Bai Xueyou

The aura around Bai Xueyou had already reached the peak of Qi Refining Level 9, and her momentum was considerably stronger than that of other Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators.

The moment she appeared, a powerful aura spread out from her, making her especially conspicuous.

Clearly, her strength was not something an ordinary Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator could compare with.

Bai Xueyou's expression was calm as she swept her gaze around and said, "Everyone, our Bai Family is now facing an unprecedented crisis."

"Whether we can survive this crisis depends on whether we can successfully obtain the Tiger Wing King's heart."

"For the sake of the Bai Family, I hope everyone will give it their all and work together with me from here on."

Afterward, Bai Xueyou led more than fifty Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators away in one direction.

However, Bai Zi and Bai Qing were left behind to guard the luggage with the remaining Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

Yang Lingtian gazed in the direction they had left. His powerful Divine Soul allowed him to sense the auras of two Second-Order Early-Stage Beasts in a cave ten li away.

They should be going to hunt those two Second-Order Early-Stage Beasts, Yang Lingtian thought.

But with just over fifty Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators, can they really do it?

At that moment, Bai Zi brought over a roast chicken and handed it to Yang Lingtian. "You must be hungry. Here, eat this."

"Thank you, little girl." Yang Lingtian smiled.

He could tell that Bai Zi was a kind-hearted girl. She was actually treating a mere mortal, in her eyes, so well.

Bai Zi, however, looked displeased. "I've cultivated for more than thirty years already. You don't look any older than me, so why are you calling me a little girl?"

Yang Lingtian was rendered speechless. Indeed, she was more than a decade older than him; she merely looked young.

He then changed the subject and asked, "Your young mistress went to deal with the Second-Order Beast in the cave ten li away, whose strength far surpasses theirs, didn't she?"

"Huh? How did you know about that?" Bai Zi asked, surprise showing on her face.

"I overheard them talking about it just now." Yang Lingtian smiled faintly.

"But with their strength, I'm afraid they can't kill two Second-Order Early-Stage Beasts, can they?"

"What two Second-Order Beasts? There's clearly only one Second-Order Early-Stage Beast in that cave."

"With Sister Bai Xueyou there, along with the support of more than fifty Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators, killing that Second-Order Early-Stage Beast shouldn't be difficult."

Bai Zi spoke with absolute confidence. Whenever she mentioned Bai Xueyou, her eyes filled with admiration.

"What? The information you received says there's only one Second-Order Beast?"

"Then your Sister Bai Xueyou is probably in danger." Yang Lingtian sighed softly.

"Because there isn't just one Second-Order Early-Stage Beast in that cave. There are two."

"Hmph, nonsense. There's only one Second-Order Beast inside that cave. How could there possibly be two?"

At that moment, Bai Qing, who had just walked over, let out a cold laugh. He was utterly dismissive of Yang Lingtian's words.

Bai Qing paused, then sneered. "You're just a mortal. You probably haven't even seen a First-Order Beast, have you?"

"You don't know what the appearance of a Second-Order Beast represents, do you?"

"Throughout Tianshan Valley, every additional Second-Order Beast is a major event that draws the attention of all sides."

"But that makes sense. You're just a mortal. Mistaking slightly stronger beasts for Second-Order Beasts is perfectly normal."

"After all, your horizons and experience are limited."

Indeed, Second-Order Beasts were basically the strongest existences in Tianshan Valley.

After all, once a beast reached the Third Order, it could fly through the air like a Golden Core expert and leave Tianshan Valley.

Moreover, Tianshan Valley's resources were relatively scarce. It was a basin, unlike a vast mountain range with its abundant resources.

Thus, once someone broke through to the Golden Core Realm, or a beast advanced to the Third Order, they would generally choose to leave Tianshan Valley, which was like a cage.

Hearing Bai Qing's undisguised mockery, even Bai Zi could no longer stand it.

She glared at Bai Qing unhappily and said, "Bai Qing, don't go too far with your words."

Bai Qing snorted coldly before turning his head toward the cave. He said nothing more.

Bai Zi looked at Yang Lingtian and asked curiously, "Since you said there are two Second-Order Beasts in that cave, how did you know?"

"I heard it somewhere." Yang Lingtian gave a vague answer.

"Then you must have heard false information." Bai Zi also paid no heed to his words.

Yang Lingtian merely shook his head and stopped offering further explanations.

He then closed his eyes and used his powerful Divine Soul to sense the various auras within a radius of several dozen li.

Through sensing their auras, Yang Lingtian discovered Bai Xueyou and her group rushing through the mountain forest.

He could sense even more clearly the auras of the two Second-Order Early-Stage Beasts occupying the cave ten li away.

Soon, Bai Xueyou and the others reached the cave and lured one of the Second-Order Beasts out.

Clearly, they had made preparations.

The fifty Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators, led by Bai Xueyou, formed a huge killing formation.

One of the Tiger Wing Kings inside the cave was lured into the killing formation formed by Bai Xueyou and the others.

It was a huge beast covered in black fur, with a pair of wings that stretched several meters when spread wide.

On its ferocious tiger head, two sharp wing-spikes thrust straight into the sky.

Although it possessed wings, they were merely auxiliary. It was not a true flying beast.

