The tranquil days of cultivation were abruptly shattered by a series of urgent, prolonged bell tolls. Unlike the usual morning and evening bells, these sounded one after another in quick succession, carrying an unmistakable warning and a killing intent that instantly spread to every corner of Clear Void Temple.
"Alarm bells! They're coming from the back mountains!" An experienced senior disciple immediately recognized the sound, his face turning pale.
Xiao Qi was in the kitchen backyard, having just lit the fire and preparing to continue his attempts at refining fasting pills. Hearing this unusual bell ringing, his heart tightened sharply, and a foreboding sense of dread surged within him. He hastily extinguished the stove fire, slung his wok onto his back, and hurried out of the courtyard.
Outside, chaos and a tense atmosphere already reigned. Countless disciples poured out from their residences and meditation chambers, their faces filled with alarm and nervousness. Stewards and elders darted through the air, shouting stern commands and organizing order.
"All outer sect disciples, assemble at the training ground immediately! Inner sect disciples, proceed to designated defense areas according to your halls! Quickly!" A Foundation Establishment stage steward, riding on a flying sword, roared like thunder, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"What's happening?" a bewildered new disciple asked in panic.
"Beast rampage in the back mountains! Unknown numbers, they're attacking the outer perimeter formation!" A well-informed disciple nearby quickly explained, his tone incredulous. "This is really strange—the low-level beasts in the back mountains have always been docile. How could they suddenly go berserk?"
Beast rampage? Xiao Qi's heart skipped a beat. He immediately thought of his secret base and that rabbit spirit! Their location, though hidden, was still within the back mountain area! Would they be affected? Anxiety filled him, but in this critical situation, there was no time for second thoughts. He could only follow the flow of people, rushing toward the training ground.
On the training ground, the atmosphere was grave. Several hundred outer sect disciples were quickly divided into multiple squads, each led by a Foundation Establishment stage steward or a senior inner sect disciple. Xiao Qi was assigned to a squad led by a steward named Han Gang, who was at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Senior Sister Liu Yun was also in this squad, holding a long sword, her brows tightly knit, expression stern.
"Listen!" Steward Han Gang's voice boomed with undeniable authority. "This beast rampage is peculiar—its scale isn't enormous, but the assault is ferocious! Our mission is to guard the entrance to 'Jade Micro Valley.' That's a relatively weak point in the formation. We absolutely cannot let the beasts break through into the temple's core area! Everyone, stay sharp—this isn't a drill, it's a life-and-death battle! Anyone who hesitates or retreats will face sect discipline!"
No one dared to be negligent. Under Steward Han's lead, the squad quickly marched toward Jade Micro Valley in the back mountains. Along the way, they could see the mountain-protecting formation's light screen fully activated—a pale cyan dome enveloping the entire Clear Void Temple. Beyond the light screen, faint roars of furious beasts, impact sounds, and explosions of spells could be heard; clearly, the battle had already begun on the outskirts.
The closer they got to Jade Micro Valley, the stronger the smell of blood and the rampant demonic aura in the air became. At the valley entrance, some disciples who had arrived earlier were already locked in combat with charging beasts.
At the forefront were mostly first- and second-tier low-level beasts: frenzied razor-toothed badgers, venom-spitting emerald-scaled pythons, thick-skinned ironback mountain boars, and packs of wind wolves that moved as fast as lightning. Their eyes were blood-red, as if they'd lost their minds, relentlessly assaulting the defensive line formed by the disciples.
"Formation! Defense!" Steward Han Gang bellowed, taking out an earth-yellow shield artifact that transformed into a wall of light blocking the squad's front.
The disciples unleashed their abilities. Sword lights flashed, spells thundered, talismans exploded, clashing fiercely with the onrushing beasts!
This was Xiao Qi's first experience with large-scale combat. Seeing the ferocious beasts before him, splattering blood, and deafening roars, his heart pounded wildly, and his palms sweated. But he forced himself to stay calm, gripping his wok tightly—this was currently his most "reliable" "weapon."
"Xiao Qi! Stay close to me! Watch the flank!" Senior Sister Liu Yun's voice rang beside him. Her sword techniques were sharp and precise, each strike aimed at vital points of the beasts while still looking out for Xiao Qi, the lowest in cultivation among them.
An ironback mountain boar roared, lowering its head like a charging chariot, two sharp tusks gleaming coldly as it rushed toward the flank where Xiao Qi stood!
