With a resounding crash, the Armored Black-maned Boar froze for a split second!
"Wang Tingting, use Gold-Flowing Flying Blades!"
"Target its eyes!"
Gold-Flowing Flying Blades!
Xu Bing had witnessed Wang Tingting use this technique before; its speed and power were remarkably impressive!
Coupled with this golden opportunity, Xu Bing could already foresee the death of the Armored Black-maned Boar in his mind's eye!
However!
The next moment, Xu Bing's smile froze on his face. What—!
What kind of speed was this?!
Xu Bing was utterly shaken to his core!
This—!
Were these even Gold-Flowing Flying Blades?!
The difference was like night and day!
Oh no!
Arooooo!
The Armored Black-maned Boar had also noticed the flying blades!
It instantly shoved Xu Bing aside!
With a sweeping motion of its sharp tusks, its immense force directly collided with the flying blades!
In an instant, sparks flew in all directions!
The flying blades were sent flying straight off course!
Clang!
The flying blade smashed heavily into a tree, instantly knocking it out of its materialized state. Wang Tingting was thrown directly to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood!
Clutching her chest, she felt the searing pain, but her eyes were filled with sheer disbelief!
How—!
How could this be?!
Wang Tingting checked her own condition.
Why?!
Why were her speed, power, and precision in seizing the opportunity so drastically inferior?!
Back when she was with Ye Qing, she would have capitalized on an opening like that one hundred percent of the time!
Yet now—!
What on earth was going on?!
In a flash, an unacceptable truth occurred to her!
Could it be that all her previous boosts had actually come from Ye Qing?!
How could that be?!
Impossible!
At that moment, turbulent waves churned in Wang Tingting's heart. This—!
Chapter 7: Heaven-Shattering Sword!
Nearby, quite a few students had also witnessed this scene.
What was going on?!
When Wang Tingting was with Ye Qing before, hadn't they been able to slay Tier 3 Early Stage Feral Beasts?!
Logically speaking, now that she was paired with Lü Li, her strength should have increased even further.
Even when facing this Armored Black-maned Boar, it shouldn't have broken her out of her materialized state in a single blow and left her in such a pathetic state!
In an instant, all the students were completely baffled!
This—!
In the distance, Xu Bing also cursed under his breath. The disparity was simply too massive!
It had completely disrupted his original plan!
Fortunately, however, the Guard Army had also gained a breathing window!
With them and the students holding the line, it shouldn't be a problem!
Even so, Xu Bing began to worry about the other student team.
After all, over on that side, there were only students—no high-level Spirit Tamers like him!
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out sharply, and a figure was sent flying backward, slamming directly into a giant tree behind them—snapping the multi-person-thick trunk right in half!
A Guard Army soldier collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood continuously. The Weapon Spirit in his hand also reverted from its materialized state and slumped to the side!
"What!"
"What kind of strength is this?!"
Nearby, several students stared at the scene, their eyes wide open, simply unable to believe what they were seeing!
Roar!
An angry roar suddenly burst forth, drawing everyone's attention!
A Silver-Backed Giant Ape, towering like a small mountain, stood there baring its sharp fangs and pounding its chest with both hands!
Thud, thud, thud!
A sound like rolling war drums echoed out, showcasing the ape's overwhelming might and turning everyone's faces pale!
The various groups of students looked at the horde of beasts with twitching mouths!
More a dozen Feral Beasts!
Every single one of them was above Tier 3!
And the leader, the Silver-Backed Giant Ape, was even at Tier 4 Early Stage!
How were they supposed to handle this?
Many began to regret their choices. Why on earth had they been assigned to this group?!
Would they even be able to make it back alive?!
If they had been in Teacher Xu's group, might things have turned out much better?
"I wonder how things are going over on Teacher Xu's side!"
"I don't want to die!"
"Enough, stop talking!" a male student snapped, glaring at them. "What time is it, and you're still whining here? If you want to die, you shouldn't have stepped outside the Barrier!"
"As long as we hold out..."
"Once Teacher Xu and the others finish their side and realize we haven't cleared ours, they'll definitely come to our aid!"
As soon as he spoke, another male student looking into the distance shouted, "Are Teacher Xu and the others coming over?! Look, figures are moving over there!"
Hearing this, many of the Guard Army soldiers looked over as well!
They were under immense pressure right now; if their captain or other powerhouses came to reinforce them, they could finally catch their breath!
Then, they spotted two figures approaching.
Students?!
"Are those classmates of yours?"
A Guard Army soldier distanced himself from a Feral Beast and asked the nearby students.
