"How... how is this possible?! Is it truly not a Third Tier demon beast?! How can a Second Tier beast be this strong?! Even in a Berserk state, it shouldn't reach this level!!"
Kou Xuyun retreated frantically, his expression one of sheer terror. He dared not retrieve his fallen weapon, his disbelieving gaze fixed on the unnaturally powerful beast before them. His low cry echoed the thoughts of the others – the beast's might defied all logic. Even legendary high-tier beasts known for death throes or innate abilities that briefly exceeded their cultivation couldn't compare to the sheer absurdity unfolding before them.
Rumors spoke of the Nine-Tier Great Sect 'Beast Taming Pavilion' in Southern Yue Continent possessing supreme beast-controlling arts capable of explosively multiplying a beast's potential. But those rumors also said the Pavilion dealt only in spirit beasts! This monstrosity radiating pure savagery showed no trace of spirit!
"Careful!"
In the breathless moment of shock, the beast vanished again! Changgong Linglan's face tightened as he shouted the warning. He and Zheng Changqing lunged simultaneously towards Kou Xuyun.
Kou Xuyun reacted with instinctive speed. His defensive barrier artifact flared to life, a golden shield of light shimmering into existence barely an instant before a massive black shadow materialized before him! Razor claws ripped through the air!
THOOM!
The impact against the barrier was sickening. The shield vibrated violently but held. Kou Xuyun used the moment's reprieve to dart backward. Simultaneously, he flicked his right hand, splitting his focus to channel true essence into a Mid-Grade Third Grade Freezing Talisman!
CRACKLE…
The white talisman ignited. A cloud of icy white mist billowed before Kou Xuyun. Countless frost crystals materialized, thickening with terrifying speed. Within a sphere several meters wide, a colossal block of ice solidified instantly. Trapped at its core – the momentarily slowed beast!
SWISH! SWISH!
Two more figures shot forward. Changgong Linglan and Zheng Changqing arrived, their blades thrusting as one – one aimed at the beast's eye, the other at its throat!
THWIPP! THWIPP!
The swords pierced the iron-hard ice, striking the beast beneath. But…
CLANG! SHIIINK!
Two sharp metallic rings echoed as the blades halted abruptly! Zheng Changqing's strike against its neck failed to penetrate! Even Changgong Linglan's precision thrust at its right eye was thwarted – blocked by the beast's closed eyelid!!
CRACK… CRACK… CRACK…
Before the shock could fully register on Changgong Linglan and Zheng Changqing's faces, a spiderweb of fractures exploded across the ice block's surface! The beast within seemed to twist…
ROOOOAR!!
A muffled, furious roar tore through the air as the massive ice prison detonated into shrapnel!
BOOM!! BOOM!!
Changgong Linglan and Zheng Changqing desperately tried to disengage, swords flashing back. Too late. Freed in the explosion, the beast's claws and tail lashed out simultaneously. Neither man could reactivate their barriers in time.
Changgong Linglan managed to block the claw swipe with his sword, the force merely hurling him backwards. Zheng Changqing, however, faced the whip-like tail. His blade intercepted its length, but the flexible tip snapped forward like a viper's head, striking his right arm!
CRUNCH!
Instantly, the fabric of Zheng Changqing's sleeve disintegrated. Flesh tore open, blood sprayed. Bone splintered audibly.
"Urgh!"
Zheng Changqing grunted in agony. His right arm went numb, completely useless. His sword would have fallen, but his left hand shot out instinctively, snatching the hilt mid-air. He stumbled back, face ashen with terror.
—Another critical injury. Another defender crippled in the blink of an eye!!
ROAR!!
Granting no quarter, the beast landed and exploded forward again, a black lightning bolt aimed straight at the retreating Zheng Changqing!
Zheng Changqing's face drained of color. He shoved his sword away with his left hand, pouring everything into reactivating his barrier artifact. The shimmering shield flared just as the beast collided with it! He weathered the blow, stumbling back faster.
