Despite his furious and strict expression, Xie Yao wasn't lying when he said that the situation he and that brat Xie Xiu were at was a particularly huge problem.

Expecting hundreds of insect-type bee beasts? Completely logical. Multiple Bronze-ranked and Silver-ranked beasts? That, too was expected, though a lot more dangerous.

A Gold-ranked Level 6 Queen Bee? He and Xie Xiu did not expect it. A Gold-ranked beast was a rather reasonable assessment, but it seemed that they underestimated the threat by an order of magnitude or two, even if it made sense for them.

Why would a beast so powerful even be here, and not in the Tong Tian Tower? Gold-ranked beasts could naturally spawn in the Soaring Dragon Continent, sure, but only really weak ones. Anything above Gold-ranked Level 4 was almost impossible to spawn naturally on the continent, let alone a beast that was on the level of a Golden King Beast. That Queen Bee won't be possible to defeat for him and Xie Xiu, and adding to that the many Silver-ranked beasts, it was a loss no matter what.

Thankfully, it seemed that the Queen Bee wasn't interested in fighting them, and he only has to deal with the alraune and Mei Wu. That though, had it's own problems...

'Truly, it seems like the heavens are attempting to wipe us out today.' he swore in his heart even as he kept glaring at the human and the alraune. A Gold-ranked beast, and a plant-type to boot. This was already an area he had no idea how to deal with. Bronze-ranked plant-type beasts were ridiculously rare, let alone any that were of a higher rank, and even he had only seen the Bronze-ranked Level 5 Hundred Years Old Treant Defender before during a trip in a forest located on the third floor of the Tong Tian Tower.

An alraune, he knew about them, but in his knowledge, almost all of them are killed to use their cores to feed better beasts, or to use their petals and blood to make some weak healing pills, or aphrodisiacs.

This alraune, already reaching the Gold rank, humanoid, and being literally able to speak, made her a highly dangerous enemy, especially since she was the one that threw that torrent of poison towards him and Xie Xiu when they forcefully entered.

It was a really strong poison, indeed, and had he not summoned his Silver-ranked Level 5 Metal Rhinoceros, which was highly resistant to such things, and fused with it before he entered, that would have been a much bigger problem. And as for that irritating woman, her Camouflage Chameleon could resist poison just fine, and give its contractor a similar resistance, so she was fine when it came to that as well.

Mei Wu though, was, in his opinion, a very deadly threat. He has no idea what beast she had, the one that seemed to be nothing but circles rotating around her and the alraune, but it was the one that gave the most severe damage to the two. Which is why he summoned his Silver-ranked Level 4 Saber-toothed Blazing Tiger, and his other strengthening-type beast, the Silver-ranked Level 3 Violent Ogre, giving him a huge boost in stamina, Qi, and power along with increasing his size to nearly four meters.

'That beast of Mei Wu, it's just so dangerous.' he thought as he prepared for the fight, knowing that the human and alraune would make their moves in the next few seconds. 'It literally ripped and mangled a part of my Qi pathways. Truly, an abnormal beast.'

The injury, small as it is, wouldn't really impede him too much right now. While his reserves diminished slightly, he could still fight properly, and his body was still operating normally thanks to the support of his beasts. The pathways though, these would take months of dedicated cultivation to heal after this. And even then, some damage might remain.

'Xie Xiu though must be having a much harder time...' he thought. That woman was definitely using more of her reserves to both fix the injury, and to keep up with her usual performance, now that the injury was limiting her abilities even more since the poison was still in her system.

'If only this woman's talent showed up back when she was in the clan, it would have been a good talent to nurture.' he lamented in his heart, not showing anything on his strict face.

But, there was no medicine for regret, and even if there was, he would have no time to take it, as the pink-haired woman and the alraune began their attack.

"Natura Aeterna Nirvana." the alraune spoke, a language that was foreign to him, and right away, he raised her threat level by a few orders. A beast that could cultivate. That was dangerous, extremely so. This alraune got even more abnormal in his mind. Had she been a Holy Beast or Platinum-ranked, he would have ran away. Thankfully, she did not reach that level yet.

Yet, he had no time to even notice the changes in the atmosphere, as another one seemed to take place even faster.

