Meng Lin sat cross-legged, back in her small formation created by Wu Dao. She had entertained the thought of reporting her findings to him, but considering the situation, she wondered if it would do more harm than good.
Although Wu Dao had made it seem logical when he was explaining his thoughts on what might have happened to Luo Mei, Meng Lin still felt he had mixed some emotions into it.
Regardless of the relationship—or lack thereof—Meng Lin figured it wouldn’t bode well to bring news of a close disciple’s death to someone undergoing a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm.
Now that she thought about it, Wu Dao’s decision seemed rushed, almost reckless for someone of his experience. A breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm was no small matter—it required absolute focus and stability of mind.
Yet, despite the looming threat of Zhao Lu and the Scarlet Demon Sect, Wu Dao had chosen this moment to advance.
But why?
She checked her system panel once more.
[Experience: 7% → 8%]
Her slow but steady progress reassured her. She wasn’t at her peak strength yet, but her injuries had mostly healed thanks to the Rank 3 Pills. If Zhao Lu truly came, she wouldn’t be caught off guard.
However, she frowned, her fingers unconsciously tapping against her knee, thinking back to Wu Dao. Was it truly impatience? Or was there something else pushing him to break through now? Did he have an item that could help?
Her instincts whispered that something was amiss. Even if Wu Dao’s reasoning about Luo Mei’s fate had some merit, it felt like he had deliberately framed the situation to downplay its severity. Almost as if he wanted her to just accept it.
Was that how he was framing his own mind before the breakthrough? Or was there a deeper reason behind it?
Meng Lin’s thoughts churned, but before she could dwell on them further—
BOOM!
The entire valley trembled as a deafening impact rang through the air. Meng Lin’s eyes snapped open.
She rose to her feet, swiftly moving through the formation to get a closer look at the source of the disturbance. Stepping outside, she looked up to see a massive force slamming against a protective barrier surrounding the valley, causing ripples of spiritual energy to pulse outward.
It was a twenty-meter-long monstrous creature—a grotesque fusion of an insect and a crocodile. Its elongated body was covered in thick plates, each segment pulsing with eerie crimson veins.
It had multiple legs, their jagged edges digging into the barrier as it reared up to slam its massive, fanged maw against the shimmering shield. With each impact, a dark-red aura flowed from the barrier into the beast’s body, causing its veins to glow brighter.
Meng Lin narrowed her eyes. So that’s the valley barrier Wu Dao spoke of… but what in the world is that creature?
Boom!
Another deafening bang echoed as the beast struck again, siphoning another surge of aura from the barrier. This time, the protective formation flickered violently before stabilizing.
Meng Lin spread her spiritual consciousness, trying to gauge the beast’s strength—then suddenly, her brows furrowed. The beast, although strong, only radiated power akin to a peak-stage Soul Wandering Realm cultivator.
It was the figure standing atop a nearby rock formation that caused her to tense.
With her crimson robes fluttering in the wind and a twisted smile on her lips, she took no notice of Meng Lin standing nearby.
“Did you bring that thing here?” Meng Lin asked, her voice cold, already guessing the identity of the woman before her.
How had she gotten past the barrier? Meng Lin wondered. She could also feel the aura radiating from the woman; although slightly stronger than Senior Sister Liu, it still couldn't be compared to a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator like Senior Wen Bonshan.
Zhao Lu finally turned her head, amusement flickering in her eyes as she met Meng Lin’s gaze.
“Oh? You noticed me already? Impressive.” She smirked, then lazily gestured toward the monstrous creature still slamming against the barrier. “And yeah, it’s one of my pets. It likes to target barriers and formations, siphoning the power within them until they no longer hold.”
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Meng Lin’s expression darkened. A creature that drains both the energy and aura of formations? That explained why the protective array was weakening so quickly. If left unchecked, it wouldn’t take long before the valley was fully exposed.
Zhao Lu tilted her head, a sly grin forming. “Surprised? You really shouldn’t be. You did kill Zhao Ren, after all.”
