The clattering of hooves thundered through the heavens and earth. Within the Monster Beast Mountain Range, a black spiritual steed galloped like a phantom. Wherever it passed, all life retreated in fear.
Inside the carriage, Shen Lian sat with his eyes closed, regulating his breath and adjusting his state to its peak.
After two days of travel, he finally arrived at the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Without pausing, he drove the Netherworld Carriage directly into the depths.
“Hyah—”
Suddenly, the warhorse neighed sharply and came to a stop. Shen Lian slowly opened his eyes and lifted the curtain. What met his gaze was a field littered with severed human limbs—gruesome and horrifying.
“Hmm?”
With a soft murmur, Shen Lian seemed to notice something. He leapt down from the carriage and approached a sunken mud pit to investigate.
It was a massive crater over 100 meters wide and 3 meters deep. Shen Lian closed his eyes and contemplated for a moment, then a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
“These are the footprints of a Three-Headed Land Dragon. Seems the memories of that waste who used my physical body weren’t entirely useless. At least he dared to mark some things down.”
After mocking the previous owner of his body, Shen Lian immediately unfurled his folding fan. With his other hand, he slowly opened his palm.
“Let me see just how many moves you can withstand before me, you beast!”
The moment his palm clenched, fierce winds surged around him.
“Hyah—”
Behind him, the Netherworld steed neighed loudly, as if resonating with his intent. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a black mist that enveloped Shen Lian, then reformed into a spirit horse and dashed forward with great speed.
…
“Junior Sister, I’ll try to draw the beast away later. You must run in the other direction and whatever happens, don’t look back. Understand?”
“No, Senior Brother. If we leave, we leave together. We are disciples of the same sect—how could I abandon you?”
Deep in the plains of the Monster Beast Mountain Range, a man and a woman—both only at the Pill Condensation Realm—hid behind a granite boulder, trying hard to calm their nerves.
They were disciples of the Cloud Thunder Sect. The man was Han Zhirang, and the woman was Sun Xiuying.
“Roar—”
Outside the boulder, a massive three-headed beast exuded a crushing aura as it stalked slowly in search of its prey. Everywhere it passed, shattered corpses of cultivators and broken weapons littered the ground—a blood-soaked scene of carnage.
These disciples had truly been unlucky. They were only meant to patrol the outer edges of the Monster Beast Mountain Range, dealing with low-tier beasts. Yet they had stumbled into a 7th-tier beast comparable to the Tribulation Crossing Realm.
The outcome was predictable. Nearly a thousand sect disciples were wiped out like chickens and dogs before the Three-Headed Land Dragon. Only the two Cloud Thunder Sect disciples had narrowly escaped and survived.
“Roar—”
A thunderous roar erupted, shaking the skies. Han Zhirang and Sun Xiuying clutched their ears in pain, forced to endure the sonic onslaught of the Three-Headed Land Dragon.
Once the roar subsided, both swallowed a Meridian Soothing Pill. The beast’s roar had already caused internal injuries to them.
Heavy footsteps approached the boulder.
Realizing that their position was exposed, Han Zhirang showed a look of resolve and grabbed Sun Xiuying’s shoulder.
“Junior Sister, go now! You must survive and report what happened here to the Sect Master!”
“No! Senior Brother!”
Before she could finish, Han Zhirang had already leapt out, fury in his eyes.
Standing before the beast that loomed like a twin iron tower, even with death in mind, fear still crept into his heart.
“Beast! I’m right here. Come after me if you dare!”
He roared and rode his sword into the sky, flying in the opposite direction.
“Roar—”
“Senior Brother!”
Sun Xiuying’s eyes turned red with anguish. She couldn’t bear to leave him behind and immediately gave chase.
“Junior Sister, you…”
Seeing her follow, Han Zhirang didn’t know what to say.
“Senior Brother, if we die, we die together!” Sun Xiuying said firmly.
“Fine then, Junior Sister. Let’s go together.”
At that point, Han Zhirang could only turn back and flee with Sun Xiuying, dodging the pursuit of the Three-Headed Land Dragon.
