Counterattack

The moment Zeng Fan swallowed the Body Tempering Pill, he felt a huge amount of pure Spiritual Energy emerge from it. This Spiritual Energy contained no impurities. With only simple refinement, it could continuously fuse with his blood, and the concentration of Body Tempering Blood in his body kept increasing.

As the Spiritual Energy continued merging into his blood, Zeng Fan's cultivation slowly rose. He was between the perfected Body Tempering Bone and Body Tempering Blood stages, and could break through at any moment.

He knew that with the medicinal power continuously merging, completing this step was only a matter of time. What he had to do now was maintain his balance and prevent his Spiritual Energy from becoming unstable after the breakthrough...

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Zeng Fan, who had been immersed in cultivation, opened his eyes. He felt that more than thirty percent of the blood in his body was slowly emitting Spiritual Energy. The aura around him surged violently, and he had broken through to Body Tempering Blood!

The medicinal power of the Body Tempering Pill inside his body was still continuing to work. Waves of medicinal power were still surging out from within, and it had not been completely exhausted. Zeng Fan closed his eyes again.

"Let's see if I can break through to Body Tempering Blood Major Accomplishment." The room fell silent once more. Only a strand of Spiritual Energy was brewing, preparing for the next assault.

The next day, word finally came down from above that they were preparing to launch a counterattack. Disciples below Body Tempering Bone did not need to participate in this counterattack. After all, their cultivation was too weak, and entering the demon beasts' territory would only mean throwing their lives away.

"This counterattack should be divided into two stages. The first will be a feint to figure out the enemy's arrangements. The second will be the true slaughter. When the time comes, you few stay by my side so we can look after one another." The speaker was Murong Xue. The frequency of the demon beasts' attacks had greatly decreased over the past two days, so there was no longer any need for so many disciples to guard the city walls. Thus, Murong Xue had come to look for Zeng Fan and the others.

"Fine. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll try to stay together and look after one another." Zeng Fan nodded as he listened to Murong Xue. The fluctuations around him were similar to those of Yuan Jin and Wang Beichen.

After taking the Body Tempering Pill and breaking through yesterday, he had originally wanted to use the remaining medicinal power to charge toward Body Tempering Blood Major Accomplishment. Unfortunately, the medicinal power had not been enough. He had only made a little progress, but he was not far from Body Tempering Blood Major Accomplishment.

"Then we'll be relying on you, Big Sister Murong. Little Brother Yuan will wave the flag and cheer for you." Yuan Jin grinned from the side.

"Then you two be careful." Wang Beichen was somewhat sullen as he stood nearby. After news of the counterattack spread, Qian Dayou, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had sought him out privately and told him that he had received word from an elder of their sect: the trial had already been completed, and he did not need to participate in this counterattack. He only needed to stay in the city.

At first, Wang Beichen had been somewhat unwilling. It was only after Qian Dayou coaxed him gently for a while that he agreed with a miserable little face. However, he had also made one condition: Murong Xue, Zeng Fan, and Yuan Jin had to act together so they could look after one another. Qian Dayou naturally agreed readily.

Such a trivial matter was beneath his notice. If an ordinary Body Tempering cultivator had dared to jump around in front of him like this, he would have slapped him to death long ago. But who could blame him when the boy had a powerful ancestor? Qian Dayou could only speak to him patiently and pleasantly.

Apart from this little interlude, everything else proceeded according to the Foundation Establishment cultivators' plans. The disciples and the soldiers and generals of the Datong Dynasty began operating like a war machine.

Murong Xue and Zeng Fan's group followed the main force out of the pass and headed toward the distant mountain range. As they drew closer, the furious roars of demon beasts occasionally rang out from within the mountains. Yet with the trees blocking their view, no one could tell exactly where they were coming from.

According to the orders from above, the Foundation Establishment and Spirit Control Realm cultivators would strike first, followed by the Spirit Gathering Realm and Body Tempering Realm cultivators. Zeng Fan looked up and saw three figures flying through the air, radiating powerful fluctuations of Spiritual Energy. They were Qian Dayou, Lin Li, and Sun Ze, whom he had not seen since the battle began.

The three wore solemn expressions and circulated their Foundation Establishment cultivation with all their might. After all, no one knew when a Foundation Establishment demon beast might appear on the other side. A moment of carelessness could result in severe injury.

When the crowd reached the foot of the mountains, the furious roars that had sounded intermittently before suddenly vanished. The entire mountain range fell silent, creating a strange sense of oppression.

"Still not coming out?" Sun Ze sneered from the air. He pointed downward with one finger, and a small sword flew from somewhere on his body toward the foot of the mountains. The sword swelled violently against the wind. By the time it reached the mountain's base, it had become a giant sword several yards long. Following Sun Ze's will, it slashed downward, sending out a Sword Qi.

"Roar!!!" The instant the Sword Qi appeared, an enraged roar rang out. A red figure suddenly shot from the forest below. Its sharp claws collided directly with the Sword Qi, scattering it in an instant.

