Intermediate-Level Mortal Beast!

Dongfang Yueming moved nimbly, the ordinary-looking E-grade saber in his hand flashing as fast as lightning! Cold light flickered again and again, followed by several soft splurts. A low-level mortal beast-a Fanged Wild Boar that had also charged at him-had its throat precisely severed before it could get close, and it collapsed with a wail!

The entire sequence flowed like clouds and water, clean and efficient. He even made it look easier and more effortless than Zhou Tong did when he fought at the Bone Forging Realm!

Without so much as a glance at the fallen boar, Dongfang Yueming flickered forward to meet two more mortal beasts charging at him!

"How... how is that possible?!" A ripple of shock stirred in Zhou Tong's heart, but he quickly reassured himself, He must have gotten lucky! That boar just happened to be stupid and clumsy!

Not far away, Hongxiu, who was also handling the mortal beasts' encirclement with ease, took in Dongfang Yueming's performance, her beautiful eyes shining with fascination. This little guy... is no simple character! she thought. It's his first time facing a beast horde of this size, yet he isn't the least bit flustered, and his saber technique is so practiced and fierce. That composure and strength aren't what you'd expect from a newcomer...

Seeing that Dongfang Yueming had not only avoided making a fool of himself but was handling the fight with room to spare, Zhou Tong felt jealousy and hatred spread through his heart like a venomous snake!

His eyes darted, and a scheme came to him!

While fighting an Iron-Armored Rhinoceros, a low-level mortal beast, he deliberately exposed an opening. He stepped backward to one side, seemingly stumbling, and led the red-eyed beast straight toward Dongfang Yueming, who was locked in combat with two other mortal beasts!

Hmph! Let's see how you deal with an attack from three mortal beasts at once! Zhou Tong sneered inwardly.

"Ah!" Hongxiu noticed Zhou Tong's little trick too, and her delicate brows furrowed. She hesitated. Should she step in and help Dongfang Yueming out? After all, Zhou Tong had played a dirty trick in secret...

But in the instant she hesitated, the situation on the field changed!

Faced with the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros suddenly charging from the flank and the two mortal beasts attacking him from the front, Dongfang Yueming advanced instead of retreating!

Gale Movement Technique!

His figure abruptly blurred as he darted among the three mortal beasts like a ghost!

Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms-perfection realm!

Saber light flashed, so fast it dazzled the eyes!

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Three muffled sounds of a blade cutting into flesh rang out almost simultaneously!

When Dongfang Yueming's figure came into focus again, all three mortal beasts-including the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros Zhou Tong had lured over-stood rigidly in place, scalding beast blood spurting from their necks at the same time!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Three enormous bodies crashed to the ground one after another, kicking up a cloud of dust!

One against three! An instant kill!

Clean and efficient! He was completely unscathed!

Dongfang Yueming's expression remained calm, as though he had merely done something trivial. He bent down and deftly cut the left ear from each of the four fallen mortal beasts, casually tossing them into a special leather pouch at his waist.

The whole sequence of movements flowed like clouds and water, but in Zhou Tong and Hongxiu's eyes, it stirred up a storm of towering waves!

The smugness and contempt had long since vanished from Zhou Tong's face, replaced by disbelief, shock, and a barely perceptible trace of fear. Th-this is impossible! he roared inwardly. Those were three low-level mortal beasts! One of them was an Iron-Armored Rhinoceros with thick skin and tough flesh! How could he... so easily...

Hongxiu's alluring, peach-blossom eyes were also filled with amazement and gravity! She knew she could deal with three low-level mortal beasts herself, but she could never do it as effortlessly as Dongfang Yueming, as though he were chopping melons and vegetables! This guy... definitely isn't an ordinary Greater Flesh Refining cultivator! His saber technique... is too fast!

Dongfang Yueming put away his spoils, raised his head, and gave Zhou Tong a cool glance.

That glance was calm and untroubled, yet it sent a shiver through Zhou Tong! He instinctively took half a step back, alarm bells ringing wildly in his heart. That look in his eyes... is terrifying! His saber technique is as fast as a ghost, and his movement technique is just as uncanny... I absolutely can't provoke him lightly!

Zhou Tong instantly marked Dongfang Yueming as an extremely dangerous person. His earlier contempt and jealousy had now turned into deep wariness.

Just then, an even fiercer, more violent aura swept over them!

"Roar-!"

A leopard-like ferocious beast, a size larger than the low-level mortal beasts around it and covered in blue scales, broke through the outer defensive line and charged straight toward them as fast as lightning!

"An intermediate-level mortal beast! A Blue-Scaled Leopard!" Zhou Tong's expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, he immediately withdrew, not daring to confront it head-on! The Bone Forging Realm was stronger than the Flesh Refining Realm, but against an intermediate-level mortal beast known for its speed and strength, he had no absolute confidence, much less with Dongfang Yueming watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey!

Hongxiu had just whipped a lunging low-level mortal beast away when the Blue-Scaled Leopard reached her! A fierce, bloody wind rushed into her face!

Hongxiu's pretty face hardened, and she advanced instead of retreating! The seemingly supple scarlet whip in her hand suddenly snapped taut and, like a venomous snake striking from its hole, lashed with unerring precision at the Blue-Scaled Leopard's eyes!

Crack!

A sharp snap rang out! The Blue-Scaled Leopard recoiled in pain and let out an enraged roar, its attack slowing slightly!

Dongfang Yueming watched clearly from the side, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. This Hongxiu... is quite strong! Faced with an intermediate-level mortal beast's sudden attack, she had reacted swiftly and responded appropriately. Her strength and combat experience were far beyond those of an ordinary Greater Flesh Refining cultivator! Could it be... that she has also reached Flesh Refining Perfection?

As Hongxiu fought the Blue-Scaled Leopard, a nearby martial artist spotted an opportunity, and a greedy light flashed in his eyes! Seeing that Hongxiu had the leopard occupied and that it seemed to be a little injured, he immediately thought of taking advantage!

"Haha! Those three military merit points are mine!" he shouted excitedly. He actually abandoned the opponent in front of him and sprang forward like a cheetah, the short saber in his hand heading straight for the Blue-Scaled Leopard's left ear! He planned to cut off the ear and run!

"Courting death!" Hongxiu's gaze went cold, and she silently cursed him as an idiot!

Sure enough, the Blue-Scaled Leopard was already furious from its injury, and now that someone had ambushed a vital spot, its ferocity erupted all the more! It violently swung its head, ignoring Hongxiu's whip entirely, and slammed its scale-covered head into the attacker!

Bang!

A muffled impact rang out! The martial artist who had deluded himself into thinking he could profit was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, blood gushing from his mouth! Before he hit the ground, several nearby low-level mortal beasts caught the scent of blood and swarmed him, engulfing him in an instant! A piercing scream rang out once, then abruptly stopped!

"Idiot!" Zhou Tong, watching from a distance, spat contemptuously at the sight. Trying to snatch food from an intermediate-level mortal beast's mouth? He was simply courting death!

The attacker's death not only failed to intimidate the Blue-Scaled Leopard, but instead fully roused its ferocity!

"Roar!!!"

The Blue-Scaled Leopard raised its head and roared at the sky, its eyes scarlet. A faint, eerie glow spread across its blue scales, and its speed and strength seemed to increase yet again!