The Iron Guard Shows Its Might

Three months later.

Two figures appeared in a dense forest.

One of them, dressed in a black robe and carrying a long sword on his back, was Qin Fei had just finished recuperating.

After three months of recuperation, his spirit finally felt somewhat better.

Although a full recovery is still a long way off, it should not significantly affect mobility.

The other figure was draped in a black cloak, wore a bamboo hat, and had a mask made of black iron on his face, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes.

At this moment, Qin Fei squatted down, and in front of him was a large pile of Demon Beast excrement, still steaming.

"It's Purple Flame Deer droppings. They don't seem to have gone far. Iron Guard, let's give chase."

The Purple Flame Deer is a type of Demon Beast in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. It is docile and generally does not attack people unless provoked.

They are also weaker than ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, making them easier to deal with.

However easy it may seem, it's still just a Foundation Establishment Demon Beast, so Qin Fei dares not be careless.

He planned to send Iron Guard to test the waters, while he himself would remain hidden in the shadows.

If we can win it, everyone will be happy.

It's okay if you can't get it; just find another target.

Qin Fei released the Wooden Kite and the little spider, and followed the direction the Purple Flame Deer had left to investigate its tracks.

Not long after, a glint suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Ahead, a group of cultivators were surrounding and killing the Purple Flame Deer.

It's them.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Fei found a safe spot and climbed to the top of the tree.

Iron Guard, however, focused on a particular direction and suddenly quickened his pace.

The forest scene was clearly visible under the remote monitoring of the Wooden Kite.

Ahead of the Iron Guard, a fierce battle was raging.

One of them was the Purple Flame Deer that Qin Fei had discovered earlier.

This deer has two antlers on its head, breathes purple flames, and has bloodshot eyes; it is clearly in a state of rage.

On the other side were more than twenty Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

Clearly, these people were at a disadvantage.

Without the power of the magic array, they would have been defeated long ago.

One of the squad members huddled together, and a woman shouted:

"Captain, the Purple Flame Deer is beyond our capabilities. We must retreat! At this rate, Jia Sixteen Squad will be wiped out!"

"What's the panic? With the Twenty-Four Demon-Subduing Formation in place, the Purple Flame Deer can't cause any trouble."

"But Fellow Daoist Song is already dead, and his array's core is left unattended, I'm afraid..."

"Then stop talking nonsense and hurry up and get someone to replace them. If the hunt fails, you won't get anything!"

The woman gritted her teeth and had no choice but to obey.

At this moment, she missed her former captain terribly. If he were still alive, his team would never have been in such a dangerous situation.

This person was none other than Sun Tang, the only female cultivator in Jia Sixteen Squad.

Since Qin Fei left, their team has had a new captain.

The new captain is quite powerful, having already Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

However, this strength was not enough to protect the glory of the Jia Sixteen Squad's zero casualties.

On their second mission alone, they lost a member of their team.

Two years have passed, and the former team members have all passed away, the team has changed drastically, and only she remains to hold on.

Today, the new captain has joined forces with several smaller teams to hunt the Purple Flame Deer.

She was initially extremely resistant; it was obvious that Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Beast was beyond their ability to deal with.

The new captain used both carrot and stick tactics, claiming that if the Demon Beast was hunted down, he would find someone to refine Foundation Establishment Pill.

Once he breaks through to the Foundation Establishment, everyone will be able to receive his protection.

But if you don't come to help this time, don't blame him for turning his back on you.

Finally, the new captain brought out the Twenty-Four Demon-Subduing Formation and patted his chest to guarantee that the mission would be foolproof.

Sun Tang and the other team members then agreed.

However, encountering the Purple Flame Deer turned out to be completely different from what they had imagined.

The deer's two enormous antlers were indestructible; with a single strike, it smashed a hole in the Twenty-Four Demon-Subduing Formation.

The purple flames it spews from its mouth have the effect of burning away any restrictions.

Under the attack of the Purple Flame Deer, the Twenty-Four Demon-Subduing Formation is now in grave danger, with many of its restrictions damaged.

"Report! Array Core Number Seven is damaged!"

"Report! The cultivator in charge of array eye number thirteen has been killed!"

One piece of bad news after another arrived, and even the confident new captain's face turned gloomy.

"You bunch of useless trash, hold on! Anyone who tries to run away will regret it!"

When lives are at stake, who cares about his threats?

Taking advantage of a lull in the Purple Flame Deer's attack, the two cultivators decisively withdrew from the array's core and shot off in different directions.

With the two of them gone, the Twenty-Four Demon-Subduing Formation could no longer be maintained.

As the Purple Flame Deer launched its next attack, it shattered into countless fragments with a deafening roar.

Without the restraint of the magic array, the Purple Flame Deer instantly went berserk, taking the lives of two cultivators in a single moment.

The newly appointed captain looked flustered, took out a communication talisman, and questioned:

"Are you done yet? Those Rogue Cultivator are too useless; I can't hold on much longer."

Upon seeing the reply, his eyes lit up, and he chose a direction and flew away.

In fact, he knew better than anyone that these people were absolutely incapable of hunting the Purple Flame Deer.

The so-called Foundation Establishment Pill is nothing but a smokescreen.

As long as he can keep these people occupied with the Purple Flame Deer for a while, his mission will be complete.

Unexpectedly, the Purple Flame Deer seemed to have remembered his aura and charged at him like a madman.

Each of its four hooves rose up in a cloud of auspicious light, and its speed far surpassed his, arriving beside him in the blink of an eye.

"No!"

The new captain was furious, but the next moment, his chest was pierced by a deer antler, and he fell to the ground.

After that, the Purple Flame Deer went on a killing spree, taking the lives of several people with each strike.

Sun Tang was plunged into despair and stood there dumbfounded.

Seeing the purple flames shooting towards them, they even forgot to dodge.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from afar, and a dark figure descended from the sky.

This person, clad in a black cloak and wearing a bamboo hat, showed no intention of avoiding the approaching purple flames.

He reached out a hand, grabbed it sharply, and crushed the flames.

Seeing the sudden turn of events, Sun Tang was greatly shocked, and then his face lit up with ecstatic joy.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior!"

The man in black robes ignored him and charged straight ahead.

With a single punch, he sent the Purple Flame Deer staggering.

Then came the brutal, bone-crunching punches.

His fighting style was extremely brutal, resembling that of a body-refining cultivator.

The Purple Flame Deer was beaten senseless, and even its proud antlers were broken off.

The battle was completely one-sided.

Not long after, with a rip from the black-robed man's hands, the Purple Flame Deer was torn in two.

The surviving Rogue Cultivator were all dumbfounded. The Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Beast that had almost wiped them out was dealt with in just a few moves.

"It's Foundation Establishment senior! We're saved!"

The crowd bowed their heads in reverence, thankful to have escaped with their lives.

Unbeknownst to anyone, not far from this battleground lies a rather secluded cave.

A fire shone from inside the cave, and two figures could be vaguely seen; they were clearly two cultivators at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

"It really is a cub of the Purple Flame Deer. We've struck it rich this time."

"Fellow Daoist's strategy is truly remarkable; I admire it. Those Rogue Cultivator are still completely unaware of the truth, which is truly laughable."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Just then, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out:

"You two fellow Daoists seem to be laughing so happily. What joyous occasion has befallen you? Could you tell me about it?"