Like with many things on Myris, Han Bei found the danger beast to be an unsightly thing to look at. The bloated, roughly humanoid creature stood at the height of 2 meters and was almost just as wide. It looked at him with 2 black beady eyes placed on a head that was as wide as its shoulders. Its mouth that spun from one ear to another opened up in a gurgled roar while its green rubbery skin jiggled with every step that it took. This was the manbeast hellfrog, the predator of the shallow swamps.

Despite the name given to it, Han Bei had little doubt that he now faced a danger beast rather than a person, like the beast-born he saw in Last light. It was something he confirmed when his spirit sense enveloped the creature previously. There was great potency in the beast's blood, primal qi running through its body guided by pure instinct rather than controlled with intelligence.

When the hellfrog took ponderous steps toward him Han Bei saw no wisdom in the beast's eyes, only animalistic hunger, and wrath. Han Bei confidently stood with his arms crossed and while his black cloak shrunk to free his movements he manifested 4 ghosts behind him [yin soldiers]." Let see how sturdy you are, " he thought as the ghosts behind him flew from his side and circled the large beast.

The Manbeast Hellfrog uselessly swung its bulky arms around as it failed to destroy any of the ghosts. With a smile, Han Bei extended his right arm. " Perhaps the poor animal is still dazed from my previous love tap, I should help it sober up. " He clenched his fist and immediately all of the yin soldiers pounced on the large beast, each from a different angle. It roared in pain as the ghost clawed and chewed at it from the inside but a moment later they disappeared, destroyed by the primal qi inside the helffrog's body.

" C'mon you dumb animal, you have to do better than that, " Han Bei called as he stepped closer and manifested more ghosts [yin soldiers]. Ghostly qi separated from his body and turned into 8 distinct phantoms that turned into streaks of phantom light that smashed into the helffrog's body. The damnable beast was wide awake now and this time its bulky arms found their target and destroyed the majority of the ghosts.

The Manbeast Hellfrog gurgled with savage joy and turned to finish off the other phantoms yet before it managed to do a thing a pale fist drove into its side. While his ghosts clashed with the beast head-on Han Bei used the chance and approached the beast from the side. Before the unsightly animal detected his presence he attacked. The ghosts around him faded as Han Bei pulled back his right arm and collected ghostly qi inside the strained limb. It quickly turned a mournful grey before Han Be iattacked with all his might[death strike].

With a flash of dark green, the impact threw the beast of its stumpy legs and a hundred human bones broke to pieces as the beast fell upon the field of dead white around the ruin of its lair. Han Bei half expected the helffrog to stay down for good but he was pleasantly surprised when the beast started to roll around and snarl in pain. In fact despite all the blows that he landed Han Bei found no actual injuries on the unsightly beast's body. Now, that put a smile on his face. " Good, good you're making this interesting! "

The beast didn't share his excitement as it shakily got to its feet and glared at Corpse with its beady little eyes. Power boiled over inside Han Bei and he manifested more ghosts. With a mental command, he siccked his little pack of ghosts on the unsightly animal and moved closer so that he could attack when an opening presented itself. Unfortunately, that path of action evaporated before his very eyes only a second later.

Before Han Bei separated from his yin soldiers a sack of skin expanded below the bloated beasts' mouth and as its sharp teeth parted it released a vile stream of acid that burned through the bunched up yin soldiers in a single moment. Han Bei leaned to the side and watched as a spot of land beside him melted away through bones and earth alike, leaving behind nothing but a pit in the ground.

A few drops of the bile landed on his body and for a few seconds, he felt the acid seer through his skin and muscle. " Aren't you full of surprises? " he exclaimed. He pushed his arm wide and a surge of ghostly qi left his body turning into a group of yin soldiers. The ghost flew separate from one another but Han Bei guided them toward a single target.

The yin soldiers flew fast but the beast welcomed them with a self-satisfied gurgle. Its rubbery green skin took on a yellow hue while the ground underneath its feet softly sizzled. Han Bei narrowed his eyes but still had the ghosts smash against the manbeast hellfrog. Somewhat unsurprisingly he felt his phantoms fade to nothing the moment they came into contact with the unsightly best's skin.

The hellfrog gurgled in pleasure at Han Bei's failed attack and he briefly thought that maybe the creature possessed a bit more sentience than he thought. A moment later he shook his head with a laugh. " Doesn't matter. You're still an animal, you're still prey, and you're still going down. " Perhaps sensing his defiance the bloated beast roared, enraged.

