Cyclebreaker: Rise of the Martial Emperor

Chapter 79 – Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast

At the gates of Zuoxing City, a group of martial artists were ready to set off.

Yongchang Pavilion was one of the three major forces in Douhai Prefecture, embodying the eternal prosperity of the Martial Dao.

This time, Yongchang Pavilion organized a team of a hundred people to explore near Guanlei Temple, led by three Innate Martial Masters of the ninth layer.

Naturally, Yongchang Pavilion had more Innate Martial Masters than just these, but some were busy with other matters, and others had no intention of training at Guanlei Temple. The three Martial Masters initiated this action, so they only gathered ninety-four people at the moment.

When the burly man brought Luo Xiu and the other five over, everyone's eyes were drawn to them.

The burly man, named Feng Cang, stepped forward to report the situation of the six to the three leading Martial Masters.

Hearing that among the six recruits there was even an Innate first layer, the three Martial Masters frowned slightly but said nothing more.

For a team of a hundred, one more or one less person made little difference.

"Hmph, just an Innate first layer, does such strength qualify to join our Yongchang Pavilion team to Guanlei Temple?"

A tall, thin young man in a blue robe sneered, pointing at Luo Xiu, "Give up your spot, I have a friend who needs it."

"Why should I give up my spot to you?" Luo Xiu frowned.

"Hmm?" The blue-robed youth glanced at Luo Xiu, his eyes mocking, "Are you questioning me?"

Luo Xiu remained expressionless, saying nothing.

The blue-robed youth smirked coldly, "My friend was in seclusion, but now he's out and on his way. Are you sure you won't give up your spot?"

Meanwhile, the blue-robed youth looked toward the city gate, where a young man in white, carrying a sword, approached.

The blue-robed youth laughed loudly, "Gan Guan, the team is full, and your spot was taken by this guy."

The white-clad youth named Gan Guan approached, his eyes turning cold upon hearing this, "Just an Innate first layer."

The three leading Martial Masters naturally noticed the conflict but did not intervene or stop it.

In truth, for this team of a hundred, one more person didn't matter. The blue-robed youth was deliberately causing trouble, but regardless, both he and Gan Guan were disciples of Yongchang Pavilion, considered their own people.

"You are just an Innate third layer." Unexpectedly, Luo Xiu did not back down at all, confronting Gan Guan head-on, retorting.

"Courting death!"

Gan Guan's eyes flashed with a fierce light, his right hand gripping the sword hilt, ready to strike.

"Clang!"

The sound of a Battle Sword being drawn rang out, a black sword light flashed like lightning, followed by a splash of blood, and Gan Guan's body was sent flying, blood oozing from his mouth.

Moreover, everyone noticed that Gan Guan still maintained the posture of gripping his sword hilt, as if he hadn't even had time to draw his sword before being struck.

There was a blood mark on Gan Guan's chest. If the attacker hadn't shown mercy, this strike could have disemboweled him.

The pupils of the surrounding crowd widened in shock, their hearts filled with awe. Someone could draw a sword this fast?

Even the three leading Martial Masters were slightly moved. Everyone understood the principle of speed being invincible in martial arts, but few could truly achieve it.

The blue-robed youth who started the trouble was also dumbfounded. When Luo Xiu's gaze turned to him, he couldn't help but swallow, showing some apprehension.

Luo Xiu did not continue to act. After all, aside from the six recruits, the rest were from Yongchang Pavilion, and he didn't want to offend such a major force unless necessary.

"Alright, young brother, your strength is impressive. An Innate first layer with a swift sword technique comparable to an Innate fourth layer, possessing mid-Innate strength."

Among the three leading Martial Masters, a middle-aged man nodded, "Since Gan Guan is here and willing to go, let him join us."

As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, several unicorn mane horses were brought over.

One hundred and one people, each with a horse, using unicorn mane horses as transportation was quite extravagant. These horses, tamed from third-level demonic beasts, cost over a thousand Yuan Qi Stones each.

Of course, these unicorn mane horses were only for transportation and would not be given to outsiders like Luo Xiu.

The unicorn mane horses galloped swiftly, and after half a day, the group reached the periphery of the Guanlei Mountain Range.

Everyone dismounted, with someone specifically assigned to guard the horses outside the mountain. Led by the three Martial Masters, the group of a hundred entered the forest.

Demonic beasts lurked in the deep mountains and forests, but facing a formidable team of one hundred and one Innate Martial Masters, any that appeared were swiftly slain. The corpses of second-level demonic beasts were ignored, as the materials were of little value to Innate Martial Masters.

However, as they ventured deeper, the demonic beasts they encountered reached the third level. Whoever killed the beast claimed the materials.

No fourth-level demonic beasts appeared, indicating that Yongchang Pavilion likely had a safe route, cleared of powerful beasts by martial experts, leading directly to Guanlei Temple.

