealed himself, a black gale howled and swept towards him with an incredibly terrifying and malevolent aura.

A sharp killing intent flashed by, so fast that as soon as the mist he had set up reached the Wind Leopard's location, he could already see the Wind Leopard's bloodthirsty and brutal black eyes, as well as its raised black claws that emitted a suffocatingly cold light.

"What was I supposed to do again?" Shen Xu felt like he had forgotten something.

When he came to his senses, time seemed to slow down countless times, and the world was completely silent. He saw an extremely sharp black claw slowly slicing towards his neck.

"Dragon Body! Yes, I need to use Dragon Body to dodge this claw!"

"Move! Why can't it move?! Move now! It'll be too late if you don't move soon!"

"What's wrong with me?! Why can't I control myself?!"

The claws drew closer, and he could see a bloody gash on the skin of his neck.

"Move!!" Shen Xu roared inwardly.

……

"Am I really going to die here?"

"I've been given a second chance at life, how can I die in a place like this?"

"What will happen to Uncle Wang if I die? I haven't seen him again yet."

"I haven't seen the view from a higher vantage point yet."

"I still don't understand why I came back."

"I still have so many things to do..."

"I can't die yet!"

"I absolutely cannot die!!"

"Dragon Body! Move!!" Shen Xu's soul roared, constantly consuming the energy within it, and an extremely strong will suddenly erupted within his soul.