11: Chapter 11 Talent Fusion, Turning the Tide in Desperate Circumstances to Slay the Demon Cat

The aftershocks of the spiritual power pillar were still vibrating wildly in the valley, and shattered stones rolled down with a rustle, hitting the ground with dull thuds. Lin Zhou bathed in the warm current of the returning Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and the dried-up spiritual sea in his body was instantly filled to the brim. It was even more majestic than at his Peak—the 100-point permanent increase in his spiritual power limit had made his foundation even thicker. As he circulated his spiritual power, his entire body felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

Not far away, the Nine-Life Demon Cat struggled to slowly stand up from the ruins of the altar. Pitch-black demon blood constantly gushed from its severed tail, and as the blood hit the ground, it instantly corroded the withered grass into black holes. The tuft of snow-white fur on its forehead, forming the character for 'King' as a symbol of King-Rank majesty, had also dimmed considerably, losing its previous luster. Its strange vertical pupils stared fixedly at Lin Zhou, churning with intense resentment and deep-seated wariness. The spiritual power backlash that had nearly resulted in mutual destruction just now had not only severed one of its lives but had also completely shattered its contempt and arrogance toward humans.

"Roar—!"

The Nine-Life Demon Cat let out a furious roar that pierced through the clouds, causing the entire valley to tremble slightly. Eight of its remaining nine tails rose high at once, their tips flashing with a cold light. Immediately after, dozens of black demon power blades shot toward Lin Zhou like a torrential rain. These blades were incredibly sharp, slicing the air into sizzling cracks wherever they passed, and carving deep, bottomless gouges into the ground. Their power was terrifying to the extreme.

"Lin Zhou, watch out!" Qin Yue struggled to suppress the churning Qi and blood in her body, wanting to get up and support him. However, as soon as she raised her hand, the aftershocks of the demon power caused her to cough up another mouthful of blood, her figure swaying unsteadily.

Liu Yiyi curled up on the ground, her staff having slipped from her hand. The ice-blue magical light had long since dimmed. Looking at the overwhelming blades, her small face was filled with despair, and her voice carried a sob: "Classmate Lin Zhou, hurry and dodge!"

Su Ye and Ye Ying were not much better off either. Both were spitting blood, their spiritual power in disarray, without even the strength to raise their hands to block. They could only watch helplessly as the blades enveloped Lin Zhou, their eyes full of anxiety and powerlessness.

Facing this fatal blow, Lin Zhou's gaze was exceptionally steady. Far from being panicked, he pushed his [Domain of Archery] to its limit. The pale gold light of the Domain grew increasingly dense, enveloping him like a solid shield, while the Spiritual Qi within the Domain gathered frantically toward his explosive sniper bow. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed his [Rapid Hunt] talent to the extreme, the bowstring vibrating into a blur, making his movements almost impossible to see.

"Rapid Fire!"

As the low shout fell, the silver-white arrows in the Demon-Breaking Quiver seemed to be summoned, automatically appearing on the bowstring. Arrows carrying demon-breaking power shot through the air one by one, colliding with the demon power blades.

"Clang, clang, clang—!"

The crisp sounds of clashing metal joined together, echoing throughout the valley. The arrows and blades were destroyed together, erupting into a sky full of energy fragments like a brilliant firework display. But the Nine-Life Demon Cat's attack was far from over. It had clearly calculated the gap in Lin Zhou's defense while he blocked the blades, and a cunning light flashed in its eyes.

Its demon power surged violently as its body suddenly turned into a black shadow. Using the [Shadow Control] skill, it appeared behind Lin Zhou as if teleporting. Its sharp claws flashed with a cold light, carrying a wind that could tear through space, and clawed fiercely toward Lin Zhou's back. This strike was both fast and ruthless, impossible to avoid, and was about to pierce through Lin Zhou's heart.

At the critical moment, a rapid System notification sounded in Lin Zhou's mind:

[Ding! Detected that the host possesses a Divine Rank Talent Fragment, which can be fused with any existing talent. Do you wish to fuse immediately?]

Fusion!

Lin Zhou roared in his heart without a second thought. He had no time to choose and could only pin all his hopes on this sudden talent Fusion.

[Ding! Talent Fusion in progress... Fusion successful!]

[Congratulations to the host, you have obtained a new talent: Elemental Space-Breaker!]

[Elemental Space-Breaker: Formed by the Fusion of [Elemental Destruction] and [Space-Rending Armor Piercing]. Arrows carry dual elemental damage of lightning and fire, while possessing the triple effects of penetration, splitting, and explosion. Deals an additional 50% damage to King-Rank and above mutated beasts!]

