Chapter 29: Beast Tide

Another world.

Underground camp.

After finishing matters on Chick Eagle Star, Fang Xing immediately returned here.

Feeling the air slightly fresher and the environment more suitable for martial training, a look of excitement appeared on his face: “Before school starts, I’m not leaving—just grind!”

This trip to the black market left him with many reflections and a deeper awareness of his own weakness.

Weakness isn’t terrifying—just catch up with effort.

“Huh?”

Arriving at the surveillance room and reviewing the system logs, Fang Xing’s expression suddenly changed: “How could this happen? So many more beast monsters?”

In the past few days’ surveillance, the number of beast monster activities around the camp had surged dramatically!

Even the disguised grass on the ground looked as if it had been plowed over—chaotic, littered with dirt pits everywhere.

“Huh? Several simulated bird drones are damaged too…”

Fang Xing quickly deployed new drones and immediately witnessed shocking scenes.

Across the vast land, beast monsters were running, playing, and fighting…

The territory once ruled by the wild boar beast had changed hands—it now belonged to a swarm of crimson ants, each the size of a fist.

And that ferocious wild boar beast, which had crushed numerous martial artists, had become a bleached skeleton, standing silently somewhere, as if whispering pain and resentment…

“I’d heard rumors in the marketplace about increased beast monster activity… but this is way too extreme!”

“I really know too little about this world…”

Fang Xing sighed silently.

Though the outside had become extremely dangerous, he had no choice but to go to the marketplace.

For one thing, his soul rice, pills, and talismans were all used up—he had to restock!

‘Finding a relatively safe route using drones shouldn’t be too hard…’

‘But right now, I need to check the marketplace’s condition first… If Qinglin Marketplace has been overrun, it’s worthless… Wait, no—it’d be even more worth going to scavenge!’

Fang Xing’s expression turned grave: “Here, I’ve got my nanotech suit and electric baton—I can enhance my power with talismans… but it’s still not safe enough. Maybe…”

He thought again of the item he’d long desired—the Swift Dragon-class laser rifle!

Of course, the black market version was unaffordable, but the official store’s version was still an option.

Two hundred thousand credits was a lot, but if he made a few more trips to the black market, he could earn it.

More importantly…

“Even if it can’t target humans, it can kill beast monsters!”

“Too bad the ‘no targeting humans’ program is built-in—even without network access it still runs… otherwise it’d be perfect…”

Fang Xing realized another advantage of his interdimensional travel: it let him bypass certain restrictions.

For example, his basic nanotech suit—he’d understood after seeing the no-backdoor version in the black market that it was right not to bring modern products back.

Of course, if the tech in his hands could transmit data across worlds back to Blue Star Federation, that would mean the Federation already mastered interdimensional travel—and Fang Xing would just have to accept defeat.

‘Federation weapons available through official channels mostly can’t target humans… but I can take them to this world. If they lack built-in restrictions, I can bypass them—even if they alarm, they can’t report it…’

‘And talismans and artifacts from this world? Taking them to Chick Eagle Star to kill people would work perfectly—crucially, they’d leave zero traces…’

Any weapon has a source, but to Chick Eagle Star, talismans and artifacts simply “appeared out of nowhere,” severing nearly all investigative trails.

‘Though it might tie me to a demon god… After all, those who wield the authority of imaginary space should be able to deploy some supplies… But cultists? Aren’t they just convenient scapegoats?’

Blaming them was perfectly justified in Fang Xing’s eyes.

…

Plop!

Plop!

In the forest, several small birds flew past, their eyes vacant but their movements agile.

Moments later, a figure emerged, stealthily advancing—Fang Xing!

“This is troublesome…”

Fang Xing was in his true form—wearing a topknot, dressed in ancient garb, with a large bamboo basket on his back filled with herbs.

After all, his soul rice had been heavily consumed—he needed to restock at the marketplace.

For this trip, he deployed numerous drones to find a safe route, taking many detours—it was a real hassle.

But remembering the beast monster he’d seen earlier, Fang Xing felt the detour had its merits.

“That beast… stood six or seven meters tall—its claws were bigger than my entire body… Either it was late-stage Qi Condensation, or on par with Foundation Establishment… Better to take the long way.”

He muttered to himself.

In Qinglin Marketplace, Fang Xing had heard the general classification of beast monsters—those comparable to Qi Condensation cultivators were Class One beast monsters.

Those matching Foundation Establishment cultivators were Class Two beast monsters!

“Now even Class Two beast monsters might be appearing…”

“If I hadn’t seen the marketplace protected by defensive arrays, standing firm as a mountain, I wouldn’t go…”

Fang Xing grumbled, then suddenly frowned: “Something’s wrong?”

Through a scout hummingbird drone ahead, he saw a scene.

A group of cultivators and martial artists were attacking a strange beast monster.

