Li Xiaoyao's words stunned Jingxiang and the others, who looked at him in disbelief. Then, they watched as he confidently stepped forward without hesitation.

"Li Xiaoyao, this isn't the time to show off!" Jingxiang exclaimed anxiously. Although she had never seen Li Xiaoyao in action, his reputation as a waste was well-known. Even if he had been diligently training, he could only match their cultivation level at best. How could he possibly contend with the eighth-level demon beast, the Violent Ape?

But it seemed there was no time for doubt. The Violent Ape, seeing a human daring to provoke it, stomped its thick legs against the ground, shaking the earth as its massive body charged toward Li Xiaoyao like a moving mountain.

Jingxiang's heart raced as she realized Li Xiaoyao appeared oblivious to the danger of the eighth-level beast, boldly rushing forward to engage.

She imagined seeing Li Xiaoyao trampled into a pulp and instinctively shut her eyes.

"Boom!" A massive wave of force surged forward, and Jingxiang could feel the space around her tremble even with her eyes closed. Then she heard the Violent Ape's ear-splitting roar.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was shocked to see the Violent Ape lying on its back three meters away, while Li Xiaoyao stood beside her, seemingly unscathed and with a glint in his eyes.

"How is this possible?" Jingxiang could hardly believe her eyes. Li Xiaoyao had actually pushed back the Violent Ape without a scratch? Looking at Qingjiu and Han Kui, she saw their eyes wide open in disbelief. They had witnessed Li Xiaoyao strike the Violent Ape back, and the shock was overwhelming.

This was an eighth-level demon beast; without at least four thousand kilograms of strength, it was impossible to shake it.

Han Feng in the back was also stunned. This waste had actually repelled the Violent Ape?

"Eighth-level demon beast, truly tough skin and flesh," Li Xiaoyao thought to himself. Now his cultivation was solidly at the seventh level of Qi Martial Realm, and with his Nine Waves Fist, he could exert over eight thousand five hundred kilograms of force. The essence of the Nine Waves technique lay in the stacking waves, each wave more powerful than the last, meaning the actual force hitting the Violent Ape was close to nine thousand kilograms. Yet, the beast was already getting back up, roaring in fury.

With a stride, Li Xiaoyao positioned himself in front of the howling Violent Ape and unleashed another powerful strike with the Nine Waves. The inherently violent nature of the Violent Ape, coupled with its massive size, meant it could only take the hit head-on.

"I'll use you to test my strength," Li Xiaoyao declared, his movements fluid as he threw punches. The waves surged forth, crushing everything in their path.

Jingxiang and the others stood frozen in place. The Violent Ape? At that moment, Li Xiaoyao seemed even more ferocious than the beast itself. His fists flew continuously, the Nine Waves swirling like a shadow, sending white waves rolling across the space for hundreds of meters.

"To execute the Nine Waves with such skill, truly masterful. I doubt even inner disciples could achieve this," Qingjiu thought, struggling to comprehend. Li Xiaoyao, a waste?

"While the fist wind remains, the waves will not cease. I've heard that the ultimate essence of the Nine Waves technique is just this. Li Xiaoyao's talent in martial arts is truly impressive," Jingxiang pondered.

"A monster," Han Kui muttered, wiping his face in frustration.

The trembling of the space gradually settled, and Li Xiaoyao turned to the three of them, saying, "Come take the beast core; I'm exhausted."

"Oh." Han Kui finally noticed that the Violent Ape lay motionless and clicked his tongue. He exerted a great effort to extract all the valuable materials from the beast, marveling at how thick-skinned it was. Even in death, it was difficult to pierce its hide. He couldn't fathom how Li Xiaoyao managed to kill it.

"Haha, with you, Li Xiaoyao, around, as long as we don't run into a ninth-level beast, we can walk around with confidence!" Han Kui said, shouldering his bag with a hearty laugh.

Lin Feng smiled and added, "Let's keep moving; perhaps we'll encounter more eighth-level beasts."

"Just a bit of luck to find a beast that only knows how to take a beating," came a sharp voice from behind. Han Feng walked past the group, heading forward confidently.

"Han Feng, you..." The expressions on Jingxiang and the others' faces turned angry. This guy had a talent for throwing sarcastic remarks.

The group continued onward, but Han Feng, who wanted to show off, found himself without any beasts to fight, which made him increasingly frustrated.

"It seems something's off," Li Xiaoyao said quietly. Compared to other areas, this part of the forest felt unusually silent.

"There's definitely something wrong," Qingjiu agreed, and they slowed their pace. To their surprise, they saw Han Feng ahead starting to retreat.

Everyone turned their gaze and saw a wolf with a terrifying, ghastly face appear before Han Feng.

