Flowing River Sword Art

The scorching lake water had been churned into chaos by the Bladeback Giant Crocodile. Li Tianming plunged in and immediately locked onto the divine source.

He sped through the water and swiftly approached it. The divine source was not large, and Li Tianming directly wrapped it in his clothes. Once it was safely in hand, he did not linger for even a moment before bursting out of the lake.

Such a precious divine source had fallen into his hands without the slightest effort!

"First, I'll rendezvous with Yinghuo."

The Little Yellow Chick had contributed the most this time. Next, it depended on whether it could shake off that Bladeback Giant Crocodile.

If it could lure the Bladeback Giant Crocodile farther away and return ahead of time, Li Tianming would try using the divine source to see whether it could open this well.

"I could try right now and see whether this divine source can open the well. I'm just afraid of an accident—like it sucking me inside." Li Tianming looked at the well at the bottom of the lake and did not act for now.

Beastmasters and their lifebound beasts still avoided being separated by too great a distance. Otherwise, they could easily be defeated one by one.

The divine source was most important, so Li Tianming restrained himself for the moment.

Just as Li Tianming was thinking this, having only just surfaced to wait for the Little Yellow Chick, he suddenly felt danger descend.

"Who are you?" A girl in blue appeared before him.

The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, a willow-slender waist, and eyes as blue as water. Yet there was a foolishly pampered air between her brows similar to Li Xuejiao's, spoiling some of her beauty.

Sure enough, the commotion caused by the Bladeback Giant Crocodile had drawn others over. This girl was, as expected, likely from Thunder Lord Manor.

"The divine source is on him!" A deep voice came from afar. Li Tianming looked up and saw two middle-aged men in black standing by the lake. Judging from their faces, they were probably brothers.

They had surely come to protect the blue-clad girl before him.

"Father, Uncle, are you certain?" The blue-clad girl's gaze was indifferent as she directly fixed onto Li Tianming.

She was currently standing atop the water's surface. Ripples spread beneath her feet, yet she remained perfectly still. Her attainments appeared profound—perhaps even stronger than Zhang Zixuan's.

"Of course we're certain. Hurry and take it. The Bladeback Giant Crocodile that just left may return at any time. By the rules, we cannot make a move against it." One of the middle-aged men, the one with the longer beard, spoke.

Figures like them had lifebound beasts that had essentially reached the peak of their growth. They were at their strongest, and young people simply could not resist them.

"Fine." The blue-clad girl raced toward Li Tianming and shouted sternly, "I don't know what mountain village you came from, but this divine source belongs to Thunder Lord Manor. You dare lay your hands on it? I'll give you one chance: put down the divine source and leave. Otherwise, leave your life behind here."

The people of Thunder Lord Manor stood above all others. They spoke with such tyranny, leaving no room for negotiation.

Li Tianming chuckled and turned to leave.

"Courting death!" The blue-clad girl's expression darkened as she immediately gave chase. At the same time, a lifebound beast emerged from her Companion Space and plunged straight into the lake.

"Her lifebound beast is of the ice-water type!"

Li Tianming had already seen it. It appeared to be a huge blue fish with gleaming scales, sharp spikes on its head, and vaguely several eyes.

Ice-water-type lifebound beasts were exceptionally skilled at fighting in water. This lake was practically its paradise, while the blue-clad girl's combat strength as a Beastmaster was also formidable.

Splash!

Sure enough, the fish in the water was truly terrifying. Li Tianming could feel the threat rapidly closing in. In an instant, a massive creature burst from the water, the spike on its head aimed directly at his back!

Whoosh!

Li Tianming used his movement technique, stepping across the water to evade. The flying fish plunged back underwater, then swiftly charged at him again.

"Six-Eyed Flying Fish, an ice-water-type fish lifebound beast, at the fifth rank." Li Tianming identified the type of lifebound beast after only one glance. Its head clearly bore six eyes.

He continued fleeing.

It was not that he could not defeat them. Rather, the lake was not his battlefield. Within these waters, the combat strength of one person and one fish received an enormous boost. Fighting them here was completely not worth it.

Moreover, the Little Yellow Chick was not by his side. Li Tianming was effectively being besieged alone.

