58: Joining the group

Chira—!

The edge of the sword collided with the crystal-armored fur, letting out a piercing sound of friction!

Golden flames scorched the surface, and a thick smell of burning flesh filled the air!

The Blood Demon Mongoose roared in pain as a charred sword mark, deep enough to see bone, was slashed across its hard skull!

Golden flames burrowed frantically into the wound!

"Roar!" The intense pain completely triggered the Blood Demon Mongoose's ferocity!

Its eyes turned completely crimson, and a thick wave of blood-colored Qi erupted from its body like a physical substance!

Berserk! Its speed, strength, and Demonic Qi instantly rose to a terrifying level!

As its sharp claws swung, they left afterimages behind; the attacks were like a violent storm!

The pressure on Yao Delong increased instantly! He danced with the golden crow setting sun, forming a screen of light, pushing his Pure Yang Sword Intent to the limit!

Streaks of Sword Qi burning with golden flames crisscrossed and slashed, clashing frantically with the blood-colored claw shadows!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Yao Delong gave it his all, barely maintaining his ground by relying on the Pure Yang Sword Intent's suppression of demonic power and the support of the origin breaking pill.

However, terrifying claw marks also began to appear on his body.

Despite having Pure Yang spiritual power protecting his body, blood still stained his robes red!

The massive gap in cultivation made it difficult for his attacks to deal fatal damage to this berserk Vicious Beast!

The medicinal power of the origin breaking pill was constantly fading!

"This won't do! Facing a Yao Beast comparable to the Middle Golden Core Stage is still too much!"

Yao Delong calculated in his mind while several more deep wounds that revealed bone were added to his body, dripping with blood.

Seeing the Blood Demon Mongoose's massive blood-red claw descending with the power to tear through space, a trace of helplessness flashed through Yao Delong's eyes!

"panyan gold puppet! Go!"

Buzz—!

A golden light radiating a terrifying Aura suddenly shot out from Yao Delong's storage ring, instantly expanding in size!

At this moment, its dark golden body was covered with several hideous cracks, making its Aura slightly lower than its Peak.

That terrifying pressure, somewhere between Golden Core Perfection and the Early Nascent Soul Stage, was still enough to crush the Yao Beast before it!

Boom—!!!

With no fancy tricks, and carrying the absolute strength to crush mountains, it slammed heavily into the chest of the pouncing Blood Demon Mongoose!

Crack, crack!

The tooth-aching sound of bones shattering exploded!

"Awoo—!!"

The Blood Demon Mongoose's adult body, as massive as a small hill, was sent flying through the air by this single punch!

The Blood Demon Mongoose's body smashed through several giant ancient trees consecutively before finally rolling to a stop on the ground.

It let out a pained wail, struggling to crawl back up.

But the fatal injury to its chest caused its strength to drain rapidly, and fear appeared in its eyes!

The pressure on Yao Delong vanished instantly; he breathed heavily, covered in blood.

That life-and-death struggle with a Middle Golden Core Stage Vicious Beast just now, though fraught with danger, contained incredibly precious practical combat experience!

He immediately sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, sensing the insights carefully!

Between life and death, there is great terror, but also great Opportunity!

Meanwhile, the panyan gold puppet stood before the dying Blood Demon Mongoose once again like a ghost.

The Yao Beast struggled to tear at it with its claws, but the intense pain from its shattered sternum meant it had almost lost the ability to even lift a claw.

The dark golden giant hand picked up the hill-sized Blood Demon Mongoose as if it were a small kitten!

"Whimper..." The Blood Demon Mongoose let out a desperate whimper, its massive body twisting and struggling in mid-air to no avail.

Dark red blood foam constantly surged from its mouth and nose.

Snap!

The sound of bones snapping rang out.

The Blood Demon Mongoose's struggling stopped instantly, and the light in its fierce blood-colored eyes quickly dimmed.

Its massive head slumped powerlessly to the side, completely losing all signs of life.

Within Yao Delong's Qi points and Dantian, the scriptures of the Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture sounded like Brahman chants; every word was a gem, radiating the brilliance of the Great Dao.

Every frame of that life-and-death battle with the Rank Five Vicious Beast replayed in his Sea of Consciousness.

The tactile sensation of the golden crow setting sun slashing through the monster's armor, the subtle reaction of the Pure Yang True Fire burning through the demonic baleful power.

The Sword Intent and spiritual power circulation pushed to the limit when facing the berserk attacks... and the insight from that fleeting glimpse into a higher level of power when he forcibly stepped into the False Core Realm!

All of this was like the purest nourishment, frantically feeding his cultivation Foundation!

"Foundation Establishment Perfection... Break for me!"

Yao Delong let out a silent roar in his heart!

The golden sea of spiritual energy within his body suddenly surged with monstrous waves!

His originally vast spiritual power at the Late Stage Peak, under the catalysis of the remaining power of the origin breaking pill and his life-and-death insights.

Finally broke through that invisible shackle!

The golden spiritual sea expanded instantly, becoming even broader and deeper! Foundation Establishment Perfection!

