Mo Yuan, Swamp Area.

A team of ten martial artists was engaging in a massacre against a group of dragon-headed crocodiles.

Dragon-headed crocodiles are fierce beasts unique to Mo Yuan. They reside in the swampy waterlogged areas, are large in size and fiercely aggressive, preferring to ambush prey from beneath the water or within the mud.

Yet today, these dragon-headed crocodiles themselves became the prey of an ambush. At first, they were lured onto land by several bloodied wild boars, and then besieged by the martial artists.

Even though these dragon-headed crocodiles have tough skins impervious to blades and spears and sharp teeth that can crush iron and stone.

Faced with the siege of ten Tier Four and Tier Five martial artists, their tough skin and sharp teeth could not play much of a role, and one after another, they got their vital head points pierced through.

Struggling, they died miserably!

In the short time of half a cup of tea, dozens of dragon-headed crocodiles lay around the marshland.

Only a few managed to escape the encirclement of the martial artists, fleeing back into the waters and no longer daring to emerge.

The martial artists refrained from pursuit. Instead, they quickly started disassembling the newly hunted dragon-headed crocodiles.

The crocodile skins and back tendons of dragon-headed crocodiles are the most valuable parts. The former can be used to make armor and are also excellent materials for making talismans. The Martial Pavilion Merit Hall has long been purchasing tasks related to Daoist merit.

And their back tendons are also excellent materials for bowstrings and can be made into long whip weapons.

They have very versatile uses.

These martial artists were not hunting dragon-headed crocodiles for the first time; their division of labor was clear and their technique skilled, allowing them to disassemble the dragon-headed crocodiles swiftly.

The peeled-off crocodile skins were rolled up into bundles with the extracted back tendons, with one person responsible for carrying one or two rolls.

The leading Tier Five martial artist looked up at the sky and waved his hand, saying, "Move!"

Whoosh!

Just as his words fell, a streak of black light shot forward with lightning speed, instantly piercing through the chest of a nearby martial artist.

This Tier Four martial artist was caught entirely off guard, only realizing he was wounded after the black light penetrated his body, shooting into the ground behind him and disappearing.

Seeing a hole bigger than a fist in his left chest.

Scarlet blood gushed out, soaking through his clothes instantly.

"Ugh..."

This martial artist seemed to suddenly lose all his strength, collapsing powerlessly to the ground.

"Enemy attack!"

And just as his consciousness submerged into the abyss, he heard the shrill cries of his comrades.

One after another, deadly black beams shot out from the trees hundreds of steps away, repeatedly taking the lives of several martial artists, creating terrible casualties.

The martial artists, caught off guard, launched a counterattack with immense anger and grief after suffering a heavy price.

They dropped the burdensome crocodile skins and scattered quickly, drawing their weapons.

From different directions, they closed in on the position of the ambushers.

Everyone was furious, with contorted faces, only by tearing apart the despicable enemies limb from limb, could they quench their hatred!

"Ah!"

A martial artist just approaching the bushes suddenly let out a tragic scream, violently falling backward to the ground.

A bloody hole opened up in his chest.

Even with the utmost vigilance, this martial artist still couldn’t dodge the deadly arrows shot by the ambushers!

But his sacrifice also earned his companions a chance to counterattack.

They rushed forward together.

In the next moment, the knife aura suddenly appeared deep within the dim bushes!

The sounds of screams, wails, weapon clashes, blade slashes into flesh and bone...

Intertwined continuously!

A while later, all the commotion disappeared.

Only the wind whispered softly through the forest by the marsh, making a low weeping sound. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

A figure stepped out from the bushes.

It was none other than Zhang Yuan.

He held the Taowu Saber, his body surrounded by a faint blood evil qi, as if returning from hell!

Roar～

Accompanied by a low growl, a big cat sprang out from the side.

Gray-toothed Lynx!

This fierce beast licked its blood-stained paw and then rubbed its furry head against Zhang Yuan’s leg.

Zhang Yuan smiled and reached out to pet it.

Then he tossed all the Source Material obtained from the exorcism to the creature.

The current Gray-toothed Lynx had evolved to Level 3, transforming into an advanced war beast.

Its size expanded significantly, its appearance even more powerful and majestic, enhancing and improving its strength, agility, speed, and intelligence in all aspects, and awakening two talent abilities.

The advanced war beast form of the Gray-toothed Lynx already had combat power nearing that of a Tier Five martial artist.

In fact, it could easily handle a Tier Four expert in a one-on-one fight — even if the latter was armed!

But Zhang Yuan was not satisfied.

He walked over to the martial artist he just killed with an arrow, extending his hand in a ritualistic gesture for exorcism.

To Zhang Yuan’s surprise, the exorcism failed.

With a sudden thought, he stepped hard on the opponent’s right leg.

Only to hear a crisp "crack", the leg was broken by Zhang Yuan!

"Ah!"

The martial artist lying on the ground was instantly awakened by the severe pain, sitting up abruptly, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

A large hole pierced through the left chest by a meteor iron arrow, with the upper body drenched in blood, yet he hadn’t died.

Truly incredible!

"You, you..."

The severely wounded "playing dead" martial artist stared at Zhang Yuan, gasping, "You are Zhang Yuan!"

Understanding the enemy’s identity, he began trembling all over, showing extreme fear, stutteringly pleading, "Please spare me..."

Before he could finish, a flash of the knife, and the martial artist’s head flew into the sky.

The next moment, the head fell to the ground, face up.

His wide-open eyes still held a look of disbelief.

Zhang Yuan withdrew the Taowu Saber and said calmly, "Apologies."

The martial artist team he just annihilated belonged to the Yang Family in Qianjing within the Martial Pavilion!

Strictly speaking, only one among the ten was truly from the Yang Family, which was the group’s leader.

But the Yang Family invested heavily to organize such a team, making them an effective tool for gaining Daoist merit.

And the Yang Family tried repeatedly to put Zhang Yuan to death. The saying "what is intolerable becomes intolerable" applied here; eliminating this team, severing a force of the Yang Family within the Martial Pavilion, was his counterattack!

Within the Upper Scenic Celestial Peak Gate, Yang Family couldn’t do anything to Zhang Yuan, nor could Zhang Yuan do anything to the Yang Family.

Yet in Mo Yuan, sect rules had to give way to forest laws.

Here, whoever had the bigger fist and sharper blade made the rules!

Zhang Yuan not only had the red-eyed crow for aerial reconnaissance but could also command the gray-toothed lynx for ground tracking.

As long as Yang Family members dared to enter this Grand Canyon, he had the ability to make them stay!