The sack underneath its mouth expanded and the next moment it vomited another load of life-eating acid. Han Bei, already anticipating the attack, guided qi to his legs and moved forward with unnatural speed[ghost leap]. He moved straight toward the hellfrog manbeast. He neither had enough qi nor will to dance around the unsightly beast. Nothing was more pleasing to him than a direct confrontation.

As the yellow bile passed above him Han Bei covered the distance to the bloated helffrog and without pause opened up with a kick to the animal's stomach. The hellfrog winced and retread backward but Han Bei didn't let up and followed up with a barrage of strikes. With savage joy, he delivered enough punishment to turn any man into a paste of ruptured flesh and broken bones.

The beast roared and whined, for sure, but Han Bei sensed that his attacks, no matter how ferocious, failed to leave a mark. " So what, " he laughed. " I only need be more ferocious, more defiant, more resolute and victory shall be mine. " With practiced ease, he moved qi from the dwindling reserves inside his aperture to his right arm. Drenched in power his flesh turned grey but this time he didn't clench his fist instead his hand resembled a beastly claw as he swung at the unsightly beast [death grip]. A moment later he had a yellow chunk of meat in his grasp while blood spilled from the body of the unsightly beast.

For the first time, the manbeast helffrog bellowed in genuine pain and it franticly moved with speed that Han Bei thought impossible for a beast of such size. Unfortunately, the moment wasn't as triumphant as Han Bei hoped. The beast entered a frenzy and became frantic, erratic. As it moved around yellow blood poured from the danger beast's wound and it, as Han Bei quickly discovered, shared the same acidic properties as the bile the hellfrog launched before.

His right arm was doused in acidic blood and he felt his flesh sizzle and melt while pale skin flaked from his limbs. No blood poured from Han Bei's injury instead it stubbornly stuck to his muscles and struggled against the corrosive blood of the danger beast. He clenched his jaw as he hadn't felt such pain, or any pain for that matter, since he fought the Lord of bones.

" Excellent, " he thought to himself. " My slow heart beats with excitement. Now, this is a battle worth having. " Power now moved to Han Bei's left arm and he attacked without any hesitation[death grip]. He ripped off another piece of meat from the unsightly beast's frame. Enraged the beast smashed its bulky arms against him and Han Bei was forced to endure its considerable strength. Turned out the danger beast wasn't all that weaker than him.

Corpse and beast matched each other blow for blow. Han Bei fought with no less brutality than the savage beast in front of him and he shredded the unsightly beast piece by bloody piece. He sensed the life fading from his prey. But Heavens did not favor him tonight. As the manbeast helffrog rampaged everything around it melted away and died. Despite his great endurance already he felt the bloodless muscles on his right arm slowly whittle down to bare bone. If nothing changed he would be the one that returned to the earth.

.It didn't matter if he dodged or blocked as long as the bloated beast moved acid spilled forth from its many injuries and everything around it died. Han Bei blocked strike after strike, but he felt his arm weaken each time as flesh was rinsed from his bones. " Damn beast, " his expression turned ferocious as his right shoulder was almost gone. Yet along with ferocity, there was also excitement that danced in Han Bei's green eyes.

Eventually, yellow acid burned through enough of his muscles that his strength faltered, and Corpse was pushed backward. He looked at the beast and saw the joy of a predator that had cornered its prey while it tracked his every move with its little beady eyes. Han Bei's heavily damaged body was only a few steps away from the beast so he clearly saw the sack of skin expand underneath what passed for the damnable creature's chin.

With a smile, Han Bei raised his left arm while strands of green gloomy qi moved around it and weaved together [dark hold]. A spectral serpent extended from Han Bei's hand and tightly wound itself around the beast's large head. The manbeast hellfrog attempted to cover Corpse in acidic bile but no filth left its moth as its large maw was tightly shut by the spectral serpent that quickly eroded thanks to the danger beast's brutal qi.

" I shall be more ferocious, more defiant, more resolute and grab victory by its throat. " The ghostly serpent crumbled unable to endure any longer contact with the unsightly beast but before the hellfrog recovered Han Bei grabbed onto its neck with his left hand and brought himself close. Next, he guided qi to his right arm and showed it down the cursed beast's throat.

It choked on his broken flesh as he pushed his hand deeper with wild laughter. " Choke on this you bloated bastard. " Sickly yellow bile rose up inside the creature's mouth again and melted through Han Bei's remaining flesh and took away 2 of his fingers but unfortunately for the hellfrog it was already too late. Han Bei's fingers pierced through the flesh at the back of its throat and grasp a sturdy spine[ death grip ].

