I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 34 Fierce Battle Against the Human-Faced Beast
A sudden chill ran through Ying Chan's heart, as if there were thorns in his back.

This feeling had no origin, yet it was incredibly real.

Without hesitation, he dodged to the side, calling out, "Xuan Ying!"

Li Xuanying reacted extremely quickly, without the slightest hesitation. He immediately tapped his toes and retreated swiftly.

Almost at the same time, the boulder in front of the two suddenly collapsed.

A long tail, like a whip, lashed down from the sky, shattering the giant rocks of Lianshan into pieces!

It turned out that the human-faced beast had already woken up sometime earlier.

Previously, this beast was lying on the ground with its tail coiled up, and nothing seemed amiss. But now, upon closer inspection, it was found to be four or five zhang long, exceeding its actual size. No wonder it could launch a surprise attack from such a distance.

Fortunately, the two reacted quickly; otherwise, even if they hadn't been struck by a boulder, they probably wouldn't have survived unharmed.

Ying Chan looked up and met the gaze of the human-faced beast.

It had opened its long, narrow beast eyes, which overlapped with the ghostly markings on its face, making it appear as if the four eyes were staring at each other, making it look even more ferocious.

In particular, Ying Chan even noticed a hint of human-like mockery in its eyes, which made him feel a slight chill.

"What a cunning beast."

His mind raced: "Did it detect our arrival early? Is it because its senses are exceptionally sharp, or did we give away our presence?"

The human-faced beast, undeterred by its failed attack, gently flicked its long tail and withdrew it behind it, revealing another bloody mouth as if about to breathe.

However, at this moment, Li Xuanying had already patted his waist.

A beam of dazzling white light, like a bolt of lightning, shot out from within and hurtled towards the human-faced beast.

Ying Chan was not directly facing the white light, but he couldn't help but squint when he was blinded by it. The human-faced beast reacted even more strongly when it was pointed at, and it actually turned its head away.

"Is it about to hit?"

The moment Ying Chan had this thought, he saw the human-faced beast leap away, and the white light followed suit, still chasing after its head.

But with a flick of its tail, without anyone looking directly at it, a white light from its whip sent it flying!

Ying Chan then realized that the white light was actually a flying sword without a handle or hilt, with blades at both ends, which surprised him even more.

This human-faced beast, without even looking at the flying sword, was able to react directly, which was already quite astonishing.

Even more unbelievable is that when it struck the flying sword with its long tail, it only left a shallow white mark without drawing blood. Instead, the flying sword's spiritual light dimmed slightly after being hit.

"What a fine example of a body made of copper and iron."

Li Xuanying frowned. He knew that this beast-faced creature had thick skin and flesh, so he aimed his sword straight for its head. He didn't expect that this swift attack would fail to succeed.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

When they last met, he had not yet learned the sword technique. Although he already had a flying sword in his hand, he could only release and retract it, which was not enough to pose a threat to this beast.

But things are different now.

Li Xuanying formed a hand seal with two fingers, gave a soft shout, and his flying sword immediately regrouped and charged forward again.

Ying Chan watched from the side, and was not surprised.

Li Xuanying entered the Taoist academy at the age of eight, but wasted two years without being able to enter.

But at only thirteen or fourteen years old, he is already about to complete the Qi Refining stage, which shows that his talent and comprehension are indeed extraordinary.

A month ago, when he asked me for advice on swordsmanship, he still didn't know how to wield the sword in his hand.

In such a short time, his swordsmanship has been completely transformed. When the flying sword comes and goes, it is extremely sharp and the changes of moves are also fast, constantly aiming at the head of the human-faced beast, and even its eyes.

Although the human-faced beast has a body of bronze and iron, and most of its body is not afraid of being killed by flying swords, if a sword were to pierce its eye socket, it would surely die.

But this beast was truly remarkable. I don't know why its senses were so sharp, but it was able to dodge the killing blows every time. Moreover, its long tail was like a whip, lashing out and making a whooshing sound, which also blocked many sword paths.

