Chapter Fifty-Five: The Ferocious Zhuyan

Not only that, with each of Zhu Yan’s furious roars, the Earth Qilin found itself increasingly unable to muster up powerful earth-elemental spells. Once Zhu Yan had the upper hand, he seized every opportunity to close the distance and engage in brutal close combat. Zhu Yan’s ferocity in melee was terrifying; his body was extraordinarily strong, far surpassing the might and defenses of the Earth Qilin. Every time his claws struck, they pierced deep into the Qilin’s flesh.

If not for the Earth Qilin’s unique regenerative ability—several times greater than that of other beasts of its rank—these repeated grave injuries would have long since sapped its strength. Even so, with every chunk of flesh torn from its massive body, the Qilin’s pain intensified, and its power slowly ebbed away.

Had it not been for the smaller mountains it could manipulate to slam into Zhu Yan and momentarily check his relentless assault, the Qilin would have already fallen.

“An opportunity… an opportunity…” Seven or eight miles away, Song Yichen, hidden deep underground by earth magic, was both terrified and wildly elated. The Earth Qilin was the descendant of a primordial earth-elemental beast, heard of only in ancient legends. In all the relics awakened in the past century of spiritual resurgence, not one had ever housed an Earth Qilin.

Now, as flesh fell from the Qilin and buried itself beneath the earth, Song Yichen crept closer, covertly gathering the scattered flesh underground as the battle shifted. Nangong Lingyue and Chi Ziyang had not left either, though neither dared venture too close, relying on their own secret treasures to hide. When the battlefield shifted, they would hurry over to snatch up what scraps of flesh they could.

Lin Qingyun hid even farther away. As the space around them stabilized and the strange phenomena gradually faded, he watched the actions of the three with a sigh. Fortune favors the bold—true prodigies dare to risk everything at critical moments, while ordinary people would have fled at the first chance.

Yet Lin Qingyun did not compete with them for the bloody spoils; he needed to conceal himself completely, and a few scraps would not satisfy him. Though the Earth Qilin and Zhu Yan were of similar rank—each infinitely close to the level of a Great Demon—Lin Qingyun, observing closely and listening to the Qilin’s various roars, detected not only rage, threats, and defiance, but also a certain immaturity.

Indeed, this awe-inspiring being, feared by countless monsters and demons, was still young—barely more than a child by human reckoning, perhaps seven or eight years old. An adult Earth Qilin would at least be a demon king, attesting to the terrifying might of its kind. Years later, when its kin crossed the starry formation from the relic to Earth in search of this Qilin, the world would finally comprehend their true power and terror.

This juvenile Qilin, lacking experience, fought entirely on instinct. Overwhelmed by Zhu Yan’s savagery, much of its flesh was simply devoured on the spot. Zhu Yan nearly tore out its heart several times, his eyes glinting with greed.

He was one of the most powerful beings of his small world, and the first to discover the suddenly transported Earth Qilin. Though immature, the Qilin possessed undiluted divine blood. From the moment Zhu Yan saw it, he knew that devouring and refining the Qilin would shatter his world’s limits and allow his bloodline to undergo a complete transformation.

What he had not expected was that, in their battle, the Qilin would somehow breach the world’s barriers, bringing them both into an unknown, mysterious grand world. This thrilled Zhu Yan; here, unrestrained, he could ascend to even greater heights and become a true demon king. If he devoured the Qilin, he might yet surpass even that level.

As the Qilin’s wounds stopped healing and its pale yellow organs became visible, as even its head was pierced by Zhu Yan’s claw, a bloody, savage smile crept across Zhu Yan’s face.

Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the battlefield, Nan Yutong and all incoming rescue personnel had already withdrawn.

“Activate the formation! Any who dare to break through and escape the ruined battlefield, kill them!”

As Nan Yutong emerged, General Qin Xiong and his army had completed their preparations. His eyes were filled with murderous intent. He and Feng Shouyi had not entered personally—both to command from the rear and because the spatial instability meant that anyone above the Cloudrider level entering could cause local collapse, which would be disastrous.

Otherwise, Desert Wind King Nangong Aoshi would have entered directly and suppressed the relic’s entrance by sheer force. Of course, any beings within the relic above the Cloudrider level would not be able to escape either.

This relic’s disturbance was not vast—merely sudden and localized. Some relics, before opening, manifest phenomena visible for hundreds of miles. Here, the first few monsters that burst out were already approaching, their fear of Zhu Yan and the Earth Qilin rooted in bloodline suppression.

On the human side, even though General Qin Xiong’s aura surpassed even Zhu Yan’s, the monsters charged with reckless abandon.

“Attack!” Qin Xiong could not fight personally, but at his command, the first wave of long-range attacks began.

“Minister Feng…” As Nan Yutong coordinated attacks and defenses, she immediately contacted Minister Feng. Not only she, but the heads of all the schools anxiously awaited updates. Once they left the spatial anomaly, all modern systems resumed operation, and data was instantly consolidated.

“Missing persons exceed fifteen hundred. Nangong Lingyue, Lin Qingyun, Chi Ziyang, Song Yichen, Zhen Qiang…” The initial statistics and names were quickly compiled. Though missing did not necessarily mean dead, the mood was grim. Anyone still inside, without special means of survival or deep concealment, was in grave danger.

What worried Nan Yutong and the others most was that nearly all top-ranked talents, or special individuals like Lin Qingyun, had not been rescued.