However, just at the moment his Realm stabilized, a strong sense of weakness and a tearing pain in his Meridians suddenly hit him.

The overbearing medicinal power of the origin breaking pill receded like a tide, leaving behind emptiness and damage from the over-expansion of his Meridians.

His Aura also fluctuated violently, quickly dropping back down and finally falling to the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage.

Yao Delong quickly cleaned up the battlefield, erasing the traces of the Puppet's combat, and put away the two Blood Demon Mongoose corpses.

Only then did he swallow a healing Medicinal Pill, circulate his Qi to leap up, and speed toward the outskirts of the Foggy Miasma Forest.

At the edge of the miasma-filled dense forest, the atmosphere was heavy and anxious.

Liu Bai stood at the very front with a long sword in hand, watching the depths of the poisonous miasma warily, occasionally tilting his head to listen.

Luo Miaomiao stood guard by his side, her water spiritual power circulating secretly, ready to provide support at any moment.

Chen Lin and Li Mo sat cross-legged on the ground; they had taken Medicinal Pills, and although their faces were still pale, their Auras had finally stabilized a bit.

Liu Rumei was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing incessantly, her bright eyes fixed on the mist.

"Why hasn't he come out yet... It's been over an hour..." Her voice carried a hint of sobbing and undisguisable worry.

"Junior Sister, stay calm," Liu Bai said in a deep voice, but his tightly furrowed brows also betrayed his inner unease.

Facing a terrifying Yao Beast comparable to the Middle Golden Core Stage, Martial Uncle Yao's hope of survival... was truly slim.

Just then!

"Ah—!!!" Meng Lang, who had been slumped on the ground, suddenly let out a shrill, strange cry and sprang up!

"Dead! They're all dead! Monsters! There are monsters! The Sect! I'm going back to the Sect!!" He scrambled away on all fours, fleeing frantically toward the path they came from without looking back.

"Senior Brother Meng, he..." Luo Miaomiao looked at the direction Meng Lang disappeared in astonishment.

"He's gone mad," Liu Bai spat out coldly, withdrawing his gaze and ignoring him. "Useless! Coward!"

The already distant Meng Lang had already made his calculations; Yao Delong was certainly buried in that Yao Beast's belly.

He only needed to wait a few days and come back to find the left-behind Flying Swords.

Meng Lang felt none of the grief or indignation over his cousin's death; he began to fantasize about the scene where his strength would skyrocket after obtaining the five Flying Swords!

"Ahahaha! I'm a fucking genius!"

After another fifteen minutes, just as Liu Rumei was almost unable to stop herself from rushing back into the dense forest.

Rustle, rustle... a figure flashed in the mist!

A figure covered in blood with a somewhat weak Aura staggered out.

It was none other than Yao Delong!

"Martial Uncle!"

Liu Rumei's exclamation was filled with wild joy; ignoring the social distance between men and women, she grabbed Yao Delong's arm to support him.

Tears instantly burst from her eyes: "You... you're okay! That's great! That's great!"

Her voice was choked with emotion.

Luo Miaomiao also let out a long sigh of relief, her face showing sincere relief.

Liu Bai's tense nerves finally relaxed: He actually came out alive! How on earth did he do it?

"It's nothing, just some superficial wounds, no big deal."

Yao Delong waved his hand and explained to everyone in a steady tone:

"That beast was too fierce; I couldn't match its strength and had to fight while retreating.

Fortunately, this Foggy Miasma Forest is full of vines and has complex terrain. I found a dangerous spot entangled with giant vines to hide.

The Yao Beast's body was too large to pursue me; it lingered and roared for a while before retreating dejectedly."

This explanation was reasonable. Although everyone felt it was incredibly dangerous, this seemed to be the only way to explain how Martial Uncle Yao could survive.

Yao Delong looked at the missing Meng Lang. "Where is Meng Lang? Why isn't he with you?"

"Senior Brother Meng seemed to have been traumatized and has already returned to the Sect first," Luo Miaomiao explained softly.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle Yao, for saving our lives!"

Chen Lin and Li Mo forced themselves to stand up and bowed deeply to Yao Delong, their voices incredibly sincere.

If Martial Uncle Yao hadn't risked his life to stay behind, all of them would have ended up in the beast's stomach!

Liu Bai and Luo Miaomiao also solemnly cupped their fists in salute: "Thank you for your help, Martial Uncle!"

"Fellow disciples helping each other is only natural," Yao Delong said calmly.

"Let's go, quickly head to Pill Cloud Peak to turn in the mission. This place isn't safe to stay in for long."

At Pill Cloud Peak, in a quiet Immortal Cave room filled with a thick medicinal fragrance.

A lean middle-aged man with sharp eyes, dressed in crimson alchemist robes, sat behind a jade desk with his brows tightly furrowed.

He radiated a thick Aura of Pill Fire; he was clearly a Great Master who had been immersed in the Dao of Alchemy for many years.

When he saw Chen Lin and Li Mo being supported as they walked in, looking wretched but still alive, a flash of excitement and relief crossed Wu Yan's eyes.