Monster Rampage

Lu Xuan changed into a different set of clothes.

They were combat fatigues stripped from a corpse by the roadside.

Cheap and common.

The Wilderness was dangerous, with people dying at every turn.

Someone who had still been chatting and laughing with you the previous second might be lying in a pool of blood the next.

Companions would crouch down to search the corpse, but they absolutely would not collect it.

As time passed, the Wilderness became a treasure-hunting ground.

With good luck, one might dig up excellent equipment, weapons, or even Martial Art Manuals and Martial Skills.

With bad luck, one would end up digging out a set of combat fatigues, just like Lu Xuan.

"It'd be great if I could find a Martial Skill or Martial Art Manual."

Standing atop a ruined building, Lu Xuan wore the face of a Ghost-faced Monkey and gazed at the smoke of battle not far away. He tightened his grip on his long saber and mulled it over.

At present, he had one Martial Art Manual, but it was for cultivating Mental Power rather than Spiritual Energy.

To raise his vitality and Spiritual Energy, he had to cultivate specialized Martial Art Manuals. Of course, he could also create one himself, but that would waste far too much time.

With a ready-made Martial Art Manual available, wasting time on self-creation would be foolish.

As for Martial Skills, a martial artist could occasionally create one in a flash of inspiration, but that depended on favorable timing and terrain.

However, none of this was a problem.

As long as a martial artist joined some faction, they would naturally be able to obtain them.

"Forget it. Making money is more important for now."

As for Martial Art Manuals and Martial Skills,

Lu Xuan believed that as long as he had money, he could definitely buy them.

What he had to do now was hunt monsters and earn enough money.

Save his parents.

Help his younger sister.

"No Future Mail has appeared, so this trip won't endanger my life."

With that thought, Lu Xuan pushed off with both feet.

Whoosh—!

His figure flashed like an arrow shot from a bow, heading straight for the smoke-filled battlefield a hundred meters away.

At this moment.

Within the smoke, the clash of blades and swords rang out like striking metal without pause.

"Roar—!"

In the dust, several strangely shaped monsters threw back their heads and howled. There were mutated wild boars, scorpions, rats... They stood three meters tall, with bodies like hills, savage and vicious.

Around the monsters, a group of martial artists attacked in crisscrossing waves.

The two sides had already been fighting for more than two hours.

Yet neither side had managed to overcome the other.

Xu Xin was among them. She had first unleashed a barrage with thermal weapons, but it had barely harmed the monsters.

"Damn it, why did this group of monsters suddenly become so violent?!"

"Could they be starting a monster tide?"

She dodged attacks while retreating toward the outskirts.

In the distance, the monitor of Class 5 stood atop a building, his expression solemn. "The school is investigating the cause. It should be nothing good. We have to be ready to retreat at any moment."

Compared with Xu Xin, the Class 5 monitor's handsome face looked far calmer.

Bang! Another figure landed between the two of them.

She was tall and powerfully built, with muscles covering her entire body.

At first glance, she looked like a fitness enthusiast, but a closer look revealed that she was a girl.

The monitor of Class 4 at Jiangnan Martial University, Lu Ya.

"What is the situation now?"

Lu Ya asked as soon as she landed.

In her field of vision, behind the group of low-level monsters, a monster as tall as a mountain, with horns growing from its head and resembling a lion, let out a roar.

It was directing the monster horde.

Xu Xin fired while replying, "The monsters are unusually agitated. No High-level Monster has appeared for now, but there is a peak Intermediate Monster, a Blazing Horned Lion. The three of us have to join forces to deal with it."

Intermediate Monsters corresponded to Intermediate Martial Artists.

Although their strength sounded equal, the three monitors were only fourth-stage martial artists.

In other words, they were early-stage Intermediate Martial Artists.

This Intermediate Monster, however, was already at its peak and could evolve into a High-level Monster at any time.

"Are you sure there aren't martial artists from other companies nearby?"

The burly Lu Ya looked toward the Class 5 monitor.

"No."

"Then what are we waiting for? We'll split the spoils after this is over!"

"Good!"

The three of them put away their thermal weapons and took out their special weapons.

Intermediate Monsters were already unafraid of ordinary thermal weapons.

Apart from martial artists' vitality and Spiritual Energy, it was extremely difficult to inflict lethal damage on them.

Unless one brought out missile-grade thermal weapons.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Xu Xin held a long spear, activated the surging vitality within her body, and transformed into a swimming dragon as she charged the Blazing Horned Lion. The Class 5 monitor drew a longbow and fired several sharp arrows in succession as he leaped through the air. Lu Ya's fists were covered in armored gauntlets, and she smashed toward the Blazing Horned Lion like falling meteorites.

The three joined forces, their momentum unstoppable.

However, the Horned Lion had long been prepared. Its fur suddenly bristled, and flames surged forth like an ocean wave.

After slowing the trio's attacks, it drove its four limbs into the ground, crushing the ruined buildings beneath it. Its body leaped into the air, its bloody maw opening wide as its sharp claws tore toward Xu Xin.

"Good!"

Xu Xin's spearhead collided with its paw.

Boom~ The tremendous force of vitality swept outward. The low-level martial artists and low-level monsters fighting nearby were knocked back several meters on the spot, staring over in fear.

Flames rolled and surged, raising the temperature all around.

While the human and beast stood locked against each other, Lu Ya gathered scorching vitality in both fists and slammed them down.

"Mountain Shaking Peak!"

"Roar!"

The Horned Lion roared. Its scorpion tail whipped out, trailing blazing flames.

Bang! Lu Ya was knocked back, while the Horned Lion also retreated.

After the initial probing, both the monster and the martial artists felt the thought that the advantage is mine rise in their hearts. They immediately stopped holding back and attacked together.

