"Get out!"
In the depths of the forest, after Li Xuan kicked away a giant snake that suddenly attacked him, his figure shot rapidly towards the distance. In that very instant, a bad premonition struck Li Xuan. It felt as if lingering in his current spot would lead to unpredictable consequences.
Hiss, hiss.
Indeed!
Just as Li Xuan's front foot had departed, no fewer than ten giant snakes emerged from the dense grass in different directions, swiftly pursuing Li Xuan.
Turning back to see this scene, Li Xuan's heart was filled with shock. Each of these giant snakes possessed the strength of the advanced Hunyuan Realm.
Facing over ten giant snakes, Li Xuan had no confidence that he could escape unscathed. Furthermore, engaging in a full-power fight would inevitably attract the attention of the terrifying beings within this forest. With this thought, Li Xuan increased his speed once more.
Twenty minutes later, having evaded the pursuit of the giant snakes, Li Xuan stopped and let out a breath of stale air, his expression quite weary.
During the time spent escaping, Li Xuan had to maintain intense focus, choosing paths away from areas of sensed energy, while also splitting his attention to observe the pursuit direction of the over ten giant snakes.
Not only that, but Li Xuan also had to be prepared for the fierce beasts hidden within the forest. Such high-intensity exertion was taxing even on Li Xuan's spiritual sense.
Fortunately, after nearly half an hour, Li Xuan finally found a relatively safe location.
"This forest must be no ordinary place on this continent, but why would the light of guidance cast me into this region?" Li Xuan mused, looking around his surroundings, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
In less than an hour, Li Xuan had encountered no less than thirty species of wild beasts. Having experienced it firsthand, Li Xuan naturally understood the terror of this forest. Even a strong cultivator of the Hunyuan Realm would likely find it difficult to survive.
Rumble!
Just then, a tremendous rumbling sound echoed. Feeling the tremor beneath his feet, Li Xuan's heart tightened, and he quickly moved away into the distance. Not even a minute after Li Xuan departed, a giant ape, over ten meters tall, appeared where he had previously stood. The giant ape looked up in the direction Li Xuan had gone, then let out a long roar and leaped, directly pursuing Li Xuan's path.
"Damn it!" Li Xuan, who had already sensed the giant ape's presence, couldn't help but curse under his breath as he felt its pursuing aura.
Although he didn't know why the giant ape was actively chasing him, Li Xuan knew it was not a good sign. Setting aside the relationship between Xuan Beasts and spiritual masters in this vast world, in Li Xuan's own understanding, Xuan Beasts and spiritual masters had never been friendly.
More importantly, this giant ape was one of the dangerous presences Li Xuan had sensed. With this thought, Li Xuan once again fled into the distance.
Roar!
Although Li Xuan was doing his utmost to escape, the giant ape was getting closer. With each enraged roar, towering trees were shattered and flung aside. Feeling the aura emanating from the giant ape, even Li Xuan felt a prickle of unease.
This giant ape's strength had reached the peak of the Daoyuan Realm. Coupled with the formidable defense of a Xuan Beast's physical body, it was clearly not something Li Xuan, who had just entered the Daoyuan Realm, could contend with.
"Young Master, what sins have you committed in your past life?" The voice of the Heavenly Dao Brush complained weakly in Li Xuan's mind.
Li Xuan's expression turned even more grim. He employed the Free and Easy Steps, galloping frantically forward. However, the giant ape's speed continued to close the gap.
Concurrently, on the other side of the forest, over ten young disciples, clad in uniform pale blue and white attire, were cornering an Azure Flame Beast with the strength of the advanced Hunyuan Realm. Despite their numbers, they were struggling to subdue it quickly.
On the edge of the battlefield, a woman in a tight red outfit watched the fight, eager to join. However, an elder beside her firmly grasped her hand, showing no intention of letting her participate in the encirclement.
"Uncle Xu, please let me go. Besides, with you watching over me, can this Azure Flame Beast even harm me?" Feeling the elder's grip, the red-clad woman turned to him helplessly and said.
The elder shook his head slightly and replied, "Miss Feng, this is an advanced Hunyuan Realm Azure Flame Beast. If it were to go berserk, even I would have to treat it with full caution. Furthermore, this is your first time participating in a hunt, Miss Feng. It's best to learn from your senior brothers' techniques and experience."
"But Uncle Xu..." The red-clad woman stomped her foot, glaring at the elder in frustration.
Bang!
At that moment, a loud bang sounded from not far away. The ten-odd disciples encircling the Azure Flame Beast all froze. Seizing the opening, the Azure Flame Beast charged out fiercely, disappearing into the forest within a few breaths.
"Uncle Xu, what was that sound?" Startled by the loud bang, the red-clad woman ignored the escaping Azure Flame Beast and nervously asked the elder.
"It's the aura of the Giant Ape Beast King. Judging by the commotion, it seems a major battle has occurred," the elder replied with a grave expression.
"One of the Twelve Beast Kings, the Giant Ape Beast King? Wonderful, let's go take a look!" The red-clad woman's eyes lit up at the news. She then broke free from the elder's grasp and, like a streak of fire, shot off towards the source of the sound.
"Miss!" The elder, snapping back to reality, saw this and his face changed drastically. He then moved, quickly chasing after the direction the red-clad woman had fled.
"Uncle Xu, look, there's someone here." Just as the elder caught up to the red-clad woman and before he could speak, she pointed to a mountain stream not far away.
"This person is so heavily injured. Could it be that the Giant Ape Beast King wounded him? No, no. Those Twelve Beast Kings are not to be trifled with. If they had injured this person, wouldn't they have taken his life?" The elder's previous words were swallowed as the red-clad woman spoke. After glancing at the man submerged in the water, he frowned slightly and said.
"Uncle Xu, see if he's still alive?" the red-clad woman asked.
"This... alright." The elder initially intended to refuse, but considering the red-clad woman's usual temperament, he eventually nodded and waved his hand, lifting the man from the stream and onto the ground.
"How is it? Uncle Xu?" Seeing this, the red-clad woman squatted down, looked at the man, and then looked up at the elder.
"He's still alive, but his injuries are severe. He likely won't live much longer. At least, I cannot heal him," the elder replied truthfully, shaking his head slightly.
"Uncle Xu, what about the Great Elder? With the Great Elder's strength, he should be able to heal him, right?" The red-clad woman furrowed her brows slightly, then her eyes lit up, and she asked.
"The Great Elder... This... Miss, this is an outsider, and his origins are unknown. It's likely..." The elder chuckled bitterly and shook his head.
"Mother taught me not to abandon those in need, especially in our Beast Domain, where humans are already scarce. Since I, Feng Baijiu, have encountered him, it means his fate is not to die. Uncle Xu, take him back to the clan," the red-clad woman said, standing up with a resolute expression.
"This..." The elder looked at Feng Baijiu with some hesitation. Seeing her expression, he sighed slightly and said, "Alright, alright. Since it is Miss's request, your old servant will comply."
Heavenly Dao Brush: "Young Master, your luck is truly quite good."
Li Xuan: "..."