A tiger covered entirely in red fur appeared before the crowd. It stood in midair, its red fur burning like flames. Its body was more than a dozen meters long, and two sharp fangs protruded from its mouth. Its huge eyes fixed on the three people in the sky, radiating humanlike fury.

"Fire Cloud Tiger!"

Qian Dayou and Lin Li exchanged a glance. This beast was not weak even among Foundation Establishment demon beasts. Judging by the fluctuations around its body, it was roughly at Foundation Establishment perfection. However, if it was the only demon beast here today, then it would not be leaving. After all, all three of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators at perfection! Killing it would not be a problem.

"Stop hiding. Call out your helpers, or you won't have the chance." Sun Ze narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly to the Fire Cloud Tiger.

He had already fought this Fire Cloud Tiger many times. He knew that its cunning was nearly equal to that of a human. If it were truly guarding this place alone, it absolutely would not dare to face the three of them head-on.

Sun Ze's voice reached the Fire Cloud Tiger's ears. A trace of regret appeared in its eyes. It knew there was no way to keep its companions hidden and find an opportunity to launch a sneak attack. These human cultivators were already on guard.

The Fire Cloud Tiger opened its mouth and let out a tiger's roar. It formed a sound wave that swept toward the disciples below, but Lin Li struck out and blocked it with a fluctuation of Spiritual Energy.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

A black shadow flew out from behind the mountains after hearing the tiger's roar. In the blink of an eye, it reached the Fire Cloud Tiger's side. Its helper was shockingly a giant three-headed snake. The snake was completely black, with mysterious patterns covering its body. At this moment, all three heads and six eyes glared viciously at the three people opposite them.

"Three-Headed Demon Snake!" The three Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged glances. What a nuisance. The Three-Headed Demon Snake was no weaker than the Fire Cloud Tiger, and demon beasts were inherently stronger than humans at the same realm. Only after clashing would they know which side was stronger: two demon beasts at Foundation Establishment perfection, or three human cultivators at Foundation Establishment perfection.

"Attack!" Sun Ze spoke to Qian Dayou and Lin Li. The giant sword that had just taken form, carrying Spiritual Energy, slashed down at the two demon beasts, while the two Foundation Establishment cultivators also drew their magical treasures and attacked together.

The two demon beasts roared and charged toward the three men as well. The battle began in an instant!

Seeing the battle break out above, Cai Yi issued an order and charged at the very front. The others followed him into the forest. For a time, battle cries and the furious roars of demon beasts became hopelessly tangled together.

A firework suddenly exploded in midair. "Let's go!" Murong Xue said quietly to the others. The firework was the signal for the Spirit Gathering Realm and Body Tempering Realm disciples to enter the battlefield.

Zeng Fan and the others nodded and charged toward the mountains behind Murong Xue. Looking around, Zeng Fan saw broken trees everywhere, while the ground was pocked and uneven, all traces of fierce battles. However, he did not see any demon beast corpses. They had probably already been collected.

The orders given to the Spirit Control Realm cultivators were to charge into the depths of the mountains. Thus, they ignored the low-level demon beasts along the way unless those beasts were foolish enough to come seeking trouble. The demon beasts below the Spirit Control Realm were left for disciples such as Murong Xue and Zeng Fan to deal with.

The group soon encountered an interception. A huge figure suddenly launched a sneak attack at Murong Xue from the side, raising its claw to swipe at her head. If that blow landed solidly, she would suffer serious injury even if she did not die.

Fortunately, Murong Xue had remained vigilant at all times. The instant the figure appeared, she struck. Her right fist, carrying Spiritual Energy, collided with the claw. The impact between claw and fist sent dust spraying into the air, and both sides retreated.

As the dust dispersed, a wolf-shaped demon beast appeared before the crowd. Its body was covered in gray fur, while cold, sharp claws on all four limbs displayed its lethal power. No one would want to take a hit from them.

"Gray Wolf Beast!" Zeng Fan stared at the demon beast opposite him with a solemn gaze. This demon beast was not particularly powerful among those in the Spirit Gathering Realm. The troublesome part was that it retained the wolves' habit of living in packs.

Sure enough, after failing in its ambush, the Gray Wolf Beast let out a long howl. Five more gray wolves sprang out from behind it. The fluctuations around them were much weaker than those of their leader, and they should all be at the Body Tempering Blood stage.

"You focus on this wolf. The three of us will deal with the rest!" Zeng Fan kept his eyes fixed on the demon beasts opposite him as he spoke to Murong Xue.

Murong Xue nodded. Although the three of them were fighting five against three, none of them was an ordinary Body Tempering cultivator. Her most important task now was to kill the Gray Wolf Beast in front of her. Once that was done, these Body Tempering gray wolves would pose no problem.

With that thought, Murong Xue's eyes sharpened. Spiritual Energy surged from her body, and she shot toward the Gray Wolf Beast like a cannonball. The Gray Wolf Beast was not to be outdone. It growled and charged toward Murong Xue, while the few gray wolves beside it pounced at Zeng Fan and the others.

