"Roar~"
"Grrr~"
"Chirp~"
Just as Yang Hong was enjoying a delicious grilled fish feast, the sounds of chaotic demonic beast roars grew closer.
"Are these damned demonic beasts going insane?"
Still some distance away, Yang Hong paid no mind and took another bite of the fish.
"The fish in this secret realm is truly delicious, tender yet chewy, and incredibly savory. Even without seasoning, just grilled, it's an ultimate delicacy."
"So fragrant~ *huff huff*~"
While marveling at the fish's taste, Yang Hong devoured it voraciously, completely unaware that he was already surrounded by numerous demonic beasts.
He had chosen this small lake after consulting a map.
It was only about ten miles from the Crimson Viper Valley, considered the territory of the Crimson Vipers. Normally, no other demonic beasts would venture near.
Thus, it was specially marked on the map as one of the safer areas.
However, Yang Hong was unaware that the merit within him had provoked the hostility of a mysterious existence.
Consequently, countless Fusion Realm demonic beasts were converging on him.
"Roar~"
Just as Yang Hong was about to grill his fourth delicious roasted fish, a violent roar erupted beside him.
"Holy crap, it's a tiger!
Why did this tiger come all the way here?"
"If you're going to wander, at least wander here to be my next meal."
Seeing the magnificent, enormous tiger, easily twenty feet tall and fifty feet long, Yang Hong was reminded of the meat from the eighth-tier tiger demonic beast he had already consumed.
"Haha~ Just as I got a few new storage bags, bringing back a big tiger to eat would be perfect."
Yang Hong put down the half-cooked grilled fish in his hand, leaped up, and charged towards the tiger.
"Roar~"
The great tiger, seeing Yang Hong charge, let out a roar and sped up, rushing towards him.
Man and beast closed in rapidly.
"Bang~"
Before the tiger could even raise its claws, Yang Hong's fist had already landed on its chin.
"Mmph~ Mmph~"
The tiger's entire body was sent flying, soaring ten zhang into the sky.
"Thump thump~"
Another two punches.
Before the tiger hit the ground, Yang Hong leaped up and delivered two blows to its neck.
*Crack*
The tiger, which had fallen to the ground, was unable to move. Its neck was broken.
It couldn't be deader.
"Heh heh, what a fine tiger, arriving just in time with a meal."
Looking at the dead tiger, Yang Hong took out a third-tier flying sword, ready to begin dissecting it.
"Roar~"
Three giant wolves, each about ten feet tall, charged forward with ferocious growls.
"Spoilsports, I'll take care of you first."
Seeing the red-eyed wolves staring at him and swallowing their saliva,
Yang Hong felt annoyed. He temporarily set aside the tiger's corpse and drew his sword, rushing towards the wolves.
Since comprehending the Artistic Conception of Valiance and Fearlessness, Yang Hong had developed a preference for close-quarters combat, leaving his formerly favored spells behind.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~"
With three sword hums, three massive wolf heads soared into the sky.
In a single exchange, Yang Hong instantly annihilated the three giant wolves.
These giant wolves were also third-tier Fusion Realm demonic beasts. While individually they might not be as formidable as the tiger, three working together could certainly have killed the great tiger from before.
However, in Yang Hong's hands, they were no more than a single sword stroke.
"Wolf meat isn't supposed to be very tasty, so I'll pass."
Glancing at the giant wolves, Yang Hong turned back towards the tiger's carcass.
"Meow~ Meow~"
Just as Yang Hong began to dissect the tiger, a series of cat-like cries could be heard.
He looked up and saw a group of large cats.
Leopard cats, three feet at the shoulder and nearly ten feet long.
Not just three or five, but a large pack, over a hundred of them.
All were third-tier Fusion Realm giant leopard cats.
"What's with these demonic beasts? Did the smell of blood here attract them?"
"Doesn't seem like it. My swordsmanship is precise, and the giant wolves didn't bleed much. Even if it was the smell of blood, it shouldn't have spread this quickly."
As the leopard cats gathered and more beastly roars echoed, Yang Hong realized something was amiss.