"Malignant Tumor Apoptosis." Mei Wu, a woman that was, according to witnesses and what he had seen, only a Level 1 [Apprentice], was now showing enough power to fight a beginner Level 3 [Hero] a good challenge, and she had somehow gotten a technique that seemed so illogical.

'What is this!?' he thought with shock as Qi, emanating from the human woman, spread around, and the flames made by his Saber-toothed Blazing Tiger slowly disignegrated the moment Mei Wu's energy made contact, as if they never existed.

Become weak. Become weak. Be crushed, and cease to exist. In my word, my enemies shall become weaker than me, and be wiped out without any amount of defiance.

He could almost hear the intent of the Qi as it reached him, trying to forcefully weaken his reserves. It was not as if he was being drained of his energy, or that his own body was being pressured, like how those far stronger could subdue others just by the pressure of their Qi.

Mei Wu's attack only seemed to directly target the Qi of those around her specifically, the ones she deemed an enemy, as if forcefully trying to make the Qi dormant and unusable in her presence.

Had he been merely a Level 3 [Hero], this attack would have probably destabilized his focus and power, and thus, his connection to his beasts, long enough to be unsummoned, and then he would be practically turned into a normal human, and would be killed by the alraune's next torrent of poison that she unleased.

But, he was Xie Yao, a Level 5 [Grandmaster].

"This level of attack, it's nothing!" he bellowed.

His reserves that were being forced to become dormant immediately rose higher, defying Mei Wu's technique as he rushed head-first at the duo. The wave of poison that seemed to be as wide as the corridor they were in, was broken through with only the slightest amount of damage, determined to punch a hole through the human woman and her friend.

"Grand Rhino's Fist!" his left fist glowed with power and vigour, with enough power to instantly kill a beginner Level 4 [Champion] with ease. If this attack hit Mei Wu, she would have a hole where she was hit. Defending against it with her own body was a death sentence.

The woman though did nothing more than retreating a couple of steps even as she looked terrified yet determined.

Mei Wu didn't need to worry about facing this thing at all. Someone else is capable of dealing with it.

Qi giving the feeling of nature oozed as from Kasumi Ai's body, multiple thick branches vibrant and full of life, rushed towards the fist to intercept it.

"Khh! Gaaahh!" the fist doesn't seem to stop, as it feels more like an unstoppable force against the thick and sturdy branches, as it almost crossed the entire distance, nearly hitting the fragile-looking, human body of the alraune, yet, somehow Xie Yao's fist stops, losing all momentum right at the last moment. And even more so, his fist had been injured by the alraune, a small wound opening into it.

Normally, it would be a trivial thing, but the poison, paralytic and potent, directly pumped into his body, caused him to freeze for only a second, his arm numb and immobile.

His body would move a second later, but that was more than enough for the alraune to kick him away, and score some hits while at it.

"Ai'er!" Mei Wu's Apoptosis Qi pulses as she screamed the name of her partner, and Xie Yao winced as he felt the effect of whatever beast the woman had as if it was gouging out something from his Qi, painfully and brutally, and he resisted the urge to groan as his Qi almost faltered, the wound on his arm getting deeper in return.

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'Damn it!' he inwardly groaned as his leg, now mobile, kicked at the alraune's monstrous body. But it was too late.

"Get lost!" with the same unrecognizable language, she roared as a branch larger than before whipped at him with a force worthy of being an attack belonging to a Gold-ranked beast, she hit him hard enough to make him grunt and force him to be thrown nearly a dozen meters away, but he did not let her off without any consequence, as while his leg missed the intended target of caving the monstrous body's head in, he managed to hit the flower petals protecting the green-haired beast's human body.

Just right then, Xie Xiu attacked as well, her Camouflage Chameleon's tongue extending, still invisible, directed towards Mei Wu, the biggest problem in this fight, now that the Queen Bee and her army of beasts were a lot farther and didn't seem to have any plans to intervene at the moment.

With that power-negating technique, combined with her Qi senses that were so sharp she noticed Xie Xiu's first attack, she was the most troubling opponent, even more so in Xie Xiu's case, since she preferred attacking from distance, and that she couldn't risk getting too close due to the injury she sustained when the two elders entered the hive.

