Chapter 137 Beast Assault, Panic Spreads

"It possesses the innate divine ability 'Thunderous Lightning Escape'. Even if I were to rely on the power of my third-grade superior artifact 'Mountain-Cleaving Soul-Severing Axe' to defeat it, I might not necessarily find an opportunity to severely injure or slay it."

"Moreover, the 6-Winged Golden Butterfly's strength has nearly reached Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm). Once they join forces, even I must treat them seriously, yet it would still be difficult to defeat them completely."

"Even if I manage to hold off these 2 demonic beasts, do you truly believe you can slay the remaining Azureflame Fox and Frost Serpent?"

Hearing this, Xu Daoyuan shook his head and said with some disappointment, "With my strength, in a 1-on-1 fight, I could naturally defeat every single 1 of them."

"However, if faced with the joint assault of 2 Purple Palace, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm) demonic beasts, I could at most hold them off. I'm afraid eliminating them would be exceedingly difficult."

"With only these 4 Zi Palace demon beasts, this old man has no fear." Patriarch Yang shook his head and continued, "But the whereabouts of the Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) remain unknown. If we rashly engage in battle and fall into an ambush, I fear we would suffer complete defeat."

"For now, we should rely on the city's defensive formations and wait until we've ascertained the movements of the Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast)."

The 2 Elders made their decision and, after obtaining approval from Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), began relying on the defensive formations of Yuyang Market to hold their ground.

The beast army arrived outside the city walls. Several Zifu-level demonic beasts exchanged cold glances and, after brief deliberation, began directing the monstrous legion to assault the city's protective formation.

The Heavenly Sword Demon-Slaying Array within the city was instantly activated. Streaks of sword light soared skyward, continuously transforming into a rain of blades that descended from the heavens, slaughtering the demon beast horde until corpses littered the fields.

The deaths and injuries of the low-level demon beasts mattered little to the several Zifu-stage beasts. Instead, they allowed the hordes of demon beasts to continue assaulting the formation unabated.

To these Zi Mansion beasts, these low-level creatures with dim intellect were no different from wild animals, and no amount of casualties would make them bat an eye.

Driving the beast tide to attack human territories inherently served the purpose of culling the numbers of low-level demonic beasts, thereby preventing ecological collapse within their domain.

Using these low-level demon beasts to deplete the power of the human race's defensive formations was truly making the best use of everything.

To these Purple Mansion beasts, as long as they ultimately breached the human city, even countless casualties among the lower-tier beasts would be a worthwhile bargain.

The beast tide's assault persisted for over half a month, with Zifu-level demonic beasts relentlessly driving lower-tier creatures to storm Yuyang Market.

The spiritual spring in Yuyang Workshop could not sustain them for long. Left with no choice, the group had to expend their own spiritual power, having several 1000 low-level cultivators take turns channeling energy into the formation.

Fortunately, with over 5,000 cultivators taking turns channeling spiritual energy and a Purple Mansion expert personally presiding over the formation, the Heaven-Severing Demon-Slaying Array unleashed astonishing power, barely allowing them to hold their ground.

After half a month of relentless assaults, the demon beasts were repelled dozens of times by the Heaven-Sword Demon-Slaying Array. Of the 30,000-strong horde, nearly half had fallen, and dozens of Foundation Establishment-level demon beasts had been slain.

In the end, the low-level demon beasts were utterly broken by the slaughter, and no matter how the Zifu-level demon beasts drove them, they dared not advance.

Left with no alternative, the 4 Purple Mansion beasts abandoned their attempts to drive them away. Instead, they encircled Yu Yang Market, seemingly waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Finally, they've stopped attacking."

Seeing the beast horde cease their assault, everyone in Yuyang Market breathed a collective sigh of profound relief.

For half a month straight, the grand formation had been activated continuously. By now, the low-level cultivators in the city had exhausted their spiritual energy multiple times, leaving them mentally drained from the intense battles.

