After leaving the interdimensional space, Xu Que and Ye Gou swiftly submitted their respective documents before hastening towards the next B-level rift zone.
Upon re-entering the B-level rift, Xu Que immediately instructed Ye Gou to begin his training, emphasizing the critical importance of mastering their techniques.
As Ye Gou delved deeper into the training, it seemed as though a new door had opened for him. His former grievances towards his leader faded, replaced instead by unwavering admiration and respect.
Rather than quickly advancing through this B-level rift, Xu Que chose to conduct a thorough cleansing. He knew that this interdimensional space held the potential to yield a precious pet egg, and he was determined not to miss it.
After eliminating the creatures guarding the entrance, Xu Que began a reckless yet deliberate monster-drawing strategy. While it seemed suicidal, to him, it was hardly a challenge. His strength afforded him this reckless approach, and more importantly, these B-level creatures were nothing more than points of cultivation and honor in his eyes.
The forest was alive with the roars of beasts as dozens of massive interdimensional creatures swiftly followed Xu Que's trail. The sound of these beasts' cries sent a cold sweat down Ye Gou's spine as he continued to cultivate. Though he didn't fully understand what Xu Que was up to, the deafening roars made it clear that nothing good could come of it.
Before he could process the thought, a tremendous explosion reverberated through the forest, causing Ye Gou to snap his eyes open in shock.
"What in the world? The entire forest is gone? If the forestry bureau finds out, they'll be heartbroken!"
After witnessing the devastation, Ye Gou ceased his complaints. He understood the situation now, and that was enough for him.
Meanwhile, Xu Que rapidly gathered the luminous orbs from the fallen creatures, then darted off toward the deeper parts of the forest. Though he didn't know the exact location of the mutated beast he was seeking, he knew his ongoing purge would eventually lead him to it.
Within the hour, Xu Que had slaughtered over three hundred interdimensional creatures, with the number only continuing to rise. As he stood atop a stone, dissecting the corpses of the creatures, a strange aura suddenly entered his senses.
Xu Que lifted his head and, to his surprise, saw a powerful BOSS entering the fray!
He had been trying to find the mutated creature but had inadvertently drawn the BOSS's attention instead.
Without hesitation, Xu Que hurled the carcass of a Gale Leopard and then swiftly dashed deeper into the forest.
The Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger roared, shaking the entire forest with its force.
Xu Que, however, had no time to focus on the thunderous roar. His goal was still to find the mutated bear—the one whose egg could hatch a Thunderclap Battle Bear of B-level strength.
At that moment, two starkly different scenes unfolded in the forest.
On one side, Xu Que ran with a horde of creatures at his back, while on the other, the Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger led its own group of creatures in pursuit.
Just as Xu Que prepared to turn around and unleash his Sky Cleaver Sword Intent to eliminate the pursuing creatures, a unique presence suddenly appeared to his right.
"Could it be?" Xu Que thought, quickening his pace as he veered toward the source of the aura.
As he neared the location, a thunderous roar echoed, and a massive, seven-meter-tall gray Battle Bear, crackling with electricity, appeared before him.
Upon seeing the creature, Xu Que couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Hahaha!"
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot straight at him.
Xu Que paused, sidestepping with a roll, narrowly avoiding the attack. But just as he prepared to counter, the lightning seemed to curve and struck him head-on.
The electrical surge dissipated, and Xu Que cursed under his breath. "Damn, that could have paralyzed me if not for the ring's protection."
Realizing the danger, Xu Que immediately activated his leather armor's immunity effect.
With the protective magic in place, Xu Que dashed toward the Thunderclap Battle Bear, his sword aimed at its head. The bear swiped its claws, unleashing the full force of its lightning power, striking Xu Que.
"Slash!"
With a decisive swing, Xu Que severed the bear's ear, blood spraying from the wound.
However, rather than feeling elation, Xu Que was filled with caution. He noticed something unusual about the strike.
"Was that a dodge or a deflection?"
Before he could reflect further, the hordes of interdimensional creatures appeared at his rear.
The Thunderclap Battle Bear roared in fury, while the Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger seemed to respond in kind, sending out a deafening tiger's roar.
In an instant, Xu Que understood what was happening. He was witnessing the formation of a beast horde!
"Damn it!" Xu Que cursed under his breath, choosing not to fight the Thunderclap Battle Bear. Instead, he focused his energy and sprinted towards the edge of the forest.
Seeing their prey attempt to flee, the Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger let out another roar.
A wicked grin spread across Xu Que's face as he pulled away, then spun around to unleash his Sky Cleaver Sword Intent at the incoming horde of beasts.
"Boom!"
The explosion of sword energy shredded the creatures into pieces.
But as Xu Que's gaze flicked back to his status window, his heart sank. There was no message indicating the death of the mutated battle bear, nor did he receive the prompt that he had claimed the territory.
Just as he pulled his eyes away from the window, two dark shadows emerged from the storm of sword energy.
When Xu Que saw that the Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger had been charred black, he immediately realized what had happened—the bear had sacrificed its thunder to shield the Tiger from the brunt of the swordstorm's slaughter.
To his surprise, however, the Thunderclap Battle Bear had been remarkably lucky. Despite receiving some superficial injuries, it seemed almost unharmed.
"Could it be... a high-level deflection?"
Before Xu Que could examine further, the Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger lunged at him.
Reacting swiftly, Xu Que dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the Tiger's strike.
But as he evaded the attack, the Thunderclap Battle Bear's claws came crashing toward him.
Sensing the thunderous force behind the blow, Xu Que quickly flipped backward to avoid it.
"Crack!"
Before he could steady himself, the bolt of lightning struck him directly.
The surge of electricity coursed through him, and Xu Que's body stiffened with the paralyzing effect.
Knowing he was in deep trouble, Xu Que immediately tossed two spirit crystals to the ground. Just as they hit, the Crimson Shadow Thunder Tiger lunged at him with brutal force.
The massive Tiger's jaws clamped onto Xu Que's left shoulder, tearing into his flesh.
Xu Que, unable to wield his sword, gritted his teeth in pain and quickly chose to summon the Vermilion Bird's descent.
As the Tiger continued its savage assault, Xu Que clenched his teeth, preparing for one final strike against his enemies.
With his strength dwindling, Xu Que knew he had no choice but to press forward, for the battle was far from over.