"I'll hold off two first. The two of you deal with the remaining three." Zeng Fan shouted at Yuan Jin and Wang Beichen. He shook the long spear in his hand and charged toward one of them. Black and gray light gathered around his body as he activated the Ironwood Body. At the same time, he slammed a fist toward another Gray Wolf Beast, taking the initiative to hold off two of them. After all, his defense was the strongest among the three. Even if he could not kill these Gray Wolf Beasts, stopping them would not be a problem.

Yuan Jin and Wang Beichen also attacked with all their might, intercepting the remaining three Gray Wolf Beasts. The battlefield immediately split into three locations: Murong Xue against the Spirit Gathering Realm wolf, Wang Beichen and Yuan Jin against three gray wolves, and Zeng Fan against two gray wolves. As long as one of these three battles was resolved, it would roll forward like a snowball and crush the other two, whether for the demon beasts or the humans.

On Zeng Fan's side, the gray wolf's claw collided fiercely with Zeng Fan's black fist. With a faint crack, a fine fracture appeared on the wolf's claw. The might of the Ironwood Body finally revealed itself. A demon beast of the same realm could not even break through the defense of his skin.

A trace of astonishment appeared in the demon beast's eyes. How can this human's skin be so hard? I can hardly tell which of us is the demon beast anymore.

Zeng Fan was also pleasantly surprised by this sight. After breaking through to Body Tempering Blood, the strength of the Ironwood Body had far exceeded his expectations. Now, there was hope of dealing with these two demon beasts.

Thoughts flashed through his mind, but in reality only a few breaths had passed. The other Gray Wolf Beast slapped away the long spear Zeng Fan had thrown. Zeng Fan rushed forward, caught the flung spear again, and gave it a shake before facing the two demon beasts once more.

The two demon beasts stared at Zeng Fan from left and right. Although the defense of his body was formidable, neither beast had any intention of giving up. They bared their fangs and issued threatening growls.

After exchanging a glance, the two gray wolves attacked again, charging toward Zeng Fan from both sides. Zeng Fan already had a plan. When they attacked from left and right, he shifted his body, slipping through the gap between their attacks like a fish swimming through water. At the same time, he swung the long spear toward the waist of one of the gray wolves.

"Copper head, iron bones, tofu waist." This saying described wolves perfectly. Their waists were their weak point. The gray wolf could not dodge in time and could only watch helplessly as the long spear tore through the air and slammed into its waist. It let out a cry of pain and was sent flying by the force carried on the spear.

The other gray wolf leaped straight toward the top of Zeng Fan's head and opened its mouth to bite down viciously. Zeng Fan held the long spear horizontally and thrust it directly into the wolf's mouth. He could even feel the hot breath from the gray wolf spraying over his body.

Zeng Fan fell backward, then kicked upward with both feet and sent the gray wolf flying. A howl of pain came from the airborne wolf's mouth, only to vanish immediately. A long spear had pierced straight into its mouth and run through its body.

After pulling out the spear, Zeng Fan casually flung away the blood. "There's still one left!" He walked slowly toward the other gray wolf.

Seeing its companion die miserably, the gray wolf did not flee. Instead, its savagery was provoked, and it pounced at Zeng Fan again. However, it was no longer as agile as before. Clearly, the blow to its waist had caused considerable damage.

When it reached Zeng Fan, the gray wolf changed its attack strategy. It moved rapidly around him, trying to avoid his attacks while finding his weakness.

Zeng Fan sneered. "You want to compete with me in movement speed?" His figure vanished from the gray wolf's sight and silently appeared behind it. The speed of Fish Dragon Dance is no slower than yours, beasts. His hands did not stop moving as the long spear thrust directly toward the gray wolf's abdomen.

Unexpectedly, the gray wolf desperately twisted its body, causing Zeng Fan's spear to stab into its leg instead. Blood immediately sprayed in all directions.

Two screams rang out. One came from the gray wolf in front of him. Zeng Fan turned his head, only to discover that the other came from the Spirit Gathering Realm demon beast. Murong Xue was breathing heavily, and the Spirit Gathering Realm Gray Wolf Beast before her had already died! Its fatal wound was a hole in its skull. Judging by the size of that hole, it had clearly been made by Murong Xue's fist.

The sound of hurried, somewhat panicked footsteps reached Zeng Fan's ears. He turned around. Just as he looked back toward Murong Xue, the injured gray wolf beside him saw its leader die miserably. Fear of death finally overcame the little intelligence it possessed, and the gray wolf abandoned its remaining companions and fled!

Zeng Fan was hesitating over whether to help them deal with the remaining three gray wolves or pursue the injured one in front of him. Murong Xue had already recovered and shouted at him, "Go. I'll deal with these few!"

"Fine!"

Hearing Murong Xue's voice, Zeng Fan knew that the remaining gray wolves were no longer a problem. He therefore raised his spear and chased after the injured Gray Wolf Beast.