The moment the new talent was unlocked, a brand-new power surged into Lin Zhou's limbs like a volcanic eruption. His previously sluggish spiritual power instantly became incredibly smooth, and even his understanding of archery reached a new level. He didn't even have time to feel the mystery of this power before he dodged to the side based on physical instinct.

"Slash—!"

The demon cat's claws grazed his shoulder, tearing a spray of blood. A wound deep enough to see the bone appeared instantly, and blood gushed out, staining his martial arts uniform. Intense pain hit him like a tide, but Lin Zhou was delighted rather than shocked because he knew he had avoided the fatal blow.

He used the momentum to push off, his figure retreating several meters. Simultaneously, he pulled the explosive sniper bow into a full moon with his backhand. The bowstring was pulled to its limit, emitting a dangerous hum. This time, the arrow on the string was no longer a silver-white arrow from the Demon-Breaking Quiver, but a Charged Arrow that condensed all his spiritual power, the might of his new talent, and the amplification of the [Domain of Archery]!

Lightning and fire intertwined and collided wildly on the arrow, forming a purple-gold energy torrent that made a sizzling sound. The tip of the arrow even flickered with a tiny spatial crack—this was the prototype of the [Space-Rending] effect, carrying a terrifying aura that could swallow all things. The surrounding air was compressed by this power, making a crackling sound, and even space was slightly distorted.

"Nine-Life Demon Cat, die!"

Lin Zhou's voice echoed through the valley, carrying an indomitable determination. The moment he released the bowstring, the arrow was like a wild dragon breaking its chains, carrying the power to tear through heaven and earth as it shot toward the Nine-Life Demon Cat. Wherever the arrow passed, the air was torn asunder, leaving a long vacuum trail. Its power was more terrifying than any previous strike!

The Nine-Life Demon Cat felt a fatal threat. Its vertical pupils suddenly contracted, and for the first time, an emotion called fear appeared within them. It twisted its body frantically, wanting to use Shadow Shuttle again to dodge, but the locking effect of the [Domain of Archery] had already firmly bound it. No matter how it struggled, it could not escape that purple-gold light.

"Pfft—!"

The arrow accurately pierced through the demon cat's chest with a dull sound. The penetration effect was instantly triggered, the arrowhead passing through its back like a hot knife through butter, bringing out a spray of black demon blood. Immediately after, the splitting effect erupted, and the arrow split into dozens of small energy arrows inside its body, like countless sharp knives frantically tearing at its internal organs and Meridians.

Finally, the explosion effect arrived like the last straw that broke the camel's back!

"Boom—!"

Terrifying elemental energy exploded inside the demon cat, and purple-gold fire rose into the sky, completely swallowing its massive body. The violent explosion was deafening, and the resulting airwave sent surrounding boulders flying. The entire altar shook violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

Screams of agony echoed through the valley, sounding incredibly shrill. The Nine-Life Demon Cat's massive body was sent flying by the airwave, crashing heavily into the stone wall next to the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit. The dull thud of the impact left a huge crater in the wall.

It struggled to stand up, only to find that its body was rapidly breaking down. Eight of its tails were withering and turning black at a speed visible to the naked eye. The power of that single arrow was simply too terrifying—it had not only shattered the Demon Core it relied on for survival but had also severed three of its lives at once!

One must know that what the Nine-Life Demon Cat was most proud of was its nine lives. Even for a powerhouse of the same Rank, killing it once was as difficult as reaching the heavens, let alone severing three lives at once. At this moment, four of its nine lives were gone, leaving only five. Its aura was extremely withered, and it no longer possessed the King-Rank majesty that had previously looked down on the world.

For the first time, extreme fear appeared in the demon cat's eyes. Looking at the slowly approaching Lin Zhou, its eyes were full of wariness, and it no longer dared to have any Battle Intent. Its desire for survival was completely triggered; it no longer fought and turned to flee toward the depths of the valley.

"Trying to run?"

How could Lin Zhou give it this chance? A cold arc formed at the corner of his mouth. Enduring the intense pain in his shoulder, he bent down to pick up the giant axe dropped on the ground—it was the weapon Su Ye had lost earlier. He continuously poured the spiritual power from his body into it, and the giant axe was instantly enveloped in a layer of pale gold light, emitting a sharp aura.

Lin Zhou gripped the giant axe tightly and exerted force with his feet. His figure shot out like a cheetah, hacking fiercely toward the demon cat's neck. This strike condensed all his strength, determined to completely slay this King-Rank Peak mutated beast!

"Pfft!"

The giant axe carried a fierce wind and hacked heavily into the demon cat's neck with a dull sound. The sharp blade cut through the demon cat's vertebrae as easily as cutting tofu. Black demon blood sprayed out, covering Lin Zhou, but he didn't care.