Ying Chan observed for a moment, then suddenly leaped up the mountain wall, and after a few more leaps, he raised his bow and shot!
After the Qiankun Bow was reforged with medicinal gold to recreate its divine patterns, its power greatly increased.

Although it cannot be drawn at full power due to the material, a casual shot is no less powerful than before it was forged.

Ying Chan raised his bow and shot an arrow, and it seemed as if a bolt of lightning had appeared in the valley, striking at the same time as Li Xuanying's flying sword.

Unexpectedly, the human-faced beast dodged Ying Chan's arrow in a flash.

Seeing the situation, Li Xuanying reacted quickly, and his flying sword was used to stab at the head, but it was blocked by the arched back.

With a whoosh, the flying sword left a shallow wound on his back, from which a little blood seeped out.

Upon seeing this, Li Xuanying immediately perked up.

He only attacked with flying swords, firstly because he needed to control his sword techniques and couldn't be distracted by casting spells, and secondly because he knew this beast was really powerful and wanted to wear it down with flying sword attacks first.

Therefore, Li Xuanying had not expected to achieve any results in a short time. Unexpectedly, Ying Chan suddenly shot an arrow, creating an opportunity for him to wound the beast.

Although the wound was very shallow, and the human-faced beast had already clenched its tough muscles and stopped the bleeding in the blink of an eye, it was still a real injury.

If this happened a few more times, would this ferocious beast still be able to remain so composed?
Thinking of this, Li Xuanying wielded his sword with increasing speed and intensity, shouting, "Senior brother, what excellent archery! Keep shooting, catch it off guard!"

Ying Chan knew this, and he kept dodging and shooting arrows on the mountain wall, each time forming a pincer attack with Li Xuanying's flying sword.

But to their surprise, the human-faced beast did not struggle to defend itself; instead, it quickly adapted and often managed to dodge arrows and repel flying swords.

Suddenly, the beast leaped back and its tail lashed out at Ying Chan.

It turns out that although he had been constantly besieged by the two men's offensive, he had also been preparing a counterattack.

Fortunately, Ying Chan did not lose his vigilance. When he saw the beast raise its head, he leaped away from the rock wall.

The next instant, the long tail of the human-faced beast landed on it, instantly shattering the rocks, which then fell in pieces.

Before Ying Chan could even feel relieved, and disregarding the fact that he was still in the air, he drew his Qiankun Bow and fired.

Unexpectedly, the human-faced beast calmly dodged again, and at the same time, it even swung its tail again to repel Li Xuanying's flying sword.

Ying Chan and Li Xuanying both frowned.

The two of them simultaneously had the same feeling—this human-faced beast was not only not running around frantically, but was responding faster and faster.

"This beast..." Li Xuanying thought to himself, "is even more troublesome than last time. Has its cultivation improved again?"

Ying Chan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Li Xuanying's sword strike just now clearly came from behind the human-faced beast, so how was it able to deal with it so easily?
Is it possible that one's senses are so acute that one can determine the origin of a flying sword simply by the sound of it cutting through the air?
Thinking of this, he suddenly made a spell, summoning a gust of wind that condensed into countless invisible blades, which attacked the human-faced beast from all directions.

Although the power of these wind blades is comparable to that of swords and knives, how could they possibly harm this ferocious beast with its copper skin and iron bones?
However, Ying Chan did not use this method to cause any harm.

The wind blades whistled and whistled as they came and went, greatly masking the sound of Li Xuanying's flying sword cutting through the air.

Meanwhile, he continued to fire arrows, forcing the human-faced beast to respond.

Upon seeing this, Li Xuanying immediately understood and used his flying sword to coordinate with Ying Chan in launching an attack.

But to his surprise, the beast was able to dodge with ease, not only treating Ying Chan's wind blades as nothing, but also seemingly undisturbed by the howling wind.

Upon seeing this, Ying Chan seemed to be deep in thought.

This human-faced beast is indeed more than just someone with keen senses.

But what exactly is this ability that allows it to be so free?

