The Trap

Li Xiuniang touched her neck, still shaken. The other disciples of the Lishan Clan quickly surrounded her, protecting her in the center, their killing intent directed at Zhong Yue. They waited for Li Xiuniang's command to attack!

Yu Feiyan, Ting Lanyue, and the others stared blankly at the outcome. Only when the Lishan Clan disciples moved to surround her did they snap back to reality and also stepped forward, standing behind Zhong Yue.

Tensions flared between the two sides.

Zhong Yue said softly, "Senior Sister Li?"

Li Xiuniang suddenly came to her senses. Seeing the situation around her and then looking at Zhong Yue, she snorted coldly and shouted, "What do you think you're doing? Are you rebelling? All of you, stand down! If you can't even handle one failure, what kind of disciples are you of my Lishan Clan?"

The many disciples of the Lishan Clan looked ashamed and retreated behind her. The shattered Demonic God behind Li Xiuniang slowly reformed. The young woman regained her composure, took a step forward, and returned the salute, "Thank you, Junior Brother, for showing mercy. I have learned a lot today. However, we didn't use Soul Weapons in today's duel, and I was unaware of your abilities, so you caught me off guard. We'll settle the score another day in an Unrestricted Duel!"

Zhong Yue smiled broadly, "Alright. Senior Sister indeed didn't get to use her full strength this time, and I also feel there are serious deficiencies in my cultivation. I also wish to learn more from Senior Sister."

His words were not humble but the truth. Since he began cultivating, the only offensive technique he had practiced was the Thunderclap Sword Art. The Dragon Totem Body Coiling Art was merely a Body Refining Method. Although he had integrated it with the Thunderclap Sword Art to develop an offensive technique, he had not received the true inheritance of the Flood Dragon.

Without the true inheritance, one could not unleash the full power of a technique.

For example, if two people had the same cultivation realm and both visualized a Flood Dragon, the one without the true inheritance could only visualize the Flood Dragon's skin, while the other could visualize its flesh, blood, tendons, and bones. Their power would naturally be incomparable.

The Fire Epoch Palace Suihuang Visualization that Xin Huo taught him was a method for visualization and cultivation. Other than that, he had not cultivated any other techniques.

He had neither cultivated extremely useful methods like visualizing wind and water, nor any flying techniques. His auxiliary offensive methods were also blank. Compared to others who had a myriad of skills, his cultivation was not systematic and had significant shortcomings and flaws.

Li Xiuniang scrutinized him. She saw that this young man was very cheerful, with a bright disposition, pride, and confidence, but not overbearing. She couldn't help but feel a bit of fondness for him and smiled, "Junior Brother Zhong, did you perhaps obtain the Thunderclap Soul Tempering Method from the Leihu Clan? I see thunder contained within your Spiritual Power, automatically forming Thunder Patterns, which has a connection to the Leihu Clan's Thunderclap Soul Tempering Method."

"Leihu Clan?"

Zhong Yue shook his head. "I have my own Thunderclap Soul Tempering Method; it's not from the Leihu Clan."

Li Xiuniang realized with a start, "The Leihu Clan's Thunderclap Soul Tempering Method can be considered the pinnacle Soul Refining secret art of the Sword Gate. You also temper your soul with thunder, which explains why your speed and explosive power were so swift, catching me off guard. Junior Brother Zhong, Lei Gun of the Leihu Clan is also here. His methods are similar to yours. If I had known you were so formidable, I would have sparred with him first."

She sighed, regretting not having accumulated enough momentum to be invincible. "Junior Brother Zhong, if you don't mind, why don't we travel together to explore Beast God Ridge and see what's happening?"

Zhong Yue smiled, "One more person means more strength. With Senior Sister and the others, my pressure will be much lower."