Triumphantly Han Bei pulled his right arm back. It was noticeably thinner than its left counterpart and no more skin was left to cover it, Heavens, in places there wasn't enough flesh to cover the bone. Still, he pridefully looked at what his 3 remaining fingers held. It was a half of a large spine.

The Manbeast Hellfrog fell like a puppet with its strings cut. The unsightly beast shifted its eyes all over the place in utter confusion that even overshadowed the great pain it must have felt. Han Bei calmly approached. He wordlessly lifted his left arm while what remained of his power flowed through it.

[death strike]
[death strike]
[death strike]

After 3 deadly strikes, yellowed skull fragments and brain matter splattered all over the bone-littered ground as Han Bei broke open the beast's round ugly head. He finally stopped when he felt his punches collide with the hard ground instead of living flesh. The manbeast's body gradually changed color from yellow back to its original green.

Han Bei released a long breath from his lungs and the fury of battle left his body. For a few seconds, he stood with his eyes closed, and despite his ruined and mangled flesh he felt content. He placed his ruined arm over his chest and smiled as he felt how fast his heart was beating, although already it was slowing back down to a steady and slow march.

" You were a worthy prey, if somewhat unsightly both in appearance and in character, " he said to the dead beast. There was purity in this battle, in this fight that he started sorely for the purposes of furthering his cultivation. Purity he had sorely missed ever since he found himself on Myris. Every other battle seemed connected with some grudge or filled with malice and only rarely could he devout himself totally to the pursuit of the grand path.

" I wish someday to stand above petty human grievances, " Han Bei sincerely hoped. He hoped for purity in his heart, but in his mind, he knew that petty human grievances were the reason why he was on the never-dead world in the first place. He couldn't forgive that bastard Fang Ming for slaughtering his martial siblings, and now because of it, he found himself in this hellhole of a world. But still, he wanted vengeance.

Despite regaining many memories Han Bei's mind was still covered in fog. He had been told the current date and year in Last light, and it meant nothing to him. He didn't remember when he was born, when he left his clan, when he joined the Yellow valley sect, or when he fell by the hands of the Fang clan. A part of him wanted to release a desperate and mad laugh. " Perhaps everyone that I have ever known has already returned to the earth and I alone remain, I alone remember what was done to the Yellow valley sect. " Han Bei hoped for purity but he desired vengeance. Precisely because of that desire he knew what he was about to do would be considered pure only by the demonic.

He took out a spirit stone and drained it to regain at least a portion of his qi reserves. After the stone was gray dust he took in his surroundings. There was only a small gathering of wandering ghosts still clustering around the dead beasts ruined lair, but they were no threat. He neither saw nor sensed anyone nearby. Nothing to stop him.

There was no sign of the usual methodical process when procuring precious parts from a danger beast, instead, Han Bei tore off chunks of bloody meat and showed them down his throat while he tried not to choke. " I wonder will I ever get used to this? "

Seconds later words failed Han Bei as he felt life spread throughout his body. It was unlike the feeble warmth he felt previously but instead a heat that threatened to scorch his body. " It feels like I'm inside a fucking furnace, " Han Bei thought while a new layer of muscle grew over his exposed bones. The new flesh spread and filled up the spots eroded away by the hellfrog manbeast. Seconds later a fresh layer of pale skin grew over his muscles and no signs of injury remained. Even then the great heat didn't dissipate.

As long as Han Bei devoured the flesh of the dead beast, power circulated throughout his body. Round and round it went as it refined his skin, his muscles, his bones, and Han Bei allowed himself another smile as he felt himself getting stronger. It made for quite a picture as he smiled while green blood dripped from his hands and mouth.

Han Bei lost himself in great bliss as his body burned with life. From the initial 2nd realm it rose to the mid 2nd realm. " And up and up it goes, " Han Bei joyfully thought as his body refining reached the upper 2nd realm. It was so very close to the 3rd realm, so very close. Then it suddenly stopped. The great heat was gone.

The large body of the dead beast was gone, nothing remained of the bloated creature. For a moment emotions of fury and hunger overtook Han Bei as he felt his chance for advancement slip between his fingers. " I want to devour! " He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as frustration momentarily overtook him. He allowed the burning emotions in his mind to turn into embers. " I'm the one in control, " Han Bei softly reminded himself and the violent impulses faded from his mind. For a few moments more Han Bei closed his eyes until he was sure that no more devils plagued his heart. Finally, Han Bei was, ready to leave. His dark cloak extended down to his feet and he walked back in the direction of the nameless ravine

Before he was gone he also used the ghost flag to capture the ghosts that still lingered around the hellfrogs destroyed nest as he found no mercy in simply leaving them there. The wandering ghosts were useful for what he wanted to do next after all.