This day.

Xu Ping was cultivating in his room when a sudden beast roar penetrated the array and entered his ears.

His eyes abruptly opened, carrying a hint of seriousness: "Is this... a second-stage demon beast?"

The roar of a first rank demon beast would not have such strong penetration.

"The beast tide hasn't started yet... and already a second-stage demon beast has appeared in a place a thousand miles away from the Immortal City?" Xu Ping's heart grew heavy.

He dared not imagine the current situation in the Immortal City, nor dared imagine how many demon beasts would appear once the beast tide fully erupted.

Thinking of this, Xu Ping could no longer sit still.

He pushed the door open and set up his escape light, rushing toward Spirit Lake.

As a result, he had just flown to the edge of Spirit Lake when he encountered Chen Li and his party, who were heading for the island in the center of the lake, looking disheveled.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, did you encounter a second-stage demon beast?"

Xu Ping descended, his gaze falling on Chen Li and his party.

Members of the Chen family were alright, just looking a bit embarrassed, without any injuries.

But a few of Qiu Xuan Mountain's Qi cultivation disciples were miserable, each carrying injuries.

One even had a missing arm and fell into a coma.

"It was originally just a small group of demon beasts. Unexpectedly, a second-stage lower grade demon beast and more than ten first rank upper grade demon beasts suddenly emerged, catching us off guard."

"I couldn't rescue them in time and also implicated Qiu Xuan Mountain's distinguished disciples getting injured." Chen Li sighed helplessly, a hint of apology between his brows.

"Senior Chen, your words are too kind. This second-stage demon beast's ambush was unforeseeable. If it weren't for Senior Chen leading us to break through, we might have already fallen to the beasts." Said a relatively lightly injured disciple of Qiu Xuan Mountain.

'These people are beyond help, being sold and still helping count the money.' Xu Ping shook his head inwardly.

Although the Chen family's methods were simple, just sugar-coated cannonballs, they were particularly effective on a few people.

"The distinguished disciples of Qiu Xuan Mountain are truly noble in character!" Chen Li spoke another word of praise.

Upon hearing, several people involuntarily puffed out their chests as if accomplishing something worthy of pride.

Xu Ping felt speechless inside, but was too lazy to manage.

After reassuring the Qiu Xuan Mountain's few Qi cultivation disciples, Chen Li turned his gaze to Xu Ping: "Fellow Daoist Xu, I hope you can help us slaughter this demon beast."

"It's within my duty." Xu Ping agreed immediately.

A second-stage lower grade demon beast alone posed no threat to him.

The two discussed for a while, bringing along dozens of mid to late-stage Qi cultivation Chen family disciples, and set off to hunt the demon beast.

...

In a dense forest.

A small group of demon beasts, led by a giant rat with a body length of one zhang, surrounded and killed a group of cultivators.

This giant rat was a second-stage demon beast, and these cultivators were merely in the Qi refining realm, how could they be opponents?

In just a moment, these cultivators were killed amidst screams.

Chirp! Chirp!

The giant rat raised its head, its beast roar sweeping through all directions.

At this moment.

A cold light suddenly appeared!

A wisp of dagger phantom, like a lurking snake spitting its tongue, flashed toward the giant rat with lightning speed.

The giant rat reacted swiftly, hissed, then released its innate secret technique; instantly, a violent vortex of yellow sand, spanning more than twenty zhang, appeared in front of it, trapping the dagger within.

The clash of magical artifacts against sandy gravel produced an ear-piercing grinding sound, and the dagger artifact could not break free for a moment.

The giant rat hadn't even let out a sigh of relief when a dazzling sword qi came from the north, sweeping across the sky toward it in an instant.

Chirp! Chirp!

Terror showed in the eyes of the giant rat as it dodged swiftly.

Boom!

The sword qi left a two-foot-long wound on the giant rat, its power unabated, killing several first rank upper grade demon beasts in succession before dissipating.

"Amazing swordsmanship!" Chen Li sincerely praised.

He never expected that besides being so skilled in alchemy, Xu Ping also possessed such an extraordinary level of swordsmanship.

With such talent, he might have hope even in the late-stage foundation establishment in the future, and even the Golden Core was not an impossibility.

He was a big thigh to hang onto!

Having received aid from Qiu Xuan Zhenren, the Chen family naturally understood the importance of holding onto a powerful ally.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, you flatter me. The swordsmanship I have can only barely be considered passable. It's not time for small talk yet, let's slay these demon beasts first."

Xu Ping held the Purple Sun Sword and set up his escape light, charging toward the giant rat demon.

Chen Li also followed closely behind.

"Slay!"

Xu Ping deployed the Primordial Sword Skill, each streak of sword qi slashing like thunder onto the giant rat demon, leaving bleeding wounds.

Chen Li summoned a blue giant axe, slashing at the giant rat demon.

Under the assault of both, the giant rat demon fell into a decidedly disadvantaged position.

If it hadn't been so agile, dodging many lethal attacks, its head and body might have been severed by now.

But it couldn't dodge for long. Next, just a little wear and it could be steadily killed.

Just then!

Suddenly!

Boom!

From beneath Xu Ping's position, the ground exploded with dirt and stones, dust flew up, and a massive, extremely muscular brownish-yellow rat-shaped demon beast, with claws and teeth like metal and iron, sprang out.

Its claws and teeth, like metal, carried an evil wind, grabbing towards Xu Ping.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, be careful." Chen Li was shocked; he had not anticipated another second-stage rat demon hidden underground.

He had swept with his divine sense, how could he not have discovered it!

The sudden attack was truly deadly!

Not only Chen Li had not discovered it, but even Xu Ping's divine sense had not detected it.

One must know his divine sense was stronger than an average mid-stage foundation establishment cultivator.

After the initial panic, Xu Ping quickly calmed down. If it were an ordinary cultivator under such a sneak attack, they would surely be doomed.

He performed a spell and shouted in a low voice: "Blood Demon True Form!"

In an instant, his physique began to swell, transforming into a robust man more than two meters tall, with blood light coursing over his skin.

Describing takes longer than it took to happen, but it all occurred in just a brief moment.

Xu Ping unhesitatingly swung a punch.

Boom!

With a loud noise, a wave of air exploded at the center of the man and demon beast, sweeping all around!

After a moment of stalemate, Xu Ping's strength prevailed, directly driving the brownish-yellow rat-shaped demon beast into the ground, creating a deep pit, dust flying all around.

"Second... second-stage body refining!" Chen Li's eyes bulged out.

Second-stage body refining wasn't an uncommon technique, but it required a massive amount of time and resources.

How was he able to achieve this? Did he have that much time for cultivation?

A seasoned second-stage lower grade alchemist, an exceedingly strong swordsmanship, and an uncommon second-stage body refining.

Each alone required a vast amount of time or spirit stones.

Yet he managed to achieve all of them simultaneously.

Could this be talent?

In the void, Xu Ping grinned and clenched his fist.

Though he sent the brownish-yellow rat-shaped demon beast flying, he wasn't unscathed, his right hand was now a bloody mess.

Compared to the beast's claws, his bare hands had evidently weaker defensive power.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, one each!"

After casting a Hemostasis Skill on his right hand, Xu Ping wielded his sword and charged toward the brownish-yellow rat-shaped demon beast.

Given his physique, such an injury was no major concern.

And naturally, Chen Li had no objections.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.