Meng Lin ignored her taunts and focused on the creature. Now that she had a better understanding of its power, she had to decide how to handle it.
The beast’s ability to drain formations made the situation even worse, especially since Wu Dao was still in the middle of his breakthrough.
Meng Lin’s fingers suddenly widened, the Armor Shattering Axe appearing in her hand. “So you’re here for revenge?”
Zhao Lu let out a soft chuckle. “Revenge? That would imply I cared about that fool.” She waved a hand toward the barrier. “I could say that he still carried my name. To disregard that and kill him means insulting me. However, do I need a reason to kill you?”
Boom!
The monstrous creature slammed into the barrier again, and this time, the cracks that had been forming spread even further. As another wave of crimson aura bled into the beast, its body pulsed ominously, growing slightly larger.
Meng Lin took a step forward, her voice calm but firm. “You came all this way just to die?”
Zhao Lu’s smirk widened. “Oh, I like you already.”
She flicked her wrist, and a blood-red talisman appeared between her fingers, pulsing with eerie energy.
With a deep breath, Meng Lin activated her Stellar Soul Shield, a translucent barrier forming around her body. At the same time, she circulated her Elemental Qi Convergence Method.
Zhao Lu watched with interest, eyes gleaming. “Oh? Do you think you can kill me before the barrier falls?”
Meng Lin didn’t respond. Instead, she burst forward, the Crimson Tortoise Dragon materializing beside her with a thunderous roar.
The massive spiritual beast charged at the formation-draining creature, multicoloured energy flicking across its armored body as it lunged.
BOOM!
A gigantic impact shook the valley as the dragon passed through the barrier to confront the hybrid creature.
Meng Lin didn’t waste the opening. In a flash, she leaped toward Zhao Lu, axe raised.
Zhao Lu’s smirk faltered at the sight of the Ancient Spirit Seal. Just as Meng Lin’s weapon came crashing down, the blood-red talisman in Zhao Lu’s hand ignited.
Clank!
In a flash, a massive, fiery talon materialized before Meng Lin's axe, blocking the blow with a deafening clank. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the air, and the ground trembled beneath them.
The impact sent a jolt through Meng Lin's body, and she had to brace herself to stay grounded. But before she could react, the bird's other talon moved with lightning speed, retaliating in a vicious swipe toward her.
Meng Lin barely managed to twist her body, narrowly avoiding the deadly talon. The sharp edge of the bird’s claw tore her robe slightly, almost landing a wound on her body.
Staggering back, Meng Lin looked at the new beast before her. "A Razor Talon Thunderbird; moreover, it's half-step into rank 5."
Zhao Lu grinned, watching Meng Lin’s reaction with twisted amusement. “I see you’re not as slow as I thought. But you’re still not fast enough to avoid death.”
"KREEEAAAH!"
The Razor Talon Thunderbird’s wings flared, creating gusts of wind that shook the valley. It screeched, its talons flexing in anticipation as the crimson energy around it crackled.
Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed. This was no ordinary beast. Even though she could feel the immense power radiating from it, she couldn’t afford to back down.
Her grip tightened around the Armor Shattering Axe, the weapon humming with energy. She circulated her Formless Cultivation Method, and the space around her began to ripple, distorting as mist began to surround her body, her silhouette disappearing within the mist.
"KREEAA"
The Razor Talon Thunderbird screeched once more, its wings cutting through the air with a sharp, almost deafening sound. The wind howled around it as it glided effortlessly, its talons bared and ready to strike again.
The Razor Talon Thunderbird lunged, its talons aimed directly for Meng Lin, who vanished into the mist, leaving a faint afterimage in her place.
Meng Lin, however, reappeared beside Zhao Lu, her Armor Shattering Axe raised high, gleaming with energy.
Zhao Lu’s eyes widened in surprise but quickly narrowed with a wicked smile. She didn’t flinch. Instead, within a blink, the fiery bird reappeared in front of her. Its talon spread to intercept Meng Lin’s blow.