The beast was over three meters long, resembling a red-furred tiger, its fur dazzling with intricate patterns, glowing faintly.

Even wind blades and fireballs cast via talismans bounced off it, leaving little damage.

“Are they hunting this beast? Their coordination is quite refined…”

Fang Xing studied closely: five people total, men and women. The leader was an old man in black robes, occasionally using talismans, muttering incantations—he was clearly a cultivator.

The others moved with astonishing agility, wielding various weapons, each motion radiating overwhelming force—they were martial artists.

At last, the old man finished his incantation, gestured, and a pale green wind blade appeared in his right palm.

A sharp aura spread instantly, making the beast tiger wary.

“Great! Brother’s wind blade technique is even more refined.”

One of the four martial artists—a seductive woman—praised immediately.

“Go!”

The old man pointed, and the green wind blade shot forward, absorbing faint green spiritual light mid-air, instantly growing over a meter long, moving with incredible speed!

“Roar!”

The beast tiger roared, trying to dodge—but a massive iron hammer-wielding man, towering like a fortress, slammed it back with a single blow, forcing it to take the blade head-on.

Hssst!

The spiritual glow on the beast tiger’s fur, already dimmed from prior attacks, now shattered completely.

The wind blade sliced through its hide, tearing flesh, leaving a deep gash on its right shoulder.

Had the beast not dodged slightly mid-air, the wound would have been across its neck.

“Excellent!”

The martial artists cheered, but the old man calmly stepped back several paces, sticking a golden-glow talisman to his body, warning: “Watch out—it might counterattack…”

A wounded beast is most dangerous!

This applied equally to beast monsters.

The tiger, drenched in blood, suddenly roared, opening its massive jaws.

Crimson light gathered, coalescing into a huge fireball that exploded outward!

“No! Dodge!”

The five scattered, covered in dust—then saw the beast tiger flee without hesitation through the gap left by the explosion!

“Damn it! Chase it!”

The old man burned a spiritual talisman, turning it into a gentle wind that enhanced his legs—the “Wind Riding Talisman!”

The group rushed after it—they’d spent long hours scouting and had finally found a lone, weakened beast monster.

They’d invested so much in this hunt—if the tiger escaped, every one of them would be furious enough to spit blood!

But in the next instant!

“Roar!”

A pained roar came from ahead.

“Stop!”

The old man raised his right hand, halting his four sworn siblings, then advanced slowly.

Beyond a thicket, they saw the beast tiger lying on the ground, lifeless—or unconscious—next to a silver-robed youth.

“Are you here to hunt this beast?”

Fang Xing, clad in silver, holding his baton, smiled slightly and asked.

Since seeing these five, he’d decided to approach them and gather news about the marketplace.

After all, drone footage could only confirm the marketplace hadn’t been overrun—but what changes had occurred? Only someone inside could tell.

Fang Xing needed to ask thoroughly, confirm the marketplace was safe, before entering to spend.

Otherwise… well, Federation nutrient paste might not be great, but it’d do in a pinch.

Combined with this world’s environment, his martial progress wouldn’t slow much either…

“Exactly!”

The five exchanged glances, then the black-robed old man stepped forward: “I am Chen Yi. These are my four sworn siblings: Hua Feiyue, Chen Hongtian, Meng Yi, and Shen Yuxin, the couple… Thanks to the kindness of marketplace companions, we’ve earned the nickname ‘Five Righteous of Cangshan.’”

This is somewhat self-deprecating; after all, without two or three tricks up one’s sleeve, one wouldn’t dare hunt beast-beings in the marketplace at this time.

To the three major factions of the marketplace, the Five Righteous of Cangshan were still ants, but among lower-tier cultivators, they were by no means unknown.

“So it’s the Five Righteous of Cangshan before me—this one, Fang Xing, offers his greetings…”

Fang Xing smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over each of the Five Righteous of Cangshan, then bowed.

This time, he intended to rent a house in the marketplace under a new identity, establishing another safe haven for his three burrows, so he used his true face.

After prolonged exposure, any disguise could eventually be seen through; better to use his true appearance.

His true face had a clean record—no troubles to be found—and could be used to build up his operations in peace.

Now, looking again at the Five Righteous of Cangshan, he fell into thought.

Chen Yi was a Qi Condensation cultivator with numerous talismans; his strength was likely the strongest among the five.

Hua Feiyue wore a peach-red dress, her eyes sultry as silk, around thirty years old, truly like a ripe peach.

Chen Hongtian was the black-clad iron-tower giant wielding a hammer, his face chiseled as if carved by axe and chisel, his aura sharp and formidable.

Meng Yi wore a blue Confucian robe, his demeanor refined and elegant; beside him, Shen Yu carried the delicate charm of a modest maiden, their demeanor intimate.