If the demon beasts continued their assault, the city’s protective formation would soon cease to function. Everyone would either have to draw upon the reserve of spirit stones or step forward personally to fight the demon beasts with their lives on the line.

This time, the Yuyang Market had stockpiled 100,000 spirit stones, primarily as a precaution against high-level Purple Mansion entities like the Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast). Yet now, without even having encountered the Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast), they dared not recklessly exhaust their spirit stone reserves.

Without tapping into the spirit stone reserves, engaging in direct combat with demonic beasts would prove brutally unforgiving regardless of the outcome. Countless cultivators would perish amidst this great tribulation.

"Make haste to steady your spirit, replenish your magic power, and restore your cultivation."

Seeing the beast cease its attack, Patriarch Yang immediately issued orders for everyone to seize the moment and restore their combat strength.

The demonic beasts began encircling them without launching attacks, and before they knew it, another month had passed under this siege. Then 1 day, a shocking piece of news abruptly arrived.

The Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) has arrived in Feng Commandery?

Within the central hall of the Sunken Sun Market City, several dozen cultivators had gathered at this moment, unable to suppress their expressions of astonishment.

Just moments ago, a shocking message arrived from Feng Commandery—the Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) had bypassed the Tianyuan Mountain Range with 30,000 demon beasts and charged straight into the heart of the commandery.

Feng County was caught completely off guard by the sudden assault. Several second-order spirit veins were breached in the chaos, while over a dozen Qi Refining immortal clans and 1 Foundation Establishment immortal clan were utterly annihilated overnight. More than 1 100 1000 mortals became bloody sustenance for the demonic beasts.

The Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) had now pushed its military advance all the way to Fengyang Trading Post (Location), completely besieging this trading outpost.

How is this possible

"How could that Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) possibly bypass the Tianyuan Mountain Range and reach Fengjun County in such a short time?"

Among the crowd, Liu Jueran (Person Name) uttered in disbelief, a trace of panic flashing across her expression.

This time, the Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) launched a surprise attack after lying in wait for tens of thousands of miles. The Liu Immortal Clan (Cultivation Clan) suffered a devastating blow—their mountain gate and cultivation grounds were overrun by demonic beasts, and nearly all the stationed cultivators were annihilated.

Fortunately, their mortal city was quite distant from the clan's training grounds. The Purple-Spotted Wolf King (Demon Beast) was preoccupied with assaulting the Fengyang Trading Post (Location), leaving the mortal populace—their fundamental support base—untouched for now.

However, if the demon beasts breached Fengyang Trading Post (Location), their Liu Family would have no chance of survival—the mortal city would inevitably be annihilated by the monstrous horde.

At this thought, Liu Juanhuan could no longer remain seated. Rising to her feet, she declared in a resonant voice, "Honored allies, as we speak, Feng Province is under assault. As a cultivator of this land, I cannot stand idly by and do nothing."

"We humbly request that both Seniors allow us to return and join the battle to provide support."

In truth, it wasn’t just her—the 5 Foundation Establishment cultivators who had come as reinforcements from Feng County also wore expressions of impatience, clearly having lost all intention to remain.

Even Xu Daoyuan could no longer remain seated. As a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan of Feng Province, the Xu Family's millions of mortals would likely be the first to face calamity if Feng Province were breached.

At this thought, his gaze fell upon Elder Yang, and he spoke in a hurried tone.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, the calamity befalling Feng Commandery is no trivial matter."

"You have survived several beast tides. If you have any means, you must make a decision swiftly."

Hearing this, the crowd turned their gazes toward Patriarch Yang.

The 350-and-some-year-old Elder Yang couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle as he gazed at this kind of person.

"In previous years during the beast tide upheavals, the Azure Sun Sect would always dispatch 4 or 5 Purple Mansion Elders to Border Province to lend us a hand."

"Now that the Earth Lion Ridge has grown so powerful, the Azure Sun Sect can barely protect itself, and they are unwilling to even dispatch a single Purple Mansion cultivator to assist us."

