293: Chapter 300 The Ruins of the Xiao Family

The journey to the ruins of the Qianchuan Sect was far more treacherous than imagined. As soon as the team stepped onto the edge of the Misty Mountains, the Spiritual Qi in the surroundings began to grow restless, and the dense fog churned like a living thing, obscuring their vision.

"Family Head, the fog ahead is too heavy and the Demonic Qi is thick. I'm afraid..." The Xiao Family deacon responsible for scouting returned to report with a grave expression; the compass needle in his hand was spinning wildly, having malfunctioned.

Xiao Yuandao's brow furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to order a cautious advance, the ground suddenly began to tremble violently without warning, and even the mountain rocks beneath their feet shook.

"Roar—!"

The earth-shattering roar of a beast tore through the thick fog, followed by countless cluttered and heavy footsteps that approached from the distance like muffled thunder. Deep within the dense forest ahead, countless pairs of crimson beast pupils lit up in the fog, accompanied by the crisp sound of breaking trees, as a vast group of Yao Beasts galloped toward them like a bursting flood.

"It's Iron-backed Azure Wolves! There are hundreds of them!" a sharp-eyed disciple cried out in terror.

This group of Yao Beasts was known as "Iron-backed Azure Wolves." An adult individual was comparable to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and they were naturally ferocious with thick hides and tough flesh, usually acting in packs. At this moment, they seemed to have been extremely frightened by something, completely losing their reason as they charged recklessly with red eyes, destroying all vegetation in their path and smashing any boulders that blocked them to pieces.

"Not good! It's a beast tide! Protect the Family disciples!"

Xiao Yuandao's expression changed drastically as he shouted sternly. Several Elders in the team reacted quickly, summoning their Magic Treasures one after another in an attempt to intercept this violent torrent. However, under the hasty response, the formation was instantly thrown into chaos.

"Quickly form a battle array! Defend!"

Several young disciples responsible for logistics were turned pale with fright by this sudden turn of events. In their panic, they actually became separated from the main force and were right in the path of the beast pack. Those few Iron-backed Azure Wolves charging at the very front had their fangs bared and saliva flying, barely ten zhang away from them.

"Come back quickly!" the Second Elder exclaimed, but he was entangled by several high-level Yao Beasts and was unable to pull away, forced to watch helplessly as those few disciples fell into a desperate situation.

Just as those largest Iron-backed Azure Wolves were about to reach the young disciples, a green-robed figure appeared before them like a ghost, instantly blocking their path.

It was Lu Yang.

His expression was calm, and he didn't even draw his sword; he simply raised his right hand slowly, palm facing outward.

"Lu Yang! Be careful!" those young disciples screamed. Although they knew Lu Yang's strength had greatly increased after returning from seclusion, this was a charge from dozens of Foundation Establishment Stage Yao Beasts; how could he block it with just his Physical Body?

Lu Yang ignored the cries behind him. His gaze narrowed slightly as the Spiritual Qi within his body, which had been refined a hundredfold, was mobilized without reservation for the first time in actual combat.

There was no dazzling light, no earth-shattering momentum, and not even a breath of wind was stirred.

He simply gave a light push forward with his palm.

"Buzz—"

The air seemed to be sucked dry instantly, emitting a strange, trembling hum. A visible pale golden ripple swept out in a fan shape, centered on his palm.

That was no ordinary Spiritual Qi impact, but a torrent of Spiritual Qi that was truly condensed to the extreme, nearly solid!

The three Iron-backed Azure Wolves charging at the very front, whose claws were sharp enough to tear through metal and stone, had just touched that golden ripple when they felt as if they had crashed into a ten-thousand-fathom divine mountain falling from the sky.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

There were no screams, only the sound of dull, tooth-aching impacts. The bodies of those few azure wolves, despite their thick hides and astonishing defensive power, actually twisted and deformed strangely the moment they made contact, the sound of shattering bones clearly audible. Their massive bodies flew backward like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily into the beast pack behind them and knocking over a large area, forcefully creating a vacuum within the beast tide.

Immediately after, that golden Spiritual Qi ripple did not dissipate but continued to push forward.

Any low-level Yao Beasts along the way caught in the ripple either had their ribs shattered and fell heavily to the ground, or were killed outright with their skulls bursting. That power was overbearing and heavy, as if it were not Spiritual Qi but a substantial thousand-jun hammer, carrying an Aura that crushed everything.

The entire field fell into a dead silence.

The beast pack that had been charging violently was forced to a halt by this single palm strike. The young disciples who had been protected gaped, their minds blank as they looked at the corpses of the Yao Beasts lying in disarray before them.

This... was this caused by a single palm strike from Senior Brother Lu Yang?