"You mountain savage thief! I am Jiang Yilin of Thunder Lord Manor! My father and uncle are both top figures in Thunder Lord Manor. If you still refuse to surrender, I guarantee that your entire family will suffer because of you!" The blue-clad girl, Jiang Yilin, chased after him in fury.

She had never encountered someone so unafraid of death.

As she spoke, Li Tianming successfully reached the shore. The Six-Eyed Flying Fish missed him several times.

"You think you'll be safe once you're ashore? I'm already at the eighth level of the Beast Pulse Realm. Killing you will be as easy as turning over my hand!"

Jiang Yilin sneered as she too came ashore. Behind her, the Six-Eyed Flying Fish also flew onto land.

This lifebound beast could fly using its enormous fins. Aerial combat was no problem for it, though it was not as strong as it was underwater.

"Give it a try, beauty." Li Tianming abruptly turned around. He wanted to resolve this quickly rather than be pursued endlessly, because that would only attract more people.

The eighth level of the Beast Pulse Realm was indeed powerful, two levels above Li Tianming's current cultivation. Furthermore, Li Tianming did not even have his lifebound beast present.

"Utterly brazen! Preposterous!" This proud girl from Thunder Lord Manor could not comprehend where a mountain savage like Li Tianming had found such courage. She was practically angered into laughter.

The next instant, she drew her Beast Weapon, the Blueblood Sword, and pointed it at Li Tianming. She could no longer be bothered to speak. Killing him and seizing his treasure was her sole goal now.

Flowing River Sword Art!

This was a high-grade Beast-level Battle Art. As Sword Qi swept forth, it was like a waterfall plunging downward in a rushing torrent—fierce and heavy. One could hardly tell this sword art was being wielded by a woman. Every strike seemed to possess the power to cut off a river.

At the same time, the Six-Eyed Flying Fish also used the Beast Art portion of the Flowing River Sword Art. That Beast Art was called Flowing River Strike.

The Six-Eyed Flying Fish had a spear-like spike on its head, as hard as a Beast Weapon. When it flew into the air, it pierced straight toward Li Tianming. With its speed enhancement, such a Flowing River Strike could likely pierce through a massive boulder!

The eighth level of the Beast Pulse Realm was already nearly complete in the Beast Pulse Realm. Jiang Yilin's strength was very close to Liu Qianyang's.

Yet at this moment, the Eternal Purgatory Beast Origin within Li Tianming was equally vast and surging. This was a battle of water and fire—they were absolutely incompatible as fire and water.

His right hand gripped the Bloodfire Dagger, while his dark left arm clenched into a fist!

After some testing, Li Tianming had actually gained a deeper understanding of his left arm, now covered in regular hexagonal scales.

Even the pincers of that Blue-tailed Poison Scorpion had struggled to harm this left arm. At present, ordinary Beast Weapons were unlikely to injure it. The Bloodfire Dagger certainly could not.

That meant his dark left arm could not only attack, but also serve as a powerful guard. It was equivalent to a shield.

This clash was extremely fierce. Fighting one against two was certainly not easy for Li Tianming, but they were now on land—this was his battlefield!

The Six-Eyed Flying Fish shot toward him. Li Tianming used Ghost Shadow Step, becoming unpredictable within the forest. He evaded its Flowing River Strike, then flashed again and appeared directly before Jiang Yilin.

Naturally, Jiang Yilin did not fear him. Her prepared Flowing River Sword Art came crashing down. For any Battle Art, the Martial Art portion was certainly stronger than the Beast Art portion.

Beastmasters and lifebound beasts cultivated differently. Beast Arts were merely supplementary cultivation for lifebound beasts, so in battle with a Battle Art, Beastmasters were undoubtedly harder to deal with.

At that moment, the sword art erupted, like a torrent falling straight down three thousand feet. Vast Sword Qi poured down like a torrential downpour crashing from the skies.

Li Tianming's expression remained blank, carrying the momentum of one man guarding the pass against ten thousand. He suddenly charged forward, using his left arm to directly block Jiang Yilin's Blueblood Sword!

Clang!

