The beast tide continued to rage across Cloud Mist Market like a flood that threatened to drown everything in its path.
Roars shook the earth.
Explosions echoed endlessly.
The smell of blood had become so thick that even ordinary mortals hiding within the market could smell it from their homes.
Yet despite the chaos, morale among the defenders had improved considerably.
The appearance of Shen Xiuyong had acted like a stabilizing pillar.
A newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator joining the battlefield was no small matter.
Especially one who was already a famous alchemist.
Many cultivators who had been on the verge of despair regained confidence.
As long as the higher-ups continued holding the line, then perhaps they could survive this catastrophe.
Meanwhile, throughout the battlefield, Lin Sheng's group continued hunting yao beasts relentlessly.
The corpses around them had already piled into small hills.
Rank-1 Mid Stage.
Rank-1 Late Stage.
Even Peak Rank-1 beasts.
One after another fell beneath their attacks.
The jade tokens hanging from their waists glowed repeatedly.
Contribution points rose steadily.
Eight thousand.
Eight thousand two hundred.
Eight thousand five hundred.
They were rapidly approaching the threshold required for the Gang Condensation Pill.
Even Lin Xiaolu could not suppress the excitement in her eyes.
"We're almost there."
"If this continues, we might all exchange for Gang Condensation Pills."
Lin Shou nodded.
"At this rate, even Fine Grade ones aren't impossible."
Zhao Feng swung his sword and severed the neck of a charging wolf beast.
Blood sprayed into the air.
"Don't celebrate too early."
"The battlefield is becoming more dangerous."
Everyone understood what he meant.
The demonic cultivators had already begun appearing openly.
Second-Tier battles were taking place overhead.
The deeper the beast tide progressed, the more dangerous the situation became.
Even Peak Innate martial artists could die if they became careless.
Not far away, Lou Han thrust his spear forward.
Puchi!
The spear pierced directly through the chest of a flying hawk beast.
The creature let out a final cry before crashing into the ground.
For a brief moment, a smile appeared on Lou Han's face.
Then—
His expression suddenly changed.
His face turned pale.
A strange redness appeared beneath his skin.
His breathing became uneven.
Lin Sheng immediately noticed.
"Again?"
Lou Han clenched his teeth.
His hand trembled slightly.
The familiar sensation had returned.
The feeling of something draining him from within.
Not an injury.
Not poison.
Not exhaustion.
It was something far more mysterious.
Something that had haunted him since childhood.
His Qi and blood began weakening.
His True Qi circulation slowed.
Even the strength in his limbs felt as though it were being sucked away by an invisible force.
The sensation was like a starving beast hiding inside his body.
One that continuously devoured his vitality.
Lou Han immediately retrieved a pill bottle from his storage pouch.
Without hesitation, he swallowed several pills.
A warm medicinal energy flowed through his body.
Only then did his complexion improve slightly.
Nearby, Lin Xiaolu frowned.
"Are you alright?"
Lou Han forced a smile.
"I'm used to it."
But everyone knew that wasn't true.
No one could truly become accustomed to something like this.
Even after all these years, nobody understood what exactly was happening to him.
And at this moment, as he watched Lou Han recover, Lin Sheng couldn't help recalling everything he knew about his friend's condition.
---
Years ago.
Lou Han and his younger sister had lived ordinary lives.
Their family had once been relatively well-off. Not rich, but comfortable.
His parents had been spirit farmers.
They cultivated spiritual rice and medicinal herbs outside the market.
Although they weren't cultivators, they had accumulated considerable wealth over decades.
The siblings had grown up eating food infused with spiritual energy.
Spirit rice.
Yao beast meat.
Medicinal soups.
Life had been stable.
Comfortable.
Yet even during those peaceful years, Lou Han had always been different.
His appetite far exceeded that of ordinary children.
At first, his parents thought it was because he was growing quickly.
Children often ate more than adults.
Nothing unusual.
However, as the years passed, the situation became increasingly strange.
No matter how much he ate—
It never seemed enough.
His body constantly demanded more energy.
More nutrients.
More vitality.
Whenever he lacked food, his complexion would become pale.
His strength would weaken dramatically.
His parents eventually brought him to several alchemists.
The diagnosis was always similar.
Meridian absorption disorder.
A rare condition.