Ying Chan recalled that at the very beginning, he and Li Xuanying concealed their auras and entered the valley, seemingly without being detected by the beast.

Why did it suddenly attack just when Xuan Ying was determined to get rid of this beast?
"Did they sense malice... or did they foresee something?"

Upon realizing this, they were all surprised by their own thoughts.

No matter how ferocious this human-faced beast is, it is by no means a great evil or a great demon. How could it have such the ability to know the truth?

But upon closer examination, it is indeed not impossible.

"Let's give it a try first."

Ying Chan made up his mind and suddenly took out several talismans from his bosom.

It was the talisman given to him by Li Xuanying. Ying Chan took out the weapon talisman from it, infused it with some magic power, activated it, and then threw it into the valley. The talisman floated down, and the moment it hit the ground, it suddenly emitted a large patch of yellow light.

A yellow light emerged from the earth and was absorbed by the talisman. In a short while, it transformed into a burly, armored warrior holding a long sword that seemed to weigh hundreds of kilograms.

It turns out that this sword and weapon talisman is meant to summon a sword-wielding Taoist soldier.

If Li Xuanying hadn't explained the purpose to him, he probably would have misunderstood it.

"Warrior, slay the ferocious beast!"

Ying Chan called out, and the Taoist soldier wielding the sword immediately took heavy steps and rushed towards the human-faced beast, delivering a single blow!

The human-faced beast roared, dodged the blade, and immediately turned and swung its long tail, striking the Dao soldier and knocking him to the ground.

But this soldier was truly fierce and brave; he got up and swung his sword again, slashing repeatedly.

At the same time, a yellow light flickered on its body, constantly repairing the armor that had been torn by the human-faced beast.

The human-faced beast became even more agitated and tried to get rid of the Dao soldiers, but was forced back by Li Xuanying's flying sword. It could only fight the Dao soldiers while dealing with the flying sword.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ying Chan moved to a different position on the mountainside, searching for the human-faced beast's weakness.

His archery skills were learned while studying the Qiankun Bow. If he finds an opportunity, even if the opponent anticipates his arrow's trajectory, he is confident that he can still kill them!

As he moved, he kept an eye on the battle between the Taoist soldiers and the human-faced beast, as well as the changes in the flying sword attacks. Finally, he spotted a glimmer of opportunity and immediately prepared to draw his bow.

Unexpectedly, at that very moment, the human-faced beast also raised its head, its four eerie eyes looking in their direction.

Dao Bing seized the opportunity and slashed at his back. Although it did not cause serious injury, it reopened his original wound and made his body sink, almost causing him to collapse to the ground.

But the human-faced beast ignored it all, its throat rumbling like thunder, and suddenly it opened its mouth and spat out a thick breath!

This happened so suddenly that Ying Chan didn't even have time to dodge before the breath was already in front of him.

Ying Chan felt a chill run down his spine, clearly sensing the threat of death. Fortunately, his mind was not confused, but rather clear.

In a flash, he pushed off with his feet and flew out, activating the protective talisman given to him by Li Xuanying.

The next instant, the human-faced beast's breath came crashing down, but fortunately, a hazy spiritual light emerged from Ying Chan's body, blocking the breath for a moment before he could leap out.

Looking back, the breath slammed into the rock wall, spreading a pungent, fishy stench, and in an instant, it eroded a hole in the rock wall.

At the same time, the human-faced beast went berserk, knocking down the Taoist soldier with a whip, and then bracing itself against Li Xuanying's sword before charging towards Ying Chan.

"Brother!"

Li Xuanying's expression changed.

At this point, all he needs to do is pursue the beast with his sword and launch a fierce attack, which could potentially severely injure or even kill it.

But this would undoubtedly gamble with Ying Chan's safety, and Li Xuanying would never make such a choice.

His flying sword was a little slow, but he made a hand seal, raised his hand and pointed, and a wisp of pale yellow smoke flew out.

Don't be fooled by the smoke; it drifts and moves incredibly fast. In an instant, it lands on the human-faced beast, forming a ring that tightly constricts it!
"Roar!"