The students looked closely. Who on earth was that?!
Wasn't that Ye Qing?!
And the Tetanus Blade!
Are you kidding me?!
What good would it do for you two to run over here?!
"They're our classmates! But he's completely useless here!"
A male student nearby immediately roared in frustration, as if complaining that his newly kindled hope had just been shattered.
"How is that any way to talk?!"
"What do you mean, completely useless?!"
"What's this guy's combat strength?! Tell me, so I can coordinate our forces!"
"What kind of Weapon Spirit did he contract?"
The Guard Army soldier immediately demanded answers!
"The Tetanus Blade!"
Huh?
The Guard Army soldiers were dumbfounded for a second. What kind of nonsense was that?
"An F-grade Tetanus Blade—it's literally just a rusted sword!"
Guard Army: "........"
"Then why the hell is he running over here?!"
The Guard Army soldier mentally cursed, wondering if this kid was just here to cause trouble!
Not only would he be unable to help, but they would now have to divide their attention to protect him!
"Hey, you over there! Don't come any closer! Run! Run away! Go call for reinforcements!"
The Guard Army soldier shouted. With a Weapon Spirit like that and such pitiful strength, joining the battlefield would achieve nothing—it might even backfire.
Ye Qing gazed at the beast horde, his eyes locking onto the mountain-like Silver-Backed Giant Ape. A flicker of excited a smile hung on his face!
"Lingxue, are you ready?"
Ye Qing asked. Zhou Lingxue looked at the Feral Beasts ahead, hatred burning fiercely in her eyes.
Then, she felt Ye Qing's large hand press firmly against her collarbone.
A wave of warmth immediately surged through her!
Her body gradually turned translucent before materializing into solid form. The next moment, a heavily rusted longsword rested in Ye Qing's hand.
This scene, witnessed by everyone present, filled their hearts with helpless resignation.
This was the Tetanus Blade?!
It was just as shabby as they had imagined, if not even more dilapidated!
A Weapon Spirit of this caliber wouldn't even need to fight these Feral Beasts; it would probably revert from its materialized state just from trying to chop a tree!
However!
The next instant!
A dazzling radiance burst forth from the sword in Ye Qing's hand!
Instantly, it captured the attention of every Feral Beast and Spirit Tamer present.
Light shone brilliantly!
Golden light flashed across the rusted longsword, and slowly, the rust began to recede!
A golden longsword materialized before their eyes!
The moment they looked upon that sword, an ancient, primordial aura washed over them!
The patterns and inscriptions engraved upon it suggested that this blade didn't belong in the mortal world at all, but should rather be resting in the highest halls of the Celestial Palace, wielded by the supreme sovereign!
Just a single glance made their legs grow weak, inspiring an overwhelming urge to prostrate themselves in worship!
What—!
What was going on?!
Shock was plastered across every single one of their faces, while turbulent seas raged in their hearts.
The Guard Army soldiers looked at the students, confusion in their eyes, as if silently asking: *What is the meaning of this?*
Wasn't it supposed to be an F-grade Tetanus Blade?!
Then—!
Why did it suddenly transform?!
Could an F-grade Weapon Spirit possibly emit an aura like this?
Huh?!
The students standing nearby were equally lost in the oppressive majesty, completely unable to answer the soldiers' questioning gazes.
They had no idea either!
Roar!
While they were frozen in a daze, the Silver-Backed Giant Ape let out a furious roar!
Sensing the terrifying aura of that longsword, it grew even more violently enraged!
It looked just like an ancestor defying the Five-Finger Mountain of legend!
The giant ape's eyes turned even bloodier red!
Its fists hammered against its chest as if it felt no pain at all!
Thud, thud, thud!
The sound reverberated far and wide!
Then, it slammed both fists directly into the ground!
Boom!
The earth shattered instantly, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions!
The surrounding giant trees were shaken violently, and leaves as large as palm-leaf fans rained down in a rustling cascade!
Roar!
A hoarse, throat-tearing scream ripped from the giant ape's throat!
Ropelike strands of saliva vaporized into a mist in the air, mingling with the lingering stench of consumed flesh and blood!
Together, they surged straight toward Ye Qing!
Ye Qing looked down at the sword in his hand. This—!
This was the Xuynuan Sword!
As expected, it was extraordinary!
An SSS-grade divine artifact—it was immeasurably stronger than Wang Tingting's previous B-grade flying blades!
A foul, putrid stench snapped him back to reality. Glancing at the giant ape, Ye Qing let out a cold snort!
