The Flameborn Lion's inferno had reached its limit, a testament to its exceptional martial prowess. If it hadn't unleashed this final burst, the flames would have consumed Anos, inflicting severe injuries.
As Anos circled around the dwindling flames, he spotted the Flameborn Lion's fleeing figure. Its majestic strides, once full of strength and ferocity, now faltered due to its wounds.
If uninjured, the lion would have clashed with Anos, refusing to back down. But now, its instincts screamed survival. The lion's pride and dominance were momentarily set aside, replaced by a primal urge to escape.
"Run?" Anos exclaimed, his voice laced with amusement. His feet stirred up whirlwinds as he unleashed his Speed Shadow martial skill. In an instant, his speed skyrocketed, and he gave chase.
The landscape blurred around Anos as he pursued the Flameborn Lion. Trees became green streaks, and rocks faded into the distance. The lion's labored breathing and pounding heartbeats echoed through Anos' senses.
"Where do you think you're going?" Anos shouted, his voice echoing through the landscape. The Flameborn Lion's wounds and dwindling vitality made escape unlikely. Anos' relentless pursuit would soon seal the lion's fate.
...
If he let the Flameborn Lion escape today, it would be a missed opportunity. Fortunately, Anos' superior cultivation gave him an edge in speed, allowing him to slowly close the gap.
The chase continued, with Anos bursting out of the field and into a dense forest. Trees blurred together as they sped through the underbrush. Emerging from the forest, another vast field stretched before them.
"Damn!" Anos cursed, his Spirit Blast striking the ground mere inches from the Flameborn Lion's heels. The lion's incredible agility allowed it to dodge the attack.
"If only I had a spirit artifact and a mastered sword technique," Anos thought, frustration creeping into his mind. "But against a powerful demon beast like this, I'll do whatever it takes to emerge victorious."
Determination hardened his resolve. Anos pressed on, undaunted by the challenge.
...
After traversing the unforgiving wilderness, another dense forest loomed before Anos. As he burst through the trees, he finally closed in on the Flameborn Lion.
But upon emerging from the forest, Anos' triumphant cry froze in his throat.
The scene unfolding before him left him stunned, refusing to comprehend the reality.
Anos' eyes widened in shock, his mind reeling from the unexpected turn of events.
Anos' relentless pursuit had finally ended, but the scene before him made his heart sink. Beside the Flameborn Lion he'd been chasing stood a colossal counterpart, towering over three times its size. Its majestic presence was daunting, radiating an aura of unyielding power.
The giant lion's dark blue eyes, reminiscent of a death god's fiery gaze, locked onto Anos, sending a chill through his veins. Those piercing eyes seemed to bore into his very soul.
Under the lion's left claw, a woman lay pinned, her once-pristine white dress now stained crimson by the blood seeping from her wounds. The razor-sharp claws hovered at her neck, threatening to end her life with the slightest movement.
As she turned to face Anos, her eyes flashed with defiance, cold calculation, and a hint of desperation. Yet, beneath the blood-soaked face, Anos struggled to discern her features. Her gaze held a deep-seated stubbornness, as if she refused to surrender to her dire circumstances.
Anos' instincts screamed to act, but the giant lion's presence made him wary. One misstep could seal the woman's fate – and his own. The air was heavy with tension, the outcome hanging precariously in the balance.
...
Anos' eyes widened as he gazed at the colossal Flameborn Lion. Its stats were shrouded in mystery:
Flameborn Lion
Realm: ???
Level: ???
Attribute: ???
The question marks mocked Anos, hinting at a power beyond his understanding. This was no ordinary beast; it had transcended the Spirit Condensation Realm.
Anos prioritized his own survival above all else. He wasn't a hero who would recklessly risk his life to save others. His own life was his top priority.
"I'm not going to risk my life for that woman," Anos thought. "My survival is all that matters."
The woman's desperate gaze didn't move him. He was resolute in his decision.
....
