Chapter 3: The Beast Tide
By the time Lin Feng reached the fifth layer of Body Refining, the Azure Peaks trembled.
At first it was distant rumbles. Then, the mountain itself seemed to roar. A tide of beasts surged down from higher altitudes—spirit beasts with eyes burning with frenzied qi.
Ironhide Wolves, their pelts like steel. Towering apes wielding uprooted trees as clubs. Serpents slithering through the underbrush. Thunder hawks circling in the skies, their cries splitting the air.
Villages at the foothills were devastated—homes crushed, fields torn apart, minor sects scrambling to defend what little they could. The heavens themselves felt restless, qi in the air twisting chaotically.
"This is no natural tide." Elder Huo stood at their valley's mouth, ancient bone runes spread in his palm. His brows furrowed. "The ley lines have been tampered with. Arrays are twisting the flow of qi, driving the beasts mad.
"I'd wager Lord Xuan's hand in this. He favors chaos—to flush out treasures… or threats."
Mei Ling's voice was steady despite the tension. She handed Lin a pouch of explosive pills and salves.
"We've fortified the cave with barriers. But if they breach, we fight. Lin—your Undying Body will hold the line."
---
The first wave came like thunder.
Dozens of Ironhide Wolves charged, their howls echoing through the valley.
Lin met them head-on. His fists, strengthened by the Iron Body Art, slammed into reinforced hides, cracking them open with sheer force. Claws raked his flesh, blood spilling—only to seal again as his Undying Body regenerated mid-fight. Every surge of pain became fuel for his strikes.
Beside him, Elder Huo was a tempest.
> "Heavenly Star Palm!"
His palm struck forward, qi compressing into a constellation that exploded, scattering apes like toys.
From behind, Mei Ling lobbed alchemical grenades. They burst into flames or corrosive mists, enhanced by her yin qi, forcing beasts to scatter and choke.
Hours bled together in a brutal siege. Each wave grew fiercer.
Shadow Panthers slipped through barriers, their ethereal claws forcing Lin to fight with pure instinct. His senses sharpened, dodges precise, counters infused with qi.
His body screamed with fatigue, but his training carried him through.
---
Then, the beast king arrived.
A Crimson Tiger, massive and regal, its fur blazing with crimson flames. Qi radiated from it in suffocating waves—it was at the peak of Qi Gathering.
Its roar shattered boulders, lesser beasts bowing in submission.
"This one's dangerous," Huo warned, eyes sharp. "It's absorbed heavenly fire essence. We must be cautious."
The tiger lunged. Claws, wreathed in fire, tore through the air.
Huo intercepted, but the strike ripped his arm clean from his body. Blood sprayed.
Grinding his teeth, the old man flared his qi, burning his very lifespan.
> "Eternal Star Explosion!"
A supernova erupted from his core, blasting into the tiger's side and carving a smoking wound. The beast staggered.
"Now, Lin!"
Lin roared and charged. The tiger's claw impaled him, tearing into his chest. Pain blinded him, ribs shattered, his heart grazed.
But his Undying Body surged. His flesh knitted even as the beast's talons pierced deeper. The crystal's dormant power flared, essence leaking into him, qi flooding his dantian.
His breakthrough teetered on the edge.
"Iron Fist… Shatter!"
His fist slammed into the tiger's core, qi erupting in a devastating burst. The beast's vital orb cracked—then shattered in an explosion of energy.
The Crimson Tiger collapsed.
The tide faltered. Beasts scattered back into the peaks.
---
Victory came at a price.
Elder Huo collapsed, his severed arm beyond saving, his life force burned away by the forbidden art.
Lin fell beside him, blood and tears mixing.
"Master… why?"
Huo smiled faintly, placing his hand on Lin's.
"My time was borrowed. But you, boy… you will ascend. Protect Mei Ling. Defy the heavens. Rewrite fate itself… become the Immortal Ancestor."
His spirit flickered away, vanishing in a faint glow.
Lin and Mei Ling buried him beneath an ancient tree, carving a simple stele.
"He gave everything," Mei whispered, hand tightening around Lin's. "We honor him by pressing forward."
---
Meanwhile, far away, Lord Xuan sat upon his jade throne, reports in hand.
The beast tide had failed to kill the boy.
"The brat lives?" His lips curled into a sinister smile. "Excellent. Intensify the hunt. Bring him to me… or bring me his essence."