All show!
The next moment!
With a push of his feet, Ye Qing shot forward like a cannonball expelled from its barrel, hurtling directly toward the Silver-Backed Giant Ape!
Swish!
The whistling sound of parting wind echoed out!
The Silver-Backed Giant Ape saw Ye Qing coming, its eyes blazing with raw fury!
It charged straight at him in return!
Then!
It opened its massive hand and swiped at Ye Qing!
"Watch out!"
Everyone's hearts sank into the abyss!
If Ye Qing got caught by the Silver-Backed Giant Ape, he would undoubtedly be crushed into a bloody paste!
Ye Qing watched the incoming giant hand.
At the exact moment the hand closed in, he swung the Xuanyuan Sword in a wide, sweeping arc!
Splat!
The instant the blade met the massive hand, the sound of tearing flesh and bone rang out!
Several thick, callous-covered fingers were severed cleanly by the sword qi, dropping heavily to the ground!
Roar!
The Silver-Backed Giant Ape never expected such an outcome. Excruciating pain caused its eyes to twitch violently!
Having successfully landed his first strike, Ye Qing grabbed the fur on the ape's arm and vaulted directly onto its back!
The longsword in his hand stabbed downward without hesitation!
Splat!
The agony further stimulated the ape, prompting it to immediately react. It began pounding its own body wildly with both fists, but the agonizing pain only intensified!
At that moment, Ye Qing darted across the Silver-Backed Giant Ape's body like a phantom!
The longsword in his hand continuously thrust downward, the blade weaving gracefully through the ape's flesh!
Right now, Ye Qing looked like a master butcher effortlessly dismembering an ox!
Wielding the Xuanyuan Sword deep within the beast's body, he moved with absolute mastery and ease!
This—!
The Guard Army soldiers and students were utterly numb!
What kind of combat style was this?!
How could anyone be this ferocious?!
Watching Ye Qing, the students began to tremble uncontrollably. This—!
Was this the true strength of Ye Qing?!
Gazing at the blood-soaked Silver-Backed Giant Ape, their mouths twitched. Terrifying—it was simply too terrifying!
Hah!
With a final, low shout, Ye Qing fixed his gaze on the back of the ape's neck!
"Die, you beast!"
With that, he slashed downward with his sword!
The blade sliced through skin and muscle, then ground against the cervical vertebrae. Meeting only a brief resistance, it cut through the neck bone as easily as a knife slicing through tofu!
Roar!
Feeling the fatal blow to the back of its neck, the Silver-Backed Giant Ape instinctively tried to reach back, but was instantly swallowed by the embrace of death.
Everything went black before its eyes.
It crashed heavily to the ground!
Boom!
With the ape dispatched, Ye Qing fixed his gaze on the remaining Feral Beasts.
His body vanished from the spot like a phantom!
Splat!
The next moment, when Ye Qing's figure was recaptured by the eye, his longsword had already pierced into the eye socket of another Feral Beast.
Splat!
Splat!
On the battlefield, nothing remained except the primal sounds of tearing flesh!
The sound of flesh ripping like paper under a utility knife ruthlessly stimulated the nerves of everyone present.
As the final Feral Beast collapsed to the ground!
Ye Qing stood tall, surveying the scene before him.
Spread out before him were the corpses of an entire horde of Feral Beasts!
A faint mist of blood still hung unscattered in the air!
Ye Qing looked down at the longsword in his hand, spinning it in a fluid flourish. All the blood staining the Xuanyuan Sword was flung away in an instant, leaving not a single drop lingering on the blade.
Chapter 8: A Deserter? Wrong! A True God!
Everyone stared at Ye Qing, their minds entirely numb at this point.
They were thoroughly, utterly shocked by this battle!
It was the first time they had ever witnessed a Spirit Tamer fighting like this!
With such overwhelming, absolute dominance!
"Brother Ye!"
A male student eagerly ran over, a flattering smile plastered across his face. "Brother Ye, you're so cool! You arrived right on time!"
"From now on, you're my big brother!"
"If it weren't for you, all of us would have been goners today!"
"........."
The male student poured out a continuous stream of lavish praise and flattery.
The other students standing behind him watched his obsequious display and mentally cursed him as a complete bootlicker!
Damn it, shut up!
Everything you're saying is supposed to be our line!
"Brother Ye, we owe you our lives!"
"From now on, I pledge my absolute allegiance to you!"
..........
Flattering remarks echoed one after another.
A bit further back, the Guard Army soldiers also looked at Ye Qing and approached him. "Young man, thank you for your help today!"
