Ning Beichen's hair stood on end. His sixth sense told him not to hesitate, to dodge immediately, or he would face dire consequences.
A deafening roar.
Everything within a ten-meter radius was pulverized. Ning Beichen was also sent flying back over ten meters. Upon landing, his blood surged.
The palm strike, "Da Beng Mie," felt like hitting a barrel of explosives. Fortunately, his sixth sense had warned him of the danger, preventing him from being completely engulfed. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
At this moment, Ning Beichen dared not underestimate the leopard.
The ancient bronze sword appeared in his hand, the Songshan Swordplay ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Ning Beichen was confident, but not arrogant. Even with his Grandmaster level strength, he knew a confrontation with the leopard would be dire, even if they were evenly matched. The outcome would still be incredibly tragic.
This was not training, nor was it a game; it was a battle for survival.
If he foolishly used his Grandmaster abilities against this leopard, even if he managed to kill it, he himself would likely be in no condition to move.
The leopard, after its initial strike, suddenly began to swell. Its size at least doubled, and with each breath, it sounded like bellows, causing the surrounding vegetation to sway. Like a king of the mountains, it slowly approached Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen's pressure grew with each step, his breathing becoming labored. Life and death, a great terror!
"No, I can't wait any longer!"
Ning Beichen slashed the ancient bronze sword at the leopard, channeling half of his internal energy. Instantly, ten thousand sword rain descended from the sky.
"Yi Jian Jing Feng Yu!"
Facing the torrent of swords, the leopard let out a terrified cry. A series of cracking sounds echoed as numerous bloody wounds appeared on its body.
"It's still not dead!"
Ning Beichen exclaimed inwardly, his arm trembling. He prepared to unleash another sword strike on the leopard, regardless of the cost.
However, the leopard suddenly turned and fled. Ning Beichen did not dare to pursue, as he was unsure if his second strike would be enough to kill it.
Furthermore, Ning Beichen was deeply wary of this leopard, which was stronger than a Grandmaster. Who knew if a second leopard might appear if he gave chase?
Injured, Ning Beichen did not dare to linger and quickly returned to the camp.
Upon reaching the camp, he saw Liu Yilin cry out in surprise and rush over to support him.
"Ning Beichen, how did you get injured?"
"I encountered a very powerful leopard outside earlier and fought it. I sustained some injuries."
Ning Beichen replied.
Liu Yilin knew Ning Beichen's strength well and could not imagine what kind of leopard could have injured him.
However, to avoid worrying Liu Yilin, Ning Beichen did not reveal too much about the leopard.
Liu Yilin, on the other hand, paid no mind to the leopard. Seeing Ning Beichen injured pained her immensely. She immediately took out a medical kit to tend to his wounds.
Ning Beichen also seized the opportunity to recover his internal energy. Although he had driven the leopard away, it could return for revenge at any moment.
A night passed.
The wind and rain had stopped, and the outside world was clear. Ning Beichen had recovered most of his internal energy, but his wounds would still take some time to heal completely.
Compared to his state last night, he was much more cautious today.
Ning Beichen had previously believed himself to be at the pinnacle of martial arts in the world, that there was nowhere in this vast world he, Ning Beichen, could not go.
However, the leopard that appeared last night had ruthlessly shattered his arrogance.
Without the ancient bronze sword and the Songshan Swordplay, it was uncertain who would have emerged victorious in his confrontation with the leopard last night.
Just then, Liu Yilin brought over a bowl of congee, much to Ning Beichen's surprise.
"Yilin, you made this congee?"
"Of course. Is there anyone else here?"
After Ning Beichen returned injured last night, Liu Yilin had barely slept. She had started a fire and cooked the congee first thing in the morning. Once it was ready, she brought it to Ning Beichen, having not eaten herself.
"Yilin, you've worked hard."
Ning Beichen was genuinely moved.
He knew that Liu Yilin was a woman who never dirtied her hands with manual labor. For her to cook congee for him so early in the morning was truly a feat.
"Try it. I don't know if it's cooked properly."
Liu Yilin said a little shyly.
What Ning Beichen didn't know was that this was her second attempt at making congee. The first pot had turned into a thick, burnt mess that she had to discard before starting anew.
After all, they were deep in the mountains, far from any electric rice cookers.
Cooking congee required firewood, and for a woman who had never cooked with firewood before, she had no experience controlling the fire.
Fortunately, this second pot of congee looked acceptable, at least it wasn't burnt to a crisp.
Ning Beichen took a bite and nodded at Liu Yilin, saying, "It's delicious."
"Really?"
Joy bloomed on Liu Yilin's face. Ning Beichen's praise made her feel that all her efforts were worthwhile.
"Yes, it's really fragrant and sweet. If you don't believe me, try it yourself."
Ning Beichen confirmed assuredly.
To Ning Beichen, the congee Liu Yilin made was not exceptional, but her effort was commendable and deserved encouragement.
Perhaps it was Ning Beichen's praise, but Liu Yilin also scooped a bowl for herself and ate it. She found that it tasted quite good, and she secretly rejoiced. At least she could now take care of Ning Beichen and was no longer a burden.
Ning Beichen's injuries were no longer a major concern, and his internal energy had mostly recovered. The two then tidied up their belongings and began to explore the vicinity.
"Beichen, after my analysis of the coordinates provided by the computer last night, I found that we are somewhat off from the true location..."
"The computer analyzed the data based on the Nine Palaces Strategy, thus deriving the coordinates, but it didn't account for the age of the Nine Palaces Strategy."
Liu Yilin said to Ning Beichen, holding a tablet computer.
"What do you mean?"
Ning Beichen was a bit confused.
"It's very simple. Watch this animation demonstration."
Liu Yilin had Ning Beichen watch the animation demonstration on the tablet.
Soon, Ning Beichen had a sudden realization.
"Geological evolution!"
"Exactly. The current geographical locations of mountains and rivers are different from their positions back then. After so many years, some locations have already changed, which is why we found nothing at the previous coordinates."
"However, after my corrections last night, the current coordinates should be much more accurate."
Liu Yilin re-established a new set of coordinates, which were approximately one hundred kilometers away from their current location.
"Let's go. If your judgment is correct, we should be able to uncover the secret of the Nine Palaces Strategy very soon."
Ning Beichen was extremely excited. He packed up their things and left with Liu Yilin, heading towards the true coordinate location.