One where the body consumed energy at abnormal rates.
Most believed it could be managed through proper nutrition.
And because the family could afford spirit food, the problem never became serious.
At least not then.
---
Then came the beast tide.
The previous one.
The one that changed everything.
His parents never returned.
The family collapsed overnight.
Relatives who once smiled warmly suddenly revealed their true faces.
Property disappeared.
Inheritance vanished.
Promises were forgotten.
Like scavengers descending upon a corpse, they seized everything.
Within months, Lou Han and his younger sister had been driven from their home.
From Bing Region.
Into the slums.
The cruelest part was that they were still children.
Children trying to survive in a world where even adults struggled.
For several years, Lou Han worked every job he could find.
Carrying goods.
Cleaning stalls.
Delivering packages.
Harvesting herbs.
Even entering dangerous forest outskirts to gather medicinal plants.
All while supporting his younger sister.
During those years, the strange condition worsened.
There was no longer enough spirit rice.
No more yao beast meat.
No medicinal supplements.
The energy being consumed by his body could no longer be replenished properly.
Gradually—
His Qi and blood weakened.
His body became malnourished.
Even his skeletal development suffered.
When he eventually entered the Training Center and underwent examination—
His results were disappointing.
Grade C.
Average root bone.
Average bone structure.
Nothing remarkable.
Yet that assessment failed to tell the whole story.
Because while his body weakened—
His memory and learning speed increased, though it was hard to see the difference and the beginning.
---
On the battlefield, Lou Han stabbed another charging beast through the throat.
The movement was precise.
Efficient.
Almost flawless.
His spear techniques flowed naturally.
Every movement carried profound understanding.
Lin Sheng observed silently.
The Chip had analyzed Lou Han countless times.
And every analysis produced similar conclusions.
High comprehension.
Exceptional memory.
Rapid learning speed.
Whenever the mysterious condition absorbed his vitality—
His mental faculties seemed to improve slightly.
The effect was subtle.
Almost impossible to notice over short periods.
But over years?
The improvement became terrifying.
That was why Lou Han's cultivation progress had never matched his combat ability.
His cultivation realm might not be the highest.
Yet his mastery of techniques far exceeded most people.
His Spear Momentum was evidence of this.
Many rogue martial artists reached Peak Outer Strength without ever comprehending Momentum.
Yet Lou Han had already stepped onto that path.
His understanding was simply too strong.
Even Lin Sheng occasionally felt surprised by his growth rate.
Which only made the mystery more concerning.
"What exactly are you?"
Lin Sheng wondered silently.
His Mental Field occasionally scanned Lou Han's body.
The Chip continuously gathered data.
Yet even now, no definitive answer existed.
Something hidden deep within his friend remained concealed.
---
Boom!
A nearby explosion interrupted his thoughts.
A massive ape beast charged through a ruined street.
Its cultivation had reached Rank-1 Late Stage.
The creature smashed aside two cultivators before roaring furiously.
Several people retreated in panic.
"Move!"
"It's a late-stage beast!"
"Get away!"
The ape raised its arm.
Preparing to crush a wounded cultivator.
Before the attack could land—
A spear shot forward.
Puchi!
The spear pierced directly through the beast's eye.
The creature screamed.
A second later—
Lou Han appeared.
His spear moved like flowing water.
One thrust.
Two thrusts.
Three thrusts.
Each strike landed on a vital point.
Momentum erupted.
The ape beast staggered.
Then collapsed.
Dead.
Several nearby cultivators stared in shock.
"That was clean."
"Too clean."
"Amazing spear technique."
Lou Han withdrew his weapon calmly.
---
Not far away, Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes.
The Chip suddenly displayed a familiar notification.
[Anomaly Detected.]
His attention sharpened.
The fluctuation had come from the core region of the forest. Before he could contemplate a shockwave reached the battlefield blowing most people off their feet.
It was at least Second tier, maybe almost higher, two auras were clashing within the centre as rays of Gangqi and lightning collided with each other.
Seeing this the righteous cultivators cheered as it seemed the fight has reached its climax as the Martial Guardian and the Yao beast were clashing meaning the fight waves was about to stop. If the Guardian lost then the range of the Cloud Mist Forest will be extended past the market taking it but if the the Mutated beast lost then the beast tide would have to be stopped with most of the forest a free range for the human race