In Ye Qing's hand, the Xuanyuan Sword trembled slightly.
Then, it reverted from its materialized state.
Zhou Lingxue stood beside Ye Qing. Although she was utterly exhausted, her lips pale with fatigue, her eyes burned with excitement!
How had she managed to pull that off? What on earth was that sword?!
"Ye Qing, why did I turn into that?"
Zhou Lingxue immediately voiced the question, which happened to be what everyone else was wondering as well.
Hearing this, Ye Qing pulled Zhou Lingxue slightly to the side and whispered something into her ear.
Hearing his words, Zhou Lingxue stood frozen in place.
She never imagined that pairing up with Ye Qing could produce such an incredible effect!
This meant she actually had a genuine chance to avenge her parents!
An extreme desire to grow stronger instantly sprouted in her heart.
However!
She was also painfully aware of her current limitation: her Weapon Spirit grade was still too low, and materialization consumed a massive amount of energy!
Her duration in that state was currently very short, just like last night.
She needed to become stronger so that her duration could increase! Only then could she endure higher-intensity combat!
"Hey! What are you two whispering about?!" the students muttered anxiously among themselves, though none of them dared to voice it out loud.
Ye Qing cast a glance at them.
"Alright, clean up the battlefield!"
A short while later, quite a few crystal cores were harvested.
"Brother Qing, these are the crystal cores from the Feral Beasts you just killed. They're all yours!"
Ye Qing looked at the largest crystal core, which was easily the size of a fist. This—!
This was the crystal core of the Tier 4 Silver-Backed Giant Ape!
Along with the other Tier 3 crystal cores!
Ye Qing gathered all of them without hesitation and stowed them away.
"Mm," Ye Qing instructed, "bring the remaining meat back as well!"
This beast meat was good stuff too. While the most valuable parts of a Feral Beast were its crystal cores, the meat and pelts could still fetch a tidy sum.
"Got it, Brother Qing!"
At this moment, these people acted like a pack of devoted lapdogs to Ye Qing, not daring to show the slightest hint of defiance toward his commands.
The group dragged the Feral Beast carcasses back toward the campsite where the others were gathered.
"I wonder how the battle is going on the captain's side."
"Our Teacher Xu is a Tier 5 powerhouse; since he went to reinforce them, they probably finished even earlier than we did!"
"Let's head back first! You guys are all injured and aren't in any condition to fight anymore anyway!"
Meanwhile, over at the assembly point, Xu Bing and his group had returned.
However, everyone was covered in blood, and casualties were heavy, especially among the Guard Army.
Xu Bing looked at Wang Tingting, wanting to say something, but in the end, it all dissolved into a heavy sigh.
Wang Tingting knew what Xu Bing wanted to say, and she shot a resentful glare at Lü Li!
This guy was truly useless.
Regret immediately flooded her heart.
She never expected that Ye Qing could have given her such a massive boost. She had previously assumed Ye Qing was entirely useless and only knew how to sponge off her.
She had been wrong—so, so wrong!
When Ye Qing came back this time, she was going to ask him to take her back!
As it turned out, she and Ye Qing were the truly compatible pair!
"Teacher Xu, you're back!"
"How are you? You're not hurt, are you?"
"Whose blood is all over you guys?"
"Hurry up and take a rest."
............
The students left behind saw Xu Bing return and immediately crowded around, bombarding him with questions.
"Quickly, go take care of the wounded first."
"Has that other team returned yet?"
"No, you guys are the first ones back!"
A single sentence caused Xu Bing's heart to skip a beat. Oh no!
Sure enough, without a powerhouse guarding that side, they probably had a terribly difficult time dealing with those Feral Beasts!
"Let's move, we're going over to reinforce them!"
The Guard Army captain gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand back up.
"Anyone with decent strength among you, come with me," Xu Bing commanded.
"Where's Ye Qing?!"
Xu Bing searched the crowd. The situation was critical, and manpower was severely depleted; he would have to take Ye Qing along first and assess the situation upon arrival.
"Ye Qing ran away!"
A young man immediately piped up.
"What do you mean? What do you mean he ran away? Where did he go?!"
Xu Bing frowned, staring fixedly at the student for an explanation.
"He definitely deserted! Scared out of his mind, he ran all the way back inside the Barrier!"
"He ran super fast!"
"Not long after you left, Teacher, he bolted!"
"He's only ever fierce toward our own people, but the moment he faces Feral Beasts, he turns into a coward!"
"We need to make sure he gets disciplined when we get back!"
............