Chapter 31: Gathering at the Cave’s End

In the direction of the basin, the Mighty Bull was already on the edge of the Beast Forest, having devoured over a hundred people alive. Amidst the desperate screams and frantic flight of countless hunters and low-level cultivators, a master from the city guard of Senyuan Town—Xing Kong—arrived, striding through the air, stepping on leaves with incredible speed.

Seeing the rampaging Mighty Bull, Xing Kong roared, “Beast, stop your slaughter!” Sword in hand, he charged at the monster.

The Mighty Bull, classified as a primary-level beast, possessed a certain degree of intelligence. It understood Xing Kong’s words and sensed his formidable presence, yet showed no fear. With a bellow, the Mighty Bull let out a provocative roar in Xing Kong’s direction.

Had Xing Kong comprehended the language of beasts, he would have realized the bull was taunting him.

With a sudden burst of force, the Mighty Bull charged straight at Xing Kong.

The flesh and blood of a cultivator held an irresistible allure for wild beasts. To them, the blood of a cultivator was like a potent elixir to humans, its scent drawing them in uncontrollably.

The Mighty Bull stared hungrily at Xing Kong, drooling at the prospect of devouring him. Compared to Xing Kong, the humans it had eaten before were mere scraps.

“Vile creature, courting death!”

Seeing the beast charge at him, Xing Kong burned with rage at its audacity.

The low-level cultivators and hunters, who had been fleeing in panic, breathed sighs of relief upon seeing a master confront the Mighty Bull. Ordinary hunters, exhausted from their frantic escape, collapsed to the ground, their bodies long past the point of fatigue.

“Wind Blade Slash!”

The sword in Xing Kong’s hand glowed with a faint azure light as the surrounding wind element visibly gathered around it, causing the glow to intensify.

As a wind-type cultivator, Xing Kong was confident in his strength. Even if the Mighty Bull, a ninth-level beast, possessed power equal to an ordinary cultivator, it was still no match for him and was simply seeking death.

Sensing the mortal danger radiating from Xing Kong’s sword, the Mighty Bull, far from foolish, skidded to a halt and abruptly turned to flee.

Stunned for a moment by the beast’s swift retreat, Xing Kong soon regained his senses and cursed, “Beast, how dare you toy with me!”

He unleashed his sword, sending forth the Wind Blade Slash—a massive arc of wind energy hurtling toward the Mighty Bull, obliterating grass and trees in its path.

With a bellow, the Mighty Bull, sensing the danger from behind, darted sideways, narrowly evading the wind blade. Glancing at the devastation left in its wake, the bull’s eyes narrowed in fear. Without daring to linger, it bolted back the way it had come.

Xing Kong gave furious chase, swearing to himself that he would slaughter the Mighty Bull.

Meanwhile, Dong Haohu, carried along by his ancestor, witnessed Xing Kong in hot pursuit of the beast. The two ancestors recognized Xing Kong, and upon seeing the Mighty Bull being chased, their skepticism vanished—they now fully believed Dong Haohu.

With the two ancestors in tow, Dong Haohu sped toward the basin. For a cultivator, the distance was less than a quarter of an hour.

No sooner had the three departed than Liang Zi, accompanied by two others and their clansmen, also made their way toward the basin. More masters from various factions followed inexplicably in their wake.

Within the waiting-for-revival space, Gu Feng observed everything unfolding within a thousand miles. Noting the three and a half hours left on the revival timer, he grew anxious once more, silently praying that none of these people would harm Gu Ya—otherwise...

Dong Haohu and the two ancestors soon arrived at the basin and plunged directly into the cave. Along the way, the two Dong family elders exchanged puzzled glances at the sight of wolf corpses strewn everywhere.

At last, they reached the end of the cave, where, beneath the luminous pearl, Gu Yan remained unconscious.

Dong Haohu gazed at the slumbering beauty, unable to restrain himself from swallowing hard, excitement welling up within him. From this moment on, Gu Yan would be his.

The two elders, astonished by her ethereal beauty, harbored no other thoughts. Seeing Dong Haohu’s lovestruck expression, they instantly understood they’d been played.

One elder, displeased, asked, “Haohu, did you deceive us into coming here for the sake of this ordinary woman?”

Dong Haohu trembled at the elder’s tone—this ancestor was known for ruthless decisiveness; if displeased, not even kin would be spared torment. Thinking quickly, he lied, “Ancestor, you misunderstand me. Though this young lady may be ordinary, her brother is a master capable of slaying bandit cultivators. He has gone to hunt the bandits now. By saving her, we win the favor of a formidable ally—it’s worth it, isn’t it?”

The ancestor, seeing Haohu’s grave demeanor and detecting no sign of falsehood, nodded and let the matter drop.

Relieved that the issue had passed, Dong Haohu leapt forward, elated, and scooped Gu Yan into his arms. Her delicate fragrance intoxicated him on the spot, his mind spinning with desire—he could scarcely wait to possess her.

In the revival space, Gu Feng watched Dong Haohu’s advances on his beloved Yan, seething with rage and wishing desperately for immediate resurrection. He asked the system how to revive instantly.

The system replied: “Slaying powerful lifeforms will earn revival points. Every one hundred points halves the post-suicide revival time; three hundred reduce it by six hours; six hundred by eleven hours; one thousand enables immediate revival.”

Gu Feng checked his points, but as he had never earned any, that field was empty.

Helpless and without revival points, he could do nothing but watch in anguish.

Meanwhile, the other Dong ancestor, seeing Haoran in a daze, rebuked, “Haoran, what are you standing there for? Take her and let’s go!”

Just then, Liang Zi, Liu Haoran, and Ke Yan, along with their own experts, burst into the cave.

Sensing the newcomers’ presence, the ruthless Dong ancestor recognized them by their auras, his expression changing dramatically. “This is bad—they’re here,” he exclaimed.

At that moment, a large crowd arrived at the cave’s end, coming upon Dong Haohu’s group.

Upon seeing Dong Haohu holding the sleeping beauty, Liu Haoran was instantly consumed by jealousy. He shouted, “Dong Haohu, you beast—” He wanted to curse further, but remembering that Dong Haohu’s girlfriend, Liang Zi, was present, he swallowed his anger, glaring at Haohu with murderous eyes. In his heart, Gu Yan belonged to him—no one else was allowed to touch her.

Liang Zi strode forward, her fury manifesting not in rage but in a cold, controlled tone. “Dong Haohu, how do you explain this?”

Unwilling to fall out with Liang Zi, Dong Haohu’s mind raced for an explanation. “Liang Zi, I was only concerned for Miss Gu Yan’s safety alone in the cave. That’s why, upon returning home, I immediately asked the two ancestors to help rescue her—nothing more.”

Liang Zi, far from gullible, was thoroughly disappointed in Dong Haohu but chose not to expose him. Coldly, she asked, “Then why are you holding her?”

Realizing from her tone that forgiveness was out of reach, Dong Haohu ceased to care. Looking at Liang Zi, he replied indifferently, “Liang Zi, though Miss Gu Yan may be an ordinary woman, she’s far more beautiful than you. I, Dong Haohu, admit I like her and intend to make her my wife.”

Liang Zi trembled with rage, hatred blazing in her eyes, though she forced herself to remain calm.

Liu Haoran could bear it no longer. He bellowed, “Dong Haohu, you beast! To cast aside Liang Zi like this—I, Liu Haoran, cannot stand by. I challenge you to a duel—a fight to the death!”