Ferocious Beasts Attack Frequently, Valley in Crisis

I stared at the figure with a sword on his back, my hand resting on the hilt of Flowing Abyss. He walked into the valley step by step, not quickly, but each step was firm. I didn't move, just lowered my breathing. The spiritual power within me was still circulating, over seventy percent.

The moment he raised his hand to grasp the sword hilt, the ground shook violently.

It wasn't him. The tremor came from the direction of the mountain pass, as if something was crashing against the cliff face. Immediately after, a roar echoed from deep within the forest, a sound unlike human or ordinary beast, sharp and hoarse, making my eardrums ache.

I immediately retracted my hand and sheathed Flowing Abyss on my back. The spirit beast, which had been lying down, suddenly stood up, its tail fluffed out, and sniffed the air twice. A low growl rumbled in its throat.

I knew something was wrong.

There were movements from all directions. To my left, the sound of falling rocks echoed from a crevice. To my right, trees fell one after another in the dense forest. Dust kicked up from the mountain pass ahead, and shadows flickered. These presences were chaotic, yet carried a ferocity, devoid of intelligence, only killing intent.

I glanced at the man with the sword on his back. He had stopped and was frowning, looking around, his hand still on his sword, but he no longer advanced. The other person, leaning on a cane, had also retreated to the edge of the forest, hesitating whether to enter.

I didn't have time to deal with them.

The first ferocious beast to charge out was something resembling a giant lizard, half its body covered in black mud. Its mouth split open to its ears, dripping green fluid. As soon as it landed, it opened its mouth and spewed a cloud of mist, its stench nauseating. It was poisonous mist, capable of corroding flesh.

"Stop it!" I yelled at the spirit beast.

The spirit beast immediately darted out, charging into the poisonous mist. It somersaulted in mid-air to avoid a direct hit and slammed into the giant lizard's hind leg from the flank. The giant lizard stumbled, its second breath of poisonous mist interrupted.

I drew Flowing Abyss, exerted force with my feet, and lunged towards an Iron Horn Barbarian Bull that had emerged from a pile of rocks. This creature was larger than a giant ape, its two curved horns as black as iron. As it charged, it directly collapsed the stone house I used for cultivation.

That was my cultivation dwelling.

Bricks and stones flew, the roof caved in, and several jade slips were crushed under the rubble. The medicine box rolled out, and a bottle of Calming Heart Pill cracked, spilling its powder onto the ground.

My heart tightened.

I had guarded this place for so long, building it up inch by inch. Now it had collapsed with a single impact.

Without further thought, I leaped up and swung my saber. Flowing Abyss cut through the air in an arc, striking the tendons on the barbarian bull's front leg. It howled and collapsed to the ground. I landed, spun around, and raised my blade again, slashing at a Shadow Wolf that leaped out from behind a tree.

Three saber strikes fell in succession. Two ferocious beasts had their front claws severed and retreated with mournful cries. The Shadow Wolf was the fastest, but I still managed to lop off half its ear, and it retreated into the forest on its injured leg.

I didn't pursue.

I glanced back at the ruins, then quickly walked over to push aside the rubble and pick up the remaining jade slips and medicine bottles. Some jade slips were cracked, but the cultivation techniques were still intact and could be repaired. In the medicine box, there were three bottles of Pulse Protecting Powder and two bottles of Spirit Condensing Dew, all undamaged.

Just as I finished putting things away, the sound of flapping wings came from the distant cliff.

Looking up, seven or eight ferocious birds swoomed down from the cliff top. Their wingspans were longer than a person's, and they carried glowing red stones in their claws. They released the stones in mid-air, which smashed into the grass, scattering sparks. The dry grass quickly began to smoke and catch fire.

The fire spread quickly.

I gritted my teeth, rushed to the foundation of the house, and stuffed the remaining medicinal herbs into my embrace. The spirit beast ran back, the cracked bottle of Calming Heart Pill in its mouth, and placed it at my feet.

"Are you okay?" I stroked its head.

It shook its ears, indicating it could still fight.

I nodded and looked up at the cliff top. Those ferocious birds were still circling, preparing for a second round of stone-throwing. I had to stop them.

I took out a talisman paper from my sleeve. This was a temporary formation diagram I had won from a previous quiz, usable only once. I couldn't afford to save it now.

I slapped the talisman paper onto the ground and traced spiritual power patterns with my fingertips. The paper ignited with a blue light, and a circle of light rose, covering this area. The fire was blocked from entering, and the herbs and jade slips were all within the barrier.

"You guard here," I told the spirit beast.

It lay down, staring outwards.

I grabbed my saber and ran towards higher ground. There were several ledges on the cliff face that I could use to climb. Halfway up, I saw a wolf-like ferocious beast standing at the cliff's edge, directing the others. A dark rune was carved on its forehead, darker than those on other ferocious beasts.

It was controlling these creatures.

I quickened my pace and scrambled onto the cliff top. The wolf sensed my movement, turned its head towards me, its eyes blood-red, and let out a low growl. It didn't flee; instead, it charged at me.

This was the moment I had been waiting for.

Flowing Abyss was drawn from its sheath, and I sent my spiritual sense along the blade. This was no ordinary attack; it was the "Spiritual Sense Attachment" I had figured out these past few days. The saber became an extension of myself; I could feel the tremor of its muscles, the conduction of its nerves.

I aimed for the connection point beneath the rune on its forehead and thrust the blade in.

The blade pierced its skin, and my spiritual sense surged in, pushing back along the rune's energy. The dark energy violently convulsed, the wolf-beast's body convulsed, and its head exploded with a "bang," splattering blood and brains everywhere.

The other ferocious beasts stopped simultaneously. Some spun in place, others bit at each other, descending into chaos.

I took a breath and looked down at the valley.

The fire was still burning, but the barrier held. The spirit beast moved back and forth within the circle, warily watching the outside. The remaining ferocious beasts began to retreat, some burrowing back into the forest, others leaping into the ravine.

They retreated, for now.

But I didn't relax. In that split second, I saw a mass of black energy flash past in the distant mountain shadows, moving too fast to be alive. Someone was controlling these ferocious beasts, and they could escape without me noticing.

I stood at the cliff's edge, gripping Flowing Abyss tightly.

My left arm ached. I had been grazed by a flying stone while dodging earlier, tearing the skin and flesh. The bleeding hadn't stopped. I tore off a strip of cloth and wrapped it around the wound, having no time to properly treat it.

Night had fallen. Only the light from within the barrier illuminated the valley. Outside was scorched earth and corpses. I closed my eyes and spread out my spirit stones, meticulously scanning every inch of land within a ten-mile radius.

No signs of large-scale gatherings were found.

But I couldn't sleep.

I descended the cliff and returned to the edge of the barrier. The spirit beast nudged my hand with its nose. I fed it the remaining Calming Heart Pill to prevent any residual poisonous mist from affecting its condition.

Then, I cleared a flat area by the ruins and used the remaining bricks and stones to build a low wall, serving as a new stronghold. I re-sorted the jade slips, arranged the medicine bottles, and laid Flowing Abyss across my knees.

I sat down, knees slightly bent, my hand never leaving the saber.

The night wind swept across the scorched ground, carrying the smell of burning. Deep within the distant forest, something softly snapped a dry twig.

I opened my eyes and stared in that direction.

The blade of Flowing Abyss reflected the faint light of the barrier, cold as ice.