Facing the combined strike of Lin Ze and the others, the wolf-shaped ferocious beast had no means of escape.
Yet it seemed to have no intention of fleeing.
A glint of something unusual flashed in its eyes—perhaps admiration for the sheer power of Lin Ze’s strike.
But there was not a trace of fear in its gaze, not even the slightest hint of panic.
As the terrifying attack bore down, the beast merely raised its paw lightly, with no discernible aura of menace, as if it were casually extending a claw.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out.
The massive blade finally struck the beast’s paw.
There was no earth-shattering roar or explosion as expected.
The wolf-shaped beast, as if swatting a mosquito, effortlessly deflected the strike.
Boom!
The fearsome attack produced no effect; instead, it was repelled.
Lin Ze, the Baiyun Temple Master, and Qi Yuan bore the brunt.
Their faces turned deathly pale in an instant, blood spewing from their mouths, their eyes filled with a dazed expression.
It was the look of utter despair.
Their strongest strike had been met with a casual counter, a despair only those at the heart of the attack could comprehend.
“Ling Xiao, no!”
While Lin Ze and the others were reeling in shock, unable to process, Ling Xiao moved!
Thanks to the trio’s combined strike, he had spotted the beast’s weakness.
A beast, after all, was just a beast. Though its combat strength rivalled a Mortal Realm warrior, its approach to many matters was still foolish.
Before, Ling Xiao had no confidence he could survive even a moment against this creature.
But now, he was certain.
Holding out for a short while was no issue—perhaps even longer.
He charged forward, his figure flickering in and out of visibility in the air.
He deliberately avoided full invisibility to draw the beast’s attack. Otherwise, if he faced no danger, Master Baiyun would surely not appear.
The beast quickly noticed him.
Its eyes gleamed with cold disdain, and it swiped a paw down casually.
The strike seemed simple, yet it subtly embodied the profound essence of Mortal Realm martial arts, astonishing in its finesse.
But Ling Xiao had no time to admire it.
Under the crushing pressure, he moved like a nimble swallow, dodging a raging typhoon, appearing behind the beast at an unimaginable angle.
Bang!
The beast’s paw slammed into the ground, splitting the earth into a dozen fissures. Nearby demonic beasts, warriors, and mechanical constructs were caught in the chaos, many falling into the cracks, screaming in agony.
Such power from a casual swipe—if it attacked with full force, Yunkong City might cease to exist.
Yet under this terrifying assault, Ling Xiao remained unscathed.
To Lin Ze and the others, it was as if a clumsy human were being tormented by a pesky fly.
The human was strong.
A single slap could kill the fly.
But if it couldn’t land, it meant nothing.
Shock aside, Lin Ze and the others felt no relief.
Humans could devise tools to kill a fly.
This wolf-shaped beast surely had its own unique abilities.
Otherwise, being toyed with by a Martial Vein Seventh Layer warrior would tarnish its ferocious beast title.
Boom!
A surging aura shot into the sky.
Blazing flames erupted around the beast, a fiery blaze engulfing a hundred-metre radius.
Ling Xiao, caught off guard, had his clothes set alight.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
The real trouble was that a momentary pause allowed the beast to lock onto him. A vengeful strike came, unavoidable.
“Am I going to die?”
Facing this lethal blow, Ling Xiao had no chance to dodge. His energy was tethered, his body as if bound.
No matter how fast he was, immobility rendered it meaningless.
It felt like a fly caught in a spider’s web.
In his final moments, Ling Xiao mustered all his true essence, channelling it to protect his vital points.
Even knowing death was certain, he refused to abandon hope.
One couldn’t pin all hopes on others.
Boom! Crack!
The wolf’s paw struck the ground.
“Junior Brother—!” Ling Yixue nearly lost control.
Thankfully, General September knocked her out with a palm strike, preventing her from rushing to her death.
“Ling Xiao!” Lin Ze wept bitterly.
Dead!
Ling Xiao was dead!
The boy he had placed such high hopes on was gone!
This child, for the sake of Yunkong City, had died under a beast’s claw.
A mournful atmosphere enveloped the defenders.
Only Hua Nongying and a few others smirked with satisfaction.
These were Wan Ben’s people, who had long wished for Ling Xiao’s demise.
If the occasion weren’t so sombre, they might have already begun celebrating.
“Alas, I arrived a step too late. Why was this boy so reckless?”
A sigh echoed as a figure appeared before the beast.
His speed was astonishing, though still within human limits—unable to sustain flight or linger long beyond twenty metres.
Yet compared to most warriors, he was formidable.
It was Master Baiyun.
His face showed no grief, only a trace of regret.
Ling Xiao’s potential was notable, though in his view, it paled compared to Ming Tian or Zuo Leng. Still, as his disciple, his death was a pity.
“Howl—!”
The beast quickly sensed Master Baiyun’s presence.
This was a being that could threaten it.
It had to take him seriously.
As for the fly it had just swatted, it had already forgotten.
“Primordial Slash!”
Master Baiyun felt he ought to do something. Even beating a dog required considering its master. This beast had killed his disciple, and if he did nothing, his reputation in the martial world would suffer.
With a light wave of his right hand, a peculiar true essence blade soared through the air.
It lacked the dazzle of Lin Ze’s earlier strike.
Yet the pressure it exerted on the beast far surpassed it.
For the first time, the beast’s eyes showed seriousness. It stared at Master Baiyun and spat a crimson flame.
Boom!
The scarlet flame collided with the milky-white blade, unleashing a terrifying force that sent nearby demonic beasts, mechanical constructs, and warriors flying.
Those too close, even Ninth Layer warriors, were instantly bloodied, clearly beyond saving.
“Master!”
“Master Baiyun!”
Seeing this, the despairing warriors erupted in joy.
Ling Xiao hadn’t died in vain—he had drawn Master Baiyun.
Though their elation might seem disrespectful to Ling Xiao, they were genuinely thrilled.
Master Baiyun stood there, still dressed like an old farmer, yet now he seemed like a deity descended from the heavens.
His terrifying strike had outmatched the beast’s aura, inspiring confidence.
No one noticed.
In a fissure dozens of metres deep, a figure lay trapped, limbs shattered, body mangled in places.
It was Ling Xiao.
He wasn’t dead.
Though in a wretched state, at the critical moment, he had shielded his vital points and used the splitting ground to escape.
Thus, he clung to life.
