Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Beast Tide Approaches

Wildlands City.

Since Leng Tian’s departure, warriors have been arriving in waves, and in just a few days the city has become overcrowded. Everywhere, battles break out—robbery, murder, and theft are rampant. Within days, tens of thousands of warriors from various regions have entered the city, not to mention the many still on their way through the Lianyun Mountains and the wastelands. Some ride fierce spirit beasts through forests and barren lands, while above, giant birds soar, and even several great dragons streak across the sky. Their resounding roars echo through the heavens, flaunting their nobility, and the warriors atop their backs are no less arrogant, each exuding a sense of invincibility.

On the desolate ground, a lion-like spirit beast sprints with its four paws, cutting through the howling wind. Atop its back sits a warrior whose appearance is unremarkable, but whose aura is formidable, his gaze filled with pride. Hanging from the side of the Earthrock Lion’s body are several black iron maces, lending the pair an overwhelming sense of power.

“This time, during the beast tide, I, Mad Lion, must harvest as many beast cores as possible to push Earthrock Lion to the peak of eighth-rank spirit beasts. Then, I’ll find a way to help it advance to the ninth-rank sacred beast. When that happens, I’ll be able to soar across the skies! Ha ha…”

Mad Lion, caught up in his excitement, laughed loudly, oblivious to those around him. Nearby, several warriors riding spirit beasts glanced over, puzzled by his elation.

“With just you and your humble beast dreaming of becoming a sacred beast? Foolish wishful thinking. You’d better focus on surviving the beast tide instead!”

A cold voice drifted down from the sky, casting a huge shadow on the ground. Fury surged in Mad Lion’s heart—someone was mocking him, and he vowed to tear them apart and feed them to Earthrock Lion!

He looked up, but as soon as he saw the figure above, his anger vanished, replaced by a sycophantic, ingratiating smile. He spoke with extreme humility: “You’re absolutely right, sir. I got carried away. Your advice is a guiding light in the darkness, a beacon for a lost child finally finding his way home. On behalf of my entire family, thank you for your warning, which helped me realize that life is what matters most!”

His smile remained frozen, warm and sunny, gazing at the being above that had prompted this change.

The speaker appeared to be a youth of seventeen or eighteen, standing atop a fiery-red dragon hovering in the air. The boy wore a blue brocade robe, armored at key points, standing aloof on the dragon’s back. With a mocking smile, he casually said, “Remember, in this world, only strength and a hard fist let you be bold. With your meager cultivation, you’d best keep a low profile, lest you lose your life without even knowing it.”

With those words, the youth urged his dragon away. The dragon’s resounding roar struck directly at Earthrock Lion’s spirit. The poor beast let out a miserable howl, its limbs going limp as it collapsed to the ground, trembling in terror.

Mad Lion, caught off guard, slipped to the ground, his smile instantly twisting into a ferocious snarl. His eyes glinted with venom as he watched the departing youth and dragon, his voice icy with hatred: “You won’t stay arrogant for long. One day, I, Mad Lion, will trample you beneath my feet, make you lick my toes, and then cut your flesh off piece by piece to feed my Earthrock Lion!”

As he uttered these words, his features contorted, revealing the depth of his hatred. It was no surprise—he was the leader of a band of thieves, used to basking in his subordinates’ flattery. He had always bullied others, never experiencing such humiliation. If only the youth weren’t so powerful, he would have already charged in to pulverize him and vent his rage.

His purpose in coming to these ancient wildlands was to elevate his beast’s rank, securing his status among the thieves so he could embezzle more treasures for himself. He was depraved in other ways too—any beautiful woman who caught his eye would be snatched by any means necessary to satisfy his vile desires. Once he tired of them, he would strip them bare and toss them to his captive beasts. Whenever his beasts were in heat, he would throw the women to them, and starve the beasts for days so they would devour the women alive after abusing them, while he watched with delight. Calling him a pervert was too mild—he was utterly deranged.

Mad Lion was vindictive and narrow-minded, unable to tolerate even the slightest disrespect, even from his own men. Any sign of insubordination and he would brutally kill them himself.

After venting his frustration, he climbed back onto Earthrock Lion and, with a grim expression, raced toward Wildlands City.