The long spear moved like a dragon, coiling around the Horned Lion.

Iron fists shook the mountain, striking until the void rang.

Sharp arrows streaked across the sky, transforming into a shower of stars that fell from the Ninth Heaven.

The three worked together flawlessly.

But the Horned Lion was no less formidable. Its scattered fur turned into wisps of starfire, transforming the area within several hundred meters into a sea of flames. It had fully unleashed its domain. Its body was as large as a mountain, yet its speed was as fast as lightning without being affected in the slightest.

After dozens of exchanges, neither side could do anything to the other.

"As expected of Intermediate Martial Artists..."

Lu Xuan stood on the outskirts, gripping his long saber as he waited impatiently to act.

At present,

low-level monsters held little attraction for him. His targets were Intermediate Monsters, and even High-level Monsters.

First, to make money. Second, to increase his strength.

"Roar—!"

Almost as Lu Xuan finished his brief thought, the Horned Lion in the battlefield threw back its head and roared.

Boom!

The sea of flames surged, covering several hundred meters.

An even more violent aura rose from within its body and swept across the Wilderness.

"Not good!!!"

In an instant,

everyone present was horrified.

The Class 5 monitor was the first to react. He shouted, "That damn beast is using us as whetstones, borrowing this battle to break through to the High level!"

After monsters mutated, their intelligence rose along with them.

Martial artists could break through to higher levels by fighting monsters, and monsters were no exception.

Buzz! The temperature around them began to rise rapidly.

Terrifying heat scorched everything around them. The monsters grew even more violent, tearing and biting toward the other martial artists in wave after relentless wave.

They were like killing machines that had lost all reason!

"Damn it!"

"All low-level martial artists, retreat to the safe zone!"

"Xu Xin, Lu Ya, the two of you hold it back. I'll cover everyone else's retreat!"

The Class 5 monitor drew his bow and swept it across the low-level monster horde below.

He covered the retreat of the other students.

Xu Xin and Lu Ya felt the temperature suddenly soar. Both their expressions grew solemn. They exchanged a glance, unleashed their strength once more, and charged the Blazing Horned Lion again.

"Roar!"

Breaking through at a lower realm differed from breaking through at a higher realm. There would be no period of weakness at all.

The instant the Horned Lion broke through, the power of its flames underwent a qualitative transformation. It opened its bloody maw and spewed out fire, catching Xu Xin and Lu Ya off guard and engulfing them both.

"Cough, cough!"

The flames burned them until their bodies were covered in wounds.

If they had not possessed backup measures, they would likely have died with regrets on the spot.

"Run!"

Xu Xin shouted and turned to flee.

Even though the Blazing Horned Lion had expended more than half its strength in the battle just now, with the power of a High-level Monster, killing them would be as easy as slaughtering chickens.

Lu Ya knew this as well. She did not dare hesitate and turned to run.

But how could the Blazing Horned Lion, having broken through, easily let them go? With a roar, it left behind a ball of fiery light where it stood, then appeared behind Xu Xin and Lu Ya in the blink of an eye.

"Not good!"

Xu Xin and Lu Ya's expressions changed drastically.

High-level Monsters were far faster than they were.

The two hurriedly circulated their vitality to resist, but before the Horned Lion after its breakthrough, their resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Bang! The Horned Lion struck down with one claw.

The two flew several meters, smashing through one ruined building after another.

"Beast!"

The Class 5 monitor fired his longbow like a whip, intercepting the Blazing Horned Lion.

"Can you still get up?!"

He asked the two battered women in the smoke and dust, "I've already sent our location to the teacher. He'll be here soon."

"Cough, cough~ Pfft!"

Xu Xin spat out a mouthful of blood and used her long spear to support herself as she stood.

Lu Ya spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, her expression solemn. "It'll take the teacher at least twenty minutes to get here. Can we last that long?"

The difference between a High-level Monster and an Intermediate Monster was only one word, but their combat power was worlds apart.

One could fight everyone present by itself.

And there were countless low-level monsters on the battlefield besides.

What were they supposed to do?

For a moment, everyone present fell into a deadlock.

"Roar!"

The Horned Lion would not give them time to think of a solution. After a brief pause for breath, it immediately launched an even more ferocious assault.

The low-level monster horde present was infected by the flame power leaking from its body and pounced violently at the retreating students.

Meanwhile, the Blazing Horned Lion charged toward Xu Xin and the other two.

"This beast doesn't intend to let us go!"

The Class 5 monitor changed his bow into a blade and met the Horned Lion head-on. Xu Xin and Lu Ya could not spare any thought for their injuries and immediately joined the battle, but the three of them were ultimately only Intermediate Martial Artists.

Roar!

The Horned Lion bellowed. Scorching sources of flame burst from its entire body.

Blazing flames surged skyward and swept across a hundred-meter radius like a hurricane.

Almost simultaneously, the three of them were swallowed by flames. Their skin split and charred inch by inch as they were sent flying backward, crashing into the ruins and spraying blood.

"Roar!" The One-Horned Lion knew how to finish off a wounded foe. It immediately pounced at Xu Xin, who was at the front.

"Xu Xin!"

Lu Ya and the Class Five monitor cried out in alarm.

With that claw coming down and no defenses in place, she would be crippled even if she survived.

"Cough, cough! Is this really how I fall..."

Blood gurgled from Xu Xin's throat as she let out a mournful, rattling sound.

Watching the sharp claws descend, she had no power to resist at all and could only await the arrival of death.

At that life-or-death moment—

"Big guy, taking advantage of someone when she's down isn't very sporting, you know!"

The teasing voice rang out.

At the same time, a streak of icy light tore through the void and slashed straight toward the One-Horned Lion.