Chapter 368: Disciple of the Immortals

"Save them!"

Nie Siming let out a soft cry and darted to one side.

Yuan Xiong did the same.

The beast tide meant nothing to them, but to ordinary soldiers, it was a disaster.

Casualties in training were inevitable, but if too many died, punishment was unavoidable.

Their duty in entering the mountains was precisely this.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

He gazed at the beast tide surging closer, its demonic aura rising like a storm.

"Something's off."

He was the one who had opened the Western Heavenly Gate; in sensing beasts, he was no weaker than an ordinary Beast Tamer.

This beast tide was clearly being deliberately driven.

No need to guess—it was surely the Purple Gold Palace's doing.

Annan Town wanted to intimidate the Purple Gold Palace; the palace naturally couldn't stand being bullied at its doorstep—it must have a countermeasure.

This beast tide is surely the Purple Gold Palace's retaliation.

At that moment.

A deep, resonant drumbeat echoed through the skies of Ten Thousand Mountains.

It was the signal to return to camp.

No matter how fierce the beast tide, once ten thousand soldiers assembled, it would no longer be a major problem.

Nie Siming and Yuan Xiong were rescuing those soldiers who happened to be trapped by beasts and unable to break free.

Li Rui murmured softly.

In an instant, he appeared beside Lu Jun, who was locked in combat with a Crimson Flame Wolf.

Lu Jun's face was grim.

He had sensed the earlier disturbance; with his vast experience, he understood instantly—it was a precursor to the beast tide.

But the Crimson Flame Wolf before him was far stronger than him; killing it quickly was nearly impossible.

Yet if he retreated, he would surely face pursuit from the wolf.

Many more would die then.

Just as he prepared to force a final burst of energy, risking grave injury to slay the Crimson Flame Wolf, he saw Li Rui suddenly appear before him.

Boom!

Two large hands reached forward.

The moment his palms touched the Crimson Flame Wolf's skull, the beast—once brimming with ferocity—was crushed into pulp.

Too easy.

A stark contrast to the earlier scene where dozens of them had struggled desperately.

"L-Li General?"

Lu Jun glanced at the Crimson Flame Wolf's lifeless corpse, then looked up at Li Rui in shock.

Instantly.

He realized Li Rui had clearly been secretly protecting them.

He was about to thank him, but Li Rui, the Prefect, cut him off: "Lu Da Ren, the situation is urgent—take your men down the mountain first."

Shuowan 。

Li Rui vanished again into the forest.

Came and went in a flash.

Lu Jun took a deep breath; he understood the gravity of the situation and turned to his soldiers:

"Take the wounded—go!"

"Kill this evil tiger quickly!"

Guan Xinrong roared.

"Guan, you talk easy—why don't you go do it yourself?"

On the other side, a Garrison Commander from another guard battalion cursed.

But before he finished speaking, a gust of wind struck him; he barely took half a step back, intending to join Guan Xinrong, when he was forced back again.

He had no fight left against this beast.

"Damn!"

The commander spat a bloody wad of saliva onto the ground.

His gaze flickered to the beast horde surrounding them, and his heart sank.

"Aaah!"

A scream of agony.

One soldier's chest was pierced by a claw; his bloody heart still pulsed between the talons.

Guan Xinrong saw this, his face turning grim.

If this continued, more beasts would close in—they'd all be buried in Ten Thousand Mountains.

He had led his troops on a forced march, pushing deepest into the mountains.

He never imagined he'd encounter a beast tide, and had no choice but to retreat.

But he was still a step too slow.

On the way, he met this other Garrison Commander—but even together, they were no match for the countless beasts.

"So this is really where we'll die?"

As Guan Xinrong hesitated—whether to abandon the wounded and force a breakout with his elite—

Suddenly, chaos erupted within the beast horde.

To the right, the beasts that had been howling ferociously scattered, revealing the figure of an ancient, ethereal elder.

The elder held a long blade.

Every beast that drew near was sliced into bloody pulp by the blade's light.

Seeing the elder appear, Guan Xinrong's face lit up with relief.

"It's General Li!"

Not just him—all soldiers of Anning Guard saw him as a savior; their morale, moments ago crushed, surged instantly.

Most soldiers from the other guard battalion also knew Li Rui's identity.

"We're saved!"

Who in Qinghe County didn't know General Li's power?

Li Rui glanced at Guan Xinrong, then at the other Garrison Commander.

"You retreat—I'll hold them off."

An invisible aura of authority Zhenshe ed the beasts fighting Guan Xinrong and the other commander; they all halted, wary, staring at Li Rui.

With no beasts attacking,

Guan Xinrong and the other commander finally had a chance to break away.

