Blades of death pursued relentlessly behind him; at this critical moment, Ryan Carter could only run desperately forward!

  As the bloodline-awakened Skyblade Antelope behind him leaped, Ryan also launched himself into the air, activating his newly acquired skill—Thousand-Mile Leap!

  In a single bound, Ryan soared more than ten meters high and nearly fifty meters away, landing far ahead of the pursuing herd.

  The powerful antelope, confident in its jump, was absolutely certain its prey couldn't evade its deadly strike. Yet reality shattered its expectations—its prey was now even farther ahead!

  Enraged, the antelope's crimson eyes blazed fiercely. It refused to accept a mere human could surpass it in speed. Gathering strength, it leaped again—

  —but Ryan simultaneously jumped again, this time even faster!

  The pursuing herd momentarily slowed, bewildered. They had never encountered a creature capable of jumping faster than them!

  The gap widened further.

  "Greg, am I hallucinating?" Louis rubbed his eyes incredulously. "Ryan—he's still alive!"

  Greg stared blankly at Ryan's distant figure sprinting ahead of the herd. "Alive—he's really alive! How... how is this possible?"

  Confused, he slapped Louis's face lightly. "Does that hurt?"

  Louis kicked him back roughly. "Not really... maybe we're both dreaming?"

  "You idiots!" another warrior snapped irritably nearby. "That's really Ryan! He's outrunning the Skyblade Antelopes—he must have awakened an extraordinary bloodline!"

  Even Overseer Marcus Stone and the others watched in stunned disbelief. Their companion, seemingly doomed moments ago, was now alive and well, displaying an incredible new ability. It was astonishing!

  Captain Harris murmured thoughtfully, "Are there really bloodlines specialized in jumping?"

  Deputy Overseer Victor Shaw shook his head silently; even he had never witnessed such an unusual awakening.

  Marcus spoke firmly, "Human bloodlines manifest in countless ways, often awakening at moments of deadly peril. However, such a risky method usually ends in tragedy. Ryan's survival can only be attributed to extraordinary luck. His awakening must be some variant of wind-attribute bloodline."

  Harris asked eagerly, "Sir, does this mean Ryan can survive now?"

  Victor and the others also watched hopefully. Though they'd barely interacted with Ryan before, seeing his bravery—risking death to save teammates—made them genuinely want him to live.

  Marcus sighed cautiously, "He's just awakened—a narrow chance at best. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to help."

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  Meanwhile, the lead antelope made another furious leap, increasing its speed by half. Yet Ryan's leaps also quickened dramatically—so the gap remained unchanged.

  However, upon landing, Ryan felt his muscles tearing, his strength rapidly draining.

  Not enough strength!

  Prepared for this, Ryan immediately poured stored energy into replenishing his body's stats:

  Energy: 195

  Stamina: 42/42

  Strength: 26/26

  Spirit: 18/18

  Skills:

  - Iron Body Technique Lv.5

  - Five Tigers Blade Technique Lv.4

  - Thousand-Mile Leap (Minor Mastery)

  Spending fifty energy points didn't bother him—he could always gain more energy, but losing his life was permanent!

  The powerful antelope leader grew increasingly frantic, sensing Ryan suddenly regain his vitality and speed. It roared in frustration as the distance widened—five meters, then ten, then twenty...

  This humiliation drove it nearly mad. How could it allow mere prey to surpass it?

  The entire herd thundered angrily, yet the louder they roared, the further Ryan pulled ahead.

  Marcus Stone raised his eyebrows, astonished. "Looks like the boy might actually survive. Could he have awakened another hidden potential?"

  Even Victor and the others silently wondered. They knew exactly how much energy each leap expended.

  Harris chuckled excitedly, "Overseer, didn't you always say true potential awakens between life and death? Perhaps this is Ryan's great opportunity!"

  Suddenly, a deep, resonant antelope roar echoed across the plains, shaking everyone's souls. Marcus, however, smiled in relief. "Excellent! The herd's Spirit General-level leader has ordered a retreat. Ryan's safe!"

  Relief flooded everyone's faces. Harris and Victor, who deeply respected Marcus's judgment, sighed gratefully.

  Victor mused, "Although we didn't hunt successfully this time, awakening a new bloodline warrior is rare enough. Not to mention, everyone survived without injuries."

  Aaron Hale stood aside quietly, bitter jealousy gnawing at him. Those rewards and recognition should've been his—but Ryan had stolen them all! He silently seethed at the perceived injustice.

  The Skyblade Antelope herd gradually turned away, their powerful leader reluctantly rejoining the main herd at its leader's command. They knew straying too far from the group invited unimaginable dangers.

  "They're retreating! Ryan actually survived—I knew he wouldn't die!" Greg shouted joyfully, nearly sobbing.

  Louis kicked him lightly. "You coward! I knew that brat would survive. Jerks like him always live forever!"

  As Ryan watched the herd retreat, his eyes glinted sharply. Each antelope meant another beast crystal reward! Today's desperation taught him the importance of beast crystals—without those provided by Greg and Louis, he'd surely have died.

  He couldn't risk having powerful skills yet dying pitifully due to insufficient energy. Resolving never to repeat that mistake, he suddenly dashed forward aggressively toward the retreating herd!

  Louis and Greg froze, stunned.

  "What... what's he doing?" Louis stammered.

  Even Marcus Stone and the others watched, dumbfounded. None expected Ryan's audacity—actually chasing after the antelopes!

  "He's trying to hunt them?" Harris growled angrily, worry mingling with disbelief. "When he gets back, I'll teach that reckless brat a lesson for risking his life again!"

  Marcus, however, stared thoughtfully. "With Ryan's newfound speed, he might just succeed. If he manages to kill even a few antelopes, we won't leave empty-handed today."

  At that very moment, Ryan caught up to a lagging antelope. The weakest, slowest member of the herd instinctively turned to defend itself—but Ryan seized the perfect opportunity, wielding his blade skillfully:

  "Five Tigers Blade Technique—Tiger Pounces on Prey!"

  Ryan swung with every ounce of his strength. The antelope's head flew cleanly off, blood spraying vividly onto the ground.

  Without pausing, Ryan pursued the next antelope ahead. Having succeeded once, each subsequent kill became smoother. Within fifteen minutes, he'd felled four antelopes, leaving their carcasses scattered behind him.

  At first, Marcus and the others could clearly see Ryan's pursuit, but as he chased deeper into the fleeing herd, his figure vanished from sight.

  Marcus urgently commanded, "Quickly! Collect the antelope horns—this is our last chance! Don't let other beasts snatch them away!"