Renault’s rolling movements, while not part of any formal skill, were the result of years of intense practice.

As he tumbled across the ground, he struck the Centipede Beast’s leg with all his strength. A sharp cracking sound echoed as the leg snapped under the impact.

With one leg broken, the Centipede Beast struggled to maintain its balance. Renault quickly got to his feet, pressing his back tightly against the creature’s underside. Using his legs for leverage, he pushed upward with all his might, throwing the massive centipede into the air. Renault shot out from beneath the creature, flipping through the air, and in the last few seconds of his boosted speed, he landed on the beast's head.

One hand grabbed onto the beast’s horn, pulling with all his strength, while his other hand pounded the creature's head relentlessly.

The Centipede Beast was already disoriented from the anesthetic powder, and Renault’s brutal assault left it even more dazed.

Despite Renault’s efforts, the horn wouldn’t budge. His palm bled profusely, the sharp edges of the horn slicing through his skin.

"Come on!" Renault roared, mustering every ounce of strength. His muscles swelled, and sharp pain coursed through his body as the immense strain caused his capillaries to burst.

With a loud *crack*, the horn finally broke off, spraying blood everywhere.

The sudden pain brought the Centipede Beast back to its senses, but it was already too late. Blood was gushing from the wound, and it couldn’t stop the flow.

The beast thrashed wildly, but Renault held on like a vice, refusing to let go.

With the sharp horn now in his hand, Renault stabbed at the wound repeatedly, widening the gash. Blood sprayed with each blow, soaking Renault as the beast's frantic movements knocked over more bamboo stalks.

Despite being battered and cut by the falling bamboo, Renault clung to the creature, driving the horn deeper into its flesh.

The Centipede Beast's breath grew weaker, and its movements slowed. It was nearing death.

Sensing its impending doom, the beast decided to take Renault down with it. With a final, piercing shriek, it surged forward, its ten legs moving so fast they were a blur.

The creature’s speed was overwhelming, but because of its broken leg, its movements were unsteady, causing Renault to sway with each step.

Renault’s immense strength kept him from being thrown off, but the Centipede Beast had no intention of shaking him loose this time.

The beast charged toward a dense cluster of bamboo, dozens of thick stalks growing closely together.

As it smashed into the bamboo, its spiritual energy exploded outward, reducing the stalks to a mass of splintered shards.

Thousands of bamboo slivers shot into the air like arrows, raining down on Renault and the Centipede Beast.

In an instant, the Centipede Beast’s body was pierced by countless bamboo shards, turning it into a massive, bristling porcupine. The creature's green skin was no longer visible—only the dense array of bamboo spikes covering its entire body.

Renault was caught in the same deadly storm of bamboo, and from the looks of it, there was no way he could have survived.

Already gravely wounded, Renault had been steadily losing blood throughout the battle. If the bamboo spikes had pierced him, he would surely have died, especially with his already low health.

For a long moment, the battlefield was silent, the Centipede Beast impaled and unmoving. Then, a few of the bamboo spikes on its head began to tremble, before being thrown aside, clattering to the ground.

One by one, the spikes were dislodged, and Renault’s body slowly emerged from the top of the Centipede Beast’s head. Though his arms and legs were still pierced by bamboo, the spikes had somehow missed his vital organs.

Blood trickled down his limbs, but miraculously, none of the spikes had severed any major arteries, which helped reduce the bleeding.

How had Renault survived such an onslaught? It seemed almost impossible.

In truth, Renault had realized early on that the Centipede Beast was planning to take him down in a final, desperate attack. When it charged toward the bamboo grove, he knew exactly what it intended to do.

Fortunately, the bleeding effects on Renault had just worn off, and he quickly downed a healing pill, preparing himself for what was to come. Had the bleeding not stopped, surviving would have been nearly impossible.

When the bamboo spikes shot toward him, Renault employed a technique he had spent an entire year mastering within the **Tianji Stone Chamber**: the **Thousand Apparitions Hand**. This technique, unique to the Tianji Sect, was designed for catching and manipulating projectiles with incredible precision.

The **Thousand Apparitions Hand** was a famous skill in Tianji Sect, taught to any disciple who reached the initial stages of spiritual cultivation. But mastering it to perfection, known as **Grandmastery**, was no easy feat.

Though many outer sect elders could only reach **Advanced Mastery**, Renault had achieved **Grandmastery** within a year, something even many inner sect elders struggled to accomplish.

His impressive skill with the **Thousand Apparitions Hand** was one reason why his master didn’t consider him a waste, despite his lack of advancement in spiritual cultivation.

As the bamboo shards flew toward him, Renault’s hands moved with lightning speed, catching and deflecting the most lethal projectiles. At the same time, he had healing pills ready in his mouth. Though the cooldown period on his items hadn’t yet expired, he was prepared to bite down on the pills as soon as the cooldown ended, allowing him to restore his health in an instant.

With his **Thousand Apparitions Hand** and quick reflexes, Renault managed to deflect or avoid the worst of the damage, surviving the deadly rain of bamboo spikes.

Now, severely wounded but alive, Renault stood atop the dead Centipede Beast.