'Tch!' Xie Xiu clicked her teeth as she kept her Qi both blazing yet hidden. This was already more effort than she expected against a mere Level 3 [Hero]. She shouldn't even be spending any effort to hide her presence from an enemy of this level.

Unfortunately, it was clear that the former Xie clan member had an ability that seemed to just downgrade and weaken other energies around her, and it was honestly terrifying, and it seemed that the best way to counter it is for one to flare their energy at a higher level than what Mei Wu could generate.

That, on its own, was easy enough for Xie Xiu, since she still eclipsed Mei Wu in power. But staying hidden, concealing her presence, while resisting the effects of the Apoptosis Qi was not an easy feat, even if she still could do it. Adding to that the wound to her qi pathways, while not immediately severe, would definitely affect her later.

Honestly, it was too ridiculous of a power set for the pink-haired woman to have. Which is why she must be defeated quickly, and thus, the Camouflage Chameleon's tongue extended to hit the human woman. Even if she wasn't killed, she would be thrown away from her partner, and would be crushed by Xie Xiu that way.

"Like hell!" Mei Wu rose to the challenge, having already sensed the attack, her arms and dagger imbued by her Qi slashing at the large tongue with accuracy.

The tongue, already getting too close to Mei Wu than it should, was experiencing a huge limitation in the form of the Qi in it diminishing rapidly. For a fraction of a second it became visible as it collided with Mei Wu's daggers.

Mei Wu gritted her teeth as her body was pushed back only a few steps, her arms feeling as if they were dislocated from the force as the tongue retreated, barely scratched by the sharpness of the daggers. Even when her technique lowered the power of a Silver-ranked Level 3 beast to nearly half of it, the amount of power it had was still dangerous and outrageous for a mere warrior whose power only reached that of a Level 3 [Hero].

'Truly, this woman is a problem. If only this potential was shown before...' Xie Xiu almost sighed. She almost felt jealous of this youngster, who not only had an abnormal beast, most likely her Guardian Beast, thus it won't truly die unless Mei Wu bit the dust, but the young woman had a an ability to nullify the powers of anyone around her, as long as they didn't eclipse her by a large margin.

'That would have been a nice talent to nurture. It's practically the most desired ability for anyone who can hide their presence well! Shame that I have to kill her. I would have loved to have someone with such an ability with me.' lamenting once more, she once more stood almost still on her beast, the giant chameleon moving across the walls, searching for the best way to attack as its summoner mentally ordered.

"This is indeed a problem, Xie Yao." Kasumi Ai spoke as she immediately used one of her vines, and barely pierced Mei Wu's back, pumping a tiny amount of healing nectar and in a second, the arms that felt as if they were broken were now healed, as Mei Wu only nodded in gratitude, her focus on Xie Yao who was already prepared to attack once more, and the elusive Xie Xiu.

"I guess it's our turn now. Let's see how you handle this, Xie Clan Elders!" Ai now commenced the attack, as the Nature Qi that was always present since the start of the fight thickened, not being impeded by the Apoptosis Qi at all.

Xie Yao pondered if he should have his Saber-toothed Blazing Tiger to throw fire at them as he was preparing to attack, when he felt it.

From the the ground, walls, and the ashes that were made by his beast's flames burning Kasumi Ai's poison, plant life started to grow and expand.

Vines, flowers, branches. All of them would grow by her will. Whether the place they grew on was a fertile soil or a large rock, it made no difference. There will be plants capable of growing in even the harshest environments, so the area did not even matter, especially for some of the more stubborn and resilient plants and trees.

With Ai's ability to affect plant life, such a thing was easy to do, not to mention that being an alraune, a being who can already create any part of any plant or tree she consumed, that only made this ability stronger.

"How annoying." Xie Xiu felt irritation as the flora started growing rapidly, consuming the walls, ceiling and the ground, and her Camouflage Chameleon moved to avoid a blast of poisonous nectar thrown at her, along with a thorny vine swung at her.

'My Camouflage Chameleon's invisibility, while it can hide its figure and sound, it can't really work on any sensory or touch-related abilty. This Alraune can obviously sense through her plants, so my primary advantage is severely hampered!' she inwardly groaned as the plants grew fiercely where she landed, trying to immobilize her and her beast.

