Thump. Thump. Thump.
"It's coming from the Core Region," Chen Wei whispered, his voice trembling for the first time. "Something big is moving."
Before they could react, the jungle exploded into chaos.
Birds screeched as they took flight in the thousands, a dark cloud blotting out the stars. Small animals—rabbits, snakes, foxes—burst from the undergrowth, sprinting past the mercenaries without even glancing at them. They were running for their lives.
"What is happening?" Lone Bear shouted, drawing his massive mace.
"Beast Tide!" Lin Rou screamed, her composure shattering. "It's a Beast Tide!"
A Beast Tide was the nightmare of every cultivator. It was a phenomenon where beasts, driven by fear or madness, formed a stampede that destroyed everything in its path. Usually, these tides occurred in the outer regions, led by weak animals. But the aura rolling toward them now was heavy, oppressive, and smelled of high-tiered bloodlust.
Crackle!
Trees to their south snapped like twigs. From the shadows emerged a nightmare. It wasn't just wolves or boars. It was a chaotic mix of predators and prey running together. A massive Iron-Hide Rhino smashed through a thicket, followed closely by a pack of Shadow Leopards.
"Defend!" Lone Bear roared, abandoning any thought of Ling Xiao.
"Formation!"
The three mercenaries turned their backs to the tent, facing the onslaught. A Shadow Leopard, its eyes glowing with panic, leaped over a fallen log and charged directly toward Chen Wei.
"Get out of my way!" Chen Wei yelled, slashing his saber. The blade coated in white Qi cut a deep gash in the leopard's flank, but the beast didn't stop to fight. It scrambled up, snarling, and continued running past him.
"They aren't attacking us!" Lin Rou realized, dodging a charging boar. "They are running away from something!"
But whether they realized it or not, the sheer volume of beasts made safety impossible. The mercenaries were like rocks in a flooding river; even if the water didn't want to crush them, the current would.
Inside the tent, Ling Xiao's eyes snapped open. The ground beneath him was shaking so violently he thought it was an earthquake.
"Brother Bear?" he called out, grabbing his sword.
He unzipped the tent and stumbled out. The scene that greeted him froze his blood. The peaceful campsite was gone. In its place was a swirling vortex of fur, claws, and dust. He saw Lone Bear smashing the skull of a giant lizard that had crashed into him, while Chen Wei and Lin Rou fought desperately to keep a small clearing open.
"Get up, you idiot!" Lone Bear shouted when he saw Ling Xiao. "Draw your sword or get trampled!"
Ling Xiao didn't need to be told twice. A massive wolf, larger than the ones they fought yesterday, was barreling straight for him. It wasn't attacking; it was simply running blindly, but a collision would shatter Ling Xiao's bones.
"Drifting Leaf Step!"
Ling Xiao channeled his Qi. His body felt lighter than before—the benefit of his breakthrough. He sidestepped the wolf, feeling the wind of its passing against his face.
Ling Xiao saw Lin Rou cornered by two frenzied Black-Striped Tigers. She was fast, but the space was too cramped for her to dodge effectively.
He lunged forward. "Raging Blade!"
His sword, a Spirit-grade weapon, hummed with power. He slashed at the nearest tiger's hind legs. The blade bit deep, severing the tendon. The tiger roared in pain and collapsed.
"Don't be a hero, kid!" Lin Rou shouted, her face pale. "We can't fight this!"
Ling Xiao fought with everything he had. His sword flashed in the moonlight, deflecting claws and striking at exposed flesh. He felt stronger, his senses sharper.
Slash!
He cut down a serpent that lunged from the canopy. "I can do this," he told himself. "I am holding my own."
But reality was cruel.
A roar shook the very air, silencing the lesser beasts. From the darkness emerged a beast that belonged in the Core Region—a Golden-Back Ape. It stood ten feet tall, its fur shimmering like metallic armor. It was a beast at the peak of the Conscious Stage.
It wasn't targeting them, but they were in its path. The Ape swiped its massive arm casually, clearing a path through the trees.