Shortly after Mad Lion left, two clumsy spirit beasts emerged from the distant deadwood forest. Each had a large head and a sharp, forward-pointing horn, a striking sight. Two young men, nearly identical in appearance, rode atop the beasts, their eyes cold as they watched Mad Lion disappear in the distance.

“Brother, is that him?”

The youth on the left asked his companion, hoping for confirmation.

Watching Mad Lion vanish at the horizon, the elder brother finally withdrew his gaze, replying in a chilling tone, “No mistake—that’s him, that beast in human form. This time, we brothers will tear him to pieces!”

“It’s been so long, and we’ve finally found his trail. We must avenge our sister.”

These two were twin brothers, surnamed Bai—Bai Zhan and Bai Ling. Born to a small clan, they were sent to a minor sect to train in martial arts from a young age. Both were gifted, advancing to the rank of Heaven-level warriors before reaching twenty, earning the respect of their sect. With their achievements, they requested permission to return home and visit their family.

Proudly, they returned, only to find their family shrouded in sorrow. They soon learned that their only sister had been kidnapped by bandits before their arrival and was still missing.

Furious, the brothers set out to search for her. After much investigation, they discovered she had been abducted by a group of marauders, led by the notorious Mad Lion, whose cruelty toward young women was infamous.

The brothers eventually tracked down Mad Lion’s hideout, but by the time they arrived, he had vanished, and all they found were their sister’s remains and torn clothes.

Grief and rage consumed them, and they swore to hunt Mad Lion across the continent. They finally encountered him once in a city, but after a fierce battle, he escaped.

Recently, they learned he would be coming to Wildlands City to hunt wild beasts. They rushed to intercept him, leading to the scene just witnessed.

After confirming Mad Lion’s identity, the Bai brothers mounted their spirit beasts and chased after him, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.

Once they departed, five men and women emerged from the thickets, each riding a Cloud-Stepping Flying Horse. At the head was a woman clad in fiery red, heroic and striking—a beauty like a burning blood lotus, radiating a fierce allure.

With a hint of displeasure, she turned and said, “Zhuangzhuang, what scheme are you plotting now? Whatever feud those three have, it’s none of our concern. If you want to do something wicked, I absolutely won’t join in.”

These five were Fire Dance and her companions, who had come from Skylark Royal Capital.

Zhuangzhuang lounged comfortably in Xiao Ke’s arms, munching fruit gathered from the mountains. Hearing Fire Dance’s words, he blinked his bear eyes and chuckled, “You little girl, you were all for excitement earlier—how quickly you change your tune! Since you’re so adamant, next time there’s a good thing, Bear Lord won’t call you!”

Fire Dance gritted her teeth in annoyance but had no retort. This mischievous bear’s sharp tongue left her at a loss, so she could only express her silent resistance through silence.

After Leng Tian’s departure, the Skylark Royal Capital and the Duke Saluo’s house suffered attacks from unknown powerful enemies. Saluo himself barely escaped with his life thanks to his clan elders, who protected him as he fled to the palace. Many elite clan members died, and his beloved son was crippled, even rendered impotent—a total ruin.

This was, of course, Canglan Empire’s revenge, prompted by his reckless son’s kidnapping of the princess. The punishment was the least severe only because the princess pleaded for mercy.

The incident stirred the city, everyone speculating about what kind of enemy the duke, second only to the king, could have provoked to suffer such retaliation, with his son ruined and his own life nearly lost.

Such matters did not affect Fire Dance’s group. After Leng Tian left, they prepared to return to their village, purchasing three large carts driven by the Yanlong trio, laden with clothes, supplies, and food as they crossed the border back to Kaoshan Village at the foot of the Lianyun Mountains.

They stayed two days in the village, keeping Elder Han Yuanshan company and recounting their experiences. On the third day, Zhuangzhuang informed them they needed to head to Wildlands City to help stop the beast tide.

Thus, under Zhuangzhuang’s guidance, the five entered the Lianyun Mountains to capture spirit beasts suitable for travel, preparing themselves for the trials at the site of the beast tide.

Martial Dao’s Pinnacle, Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Beast Tide Approaches—End of Update!