With an ear-piercing explosion, Li Tianming felt as though his left arm had been bitten by an ant. It did not hurt much, but the opponent's immense force still shook his entire body. The eighth level of the Beast Pulse Realm truly was powerful.

However, that result left Jiang Yilin utterly stunned. She had intended to sever Li Tianming's arm, yet he was completely unscathed! Even if his arm had been wrapped in a layer of iron, it should still have been cut off!

There was no time for her to think, because since Li Tianming had blocked her Flowing River Sword Art, the next instant was his moment to attack!

A streak of blood-red light swept past with astonishing speed, displaying the terror of a Transcendent Beast-level Battle Art. This was a Battle Art invincible within the Beast Pulse Realm. Only a scorching aura of flames flashed past. Jiang Yilin hurriedly dodged, but in that fleeting flash, a lock of long hair flew away, and a bloody mark suddenly appeared on her snowy, tender face!

"You!"

She was completely dumbfounded. Just as she was about to curse, Li Tianming pressed on like bamboo splitting apart. His left arm threw a punch. She raised a palm to block, but she could not withstand Li Tianming's Dragon-Elephant Heavy Fist at all.

That punch was like the trampling of dragons and elephants, striking Jiang Yilin squarely in the lower abdomen!

Pfft!

She spat out a mouthful of blood and screamed. Her face turned deathly pale as she flew backward, but before she could be sent flying, Li Tianming caught her around the waist. The Bloodfire Dagger in his hand was already pressed against her throat. Then he swiftly turned, using Jiang Yilin as a shield in front of himself!

"Ah!"

The Six-Eyed Flying Fish's Flowing River Strike had already charged in again. However, Jiang Yilin was now blocking Li Tianming. If it continued its attack, the one it would likely kill first would be its own Beastmaster.

Under those circumstances, it could only hurriedly veer aside and slam into the ground. Its spike stabbed into the rock, and the entire fish was smashed until it was dazed and disoriented, nearly knocked unconscious.

The battle was over!

After rising to the sixth level of the Beast Pulse Realm, Li Tianming had fought one against two, directly defeated Jiang Yilin, and taken her hostage.

This time, he had learned to be smarter. If he had directly taken Zhang Zixuan hostage last time, his parents would not have been able to threaten him.

"I never imagined that a lowly commoner like you possessed such strength! But you are absolutely doomed. You dare injure me? Are you sure you know what Thunder Lord Manor is?" Jiang Yilin looked at him coldly, though the pain in her lower abdomen still forced her to suck in cold breaths.

"Shut that little mouth." Li Tianming held the Bloodfire Dagger in one hand, controlling her life and death, while pinching the corners of her mouth with the other.

Jiang Yilin glared viciously and still wanted to speak, but with Li Tianming pinching her mouth, she could only make muffled babbling sounds.

"Enough!" Sure enough, at that moment, the two men with towering auras appeared before them. Both stared darkly at Li Tianming, terrifying killing intent already filling their eyes.

If Li Tianming had not controlled Jiang Yilin's life and death, they would likely have killed him outright long ago.

In truth, the reason they had not immediately acted was because they had been discussing how to handle Li Tianming's situation.

Thunder Lord Manor's plan had not accounted for an outsider—especially a young person from outside Thunder Lord Manor—obtaining the divine source first. Thus, they were discussing whether elders like them could directly kill Li Tianming, take the divine source, and give it to their junior.

By reason, they certainly could not do that. Otherwise, would Jiang Yilin not receive the divine source for nothing? How could that convince others to submit?

Therefore, having Jiang Yilin defeat Li Tianming and seize it seemed more acceptable.

Yet they had never imagined that the one who would be crushed and defeated was Jiang Yilin.

"Boy, you are too young. You still do not know what level of existence you have offended. If you knew what kind of force Thunder Lord Manor is, I guarantee you would immediately burst into tears." Jiang Yilin's father, Jiang Tao, said in a deep voice.

"That's impossible. My tear threshold is very high." Li Tianming smiled.

"Oh? Then you can die."

Jiang Tao could only say that this young man was too naive. Did he think that taking Jiang Yilin hostage would let him walk away unharmed before them?

He was underestimating the strong far too much.