“…They were in the northwestern part of the demonic beast forest, about thirty li from the inner region.”
Jiang Moqing paused for a moment before continuing, “Nascent Soul-level great beasts shouldn’t have appeared there. Something’s definitely wrong. I tried to report it to Master, but she hasn’t responded.”
“Understood. Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Lin Que cupped his fists respectfully, then turned to leave.
Watching his back as he walked away, Jiang Moqing’s brows furrowed slightly. She reached out, as if wanting to say something…but in the end, the words never left her lips.
***
On the way back, the little demon sat perched on Lin Que’s shoulder, cheeks slightly puffed as if savoring a rare delicacy. She held her face in her hands; her expression was brimming with undisguised delight.
“Oh my, that was so much fun~”
Patting her flat belly, she said with satisfaction, “As expected, following you is the best! Sure, we go hungry most of the time, but every time we eat, it’s a gourmet experience.”
“That counts as a completed mission, right?” Lin Que asked.
“Of course.”
The little demon nodded. “You planning to check out the demonic beast forest?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s really dangerous there right now, you know. Don’t you think you should be a little more cautious?”
She raised an eyebrow. Though her words sounded like a warning, her expression clearly showed she was enjoying the drama. In fact, she even seemed to be egging him on on purpose.
“Just killing a few beasts. It’s no big deal.”
Of course, Lin Que knew there was something wrong with Nascent Soul-stage demonic beasts appearing together on the outskirts of the forest where they weren’t supposed to be.
Normally, those beasts lived deep within the forest. It was unheard of to encounter them near the edges. Especially since Nascent Soul beasts each had their own territory. Why would they suddenly start moving in groups?
Something unusual was clearly going on in the demonic beast forest.
On top of that, Qin Wanyuan had also encountered danger there this time. There was a good chance her incident was related to the crisis that was brewing.
Whatever the reason, Lin Que felt he had to go investigate.
“As expected of a sword cultivator. So arrogant when you speak.”
The little demon showed no sign of trying to stop him. “Since you’ve decided to head into the demonic beast forest, I’ll assign you a timed mission: go to the heart of the forest and bring back the source of the anomaly. As for the reward… I’ll give you the next part of the incomplete scroll.”
She acted entirely on a whim. Everything she did depended on her mood.
“You know what caused the anomaly?” Lin Que asked.
“Nope. That’s exactly why I’m curious~”
The little demon shrugged, her tone completely natural. “I’m a demon, not omniscient.”
She gazed toward the demonic beast forest with distant eyes. “Still, the aura coming from that direction does bother me.”
With that, the conversation ended, and the little demon vanished again.
She always came and went without a sound. Lin Que wasn’t surprised. Without wasting time, he rose into the air on his sword, formed a hand seal, and pushed his speed to the limit.
Sword light flashed as Lin Que shot through the night sky like a brilliant white meteor. He tore through the silent darkness, slicing apart the thick clouds in his path and revealing a waning moon.
In the blink of an eye, he crossed dozens of li.
Hovering high above the northwestern part of the demonic beast forest, Lin Que looked down from above.
At night, the forest should have been shrouded in mist, filled with a tense and eerie atmosphere.
But this time, he had deliberately refrained from using the Wind-Evasion Technique.
As a result, the fierce winds generated by his high-speed flight swept across a large swath of the forest, forcefully dispersing the mist, startling birds and beasts into flight, and revealing the forest’s true face.
Such a bold entrance was, without a doubt, a provocation to the powerful beasts lurking within the forest.
Sure enough—
Three huge figures quickly surrounded Lin Que. All of them were in beast form, resembling lions and tigers from Lin Que’s previous life.
However, their fur was a deep purple, strange horns protruded from their heads, and their bodies were several times larger than any ordinary wild beast.
These were demonic beasts.
“Another… human.”
One of the lions with a purple mane spoke in a deep, guttural voice. Its eyes were filled with ferocity as it stared at Lin Que, exuding a faint but oppressive aura.
“Humans… troublesome. Kill one, more come. They hold grudges.”
Another demonic beast that looked like a tiger growled.
Their words seemed deliberately spoken for Lin Que to hear, as if they were stalling for time.
“Why have you come?”
The purple-maned ferocious lion, the first to speak, asked Lin Que.
“As you said, I’m here for revenge.”
Lin Que replied calmly, “You’re right, I do hold grudges. You hurt them, so now I’m here to take your lives.”
“For the sake of two females, you’re willing to die? Is it worth it?” the purple-maned lion asked.
It could sense that Lin Que’s cultivation was only at the peak of the Core Formation stage. Judging by that alone, this human was undoubtedly weak.
However—
None of the demonic beasts present dared to underestimate him. Their animal instincts told them that this human before them was an extremely dangerous being.
“If you don’t try, how can you be so sure I came here to die?” Lin Que sneered.
Throughout this seemingly pointless exchange, the demonic beasts never once took their eyes off Lin Que…they were studying him, and Lin Que was doing the same to them.
All three demonic beasts are at the early to mid Nascent Soul stage. The one at the peak stage, the one Wan Yuan mentioned, must be hiding.
Once he had gathered enough information, Lin Que didn’t waste another word.
Retracting the flying sword beneath his feet into his storage ring, he took out another sword.
This was a strangely designed sword. Its sheath and hilt were tightly bound with chains, giving no sign of being drawn, as if it was deliberately meant to be used as a blunt weapon.
The moment Lin Que gripped the sword, his entire demeanor shifted dramatically. He was no longer the gentle young man who had been with Qin Wanyuan but more like a ruthless sword immortal.
The battle was on the verge of erupting.
The purple-maned ferocious lion struck first. It opened its bloody maw, revealing a mouthful of savage fangs, and let out a roar toward Lin Que.
“Goaaaagh!”
The roar echoed instantly through the mountains and forests, and the previously restless forest below fell into sudden silence.
Its roar could disrupt a cultivator’s mind. Those with weaker mental strength could be thrown into disarray or even have their hearts ruptured by the shock.
The other two demonic beasts lunged at Lin Que as the lion roared, clearly intending to take him down in one coordinated strike.
But Lin Que stood motionless, not even a tremble in the hand that held the sword.
Just as the two demonic beasts lunged toward his position, Lin Que’s figure suddenly vanished from where he stood….and in the next instant, he reappeared right in front of the purple-maned ferocious lion.
His sword hand was raised high, and at the same time, the lion’s pupils contracted sharply. With a roar, it instinctively lifted its paw to strike first.
However—
That claw never landed.
Because Lin Que’s sheathed sword had already come crashing down on the lion’s skull.
A step ahead, despite acting later.
Bang!
A loud impact rang out followed by the sound of bones shattering. The purple-maned lion’s huge body plummeted, slamming into the forest below and leaving a large crater in the ground. Its fate was uncertain.
Lin Que casually flicked his sword, shaking off the blood clinging to the sheath. He didn’t spare the lion a glance. Instead, he turned his eyes to the remaining two demonic beasts and spoke calmly,
“Next.”
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