Intense Battle, Displaying Strength

The soil on the north slope exploded, and a swarm of black-scaled ferocious beasts leaped out, moving so fast they left only afterimages. I gripped Flowing Abyss, its blade vibrating, and my spiritual sense swept across the entire area.

"Wood Spirit, attack the front line!"

Vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around the legs of three ferocious beasts and yanking them down hard. They tumbled to the ground, and before they could get up, they were sent flying back several yards by the sweeping blade light.

Three knocks echoed from the east cliff. Rock Lizards signaled from beneath the earth: the enemy's numbers far exceeded our estimates, and they were closing in from higher ground. I looked up; feathered birds had already taken to the sky, their wings beating out a rapid rhythm, disrupting the spiritual energy in the air.

"Mist Cicada, relay the order to everyone—tighten the defense line!"

The sound of wings beating cut through the air like fine threads, instantly delivering the message to every position. Stream Demons immediately turned water into ice, and a thin layer of frost quickly formed on the ground at the valley entrance. Several ferocious beasts that had charged too aggressively slipped and tumbled, only to be sent flying by the Wood Spirit's branches.

The first wave of attacks was blocked, but I knew it wasn't over.

As expected, a shadow flashed overhead, and five winged claw beasts dived from the sky, their claws aimed directly at the water source area. Buried there were the fragmented scrolls of the spirit gathering array, the core of our entire defense.

"Spirit Beast, guard the array core!"

It let out a low growl, its four legs digging into the ground as it charged at a mountain-piercing beast that was digging. The two collided, sending dust flying. The earth-dwelling beast's movement was interrupted, and it was forced to retreat.

I didn't have time to watch further. I pushed off the ground with my toes and leaped into the air. The Nine Luminaries True Understanding circulated to its extreme, and the spiritual power within me surged like a river of stars, converging in Flowing Abyss in my palm.

The blade lit up with a crimson-gold radiance. I held the saber with both hands and slashed down in an arc.

"Mountain Severing Slash!"

The blade energy tore through the air, emitting a piercing roar. The five winged claw beasts had no time to dodge and were all cut down, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds. The moment I landed, I channeled the remaining spiritual power into the ground, sending out a shockwave that pushed back the surrounding enemies.

The battlefield fell silent for a brief moment.

But just then, a roar echoed from the depths of the north slope. A colossal beast, entirely black, strode forward, its eyes burning red, black mist swirling around its body. With every step it took, the ground trembled.

This was the leader.

Behind it followed a dozen or so surviving ferocious beasts, all with vacant eyes, clearly under control. They no longer charged chaotically but advanced slowly, centering on it.

"Everyone, obey my command: lure the enemy deep. Leave the south forest open," I said.

The Wood Spirit immediately retracted some of its vines on the north slope, revealing a path. The Mist Cicada simultaneously released false sound sources, simulating the sounds of a gathering crowd. The Stream Demon quietly diverted the water flow, creating the illusion of an evacuation.

The Black Armored Leader fell for the trap. With a low growl, it led its subordinates into the open area at the edge of the south forest.

Now.

I took out the Mystic Light Mirror, a high-level magical artifact obtained from the secret realm that I hadn't had a chance to use until now. I formed a hand seal and activated its restrictions.

A beam of pure white light shot out from the mirror, illuminating the entire area.

The black mist dissipated upon contact with the light. The controlled ferocious beasts' eyes gradually cleared; some stood frozen, while others turned and fled. Only the leader remained in place. The black mist had thinned but hadn't dispersed, indicating that the person controlling it had not given up.

It roared and charged at me.

I raised my saber to meet it, my spiritual sense locked onto its movements. Every claw strike carried ferocious power, but I was no longer the rookie who relied on brute force to fight.

In the third round, its right shoulder twitched, and its muscles tensed. I immediately sidestepped, Flowing Abyss grazing its arm and cutting into an old wound. It cried out in pain, its movements slowing.

The Spirit Beast seized the opportunity, charging from the side and slamming into its knee. It knelt on one knee, and before it could stand, I had already leaped above it.

First strike: the seventh rotation of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art unleashed its power, the blade pressing down.

Second strike: Spiritual Sense Attachment, guiding the blade energy into its nerve nodes.

Third strike: drawing upon the star-track power of the Nine Luminaries True Understanding, I condensed a point of spiritual pressure on its chest and detonated it.

Boom!

It roared to the sky, its chest blackened, stumbling back ten steps before finally collapsing, unable to stand.

I didn't pursue.

It struggled to lift its head and looked at me. For a fleeting moment, clarity appeared in its eyes, as if it wanted to say something, but in the end, it only let out a low growl and turned, fleeing into the deep mountains.

The remaining ferocious beasts completely scattered.

I stood in place, taking a few breaths before slowly sheathing my saber. My left hand trembled; the series of actions just now had consumed more than half of my spiritual power.

I looked around. The battlefield was a mess. Most of the vines on the north slope were broken, and the Wood Spirit's main body was tilted, its branches and leaves severely damaged, but it still stood firm. Rock Lizards emerged from the earth, reporting no further tremors underground. Mist Cicada perched on a broken branch, its wings trembling slightly, at a much slower frequency than usual.

Stream Demon slumped by the shallow water, its translucent body emitting a weak white light, clearly overexerted. Feathered Bird landed on a broken rock, a wound on its left wing dripping blood, but it still looked up at me and let out a soft chirp.

The Spirit Beast walked over to me and rubbed against my leg.

I reached out and petted its head, then walked step by step towards the ruined center. My feet crunched on the gravel. The sky in the distance began to whiten, and the morning light slowly spread in.

A System notification suddenly popped up:

[Composite Defense Completion: 87%, Rewards will be issued after settlement]

I didn't open it. Now wasn't the time to look at that.

I planted Flowing Abyss into the ground and sat down, leaning against it. My gaze swept over the positions of each of my companions. They were all still here, still standing.

Wind blew in from the valley entrance, carrying the smell of burning and a hint of coolness. I closed my eyes and spread my spiritual sense out again. Within a ten-mile radius, there were no large-scale approaching presences.

Temporarily safe.

But I couldn't relax. The leader's eyes before it left were strange. It didn't seem completely controlled like the other ferocious beasts; rather, it seemed... forced to obey orders.

And that black mist was no ordinary evil spell imprint. I could feel a familiar fluctuation, very much like the aura left by Ancestor Kunpeng.

As I was thinking, the System popped up a new notification:

[Detected abnormal energy residue, source highly consistent with events related to "Northern Desolation Secrets", does the user wish to start the quiz?]

I opened my eyes, and before I could respond, I suddenly heard the rock lizard tap the ground twice below the east cliff.

Short, urgent.

Not the warning rhythm.

I abruptly stood up and looked towards the northern ridge.

A figure stood at a high point, back to the rising sun, their face unclear. But at their feet lay a dead ferocious beast, the very leader that had just escaped.

They raised a hand, a black talisman plate held between their fingertips, and gently rubbed it.

The talisman plate turned to ash and scattered with the wind.