Beast Tide

"Junior Brother Liu?" The old man's expression softened slightly as he frowned. "What has happened to throw you into such a panic?" The cultivator surnamed Liu caught his breath and said hurriedly, "Senior Brother Chai, we just received an urgent report from Senior Brother Qi. A beast tide has suddenly broken out in the second tier of Wuya Valley!" "What?" The old man's eyes bulged, and he cried out in shock, "A beast tide in the second tier? Didn't one just happen the year before last? How could another come so soon?" Not only the old man, but Qin Sang, eavesdropping nearby, was startled as well. A beast tide in Wuya Valley! How could it be such a coincidence that a beast tide would erupt right now? In Wuya Valley, a beast tide was akin to a natural disaster. Only when a major upheaval took place within the valley, or when a great demon stirred up havoc, could a beast tide possibly be triggered. Though beast tides followed no fixed schedule, there was always a certain interval between them. Even in the first tier, two beast tides within three years were unheard of. Otherwise, who would dare venture inside to temper themselves if their progress was repeatedly wiped out by beast tides before they could even finish exploring? Few cultivators possessed the strength to enter the second tier of Wuya Valley, making its situation far more stable than the first tier. In his more than twenty years at Qingyang Market, during which he had entered and exited the second tier countless times, Qin Sang had encountered a small-scale beast tide only once. Wuya Valley was the premier trial ground for disciples of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. Especially since a beast tide had occurred just the year before last, the current period should have been the safest time, and those entering the valley to hunt for treasure were certainly not few. With a beast tide erupting at this moment, if the Qingyang Demonic Sect did not want to suffer catastrophic losses, they would certainly dispatch high-level sect cultivators into the valley to mount a rescue. The second tier was fraught with peril; weaker cultivators would only be going to their deaths. Perhaps even that Core Formation cultivator would take action! *Could the heavens be helping me?* *Or...* A look of doubt appeared in Qin Sang's eyes as Yunyouzi's silhouette surfaced in his mind. Reason told him that the world did not offer such convenient coincidences. He knew Yunyouzi was formidable, but could a beast tide truly be triggered by mortal means? The cultivator surnamed Liu shook his head. "We don't know yet. Senior Brother Qi's message said the beast tide came without warning. He and several others were training in the second tier and are now trapped inside. They're making a desperate stand and struggled to send out a distress signal, but now all contact has been lost!" With that, Liu opened his palm to reveal a very faint wisp of Qingyang Demonic Fire wavering like a tiny serpent. Transmitting messages via demonic fire was a unique method of the Qingyang Demonic Sect that could not be forged by outsiders. The old man extended his spiritual sense into the demonic fire. After a moment, his face changed drastically. "Quick, come with me to Divine Astral Peak to find Junior Brother Li..." Grabbing Liu, he took to his flying sword and sped toward the inner sect like a shooting star chasing the moon. The two figures vanished past the horizon in an instant. Once they were gone, Qin Sang stepped out from the shadows, his expression a mix of shock and delight. He hurriedly pushed his movement technique to follow close behind. He decided not to fret over whether the beast tide was Yunyouzi's doing or a sheer coincidence. To him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! All he needed to do now was seize it and put everything else out of mind. *** Divine Astral Peak. A green mist hung thick in the air, and the astral essence formed from the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi assumed varied shapes. Some had congealed into massive boulders as verdant as jade; some hung high from the cliffside, delicate as tassels; others rested between the river ravines, soft like water, their surfaces occasionally rippling. Near the foot of the mountain, the Qingyang astral essence was far more scattered, clinging to other objects in light, floating clusters that were noticeably denser than the green mist. Near the summit of Divine Astral Peak, the Qingyang astral essence was mostly jade-like in appearance, but it was scarce, with long distances separating each cluster. In truth, only this form was true Qiantian astral essence! A fist-sized piece of Qingyang astral essence was embedded in the center of an extraordinarily smooth stone platform, one clearly crafted by human hands. At this moment, a middle-aged cultivator sat cross-legged beside the astral essence. Dressed in a white robe, he possessed an extraordinary bearing, and his cultivation had remarkably reached the False Core stage! Both of his hands were held flat in front of the Qingyang astral essence. A ball of green flame rose from his palms, faintly tethered to the essence by a thread of qi. The middle-aged cultivator was drawing in the Qingyang astral essence to temper his demonic fire. This spot was not far from the summit. Above his head, lightning crackled without pause, vaguely revealing the wild, untamable shadow of the Ancestral Holy Fire. In such an environment, his expression was solemn, and his movements were exceedingly cautious. After some time, the middle-aged cultivator suddenly retracted his demonic fire. He swept his gaze toward a piece of Qingyang astral essence to his left and was just about to dart over when he frowned and looked downward. The green mist churned as figures flew up the mountain. Soon, Liu and Chai came into view. Upon seeing the middle-aged cultivator, both men showed expressions of relief and hastened forward. Liu, whose cultivation was the lowest, was cowed by the terrifying Ancestral Holy Fire and thunder, moving with extreme care. "Junior Brother Liu, Senior Brother Chai, what has happened in the sect?" the middle-aged cultivator asked calmly, hands clasped behind his back. "Junior Brother Li, a beast tide has erupted in the second tier of Wuya Valley! Junior Brother Qi and the others are trapped..." Seeing Liu hesitate timidly, the old man took the demonic fire message from his hand, passed it to the middle-aged cultivator, and swiftly explained the situation. "A beast tide?" The middle-aged cultivator's expression shifted slightly. He took the demonic fire message to examine it, his brow furrowing deeply. After a moment of contemplation, he stared at Liu and asked in a low voice, "Besides Junior Brother Qi and his group, who else entered the second tier of Wuya Valley?" Liu swallowed hard and stammered softly, "Right now, only Senior Brother Qi managed to send out a distress signal in time. Senior Brother Wang and the others haven't been heard from at all, and we don't know where they are. The scouts from Wuya Valley haven't reported back yet, so we don't know the scale of the beast tide..." The middle-aged cultivator shook his head and said to the two, "Wait here. I'm going to see Martial Uncle Wu at once." The old man said in surprise, "We need to disturb Martial Uncle Wu?" The middle-aged cultivator sneered. "The second tier of Wuya Valley is vast, and with a beast tide raging and everyone scattered, do you really think the few of us can rescue them all, Senior Brother Chai? If this beast tide sweeps across the entire second tier, by the time we track them down one by one, they will have long since become food for the demonic beasts! A pack of fools, failing to spot even the warning signs of a beast tide... We have no choice but to ask Martial Uncle Wu to intervene!" *** Some distance from Divine Astral Peak. Qin Sang lay prostrate in the wild grass, his eyes fixed on the summit. He needed to know how many people would head to Wuya Valley for the rescue! After waiting for a long while with no movement from the mountain, Qin Sang was just beginning to grow anxious when he suddenly saw a beam of blazing light tear through the green mist at the summit, radiating an astonishing aura! "I shall go on ahead. Board the flying boat and follow with all haste!" A loud roar echoed from the blazing light, which vanished from Qin Sang's sight in an instant, leaving behind only the lingering echoes of the voice!