"Senior, we should fall back. We’ve already killed three Fierce Beasts. If we stay any longer, I’m afraid others will be drawn to this location."
Bai Junran, arrogant and untamed, said coolly, "If they come, we’ll just kill them too."
The students gave wry smiles. They were utterly exhausted. The fact that the nine of them had managed to kill a single Fierce Beast was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives.
And it wasn’t just any Fierce Beast—it was the legendary Taotie.
Suddenly...!
RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE...!
The ground began to tremble violently. As the students looked into the distance, their hearts seized in their chests. A wave of despair washed over them. Thundering toward them were ten Fierce Beasts, each as large as a mountain.
The spectacle, the sheer sight of it, was a hundred times more terrifying than a charging army of thousands.
"Heavens, ten Fierce Beasts!" the students shrieked. "Our fight must have dragged on too long and attracted all the others from nearby!"
"Run! There’s no way we can handle ten of them!"
Bai Junran’s brow furrowed. Fleeing in disarray was a serious blow to his pride. But if he didn’t, facing ten Fierce Beasts meant certain death.
’One can be proud, but one must also know their own limits.’
"Retreat!"
With no other choice, Bai Junran gave the order. This was not the time for posturing.
The students were about to turn and flee, but they all suddenly froze. They saw a young man standing motionlessly before the ten Fierce Beasts. It looked as though he was scared stiff.
"Damn, there’s a civilian here!"
"Hey, buddy, run! Don’t just stand there!"
"You there, run! What are you looking at? Do you have a death wish?"
The students shouted anxiously, watching as the young man was about to become the Fierce Beasts’ next meal.
A single person for ten Fierce Beasts? He wouldn’t even be a mouthful.
"Hmph. Ignore him," Bai Junran snorted, preparing to turn a blind eye. "He’s probably just a civilian, too scared to move."
"Senior, aren’t we going to save him?"
Bai Junran, with his sharp brows and piercing eyes, replied coolly, "Save him? How? Who could possibly save him? Besides, what kind of civilian dares to wander the outskirts these days? He’s just asking to die."
If someone’s looking to die, why bother getting involved?
In this new Fierce Beast Era, human life had become cheap, worthless as weeds. Countless people died every single day.
The students gritted their teeth. Senior Bai was right. They had to retreat. If they didn’t go now, they wouldn’t be able to escape either.
If they were surrounded by ten Fierce Beasts, not even an Immortal could escape.
But just as the students were about to beat a hasty retreat, an oppressive aura filled the air. They stared, wide-eyed. A sharp, killing intent erupted from the young man’s lean frame. The very space around him seemed to twist and ripple.
"He’s no ordinary person!"
The students realized at once. Staring in horror, one of them stammered, "What a powerful aura..."
Yes, an incredibly strong aura. He stood there all alone, facing ten mountain-sized Fierce Beasts, completely unafraid. He wasn’t even fazed by their terrifying presence.
Bai Junran had also stopped. The cold, arrogant smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by a frown.
’Have I stumbled upon a human expert?’
’He looks so young. Could he also be a Rank 3? But even for a Rank 3, ten Fierce Beasts... that’s an impossible fight.’
Bai Junran wondered to himself, ’Or is he just a reckless fool who has no idea how powerful these Fierce Beasts are?’
"What is that guy thinking? He’s not scared stiff—he’s actually planning to fight ten Fierce Beasts by himself?"
The students finally understood, but the realization only left them more dumbfounded. Ten of them! No single person could possibly stand against that.
Huh...!
In that instant, the students all gasped, their expressions shaken. Watching from a distance, they suddenly felt as if they were witnessing the descent of an Ancient War God.
He angled his longsword toward the Azure Sky and let out a shout like rolling thunder. Two brilliant beams of Divine Light shot from his eyes as his figure launched into the air. With his sword in hand, he charged headlong into the pack of ten Fierce Beasts, his body erupting in a golden glow. In that moment, time seemed to stand still.
On the outskirts, it was as if the very flowers, grass, and trees had frozen in response to the young man’s audacious move.
SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH...!
A razor-sharp wave of Sword Qi swept out, tearing through everything in its path. The young man weaved between the ten Fierce Beasts, leaving a trail of afterimages and causing the air to crackle with explosions.
The next moment, the young man was back where he started, as if he hadn’t moved at all. The longsword in his hand had vanished mysteriously. He turned and began walking toward the students.
Silence. A deathly silence.
THUD... THUD... THUD...!
As the young man turned away, the ten Fierce Beasts were instantly torn limb from limb. Severed appendages scattered across the ground as rivers of green liquid flowed everywhere.
My God...!
The students gasped again, and it took them a long moment to process what had just happened. They stared as if they had seen a ghost, unable to believe their eyes.
"That was insane... Quick, tell me, was that real or was I just seeing things?"
"You tell me, and then I’ll tell you."
The students stared wide-eyed, looking from one to another in utter shock.
Beside them, Bai Junran stood frozen, the last vestiges of his cold arrogance having vanished completely.
"He’s coming this way."
The students grew uneasy. To instantly kill ten Fierce Beasts... what did that even imply about his strength?
They didn’t dare to even imagine it. But without a doubt, he was an unparalleled expert.
They stared, dazed, as he approached with a casual air. In their eyes, his figure seemed to grow, becoming towering and imposing.
"Hello, Seniors," he said with a smile as he arrived.
Huh???
Seniors???
’This legendary expert was calling them "Seniors"? What was going on? First my eyes were playing tricks on me, and now my ears are ringing. Did I hear that right?’
But there was no way they had all misheard.
"So it’s you."
While the students remained bewildered, Bai Junran’s face darkened. He stared intently at the newcomer, utterly shocked and caught off guard.
This incredible fighter was, of course, Tu Xiao’an.
Tu Xiao’an hadn’t planned on revealing himself, seeing as they’d already handled the three Fierce Beasts. But when the ten others charged out, he knew they wouldn’t be able to cope. He had no choice but to step in and finish them off.
Besides, he recognized someone in the group, so he figured he should at least say hello.
’It’s only polite, after all.’
But a playful glint flashed through Tu Xiao’an’s bewitching eyes.
"Senior Bai, long time no see," Tu Xiao’an said, smiling at Bai Junran, his tone light and casual.
"You... you..."
For a moment, Bai Junran was speechless, his mind replaying the image of ten Fierce Beasts being instantly torn to shreds.