Chapter 500: Breakthrough in Battle

Cleaning up the corpses naturally wouldn't take much time, but Ling Yan and Wu Qian spent a full hour here before they finished cleaning up!

"Roughly estimating, there are at least over a thousand abnormal beast corpses here..... including two sixth-transformation abnormal beasts!" Ling Yan's face turned solemn.

Wu Qian also understood that, aside from the sixth-transformation abnormal beasts, the remaining abnormal beasts were basically fourth- and fifth-transformation abnormal beasts; even a Nascent Soul cultivator could handle one or two in single combat, but with so many abnormal beasts, no one knows how many people have gathered ahead.

"Could it be that the three teams that entered this place have all gathered?" Wu Qian asked.

"That's also possible; let's go over and take a look."

If the teams have indeed gathered, that's naturally a good thing; even if it triggers a greater abnormal mutation tide, more people mean greater strength, which is always better than facing it alone.

As they walked, the accumulated bones on the battlefield ahead grew more and more, and over a hundred abnormal beasts surrounded the battlefield's center.

Ling Yan and Wu Qian froze, instinctively feeling something was wrong.

"How could this be....."

Bang!

Boom—!

In an instant, the two saw a figure shouldering a large hammer; the hammer resembled the iron hammer used by ordinary folk to split mountains, square and sturdy, and as the hammer's shadow swung, blow after blow struck those abnormal beasts, smashing them into bloody pulp.

"Impossible!" Ling Yan's face changed drastically, her body trembling slightly.

One person?

How could it be just one person?

Wu Qian's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed delightedly, "It's Brother Xu!!"

Xu Long?

"Is it him?!" Ling Yan couldn't believe it, seeing Wu Qian go up to help, she hesitated a moment then followed up to assist in clearing the abnormal beasts.

Just then, a sixth-transformation abnormal beast charged toward Yan Buji at the battlefield's center; the blood-soaked Yan Buji seemed to undergo some kind of transformation at this moment!

Dong—

Accompanied by a resonant bell-like sound emanating from within him, a mighty aura instantly condensed upon the great hammer in his hand!

Bang!

The incoming sixth-transformation abnormal beast was shattered by Yan Buji's single strike!

One hammer settles the tone!

"Hiss.... hiss~hiss.... hiss~~~" Yan Buji leaned on the Hai Kun Hammer, regulating his breath rhythmically; although successive battles left him covered in wounds, his aura grew stronger amidst the brutal fighting.

Until this moment!

Clang clang—!

As Yan Buji's internal Martial Dao marks officially exceeded one thousand, accompanied by growth in magical power and divine sense, he had fully entered the Early Martial Immortal stage!

Ling Yan felt this immensely powerful aura from outside, and her heart couldn't help but be shocked.

Even Ye Zhi Long, whom she had encountered years ago, did not possess such a heart‑shaking aura!

"Brother Xu!" Wu Qian excitedly wanted to go meet him, but Ling Yan stopped him.

"Dao Friend Ling Yan, you?"

Ling Yan shook her head: "Dao Friend Xu has just experienced this great battle and broken through in the heat of combat; his breath is unsteady now, so we should first guard him and wait until he recovers before speaking."

Wu Qian slapped his forehead: "Indeed, I forgot about that."

Having said that, the two voluntarily began to guard Yan Buji.

Yan Buji, leaning on the Hai Kun Hammer, was exhausted in body and mind, yet remained conscious.

Originally, upon seeing Ling Yan arrive together with Wu Qian, he felt a bit wary, thinking she had seen through his disguise and intended to attack.

"I was overthinking it; it seems this little girl has grown quite a bit." Yan Buji exhaled, closed his eyes, and peacefully regulated his breath.

Half a day passed.

Yan Buji calmed the turbulent qi within, solidified his realm, then took some medicinal pills to heal his wounds, barely restoring his combat strength.

"Brother Wu, thank you, fairy." Yan Buji approached, smiling as he clasped his hands.

Wu Qian joyfully said: "Congratulations, Brother Xu, on your cultivation achievement! This is our team's Ling Yan Fairy, who has helped me greatly in the Abnormal Region, and there is also a Dao Friend named Xiao Ran who previously helped us hold the rear; she should catch up soon."

Xiao Ran, Ling Yan!

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, clasped his hands toward Ling Yan, and said: "Thank you, Fairy Ling."

"Dao Friend Xu, you're too polite." Ling Yan sized up Yan Buji; she naturally couldn't recognize the transformed Yan Buji, but deep down she always felt uneasy.

"This Xu Long is simply too strong—he single‑handedly resolved an abnormal mutation tide, even killed several sixth‑transformation abnormal beasts, and broke through in the heat of battle....."

And he's a martial cultivator!

Ling Yan frowned; as someone from the Nan Ting Mountain Region, and due to her family's past misfortune, she never had much fondness for martial practitioners. Now seeing such a formidable martial cultivator, it was impossible for her not to be wary.

Yan Buji wasn't worried about being discovered and then fighting these two, but after all, in the Abnormal Region, engaging in another big fight would plunge him back into the previous state, an endless cycle.

Even though Yan Buji's will is as tough as iron, he can barely endure the slaughter of the past three months.

After all, this is also Yan Buji's first time engaging in prolonged high‑intensity combat; his wounds keep increasing, he heals only to fight again and get hurt once more.

At present, he needn't make two more enemies for himself; even Ling Yan, who bears a grudge against him, he could temporarily let go.

Yan Buji covered his wound, narrowed his eyes.

However, if he were at peak condition and uninjured, he would not intend to let Ling Yan live.

Moreover, there's Xiao Ran, who cultivated from an ordinary mortal to Nascent Soul; he must certainly be a person of great fortune.

Although we don't know when Xiao Ran found them, if Yan Buji were to act now, he would likely not fare well.

Moreover, seeing how Wu Qian has benefited from their favor, once he acts he will surely be vacillating; the best scenario is mutual non‑interference. If Yan Buji suddenly attacks and loses righteousness, and Wu Qian joins forces with the three against him, wouldn't that leave him isolated and helpless?

If he could kill them, that would be fine; but if he failed to kill them and they escaped, what then?

Taking all the above into account, even if Yan Buji wanted to act, he would not choose this moment.

After all, the grudge between me and Ling Yan can basically be laid to rest; his father wasn't killed by me—clearly, his father contributed his strength to help others kill me, yet I didn't die, so the blame cannot be placed on my head.

However, Yan Buji didn't want to argue with Ling Yan that much, and what he cared about more was Xiao Ran.

"What a great nephew—what fortune does he have to have made it this far?" Yan Buji thought silently.

"I plan to head back now; maybe I'll run into Xiao Ran on the way. What do you two think?" Ling Yan asked.

Wu Qian looked at Yan Buji and said, "Brother Xu, these two fellow Daoists have helped me a lot before; can we go with her to find Dao Friend Xiao? More people, more strength. If we travel together, we can better ensure safety in this odd region."

Yan Buji thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "All right, since Brother Wu has said so, I, Xu, will go with Immortal Maiden Ling."

"All right."