Giant Wild Boar

The screams tore through the mountain forest's silence, and an ominous foreboding filled the air.

"What's going on? Is someone trying to kill me?!"

Shen Changchuan jolted awake, every hair on his body standing on end.

Every muscle in his body tensed at that instant. He crouched slightly, his mind stretched to its limit, ready to leap from the carriage and flee at any moment!

At the same time,

two Golden Needles, each about an inch long and as thick as his little finger, appeared in his palm.

Though these two Golden Needles had not reached the rank of Dharma Artifacts when forged, they had been mixed with Gold Essence and possessed a certain capacity for conducting spiritual power. To cultivators, they were far superior to weapons such as the hundredfold-refined steel boasted of by mortals.

Shen Changchuan gripped the most lethal means at his disposal,

his gaze locked firmly ahead,

his nerves taut as he prepared to fight or flee at any time.

Just then,

Rumble!

A thunderous boom came from ahead. The ground immediately began shaking visibly, as though some colossal creature were charging wildly through it.

Then they saw the once-dense woods abruptly split apart as if cleaved down the middle by an irresistible force. Towering trees seemed utterly fragile before it, groaning and creaking as they were mercilessly crushed and toppled to either side!

An enormous shadow burst from the forest. The savage Sha Qi of a ferocious beast nearly struck them in the face, carrying a gale as it swept in all directions, stirring dreadful terror in everyone's hearts!

It was an enormous Tusked Boar,

standing three or four meters tall. Its bloated, massive body resembled a creeping hill, its muscles knotted beneath dark, hard skin that seemed clad in thick armor, densely covered in bristles standing upright like steel needles.

At that moment, savage light gleamed in the Tusked Boar's huge eyes. Two long, sharp tusks jutted from its mouth, piercing through a human figure's abdomen and hoisting him high into the air.

The unlucky man who had been attacked while clearing the way had already been disemboweled. There was clearly no saving him.

Crimson blood streamed from his body, staining not only the coldly gleaming tusks red, but also drenching the Tusked Boar's snout and head. It added several more layers of viciousness to its hideous face,

making it look like a blood-soaked evil ghost that had crawled out of hell!

At that moment,

the other ordinary people were cowed by the Giant Wild Boar's fierce might. Their limbs turned weak, and they began trembling all over.

The horses and livestock in the convoy were even more terrified by that savage aura, panicking as they backed away.

The mortal martial guards patrolling and protecting both sides of the convoy were frightened as well, yet they still held fast to their duty. Gripping their weapons, they rushed up from the rear to provide support.

The others were panicked and afraid,

but Shen Changchuan actually felt somewhat relieved.

"Good. It's not someone sent by that side to intercept and kill me."

"Besides, I've kept a low profile in the Shen Family these past two years and never made enemies with anyone. Now I've even voluntarily removed myself from the eye of the storm by accepting an assignment to this remote place. No matter how fiercely they fight, they shouldn't be determined to make trouble for an insignificant nobody like me."

The heart Shen Changchuan had been holding in his throat finally eased a little.

And at that moment,

"Good beast! You're courting death!"

Beside Shen Changchuan's carriage, his Maternal Grandfather, Han Qinhu, saw the Giant Wild Boar charge out of the woods and immediately roared.

His eyes flew wide, his voice crashing out like thunder!

In the next instant, he sprang from horseback. While still in midair, he drew the Decapitating Blade from his back with a backhand motion and slashed down!

Chilling blade light illuminated the forest, carving an arc like a full moon through the air. The brilliant edge whipped up a fierce gale as it came down heavily toward the Giant Wild Boar's head with the immense force to split mountains and shatter rocks!

A piercing shriek rang through the air—the sharp sound of a blade tearing through the wind at extreme speed!

Han Qinhu's strike was fierce and domineering. Its power was so terrifying that even a block of cast iron would have been split in two by that slash!

But at that moment,

the Giant Wild Boar sensed the attack descending from above. Its hideous head swung nimbly, flinging away the unlucky man hanging from its tusks.

At almost the same instant,

the Decapitating Blade came down, its edge striking the Giant Wild Boar's long tusk, which gleamed with a bloody cold light!

Clang!

A crisp collision of metal rang out, and a wave of air rippled outward from the point of impact.

Violent vibrations ran through the blade, numbing Han Qinhu's hands around the hilt.

That strike, which should have been able to sever steel with the support of Innate True Qi, had done nothing at all. Every bit of its force had been blocked by the Giant Wild Boar's tusk.

Han Qinhu's pupils suddenly contracted.

"What a beast! Be careful, this thing is a Demon Beast!"

He shouted a warning.

Demon Beasts,

were beings that had awakened demon power and possessed extraordinary methods!

Their strength was practically equal to that of cultivators!

Han Qinhu's all-out slash being knocked aside, even leaving his arms numb from the rebound, was proof enough!

But at that moment,

Han Qinhu advanced rather than retreating. His body shifted aside to evade the boar's tusks, and within a breath he flashed more than three meters away.

At the same time, the saber in his hand became a bolt of lightning, tearing through the air as he struck again from another angle, viciously slashing at the creature's thick neck!

Three-Wave Slash!

Facing such a terrifying enemy, Han Qinhu used the ultimate technique with which he had once roamed the mortal martial world!