"Dodge!" Lone Bear screamed, throwing himself to the right.
Ling Xiao tried to move, but his foot caught on a tree root exposed by the stampede. He stumbled.
The Ape's hand didn't hit him directly, but the shockwave of the blow slammed into his chest like a battering ram.
"Argh!"
Ling Xiao was thrown backward, crashing into a thick tree trunk. He felt a sharp snap in his left shoulder, followed by a blinding flare of pain. He slid to the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His vision swam.
"Kid!" Lone Bear glanced at him, but he didn't move to help.
The Ape stomped past them, its massive foot missing Ling Xiao's head by inches. The ground cracked under the pressure.
"It's a Tier-3 Beast!" Chen Wei's voice was high-pitched with terror. "If we stay here, we die!"
"Run!" Lone Bear made the decision instantly. "Head for the river! Beasts hate deep water!"
"What about Ying Xiao?" Lin Rou asked, looking at the boy struggling to stand up, clutching his broken shoulder.
Lone Bear looked at Ling Xiao, then at the endless wave of monsters coming from the dark. The greed for the boy's gold was replaced by the instinct for self-preservation.
"Leave him!" Lone Bear roared. "He's dead weight! If we carry him, we all die!"
Without a second glance, Lone Bear turned and sprinted toward the east, his Qi barrier glowing brightly to shove smaller beasts aside. Chen Wei and Lin Rou followed immediately.
Ling Xiao was alone and Injured. Surrounded by monsters that could crush him with a sneeze.
"I have to move," Ling Xiao gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. His left arm hung uselessly by his side, sending jolts of agony through his body with every heartbeat.
He stumbled in the opposite direction, away from the path the Ape had taken. He didn't know where he was going; he just knew he couldn't stay still.
He ran. Branches whipped his face, cutting his skin. He tripped over roots, scrambled up, and ran again. His breath came in ragged gasps.
Roar!
Screech!
The sounds of the beast tide were all around him. He saw shadows moving in his periphery—giant spiders, armored bears, things he didn't even have names for. He expected to be attacked at any moment. He expected claws to tear into his back.
He ran until his legs gave out. He collapsed near the base of a massive tree, his chest heaving. He was trapped. To his left was a sheer cliff face; to his right, the stampede continued.
"Is this it?" Ling Xiao thought, closing his eyes. "Is this how I die? Eaten by beasts ?"
He clutched his sword with his uninjured hand, waiting for the end. He heard the heavy breathing of a beast directly in front of him. He opened his eyes.
A Shadow Panther, a beast known for its ruthless aggression, stood five feet away. Its yellow eyes were locked onto him. It was panting, foam dripping from its mouth.
Ling Xiao raised his sword, his hand trembling. "Come on!" he yelled, his voice cracking.
The Panther took a step forward. Ling Xiao tensed, bracing for the leap.
But the leap never came.
The Panther sniffed the air. Its ears flattened against its head, and a look of... was that fear?... crossed its bestial face. It whimpered low in its throat. Then, it turned its head away, skirted around the tree, and sprinted past him, giving him a wide berth.
Ling Xiao blinked, confused. "What?"
Before he could process it, a herd of Iron-Bristle Boars thundered toward him. Ling Xiao pressed his back against the tree, making himself as small as possible.
But as the herd approached, the lead boar screeched and swerved violently to the left. The entire herd followed, splitting around him like a river flowing around a rock. They didn't touch him. They didn't even look at him.
It was as if an invisible bubble surrounded him—a zone of absolute repulsion.
Ling Xiao sat there, stunned. The chaos of the Beast Tide continued to rage, but within three meters of him, there was a strange, terrifying calm. Beasts that should have torn him to shreds were avoiding him as if he were the apex predator.
Why?
He looked at his hands. They were stained with dirt and his own blood. He felt a familiar, cold sensation in the pit of his stomach.
"Why are you running?" Ling Xiao whispered to the fleeing monsters.