Chapter 525: Beast Tide

"Junior Brother Liu?"

The old man's expression softened slightly. He frowned and asked, "What happened to make Junior Brother Liu so panicked?"

The Liu-named cultivator caught his breath and spoke anxiously, "Senior Brother Chai, we just received an urgent message from Senior Brother Qi. A beast tide has suddenly erupted in the second zone of Endless Valley!"

"What?"

The old man’s eyes bulged as he cried out in shock. "A beast tide in the second zone? But didn’t one just happen the year before last? How could it come again so soon?"

Not only was the old man startled, even Qin Sang, who had been eavesdropping nearby, was taken aback.

A beast tide had broken out inside Endless Valley!

How could such a coincidence occur at this exact time?

Within Endless Valley, a beast tide was as devastating as a natural disaster. Such an event only erupted when major upheavals occurred deep within the valley, or when a powerful demonic beast stirred chaos.

Beast tides had no strict pattern, but there was always a certain time gap between each outbreak. Even in the first zone, it was unheard of for two beast tides to occur within three years.

Otherwise, before cultivators could even finish exploring, everything would be destroyed by the beasts. Who would dare venture in for training then?

Those with enough strength to enter the second zone of Endless Valley were few, and the situation there was far more stable than the first zone. Qin Sang had traveled in and out of the second zone countless times during his twenty-plus years at Qingyang Market, yet he had only encountered a minor beast tide once.

Endless Valley was the premier training ground for disciples of the Demonic Qingyang Sect. Especially since the last beast tide had occurred only a year ago, this period was supposed to be the safest. Undoubtedly, many cultivators would currently be within the valley seeking treasure.

For a beast tide to break out now—the Demonic Qingyang Sect would have no choice but to dispatch their top experts to mount a rescue, or risk heavy casualties.

The second zone was fraught with dangers. Weaker cultivators would only be throwing their lives away by entering.

Perhaps... even the Core Formation expert will be forced to act!

Is this heaven’s blessing for me?

Or...

A trace of hesitation flashed across Qin Sang’s eyes. The image of Wandering Man surfaced in his mind, and reason warned him. There could not possibly be such a perfect coincidence.

He knew Wandering Man possessed unfathomable strength. But could even someone like him truly cause a beast tide?

The Liu-surnamed cultivator shook his head. "We’re still not sure. Senior Brother Qi’s message said there was no warning beforehand. He and the others were training in the second zone when the beast tide erupted, they’ve now been trapped inside. They managed to send a distress signal with great difficulty, but contact has already been lost!"

As he spoke, Liu opened his palm, revealing a faint wisp of Demonic Qingyang Fire, flickering unsteadily like a tiny snake.

This method of transmitting messages through the Demonic Qingyang Fire was unique to the Demonic Qingyang Sect, impossible for outsiders to imitate.

The old man immediately sent his spiritual consciousness into the flame.

A moment later, his face changed dramatically.

"Quick! Come with me to Divine Gale Peak to find Junior Brother Li!"

Without further delay, he grabbed the Liu-surnamed cultivator and soared into the air atop his flying sword, rushing toward the inner sect like a shooting star chasing the moon. Their figures quickly disappeared beyond the horizon.

Only after they left did Qin Sang emerge from his hiding spot, his face lit with a mixture of astonishment and joy. Without hesitation, he activated his movement art and followed them.

He decided to stop worrying whether the beast tide had been orchestrated by Wandering Man or was merely a coincidence.

For him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

All he needed to do now was seize it. Nothing else mattered.

...

Divine Gale Peak.

Azure mist filled the air, and the Divine Qingyang Gale transformed into various shapes and forms.

Some condensed into massive lumps, resembling jade-green boulders; others dangled from the cliffs, delicate as tassels; and some drifted within river valleys, soft as water, their surfaces occasionally rippling like waves.

