Chapter 1008: Year Beast

"You mortals are quite peculiar," the Nian Beast mused, its playful nature surging. These creatures were inherently curious and active, which was why they always mingled among humans for fun each year.

The Nian Beast roared and lunged at Lu Yang, who swung his arm in a wide arc to counter. Ever since his physical body had been enhanced, he found hand-to-hand combat quite enjoyable.

"As if I'm afraid of you!" Lu Yang retorted.

Man and beast grappled, with the Nian Beast pinning Lu Yang down and roaring, its spittle splattering his face.

"Samadhi True Fire, pfft!" Lu Yang spat.

He had initially learned Samadhi True Fire to release it from his mouth, intending to catch enemies off guard, but he never imagined using it on a Nian Beast.

Singed by the Samadhi True Fire, the Nian Beast's mane shriveled and curled into tiny black dots. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Yang flipped over, gaining the upper hand.

The man and beast battled intensely, their struggle a constant back-and-forth, filled with cunning tactics that would have been truly admirable—if one could actually see the Nian Beast.

"Second Boss, why are you suddenly rolling around?" Yun Mengmeng asked, bewildered. She had heard that New Year's money, also called "evil-suppressing money," had the power to ward off malevolent spirits. Could it be that the Second Boss hadn't received enough, and was now possessed?

"I'm fighting a Nian Beast; you just can't see it," Lu Yang explained. Immediately after, he was again pinned down by the creature.

"You're a legendary Nian Beast, for crying out loud! Can't you use some other attack method?" Lu Yang roared in frustration, feeling as if he were wrestling like a primitive.

"I won't yield! You use another method first, and then I will!" the Nian Beast retorted.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

Neither of them was willing to concede ground in their close-quarters brawl. They stubbornly refused to use any other methods, determined to compete purely on physical strength, raw power, and hand-to-hand techniques.

Observing Lu Yang, Yun Mengmeng realized he wasn't just imagining things; he truly was fighting an invisible foe.

She instinctively tried to touch the Nian Beast, but her hand passed right through it, feeling nothing. What Yun Mengmeng didn't know was that Nian Beasts were creatures cultivated by the Dao Fruit of Time, inherently linked to temporal concepts. Having undergone a life transcendence, they existed on an entirely different plane of existence.

"Second Boss, do you need my help?"

"No, I refuse to believe I can't beat it!" Lu Yang's veins bulged as he strained, determined to gain the upper hand over the Nian Beast.

Within the spiritual space, Immortal Fairy bounced around, offering Lu Yang mental support, for battling Nian Beasts was, after all, a New Year's tradition.

As Lu Yang and the Nian Beast remained locked in their stalemate, a line of fiery clouds suddenly appeared on the horizon, swiftly approaching the Asking Dao Sect.

Only when the clouds drew closer did Lu Yang realize they were not clouds at all, but rather a colossal swarm of Nian Beasts!

The lead Nian Beast was the size of a small mountain, radiating a terrifying aura of power. It was the clan leader of the Nian Beast tribe.

The Nian Beast clan leader's expression shifted drastically upon seeing the young Nian Beast. "Chuyi, what are you doing? Didn't I warn you never to come to the Asking Dao Sect? This is a forbidden zone for our Nian Beast clan—a terrifying great demon resides here!"

"Beware, the great demon might suddenly appear and snatch you away!"

Upon seeing the clan leader arrive with the rest of the tribe, the young Nian Beast no longer dared to frolic with Lu Yang. It quickly pushed him away, a hint of defiance in its voice: "Clan leader, I'm not a child anymore! Don't think I don't know that 'great demon' talk is all lies. I've been here so long and haven't seen any great demon!"

"Foolish!" the Nian Beast clan leader roared, enraged. "When I encountered that great demon, I barely escaped with my life! If you were to see her, would you still be so lively?"

The Nian Beast clan leader descended, bit the young Nian Beast by the scruff of its neck, and tossed it onto its back.

For some reason, although the Nian Beast clan leader never explicitly said it, Lu Yang instinctively felt that the "great demon" it referred to was his Senior Sister.

How utterly outrageous! To dare to slander his Senior Sister right in front of him.

His Senior Sister was such a good person; she taught him cultivation and always came to his aid when he was in danger. How could someone like that be a great demon?

"Hmm, you can see us?"

Only then did the Nian Beast clan leader notice Lu Yang's presence. It lay on the ground, its colossal brown pupils reflecting Lu Yang's small figure.

"An interesting young man. Are you perhaps blessed by an immortal?" The Nian Beast clan leader, being well-versed in the world, knew that a certain type of mortal could indeed perceive them; these individuals were always favored by immortals.

"Is that the Lord's wooden token you're wearing around your neck?" The Nian Beast clan leader sensed a familiar power emanating from Lu Yang's chest.

"You mean this?" Lu Yang took out a wooden token. "This was given to me by someone from the Five Elements Sect." It was a piece of the Jianmu (World Tree).

"The Lord's immortal corpse..." A wistful expression crossed the Nian Beast clan leader's face as it gazed at the token.

It had learned the location of the Lord's immortal corpse from the previous clan leader.

"Wait a moment, I'll call someone over." Seeing that the Nian Beast clan leader, who hadn't even met the Immortal of Time, reacted to a mere wooden token, Lu Yang directly pulled over a bewildered Li Haoran.

"Take a look at him. Do you feel anything familiar?"

The Nian Beast clan leader furrowed its brow, puzzled as to why Lu Yang had summoned this person.

"How could I feel anything? This person can't even see us."

Lu Yang frowned. The Nian Beast clan leader felt absolutely nothing from Li Haoran?

"Ah, well, since you can see us and possess the Lord's wooden token, it seems to be fate. It's rare for a living being to perceive our existence, so allow us to take you on a journey!"

The Nian Beast clan leader stopped pondering the Immortal of Time; such somber thoughts didn't align with their naturally optimistic disposition. Due to their distinct level of existence, they usually couldn't communicate with other beings. Encountering a lucky individual like Lu Yang was a rare treat, so they naturally wanted to show him good hospitality.

"This..."

"Come now, this is an opportunity many would envy!"

Before Lu Yang could even object, the Nian Beast clan leader bit his collar and, in the same manner it had tossed the young Nian Beast, threw him onto its back. Left behind were Li Haoran, still utterly confused about why he had been summoned, and Yun Mengmeng, who could only watch her Second Boss fly away.

The Nian Beast clan had practically never encountered a creature that could speak with them, so they were all incredibly excited, gathering around and chattering volubly.

"Brother, which immortal did you encounter?"

"What about you caught an immortal's eye?"

"Did you see us last year?"

"How did you and Chuyi start fighting, and who won?"

"Alright, alright, quiet down, I'm about to fly!" the Nian Beast clan leader roared, its form becoming translucent.

Lu Yang entered a profound state as an endless current of water flowed towards him, making it impossible to open his eyes.

He struggled to open one eye and found himself adrift in the torrent of time. Scenes from his past flashed by like slides on either side: joining the Asking Dao Sect, slaying the tiger demon during the Foundation Establishment stage, infiltrating the Immortal Cult, resurrecting Immortal Fairy, establishing the Heavenly Court... right up to the current New Year's Eve.

Just as Lu Yang thought it was ending, more images continued to appear on both sides!

The images were exceedingly blurry, but Lu Yang managed to discern one clear scene.

In that scene, a box-like world slowly unfolded, revealing a boundless, glittering starry sky.

The Nian Beast clan leader carried Lu Yang out of the torrent of time, and the images on both sides dissolved.