The night had fallen.
The night was long, the moon was high in the sky, and the stars were dotted, foretelling clear weather for the next day.
The pale moonlight cast a cold glow on the land, bathing it in a silvery white.
Tens of thousands of stars twinkled like luminous pearls scattered across the night canvas, shining with a brilliant silver sheen.
...
Among the rugged mountains, demonic beasts roamed, their roars echoing incessantly, shaking the land and its rivers.
Countless trees trembled, their leaves rustling and falling.
Wu Tao leaped onto a large tree, carefully observing the geographical environment and location of the continuous mountain range before him.
After observing for a long time, Wu Tao, having memorized the contours of the surrounding terrain, looked up at the sky. The martial world is full of dangers.
He would bravely forge ahead on the path he had chosen, no matter how dangerous.
Only through trials of blood and tears could one become a true powerhouse.
His future would be filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. If he did not want to be a part of them, he had to grip his long sword tightly and stride towards the peak, step by step.
...
His figure flashed as Wu Tao hurried towards the unfamiliar and dangerous mountain range.
A clear breeze blew, carrying the refreshing scent of earth and the fragrance of plants.
As Wu Tao journeyed, the surroundings were calm and peaceful, appearing serene and tranquil.
However, traveling at night was inherently dangerous, especially now that he was in the wilderness.
Suddenly, a piercing cry echoed through the sky, sharp enough to shatter metal and stone, possessing a terrifying penetrative power that made Wu Tao's eardrums ache.
"Not good, another demonic beast attack."
A sharp glint flashed in Wu Tao's eyes as he saw a dark shadow circling in the sky, approaching his direction.
High above, the wind howled!
A giant blood-sucking bat cast a large shadow over the forest, diving down rapidly, its body exuding a cold black radiance, exuding terrifying ferocity.
This giant blood-sucking bat was enormous, measuring seventy to eighty zhang in length, with wingspans reaching over a hundred zhang.
Its body was covered in black leather armor that gleamed with a cold metallic luster, radiating a formidable aura!
"Boom!"
Dozens of towering trees were shattered by the tips of its wings, branches and leaves flying everywhere, debris scattering. Its entire body seemed cast from steel, weighing several tons.
It was incredibly powerful, its demonic energy at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage pervading the surroundings. Its body was immensely tough, and the tips of its wings were like broadswords capable of breaking a mountain. These trees offered no resistance.
Its hooked fangs were black and sharp, its wings curved downwards, three to four meters long, still stained with the blood of demonic beasts, clearly having just returned from a hunt.
Its claws were even more fearsome, radiating a chilling light, incredibly sharp, nearly five meters long, capable of easily tearing apart a giant mammoth.
After destroying the forest, the giant blood-sucking bat soared back into the sky.
It circled in the air, its blood-red eyes like lightning, staring coldly below, always ready to dive again and pounce on Wu Tao.
Wu Tao's expression grew grave as he drew his sword.
Spiritual energy surged within him, and his sword let out a resonant hum. The spiritual energy flowed like a tide towards the broken ancient sword in his hand.
Instantly, a magnificent golden sword energy materialized out of thin air!
The sword energy divided yin and yang, its power absolute and unparalleled. With a single strike, it sliced through the air towards the giant blood-sucking bat.
The giant blood-sucking bat shrieked and, without yielding, transformed into a massive black shadow, crashing into the magnificent golden sword energy.
Clang!!!
A colossal collision began.
Spiritual energy surged like a tidal wave, as if the sky and earth were collapsing.
Several large mountains crumbled, ancient trees toppled and were pulverized into dust, and the earth cracked, forming wide fissures.
The sword energy and the giant blood-sucking bat crashed head-on, but the outcome was unexpected.
Wu Tao remained stationary, the clothes on his upper body continuously tearing. A series of crackling explosions and the crisp sound of bones breaking could be heard.
He stood firm, but a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. It was clear he had suffered a significant blow from the recoil.
On the other side, the giant blood-sucking bat appeared even more battered.
Several long gashes appeared on its massive wings, with flesh and blood continuously exploding outwards.
It transformed into streams of blood rain that continuously fell, revealing glimpses of white bone.
However, these injuries were insignificant compared to the enormous size of the giant blood-sucking bat.
It looked like a small to medium-sized tear, and although it appeared gruesome, it likely did not significantly impact its combat effectiveness.
...
In mid-air, the giant blood-sucking bat roared, its scarlet eyes filled with intense coldness. Dense demonic energy suddenly erupted.
In the next moment, with continuous shrieks, the giant blood-sucking bat charged towards Wu Tao, dark light flashing incessantly.