Slash!
The moment the talon appeared, it made contact with Meng Lin’s Form Nullification technique; thus, before the axe could even make contact, the talon began to show signs of breaking down, albeit at a slower rate.
However that was the desired affect.
Puchi!
Meng Lin’s axe cut right through the weakened talon, striking the beast with a clean, unopposed blow, which went right through the beast's body, coming out at the other side to target Zhao Lu.
Zhao Lu's eyes widened as she realized the axe was headed straight for her. The sheer force of the strike reverberated through the air, the mist swirling in all directions. She barely had time to react before the Armor Shattering Axe slammed into her with devastating force.
KaBoom!
The impact sent her flying backward, crashing into the ground with a violent thud. The blood-red talisman she had summoned slipped from her hand, the mystical energy within it dissipating in the wake of the attack.
"AAAAHHHHH!!! You bitch!"
Zhao Lu screamed in pain, clutching her arm as blood poured from the deep gash. The force of the strike had not only shattered her arm but also sent waves of agony throughout her body.
"You... you'll pay for this," Zhao Lu spat through gritted teeth, struggling to speak. Her blood-red aura flickered around her, intensifying to a horrifying degree.
Rumble!
Zhao Lu, with a face twisted in fury and pain, reached into her robes and tore out five blood-red talismans. She activated them, and immediately multiple massive auras began to spread throughout the valley.
Rumble!
With a loud burst, several massive beasts materialized from the talismans: the first, a colossal scaled bear with massive claws, its body radiating immense strength.
Hiss!
the second was an obsidian-scaled serpent, its eyes glowing red with malice as it flickered its tongue.
The third and fourth were lightning-charged greyhounds, each standing around 5 meters, with fur crackling with electric energy.
The last one was a molten lion, flames flickering from its mane as it released its aura, which formed a golden aurora around it.
Thump!
Meng Lin’s heart pounded in her chest as she felt the five beasts’ auras bear down on her like an overwhelming storm. Her body began to shake as she felt the aura of five Half-Step Rank 5 beasts.
"RIP HER APART!" Zhao Lu screamed, her eyes blazing with fury. The beasts, now fully materialized, let out terrifying roars as they encircled Meng Lin.
Meng Lin’s hand trembled, her mind racing. Five Half-Step Rank 5 beasts—each more terrifying than the last—had appeared in an instant. The pressure was overwhelming, and she could feel the suffocating aura pressing in from all sides.
The massive scaled bear lunged first, its claws the size of boulders tearing through the air. Meng Lin swung the axe to intercept the attack.
Peng!
The force of the blow sent shockwaves through Meng Lin's arms, and she nearly lost her grip on the axe.
She stumbled back, struggling to maintain her balance, her entire body screaming in pain from the force of the bear's strike.
Before she could recover, the two lightning-charged greyhounds pounced. With a crackle of electric energy, the first hound lunged at her, its jaws snapping toward her with deadly force.
Releasing a vast amount of Brute Qi, she circulated the Brute Vortex Cultivation Method and slashed out with all her strength.
The force of Meng Lin’s swing was immense, and she felt the backlash vibrate through her entire body as her axe collided with the charging hound.
Boom!
A shockwave rippled out from the point of impact, and the hound was thrown back, its body crashing into the ground with a screech.
But the second hound was already on her, its fur crackling with electric energy as it lunged at her from the side. The lightning surged through the air, crackling toward her like a bolt of fury.
With little time to react, Meng Lin swung the axe again, but this time, the hound was too quick. It dodged the attack and sank its fangs deep into her shoulder, the electric current jolting through her body, locking her muscles in place.
Crack!
A seating pain shot through her left arm as the bones snapped under the wolves jaw. Meng Lin's breath came in ragged gasps as she felt her body seizing, her hand slick with blood and her vision waning.
Thump!
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a massive red moon materialized in the sky, creating an eerie ominous glue over the battlefield.