Chaos.
The entire city of Qingyun was in chaos.
Starting from the North Gate, a path carved straight towards the city center. The beast was like an unstoppable spear, piercing through everything in its path. Everyone it encountered along the way, be they ordinary mortals or cultivators, was utterly powerless to stop it. All were torn to shreds!
Like a wolf amidst sheep, wherever it rampaged, screams filled the air and rivers of blood flowed.
Even late-stage Foundation Building cultivators couldn't withstand a single blow from the beast. Groups of ten or twenty cultivators joining forces to attack failed to halt its advance. Once it charged into a crowd, the death toll was catastrophic.
Eventually, no cultivator dared to stand in the beast's way anymore. Everyone fled, desperate to escape.
Fortunately, the beast seemed to have no specific goal. It only knew to charge recklessly forward, killing anyone it saw, lacking a specific target. It attacked only those within its line of sight. So, if one was lucky enough to escape its gaze, they were safe.
The entire populace surged in flight. Even those on the outskirts, unaware of the specifics, were swept up in the panic, forced to run. As they ran, hearing terrified whispers of what was happening, their fear intensified, spurring them to run faster still.
Of course, there were always foolhardy cultivators drawn to investigate the commotion. But when they laid eyes on the beast, and the beast laid eyes on them, most instantly regretted their curiosity...
This nameless beast was a killing machine. It showed no sign of fatigue. From the South Gate all the way to the city center, it had slaughtered countless mortals and cultivators. Its originally jet-black fur was now thoroughly saturated with blood, even coated with a layer of minced flesh and gore. It resembled a fiendish monster straight from a hellish abyss, chilling the blood of all who saw it.
"ROAR!!!"
Reaching the vast central square, the beast surveyed the dense throng of fleeing people ahead. The savage, murderous light in its eyes seemed to intensify. It spat out a severed arm it had been carrying in its jaws and unleashed an ear-splitting bellow. Its body cracked and popped, seemingly swelling slightly larger. Then, all four limbs drove down with immense force, shattering the stone beneath them. Amidst a spray of debris, it launched itself forward like a colossal siege engine, hurtling towards a cluster of people.
"Abomination!! Perish!!"
At that precise moment, a roar filled with shock and fury erupted. A blinding golden light flared from the northwest! A massive beam of golden radiance, over ten meters long and more than three feet wide, shot towards the beast like a solidified sword!
"BOOM!!!"
The golden sword beam arrived impossibly fast, striking the beast while it was still airborne. The thunderous impact sent the creature hurtling sideways. It crashed down onto an empty patch of ground over ten meters away, immediately creating a massive crater.
Only then did a figure wreathed in pale gold light streak to the spot where the beast had been struck – a middle-aged man. He wore long golden robes and gripped a gleaming golden longsword. His posture was tall and broad-shouldered, his features sharply defined. His long hair streamed wildly around him like the mane of an enraged lion, radiating an aura of fierce, arrogant power.
"The City Lord!! It's Lord Lei Ze!!"
"Thank the heavens! Lord Lei Ze has finally arrived! We're saved!"
"Lord Lei Ze! You must tear that beast apart!"
"Everyone, get back! Clear the area! Beware of stray attacks! Foundation Building cultivators, gather! Look for an opening to assist Lord Lei Ze!"
Cheers and shouts erupted from the surrounding survivors upon seeing him.
— This middle-aged cultivator who had appeared so dramatically was none other than the current City Lord of Qingyun City, Lei Ze!
Qingyun City had been established three hundred years ago by the Lei Clan, who had governed it ever since. Families like the Changgong or Zheng had migrated or developed later. As a self-built cultivation city within the borders of Xia Kingdom, it wasn't governed by the Xia Imperial Court. It nominally affiliated with the strongest local sect, the Biquan Sect, but the sect had never interfered in the city's management. The Lei Clan had always maintained order without imposing harsh taxes or exploiting the residents, earning them deep respect and loyalty over generations.
Lei Ze was the current City Lord, possessing peak late-stage Foundation Building cultivation. He rarely appeared publicly, and recently had been secluded in cultivation, striving to break through to the Golden Core realm. Upon receiving news of the rampaging beast, he had rushed immediately from his secluded retreat. He had finally intercepted the monster here, in the central square.
"A Tier 3 demon beast? No... it feels like Tier 2 peak... but..."
Lei Ze ignored the relieved shouts around him. His expression was grave as he stared intently at the crater ahead, watching the beast clamber back to its feet. His brow was deeply furrowed.
The reports had mentioned a Tier 3 demon beast. Yet, seeing it firsthand, it seemed only Tier 2 peak. However, its power was utterly unlike any Tier 2 peak beast he had ever encountered. Because... he had just struck it with a superior-grade Tier 3 Gold Blade Talisman... and the beast had risen unharmed!
That was impossible. A superior-grade Tier 3 Gold Blade Talisman should annihilate an ordinary Tier 2 peak beast instantly. Yet here, it had seemingly failed!
"ROAR!!!"
While Lei Ze was still reeling from this shock, the beast roared again. Its body coiled and then exploded forward, vanishing from its position!
"So fast!!"
Lei Ze's pupils contracted sharply. Instinct took over, and he threw himself backward. Almost simultaneously, the spot where he had just stood was obliterated by a massive claw strike!
This beast's speed was also far beyond that of a normal Tier 2 peak creature. It was easily on par with an early Tier 3 beast!
"Only Tier 2 peak, yet capable of Tier 3 strength... How is this possible? What is this beast?!"
Lei Ze's expression turned grim as his mind raced. The cultivation world teemed with countless demon beasts. Though his knowledge was extensive, he couldn't identify this monstrosity, nor comprehend how it could possess such wildly disproportionate power.
"SWOOSH!!"
But there was no time for contemplation. Lei Ze hadn't even regained his footing from his evasive leap when his vision blurred again. A claw reeking of thick, metallic blood was already slicing towards his face!
Terror surged through Lei Ze. He hadn't anticipated the beast's follow-up attack would be this relentless, this swift. He didn't even have time to fully activate his protective spiritual light or magical treasures. In that split second of life-or-death, he poured all his energy into circulating his True Essence, forcing it outward to form a dense defensive barrier before him. Simultaneously, his right arm snapped up, his golden longsword darting forward like a viper, aimed directly at the beast's vulnerable lower jaw.
It was a desperate, mutually assured strike. Lei Ze refused to simply retreat; he sought to cripple the beast even as it attacked. He reasoned that even if its hide was thick, the softer flesh under its jaw couldn't withstand the edge of his blade.
— As the City Lord of Qingyun, the sword he wielded was a low-grade spiritual artifact, passed down through generations of the Lei Clan!
"THUD!!"
"CLANG!!!"
A heavy, dull impact sound and a sharp, clear metallic clang rang out almost simultaneously. Then, Lei Ze's entire body was sent hurtling backward like a cannonball!
The beast's claw had shattered his hastily erected True Essence barrier like glass and slammed squarely into his chest.
"UGH!!!"
Still airborne, Lei Ze coughed violently, a spray of crimson blood erupting from his mouth. The arm holding his sword trembled violently; the powerful recoil had split the skin at the base of his thumb, sending rivulets of blood trickling down the gleaming blade. He stared at the beast, which had landed lightly back on the shattered ground, his eyes wide with utter disbelief.
Because his strike with the low-grade spiritual artifact... had merely cut a small notch into the beast's lower jaw. It hadn't pierced through, as he had desperately hoped.
— Was this truly the defensive power of a Tier 2 peak beast?! How could it be so... terrifying?!