Wu Tao stepped forward with his left foot, his figure disappearing. He instantly appeared before the giant blood-sucking bat.
His slender fingers clasped together, gripping the sword hilt, and the broken ancient sword swung out with lightning speed.
Concurrently, the giant blood-sucking bat swooped down from above, its massive maw opening wide, aiming to swallow Wu Tao whole.
The next moment, a blinding light erupted.
Smoke and dust filled the surroundings, obscuring all vision.
At some point, a terrifying shriek seemed to sound, followed by the rumble of the ground as if something heavy had landed with a thud.
It took nearly half an hour for the smoke and dust obscuring the horizon to finally dissipate.
On the desolate land before him, a giant blood-sucking bat, over a hundred zhang long, lay still on the ground, its body inexplicably broken into several pieces.
Judging by its appearance, Wu Tao had likely severed it with his sword.
...
"The journey of traversing Qingzhou and Liangzhou is indeed difficult. It has been a near-death experience all the way, I almost died."
Sheathing his sword, Wu Tao coughed, used a cloth strip to staunch his bleeding wound, and popped a Qi-replenishing and blood-nourishing pill into his mouth.
The desolate land was fraught with danger in many places. Short durations were manageable, but prolonged exposure led to various symptoms that affected combat effectiveness.
Therefore, it was crucial to maintain peak condition at all times.
After dealing with the corpse of the giant blood-sucking bat, Wu Tao picked up his pace and ventured deeper into the mountain range.
...
Within a small mountain valley.
In the valley lay a peculiar lake with murky water. Beside the lake was a wide, open plain.
A group of people were gathered on the plain, facing a monstrous fish the size of a small mountain.
It seemed they were hunting a demonic beast!
The strange fish had the head of a fish, the body of a horse, the feet of a dragon, and the tail of a snake. Its entire body exuded a highly toxic demonic aura that permeated the air. It possessed the cultivation of the late Foundation Establishment stage.
"Miss, you should leave quickly. We will hold it off!"
The middle-aged man leading the group, a cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, looked nervously at the demonic beast and spoke to the young woman behind him, who appeared to be a lady from a prominent family.
...
The young woman, with the demeanor of a lady from a prominent family, her face pale, shook her head resolutely. "How can I abandon you? I was the one who suggested coming here."
Upon hearing this, a young man with a handsome face, standing nearby, showed a flicker of urgency. He said anxiously, "Miss, this strange fish has the bloodline of the ancient ferocious beast Ying Gui. Its poisonous demonic aura is fatal upon contact. You cannot help here at all, and the patriarch is still waiting for the Ten Thousand Elixir God-Mending Grass to save him!"
"Wu Qi, you should also leave with the young lady."
The leading middle-aged man's face showed a determined expression as he ordered the young man behind him, who bore a resemblance to him, to take the young lady he spoke of away.
"Father!"
The young man's face was filled with pain. One was his father, and the other was the young lady he admired. He did not want to abandon either of them.
...
Whoosh!
At this moment, the strange fish launched an attack. Its snake-like tail, tens of meters long, whipped out and sent a Qi Refining realm guard flying, crashing through several large trees before dying instantly.
"Beast!"
The middle-aged man gripped his top-grade spiritual artifact, the Tiger Head Nine-Ringed Great Saber, and unleashed a slash.
Clang!
The pure white saber energy barely managed to pierce the strange fish's defense. Drops of blood splattered onto the ground, emitting a hissing, corrosive sound.
Immediately, a foul odor spread. Two Qi Refining realm guards who were standing close by instantly foamed at the mouth and collapsed on the ground, their lives extinguished.
"The blood is also poisonous?" A figure appeared above the valley entrance, muttering to himself as he witnessed this scene.
The newcomer was Wu Tao. After several hours of travel, he had covered more than three hundred li.
Fortunately, he had not encountered any particularly powerful demonic beasts. Truly powerful demonic beasts likely had their own territories and would not appear elsewhere.
Whoosh!
Besides its tail, the strange fish also had a long, thin tongue that moved with extreme speed, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. This time, it pierced through the chests of two more Qi Refining realm guards.
Finally, the tongue coiled towards the young lady behind the group.
"Get away! You dare harm the young lady!"
The young man hastily raised his high-grade spiritual artifact, the Purple Gold Long Spear, placing himself in front of the young lady, intending to sever the strange fish's tongue.
...
Unfortunately, no matter how fast he was, he could not match the speed of the strange fish's tongue. The slender tongue coiled around him mid-flight, swiftly dragging him towards it.