“Roar—”
The beast roared again and charged forward. In the blink of an eye, it had caught up.
“Beast!”
Knowing there was no way to escape, Han Zhirang turned and unleashed all his Spiritual Energy into the tip of his sword and stabbed with full force.
Yet the attack, which would’ve shocked any mortal, was no more than child’s play in the beast’s eyes.
With a flick of one claw, a surge of violent wind blasted Han Zhirang hundreds of meters away.
“Senior Brother!”
Sun Xiuying screamed and rushed toward where Han Zhirang had fallen.
The Three-Headed Land Dragon didn’t immediately pounce—it trailed behind slowly, as if toying with its prey.
Frantically searching, Sun Xiuying finally found Han Zhirang barely breathing beside a rock.
“Senior Brother, hang on!”
She tearfully clung to him, pulling out a healing pill and stuffing it into his mouth. The moment he swallowed, some color returned to his face.
Seeing Sun Xiuying’s delicate, tearful face, Han Zhirang showed a look of regret.
“Fool… why didn’t you just listen…”
“Senior Brother, we’ve cultivated together for over thirty years. You think I could abandon you and survive alone? How heartless would that be?”
“Junior Sister…”
“If you die, I won’t live alone.”
“Sigh…”
Before they could express more, the beast’s thunderous steps approached once again.
Sun Xiuying drew her sword and shielded Han Zhirang.
“Junior Sister!”
Han Zhirang reached out to stop her, but she turned back with a smile.
“Senior Brother, you’ve always protected me. This time, let me protect you.”
With that, she charged at the Three-Headed Land Dragon.
“No! Stop! Junior Sister, don’t!”
Han Zhirang could only watch as Sun Xiuying’s petite figure dashed toward the beast, powerless to intervene, screaming in agony.
With determination in her eyes, Sun Xiuying thrust her sword at the beast’s heart.
But the next moment, a single roar from the Three-Headed Land Dragon sent her flying backward.
“Am I… dying?”
As her body tumbled through the air, she stared at the blue sky, her mind going blank.
Clip-clop—
“Hoofbeats? Is this the underworld coming to take my soul?”
At that moment, she slowly closed her eyes.
The sound of hooves grew louder.
Then, she felt herself fall into a firm, warm chest. It felt so safe, so comforting, that a faint smile appeared on her face.
After an unknown amount of time, she still hadn’t felt the pain of hitting the ground. She opened her eyes.
A handsome, unfamiliar face appeared in her vision, causing a strange flutter in her heart.
What a handsome man… but why wasn’t he looking at me?
Suddenly, sharp pain flared in her shoulder.
The hand that held her had tightened.
Before she could react, she heard—
“Trash, get out of the way. Don’t block the road!”
With that, Shen Lian flung Sun Xiuying backward. She flew toward Han Zhirang.
“Junior Sister!”
Han Zhirang mustered his last bit of strength and caught her.
“Are you alright, Junior Sister?”
“I’m fine. Senior Brother… who was that…?”
Han Zhirang shook his head.
“Roar—”
Suddenly, the Three-Headed Land Dragon let out a deafening roar, as if it had encountered an overwhelming threat.
Mountains crumbled. The world trembled.
Standing in the heart of the shockwave, Shen Lian lightly shook his fan, unmoved, his gaze sharp as blades.
As the roar died down, his arrogant voice rang out.
“A beast like you dares to open your mouth before me? I’ll turn your death into the brilliance of my victory! Hahaha—”
With laughter echoing, Shen Lian suddenly shot into the sky like lightning.
The Three-Headed Land Dragon looked up and revealed a terrified expression.
Above, a giant blade of Spiritual Energy, hundreds of meters long, materialized in the air.
“Falling Star Annihilation Slash!”
Boom—
The blade fell. Dao aura surged, sweeping across hundreds of kilometers.
When the dust cleared, the Three-Headed Land Dragon had been reduced to ash. Only a single purple core hovered gently before Shen Lian.