Chapter 1142: In Dire Straits, Become Strong

"Why have there been so few demonic beasts outside the city recently? Is it a sign of impending trouble?"

"If we knew why, would the City Lord have sent us to investigate?"

A seven-person reconnaissance team walked through the snowy landscape. All of them were battle-hardened cultivators with experience fighting and defeating demonic beasts of similar levels. They had been dispatched by the City Lord to investigate the reason for the change in demonic beast numbers.

They flew low to the ground, wearing white robes with high-grade aura-concealing talismans sewn into the inner lining. Their magical artifacts were at their waists, and their compasses spun continuously.

As they moved farther and farther from Muxue City, the number of demonic beasts finally increased.

Their aura-concealing skills were excellent; they could fly past demonic beasts without being detected, even those cultivators a major realm higher than themselves.

Suddenly, their vision went black as a massive, mountain-like figure appeared, exhaling icy breath. One cultivator didn't react in time and was struck by the cold air, instantly freezing into an ice sculpture.

The captain looked up, meeting the gaze of the mountain-like figure. He finally recognized its identity: "It's the Great Demonic King of Frost Elephants! Run!"

The moment the others saw the Great Demonic King of Frost Elephants, their hearts were seized by terror. Their extensive experience living in the icy plains and fighting demonic beasts became utterly useless at that moment!

The captain's shout snapped them out of their fear. They no longer cared about concealing their auras and fled as fast as they could.

A snake's tongue suddenly appeared, coiling around another teammate.

A white snake was hidden in the ice and snow, seemingly invisible. The team had not noticed its presence at all.

"It's the Great Demonic King of White Serpents!"

One after another, legendary demonic beasts of the icy plains appeared, all of them Great Demonic Kings. The team completely lost their ability to think, their eyes glazed over.

"Everyone, stick close and don't fall behind." Teacher Lu Doudou held a small red flag, organizing a class outdoor activity. "That's strange, aren't those people from Tiger Roar Martial Arts School? Why are they leaving the city?" Two guards at Muxue City whispered to each other.

"I don't know."

Not long after the martial arts students left, the heavily wounded reconnaissance team captain stumbled back, flying unsteadily, and collapsed at the city gate. The two guards rushed forward in alarm to check on him.

Lying in a guard's arms, the captain shakily raised a hand, pointing in the direction he had come from.

"Quickly notify the City Lord, a beast tide is coming..."

"What? A beast tide?" The two guards trembled. They had heard how terrifying beast tides were, but in all their lives, they had never heard of Muxue City encountering one.

"Wait, isn't the direction the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School people went exactly where the beast tide is coming from?"

Outside Muxue City, Lu Yang led over thirty students. The students wore thick padded jackets, resembling little snowmen, while Lu Yang alone wore a long gown with the Tiger Roar emblem, making him stand out from them.

"Mr. Lu, isn't it too dangerous to conduct combat training right now?"

A student timidly raised a hand and asked. They had arrived for class excitedly, only for Mr. Lu to tell them to go hunt demonic beasts in the wild?

Those were demonic beasts! Even their parents would run away at the sight of one, so how could they be a match?

"You've been practicing Tiger Roar Fist for so long; it's time to test the results of your cultivation. Don't worry, I won't pick opponents that are too strong for you."

The students groaned. Although the powerful Mr. Lu was watching, what if something happened and Mr. Lu couldn't intervene in time?

Lu Yang paid no mind to what the students were thinking. He held his small flag and continued forward, and the students could only follow.

"There are wolf paw prints here. This must be the direction!" Lu Yang squatted down, pointing definitively at the pristine snow, like an experienced hunter.

"Teacher, there are no paw prints here?"

"The paw prints are covered by the heavy snow. You are still young and can't see them, but I can see the paw prints under the snow."

The students looked at Lu Yang with admiration.

Lu Yang was very pleased with the students' reactions and led them in the direction of the wolf demon he had sensed.

After walking an unknown distance, Lu Yang raised his hand and clenched his fist, signaling everyone to stop.

He pointed behind a large rock not far away and said, "Do you see that large rock? There's a wolf demon behind it. Based on my experience, it's a Qi Refining second-layer wolf demon, one-eyed, with a lame left leg, abandoned by its pack."

Fang Zhige looked strange. Could that really be determined by experience?

"Gong Che, Shi Yi, you two will direct the students to surround and eliminate this wolf demon!"

Gong Che and Shi Yi simultaneously exclaimed, a mix of apprehension and excitement.

Among everyone, only Fang Zhige remained calm. As a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining, dealing with Qi Refining stage demonic beasts was effortless for him.

"Xiao Fang, come here for a moment." Lu Yang beckoned, calling Fang Zhige over to a pine tree.

"You don't need to fight with them. Later, I'll pick a Foundation Establishment stage demonic beast for you."

Fang Zhige took several steps back, staring incredulously at the calm-faced Lu Yang.

How was this possible? How could Mr. Lu see through his true cultivation level? Even Sect Master Murong, a Golden Core stage cultivator, couldn't see through him!

Could it be that Master Luo hadn't bothered him all this time because Mr. Lu had dealt with Master Luo?

Thinking of this, Fang Zhige lowered his voice and seriously warned, "Mr. Lu, you shouldn't get involved in this mess. Perhaps Master Luo isn't a threat to you, but Master Luo has the Ghost Killing Alliance's endless pursuit orders behind him, and above the Ghost Killing Alliance is the Nine Ghosts Alliance. You will face a continuous stream of pursuits!"

The thought of such a good teacher as Lu Doudou facing a life-or-death situation because of his own problems filled Fang Zhige with remorse.

"Alright, children shouldn't worry so much. Go kill your demonic beast."

At this point, Fang Zhige suddenly realized the biggest problem he faced: he was only at the peak of Qi Refining and had never fought a Foundation Establishment stage demonic beast.

All the assassination techniques he had learned were useless against demonic beasts.

"Go one li north; there's a snow fox there, early Foundation Establishment stage. You go fight it."

Lu Yang patted Fang Zhige's back, urging him to go quickly.

After Fang Zhige left, Lu Yang stroked his chin. "Speaking of which, is the environment around Muxue City really that good? We've walked so far and only found a few demonic beasts, and their cultivation levels aren't high."

"What do you think, Immortal?"

"Ow, ow, ow—I am a wolf now, ow, ow—"

Inside the spiritual space, goose down-like snowflakes fluttered, burying the Imperial Palace of the Great Bean Dynasty. The palace roof seemed nonexistent, and it was snowing inside the palace as well, covering everything from the ground to the throne in a thick layer of snow.

The Immortal Goddess, draped in white wolf fur, leaped and bounded through the snow, howling. Her wolf claws extended menacingly. As Lu Yang turned to ask a question, she suddenly pounced on him.

"Immortal, what are you doing?"

After Lu Yang shakily stood up, he realized that the Immortal Goddess had, without him noticing, draped him in the fur of some unknown demonic beast.

"This is weasel fur."

"Isn't there an idiom, 'wolf and weasel working together,' describing a very close relationship? Now I am the wolf, and you are the weasel. Our relationship is unbreakable!"