Although they had heard that Lu Yang's Spiritual Qi density was a hundred times that of an ordinary person, it was only upon seeing it with their own eyes that they truly understood what that meant. A normal release of Spiritual Qi might be able to injure a Yao Beast, but Lu Yang's Spiritual Qi already possessed a certain "qualitative" crushing force—an absolute suppression of lower energy forms.

Even Xiao Yuandao and the several Elders who were in the middle of a fierce battle couldn't help but glance over, their eyes filled with shock.

"Spiritual Qi materialization... this is practically the prototype of Spiritual Qi materialization!" the Second Elder cried out in shock, his voice trembling. "Only by refining Spiritual Qi to the extreme can one prevent the energy from dispersing and make it as solid as substance! Lu Yang... he actually did it!"

Xiao Yuandao's heart was even more turbulent. He knew well what this meant—it meant that every one of Lu Yang's attacks was equivalent to several or even over a dozen times the power of a Cultivator at the same level. Within the same Realm, this was almost a synonym for invincibility.

Lu Yang slowly withdrew his palm, his expression still indifferent as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust. Only the slight tremor in his fingertips revealed the immense load this strike had placed on his body.

"It's fine now." He turned around and nodded to the disciples who were still in a daze. "Stay close to the team and don't run around."

After saying that, his gaze passed over the fallen Yao Beasts and looked toward the deeper fog.

Although that group of Yao Beasts was intimidated, they did not retreat; instead, they became even more frenzied due to the deaths of their companions. And behind that beast pack, an Aura stronger and more tyrannical than all the previous Yao Beasts was slowly rising, dispersing the surrounding fog.

"Roar—!!"

A completely different roar rang out, the sound waves rolling and making everyone's eardrums ache; those with lower cultivation felt dizzy and unable to stand steadily. The fog was forcibly torn open by a powerful force, and a giant silver wolf, a size larger than the ordinary Iron-backed Azure Wolves, slowly stepped out from the shadows.

This silver wolf's fur stood on end like silver needles, its eyes were a strange purple-gold, and it had a pair of tattered fleshy wings on its back. It was surrounded by a faint blood-red baleful Qi, and with every step it took, it left charred footprints on the ground.

"Iron-backed Azure Wolf King... Golden Core Stage Peak!" Xiao Yuandao said solemnly with a stern shout. "Everyone, stay on guard! How could this beast appear here? It's even close to shapeshifting!"

A Golden Core Stage Peak Yao Beast was equivalent to a human Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator. Furthermore, Yao Beasts naturally had strong Physical Bodies and were often superior among those of the same level, not to mention that this wolf king had clearly led the pack for many years and was rich in combat experience.

The silver wolf king was in no hurry to attack. Its purple-gold eyes stared fixedly at Lu Yang, its nostrils twitching as if it smelled something it both extremely loathed and extremely craved—the scent of the pure Spiritual Qi within Lu Yang's body. It let out a low roar, its front claws scratching the ground and creating sparks, assuming an attacking stance.

Clearly, Lu Yang's strike earlier had already caught the attention of this beast king, who even felt threatened.

"Leave it to me." Lu Yang took a step forward, blocking the way in front of Xiao Yuandao. There was no trace of fear in his eyes; instead, a hot Battle Intent was ignited.

"Lu Yang, do not be careless, this beast..."

"Don't worry, Family Head," Lu Yang interrupted Xiao Yuandao's words, his voice steady. "It just so happens that I also want to see where my current limit actually lies."

He slowly drew the long sword at his waist.

It was no divine Sharp Weapon, just an ordinary Magical Artifact long sword. But when Lu Yang poured that Spiritual Qi, condensed like substance, into it, the long sword actually emitted a cheerful hum. A layer of golden halo, as heavy as liquid silver, appeared on the blade, and where the sword pointed, the air was sliced with fine cracks.

The silver wolf king seemed to be enraged by Lu Yang's provocation. It let out a roar, its body turning into a streak of silver lightning as it pounced with a foul wind. The speed was so fast that the few Foundation Establishment Stage disciples present could not see its afterimage at all.

"Watch out!" everyone exclaimed.

Lu Yang remained motionless, his eyes slightly narrowed, capturing the opponent's trajectory. It was only at the moment the massive wolf claw was about to crush the top of his head that he moved.

He did not dodge, but chose the most direct and violent head-on clash.

The long sword in his hand traced a seemingly simple arc that contained the force of a thousand jun, thrusting straight out to meet the silver wolf claw.

"Boom!"

Sword and claw collided, producing a loud bang like the clashing of metal, with sparks flying everywhere.