"If it weren't for Patriarch Jiang taking preemptive action decades ago by breaching the Demon Wolf Mountain and slaying 2 Purple Palace demon wolves along with 2 Purple Palace Demon Rocs (Demon Beast), we would undoubtedly be facing far greater adversity now."

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth Mount Canglan, Outer Sect. A dilapidated wooden house stood silently in the mountain breeze. Inside, a youth of 15 or 16 years lay on a simple bed, his face pale as paper. Suddenly, his eyelids fluttered open. "Have I... truly been reborn?" Li An (Person Name) struggled to sit up, his gaze sweeping over the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. A bitter smile tugged at his lips. In his previous life, he had been the foremost Grandmaster of Alchemy in the cultivation world, revered by countless beings. Yet, he had perished in the Heavenly Tribulation, his soul scattered. Never did he imagine that he would be reborn 3 1000 years in the past, back to when he was merely 16—a lowly Outer Sect disciple of the Mount Canglan Sect. "Since the heavens have granted me a second chance, I, Li An, shall tread the path of cultivation once more! In this life, I will surely ascend to the pinnacle of the Great Dao!" His eyes blazed with unwavering determination. Just then, a sharp pain shot through his dantian. Li An's expression shifted slightly. He remembered—at this time, his cultivation had been crippled by the scion of a cultivation family, rendering him utterly useless. "Zhang Xuan (Person Name)... just you wait. The grudges of my past life shall be settled in this!" Li An's gaze turned icy cold. In his previous life, Zhang Xuan had relied on his family's influence to oppress others, ultimately leading to Li An's expulsion from the sect. Now, reborn, he would never allow such a tragedy to repeat itself. He closed his eyes and began to inspect his body. His meridians were in utter disarray, his dantian on the verge of collapse. An ordinary person in such a state would have no choice but to abandon cultivation. However, Li An was no ordinary person. In his past life, he had been the foremost Grandmaster of Alchemy, possessing countless secret arts and techniques. "The Indestructible Demon Sutra (Cultivation Method)... this is the very technique that allowed me to dominate the cultivation world in my previous life. I never imagined I would have the chance to cultivate it again." A trace of nostalgia flickered in Li An's eyes. The Indestructible Demon Sutra was a supreme technique he had fortuitously obtained in his past life. It allowed 1 to reconstruct meridians and even reshape the dantian. Cultivating it was, however, exceptionally arduous, requiring the practitioner to endure bone-reforming, marrow-rebuilding agony. But for Li An, who had experienced the torment of Heavenly Tribulation, such pain was but a minor trial. He sat cross-legged, silently circulating the Indestructible Demon Sutra. Strands of spiritual energy, thin as hair, slowly converged from the surroundings, seeping into his body through his pores. "Ahhh—!" An excruciating pain, as if countless needles were piercing his body, assaulted him. Cold sweat beaded on Li An's forehead, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered. He knew that this was the spiritual energy reconstructing his damaged meridians. Only by enduring this pain could he regain the path of cultivation. Time slipped by unnoticed. When Li An opened his eyes again, dawn was breaking. A faint, barely perceptible spiritual glow shimmered over his body. Although his cultivation remained at the first level of Qi Refining, his meridians had been partially restored. At the very least, he could now cultivate normally. "As expected of the Indestructible Demon Sutra. In just 1 night, it has achieved such remarkable results." Li An nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to continue his cultivation, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door. "Li An! Get out here! Young Master Zhang wants to see you!" A arrogant voice rang out, followed by the door being kicked open with a "bang." Several Outer Sect disciples swaggered in, their faces filled with contempt. The leader, a pockmarked youth, glared at Li An with a malicious grin. "You useless trash, how dare you laze around in bed? Young Master Zhang has ordered you to go to the back mountain to mine spirit stones. If you don't bring back a 100 low-grade spirit stones today, don't even think about eating!" Li An's eyes narrowed slightly. He recognized this person—Zhao Tiezhu (Person Name), 1 of Zhang Xuan's lackeys. In his previous