Chapter 19: Sudden Assault

When Shang Xia was learning about the corpses’ origin, a slight drizzle started to fall.

The sudden change caused no small reaction among the disciples.

Luckily for them, it didn’t take long for a giant umbrella to appear above every carriage. Torches were lit all around, and they illuminated the space around the convoy.

They were clearly ready for anything that might happen.

Disciples of the Protection Division and Yuan Zilu himself didn’t seem surprised by the sudden change in situation.

.

Amidst the splattering of rain, Tian Mengzi’s voice rang through the air. “It’s nothing special for ordinary humans to become undead corpses. The only thing special about them is their above average strength. They have no way to think for themselves, and even ordinary humans can kill one after getting over their fear.”

“The scary ones come when cultivators turn into corpses. Even after their souls were destroyed, they kept their inner qi. They have all sorts of weird abilities.”

“Is that how buried corpses came about?” Jiao Haitang, another disciple from the outer division, asked.

Tian Mengzi nodded slightly. “That’s right. However, buried corpses are the weakest ones.”

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

A complicated expression formed on Tian Mengzi’s face and he continued, “Moreover, the corpses can form any time. Not just twenty years ago… Even today, cultivators might turn into undead corpses that roam the battlefield.”

Tian Mengzi’s revelation shocked many disciples.

When they thought about becoming weird creatures like that even after their death, the blood drained from their faces.

Tian Mengzi sighed when he saw their reactions. “That is why learning how to kill your enemy isn’t the most important thing. You should learn how to survive in the treacherous battlefield filled with dangers!”

Even though the facts he presented were shocking, there were several disciples who managed to keep their cool.

Those were the ones who caught Tian Mengzi’s attention.

Shang Xia also noticed that Tian Mengzi was testing them. He was probably trying to see how their mental capabilities were.

Shang Xia didn’t know that Tian Mengzi’s actions were merely a standard practice passed down by the institution.

Of course, he wouldn’t say anything about it in front of so many people. Instead, he looked at those who were unaffected by the news. He noticed Huang Zihua and Jiao Haitang among them.

“Relax…” Tian Mengzi wanted to comfort the disciples, but his tone changed all of a sudden. “Well, here comes a chance to test yourselves…”

Shang Xia raised his head suddenly and he felt a sense of danger drawing close.

Screeching sounds came from the skies, and a terrifying black figure swooped down towards a carriage.

“Ah!”

A scream rang through the air, and it was obvious that someone was injured!

More screeching came from the skies and black figures tore through the skies.

Shang Xia’s expression changed, and he yelled, “Get out of the carriages!” After he spoke, he turned into a streak of lightning that charged towards his fellow student.

The third move of his Chaos Essence Palm, Unwavering Storm, arrived before he did. It cleared out an empty space from the rain.

Still in a state of shock, the disciples watched on as a black figure crashed into Shang Xia’s palm.

The black figure slowed down significantly when it crashed into Shang Xia’s attack, and everyone finally noticed its true appearance.

“This… Rain Swallows?” The disciple who was saved by Shang Xia gasped in fright.

“Even if they are, they definitely underwent some sort of mutation.”

Shang Xia frowned. Looking at the swallow that was barely two feet long, he yelled, “Hurry up and get out of the carriage!”

“Oh…”

Unable to thank Shang Xia in time, they leaped off the carriage.

Shang Xia flicked his finger and a bolt of lightning blasted the Mutated Rain Swallow into pieces. The wings stiffened before falling to his feet.

Looking outside, Shang Xia noticed more than a dozen Mutated Rain Swallows attacking the convoy.

Even with his reminder, the disciples weren’t able to avoid the attack completely. From time to time, yells would fill the skies.

Shang Xia swept his gaze across those flying creatures and a light flashed through his eyes. His lightning abilities were unable to cause them much damage. He also noticed the golden glow in their eyes, and when the birds swooped down, their wings would act as blades that tore into the flesh of their target.

As they attacked the disciples, many of them started to suffer cuts all over their bodies.

When the outer disciples were trying to avoid the attack of the Mutated Rain Swallows, Shang Xia noticed that the disciples from the Protection Division were running around, actively trying to capture some of those mutated birds.

The Mutated Rain Swallows might be fast, but the inner disciples weren’t weaklings! They managed to capture a few of them. When their companions suffered from the cuts brought along by the swallows’ wings, they were ruthlessly mocked by their fellow disciples. From the looks of it, they were having a lot of fun!

Shang Xia didn’t hesitate and he reached out to grab a Mutated Rain Swallow.

Chirping loudly, the bird that was about to land in his grasp sped up slightly and avoided capture.

“Huh?” Shang Xia wasn’t going to be humiliated by a bunch of birds. Activating the fourth move of his Lightning Palm, Capturing Lightning, his arm flew across the air and grabbed at the Mutated Rain Swallow’s tail.

“Chirp!” With a loud cry, the bird that was soaring through the air a moment ago trembled and died.

Shang Xia’s technique might have allowed him to keep up with the bird’s movements, but it was evidently too barbaric to capture them alive.

Tossing the dead Mutated Rain Swallow to his feet, Shang Xia sighed.

“Alright, you can end the lesson now…” Yuan Zilu’s voice came from the front of the convoy once again.

Tian Mengzi responded, “I was planning to teach them one final lesson before we actually run into trouble in the future! Since Junior Sister Sun isn’t here, I thought I’d take her place. Looks like it was unnecessary!”

The torches on the carriage flared with even greater intensity all of a sudden, and the light that covered the convoy extended by several feet.

The Mutated Rain Swallows were evidently startled by the sudden change, and they retreated slightly.

Realizing that the light could affect their combat abilities, the Mutated Rain Swallows became reluctant to continue their attack. Only those with more courage continued to swoop in towards the disciples in the convoy. It was too bad they turned into the student’s prey the moment they did.

When the rest of the Mutated Rain Swallows were deciding whether to retreat, the flames transformed once again. They turned into a web of flames that extended outwards rapidly.

Crying out in fright, three of the remaining Mutated Rain Swallows were burned to a crisp. ?They didn’t even have time to react!

Five of them managed to avoid touching the flames, but due to the suppression, four of them lost their lives to the disciples.

The final one was captured by Shang Xia, and despite its attempts to struggle free, it landed in Shang Xia’s hands.

This time, Shang Xia controlled his strength perfectly. He made sure that he wouldn’t kill the swallow in one strike.

Every other bird flew away in fright, and they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

With the rain stopping suddenly, pretty rays of light fell upon the lands. A weirdly beautiful scene formed.

If not for the soaked dirt beneath their feet, no one would believe them if they said that it had just rained.

The convoy continued on their way, and the disciples of the inner division collected the corpses of the swallows.

The mutated swallows had a body full of treasures! Their wings and claws were both valuable items! However, like the fingernails of the corpses before, Shang Xia couldn’t be bothered with them.

Wounded disciples started to treat themselves, and it didn’t take long to take care of all the superficial damages they suffered.

However, the gazes of inner and outer disciples alike would turn to look at Shang Xia from time to time.

“Did you actually capture a Mutated Rain Swallow?!” Tian Mengzi looked at Shang Xia in amazement. He wasn’t the only one. Yuan Zilu, who was leading the convoy, was equally as surprised.