Clearly, those at the top of the merit rankings fought the fiercest battles and, when anomalies arose, headed straight for the core. When the beast tide broke out, they had no chance to seek rescue.

“Minister, with General Qin Xiong and your presence outside, and this still being desert terrain, my strength is not crucial here. I’d like to fight my way in from another direction…”

The earlier retreat had been to protect rescued students and provide external defense. Now, hearing how many were missing—especially the top performers—Nan Yutong could not help but request to re-enter.

Given the scale of the beast tide, even dozens or a hundred Cloudrider experts would face immense danger inside. With the situation so unclear, main forces could not be risked.

“No. The relic’s situation is unknown, the beast tide covers a vast area, and the nearby new cities cannot be endangered,” Feng Shouyi refused her request. His fist clenched behind his back; he too ached to charge in, but the situation forbade it.

“But—”

“That’s an order. We are now in wartime. Obey General Qin Xiong’s command, and follow all directives.”

Nan Yutong tried to protest, but Feng Shouyi’s rebuke was final—and not directed at her alone. Many from the Education Department clamored to enter and search for students. All wanted to attempt limited rescue operations, but Feng Shouyi could not allow it, however harsh that might be.

Within the battle zone, the Earth Qilin grew ever weaker, now utterly suppressed by Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan himself grew stronger, sensing that he could break through at any moment if he merely willed it.

A hideous grin twisted Zhu Yan’s face. Not only had he encountered an inexplicably transported pureblood beast, but, in the pursuit, he had shed the shackles of his small world. Though once the pinnacle of his realm, his lifespan was nearly spent. Now, his vitality surged, and he realized that, here, such a breakthrough was nothing extraordinary—this was a true grand world of ancient legend.

As the space stabilized, he decided that once it was fully secure, he would immediately begin his breakthrough. Already, he had the leisure to notice others—some who seemed to be the legendary humans, daring enough to scavenge as he hunted the Qilin.

No matter—he would seize them first before breaking through. Their tender flesh would be a delicacy, and they would give him insight into this world.

“Not good…”

Just as Zhu Yan’s mind turned to hunting them, Nangong Lingyue’s instincts flared—her treasured artifact reacting. It was a talisman, triggered only when a powerful consciousness probed her—a last-resort safeguard.

With a father like Desert Wind King Nangong Aoshi, how could Lingyue not be equipped with such an item? In an even fight, the artifact would not activate unless she willed it, but if a true power or superpower tried to probe or suppress her, it would.

“They’re about to decide the outcome. All new students nearby, gather to me—I can protect you and get us out swiftly if things turn dire. Hurry!” For the first time, Nangong Lingyue abandoned stealth, running with the surging beast tide toward the exit.

As she charged out, her voice rang across dozens of miles.

“Princess Yue, I’m coming! I knew you were the most beautiful and kind-hearted…” Song Yichen, hidden underground, rushed toward her at full speed.

Zhen Qiang, Chi Ziyang, and several others on the periphery did not hesitate. Each had their own means of survival, but none could compare to Nangong Lingyue’s. They had been able to hide within the beast tide, but escape from Zhu Yan—impossible. Now, hearing her call, they all rushed to her side.

“Crack…”

Zhu Yan, his claw having pierced the Earth Qilin’s body and seized its heart, was absorbing its power when his gaze swept coldly toward the fleeing Nangong Lingyue. His spiritual pressure bore down upon them—already nearly at the Great Demon King level, he was still some distance away, but his consciousness could easily maim these young prodigies.

He had just seized control, and as he probed these humans with his mind, they immediately reacted and tried to escape, even calling others to gather. This infuriated him.

“Boom…”

Just as Zhu Yan’s spiritual pressure was about to crush them, a jade pendant on Nangong Lingyue burst into light. A terrifying storm surged heavenward, sweeping through the world. A dominating, savage will shielded her and exuded an overwhelming might.

“Whoever dares lay a hand on the daughter of Desert Wind King Nangong Aoshi, I will kill them!”

“Ugh…”

Zhu Yan, only mildly annoyed at first as he idly suppressed these weaklings, was suddenly struck by the terrifying backlash. He let out a muffled grunt—not seriously wounded, but his mind was jarred, leaving him deeply shaken.

A true powerhouse—no ordinary one, either.

But Zhu Yan’s eyes showed no fear, only excitement. If he dared devour a pureblood beast, what did he have to fear from others? Now he was determined to seize this girl before any supreme being could intervene.

He had to act fast, before she could alert the mighty one behind her.

“No way…”

Hidden nearby, Lin Qingyun sucked in a cold breath. He had guessed all along that Nangong Lingyue carried a life-saving artifact; with a father like Desert Wind King, how could she not? In a fair fight, such a treasure would not activate unless she chose to use it. But if a true or superpower tried to probe or pressure her, it would react of its own.

He had watched as the Earth Qilin was beaten down, nearly destroyed, and wondered how it could possibly fight back now.

For, if memory served—based on later records he had read in his past life—when two relics attempted to transcend to Great Demon status, both should have succeeded, but they tried to undergo tribulation together. In the end, the lightning tribulation mutated, causing their downfall.

“Bang…”

Just as Zhu Yan, clutching the subdued Qilin, was about to seize Nangong Lingyue and the others, an unexpected change occurred. The Earth Qilin’s heart exploded. In that instant, an immense vitality surged back into the Qilin.

“Rumble…”

In a flash, its life force was restored, its strength returned to its peak, and the tribulation lightning of ascension was summoned.