The Shadow Panther circled silently.
Its golden eyes never left Lin Yuan, and each step was so light that it barely made a sound.
Lin Yuan slowed his breathing.
He knew he couldn't match the beast in speed.
If he tried to outrun it, he would die.
He had only one chance.
The panther suddenly vanished again.
A chill ran down Lin Yuan's spine.
Without thinking, he threw himself forward.
Whoosh!
Razor-sharp claws sliced through the air where his neck had been a moment earlier.
The panther landed gracefully and immediately turned for another attack.
Lin Yuan didn't give it the chance.
Grabbing a handful of loose dirt, he flung it into the beast's eyes.
The panther instinctively shut its eyes for a split second.
That instant was all Lin Yuan needed.
He rushed toward the cliff instead of the beast.
His fingers dug into the rough stone as he climbed with all his strength.
The Crimson Spirit Herb was only a few feet away.
Behind him came an enraged roar.
The Shadow Panther had recovered.
It leaped toward him.
Lin Yuan stretched out his hand.
Just before the beast reached him, his fingers closed around the stem of the herb.
The moment he pulled it free, a rich crimson essence surged out of the plant.
It flowed directly into his spiritual sea.
The Gray Sapling shook violently.
Its four emerald leaves glowed with dazzling light.
The flower bud at its peak slowly opened.
One petal...
Then another...
Until a small emerald flower fully bloomed.
A warm, life-filled aura burst from the sapling and spread through Lin Yuan's entire body.
His exhausted muscles recovered instantly.
His wounds stopped bleeding.
Even the spiritual energy in his meridians became denser.
At the same time, the once-gray trunk transformed completely into vibrant green.
The sapling had undergone its first true transformation.
It was no longer a frail Gray Sapling.
It had become a Green Spirit Sapling.
The aura of his Martial Soul rose dramatically.
Lin Yuan could clearly feel that it had advanced beyond the Mortal Grade.
It had entered the Common Grade.
The Shadow Panther reached him at that exact moment.
Instead of panic, Lin Yuan felt an unprecedented calm.
His senses had sharpened.
The beast's movements, once too fast to follow, now seemed much clearer.
He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the claws.
As the panther landed, he struck with his dagger.
Slash!
The blade cut deeply into its shoulder.
The Shadow Panther roared in pain.
Before it could retreat, Lin Yuan stepped forward and drove the dagger into its throat.
The beast struggled violently before collapsing onto the ground.
Silence returned to the cliff.
Lin Yuan stood there, breathing heavily.
He looked inward.
The Green Spirit Sapling swayed gently, its emerald flower releasing streams of pure life essence that nourished his body with every breath.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"So... you've finally grown."
He looked at the Shadow Panther's corpse and carefully retrieved its monster core.
This one was much larger than the Gray Wind Wolf's.
As soon as he held it, the Green Spirit Sapling responded with excitement, but Lin Yuan did not allow it to absorb the core immediately.
Instead, he wrapped it carefully and stored it in his pouch.
"A treasure like this shouldn't be wasted."
If he used it at the right moment, it might help his Martial Soul grow even further.
After collecting several Spirit Grass plants from the surrounding area, Lin Yuan left the cliff and headed toward the academy's gathering point.
He had no idea that, hidden among the trees above, an elderly man in gray robes had witnessed the entire battle.
The old man's eyes were filled with surprise.
"Remarkable..."
"A Common Grade Martial Soul should not evolve after awakening."
"And yet... I watched it happen with my own eyes."
He gazed in the direction Lin Yuan had disappeared.
"It seems Azure Maple City has produced a disciple with a secret capable of shaking the entire cultivation world."
With those words, the mysterious elder vanished like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace behind.