Chapter 258: New Acquaintance

Deep within the dense forest, several disheveled figures stumbled towards its edge, blood streaming from them.

"Hmph—hmph—"

"Damn it, didn't they say Golden Core stage demonic beasts are highly independent and never act in groups? How can there be so many of them?" Song Hua complained, panting as he ran.

"Who knows? Is it useful to talk about this now? Just run!"

"It's all your fault! You didn't buy new directional teleportation talismans after using up the last ones, and you insisted on dragging us back into the forest!"

"Who could have known we'd run into this? Ask these two bodyguards if they've ever encountered Golden Core stage demonic beasts acting in groups!"

"Young Masters, please stop arguing for now," one of the two bodyguards pleaded, drenched in sweat. "Our top priority is to quickly reach the edge of the forest. We can discuss who's at fault after we're out of danger." They knew these young masters were difficult clients; last time, they had encountered a Nascent Soul stage six-tusked white elephant, and this time, they had somehow provoked several late Golden Core stage demonic beasts. What terrible luck! In all their years as bodyguards, they had never encountered such an outrageous situation. One of their companions had already perished under the claws of the pursuing demonic beasts.

"Awooo!" One of the pursuing demonic beasts was a one-eyed lone wolf, its gaze fierce and bloodthirsty. It was this wolf that had brutally bitten one of the bodyguards to death. The one-eyed lone wolf had red claws, and when it ran, it moved with incredible speed, as if soaring through clouds. It let out another cry, accelerated again, and charged towards Song Hua and his group.

"Damn it, it's a Red Cloud Wolf!" Song Hua cursed loudly. "It's probably a former wolf king that was defeated and driven out by a new one!"

Hearing Song Hua's curse, the one-eyed lone wolf's gaze turned even colder. It pushed off with its hind legs, leaped high, and lunged to bite Song Hua's neck. Song Hua turned, saw the attack, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. Just as he thought he was doomed, he heard the ringing of a sword beside his ear.

The sword rang out, a short, powerful sound imbued with an inexplicable grace—a strike only a true master of swordsmanship could deliver. A sword thrust shot towards the one-eyed lone wolf, startling it into a quick turn. The sword was too fast; the wolf's reaction was too slow, leaving it no way to dodge. It could only open its gaping maw, taking the sword strike head-on. The Azure Edge Sword clashed with the wolf's fangs, producing a harsh, scalp-tingling sound. The one-eyed lone wolf's mouth was full of blood, and only half of its sharp fangs remained.

Lu Yang struck again, his sword swinging towards the one-eyed lone wolf. Meanwhile, three other figures confronted the remaining three demonic beasts.

Song Hua and his group were bewildered by the sudden appearance of these rescuers. Should they help? Keep running? Or stay put? They weren't given much time to think, as the one-eyed wolf king's head flew off, dead beyond doubt.

Lu Yang sheathed his Azure Edge Sword, a few drops of wolf blood splashing onto his face.

"Watch out, there's still a demonic beast in the sky!" Song Hua shouted a warning. Cultivators in the Golden Core stage could fly, and Song Hua's group had initially intended to escape that way. However, a demonic bird was circling overhead, ensuring that anyone who took to the sky would instantly become its target.

The demonic bird noticed Lu Yang's presence. With a flap of its wings, it transformed into a shower of meteor-like arrows and plunged towards him. Lu Yang had already noticed the demonic bird's presence. Without even lifting his head, he casually raised his Azure Edge Sword, a movement as relaxed as a morning stretch. The demonic bird crashed directly onto the sword's tip, its head pierced through.

"Are you alright?" Lu Yang asked with concern.

"You are..." Song Hua and the others were astonished. Lu Yang's publicly displayed cultivation was late Foundation Establishment, but how could a cultivator at that stage possibly slay a one-eyed lone wolf and a demonic bird?

"Tch, still a step slower than you," Meng Jingzhou grumbled, having just killed another demonic beast himself, his fists covered in its blood.