The beast coiled to pursue, but attacks whistled in from both flanks – Changgong Linglan and Lei Ze charging with their weapons! From the other side, Kou Xuyun, having retrieved his spear, lunged forward!
ROAR! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! BOOM! KABOOM! CRASH!!
A savage melee erupted. The air vibrated with roars, clashing metal, and concussive blasts. To the lower-powered spectators outside the chaos, the battle blurred into flickering silhouettes: one massive shadow against four smaller ones.
"H-how... impossible!! City Lord Lei and the three Patriarchs combined can't defeat it?!" "It's too terrifying... could that be a mid-stage Third Tier beast?!" "What do we do?! What can we do?! Is Qingyun City truly doomed to fall to this monster today?!" "Let's help them! If we all fight together, surely we can..." "Fight together?! Are you blind?! You saw even Mid-Grade, even High-Grade Third Grade talismans failed! Even City Lord Lei's spirit artifact barely scratched it! What can we possibly do?! Run! Maybe the beast will leave once it's sated its madness..."
...
Inside the chaotic battle zone, the defenders fought desperately. Outside, panic surged anew. The beast's implacable power crushed hope. Many faces turned ashen with despair, abandoning any thought of victory, turning only to flee for their lives.
"Father's hurt! Damn it!! We have to help!" Zheng Kai blurted out, seeing Zheng Changqing's mangled arm, surging forward instinctively.
"Young Master, stop!" Lu Yang grabbed his arm firmly, his expression granite. "It's useless! Charging in now won't help them… it will only distract them!"
He spoke truth. They had watched from the sidelines, helpless. Their strength paled compared to the combatants within the whirlwind of violence. Without powerful defensive artifacts, joining the fray was suicide.
"Lin… Lin Feng…" Changgong Xiaojing turned, her face pale and strained, eyes wide with desperate hope. "Can you help?"
Her question snapped the others' attention to Lin Feng. Hope flickered in their eyes. They remembered: though only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, Lin Feng possessed formidable artifacts. He'd slain a Third Tier Fire-Tailed Scorpion not long ago. If anyone present could possibly intervene effectively, it was him.
"Yes. Don't worry. I will act… when the chance presents itself." Lin Feng didn't turn his head, his gaze locked intensely on the shifting battle ahead. He gave a slight nod. Changgong Xiaojing's plea was unnecessary; he wouldn't stand idle. But rushing in blindly was folly. He knew his opportunities would be scarce, perhaps only one or two. Failure meant wasted effort.
His primary weapon was the flying sword. He needed an opening to strike a crippling blow with it, then unite with Changgong Linglan and the others to finish the beast. As for his ultimate trump card, the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman used against the scorpion… that was a last resort. His current true essence reserves were insufficient to activate the Tiger Soul without relying on that unpredictable 'burst' state. He couldn't guarantee he could enter it again, and he harbored a growing suspicion that state carried unknown, potentially severe, side effects. Speculation, yes, but best avoided unless absolutely necessary.
"Wait… perhaps I can also…" Lin Feng's eyes suddenly sharpened, an idea sparking. "Yes... worth trying!!"
...
CRACKLE-KABOOM!!
Another thunderous blast erupted from the fray. Zheng Changqing, burning through vast amounts of true essence, had activated a Peak-Grade Third Grade Purple Thunder Talisman, a desperate gambit for victory.
ROOOAR!!
His hope shattered instantly. From the dissipating storm of violet lightning, a roar tore through the smoke. The beast emerged charred, smoke curling from its fur, the acrid stench of burned flesh filling the air.
"It survived even THAT?!"
Shock had turned numb. If told yesterday a Second Tier Peak beast could withstand a Peak-Grade Third Grade Thunder Talisman, they'd have called it madness. Now, they witnessed the impossible.
"It's nearing its limit! Don't let up! Press the attack!!" Changgong Linglan's sharp eyes narrowed, then widened with sudden hope. He saw it: while not slain, the beast was not unscathed. Its body was a tapestry of wounds, barely a patch of unblemished hide. Any normal beast would have succumbed long ago. This monstrosity fought on, seemingly impervious to pain, its ferocity undiminished despite catastrophic injuries. It felt like an overinflated balloon, straining at its seams, ready to burst at any moment.