They did nothing to her, naturally. The plants were simply not strong enough to actually bind her or her Camouflage Chameleon. But, if she let them grow indefinitely, then in this enclosed space, even she would be taking a lot of damage, especially since her Qi pathways were still damaged, and she was still fighting against the Apoptosis.

"Truly, small areas like these are bad for me." she muttered as she avoided a thick branch, not daring to be hit by it. She wasn't fragile by any means, but she wasn't as sturdy as that old fart who was fused with two strong resilient beasts, along with having his already high physical prowess.

A Gold-ranked beast like this alraune should not be underestimated.

Xie Yao seemed to reach the same conclusion already, as he growled, his huge form stomping on the plant life that was rising and trying to entwine and immobilize him, the ground cracking under his effort as if made of charcoal, his tiger was already burning the ones around it as well even as the flora kept growing from the ashes, stubbornly seeking their prey.

A Bronze-ranked Level 5 beast would have already been killed by these overgrown plants, and so would anyone below a Level 3 [Hero] in strength. Such was the power of Ai's move.

"You truly gained a lot of growth, Mei Wu." Xie Yao suddenly praised her. Surprisingly, the praise felt extremely genuine and honest.

"What?" she faltered for only the smallest of moments, not enough to attack her or Ai, especially with her Qi still permeating the area around her.

"Hey, are we really doing this now?" Ai spoke, almost not believing how the monster in front of her changed from a furious beast to a guy that practically oozed praise to her beloved.

Xie Yao though ignored her, not even comprehending her words despite noticing her tone, as he took another stance, preparing to attack. "I almost feel jealous of how fast you grew. In only a month or slightly less, you grew from a mere [Apprentice] to a [Hero]. As your former elder, I shall still acknowledge this talent."

Many people would feel jealous of such a development. Many would love nothing but to attempt to steal and suppress such potential. Not him, though. To him, who was extremely loyal to his clan, and yet understood the limit of one's efforts and talents, and had long gotten used to his place in life for the most part, he felt proud of the former Xie clan member for attaining such power.

The heavens were unfair, for certain. Yet, they do at times reward their victims for the misfortune they suffered. He felt it was worthy of praise that people are even able to survive until the heavens decide to reward their efforts.

A foolish concept, maybe, but he was proud of it, regardless. Which is why, he at least would fight Mei Wu and her companion with his full strength, and give that brat Xie Xiu some help while at it.

"Ai'er."

"I know."

The two guarded themselves, more than they already were, as he took a deep breath, Qi rising and raging like the beast he looked as right now, his leg about to rise and then he struck.

'Wait, he's not truly aiming at us!' Mei Wu, already sensing how his Qi, and his emotions to a lesser extent, widened her eyes in shock. 'what he is targeting is...!'

"Let's change the battlefield a bit! Earth Shattering Kick!" a blast of power pulsed from his leg, some of it moving towards the duo who easily defended thanks to Ai's sturdy branches. But that wasn't the purpose of it.

The leg, thick as a human's torso, hit the ceiling, shattering it as if hitting glass. An area equalling to a few dozens of meters radius was wiped out, leaving the hive's hideout practically exposed.

'Wh- what...? The hell?' Ai thought baffled, Mei Wu equally shocked by this turn of event. She did not expect him to decide to change the area's structure right away.

And more worryingly, now Xie Xiu has a far wider area to move around. Not a good thing at all.

'Damn it. This is so problematic. Though it's not without positives, I guess.' she pondered, knowing that she won't need to worry about some of her stronger and newer attacks targeting Mei Wu. If she got a chance to use them, that is.

'Hope the Queen Bee isn't utterly mad at the destruction our determination to fight first had caused.' with such thoughts, she noticed as Xie Xiu left her previous spot on the wall, and nimbly moved with her Camouflage Chameleon outside.

'The Queen Bee is pissed...' Mei Wu thought, paled as she noticed the murderous intent as deep as an ocean, yet still deeply controlled by her so-called boss. Clearly, she was not amused by this stunt. Better try to finish this as soon and as safely as possible, to apologize for the mess her and Ai's choice caused, even indirectly.

"Now, let's begin once more." Xie Yao spoke, as he rushed at them, this time, his Saber-toothed Blazing Tiger with him, while Xie Xiu's Qi rose, having already purged Ai's poison from her system, and preparing to summon another of her beasts.

And thus, the fight began once more.