In an instant,

he slashed three times with lightning speed.

So fast were they

that the three slashes seemed to overlap, striking at the same time and landing precisely upon the Giant Wild Boar's neck.

Sshk!

Han Qinhu's blade cut into the boar's tough, thick hide,

yet,

the Giant Wild Boar's fur and skin possessed terrifying defenses.

The blade merely cut a tiny opening in the tough hide, leaving behind a thin line of blood!

His all-out attack had inflicted only a small cut,

and Han Qinhu could not help drawing a sharp breath.

The long tusks were one thing, but how could even this boar hide be so tough?!

At that moment,

pain flared from the wound on its neck, driving the Giant Wild Boar into rage. Its eyes became bloodshot and crimson, and its two heavy hooves suddenly slammed into the ground with the force of Thousand Jun!

Bang!

In an instant, the ground caved in as easily as tofu, forming a bowl-sized crater. At the same time, a surge of demon aura erupted and swept outward in every direction.

Struck by that demon aura, Han Qinhu felt as though a great iron hammer had smashed into him. He let out a muffled groan and was hurled several meters away like a rag doll. When he hit the ground, crimson blood was already spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Having sent Han Qinhu flying with one blow, the Giant Wild Boar pressed its advantage without mercy.

Its forehooves pawed the ground a few times. Its massive body lowered, its four limbs bent to gather strength, and its tusks, gleaming with bloody cold light, aimed at Han Qinhu where he had been thrown. In a charging stance, it intended to smash the two-legged creature that had injured it into pulp!

With such a terrifying Giant Wild Boar, once it began its charge, Han Qinhu would surely face certain death!

At the rear of the crowd,

Shen Changchuan's expression changed as he prepared to act.

The hand holding the Golden Needles rapidly formed a Hand Seal, and spiritual power poured into the two needles. Stimulated by that power, the Golden Needles lit up with faint golden cold light.

But at that moment,

"Father!"

Another furious roar rang out.

His eldest maternal uncle, Han Dayong, had arrived from the other side!

In truth, when Han Qinhu had first leaped up and raised his saber against the Giant Wild Boar, Han Dayong had already lifted the savage Wolf-Tooth Mace in his hand and rushed forward after him.

It was simply that Han Qinhu had engaged too quickly and been defeated just as quickly. By the time Han Dayong arrived, he had already been sent flying.

Yet because of this, Han Dayong's arrival came at precisely the right time to interrupt the Giant Wild Boar's charge!

Han Dayong gripped the massive Wolf-Tooth Mace with both hands and swung down from the side. Just as the Giant Wild Boar was preparing to charge, he smashed the mace into its head.

Bang!

Another heavy blow,

sent the Giant Wild Boar's head slamming directly into the ground. Cracks spread across the earth, making the ground tremble.

At the same time, the Wolf-Tooth Mace's sharp spikes punctured its head, leaving one bloody hole after another.

Roar!!!

The repeated attacks only enraged the Giant Wild Boar further.

It suddenly jerked and rammed its head upward, its enormous, irresistible strength sending Han Dayong flying as well!

The Giant Wild Boar raised its head and roared.

Its savage Sha Qi swept across the entire area.

The Han Family martial guards who had already rushed in, weapons raised, surrounding it from all sides, were struck by that Baleful Intent and could not help retreating step by step.

But clearly,

Han Qinhu and his son's attacks had ultimately affected the Giant Wild Boar to some extent.

Especially Han Dayong's mighty, heavy blow,

which had left its head dizzy and muddled, making it difficult for the raised head to move for a time.

And in that instant,

Shen Changchuan's eyes flashed with sharp light from inside the carriage behind them.

"Good opportunity!"

Shen Changchuan, who had long been prepared, fiercely pointed toward the Giant Wild Boar. The Golden Needles in his hand, already charged with spiritual power and brewing formidable force, shot out in an instant!

Whoosh!

A faint streak of golden lightning seemed to flash through the air.

All anyone saw was a fleeting afterimage of golden light.

Then,

Bang! Bang!

The Giant Wild Boar's two eyes exploded, spraying blood and flesh!

Its once-crimson, frenzied pupils instantly became two bloody cavities!

But it was not over yet!

Supported by spiritual power, the two Golden Needles, each as thick as a little finger, possessed terrifying force no less than that of sniper bullets. They pierced through its eye sockets and skull, turning the Giant Wild Boar's brain into mush.

The Giant Wild Boar's enormous body stiffened, then slowly and feebly collapsed to the ground with a rumbling crash, kicking up dust across the ground.

Huff!

Seeing the Giant Wild Boar before them completely dead and the battle reversed within the span of a few breaths, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Yet they also stood frozen in place, unable to recover for a moment.

"Alright, clean this up quickly and set off as soon as possible."

Shen Changchuan flicked his sleeve and spoke to the martial guards around him, who remained rooted in place after the wild swings of emotion.

Though these men had not been able to accomplish much during the battle,

with strength that had not even reached the Innate realm, charging in would most likely have been no more than throwing themselves to their deaths. The fact that they had voluntarily surrounded him, shielded him behind them, and could have provided some cover for his escape if something unexpected happened was enough.

Shen Changchuan did not blame them for it.