The human-faced beast let out its first earth-shattering roar, which echoed endlessly in the empty valley. With a single struggle, it broke free of the smoke.

Fortunately, it was only for a short while. Ying Chan had already descended the cliff face on the wind and hurried back.

Li Xuanying knew that a mere wisp of smoke couldn't contain this ferocious beast, so he immediately said, "Senior brother, retreat while fighting, and engage him in a prolonged battle."

Unexpectedly, Ying Chan shook his head: "No."

"what?"

Ying Chan had no time to pay attention to Li Xuanying's surprise. He turned around and saw that the human-faced beast had turned around and was whipping its whip. Its iron tail, which was four or five zhang long, was slashing towards the two of them.

"You beast."

Ying Chan stepped back again, dodging the human-faced beast's tail swing, and became even more certain.

Just a moment ago, this ferocious beast must have sensed his threat, which is why it disregarded everything and tried to kill him.

"It is clear that my conjecture and countermeasures are all correct."

Ying Chan pondered, "So, as long as I let Xuan Ying and the Dao soldiers fight him again, I can find an opportunity to kill him with one arrow?"

But upon realizing this, he immediately rejected the idea.

This human-faced beast, which seemed to be trapped by his and Li Xuanying's flying swords, actually had plenty of room to maneuver. Not only was it not threatened, but it was also hiding its killing intent, waiting for them to reveal a weakness.

Now that he has sensed the threat and bared his fangs, it will not be so easy to entangle him again.

"It must be resolved quickly."

The more critical the moment, the clearer one's mind becomes, and the more readily one can think clearly about how to respond.

The Taoist soldier brandished his sword and rushed forward, blocking the human-faced beast. The human-faced beast ignored them and lashed out with its tail like a blade, relentlessly whipping Ying Chan and Li Xuanying.

In an instant, the mountainside crumbled, and rocks tumbled down.

While dodging the attacks of the human-faced beast, Ying Chan shouted, "Xuan Ying, do you think you can hold this beast down for even a moment?"

"As long as it can't escape within this area, that's fine."

"To trap them for a moment?"

Li Xuanying frowned, but said confidently, "Yes."

But casting spells like this consumes a great deal of magical power. What good is it if it only traps the beast for a moment?

He didn't ask these questions; he simply waited for Ying Chan's reply.

Upon hearing this, Ying Chan immediately replied, "I am confident that I can shoot and kill this beast."

Without needing to say anything more, Li Xuanying immediately stopped and suddenly turned around and pointed.

The pale yellow smoke billowed out again, but this time it seemed endless, and in no time it had filled the devastated canyon.

"Bind!"

At this moment, Li Xuanying shouted, and the smoke that filled the air rushed towards the human-faced beast, binding its head, tail, body, and four legs...

"Roar!"

The human-faced beast roared once more and began to struggle frantically.

Only then can one see the sheer power and might of its all-out effort. Its four limbs are firmly planted on the ground, causing the pebbles on the ground to tremble and shake, and even the valley walls to sway slightly.

The Taoist soldier swung his sword again, intending to kill it, but the beast bumped into him from the side and sent him tumbling backward.

Li Xuanying's magic was completely unable to restrain him, and Ying Chan was also unable to pinpoint his weaknesses such as eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and nose.

Fortunately, he never intended to do so.

"open!"

Ying Chan stood firmly on both feet, held up the bow and drew the string, and pulled the Qiankun Bow with all his might until the bow was fully drawn, and the winds from all directions swept in instantly.

"Roar!!"

The human-faced beast let out a third earth-shattering roar.

What a beast! Even facing death, it shows no fear; instead, its beastly eyes reveal a chilling malice.

Suddenly, it opened its mouth and spat out a breath without any rumbling in its throat!

"Senior brother...!"

Li Xuanying's expression changed, only to see that Ying Chan had already released his hand seal at that moment.

Su! —

In an instant, only this sound remained in the world.

A true bolt of lightning tore through the breath and pierced through the empty valley.

(End of this chapter)