"Could it be that all the other cultivators nearby have died, and I'm the only one left?"
Yang Hong speculated, as he saw several wild bulls charging towards him.
"It's good they're coming; it'll be a perfect opportunity to practice the Artistic Conception of Valiance and Fearlessness."
Instead of feeling worried by the approaching horde of demonic beasts, Yang Hong felt a surge of eagerness.
This was one of the effects of the Valiance and Fearlessness Artistic Conception, inspiring bravery and banishing all fear.
"The leopard cats seem smaller in stature, they should be easier to handle. I'll start with you."
With over a hundred leopard cats gathered, Yang Hong felt no concern and charged directly at them.
"Meow~"
Seeing Yang Hong charge and feeling disrespected, the leopard cat leader roared and leaped forward.
In an instant, the leopard cat leader appeared before Yang Hong, raking its claws towards his face.
"Heh heh~ Want to hit my face?
You'll need a head for that! Qingfeng Sword Technique."
Stepping with the "Butterfly Dances with Cats" movement technique and wielding his long sword in the "Qingfeng Sword Technique," Yang Hong swept past the leopard cat leader.
"Meow~"
The leopard cat's roar was cut short, its head cleanly severed.
"Swish~ Swish~ Swish~"
A sound like a gentle breeze filled the air as the heads of over a hundred leopard cats tumbled to the ground.
"Heh heh~ You're no match for me in speed."
The leopard cat pack, known for their speed, lasted only ten breaths.
Annihilated!
"Moo~"
Before Yang Hong could rest, the herd of wild bulls had arrived.
"Rumble~ Rumble~"
When wild bulls charge in a herd, their momentum is earth-shattering, forcing even Nascent Soul cultivators to evade their charge.
This is not only due to the bulls' immense strength but also the sheer number of them, which serves as a formidable weapon.
For instance, the herd before Yang Hong charged with such force that the ground trembled, making Yang Hong, a cultivator, believe an earthquake had struck.
He activated the newly learned "Wind Dance Technique" and flew thirty feet into the air, watching the approaching dust cloud and exclaiming, "Truly spectacular."
As far as he could see to the east, everything was obscured by dust. The aura was like the end of the world, the dust like demons bent on destroying it.
"I want to test the maximum output of my Savage Ox Fist. How powerful can it be?"
Muttering to himself, Yang Hong abruptly descended to the ground.
He channeled the Savage Ox Fist, his entire body's True Essence surging rapidly, replacing the usual path of internal energy.
"Moo~"
After an earth-shattering ox bellow, a massive phantom of a savage ox, thirty feet tall, appeared behind Yang Hong.
"Savage Ox Fist~"
Yang Hong roared and threw a punch, sending the phantom ox charging towards the herd of wild bulls.
Yang Hong maintained his punching stance, his True Essence continuously flowing, causing the phantom ox to solidify and grow larger.
"Crack~ Crack~ Crack~"
The familiar explosive sounds rang out. Any bull grazed by the phantom ox detonated on contact.
None were spared!
Even the Golden Core realm bull king, who had been commanding from within the herd, was instantly annihilated.
Rumble~
The phantom ox continued its charge. Even after breaking through the bull formation, it did not stop, pressing onward.
"Good, good, bring it on."
Although Yang Hong's attack was successful, he did not pause. The wild bull herd numbered over a hundred thousand, and they continued to charge fearlessly.
"Moo~ Moo~ Moo~"
Yang Hong reduced the output of his True Qi and True Essence, no longer unleashing his full power as before.
Instead, he accelerated his attack speed.
From the air, he had seen an increasing number of demonic beasts converging on him.
He needed to conserve his stamina and True Essence output.
Before the wild bulls were completely cleared, more leopard cats swarmed in.
Then, sparrows, each larger than a rooster, began to descend from the sky;
From the small lake behind him, serpentine demonic beasts launched surprise attacks.
Gradually, the area within a ten-mile radius around Yang Hong became occupied by a dense swarm of Fusion Realm demonic beasts.