A visible shockwave spread out from the two of them as the center, instantly blowing away the gravel and dust on the ground to reveal the hard rock surface beneath.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw Lu Yang's feet sunk half a foot into the ground, the pant legs at his calves shattered by the shock to reveal his tight-muscled calves. The long sword in his hand was as steady as a rock, the golden halo on the blade flowing, as he forcefully withstood the full-strength strike of that Golden Core Stage wolf king!

As for that silver wolf king, its massive body was also shaken back several meters by this immense force. On its proud claws, dark red blood was now faintly seeping out, dripping onto the ground and making a "sizzling" sound.

"Hiss—"

The sound of people gasping in cold air rose and fell.

With a Foundation Establishment body, he had head-on clashed with a Golden Core Yao Beast without being disadvantaged, and even managed to injure the opponent?

This could no longer be described as being a "Genius"; this was simply a monster!

Lu Yang felt waves of numbness in his arm, but his mind was clear. He could feel that although his Spiritual Qi was overbearing, the gap in Realms was still there after all; his total amount of Spiritual Qi was inferior to the opponent's, and a battle of attrition would be disadvantageous for him.

He had to end this quickly.

He took a deep breath, the golden light in his eyes surging as the Spiritual Qi in his body rushed frantically toward the sword's edge.

"It's over."

Lu Yang gave a low shout, and the long sword in his hand suddenly erupted with a piercing golden light. The light was so intense that it actually tore a hole in the fog. He circulated the Spiritual Qi in his body to the extreme, and his entire being seemed to transform into an unsheathed peerless divine weapon. A sharp Aura rose into the sky, causing even the silver wolf king to let out an uneasy low growl.

The silver wolf king seemed to sense danger and instinctively wanted to retreat, but Lu Yang was faster.

With a flash of a green-robed figure, Lu Yang had already closed in. The long sword, carrying an immense force that could split mountains and crack stones, poured down like a violent storm, every strike precisely hacking at the same wound on the wolf king.

"Star-Shattering Sword!"

This sword strike was the eruption of all his condensed Spiritual Qi after being compressed to the extreme, and it was also the strongest strike he had comprehended during his three years of seclusion.

The sword light was like a meteorite falling to the ground, heavily bombarding the wolf king's head.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the wolf king's proud skull was actually smashed open. Its massive body twitched violently, the purple-gold light in its eyes quickly dimmed, and it finally crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as the earth trembled.

The entire field fell into a dead silence once more.

The Golden Core Stage Peak wolf king had been defeated.

Defeated at the hands of a Foundation Establishment Stage human.

The pack of Iron-backed Azure Wolves that had been roaring earlier now showed fear in their eyes. They let out a few mournful cries and then turned to flee in all directions, disappearing into the depths of the fog in the blink of an eye, leaving only a mess all over the ground.

The crisis was resolved.

Xiao Yuandao looked at Lu Yang standing beside the wolf king's corpse, his heart unable to settle for a long time. The strength this young man had displayed had completely exceeded his expectations and was even enough to become the Family's trump card.

"Lu Yang," Xiao Yuandao stepped forward, his tone complex. "You... your strength..."

Lu Yang sheathed his sword, his face slightly pale and fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Clearly, that strike just now had also consumed most of his Spiritual Qi. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled slightly: "Family Head, fortunately, I did not fail my mission. It seems that for this trip to the Qianchuan Sect ruins, my strength should be sufficient."

He looked at the mountain road ahead, which was still shrouded in heavy fog, and his gaze became profound.

The appearance of that wolf king just now was by no means accidental; it seemed to have been driven out from the depths by something. What exactly was hidden deep within these Misty Mountains?

"Let's go, Family Head," Lu Yang said in a low voice. "The real trouble is likely still ahead."

Xiao Yuandao nodded, a flash of determination in his eyes. "The whole team stay on alert, clear the battlefield, and continue forward. Lu Yang, if you cannot hold on, then rest in the rear."

"It's no matter." Lu Yang shook his head and gripped his sword tightly, his gaze scanning the surroundings. "Such an opportunity for actual combat is rare. Moreover, I always feel that there is something in this fog watching us."

The team set off again, but this time, everyone's gaze would from time to time glance at the young man in green walking at the very front. If they had still been skeptical of Lu Yang's strength before, now only awe and conviction remained.

Behind them, beside the corpse of the silver wolf king, several drops of dark red blood seeped into the soil. Strangely, they did not emit a foul stench but instead faintly gave off a peculiar fragrance, causing the distant chirping of insects to vanish instantly.

Lu Yang seemed to have sensed something. He paused slightly and glanced back. But he said nothing, only his brow furrowed slightly as the sense of unease in his heart grew even stronger. That calling voice seemed to be coming from the depths of this fog.