Fortunately, Charlotte Reys had survived! But the weight of her salvation settled heavily upon her. She had been saved by a stranger, a cultivator of unparalleled strength – at the fifth star of the Spirit Condensation Realm.
As Anos fled, Charlotte Reys sensed his overwhelming power. In contrast, her own third-star Arcane Body Realm seemed woefully inadequate. The disparity stunned her, and a crushing sense of vulnerability followed.
For the first time in her life, Charlotte Reys was indebted to someone. This stranger had saved her life, yet now he faced mortal danger alone. Her heart wrestled with the dilemma.
A part of her yearned to repay her debt, to stand alongside her savior. But rationality cautioned against it – if she followed, she would only seal her own fate. The anguish of indecision gripped her.
Typically, people would flee in fear, lest the enemy turn their attention back to them. But Charlotte Reys stood frozen, her gaze fixed on Anos' receding figure for what felt like an eternity.
Her cold, emotionless eyes betrayed no hint of her inner turmoil. No one could fathom the thoughts swirling behind her stoic facade.
Finally, she stirred, slowly departing while tenderly cradling her wounds. Yet, the image of Anos' brave retreat lingered in her mind, indelibly etched.
The memory of his selfless rescue and her own helplessness haunted her, refusing to be shaken.
Charlotte Reys' steps faltered, her thoughts drifting back to the mysterious cultivator who had saved her life.
....
At that moment, Anos was desperately evading the Flameborn Lion's pursuit. He narrowly dodged several lethal blue fireballs, his heart racing with every close call.
But as he glanced ahead, his hopes sank. A sheer cliff loomed before him, a seemingly insurmountable barrier.
Panic set in, his mind racing for an escape. Then, his gaze landed on a small cave to the side.
Anos's eyes sparkled with renewed hope. The cave's entrance was narrow, too small for the massive Flameborn Lion to follow.
Without hesitation, Anos sprinted toward the cave. He dove into its darkness mere seconds before the lion's massive paw slammed into the ground.
The earth shook beneath his feet as the lion's attack created a five-meter-deep crater. Anos shuddered, imagining the devastating consequences had he been a fraction slower.
After rushing into the cave, Anos tumbled more than ten meters before coming to a stop against the far wall. "Damn it! This cave isn't safe either?"
Breathless and frustrated, Anos peered out from the cave's depths, his eyes locked onto the Flameborn Lion's menacing form.
Just then, a blazing fireball shot into the cave. Anos swiftly pivoted and pressed himself against the edge, narrowly avoiding the inferno.
The flames licked the walls, casting flickering shadows. Anos held his breath, listening to the Flameborn Lion's furious roars echoing outside.
The lion's relentless pursuit sent shivers down Anos's spine. He knew he couldn't stay hidden forever.
"Damn it! I didn't expect my first demon beast hunt to go sideways like this!" Anos cursed, his eyes burning with frustration.
But then, a spark of hope ignited within him. He hastily retrieved a small, glowing object from his chest - the Firestorm Nugget.
"The heavens aren't ready for me to die just yet!" Anos exclaimed, relief washing over his face.
In his hand lay the Firestorm Nugget, a potent tool capable of unleashing a devastating inferno, even obliterating a Profound Heaven Realm cultivator. Against an Arcane Body Realm foe like the Flameborn Lion, its destructive power would be unmatched.
A calculated glint appeared in Anos's eyes. "This nugget will turn the tables."
Anos had nearly forgotten about the Firestorm Nugget, but its presence brought immense relief. Without it, his fate would have been sealed.
Standing up, resolve etched on his face, Anos grasped the Firestorm Nugget firmly. His eyes blazed with fury.
"You dare chase me, spit fire at me, and refuse to leave? Then you'll pay the price!" Anos snarled, his voice low and menacing.
The Flameborn Lion's relentless pursuit had pushed him to the edge. Now, Anos was ready to unleash his counterattack.
With the Firestorm Nugget at the ready, Anos prepared to face his pursuer, determined to emerge victorious.
...