Chapter 79

At the gate of Zuo Xingcheng, a group of martial artists were ready to set out.

Yongchang Pavilion is one of the three major forces in Doushai County, named for the meaning of martial arts flourishing forever.

This time, Yongchang Pavilion organized a hundred-person team, preparing to explore the area near Guanlei Temple, led by three Great Martial Masters at the Ninth Level of the Innate Realm.

Of course, Yongchang Pavilion's Innate Martial Masters were not limited to these few; some were busy with other matters, and some had no intention of training at Guanlei Temple. The three Great Martial Masters initiated this action, so only ninety-four people gathered at the time.

When the burly man brought Luo Xiu and five others over, everyone's gaze couldn't help but turn to them.

The burly man, named Feng Cang, stepped forward and reported the matter to the three leading Great Martial Masters.

Upon hearing that one of the six recruits was at the First Level of the Innate Realm, the three Great Martial Masters slightly frowned but didn't say much more.

For a hundred-person team, one more or one less person didn't make much of a difference.

"Hmph, just a First Level Innate. Do you have the qualifications to join our Yongchang Pavilion team to Guanlei Temple?"

A young man in blue, tall and slender, sneered and pointed at Luo Xiu, saying, "Give up your spot; I have a friend who's coming."

"Why should I give up my spot?" Luo Xiu frowned.

"Hmm?" The young man in blue glanced at Luo Xiu, his eyes filled with a cold, mocking smile, "Are you questioning me?"

Luo Xiu remained expressionless and didn't speak.

The corner of the young man in blue's mouth curled into a cold smile, "My friend was in seclusion, but he has now emerged and is on his way. Are you sure you won't give up your spot?"

At the same time, the young man in blue looked toward the city gate and saw a young man in white approaching with a sword.

The young man in blue immediately called out loudly, "Brother Qian Guan, the hundred-person team is full, and your spot has been taken by this guy."

The young man in white, named Qian Guan, walked over and, upon hearing this, his eyes turned cold, "Just a First Level Innate."

The three leading Great Martial Masters naturally saw the conflict but didn't intervene or speak to stop it.

In fact, for this hundred-person team, one more person didn't matter much. The young man in blue was deliberately causing trouble, but regardless, he and Qian Guan were disciples of Yongchang Pavilion, considered part of the same group.

"You're just a Third Level Innate yourself." To everyone's surprise, Luo Xiu didn't back down, confronting Qian Guan head-on and retorting.

"Looking for death!"

Qian Guan's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to attack.

"Clang!"

The sound of a sword being drawn rang out, a black lightning-like sword light flashed, and a splash of blood followed as Qian Guan was sent flying, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Not only that, but everyone noticed that Qian Guan still had his right hand on the hilt of his sword, as if he hadn't even had time to draw it before being hit.

On Qian Guan's chest was a bloodstain. If the person who struck had not held back, this sword would have gutted him.

The pupils of those nearby widened in shock, amazed that someone could draw their sword so quickly.

Even the three leading Great Martial Masters were slightly impressed. Everyone understood the principle that speed is the ultimate in martial arts, but few could truly achieve it.

The young man in blue who had started the trouble was also stunned. When Luo Xiu's gaze turned to him, he swallowed hard, his expression showing a hint of fear.

Luo Xiu didn't continue his attack. After all, apart from the six recruits, the rest were from Yongchang Pavilion. He didn't want to offend such a major force unless necessary.

"Alright, young brother, your skills are impressive. A First Level Innate with a fast sword technique can match a Fourth Level Innate, possessing the strength of a mid-Innate."

One of the three leading Great Martial Masters, a middle-aged man, nodded and said, "Since Qian Guan has arrived, if he wants to go, he can join us."

As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, several unicorns were led over.

One hundred and one people, each riding a unicorn, was a very luxurious arrangement. These unicorns were tamed from third-stage beasts, and each one cost over a thousand yuan qi stones.

Of course, the unicorns were just for transportation and wouldn't be given to outsiders like Luo Xiu.

The unicorns moved quickly, and within half a day, the group reached the outskirts of Guanlei Mountain Range.

Everyone dismounted from the unicorns, and some were assigned to guard the horses outside the mountain. Led by the three Great Martial Masters, the hundred-person team entered the forest.

Beasts lurked in the deep mountains and forests, but when faced with a powerful team of one hundred and one Innate Martial Masters, they would be slain upon appearance. The corpses of second-level beasts were ignored, as their materials were of little value to Innate Martial Masters.

However, as they ventured deeper, the beasts they encountered reached the third level. Whoever killed a beast would keep its materials.

Fourth-level beasts did not appear, indicating that Yongchang Pavilion had a safe route, with powerful martial artists clearing the way to Guanlei Temple.

The most dangerous encounter was with a swarm of tiger-striped venomous spiders. These were venomous spiders with tiger-striped patterns on their bodies. A single bite could kill even an Innate Martial Master. Each spider was the size of a washbasin, and hundreds of them emerged from a thicket.