Otherwise, it would have been able to fly out of Tianshan Valley as well.

At that moment, it was trapped inside the formation, constantly charging left and right as tremendous might erupted from its body.

Although the individual cultivation levels of Bai Xueyou and the others were inferior to the Tiger Wing King's,

they worked together seamlessly and used the power of the killing formation to trap the Tiger Wing King for the time being.

However, every attack from the Tiger Wing King still caused varying degrees of injury to the dozens of Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators maintaining the formation.

That was after the killing formation had blocked and weakened the attacks, spreading the remaining force evenly across them.

Otherwise, a single attack from the Tiger Wing King would have been enough to kill an ordinary Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator.

Under the Tiger Wing King's relentless attacks, blood had already begun to trickle from the mouths of the fifty-odd Qi Refining Stage cultivators, and their faces were gradually paling.

The Tiger Wing King grew bolder the longer it fought. Its tiger claws tore through the air, unleashing bursts of ear-piercing sounds.

Everyone continuously activated the formation to withstand the Tiger Wing King's attacks.

However, the Tiger Wing King's strength was too powerful. Cracks had already begun to appear in the light barrier of the killing formation they had formed.

A trace of determination flashed through Bai Xueyou's eyes. Gripping a long sword that gleamed with cold light, she charged straight at the Tiger Wing King.

Seeing this, everyone also activated the formation's strongest attack and struck toward the Tiger Wing King.

Bai Xueyou seemed to have become one with her sword, her figure like a bolt of lightning cleaving across the sky.

With a boom, the attack condensed by everyone struck the Tiger Wing King first.

It had no choice but to defend against those attacks, giving Bai Xueyou an opportunity.

In that instant, Bai Xueyou's sword arrived as expected and violently stabbed into the Tiger Wing King's body.

The Tiger Wing King flew into a rage. It whipped its body around and sent Bai Xueyou flying.

However, it had already been injured, and its strength had weakened.

"Attack with all your strength and kill the Tiger Wing King!" Bai Xueyou shouted at the fifty-odd people maintaining the formation as she was flung away.

In an instant, the formation's full power erupted, and wave after wave of powerful attacks struck the Tiger Wing King.

Meanwhile, just as before, Bai Xueyou found the right moment and, with the formation's support, suddenly charged at the Tiger Wing King.

After more than an hour of fierce battle, the Tiger Wing King's body was covered in numerous wounds.

Of course, the fifty-odd people maintaining the formation were not faring well either.

Every one of them had a pale face. Clearly, they had expended too much energy and suffered internal injuries.

However, at this rate, if they held on for another hour or so, the Tiger Wing King would certainly be killed.

The Tiger Wing King also realized that if this continued, it would die at the hands of these human cultivators whose cultivation was lower than its own.

Thus, it threw back its head and let out a long howl, beginning to call for help from the other Tiger Wing King inside the cave.

Suddenly, a powerful aura belonging to a Second-Order Early-Stage Beast surged out from within the cave.

Everyone felt that formidable aura, and their expressions changed drastically.

"There's actually another Second-Order Beast in this cave? How is that possible?" the crowd cried out in alarm.

Dealing with one Second-Order Early-Stage Beast had already pushed them to the limit and required all their strength.

Now another one had appeared. They all knew they were doomed to lose!

Disappointment, unwillingness, and despair immediately filled Bai Xueyou's eyes.

They had used their trump cards and gathered everyone's strength just to barely suppress one Second-Order Early-Stage Beast.

How could these Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators withstand another one suddenly appearing?

At that moment, the Tiger Wing King inside the cave charged out, and the earth shook.

"This is the mate of the male Tiger Wing King. They say it was only at the peak of the First Order and that they didn't often stay together."

"I never thought the female Tiger Wing King would also be in the cave, and that it had already broken through to the Second Order."

"Damn it! Another Second-Order Beast appeared in this cave without making a sound."

"Who was responsible for this intelligence? To make such a grave mistake is unforgivable."

"It only broke through recently, so the information was inaccurate. It's normal that the investigation failed to detect it."

"Now isn't the time to discuss this. With two Second-Order Beasts, this is beyond our ability to handle."

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

The appearance of the second Second-Order Beast immediately left the group at a loss and threw them into disarray.

In their plan, they had prepared numerous measures, all of them aimed at dealing with only one Tiger Wing King.

Now that a second Second-Order Beast had appeared, the situation had far exceeded what they were capable of handling.

For a moment, some people lost their fighting spirit. Without caring about anything else, they began fleeing in all directions.

Without those people maintaining the formation, the killing formation trapping the Tiger Wing King instantly collapsed.

Freed from its restraints, the Tiger Wing King frantically attacked the fleeing human cultivators. Those who failed to escape in time all died beneath its attacks.

At that moment, Bai Xueyou still had not retreated. She remained reluctant to leave.

"What should I do? This is the last chance to obtain the final main ingredient."

"If I can't get it, I won't be able to refine the Spirit Restoration Pill, and Grandfather's hidden illness will never be cured."

"If Grandfather's illness isn't treated, our Bai Family will be finished and fall into decline from then on."

"The Bai Family is finished..." Bai Xueyou's face was ashen.

At that moment, she had completely disregarded her own life or death. Instead, she was still thinking about the rise and fall of her Lineage.