life, this man had often bullied him. In his past life, Li An had no choice but to endure the humiliation. But now... "Scram." Li An's voice was calm, devoid of any emotion. Zhao Tiezhu was momentarily stunned, as if he couldn't believe his ears. This waste actually dared to talk back? "Have you lost your mind, you piece of trash? How dare you speak to me like that? It seems you need a good beating to remember your place!" Enraged, Zhao Tiezhu threw a punch at Li An's face. This punch carried spiritual energy; if it landed, an ordinary person would surely be severely injured. The surrounding disciples all wore expressions of schadenfreude, eagerly anticipating the sight of Li An being beaten to a pulp. However, in the next moment, their expressions froze. Li An merely raised his hand slightly and effortlessly caught Zhao Tiezhu's fist. "How... how is this possible?" Zhao Tiezhu's face was full of shock. He was at the third level of Qi Refining, while Li An was nothing but a useless waste. How could he possibly block his punch? "Have you been hiding your strength?" A trace of panic flashed in Zhao Tiezhu's eyes. Li An sneered, "Hiding my strength? You're not worthy." With that, he exerted a slight force with his hand. "Crack!" The clear sound of bone breaking echoed. Zhao Tiezhu let out a blood-curdling scream, his entire arm bent at a bizarre angle. "You... you actually dare to lay a hand on me? Young Master Zhang won't let you get away with this!" Zhao Tiezhu clutched his broken arm, his face contorted in pain. Li An's expression remained indifferent. "Go back and tell Zhang Xuan that the grudges between us are not over. Sooner or later, I will settle them 1 by 1." After saying this, he waved his hand as if shooing away a fly. "Now, get lost." Zhao Tiezhu and the others didn't dare to say another word. Supporting each other, they fled in panic, as if afraid that Li An would change his mind. Watching their retreating figures, a cold glint flashed in Li An's eyes. Zhang Xuan, just you wait. The game has only just begun. He knew that Zhang Xuan would not let this matter rest. But so what? In this life, he was determined to tread a path drenched in blood, slaughtering his way to the pinnacle of the Great Dao! Li An took a deep breath, no longer dwelling on the matter. He sat cross-legged again, continuing to cultivate the Indestructible Demon Sutra. The path of cultivation has always been 1 of defying the heavens. Since the heavens had granted him a second chance, he would naturally grasp it tightly. Mount Canglan, Back Mountain. Li An stood before a massive mining cave, a faint smile playing on his lips. In his previous life, he had once discovered an extraordinary opportunity here. Now, reborn, he naturally would not miss it. He strode into the cave. The interior was dimly lit, with only the faint glow of spirit stones embedded in the walls providing some illumination. The other disciples mining spirit stones cast strange glances at Li An, but no 1 dared to approach him. The news of him breaking Zhao Tiezhu's arm had already spread throughout the Outer Sect. Li An paid no mind to their reactions. Following the memories of his past life, he made his way to the deepest part of the cave. Here stood an enormous rock, its surface covered in moss, appearing utterly unremarkable. But Li An knew that hidden beneath this rock was a spatial rift that led to a secret realm. In his previous life, he had stumbled upon this secret realm by chance, obtaining the Indestructible Demon Sutra and many other treasures. It could be said that this secret realm was the starting point of his rise to power. Li An took a deep breath, placing both hands on the rock. Spiritual energy surged from his dantian, flowing into the rock. "Buzz—" The rock suddenly began to vibrate, a crack slowly appearing on its surface. A mysterious light spilled out from within the crack. A trace of excitement flashed in Li An's eyes. Just as he was about to step into the secret realm, a cold voice suddenly rang out behind him. "Li An, I never expected you to actually find this place." Li An's expression changed slightly. He turned around to see a young man in brocade robes standing not far away, a cold smile on his face. It was Zhang Xuan (Person Name)! And behind Zhang Xuan stood over a dozen Outer Sect disciples, all of them looking at Li An with malicious intent. Li An's heart sank. He hadn't expected Zhang Xuan to arrive so quickly, and he even seemed to know about the secret realm. "It seems you've been hiding many secrets from me." Zhang Xuan slowly approached, a greedy gleam in his eyes. "Hand over the