In the span of an hour, Mu Zi had a rich harvest: five first-rank and three second-rank medicines.
"It's a shame there wasn't a single third-rank one," she sighed.
Slightly disappointed but content, she decided to head back. It was getting dark, and Mu Yun might worry.
Just as she was about to turn back, the Rebirth Seal trembled more strongly than usual—the signal was clear without any effort.
"I have to check it out."
Gliding with the Wave-walking Step, Mu Zi swiftly crossed the forest and, climbing a hill, saw her target.
A small plant, surrounded by trees, shone with fiery patterns on its leaves, emitting a powerful energy.
It was Blazing Sun Grass—a third-rank medicine.
Nearby, a vine curled with a fiery fruit at its end.
A Flaming Fruit—also a third-rank medicine.
The two third-rank medicines she had been searching for all day were found simultaneously.
But before Mu Zi could rejoice, the forest was shaken by a fearsome roar. The leaves trembled, and a giant figure appeared before her.
It was a beast resembling a lion, with gray-brown fur. Its scarlet mane, standing on end with the roar, looked like steel needles, radiating menace.
"A Red Lion."
The Red Lion is a fierce beast, difficult to deal with. A grown one could become a demonic beast—a Blazing Lion, no less powerful than the fire python-tiger.
Fortunately, judging by its size, this Red Lion had not yet reached maturity.
But even so, it was a formidable opponent. Even a sixth-level Body Tempering master with nascent Yuan Li was not guaranteed to defeat it.
The beast, as if sensing that the girl before it was not an easy prey, glared at Mu Zi menacingly, roaring and trying to scare her away.
Instinct told him: wait for maturity, swallow these two plants—and your blood will be transformed. Until then, he would not let anyone touch them.
Looking at the beast, which was taller than her even on four paws, Mu Zi frowned.
She didn't necessarily have to fight. With the Wave-walking Step, she could simply grab both third-rank medicines and leave.
A third-rank technique against a Red Lion? It would only be left to eat her dust.
But until now, Mu Zi had not participated in a real fight. Faced with a worthy opponent, she was filled with excitement.
"Big cat, want to play?" a clear voice with a hint of dominance rang out.
Catching her challenge, the Red Lion roared and leaped, swinging its paw.
Mu Zi glided with the Wave-walking Step, evading the powerful strike. The paw slammed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Having missed, the beast was about to strike again, but its enemy had disappeared.
"Clap-clap-clap-clap!" nine clear echoes resonated in the air. A figure appeared silently behind the lion's back.
"Got you! Eat my fist!" Mu Zi shouted.
Her fist hit the back of the beast's head. The Red Lion didn't have time to react.
Boom!
After a dull thud, Mu Zi jumped back, assessing the effect.
The Red Lion only staggered but held its ground. It seemed that besides the pain, it had not sustained any serious injuries.
Mu Zi squinted:
"What a tough hide!"
Having been hit, the beast became enraged. Roaring, it pounced on her with furious attacks: leaps, bites, paw swipes, trips, charges—all accompanied by a cloud of dust.
Mu Zi, remaining calm, glided with the Wave-walking Step, easily dodging. Her movements were full of grace, like a butterfly dancing around a giant.
The enormous Red Lion could do nothing to her.
"Try this!"
Suddenly, she spun around, her figure becoming ethereal. The beast stumbled, losing its balance.
"Now!"
Mu Zi's eyes flashed. Crouching, she instantly appeared under the lion's belly.
"Penetrating Fist!"
This time, without any hesitation, she put all her strength into the strike. Nine echoes merged into one, and her fist slammed into the beast's soft belly.
"Argh-wail!" the Red Lion howled, clearly having suffered from the blow.
Dodging its counter-attack, Mu Zi, like a leaf in the wind, glided behind the beast and struck its belly again.
In pain, the Red Lion turned around but lost sight of her once more.
So she twirled, playfully circling the beast. From time to time, her fist found its vulnerable belly, inflicting serious damage.
But a beast remained a beast. Suffering defeat after defeat, it became even more furious. Although it couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes, it attacked tirelessly, as if it wouldn't calm down until it tore her apart.
Mu Zi was starting to get annoyed by the Red Lion's persistence. She wanted to go home for dinner, not waste time on a drawn-out fight.
Such beasts intimidate the weak and fear the strong. It didn't retreat because its wounds were not yet too severe, and it believed it could drive away the enemy.
"Time to finish you off!" she said seriously.
Mu Zi delivered her most powerful strike.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
In the blink of an eye, she threw four punches, each with nine echoes merged into one. The strikes hit the same spot, their power approaching that of a third-rank technique.
Having taken such a blow, the Red Lion collapsed with a pained whimper. It tried to get up but couldn't.
Massaging her hand, Mu Zi felt a slight muscle fatigue, but the beast was defeated.
"Heh, the sixth level of Body Tempering—not so scary after all," she chuckled.
Although the beast's power was equivalent to the sixth level, it was much more resilient than a human.
This creature, with its thick hide, had endured many of her strikes. A person at the sixth level would have fallen much faster.
Humans are smarter and more flexible than beasts, who rely on instinct. But against her Wave-walking Step, their agility was nothing. For her, a human would be an easier target.
Ignoring the whimpering lion on the ground—it was only temporarily out of the fight and would recover soon—Mu Zi took a few steps forward.
Right in front of the beast's eyes, she took the Blazing Sun Grass and the Flaming Fruit.
"With these medicines, I'll definitely break through to the sixth level of Body Tempering," she said.
"I can't wait to see what Yuan Li can do."
Mu Zi was filled with anticipation.