Chapter 29: The Beast Tide
Chapter 29: The Beast Tide
In a distant realm, known as the Otherworld, an underground base lay hidden.
Having dealt with the matters regarding the Eagle Star, Fang Xing immediately returned to this side.
Sensing the fresher air and the environment more conducive to martial arts practice, a look of excitement flashed across his face. "Before school starts, I'll stay here as much as possible, even if it means burning the midnight oil!"
His recent trip to the black market had given him much food for thought, and he had come to a deeper realization of his own weakness.
But there was no fear in acknowledging one's frailty; the only way forward was to strive and catch up.
"Hmm?"
Upon entering the monitoring room and checking the system logs, Fang Xing's expression suddenly changed. "What's going on? Why are there so many more beasts?"
In the surveillance footage from the past few days, the number of demonic beasts roaming around the base had increased drastically!
Even the fake grass on the ground looked as if it had been plowed, leaving the area in disarray, with pits and mounds of dirt everywhere.
"Hmm? Quite a few of the simulated bird-type drones are damaged..."
Fang Xing quickly released new drones and was met with astonishing scenes.
Across the vast land, demonic beasts roamed, ran, and played...
The territory once dominated by the wild boar demonic beasts now belonged to a group of tiny red ants, no larger than a fist.
And that fierce wild boar beast, which had claimed the lives of many warriors, had turned into a stark white skeleton, quietly standing in one place, as if silently lamenting its painful and unwilling demise.
"Although I heard about frequent demonic beast activity in the market last time... this sudden increase in their numbers is rather alarming."
"I still know too little about this world..."
Fang Xing sighed inwardly.
Despite the heightened danger outside, he had his reasons for needing to visit the market.
If nothing else, he needed to restock his supply of pills, spirit rice, and talismans!
'Finding a relatively safe route through the use of drones shouldn't be too difficult...'
'But the priority now is to check on the market situation... If Qinglin Market has been breached, then there's no point in going... No, it would be even more worthwhile to scavenge for valuables!'
Fang Xing's expression turned solemn. "Here, I have the nano-protective suit and the electric baton, which greatly enhance my strength when combined with talismans... But it's still not entirely safe. Perhaps..."
His thoughts turned to the item he had been longing for—the Xunlong-class laser gun! Of course, he couldn't afford the black market version, but the genuine article from the official store was within his reach.
Two hundred thousand was no small sum, but with a few more trips to the black market, he could earn it.
More crucially...
"Even if I can't use it against people, it can still take down demonic beasts!"
"It's just a shame that the 'cannot be used against people' program in the laser gun is built-in. Even if it can't connect to the network, it still enforces that restriction. Otherwise, it would be perfect..."
Fang Xing realized that his ability to traverse between two worlds had an additional benefit—it allowed him to circumvent certain restrictions.
For example, the basic nano-suit in his possession—ever since he had seen the backdoor-free version in the black market, he knew that his decision not to bring modern products back with him was the right one.
Of course, if the technological products in his hands could send data back to the Blue Star Federation across dimensions, then it would mean that the Federation already possessed interdimensional crossing technology, and Fang Xing could do nothing but admit defeat.
'Most of the Federation weapons obtainable through legitimate channels are not meant to be used against people... But I can bring them to the Otherworld and use them here. As long as there's no built-in program, I can bypass the restriction, and they won't even be able to alert anyone...'
'And the talismans and magical artifacts from the Otherworld... they would undoubtedly be very effective for committing crimes on Eagle Star, and the most crucial part is that they wouldn't leave any traces behind...'
All weapons had a source, but for Eagle Star, the talismans and artifacts would seem to 'appear out of thin air,' effectively cutting off many investigative leads.
'There's a possibility that it could be linked to the Evil God... After all, They, who hold dominion over the virtual space, should also be able to deploy certain resources... But what are cultists for, if not to take the fall?'
Fang Xing had no qualms about pinning the blame on them.
...
A soft rustling sound echoed through the forest as a few small birds flew by, their eyes glazed over, yet their bodies moved with agility.
Soon after, a figure emerged from the shadows, stealthily making his way forward. It was Fang Xing, in his original form, with his hair tied up in a bun and dressed in ancient attire. On his back, he carried a large basket containing various herbs.
After all, he had consumed a significant amount of spirit rice, and a trip to the market was necessary to replenish his supplies.
For this journey, he had deployed a large number of drones to find a suitable safe route, taking a rather lengthy detour, which was quite troublesome.
But the memory of the demonic beast he had seen earlier made him feel that taking the longer route was worth it.
"That demonic beast... it was over six or seven meters tall, and its claws were bigger than my entire body... It was either at the late Qi Refinement stage or comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage... Better safe than sorry."
He muttered to himself.
In Qinglin Market, Fang Xing had also heard about the general classification of demonic beasts. Those that could rival Qi Refinement stage cultivators were considered first-rank demonic beasts.
And the ones that matched the strength of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were the second-rank demonic beasts!
"It's possible that even second-rank demonic beasts have started to appear..."
"If it weren't for the fact that I saw the market being protected by a stable and secure formation in the surveillance footage, I wouldn't have dared to come here..."
Fang Xing grumbled, his brow furrowing as he sensed something amiss. "What's going on?"