In barely three breaths,

Over fifty soldiers clustered together.

They looked up in awe at Li Rui, standing ahead like an unyielding shield against the beast flood.

"Fall back!" Li Rui growled.

Guan Xinrong and the other commander exchanged a glance, then gritted their teeth: "Thank you, General Li, for saving us."

Then they led their men toward the descent path, cutting through the beasts.

They knew staying here helped Li Rui little.

For a warrior of Li Rui's caliber, being alone made him far more effective.

These beasts, though numerous, posed no real threat to him—staying would only be a burden.

Li Rui glanced at the group vanishing into the forest.

He had already cleared that path.

Guan Xinrong and the others would have no trouble breaking out.

All he needed was to drive back the beasts before him, then withdraw and follow them, escorting them down the mountain.

!

Li Rui faced the circling beasts, his expression unchanged.

The next instant,

The beasts surrounding him all showed fear on their faces.

A trembling deep in their souls.

Correct.

Li Rui had released a trace of True Dragon Qi; these beasts were crushed by its pressure, their will to fight gone.

The nearest beast—a bear-like creature two zhang tall—could no longer bear the crushing pressure.

Its front paws slammed to the ground, then it fled without looking back.

With the great bear leading, the other beasts scattered instantly.

Only a moment passed.

The mountains and woods were left with only Li Rui alone.

"This true dragon aura is quite effective."

Li Rui smiled slightly.

Even if I could cut one down with each strike, wouldn't I still need to swing for a long while? How could that compare to now, where I don't need a single technique or motion?

This is also why I chose to stay.

Just as Li Rui was about to turn and leave—

A sharp whistling sound pierced the air.

A ball of blazing fire shot out from deep within the forest, brushing past Li Rui.

Li Rui dodged the sudden flame.

He squinted toward the direction the fire had come from.

There he saw a young man slowly walking forward, but what drew the eye most was the burning fire in his hand.

Fire control!

Actually, this wasn't unusual.

After all, many Qi Refining martial artists with Fire-form true qi can do the same—like Tie Kuang.

But Li Rui's expression changed.

Because he sensed an extremely familiar aura emanating from this young man.

Flame Body!!

The reason this stranger could control fire was because he had cultivated the Five Spirits Body Refining Scripture.

Li Rui's pupils contracted slightly, revealing a look of caution.

The man smiled faintly and spoke calmly: "You're Li Rui?"

Li Rui: "No."

Upon hearing the answer,

the man laughed bitterly: "Do you think this petty trick can fool me?"

"I've already seen your portrait."

"The Palace Master has mentioned you many times. If I bring you before her, she'll be very pleased."

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly, his brow tightening further.

The Palace Master the man spoke of was naturally the mysterious Purple Gold Palace Master—possibly the Exiled Immortal the Secret Guards had been hunting.

And given that this man had cultivated the Five Spirits Body Refining Scripture, the likelihood was high.

Qi Tong's smile vanished instantly.

"Enough. It's over. Surrender!"

Before his words had fully ended—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three fireballs shot toward Li Rui's vital points.

Li Rui stepped lightly.

His body skidded along the ground at an unnatural angle, evading all three fireballs, closing the distance to the man rapidly.

Qi Tong, surprised that his Flame Body had failed, frowned.

He snorted coldly.

Flames erupted around him, turning him into a living fire elemental; the intense heat turned the green grass to ash, making him look like a god of fire descending from heaven.

'I have the Palace Master's divine artifact enhancing my Flame Body—how can you possibly match me?'

Qi Tong felt certain of victory, already imagining capturing Li Rui and presenting him to Si Feng for reward.

At that moment,

Li Rui had already reached Qi Tong's front, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

In his hand, his blade had changed from an ordinary spirit weapon to the immortal blade Zhan Jiao.

Qi Tong felt the chilling murderous aura radiating from Zhan Jiao, his face darkening.

'An immortal weapon?'

He hadn't expected Li Rui, a mere Primordial Qi martial artist, to possess an immortal weapon.

"I admit, I underestimated you."

"But do you really think a mere external artifact can erase the gap between us?"

But the moment Qi Tong finished speaking, his pupils dilated in shock.

Because Li Rui's speed had surged again—in an instant, the blade's edge was already above his head.

This strike was far stronger than he had anticipated!

Qi Tong broke into a cold sweat.

"Open!"

Li Rui roared.

Just before the immortal blade struck his head, the jade scepter in Qi Tong's hand blazed with golden light, transforming into a massive golden bell that instantly engulfed him.

Almost at the same moment the golden light enveloped him, the immortal blade struck the golden bell.

Dong!

The sound shook heaven and earth!

(End of Chapter)