The path Shen Xiang was walking on was originally paved with stone bricks, but it suddenly turned into a dirt road. Shen Xiang became more alert, sensing that he had entered an area where demonic beasts roamed.
He left the grassland and arrived in an area filled with wild grass. Suddenly, he sensed something.
"That feels like humans... Demonic beasts don't have such an aura," Shen Xiang thought, puzzled. He sensed that several people were hiding in the grass.
Shen Xiang unleashed a wave of True Qi, shattering the surrounding weeds. Four young disciples, wearing the uniforms of Taiwu Gate, appeared, each holding a black stick.
"What do you want?" Shen Xiang called out. He could sense a pure fire energy from these four people, indicating that they were all fire attribute cultivators. Moreover, they emitted a faint medicinal herb fragrance, which could only come from someone who frequently dealt with herbs.
The four were all at the tenth level of Mortal Martial Realm and surrounded Shen Xiang.
"Are you Shen Xiang?" asked a delicate-looking man.
"That's right!" As soon as Shen Xiang answered, the four simultaneously swung their sticks at him.
Shen Xiang immediately released a protective shield of Qi to block the incoming blows and sneered, "You're from the Tai Dan Academy, aren't you?"
His words caused the four to tremble, but they said nothing and continued attacking. Shen Xiang was certain that these were inner disciples from the Tai Dan Academy, and their strength was not to be underestimated.
The four black sticks turned red, bursting into flames. With scorching Qi, they attacked Shen Xiang from all angles, jabbing, striking, and thrusting their fiery weapons at him.
Each of the four had strength comparable to Shen Xiang, and their terrifying power made him realize the vast difference between inner and outer disciples.
It was the first time Shen Xiang was surrounded by opponents of equal strength, but he didn't panic. With a furrowed brow, he released a wave of overwhelming killing intent, enveloping the four, causing them to hesitate for a moment.
In that brief moment of surprise, Shen Xiang spun swiftly, concentrating his Vermillion Bird and Azure Dragon True Qi into his legs, unleashing a terrifying combination of fire and lightning as he kicked their sticks away. He then leapt into the air.
"You were sent by Elder Dan, weren't you? Tell her that if she sends more people, I won't hold back! Whoever tries to interfere with my trial, I'll kill them!" Shen Xiang's voice was filled with killing intent, as a burst of flame ignited from his back, forming fiery wings.
With the Vermillion Bird Fire Wings, Shen Xiang soared away, leaving the four disciples behind. Without a killing intent, it would be difficult to shake them off, and the prolonged battle would only drain his energy and time.
In the Elder Courtyard, Wu Kaiming sighed, "Elder Dan, you should just give up. That kid has a strong murderous aura, and if you push him too far, he might start a massacre."
Elder Dan's eyes burned with flames as she watched the crystal ball displaying Shen Xiang flying through the air. She clenched her fists and snorted coldly.
Seeing Shen Xiang's dazzling Vermillion Bird Fire Wings, the elders were filled with envy. An old man sighed, "Those True Qi wings are much better than mine. Look at those feathers—they're so lifelike, as if the boy has grown real wings of fire! What kind of martial art is this?"
"Yes, and he's so fast! If he had our level of strength and used those wings to fly, his speed would be even more terrifying." Another elder stared intently at Shen Xiang's Vermillion Bird Fire Wings.
Shen Xiang soared away, leaving the four dumbfounded disciples behind, unaware that he was being watched all the time.
"Shen Xiang, you better stay low-key. This is the territory of the Taiwu Gate elders, and they know your every move," Bai Youyou reminded him.
Shen Xiang grinned, swooped down, landed beside a tree, and unbuckled his pants, humming a tune. He was relieving himself…
"One day, I'll make that brat suffer!" Elder Dan gritted her teeth, turning her head away.
Just as Shen Xiang finished, he heard a faint rustling sound, like something stepping on fallen leaves.
"Goodness, it's sneaking up from that far away!" Shen Xiang prepared himself. He hadn't expected to encounter a demonic beast so soon!
"Shen Xiang, there might be treasures in this mystical realm. If you find them, they're yours. Didn't that bald elder say? These demonic beasts have a natural, uncanny sense for treasure. You might be able to find something valuable by tracking the beasts," Su Meiyao suggested.
Shen Xiang's eyes lit up with excitement. "I get it! The reason the elders brought the demonic beasts here is to have them search for treasures!"
A tenth-level demonic beast was equivalent to a human cultivator at the peak of the Mortal Martial Realm. However, due to their physique and innate abilities, tenth-level demonic beasts were much stronger than the average human cultivator at the same level.
"These are ordinary demonic beasts, so if you use the Dragon Martial Technique or the Four Symbols Divine Art, you can easily deal with them. These techniques simulate the aura of divine beasts, and normal demonic beasts will be terrified of them! But this won't work on spirit beasts at the True Martial Realm," Bai Youyou explained.
Shen Xiang was surprised to learn that the Four Symbols Divine Art had such an advantage. He sprinted toward the source of the faint sound.
As Shen Xiang ran, he sensed the hidden demonic beast moving quickly toward him as well.
It didn't take long before Shen Xiang and the beast collided at full speed. At the moment of impact, Shen Xiang unleashed a punch that struck the beast.
It was a black-armored panther with blue eyes, not too large but incredibly agile.
"No wonder it's a tenth-level demonic beast. I punched it, but it's completely unharmed!" Shen Xiang exclaimed as the blue-eyed panther swiftly lunged at him.
Shen Xiang's body trembled, and golden light burst from him. He silently recited the incantation, transforming his White Tiger True Qi into Dragon Qi. He was using the Dragon Martial Technique!
Though the Dragon Martial Technique was incomplete, it allowed Shen Xiang to emit a faint dragon's might. Combined with the killing intent from his White Tiger True Qi, it became even more terrifying.
Just as Bai Youyou had said, ordinary demonic beasts were extremely fearful of this aura. The panther, in the middle of its pounce, suddenly shuddered, and its speed noticeably slowed.
Shen Xiang seized the moment and delivered another punch to the panther's head, causing it to let out a roar. However, even after landing on the ground, it managed to stand back up.
"Wow, it's still standing!" Shen Xiang teased, watching the trembling panther.
The blue-eyed panther let out a low growl before turning tail and running away.
"It actually got scared and ran!" Shen Xiang laughed and chased after it, his body radiating the dragon-infused killing intent.
The elders in the Elder Courtyard were all astonished. A demonic beast was actually fleeing from a human as if it were a mouse being chased by a cat. Some of the elders suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.