The three flying swords circled the savage beast, keeping it locked in combat. Suddenly it opened its mouth and spat a burst of green flame onto one of the swords.
The green fire immediately began burning with a sizzling sound. A blackened patch spread across the blade, which turned dull and foul in an instant.
The male cultivator who owned it grew furious. Muttering an incantation and circulating his true essence, he made the sword flare with spiritual light. The corruption was forcibly driven out, falling to the ground in drops of turbid liquid.
“That damned beast dares touch my flying sword! Junior Brother, Junior Sister, strike harder!” he shouted.
The young woman laughed brightly. “Just watch, Senior Brother!”
The other man began chanting as well. Before long, two flying swords crossed paths and severed the savage beast’s head. It died on the spot.
But at that moment the two three-horned beasts crouching nearby began roaring.
They sprang forward, opening their jaws to snap at the flying swords.
The two creatures had offered the golden-horned beast no help earlier, but now they showed no mercy and rushed directly toward the three cultivators!
At the same time, five more savage beasts stamped out of the den with heavy, rumbling footfalls. All five had three horns.
In the blink of an eye, seven three-horned black-horned beasts stood before the three cultivators. Every one was comparable in strength to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Their heads were hideous, their black pelts gleamed with oil, and sharp spikes protruded from their bodies. Their three horns shone with a cold, cutting luster. Each heavy stamp of their hooves shook and cracked the ground, while a sweep of a long tail could shatter stone and metal!
When she sensed the auras of these beasts, the young woman’s pretty face turned white. Her two senior brothers looked equally grim.
It was too late. The three were already surrounded.
They shuddered, finally realizing something was terribly wrong.
All the beasts they had previously encountered had possessed no more than two horns and had been easy to kill. But now, facing the three-horned creatures and feeling their oppressive auras, they were suddenly seized by intense fear.
The woman stammered, “Se-Senior Brother…”
The man with the highest cultivation gritted his teeth. “We fight!”
The other man answered fiercely, “Kill them!”
They immediately summoned their flying swords again and formed a Three Talents Sword Formation.
The three swords shone brilliantly, swiftly arranging themselves in a triangular formation, with one sword above the other two, as they darted up and down.
The swords positioned on the left and right released streams of green wind. Combining with the icy-blue sword, they generated an extraordinary force.
In an instant, a torrent of bitterly cold frost surged outward and became dense layers of icy mist, freezing the two savage beasts facing them! The creatures turned into lifelike ice statues, unable to move.
The mist spread quickly in all directions as though it meant to freeze the remaining beasts as well. But they opened their mouths and spat clouds of green flame, much stronger than those produced by the golden-horned beast. The flames engulfed the mist layer after layer, converting it into sticky green liquid that fell and corroded broad swaths of wild grass.
The three cultivators refused to give in. With their lives at stake, they hurriedly poured more true essence into their flying swords, summoning fresh icy mist.
The sword formation was a lifesaving technique their sect had bestowed upon them, one they had practiced together for years. If it was broken now, they feared they would have no way to recover.
Unfortunately, despite its power, they understood only a few basic variations of the Three Talents Sword Formation.
The icy mist was indeed formidable, but against so many savage beasts it could not prevail. The formation possessed other variations, yet the three were not sword cultivators and could not adjust it flexibly.
Thus, however much power they poured into the formation, the icy mist could only relieve their immediate danger.
The green flames swept forward like a spreading sea of fire. Despite their efforts, the icy mist retreated steadily until it covered a space only five or six chi across, barely enough to protect their bodies.
And even then, it continued to shrink.
Suddenly the green flames exploded outward. The ice mist could not resist. Fire caught the hem of the young woman’s skirt, and with a whoosh, flames rose three chi high.
The woman was horrified. She jerked her icy-blue sword back and slashed at her skirt, trying to cut away the burning fabric. But in her haste, she missed her target. Her two senior brothers also withdrew their swords and struck three times before finally freeing her from the danger.
Unfortunately, they had cut away far too much. Neither the skirt nor its lining survived, leaving a broad expanse of her pale legs exposed. To her, this was a humiliation unlike anything she had ever suffered!
Who said savage beasts lacked intelligence? Plainly they could be quite cunning.
Although using green flame also consumed strength, the beasts enjoyed an overwhelming numerical advantage and feared no prolonged struggle. The greater the power of the Three Talents Sword Formation, the more true essence it demanded, and its cultivators could not sustain the confrontation indefinitely.
Sure enough, before long the sword formation collapsed. Their true essence was more than half spent, leaving them little strength to escape. Were they now to be slaughtered at the beasts’ leisure?
The three cultivators realized that the situation was hopeless. All their previous pride and feelings of superiority vanished.
Only now did they understand how difficult the world truly was and how shallow their experience had been.
No matter how deeply they regretted their actions, all that seemed left was death.
But with matters at such a pass, Xu Ziqing could no longer stand by.
If he delayed any longer, all three would undoubtedly die. Although they had been reckless and foolhardy, they did not deserve to perish in a beast’s belly. Since he had witnessed their plight, as a fellow immortal-path cultivator he ought to help them.
Without further hesitation, Xu Ziqing swept a hand across his face. A mask woven from grass essence now covered it.
He circulated his cultivation art, and a long green vine sprang from his hand and shot forward!
The several three-horned beasts were watching the three immortal cultivators hungrily, convinced their prey was already theirs. Unexpectedly a green vine burst from the side, wrapped all three people together, and dragged them backward.