The most dangerous encounter was with a swarm of tiger-striped venomous spiders, spiders with tiger stripes on their bodies. A bite from their fangs could be lethal to an Innate Martial Master, each spider the size of a basin, swarming out from a thicket, numbering in the hundreds.

These third-level demonic beasts had valuable fangs and venom sacs, but their swarming nature made them difficult to hunt.

The tiger-striped venomous spiders were fast, resulting in the deaths of seven or eight people and over thirty poisoned. Even after taking antidote pills, they remained pale.

The battlefield was a mess, with blood and foul-smelling fluids everywhere, and the corpses of tiger-striped venomous spiders littered about.

The three leading Martial Masters looked grave. They hadn't even reached Guanlei Temple and had already lost so many, an inauspicious start.

Fortunately, they were not far from the Guanlei Temple area, and the spider swarm had retreated after heavy losses. Otherwise, more lives would have been lost.

After a brief rest, the group continued, stopping in a stone forest as night fell.

Guanlei Temple was located in the central region of the Guanlei Mountain Range, requiring at least two days to reach.

Among the three leading Martial Masters, an elder was a third-level Formation Master. After the group set up camp in the stone forest, he began arranging formations around the area.

Luo Xiu, now a fifth-level Formation Master, could see that the elder set up formations to isolate aura, defense formations, trapping formations, and illusion formations, though he lacked the formation flags to set them himself.

The Guanlei Mountain Range at night was undoubtedly perilous, especially as they had ventured deep. Formation techniques were the most practical in such circumstances.

As night fell, the roars of beasts echoed through the forest. Except for those injured in the earlier battle with the spiders, everyone remained on high alert, even knowing formations were in place, no one dared to relax.

Luo Xiu leaned against a stone pillar, eyes slightly closed, spreading his senses. In his mind, the second Origin Law Diagram of the Heaven's Life and Death Cycle emerged, as he pondered its mysteries.

Compared to the first diagram, the second was more profound and obscure. Even a glimpse of its essence was difficult for Luo Xiu to grasp at his current level.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the stone forest, startling all ninety-plus Innate Martial Masters awake, their expressions grave.

Despite the formation's barrier, the roar caused everyone's blood and qi to fluctuate, indicating the extraordinary nature of the beast.

The roar grew closer, and though the darkness obscured vision, the Innate Martial Masters sensed a colossal presence.

It was a demonic beast with purple scales and a mane of golden hair around its neck, about seven zhang long, mighty and fierce, its eyes glowing with an eerie green light.

"Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast!" one Martial Master exclaimed.

"Heavens, how did we encounter such a terrifying creature?" The other two Martial Masters also turned pale.

The rest of the team looked equally grim.

The Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast was a fourth-level demonic beast, comparable to a Martial Grandmaster of the ninth layer of the Spirit Refining Realm.

Such a fearsome creature would make even a Martial Grandmaster retreat, nearly impossible to kill.

It was said that if the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast evolved, it could reach the fifth level, comparable to a Martial King, growing a pair of wings, becoming a Purple-winged Golden-maned Beast, akin to the Twin-Headed Nether Tiger.

Though the formations around the stone forest isolated aura, they were ineffective against the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast due to the formations' insufficient level.

"Boom!"

A deafening crash echoed, the sound of cracking and shattering, making everyone's faces even more grim.

The Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast was attacking the defensive formations around the stone forest.

Third-level formations were virtually useless against such a powerful beast, unable to hold for long.

"Run!"

Someone shouted, and everyone scattered in different directions.

Despite the group of over ninety, none dared to confront the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast. Even the three leading Martial Masters would likely be torn to shreds in an instant.

"Crack!"

In the night sky, a flash of lightning streaked across, marking a terrifying and haunting night for the Innate Martial Masters.

Luo Xiu joined the fleeing crowd, knowing he couldn't withstand the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast.

He pushed the Ten-Directional Phantom movement technique to its limit, nearly achieving perfection, creating nine phantoms in motion, ghostly and elusive in the dark.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!..."

Screams occasionally pierced the air, the Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast far more terrifying than the spider swarm. With the formations breached, people were torn apart and devoured every moment.

More flashes of lightning and thunder, and a light rain began to fall, though not heavy.

In a moment illuminated by lightning, Luo Xiu saw one of the Innate ninth-layer Martial Masters crushed into a blood mist by a purple claw.

"Run!"

The word filled Luo Xiu's mind.

"Roar!"

The Purple-scaled Golden-maned Beast let out an earth-shaking roar, causing Luo Xiu's swift movements to falter, feeling a terrifying aura lock onto him.

His face changed drastically, not expecting to be targeted despite fleeing so far.

Thunderous crashes sounded from behind, trees falling as the beast charged, Luo Xiu catching glimpses of its fierce, green-glowing eyes, like a ghostly specter closing in.

A fourth-level demonic beast possessed spiritual awareness, sensing a certain range. Luo Xiu guessed his rapid escape attracted the beast's attention, hunting the humans with a predator's amusement.

Within its sensing range, none could escape the beast's hunt.