ROAR!!
But as Lei Ze and the others gathered themselves for the final push, the beast roared again. It attacked first!
And its speed... was faster than ever!!
"WATCH OUT!!"
The beast vanished. Alarm flashed across every face. Changgong Linglan barked the warning, slamming his barrier into existence. The others reacted almost as fast, shields flaring around them.
SWISH—BOOM!!
A blur of shadow appeared before Zheng Changqing. A deafening crash! Golden light exploded as his defensive barrier shattered like glass! He was thrown backwards like a ragdoll!
"Brother Zheng!!" Kou Xuyun cried out, terror spiking. Frantically, he hurled a Peak-Grade Third Grade Thicket of Thorns Talisman, aiming to block the beast's path to Zheng Changqing.
HUMMMM… SHINK! SHINK! SHINK! SHINK!
As the orange glow of the talisman struck the ground, the earth beneath them heaved violently. A thirty-meter swathe ahead churned, transforming into a living nightmare. Thick stone spikes, thick as a man's thigh, erupted violently from the soil!
"Huh?!"
Kou Xuyun's eyes widened in horror. The forest of deadly spikes stood empty. The beast was gone!
"Brother Kou!! BEHIND YOU!!" Changgong Linglan's scream ripped through the air.
Kou Xuyun whirled. A monstrous claw filled his vision, descending like a hammer!
He'd dropped his barrier to activate the talisman. There was no time to reform it now. At the precipice of death, he managed only a half-step back, desperately crossing his arms before his face.
WHUMP!!
The impact felt like being struck by a runaway siege engine. Kou Xuyun catapulted through the air. The sickening crack of breaking bone was horrifyingly clear. Excruciating pain lanced through both arms; everything below the impact points went numb and useless.
SWISH! SWISH!
As Kou Xuyun flew, blue and gold streaks arrived from left and right. Changgong Linglan and Lei Ze, fueled by fury and fear, closed in. Swords blazing with three-foot-long energy blades, they struck the beast simultaneously!
CRUNCH!
The combined force slammed the beast sideways, interrupting its pursuit of the wounded Kou Xuyun. But as the beast was flung away…
SWISH—WHUMP!!
Its long, whip-like tail lashed out viciously, catching Changgong Linglan squarely across the back!
"Hngh!"
Changgong Linglan choked out a gasp, blood spraying from his mouth as he too was hurled aside. He crashed to the ground, face white as snow, spitting crimson onto the stones.
...
The sequence lasted mere heartbeats. To the onlookers, it was a dizzying flurry of blurred motion ending with Zheng Changqing, Kou Xuyun, and Changgong Linglan flung aside like broken toys.
Yet, the beast didn't emerge unscathed. Its once-impenetrable hide was now a lattice of deep fissures. Changgong Linglan and Lei Ze's final strikes had exploited these openings. A horrific gash, deep enough to glimpse bone, tore across the right side of its neck. Another gruesome wound split its right flank. Strangely, despite the severity, the wounds bled little. What oozed out was a thick, dark red, gel-like substance, unnervingly unnatural.
Most chillingly, the beast showed no sign of pain. No cry, no flinch. Its eyes remained pools of pure, mindless crimson. Its aura still radiated chaotic violence. But its body betrayed it. As it landed awkwardly from the powerful blows, its legs buckled. It staggered violently, tilting dangerously to one side, struggling for balance.
ZOOOOOM!!
In that precise instant of vulnerability, a blinding streak of silver and crimson – impossibly fast – screamed through the air. It struck true, piercing deep into the beast's right eye!
THWIPP!!!
A sickening, wet sound of penetration echoed sharply.
"It worked!" Lin Feng, watching intently from the periphery, felt a surge of fierce triumph. He'd waited. He'd watched. And finally… the perfect moment had come. His strike had landed!