The two walked side by side. Li Xiuniang moved with Lotus Blooms with Every Step, while Zhong Yue strode with the bearing of a dragon and tiger. Li Xiuniang glanced back and saw Yu Feiyan, Tao Daier, and Ting Lanyue following closely behind like shadows. She couldn't help but laugh, "Junior Brother Zhong, though you are young, you are quite the charmer, having captivated so many girls. It's no wonder. You are now the number one person in the Men's Court. Even I was defeated by you, so how could you not have admirers? It's just that all your admirers are girls, which shows you're a playboy..."

Zhong Yue's face turned slightly red. Just as he was about to retort, the girls behind them chimed in, "Who did he captivate?"

"How can the little devil of the Zhongshan Clan be as handsome as Senior Brother Han Qingmo?"

"Until the little devil defeats Senior Brother Han, Senior Brother Han will remain number one in the Men's Court!"

Li Xiuniang turned back and said with a cold smile, "You little girls have no vision or insight. I've met Han Qingmo too; his abilities are mediocre, about the same as Junior Sister Yu Feiyan. How could he be Junior Brother Zhong's opponent?"

Yu Feiyan was angered, her Soul Weapon stirring restlessly behind her. She said coldly, "Junior Sister Li, are you saying my abilities are mediocre?"

Li Xiuniang smiled charmingly, "Your Senior Sister didn't say that, but if you interpret it that way, I can't help it. Junior Sister Yu, you still have some way to go. If you were to challenge me, perhaps Yu Zhenglong of your Youyu Clan would be more suitable."

"I'd like to try!"

The two women's killing intent flared. Zhong Yue inwardly cursed, "This is bad," and quickly asked Xin Huo in his Sea of Consciousness how to handle such a situation.

Xin Huo was extremely excited. "It's strange if women don't fight when there are too many of them. It's only natural for them to fight. Back then, the Kindling inheritors I taught often had their harems on fire, with goddesses and demons fighting to the heavens and earth..."

"This Xin Huo just wants to see chaos. Asking him is useless. Hmm, this scent of blood..."

Zhong Yue suddenly smelled a faint scent of blood, his heart stirred. He then heard faint shouts and sounds of battle carried by the wind. The two young women were still bickering, their argument escalating. He quickly shouted, "All of you, shut up!"

Li Xiuniang and Yu Feiyan were startled and immediately stopped arguing. Li Xiuniang said aggrievedly, "Why are you shouting so fiercely? You scared me to death..."

"Don't argue, there's fighting."

Zhong Yue listened carefully. Seeing this, the girls also strained their ears to listen. Ting Lanyue closed her eyes and visualized. Her Spiritual Power condensed at her ears, forming a large ear, about four to five feet long, covered in fur.

After listening for a moment with her large ears, the girl quickly said, "The fighting sounds are coming from over there. Someone is moving while fighting!"

"Senior Sister Ting knows so much," Zhong Yue praised.

They quickened their pace and ran for several miles. The smell of blood in the air grew stronger, and the sounds of battle gradually became louder.

"There's fighting ahead. The cultivation and strength are not weak; they are experts!"

Li Xiuniang sensed carefully, her expression changing slightly. "Could it be that scoundrel Lei Gun? No, the Leihu Clan's techniques produce rumbling thunder with terrifying momentum, not this kind of sound. This sound is weaker... Hmm, the ones fighting that person are two giant beasts. The strength of these two giant beasts is truly terrifying, no weaker than yours or mine!"

Zhong Yue sensed carefully and also detected two extremely terrifying Demonic Energies. With the earth-shaking commotion, those two Demonic Beasts must be enormous!

Not long after, they saw the canyon between the mountains covered in huge footprints – the footprints of ferocious beasts. Tao Daier stood in one of the footprints and gestured, her voice trembling, "They are many times larger than the Demonic Beasts we saw before... How could such enormous Demonic Beasts appear in Beast God Ridge?"

Yu Feiyan discovered something. "There are traces of thunder here! It should be the traces left by disciples of the Leihu Clan and that scoundrel Lei Gun! They were ambushed here and are in danger... There are bodies over there!"

They saw the corpse of a Leihu Clan disciple lying on the ground, their entire skeleton crushed by something!