The three were startled, but immediately realized someone had come to rescue them. They dared neither struggle nor speak.
A flash of green light appeared before the humans and beasts. A green figure materialized, then flickered again. Together with the three people, he transformed into a streak of escaping light and vanished without a trace.
Five of the three-horned beasts lifted their heads and howled furiously. Soon a mighty will erupted from deep within the den, searched the surrounding region with extraordinary speed, then withdrew.
Xu Ziqing had seized the right moment, one he had been preparing for, to snatch the cultivators from the beasts’ jaws.
His Wood-Escape Art was excellent, but carrying three people made the technique more cumbersome than usual. Moreover, he was deeply worried that the fourth-rank savage beast within the den might be alerted and emerge. The instant he rescued them, he therefore used ninety percent of his strength to flee as fast as possible, never pausing for an instant.
He traveled continuously until the beast den was several hundred li behind him, only then beginning to slow.
This was an immense tract of grassland. No large herds of savage beasts lived within a hundred li, and the occasional small group could pose little threat to Xu Ziqing.
He stopped here, recalled the green vine, and set the three people down.
The three immortal-path cultivators had scarcely steadied themselves before seeing a green-robed senior before them. Although his face was masked, they could tell his cultivation was respectable and his bearing mild.
Instinctively they felt somewhat reassured.
The oldest male cultivator bowed. “I am Sun Xinghong of Tianyang Sect. Together with my junior brother Shen Peng and junior sister Qin Xiu’er, I thank Senior for saving our lives.”
Xu Ziqing considered briefly, then changed his voice to a slightly deeper tone. “No need. All three of you are injured. You should leave immediately. That is the proper course.”
Having barely escaped with their lives, the three finally understood how outrageously reckless their earlier actions had been and were still badly shaken. But precisely because of that, they were unwilling to return in such disgrace.
Although Qin Xiu’er was the junior sister, her actual standing among them was high. She immediately said, “Senior saved our lives. We naturally ought to repay you.”
Xu Ziqing frowned. Why were they still lingering, and what did they intend to do?
Although he had rescued the three, he did not particularly like them. Otherwise, he would not have covered his face and disguised his voice.
But having seen Xu Ziqing intervene, the three assumed that he must be like them and would welcome the chance to earn some reputation.
Sun Xinghong understood Qin Xiu’er’s meaning and devised a plan of his own. “Senior, please hear us out. We became separated from our sect elders upon entering the plains and cannot easily contact them on short notice. We must first send a message and wait for them to collect us. Otherwise, we fear we will be unable to leave the plains safely.”
Shen Peng added, “We have suffered so terribly at the hands of the beasts that we cannot bear it. While waiting these few days for our elders to arrive, we don’t wish to waste our time. We would gladly accompany Senior in training and offer you everything we obtain. When our elders arrive, Tianyang Sect will certainly reward you generously.”
Qin Xiu’er asked, “What does Senior think?”
Xu Ziqing immediately felt displeased.
He could guess their intentions without much effort. But he was devoted to training, and Rongjin needed blood nourishment. Taking these three along would only cause endless trouble.
He certainly could not agree. It would be best to refuse at once.
Just as he prepared to speak, his expression changed slightly.
Malicious intent!
Four powerful auras were approaching from nearby!
Deep within the Savage Beast Plains, roughly a hundred beasts had gathered in a tightly packed group.
Each possessed four horns, some black and some red. The pressure of their combined strength formed an immensely powerful force!
The beasts stood layer upon layer, all their horns pointed inward, apparently surrounding something. Their numbers made it impossible to see what lay at the center.
Suddenly, icy sword intent surged into the sky. The savage beasts shrieked all around as the fierce sword light shook their heads apart with overwhelming power, scattering countless fragments of flesh and bone.
In an instant, dozens fell, leaving the herd considerably thinner.
Through the gaps, a corner of white clothing could be seen moving slowly in the violent wind created by their clashing forces.
Then a colossal golden sword rose into the air, more than a hundred zhang tall and radiating terrifying sword pressure.
Its boundless sharpness formed howling, cutting winds that circled and surged in every direction. They hissed as they passed, as though slicing apart space itself.
Before long, two beasts were struck by repeated sword blasts and hacked into hundreds of pieces. Blood sprayed everywhere. The herd surged in panic, yet for some reason could not escape the area. Whenever one strayed even slightly, it was shredded by innumerable invisible blades.
The colossal golden sword swept sideways. In a last desperate effort, the four-horned beasts spat streams of dark-green energy, but the oppressive sword pressure erased them completely.
The beasts themselves were cut in half at the waist.
Their entrails and inner cores spilled out and piled upon the ground.
Finally every savage beast lay dead. Not one had escaped. The battlefield had become a scene of carnage, with corpses everywhere and rivers of blood.
Only then was the figure they had surrounded fully revealed.
He was a stern-featured sword cultivator with a cold, solitary bearing, dressed in simple robes.
Although he had fought fiercely and killed hundreds of four-horned savage beasts, not a hair on his head had fallen out of place. His clothing was perfectly clean, without a single drop of blood upon it.
Icy killing intent flowed around him like mercury, so piercingly cold it seemed to freeze the surroundings.
Frost coated the grass and trees, and the air turned bitterly cold.
Then the sword cultivator raised his head and said coldly, “Come out, you rats.”