Chapter 1 The Beginning

Boom!

Boom!

The beast tide, like a mountain and an ocean, submerged everything.

Before that small mountain village, a gray-clad man stood like a dam against the tide, preventing the surging beast tide from advancing an inch. Countless beasts crashed and died against the tangible wall of Qi!

The power of his aura caused the villagers to feel as if they had seen a god, filled with awe.

Many knelt on the ground, kowtowing in thanks for the deity's life-saving grace.

"Chief!"

"Chief!"

Figures darted out from behind the mountain village, drawing swords and protecting the vicinity.

These were all highly skilled martial artists, but they couldn't help but tremble at the sight of the overwhelming beast tide. Only Shenmai (divine meridian) experts could contend against such terrifying power.

Qimai (Qi meridian) experts could only protect themselves.

Those below the Qimai level wouldn't even be left with a complete corpse.

Because the impact was too terrifying. Many among them had participated in the Nantian Mountain hunt and knew that this power was almost comparable to the charge of the Golden Wolf Royal Court's eight hundred thousand cavalry.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Before the mountain village, the air currents howled, and in the midst of the fierce gale, the large man stood alone. His gray robe spread for miles with the surging true Qi, his aura as majestic as a mountain.

Countless beasts were shattered into bloody mud by his extremely forceful palm strikes, piling up into a wall of flesh and blood. Finally, accompanied by shrill screams, the myriad beast tide split and flowed away,

Bypassing the mountain village and fleeing into the distance.

After a long time, the large man turned around, his expression grave.

"Elder Wang, Elder Fang, Elder He, what is the situation in the direction you came from?"

Some villagers looked up and finally saw the large man's appearance. He was clad in a gray robe, standing nine feet tall, with long arms and legs, thick eyebrows and large eyes, a high nose and wide mouth, and deep eyes, like the depths of a lake, yet shining with a different kind of light.

"The situation is not optimistic."

The man called Elder Wang took two steps forward, his face darkening.

"Nearly all the villages within dozens of miles have been razed. Although the able-bodied men, women, and children in the villages escaped disaster by hiding in cellars, they have no food and no shelter. I fear..."

The other Beggar Clan experts looked at the surrounding devastation, their faces also dim.

Coming from poor backgrounds, they knew what it meant for these common people, who could barely fill their stomachs on normal days, when all their fields were destroyed before the year was even half over.

Wang Jianglong gazed at the distant mountains, still billowing with thick smoke, a look of grimness appearing on his face.

"Setting fire to the mountains, a crime deserving ten thousand deaths!"

Liangzhou was mostly mountainous, and many of the mountain people relied on the mountains for their livelihoods. The casualties caused by this fire were beyond words. Even if the fire was extinguished, the problems left behind would be enormous.

It could be said to be a scene of corpses strewn across the fields.

"Chief Wang, before I came, I saw the Qianshan Pass army mobilized, with tens of thousands of troops hunting down the beasts. Garrisons from other passes and cities have also been mobilized. The beast tide should not spread again."

Elder He sighed softly.

"However, those displaced people may not be properly resettled."

"The fire is still spreading, and the beasts will probably only increase..."

Fang Changlong shook his head slightly, not optimistic.

The mountains of Liangzhou stretched for tens of thousands of miles, and the number of beasts within them was countless. What had run out now was probably less than one ten-thousandth. The Liangzhou garrison might be able to control the situation.

But if the fire continued to spread, they might not be able to control it.

"Three Elders!"

Wang Jianglong glanced at the villagers in the mountain village and then gave an order.

"I will enter the mountains to put out the fire and provide disaster relief. The task of hunting down the beast tide will be left to the three of you. I have already sent messages by carrier pigeon to the various branch halls. Be sure to use the greatest strength to help the victims!"

"Yes!"

The three men were all serious, bowing and saying, "We will certainly not fail the Chief's trust!"

"That old man Yun only says that my Beggar Clan harbors filth. This time, I will let him see how my Beggar Clan acts!"

Wang Jianglong waved his sleeve.

With a leap, his body soared into the air, stepping on the air currents and gales, like a thunderclap, heading straight into the burning mountains.

"Chief..."

Seeing Wang Jianglong heading straight for the mountains, the three elders exchanged glances, all feeling somewhat worried.

Wang Jianglong's martial arts had reached the pinnacle, and he was impervious to water and fire. If he was only putting out the fire, they wouldn't worry.

But they now knew that this fire was related to the Hongri (Red Sun) Dharma King. If Wang Jianglong encountered the Hongri Dharma King while putting out the fire, that would be truly dangerous.

Although Wang Jianglong was strong, the Hongri Dharma King was an old demon who had made a name for himself even before Pang Wanyang.

If they clashed, the outcome would be difficult to predict.

But just as Wang Jianglong had decided, no one could dissuade him.

The highest good is like water; Jianglong (Subduing Dragon) has no regrets. In this martial world, there are only names given wrongly, not nicknames.

........

Boom!

Boom!

Atop the mountains, the air currents howled.

A golden eagle, as if cast from pure gold, spread its wings and flew, cutting through the layers of air currents.

A group of people stood on the golden eagle's back, looking at the mountains engulfed in flames, each with a grim expression.

Before the group was a middle-aged man in a golden python robe, with a slender physique.

The middle-aged man was incomparably handsome, and his three-foot-long beard glowed red. He had an air of grace and nobility.

At this moment, his sword-like eyebrows were raised, and his eyes contained a murderous aura.