"Meng Jingzhou?" Song Hua's eyes widened as he recognized him.

"You're... Song Hua from the Song family?" Meng Jingzhou asked, a little unsure. The person was so disheveled and covered in dirt, looking like a refugee who had just escaped from somewhere, completely unlike the Song Hua he remembered. Although the Song family wasn't as prominent as the Meng family, they were still a well-known and influential family in the imperial capital with excellent living conditions. The last time Meng Jingzhou saw Song Hua, he was singing and dancing on a pleasure boat, performing even better than the courtesans.

"Yes, it's me!" Song Hua exclaimed, surprised to find Meng Jingzhou among his rescuers. He had heard that Meng Jingzhou had been missing for over a year and hadn't been seen anywhere. However, the Meng family's calm demeanor suggested that Meng Jingzhou's disappearance might not be what it seemed.

"He's the Meng family's eldest young master, Meng Jingzhou?" the few people behind Song Hua whispered in surprise. They were from a collateral branch of the Song family and had never seen Meng Jingzhou before.

"You've done so many bad deeds, you're even meeting enemies here?" Lu Yang asked curiously.

Meng Jingzhou rolled his eyes. "Enemies, my foot! Let me introduce you: this is Song Hua, the third young master of the Song family from the imperial capital. He's a few years older than me, and we've played together a few times back in the capital. They probably came to the forest for experience, just like us. Or, of course, they might just be here for a 'gilding' experience."

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Lu Yang from the Dao Seeking Sect."

"The Dao Seeking Sect?!" Song Hua gasped, but quickly composed himself. He clasped his hands in a gesture of thanks. "So you are a fellow Daoist from the Dao Seeking Sect. No wonder you possess such remarkable skills!" So, Meng Jingzhou's disappearance for over a year was because he went to cultivate at the Dao Seeking Sect? This was terrible! The Meng family was already a significant headache, and the Dao Seeking Sect was an even bigger one. With Meng Jingzhou having connections to both places, wouldn't he make enemies everywhere he went in the future?

Meng Jingzhou frowned. "Why do I feel like you're thinking something incredibly rude?"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare."

"We're done too," came another voice. Not long after, Tao Yaoyao and Mang Gu had also dealt with their respective demonic beasts. Song Hua noticed that both of them were also in the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet their clothes remained pristine after the fight.

Lu Yang and his three companions had already been training in the dense forest for two months. During this period, they had only returned to Demon Suppressing Pass three times, spending the rest of their time honing their skills within the forest. By now, ordinary late Golden Core stage demonic beasts no longer posed any threat to them.

"Young Master Song, tell us," Meng Jingzhou asked lazily. "What did you do to provoke such outrage that several Golden Core stage demonic beasts would chase you?"

Song Hua wasn't like Mang Gu, whose ancient barbarian bloodline naturally attracted the ire of demonic beasts. Provoking one or two Golden Core beasts might be understandable, but how could he possibly have provoked five of them to chase him simultaneously?

Song Hua and his group exchanged helpless, bitter smiles. "We truly don't know what happened. We just ventured a little deeper than usual, hoping to kill a few more high-quality Golden Core stage demonic beasts so we'd have a good report when we returned."

"It's strange, really," Song Hua continued. "The deeper parts of the forest should have more Golden Core stage demonic beasts, but we walked for a long time without finding any. Then, when we finally did, as you saw, five appeared at once, and one of our bodyguards was even swallowed whole."

"Fortunately, you came to our aid, otherwise, I fear I would have met my end in this forest today." Song Hua felt the profound relief of a narrow escape. After this ordeal, he resolved to take a flying boat straight back to his family as soon soon as they returned to Demon Suppressing Pass. Their gains from this trip were already sufficient for their family's requirements, and there was no need to risk further danger.

Lu Yang and the others exchanged glances, realizing that something unknown must have occurred deeper within the dense forest.