As they moved forward along the canyon, they encountered more and more corpses of Leihu Clan disciples. The traces of battle on the surrounding cliffs became more and more shocking. There were also fragments of broken Soul Weapons scattered on the ground, as well as totem pillars that had been broken by the impact.

"Lei Gun's strength is not inferior to mine. He is a core disciple cultivated by the Leihu Clan, competing for first place in the Unrestricted Duel this time. Are there really Demonic Beasts in Beast God Ridge that can kill him?"

Li Xiuniang's pretty face flickered with uncertainty. "And it wasn't him fighting those two giant beasts, so who could it be?"

"We are very close to the battle site!" Ting Lanyue called out loudly.

"There are other people's bodies here too!"

In the canyon, more corpses were discovered. However, these were not the bodies of Leihu Clan disciples. Rou'er identified them and exclaimed in shock, "I recognize this person. This is a disciple from the Men's Court, who followed Senior Brother Han Qingmo."

Tao Daier said quickly, "Senior Brother Han led them to Beast God Ridge ahead of us. So, Senior Brother Han discovered Senior Brother Lei's predicament and led his men to rescue him? How could so many people have died? Could those two ferocious beasts be Demonic Race Qi Refiners?"

In the canyon, the corpses of Sword Gate Upper Court disciples lay scattered, their bones completely shattered, killed beyond death. It was a shocking sight.

Zhong Yue also quieted his mind. Suddenly, he saw large patches of bloodstains on the ground ahead. The blood had even gathered into small streams. However, the blood smelled foul and fishy, not like human blood, but like beast blood.

"Those two giant beasts are also injured. They aren't particularly formidable, just strong and powerful!"

The women breathed a sigh of relief. Yu Feiyan quickly said, "Taotao, take the other junior brothers and sisters up into the air to watch the surroundings. I, Junior Brother Zhong, and Junior Sister Yu will go take a look. These giant beasts are too fierce; you can't intervene!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Daier immediately took out a small cloth bag, released the Cloud Canvas, and jumped onto it with the other women, flying into the air.

Seeing this, Li Xiuniang also secretly praised Yu Feiyan's meticulous planning. She took out a Demonic Lotus Leaf, had the Lishan Clan disciples board it, and also flew into the air. "Junior Brother Zhong, let's go!"

Zhong Yue nodded, pointed his hand, and the sword case behind him opened. The Dragon Scale Sword flew out with a whoosh and hid within the Cloud Canvas. "Let's go!"

Li Xiuniang and Yu Feiyan were surprised and uncertain, not understanding his meaning.

The three of them moved quickly forward, galloping along the way. Before long, they saw the canyon suddenly open up, entering a valley. Forests on all sides were felled in swathes. This was clearly the site of a fierce battle!

And in this valley, a black bear, fourteen to fifteen zhang tall, stood on its hind legs. Its body was covered in wounds, and blood flowed continuously. The other giant beast was a goat, also terrifyingly large, but it had already fallen to the ground. It seemed to have suffered a severe injury but was not yet dead.

Within the valley, one person was desperately dodging the black bear's attacks, staggering and on the verge of being swatted to death at any moment.

"It's Senior Brother Han Qingmo!" Yu Feiyan exclaimed when she saw the person's face.

Li Xiuniang noticed another corpse and her expression changed drastically. She cried out, "Lei Gun is dead?"

Zhong Yue frowned slightly. He looked at Lei Gun's corpse lying next to the male goat, then at Han Qingmo, who was staggering and dodging the black bear's attacks. He whispered, "Strange, why didn't I see any traces of Senior Brother Han's attacks along the way? Something is not quite right..."

Xin Huo chuckled, "Three monsters playing house, how amusing..."

"Three monsters?"

Zhong Yue narrowed his eyes and looked at Han Qingmo. "Xin Huo, you mean?"

"That monster peeled off human skin and wore it."

Xin Huo laughed. "It was also pretending to fight with this black bear, and that male goat was faking its death. However, that fellow named Lei Gun is genuinely dead."