That single glance utterly ignited the azure wolf's fury.
Having just battled a group of goblins, its bloodlust was already fully stirred. Now, seeing the treasure it had been guarding snatched away by a human right before its eyes—and without even the slightest attempt at stealth—completely triggered the most sensitive nerve in its mind.
Rage!!
An unending tide of fury surged forth.
Awooo!!
The azure wolf didn't hesitate. It opened its maw and unleashed a savage wind blade, slicing through the air like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Yi Tianxing. With how sharp the wind blade was, it would likely slice him clean in half if it landed—instant death. The fact it had previously slain several goblins in one stroke showed how deadly it was.
Even Yi Tianxing dared not let it touch him, not even with his stab-resistant combat uniform. That blade would shred right through it.
But Yi Tianxing was never one to simply sit and wait for death.
Now that he had secured the treasure, he could finally fight without holding back.
"Good! You think I'd be afraid of you?"
A strong fighting spirit surged from his body. He raised the Tang saber in his hand and slashed directly at the incoming wind blade. Though he couldn't channel the True Dragon Qi directly into the weapon—only through his flesh and blood—its presence still enhanced his arm strength.
The saber strike was lightning-fast. Yi Tianxing's innate Yin-Yang Eyes locked precisely onto the trajectory of the wind blade. His slash intercepted it perfectly.
Clang!!
The immense force behind the wind blade caused Yi Tianxing's arm to tremble. The Tang saber was jolted aside, his bones aching from the impact. But the wind blade was also cleaved apart and shattered.
He didn't stop.
Utilizing the power transmitted through his arm, he took a step using the Tai Chi footwork, skillfully dispersing the remaining force into the ground. Twisting his body, he thrust the bronze spear in his left hand straight at the azure wolf's eye, moving so fast that afterimages blurred the air.
The azure wolf, however, reacted with startling agility—its wind-element nature making it unusually light and swift. As the spear approached, it deftly dodged its head to the side and simultaneously lashed its tail at Yi Tianxing's waist. If it landed, the blow could shatter his kidneys.
"Yin-Yang Lock!!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed. With a thought, the True Dragon Qi in his body surged into his innate Yin-Yang Eyes. The Yin-Yang Diagram within his eyes spun rapidly.
In an instant, two black-and-white Yin-Yang chains shot out like whips.
They were each three to four meters long, snaking through the air with uncanny agility. One wrapped around the wolf's hind legs, the other its forelegs.
Bound.
Despite its incredible agility, the azure wolf couldn't react in time. It was yanked to the ground.
Though the Yin-Yang Locks were most effective against supernatural beings like ghosts or zombies, they weren't illusions—they could freely shift between the ethereal and the physical. Against living creatures, they worked just as well.
They could bind flesh and, even more terrifyingly, affect the soul—shaking or even suppressing it. At higher levels, they could forcibly extract souls from bodies.
That was the power of the innate Yin-Yang Eyes.
It all happened in an instant.
The moment the azure wolf was bound and fell, even its tail strike missed and slammed into the ground instead.
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate. He slammed the bronze spear down hard onto the wolf's lower back.
Crack!!
A harsh sound of bones snapping rang out.
Awooo!!
The azure wolf let out a pained howl, crashing heavily to the ground. Its waist—its critical weak point—had been struck hard. That one blow crippled its strength.
Without pause, Yi Tianxing's Tang saber flashed and plunged into its throat. Blood sprayed as the blade sliced deep. The wolf struggled violently, but only hastened its death.
From the first clash to the fatal blow—mere breaths had passed.
Every instant was perilous. A single misstep would've flipped the entire situation.
But Yi Tianxing wasn't ordinary. Born with the Yin-Yang Eyes, and now having stepped onto the path of cultivation—having awakened his Divine Sea and strengthened his body with Qi and blood—his physical power surpassed that of normal men. His calmness and daring allowed him to grasp the flow of battle and ultimately slay the azure wolf.
Whoosh!
The Yin-Yang Locks swept through the plaza, ruthlessly yanking out the souls of the fallen monsters, binding them all onto the chains—azure wolf included.
Over a hundred souls were dragged into the Yin-Yang Eyes and quickly refined into Yin-Yang Rings.
In the blink of an eye, a third Yin-Yang Lock had fully formed.
Each complete lock required 81 rings. The monster souls, especially the azure wolf's, were unusually potent—comparable even to ghosts—allowing rapid and efficient formation. The wolf's soul in particular accelerated the process, contributing two more rings toward the fourth Yin-Yang Lock.
The more locks formed, the more powerful the Yin-Yang Eyes became.
"This is a huge haul."
Yi Tianxing glanced around the plaza, unable to hide his delight.
The azure wolf had slain over a hundred monsters. Each of their corpses now held a white Willpower Orb, and a few glowing spheres had emerged—clearly treasures.
Especially the azure wolf's corpse.
After death, it produced a bronze-colored orb the same size as the white Willpower Orbs but far more condensed, like it contained the weight of time.
Yi Tianxing could sense it held far purer and more concentrated willpower—ten times stronger than any white orb.
"Brother Yi, that's a Bronze Willpower Orb. It's a higher-tier version of the white ones—just one is worth a hundred white orbs," said Chen Xuerou, stepping out of the security office after witnessing Yi Tianxing's victory.
This knowledge came straight from the Wordless Heavenly Tome, a mystical item capable of scanning and identifying all sorts of items. Anything within range would be recorded inside it.
When she saw the bronze orb, she immediately flipped to the appropriate entry.
"Good stuff. So there really are better Willpower Orbs."Yi Tianxing beamed and carefully tucked it into his backpack.
"What's this?"
He looked again at the glowing orbs from the wolf. Besides the bronze orb, there were two others—one containing a green crystal, the other a few razor-sharp wolf fangs, looking ferocious.
These were clearly no ordinary items. But now wasn't the time to investigate further. The earlier battle had already started to attract other monsters. Staying here any longer would be unwise.
Yi Tianxing swiftly stored all the loot, stuffing his backpack until it bulged.
"Let's go—on to the next location. I remember another treasure is nearby. It won't take long to get there."
He had no intention of returning yet. Since he had ventured out, he meant to make the most of this early doomsday window—to grow stronger, build a foundation, and uncover critical information about the apocalypse.
"Wherever they are, we need to find as many of these treasures as possible. According to the Wordless Heavenly Tome, they all emerged from the rift—manifested from the fantasies and desires of countless humans. They could be items from movies, techniques from novels, even legendary weapons. The more we find, the better."
Chen Xuerou fully agreed.
She had read the Heavenly Tome and understood what these treasures meant—they could determine one's survival, strength, and future. Missing even one could be a fatal mistake.
"Alright, let's go. Follow me. If you fall behind, I won't help you. People must rely on themselves."
Yi Tianxing said flatly. Only through self-effort could one survive. Relying on others was simply too naïve.
Chen Xuerou's expression shifted, but she understood all too well.
As Yi Tianxing moved forward, she quickly followed.
Swoosh!
A dried-looking viper lunged from a nearby crack as Yi Tianxing passed, striking at his thigh. If bitten, he'd be down in seconds from the venom.
"Die!"
Yi Tianxing had never lowered his guard. The moment the snake moved, he reacted. With a quick Tai Chi step, he turned and slashed. The Tang saber carved a perfect arc and struck the snake at its weak point—seven inches from the head—severing it cleanly.
It died instantly.
From its corpse emerged two items: a white Willpower Orb and a glowing sphere, inside which was a dark venom sac.