Xiao Qi dared not face it head-on. He quickly executed "Swimming Fish Steps" to dodge sideways, simultaneously channeling his meager spiritual power into the wok, holding it horizontally before him.
"Clang!" A dull thud echoed as the boar's tusks slammed hard into the wok's bottom. The tremendous force numbed Xiao Qi's arms, forcing him back several steps, but he had managed to block the attack! The wok remained completely unscathed, not even a scratch.
The boar seemed momentarily dazed by the impact with this "hard pan," shaking its head. Seizing the opportunity, Liu Yun's sword flashed, piercing the boar's relatively soft neck, ending its life.
"Good reflexes! That wok is tough enough!" Liu Yun spared a moment to praise before diving back into the more intense battle.
Panting heavily, Xiao Qi looked at the boar's corpse on the ground, feeling lingering fear. He didn't dare linger, continuing to rely on his wok and agile footwork under Liu Yun's cover, fending off sporadic beasts that charged through. Occasionally, he even managed to knock out a couple of faster wind wolves with his wok.
The battle was exceptionally brutal. Disciples kept getting wounded and carried away, while beasts were continuously slain. Blood stained the valley entrance's soil; the air thick with the heavy scent of blood and the musky stench of beasts.
Xiao Qi's spiritual power was rapidly depleting, and he gained several gashes from beast claws that burned painfully. But he gritted his teeth, holding on stubbornly. He knew that if the defensive line broke, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Just as the battle reached a stalemate, another sudden change occurred! From the forest above the valley entrance came several higher-pitched, intimidating roars! Then, several figures noticeably larger in size and radiating far more formidable auras crashed through the trees, appearing in everyone's sight!
At the lead was a giant wolf over three zhang long, with a single horn on its forehead and faint lightning crackling around its body! Its aura had already reached the peak of third-tier, equivalent to a human cultivator's Great Perfection of Qi Refining!
"Third-tier Thunderhorn Wolf! And third-tier Blazing Flame Leopard, Ironarm Ape! How did even they come out?!" Steward Han Gang's face instantly turned ashen. A rampage by low-level beasts was somewhat understandable, but third-tier beasts had awakened intelligence. They usually occupied deeper territories and rarely participated in such chaotic assaults!
The appearance of these third-tier beasts immediately pushed the already strained defensive line to the brink of collapse!
The Thunderhorn Wolf opened its maw, shooting out a blinding bolt of lightning that instantly blasted two disciples who couldn't dodge in time! The Blazing Flame Leopard spewed flames scorching the ground, while the Ironarm Ape hurled giant rocks wildly!
"Hold! We must not retreat!" Steward Han Gang's eyes nearly burst with fury. He summoned his flying sword, confronting the strongest Thunderhorn Wolf, but was clearly at a disadvantage.
The defensive line began to show signs of crumbling; panic spread among the disciples. Xiao Qi watched those awe-inspiring third-tier beasts, feeling the suffocating pressure, his heart turning cold. Could it be... they couldn't hold?
At this critical moment, a majestic, vast sword intent—like the rising sun—suddenly surged skyward from deep within Clear Void Temple! A cyan sword light, like a silken ribbon tearing through the sky, traversed several li in an instant, shooting straight into Jade Micro Valley!
Where the sword light passed, those once arrogant third-tier beasts let out miserable shrieks, as if crushed by an invisible mountain. Their massive bodies crashed to the ground, their auras instantly withering!
Then, a calm yet supremely authoritative voice resounded in every disciple's ear: "All disciples, hear my command! Form the 'Clear Void Demon-Subduing Formation'! Exterminate the remaining enemies!"
It was Temple Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren who had taken action!
Salvation in desperate straits! All disciples' spirits soared. Under the direction of elders and stewards, they swiftly changed formations. Strands of spiritual light connected, transforming into a mysterious grand formation that enveloped the entire valley entrance, trapping the remaining beasts inside and commencing relentless slaughter.
Xiao Qi slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, watching beasts fall one after another within the formation. His heart was filled with relief at surviving the ordeal and boundless awe at the Temple Master's earth-shattering sword strike.
The rampage seemed suppressed. But a huge question lingered in everyone's minds: For no apparent reason, why did the beasts in the back mountains suddenly go berserk? Moreover, why did even third-tier beasts, as if having lost their minds, join in? What exactly was hidden behind this?