The Supreme Asura

Chapter 33: Reaching Seven Veins

"Careful!" Mu Feng's face twisted in alarm as he lunged toward Mu Kuang, hurling his blade mid-air toward the panther.

A small, dark energy orb shot from the panther's mouth, whizzing dangerously close to Mu Feng. It grazed his back, leaving a bloody streak, before slamming into a tree trunk behind them.

Boom!

A deafening explosion tore through the night as the tree, as thick as a grown man's leg, shattered into splinters. Despite his injury, Mu Feng's hurled blade struck true, embedding itself deep into the panther's skull and blinding one of its eyes.

"Roar!"

The panther let out a blood-curdling howl of pain and fury, thrashing violently as blood poured from its ruined eye.

Mu Feng and Mu Kuang hit the ground hard but scrambled to their feet immediately. Mu Feng seized the opportunity. "Now's our chance!"

Pulling a dagger from his thigh sheath, Mu Feng rushed the panther. He dodged its frenzied swipes and drove the dagger into its remaining eye.

Shk!

The blade pierced through the eye socket and into the panther's brain. The beast shrieked in agony, blindly flailing its claws, one of which struck Mu Feng and sent him flying backward.

"Die!" Mu Kuang roared, using the opening to leap high into the air and plunge his blade deep into the panther's back.

Crunch!

The blade severed the panther's spine, pinning it to the ground. The beast's limbs twitched violently as it let out one last pitiful cry before finally falling still.

Breathing heavily, Mu Feng pulled himself off the ground, coughing up blood from his split lip. "You alright, Kuang?"

"I'll live," Mu Kuang replied, panting. He clutched his chest, wincing at the deep gashes left by the panther's claws. "Damn thing put up one hell of a fight. If it weren't for you, I'd be a goner."

The panther's lifeless body began to emit faint tendrils of dark energy—its remaining Yuan Qi dissipating into the night air.

"That was close," Mu Feng said with a weary chuckle, "but the payoff's huge. A beast like this could fetch a fortune."

Still catching his breath, Mu Feng retrieved his knife from the panther's skull and carefully cracked its cranium open. Inside, nestled in its brain, he found a smooth, thumb-sized, black crystal.

"A beast core!" Mu Feng exclaimed with a grin. "Luck's on our side tonight."

Beast cores were rare treasures formed within the bodies of high-level beasts. They contained concentrated Yuan Qi and were valuable resources for cultivation, alchemy, and crafting. This core alone could be worth a thousand gold coins.

"Take it," Mu Feng said, handing the core to Mu Kuang. "You need it more than I do. With this, you might break into the Purple Core stage."

Mu Kuang shook his head stubbornly. "No way, Feng. You killed the beast, and you're the one who needs it."

"I've got the rest of its body to work with. Besides, I've got other ways to grow stronger," Mu Feng insisted, pressing the core into Mu Kuang's hand. "Take it. It's not up for debate."

Touched by Mu Feng's unwavering generosity, Mu Kuang accepted the core, vowing to put it to good use. Meanwhile, Mu Feng sat cross-legged beside the panther's corpse, ready to refine its blood energy through his unique cultivation method.

"Keep watch while I work," Mu Feng instructed. "This'll take a while."

As Mu Feng began drawing the panther's blood energy into his body, Mu Kuang stood guard nearby, marveling at the changes in his own strength. Curious, he approached a large tree, took a deep breath, and channeled all his strength into a single punch.

Boom!

The tree shuddered violently, and a web of cracks spread out from the impact point. A sizeable dent, about the size of a bowl, marred the trunk.

"Two thousand pounds of force!" Mu Kuang muttered in amazement. His strength had surged thanks to the body refinement technique Mu Feng had taught him. The pain had been unbearable, but the results were undeniable. His resolve to follow this path only grew stronger.

Meanwhile, the panther's blood energy surged through Mu Feng's veins, repairing and strengthening his shattered meridians. Five potent drops of the panther's essence blood provided an additional boost, accelerating his recovery.

Two hours later, as the night deepened, Mu Feng's eyes snapped open. A faint crimson glow flickered in his pupils before fading away. He exhaled a long, steady breath, feeling the surge of power coursing through his body.

"Done," he announced, rising to his feet. His aura was noticeably stronger, his cultivation having reached the Seventh Vein of the Meridian Stage. Only two more veins remained before he would return to his peak strength.

"Feng, you're incredible!" Mu Kuang exclaimed, admiration evident in his voice. "Your progress is insane."

Mu Feng smiled faintly. "It's the power of the Shura Sutra. If I can hunt two more Purple Core beasts like this, I'll restore all nine of my meridians."

His tone was calm, but the determination in his eyes burned brighter than ever. The road to vengeance was long and treacherous, but he would walk it without hesitation. The strength he needed to face his enemies was within reach, and he would seize it, no matter the cost.