Through a hummingbird drone scouting ahead, he witnessed an alarming scene.
This group of cultivators and warriors were surrounding and attacking a strange demonic beast.
The beast was over three meters long and resembled a tiger with red fur. Its body was adorned with dazzling patterns, and its coat shimmered with a faint radiant glow.
Even the wind blades and fireballs created by the talismans they wielded seemed to have little effect, as they were deflected without causing much harm.
"Are they hunting a demonic beast? Their coordination is quite skillful..."
Fang Xing took a closer look and noticed that there were five people, including both men and women. The leader appeared to be an elderly man in black robes who occasionally used talismans and chanted incantations, indicating that he was a cultivator.
The others displayed extraordinary movements and wielded various weapons. Their actions exuded an overwhelming power, signifying that they were likely warriors.
At that moment, the elderly man finished chanting and summoned a pale green wind blade that appeared in the palm of his outstretched hand.
A sharp aura immediately spread out, causing even the demonic tiger to become cautious.
"Wonderful! Big brother's Wind Blade technique is getting more and more proficient."
One of the four warriors, a voluptuous woman, exclaimed in admiration.
"Go!"
The elderly man pointed, and the green wind blade shot out, growing to over a meter in length as it absorbed green spiritual light from the air. Its speed was astonishing!
"Roar!"
The demonic tiger roared and tried to dodge, but a towering man with a massive iron hammer forced it back, leaving it no choice but to take the wind blade head-on.
Sizzle!
The radiant light on the tiger's fur had already dimmed from the previous round of attacks, and now it dissipated completely.
The wind blade sliced through the tiger's skin and flesh, leaving a large wound on its right shoulder.
If the tiger hadn't dodged slightly in mid-air, the wound might have landed on its neck.
"Well done!"
The warriors cheered, but the elderly man remained calm and took a few steps back. He pasted a golden talisman on his body and shouted, "Be careful of its counterattacks..."
Indeed, a wounded beast is the most dangerous! This principle applied to demonic beasts as well.
The tiger, drenched in blood, let out a sudden roar, its jaws wide open.
Threads of crimson light converged and condensed into a massive fireball, which it spat towards its attackers.
"Not good, dodge!"
The five people were caught off guard, and the tiger took advantage of the opening created by the fireball to flee.
"Damn it, after it!"
The elderly man burned a talisman in his hand, transforming into a gust of wind that enveloped his legs. It was the 'Wind Riding Talisman'!
The four warriors quickly gave chase. After all, they had scouted for a long time before encountering this lone and weakened demonic beast.
Moreover, they had already invested quite a bit in this hunt, and if the tiger escaped, each one of them would be frustrated beyond measure!
However, at that moment!
"Roar!"
A painful roar echoed from ahead, and the tiger seemed to be in agony.
"Stop!"
The elderly man immediately raised his right hand, signaling his four sworn siblings to halt, and they slowly approached with caution.
After passing through a bush, they saw the tiger lying on the ground, its fate unknown. Standing beside it was a young man in silver robes.
"Are you here to hunt this demonic tiger?"
Fang Xing, clad in silver and holding a staff, smiled and asked.
Ever since he had seen these five people, he decided to approach them and inquire about the latest news in the market.
After all, the drone footage could only confirm that the market hadn't been breached, but he needed to ask around to find out if anything had changed within it.
Fang Xing intended to gather information to ensure that there were no dangers in the market before entering to shop.
Otherwise... well... the Federation's nutritional liquid might not be the best, but it could suffice for the time being.
With the environment here, his martial arts training progress wouldn't be too slow...
"Indeed!"
The five people exchanged glances, and the elderly man in black stepped forward and introduced himself, "I am Chen Yi, and these are my four sworn siblings: Hua Feiyue, Chen Hongtian, Meng Yi, and Shen Yuxin, a married couple. We are honored to have gained your appreciation, Fellow Daoist. We are known as the 'Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan'."
This was a humble introduction, as one would need considerable skill to dare to hunt demonic beasts in the market at this time.
While the Five Chivalrous Brothers were insignificant to the three major powers in the market, they were not unknown among the lower-level cultivators.
"So it's the renowned Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan. It's an honor to meet you. I am Fang Xing," he said with a slight smile, his eyes sweeping over the group as he cupped his hands in greeting.
He intended to use his true identity to rent a house in the market and establish another hiding place, creating a complex network of safehouses. Therefore, he chose to reveal his true appearance.
After all, any disguise could eventually be seen through with prolonged interaction, so it was better to use his real face.
His true identity was clean and free of any troubles, so he could confidently build his network without worrying about attracting unwanted attention.
At this moment, the Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan looked thoughtful.
Chen Yi, the elderly man in black, was a cultivator who possessed a substantial collection of talismans, making him the strongest among the group.
Hua Feiyue, dressed in a peach-red skirt, exuded a seductive charm. Her age seemed to be around thirty, and she indeed resembled a juicy peach.
Chen Hongtian was the black-robed, towering man with the iron hammer. His face was chiseled, and he exuded a shrewd and formidable aura.
Meng Yi wore a blue Confucian robe and carried himself with elegance. Next to him was Shen Yuxin, who emanated the aura of a delicate and refined young lady. The two of them displayed a close and affectionate demeanor.
(End of Chapter)
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