These were third-level beasts, and their fangs and venom sacs were valuable materials, but they were difficult to hunt due to their group behavior.

The tiger-striped venomous spiders were very fast, and seven or eight people in the team were killed, with over thirty others poisoned. Even with antidotes, their faces were pale.

The battlefield was a mess, with blood and foul-smelling liquids everywhere, and the bodies of tiger-striped venomous spiders scattered about.

The three leading Great Martial Masters looked grave. They had lost so many people before even reaching Guanlei Temple, which was a bad omen.

Fortunately, they were not far from the area of Guanlei Temple, and the tiger-striped venomous spiders had suffered heavy losses and retreated. Otherwise, if they had fought to the death, the losses would have been even greater.

After a brief rest, the team continued on. As the sky darkened, they stopped in a stone forest.

Guanlei Temple was located in the central area of the Guanlei Mountain Range, and it would take at least two days to reach it.

One of the three leading Great Martial Masters was a third-stage array master. After the team set up camp in the stone forest, he began to set up arrays around the area.

Luo Xiu was now a fifth-stage array master, and although he didn't have array flags to set up arrays, he could see that the old man was setting up arrays to isolate aura, defensive arrays, trapping arrays, and illusion arrays.

The Guanlei Mountain Range at night was undoubtedly dangerous, especially since they were already deep inside. In such a situation, array techniques were the most practical.

As night fell, the sounds of beasts roared throughout the forest. Everyone, except those injured in the battle with the tiger-striped venomous spiders, was on high alert. Even with the arrays set up, no one dared to relax.

Luo Xiu leaned against a stone pillar, his eyes slightly closed, his senses spread out. In his mind, the second diagram of the Law of Life and Death from the Zhetian Life and Death Wheel appeared, and he pondered its profound mysteries.

Compared to the first diagram, the second was even more profound and obscure. Even a glimpse of its surface was difficult for Luo Xiu to comprehend at his current level.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed, startling all ninety-plus Innate Martial Masters in the stone forest. Everyone opened their eyes, their faces grave.

Even with the arrays, the roar shook everyone's blood, indicating that the beast that could produce such a roar was far from ordinary.

The roar grew closer, and although it was dark, the Innate Martial Masters could sense a massive creature approaching.

It was a beast with a body covered in purple scales, a thick ring of golden fur around its neck, about twenty feet long, powerful and fierce, with eyes that glowed with a sinister green light.

"Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast!" one of the Great Martial Masters exclaimed.

"Heaven, how could we encounter such a terrifying creature?" the other two Great Martial Masters also changed color.

The rest of the team looked extremely grim.

The Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast was a fourth-level beast, and an adult one could match a Ninth Level of the Spirit Refinement Realm, a Great Martial Master.

Such a terrifying creature would make even a Great Martial Master retreat, as it was almost impossible to kill.

It was said that if the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast evolved, it could reach the fifth stage, matching a Martial King, growing a pair of wings and becoming a Purple-winged Golden-maned Beast, on par with a Two-headed Dark Tiger.

Although the stone forest was surrounded by arrays to isolate aura, they were ineffective against the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast, as the third-stage arrays were not powerful enough.

"Boom!"

A deafening sound echoed, and the cracking of the defensive arrays made everyone's faces even grimmer.

The Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast was attacking the defensive arrays around the stone forest.

Third-stage arrays were almost useless against such a powerful beast and wouldn't last long.

"Run!"

Someone shouted, and everyone scattered in different directions.

Despite the ninety-plus people, no one dared to face the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast, not even the three leading Great Martial Masters, who would likely be torn to pieces in a single encounter.

"Crack!"

A bolt of lightning split the night sky, and for the Innate Martial Masters, this night was terrifying and heart-stopping.

Luo Xiu joined the fleeing crowd, knowing he couldn't withstand the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast.

He used the Ten Directions Residual Shadow technique to its utmost, just one step away from perfection. With each movement, nine residual shadows appeared, making him almost impossible to track in the darkness.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!..."

Cries of agony echoed, and the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast was far more terrifying than the tiger-striped venomous spiders. After the arrays were broken, people were torn apart and devoured at every moment.

More lightning and thunder followed, and a light rain began to fall, not too heavy.

At one moment, illuminated by lightning, Luo Xiu saw one of the Ninth Level Innate Great Martial Masters being turned into a bloody mist by a purple claw.

"Run!"

Only this word filled Luo Xiu's mind.

"Roar!"

The Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast let out a deafening roar, and Luo Xiu's rapid movement paused as he felt a terrifying aura lock onto him.

His face changed dramatically, realizing that even after escaping so far, he was still being targeted by the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast.

The thunderous sound of destruction came from behind, trees falling as the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast charged through, and Luo Xiu could vaguely see its green, fierce eyes approaching like a specter.

Beasts at the fourth level had a sense of awareness, able to perceive a certain area. Luo Xiu guessed that his rapid escape had caught the attention of the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast, which was now hunting them like prey.

As long as they were within its sense of awareness, no one could escape its hunt.