Jingxiang covered her mouth with her hands, trembling as if she had witnessed something horrifying.

"The Hell Ghost Wolf, a ninth-level demon beast, is one of the cruelest among demon beasts. It enjoys eating humans bite by bite without killing them first," Qingjiu's voice quivered slightly. For outer disciples like them who entered the Black Forest, encountering a Hell Ghost Wolf was the worst-case scenario. Not only was it ruthless, but it was also incredibly fast, making escape nearly impossible.

"Waste, let's work together. You use the Nine Waves to attack, and I'll look for an opportunity to strike," Han Feng said, his footsteps retreating rapidly, his eyes filled with seriousness. This was clearly directed at Li Xiaoyao.

"Waste? You want me to take the hits while you escape?" Li Xiaoyao sneered. "You think I'd believe you could just watch your companions get into trouble?"

"You have no choice; otherwise, we'll all die!" Han Feng continued to retreat, his voice filled with anger.

"I don't think so. It seems you haven't made a move yet. Do you want to eat for free? I'm not willing to keep a waste alive," Li Xiaoyao shot back, returning all of Han Feng's taunts.

As he spoke, Li Xiaoyao signaled to the three beside him and began to retreat to the side.

Jingxiang and the others also backed away. Facing the Hell Ghost Wolf, rushing in would be suicide, and after Han Feng's recent behavior, they had no intention of helping him.

"Very well." Han Feng's eyes gleamed with malice as a sharp aura suddenly burst forth. A shimmering sword spirit appeared behind Jingfeng, soaring into the sky.

"A sword martial spirit."

Li Xiaoyao was somewhat surprised. No wonder this guy was so arrogant; among various martial spirits, the sword spirit was definitely one of the strongest. Those with a sword spirit could become sword cultivators, adept at offense, capable of breaking through countless techniques.

It was precisely because of the strength of sword cultivators that many who didn't possess sword spirits practiced sword techniques, hoping to become one, like Qingjiu, who was a Wind Martial Spirit user skilled in speed and agile swordplay.

As the long sword was unsheathed, a cold light reflected, dazzling to the eye.

The Hell Ghost Wolf let out a low growl and suddenly lunged forward, its sharp claws glinting with a deadly light.

The sword met the lethal claws with a loud clang, the sound of metal colliding with metal ringing out.

"What sharp claws," Li Xiaoyao thought to himself, amazed. Ninth-level demon beasts were indeed exceptional; their claws could withstand a sword. The force of the Hell Ghost Wolf sent Han Feng flying back several meters, leaving a deep gouge in the ground from the impact.

As soon as its claws hit the ground, the Hell Ghost Wolf leaped again like lightning, leaving Han Feng no time to catch his breath.

Han Feng's sword danced in the air, seemingly creating layers of webs before him, but then he realized the Hell Ghost Wolf had vanished from his sight.

Above!

Han Feng felt a chill run down his spine. Without hesitation, he raised his sword and threw it away, his body retreating rapidly.

"Bastard." Jingxiang cursed softly; Han Feng was clearly no match for the Hell Ghost Wolf and even threw away his sword, fleeing in the very direction they were trying to escape.

"If I die, you won't have it easy either!" Han Feng snarled, his expression twisted as he charged at the four.

"Get away!" The Nine Waves technique surged forward, crashing toward him.

"You..." Han Feng's body was pushed back by the violent waves, followed by a scream as the Hell Ghost Wolf's claws struck his back, blood splattering as he fell to the ground.

"Looking for death." Li Xiaoyao's expression turned cold. He wouldn't attack first unless provoked, but if someone crossed him, he would retaliate.

"Awwoo!" The Hell Ghost Wolf let out a chilling howl, akin to a ghostly wail. Its claws stepped onto the fallen Han Feng, not in a hurry to kill him but fixing its icy gaze on Li Xiaoyao and the others, sending shivers down their spines.

"What now? The Hell Ghost Wolf is injuring him but not killing him; it wants to torment us with cruelty," Qingjiu observed, fear creeping in as he saw that even Han Feng was no match for the Hell Ghost Wolf.

"What's the weakness of the Hell Ghost Wolf?" Li Xiaoyao suddenly asked.

Qingjiu looked at him in surprise.

"The Hell Ghost Wolf has incredible speed and powerful attacks, but its defense is relatively weak, especially around its throat, which is its most vulnerable spot. However, it will use its claws to defend itself, so attacking its neck would require dealing with its claws first." Sweat began to bead on Qingjiu's forehead. Li Xiaoyao's Nine Waves technique was fierce and overwhelming, not based on agility, making it nearly impossible to avoid the Hell Ghost Wolf's claw attacks to target its weakness.