"Lord Bu Shen (God Catcher), according to the Golden Feather Eagle's message, the Hongri Dharma King is still lingering in the mountains after setting them on fire, and has not left yet..."

A young man in black garb, holding a black iron long staff, with a cold expression, bowed and said,

"Could there be a trap?"

His name was Xiao Qingguo, a famous catcher of the Six Doors, a master on par with Xue Chaoyang and Tuoba Chongguang.

Now, he was one of the only two remaining famous catchers.

The other was Gongyang Yuan, who stood beside him, dressed like an old farmer.

This Gongyang Yuan was also the most senior of the Six Doors' six famous catchers. It was said that decades ago, he had pursued Pang Wanyang and even fought him without dying.

Among the six famous catchers, he was the first.

His status in the Six Doors was extremely high, because Bu Shen was his disciple.

"Setting fire to the mountains in the heartland of my Da Feng, this Hongri is so rampant! And Yang Lin is so stupid as to join forces with the Six Hells Demonic Sect. Truly as stupid as a pig!"

Bu Shen's voice was cold, and his words were filled with a thick killing intent that even the howling wind currents at this altitude could not dissipate.

"When we return this time, Yang Lin must give this official an explanation!"

His words were stern, and his will spread across the sky like a tangible substance, causing the other captains to tremble in their hearts.

Compared to the Brocade-Clothed Guard's Yang Lin, the Eastern Depot's Cao Tiangang, and the Qin Tian Jian's Han Changgong, Bu Shen was the true god of death.

In decades, he had destroyed countless sects and factions. At least ten thousand martial arts experts had died at his hands. He was a truly fearsome figure who could stop children from crying at night.

"Now is not the time to seek responsibility."

Gongyang Yuan said slowly.

"That Feng Qingxuan was, after all, the Six Hells Demonic Sect's Holy Son. It's inevitable that they would go mad after the Holy Son died. I'm already somewhat surprised that Pang Wanyang hasn't come in person.

It seems he has received a challenge from the old baldy Yixiu."

At this time and place, only he dared to speak to Bu Shen in such a way.

"That Feng Qingxuan was killed because his skills were lacking. It's only right, but this Six Hells Demonic Sect is hateful and laughable for being unable to avenge him and instead setting fire to the mountains and driving beasts."

Bu Shen turned around and bowed slightly.

"Teacher, why did you have to come this time? That Hongri has been famous for a long time. Once a battle starts, this disciple may not be able to protect you completely."

"This old man isn't so old that he can't move. Why would I need you to protect me?"

Gongyang Yuan didn't accept this, his face quite cold.

"That Yun Haitian can exchange a few moves with Wang Jianglong. Would this old man be afraid of that Hongri Dharma King?"

Hearing his impolite words, the other captains kept their eyes and noses to themselves, silently.

The relationship between this pair of master and disciple was very strange.

That Gongyang Yuan had become famous at a young age, and he had achieved the Qimai stage when he was barely twenty. He had once been the successor to the old Bu Shen, but he never expected to be surpassed by his own disciple. It was inevitable that he would feel unhappy.

"Wang Jianglong has known that Yun Haitian for many years. Although they are on bad terms, how much killing intent does Wang Jianglong have? That Hongri Dharma King's strength is still above Wang Jianglong's. You..."

Bu Shen wanted to say more, but seeing the old man's bad expression, he stopped.

He looked at the other captains, especially the new famous catchers he had promoted.

The Six Doors originally only had six famous catchers, but that didn't mean that the Six Doors only had six Qimai experts. On the contrary, as he destroyed sects and factions, countless experts defected to him.

Not long after Xue Chaoyang died, he promoted several new famous catchers.

"Later, you will only be responsible for preventing the fire from spreading, especially not letting the fire spread towards Zhongzhou. If the king's hunting grounds are burned, you will all bring your heads to me!"

"Yes!"

Everyone had serious expressions, all responding.

Even Gongyang Yuan didn't dare to disobey after Bu Shen gave the formal order.

Roar~~~

Gradually, everyone heard a roar that seemed to roll in from the distant clouds like thunder.

"Descend!"

Bu Shen's eyes turned cold, and the golden eagle beneath him let out a soft cry, then swooped down, heading straight for the fiercely burning mountains.

Having descended only a few hundred feet, everyone already felt the heat wave rushing towards them.

The temperature of the mountains, which had been burning for several days, was so high that even they were slightly discolored. Fortunately, after the Qimai was formed, they were not afraid of water and fire. If they were ordinary people, they would soon die in such high temperatures.

Whoosh, whoosh~

When they were still hundreds of feet away from the mountains, the many captains on the golden eagle stepped out in unison, pouncing towards the edge of the fiery mountains like flying eagles.

Then, the golden eagle pulled up and roared towards the clouds again.

Everyone looked up and saw a head the size of a house, full of ferocity, protruding from the clouds.

Then, a flood dragon more than ten feet long, dragging scorching air currents, incomparably fierce, pounced down from the sky.

"Liu Yanchang, do you think you can catch up with this old man just because you borrowed Han Changgong's Golden Eagle King?"

Between the horns on the dragon's head, the Hongri Dharma King stood with his hands behind his back. The surging air currents howled and raged, but they did not lift the hood on his head.

His voice boomed like thunder.

The sky seemed to suddenly light up with a great sun, and then, like a shooting star, it crashed down.

"This old man is simply restless and wants to see how much you weigh and whether you deserve the name Bu Shen!"