Near the foot of the mountain, however, the Qingyang Gale Essence was far more scattered, floating lightly as it clung to rocks and trees, yet still denser and more cohesive than the surrounding mist, making it easy to distinguish.

The closer to the summit one got, the more the Qingyang Gale Essence took on a jade-like solidity. However, these pieces were rare, and the distance between each was vast.

In truth, it was only this form that could be considered the true Celestial Gale Essence!

At the center of a smooth, man-made stone platform lay a piece of Qingyang Gale Essence the size of a clenched fist.

Seated cross-legged beside it was a middle-aged cultivator, dressed in flowing white robes. His bearing was extraordinary, and his cultivation had reached an astonishing level: Fake Core Realm.

He extended both hands toward the Qingyang Gale Essence. A ball of azure fire burned in his palms, linked by an almost invisible strand of qi to the Qingyang Gale Essence itself.

The middle-aged cultivator was in the process of absorbing the Qingyang Gale Essence to temper his demonic fire.

This place sat not far from the mountain’s peak. Above his head, lightning crackled incessantly, and one could faintly glimpse the wild, unrestrained silhouette of the Ancestral Sacred Flame flickering in the heavens. Amidst such treacherous surroundings, the cultivator’s expression remained stern, his movements cautious and precise.

After some time, he suddenly withdrew the demonic fire. Sweeping his gaze across the area, his eyes fell on another piece of Qingyang Gale Essence to his left. Just as he was about to move toward it, his brow furrowed. His senses had caught something below.

The mist churned. Someone was flying up the mountain.

Moments later, the figures of Liu and Chai came into view.

Upon spotting the middle-aged cultivator, both men brightened and hastened forward. Liu, whose cultivation was inferior, paled in terror under the pressure of the raging Ancestral Sacred Flame and the surrounding lightning.

"Junior Brother Liu, Senior Brother Chai, what has happened in the sect?" The middle-aged cultivator stood with his hands behind his back, asking calmly.

"Junior Brother Li, a beast tide has broken out in the second zone of Endless Valley! Junior Brother Qi and the others have been trapped inside!"

Seeing Liu stammering nervously, the old man quickly handed over the demonic fire transmission and explained the situation succinctly.

"A beast tide?"

The middle-aged cultivator’s expression shifted slightly. He took the demonic fire, scanned it with his spiritual consciousness, and frowned deeply, falling silent for a moment before locking eyes with Liu and asking in a firm voice, "Besides Junior Brother Qi and his group, who else has entered the second zone of Endless Valley?"

Liu swallowed hard and stammered, "So far, only Senior Brother Qi managed to send out a message. As for Senior Brother Wang and the others, there has been no word... We’re still waiting for scouting reports. We don't know how large the beast tide is yet..."

The middle-aged cultivator shook his head and said to the two men, "Wait here. I will immediately seek out Senior Uncle Wu."

The old man gasped in surprise. "You intend to alarm Senior Uncle Wu?"

The middle-aged cultivator snorted coldly. "The second zone of Endless Valley is vast and sprawling. Now that a beast tide is raging, and our comrades are scattered everywhere, do you truly think the three of us can save them all? If this beast tide has engulfed the entire second zone, by the time we find each person one by one, they’ll have long since become food for demonic beasts! Fools, all of them, unable even to sense the signs of an impending beast tide! We have no choice but to ask Senior Uncle Wu to intervene!"

...

Far away on the Divine Gale Peak.

Qin Sang lay prone in the withered grass, staring fixedly toward the summit!

He needed to know exactly how many people would leave for Endless Valley!

Time dragged by with no movement from the mountain. Qin Sang grew increasingly anxious. Just as he was about to lose patience, he suddenly saw a burst of brilliant firelight pierce through the mist, radiating an astonishing momentum!

"I will go ahead! You follow swiftly with the flying boat!"

A long howl echoed from the firelight, fading into the distance in an instant, leaving only a lingering resonance behind!