The Nine-Life Demon Cat's movements came to a screeching halt. Its massive body froze in place, and the light in its vertical pupils quickly faded until it completely lost its luster. Its head hung down powerlessly, hitting the ground heavily, and it no longer showed a trace of life.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a King-Rank Peak mutated beast: Nine-Life Demon Cat (five lives remaining)!]

[Congratulations to the host, you have gained 100,000 Experience Points!]

[Congratulations to the host, your Rank has increased to lv.25!]

[Congratulations to the host, you have obtained the Nine-Life Demon Cat's Demon Core (King-Rank Peak), Shadow Monster Core, and nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit!]

[Congratulations to the host, you have unlocked a new skill: Shadow Stealth (from the Nine-Life Demon Cat's talent Legacy)!]

A series of System notification sounds rang in Lin Zhou's mind, each one making his heart race. He panted heavily, looking at the demon cat's corpse on the ground. His tense nerves finally relaxed, and a strong sense of fatigue hit him like a tide, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground.

Not far away, Qin Yue and the other four were dumbfounded as they watched this scene, their faces filled with disbelief, as if they had seen something impossible.

A lv.25 Great Master-rank Archer had actually slain a lv.45 King-Rank Peak mutated beast across Ranks?

If this were to get out, it would probably cause a huge sensation in Jiangcheng Martial Arts University, and even the entire Jiangcheng martial arts world would be shaken by it!

Su Ye was the first to react, shouting excitedly: "Lin Zhou, you're badass! So badass! You actually killed this demon cat! This is a King-Rank Peak mutated beast!" He was so excited he was dancing around, not even caring about his injuries.

Liu Yiyi was also so excited that her eyes turned red. The despair from before had vanished, replaced by full admiration and excitement. She looked at Lin Zhou's back, her eyes sparkling with light. Her voice carried a sob but was also incredibly excited: "Classmate Lin Zhou, you are amazing! We're saved!"

Ye Ying leaned against the stone wall, looking at Lin Zhou's back with a complex expression—admiration, shock, and a hint of relief. He was relieved that he was Lin Zhou's teammate and not his enemy. Otherwise, with Lin Zhou's strength, he probably would have become a soul under his arrow long ago.

Qin Yue slowly stood up. She looked at the wound on Lin Zhou's shoulder that was deep enough to see the bone, and a trace of worry flashed in her cold eyes. She walked quickly to Lin Zhou's side, her voice carrying a hint of subtle concern: "Your injury... is very serious. Don't move for now."

"It's just a minor injury, no big deal." Lin Zhou smiled. He felt the dense life aura emitted by the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit within his body. The wound on his shoulder was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the pain was gradually subsiding. His gaze fell on the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit on the altar, which was pure white and emitted a seven-colored light. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, "With this, our injuries will soon recover."

He stepped toward the altar and carefully reached out to pick the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit, which was the size of a fist and covered in golden patterns. The fruit felt warm in his hand, and a dense life aura instantly surged into his body. Wherever it passed, whether external or internal injuries, they were rapidly healing. The wound on his shoulder scabbed and fell off at a visible speed, revealing brand-new skin, and the chaotic spiritual power in his body gradually became smooth.

Qin Yue and the others watched this scene with shock. They could clearly feel that the life aura emitted by the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit was nourishing their bodies, causing their injuries to slowly recover as well.

Just as Lin Zhou was preparing to share the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit with everyone so they could all recover, a series of dense footsteps suddenly came from the valley entrance, along with several familiar voices that broke the silence of the valley:

"Such a dense life aura! It's the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit! It's right ahead!"

"Quick! We must get our hands on it! This is a treasure that can enhance cultivation and bring the dead back to life!"

"That kid Lin Zhou should be inside. This time, we must make him pay the price!"

Lin Zhou's brow furrowed instantly. He looked up to see dozens of figures rapidly approaching. The leaders were several veteran Core Class Instructors from Jiangcheng Martial Arts University! Behind them were many students from the Core Class, including several figures Lin Zhou had taught a lesson to before.

Clearly, these instructors had entered the Secret Realm long ago and had been lurking in the shadows, coveting the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit. Previously, they were wary of the Nine-Life Demon Cat's power and didn't dare to show themselves. Now that they saw the Nine-Life Demon Cat had been slain, they couldn't wait to jump out and reap the spoils of the situation!

Lin Zhou's gaze turned cold instantly. He put the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit into his storage space and gripped his explosive sniper bow, his spiritual power surging again. The pale gold [Domain of Archery] unfolded once more, and a sharp Killing Intent emanated from him.

Before one wave could settle, another rose.

This core area of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts truly hid endless Killing Intent.

It seems a new battle is about to begin.