To successfully kill these Fierce Beasts, they had to be faster—striking before the creatures could retreat into their shells, or preventing them from hiding altogether.
Only then could they be finished off properly. And even then, it would take two kills.
Thorough preparation was essential. Letting one escape meant starting the hunt all over again.
“These Fierce Beasts need no introduction,” Lin Cheng announced once they reached the site, scanning the group. “We move together. Take down both at once.”
Everyone nodded. Common as they were, these beasts weren’t easy prey.
“First, we immobilize them,” Lin Cheng ordered. “Ke Feng—freeze them solid on sight. I’ll follow with cleaving strikes to sever their heads.”
“Han Yuying, handle the second beast while I’m occupied. No escapes.”
He paused. “Any better ideas?”
Silence. Then Nian Xifeng spoke slowly.
“You focus on one. Leave the other to me.”
Stunned glances shot his way.
“My ability counters them perfectly,” Nian Xifeng stated flatly. “Splitting your efforts risks letting both slip away.”
He knew these beasts well. Lin Cheng’s plan was sound—but they’d overestimated their own strength. One clean kill? Unlikely.
Beneath that armored shell lay skin just as tough. Neither Lin Cheng nor Han Yuying could guarantee an instant kill.
No one argued. They’d seen Nian Xifeng fight once before. On this continent, strength commanded blind trust.
Many powerful cultivators silenced dissent with blood—especially from the weak. No one would question it.
They didn’t think Nian Xifeng would go that far. But trust came easily.
“Understood. We follow your lead, Brother Xifeng,” Lin Cheng agreed. Others murmured assent.
They waited. This hour—mid-afternoon, when lethargy hung thickest—was prime hunting time for the beasts.
Soon, a pair of “tortoise brothers” lumbered into view. The group held position, awaiting Lin Cheng’s signal.
Ten meters away—the command finally came.
But before his voice landed, an attack surged ahead.
Too fast to trace, it ripped through the air, swelling instantly to trap both beasts.
The sight stunned them—but there was no time to marvel. Everyone charged.
Per plan, the team swarmed one tortoise. Nian Xifeng faced the other alone.
His confidence wasn’t misplaced.
*For mist seeps everywhere.*
A flick of his wrist sent a wisp of Dark Mist slicing through the air. It pierced the beast’s shell with a faint *hiss*.
The Fierce Beast shuddered. Within seconds, it lay limp—a sickly shadow of itself, helpless.
His fight ended before theirs began.
Lin Cheng’s group struggled. Ke Feng froze their target instantly. Lin Cheng’s slashes and Han Yuying’s heavy blows landed true—but the shell held. The beast retreated inside.
Xianxian lunged, skewering it mid-retreat and hurling it skyward.
Unbalanced, the tortoise flailed its neck out, scrambling to right itself.
The sight was almost comical.
Lin Cheng seized the opening. His blade flashed—*cleave*. Han Yuying struck the instant after.
Two brutal combos shattered the beast’s defenses. Dizzy, it crashed to the ground.
Lin Cheng’s final slash finished it. Others added finishing blows.
Triumphant, they turned to Nian Xifeng—
—and froze.
He stood relaxed, watching them. Beside him stood Nian Yuchi. At his feet lay the second dead tortoise.
Silence thickened.
He’d killed his target *before* they finished theirs. Effortlessly.
The gap in strength was staggering.
“Brother Xifeng… truly formidable,” Lin Cheng forced a laugh, breaking the tension.
Murmurs of agreement followed. Nian Xifeng merely smiled faintly. He didn’t care for praise.
(Though Nian Yuchi’s bright eyes betrayed quiet pride.)
“Task complete. Let’s return,” Lin Cheng cut in, sensing Nian Xifeng’s disinterest. “Plenty of daylight left—we’ll take another mission.”
The group fell in line, praise silenced.
---
Elsewhere, in the Wang Clan estate, a middle-aged man stared at two corpses on the floor. His face was storm-dark.
Behind him knelt trembling elders—men Shen Yundi would recognize as Wang Clan leaders. They bowed low, heads nearly touching stone, bracing for his wrath.
“Who did this?” The man’s voice was winter’s bite. Death hung in each syllable.
“A… a commoner, my lord,” one elder stammered, forehead bleeding from frantic kowtows.
“A *commoner*?” The man’s eyes flashed murder. “Dare you mock me? I’ll end you now.”
“No deception, my lord! He single-handedly wiped out the Yu Family—their entire estate fell to this same method!”
“You lie?” The man’s glare pinned him like a blade.
“I’d never dare! Ask the others—they witnessed the Yu Family’s fall!”
The man swept his gaze over the kneeling figures. “Is this true?”
“He speaks truth,” came the chorus. The memory of the Yu Family’s ruin was still fresh.