treasure here, and I might consider leaving your corpse intact." Li An sneered, "Do you think you're worthy?" Zhang Xuan's face instantly darkened. "Since you're seeking death, don't blame me for being ruthless!" With that, he waved his hand. "Attack! Kill him!" The dozen or so Outer Sect disciples immediately drew their weapons, charging at Li An. Faced with this situation, Li An remained exceptionally calm. Although his cultivation was only at the first level of Qi Refining, the spiritual energy within his body had been refined by the Indestructible Demon Sutra, far surpassing that of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. Moreover, he possessed the combat experience of his previous life. "Since you're eager to die, I'll grant your wish!" Li An's eyes turned cold. He moved, his figure flashing like a ghost, instantly appearing in front of an Outer Sect disciple. "Ah!" Before that disciple could react, Li An's palm had already struck his chest. The disciple was sent flying, crashing into the cave wall and fainting on the spot. The other disciples were shocked, never expecting Li An to be so powerful. "Don't panic! Attack together! He's only at the first level of Qi Refining; he can't be that strong!" Zhang Xuan shouted, but a trace of panic had already appeared in his eyes. Li An paid no heed to their shock. His figure flickered through the crowd, each movement taking down an Outer Sect disciple. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen people lay on the ground, wailing in pain. Now, only Zhang Xuan was left standing. "How... how is this possible?" Zhang Xuan's face was pale, his voice trembling. "You... you're not Li An! Who are you, really?" Li An smiled faintly. "I am Li An, but not the Li An you know." With that, he slowly approached Zhang Xuan. "Don't... don't come any closer! My father is an Elder of the Inner Sect! If you touch me, he will never let you go!" Zhang Xuan retreated in panic, even trying to use his father's status to threaten Li An. But Li An completely ignored his threats. "Elder of the Inner Sect? So what? Sooner or later, I will settle accounts with every single 1 of them." After saying this, he struck Zhang Xuan's dantian with a palm. "Ah—!" Zhang Xuan let out a miserable scream, his cultivation completely destroyed by Li An. "Consider this interest on the debt. Tell your father that I, Li An, will come to collect the principal sooner or later." Li An glanced disdainfully at Zhang Xuan, who had collapsed on the ground, then turned and stepped into the spatial rift. A mysterious light flashed, and Li An's figure vanished from the spot. Inside the secret realm. Li An stood in an ancient stone chamber, a faint smile on his lips. His gaze fell upon a jade slip placed on the stone table in the center of the chamber. The Indestructible Demon Sutra (Cultivation Method)! The supreme technique that had allowed him to dominate the cultivation world in his previous life was once again in his hands. He picked up the jade slip, pressing it against his forehead. Vast information flooded into his mind. Although he was already very familiar with this cultivation method, experiencing it again still brought him great shock. The Indestructible Demon Sutra was divided into 9 layers. The first 3 layers focused on body refinement, the middle 3 on divine soul cultivation, and the final 3 on comprehending the Great Dao. Each layer was more difficult than the last, but the power gained from each breakthrough was immense. In his previous life, he had only cultivated to the sixth layer before meeting his demise in the Heavenly Tribulation. In this life, he was determined to reach the pinnacle of the ninth layer! After putting away the jade slip, Li An's gaze turned to the other items in the stone chamber. A small, unadorned sword and a black ring. The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) and the Spatial Ring (Magic Treasure)! These were the very weapons that had accompanied his rise in his previous life. Li An picked up the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, a familiar sensation coming over him. This sword was a high-grade magic treasure, incredibly sharp, and it contained a wisp of Li Fire that could burn an opponent's soul. As for the Spatial Ring, it was even more extraordinary. Not only did it have a massive storage space, but it could also accelerate time, allowing for twice the result with half the effort in cultivation. "With these treasures, my path of cultivation will be much smoother." Li An nodded in satisfaction, then sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate the