Roar!
On the morning of the fourth day, Li Xuan and the other three were awakened by a deafening roar. The four exchanged glances, their expressions instantly changing.
The ground began to tremble violently. Cracks appeared in the weaker areas.
"This is… a beast tide!" Jian Chi's expression changed drastically as he exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, Yue Fuyao and Yue Caixuan's eyes filled with terror. A beast tide meant the emergence of thousands upon thousands of Xuan Beasts. Even peak Martial God realm existences could only avoid its onslaught.
"Retreat!" Li Xuan's expression turned serious, and he immediately commanded.
Soon, the four exerted their full strength and fled into the distance. Less than a minute after Li Xuan and the others departed, dense swarms of Xuan Beasts arrived at their previous location. Terrifying beastly might permeated the air, reducing everything in its path to flat ground.
On the Wen Ding Plaza, Xuan Ye and the others watched the unfolding events on the light screen with grave expressions.
According to the light screen, beast tides had erupted not only in Li Xuan's location but also in two-thirds of the screen's area, with considerable scale.
"This beast tide outbreak seems deliberate. The kings of the Xuan Beast world have likely begun to act," Ru Lai said in a deep voice.
"With the sudden outbreak of the beast tide, many contestants will likely perish. Fortunately, we have set up formations; otherwise, our Five Regions would have suffered countless casualties from this beast tide," Nan Haotian nodded slightly.
As Nan Haotian finished speaking, figures began to appear on the Wen Ding Plaza. Their faces were filled with shock, clearly forced to withdraw from the Five Regions Heavenly Pride Ranking competition due to the sudden appearance of the beast tide.
Some contestants with passable strength glanced at the beast tide on the light screen, and their previously somber expressions eased considerably. Faced with such a large-scale beast tide, they had no other choice.
Withdraw or die!
Soon, tens of thousands of people appeared on the plaza. Once they recovered, they all returned to their respective sects.
Within the Xuan Beast world, although Li Xuan and the other three had left before the beast tide arrived, human strength has its limits. The four were eventually caught up by the tide.
"One Sword Shatters Ten Thousand Laws!"
Seeing this, Li Xuan drew his Soul Shocking Sword and slashed it down. The beast tide behind them was split into two. Terrifying sword energy raged, and countless Xuan Beasts fell.
"Go!"
Li Xuan grabbed Yue Fuyao's hand and fled into the distance again, as there were simply too many Xuan Beasts. Jian Chi glanced at Yue Caixuan, then suppressed the urge to reach out his hand and flew away on his sword.
"Is this guy interested in me?" Yue Caixuan was stunned for a moment, then shook her head slightly and followed.
Two hours passed. With Li Xuan's occasional interventions, the four finally managed to escape the pursuit of the beast tide.
As night fell, the four found a cave. After sealing the entrance, they rested.
The next day.
Jian Chi peeked through a gap and then turned to Li Xuan, saying, "The beast tide has receded."
The four emerged from the stone cave and looked outside, their expressions grim. The ground was cracked, and trees were uprooted. The corpses of some lower-grade Xuan Beasts lay everywhere.
"I wonder how many people will die from this sudden beast tide. This competition is too cruel," Jian Chi sighed.
"Let's bury these Xuan Beasts. If there are any spiritual masters from the Five Regions, collect their bodies and hand them over to their sects after we get out," Li Xuan said after a moment of silence.
The cultivation of every spiritual master was incredibly difficult. Some even had the entire clan's resources pooled to support their training. Their demise would undoubtedly be a huge loss to these families.
"Every spiritual master receives a spiritual talisman upon entering. If they encounter a life-threatening crisis, they can crush it to be teleported out. Although this beast tide came suddenly, there should have been enough time to withdraw," Yue Fuyao said.
Li Xuan nodded. They had sensed it before the beast tide arrived, and even spiritual masters with weaker cultivation should have been able to detect it. With this thought, Li Xuan felt a bit more at ease.
Unbeknownst to Li Xuan, the Qing Xiao Sword within his dantian had once again gained a subtle sheen of brightness.
"This little fellow, by harboring a benevolent intention, has actually opened up a path for the Sword Heart," Feng Zhao Ge suddenly said from within the Zhen Yu.
Yi Qin, standing beside him, was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
"There are many paths for sword cultivators. But every path is forged by oneself, or even arises subconsciously. This little fellow, although decisive in battle and leaving no loose ends when he acts, could be considered a demon in the eyes of outsiders."
Feng Zhao Ge paused slightly and continued, "But this little fellow possesses a benevolent heart. This benevolence is not directed towards his enemies, but towards all living beings. It is precisely because of this that the Qing Xiao within him has undergone a change."
"The Sword of Benevolence…" Yi Qin's eyes flashed with understanding. At this moment, he understood. For Li Xuan to comprehend such a grand Dao of sword cultivation at his age was truly remarkable, and it was no wonder he was chosen by "that person."
"However, he himself is likely unaware of this, and this Sword of Benevolence has only just begun to form. Whether he can walk this path in the future depends solely on his own fortune," Feng Zhao Ge said.
"Brother Li, I'd like to take this opportunity to look for the contestants from the Myriad Sword Sect," an hour later, Li Xuan and the other three had buried all the corpses in the valley. Among them were several spiritual masters, and the four had collected their bodies into spatial rings for preservation, just as Li Xuan had instructed. After cleaning up, Jian Chi looked at Li Xuan and said.
Li Xuan nodded. Jian Chi, being from the Myriad Sword Sect, naturally worried about the safety of his fellow disciples.
"Young Master Li Xuan, I also want to go back and find my sect," Yue Caixuan also spoke up. Although Yue Fuyao remained silent, her eyes were fixed on Li Xuan.
Li Xuan nodded again, then smiled. "It's fine. We're still in the Xuan Beast world, so we'll meet again eventually. If you encounter danger, remember not to linger and fight."
Yue Fuyao and Yue Caixuan nodded, and then the three of them moved and departed.
Li Xuan didn't know how the three would find their respective sects, but he assumed they had some means of contact. As for their safety, Li Xuan wasn't too worried. As Yue Fuyao had mentioned earlier, everyone had a spiritual talisman they could crush to escape in times of crisis.
Li Xuan retracted his thoughts and gave a self-deprecating smile. "Ah, I'm alone again."