Indestructible Demon Sutra. Time passed slowly within the secret realm. When Li An opened his eyes again, his cultivation had already broken through to the third level of Qi Refining. What shocked him even more was that the Indestructible Demon Sutra had directly reached the first layer perfect stage! "As expected of a supreme technique. In just 3 days, it has allowed me to achieve what would normally take ordinary people several years." Li An sighed with emotion. Just as he was about to continue his cultivation, he suddenly felt a powerful aura rapidly approaching. "Not good, someone has come!" His expression changed slightly. With his current strength, he was no match for a powerful expert. Without hesitation, Li An immediately activated the secret realm's teleportation formation, vanishing from the stone chamber. The moment he left, an old man appeared in the stone chamber. "Hmph, running quite fast." The old man snorted coldly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "To think that a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator could actually activate the teleportation formation of this secret realm. It seems this kid has quite some secrets." After saying this, the old man also vanished from the spot. Outside Mount Canglan. Li An's figure appeared in a dense forest. "It seems that the secret realm has been discovered by a powerful expert. Fortunately, I reacted quickly, otherwise the consequences would have been dire." Li An breathed a sigh of relief, a trace of fear in his heart. Although he had the experience of his previous life, his current strength was still too weak. He needed to improve his cultivation as soon as possible. After some thought, Li An decided to head to the nearby Fallen Maple City. Fallen Maple City was a cultivation city not far from Mount Canglan, where many cultivators gathered and trade was prosperous. Most importantly, there was an Alchemist Guild there. As a Grandmaster of Alchemy from his previous life, Li An naturally intended to use alchemy to quickly accumulate cultivation resources. After making up his mind, Li An immediately set off for Fallen Maple City. Several days later, Li An arrived at Fallen Maple City. The city was bustling with activity, its streets crowded with cultivators of all kinds. Shops lined both sides of the road, selling various cultivation resources. Li An found it all very familiar. In his previous life, he had often come here to purchase medicinal herbs. He went straight to the Alchemist Guild. The Alchemist Guild was extremely spacious, with many alchemists in the hall assessing medicinal herbs or refining pills. Li An walked up to the counter. "I want to take the alchemist assessment." The clerk glanced at Li An, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "The alchemist assessment requires a fee of 1 100 spirit stones." Li An took out 1 100 spirit stones from his Spatial Ring and placed them on the counter. The clerk was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected this young man dressed as an Outer Sect disciple to be so wealthy. "Wait here, I'll go make the arrangements." The clerk's attitude improved noticeably. Before long, an old man with a goatee walked over. "I am Elder Sun of the Alchemist Guild. Are you the 1 here for the alchemist assessment?" The old man looked Li An up and down, a trace of doubt in his eyes. Alchemists were a highly respected profession, usually requiring years of study. Li An looked to be only 15 or 16, which made Elder Sun somewhat skeptical. Li An nodded. "Exactly." Elder Sun frowned. "Young man, the alchemist assessment is no child's play. If you fail, the spirit stones will not be refunded." Li An smiled faintly. "I understand. Please begin the assessment, Elder." Seeing Li An's confident demeanor, Elder Sun didn't say much and led him to a pill refinement room. "The assessment requires refining a Qi Replenishment Pill. You have 3 attempts. If you succeed once, you pass." Elder Sun pointed to the medicinal herbs on the table. "These are the ingredients for the Qi Replenishment Pill. You may begin." Li An glanced at the herbs, a faint smile curling his lips. The Qi Replenishment Pill was merely a low-grade pill. In his previous life, he could refine even divine pills. How could such a simple pill possibly trouble him? Without hesitation, Li An immediately began the refinement. His movements were fluid and natural, as smooth as flowing water. In the blink of an eye, the pill formation was completed, and a fragrant Qi Replenishment Pill appeared in the pill furnace. Elder Sun's eyes widened in shock. "This... this is impossible