Proud Sword Soaring Clouds-Chapter 34 - 33: Enemies on a Narrow Road

Early the next morning, the two packed their belongings and set out. The terrain gradually grew steeper, and the dense forest began to thin out. Although there was no snow on the ground yet, they could both feel a distinct chill in the air. Ye Wen Ni was wearing a fur coat she had prepared in advance. The fluffy coat enveloped her slender figure, and with her bright eyes and pearly teeth, she looked especially captivating.

Ling Xiao wasn’t as bundled up. He only wore a thick, padded jacket underneath, which didn’t hinder his movements. After a night’s rest, both were in high spirits, and their walking pace was much faster.

They followed the mountain ridge, which offered them a much wider field of view.

"Ling Xiao... something feels off, doesn’t it?" Ye Wen Ni tugged at the lapels of her coat. She had never adventured in the wild before. In the past, she had envied the Adventurers who sought fortune in dangerous places, but now she realized that such wealth wasn’t meant for everyone. Taking a breath of the chilly air, Ye Wen Ni continued, "Every day on our route, there have always been insects or birds chirping nearby. Why is it so quiet today?"

Ling Xiao nodded. "There might be a Magical Beast nearby. We should be careful."

At the mention of a Magical Beast, a trace of nervousness and anticipation appeared on Ye Wen Ni’s face. "If we run into a Magical Beast, you wouldn’t just abandon me and run, would you?"

Ling Xiao laughed. "When it comes to running, you’re a Sword Master. You should be faster than me. So, I should be the one asking you that."

"I don’t believe a word of your nonsense. Who knows what your deal is." Ye Wen Ni pouted slightly, shooting Ling Xiao a sideways glance with her beautiful eyes. "As if anyone would believe you’re only a Sword Attendant!"

Ling Xiao just chuckled twice without saying anything and continued walking in silence.

Ye Wen Ni made a face at Ling Xiao’s back. ’This guy is so rigid sometimes, but then he can be really funny. He seems like a nobleman, but his table manners are so crude, more like a seasoned Adventurer who’s always on the road.’

Suddenly, the sounds of a fight, punctuated by shouts and cries, drifted from up ahead. Ye Wen Ni stopped and looked at Ling Xiao. "Should we go check it out?"

Ling Xiao nodded. Crouching low, the two cautiously made their way toward the source of the noise. From a distance, they saw a low-lying valley ahead where more than twenty people were fiercely besieging a leopard-like Magical Beast that moved as fast as lightning. The leopard Magical Beast charged left and right, roaring continuously, and the enraged bellows and miserable screams of injured humans could be heard over and over. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

However, one look at these Mercenaries told you they had been together for a long time. Their movements were practiced, and their coordination was as smooth as flowing water. Flashes of Sword Qi erupted constantly. Whenever someone was injured, another would immediately fill their position.

"It’s a Mercenary Corps," Ye Wen Ni whispered, gazing at the people below from afar. Suddenly, she covered her mouth in shock and gasped, her face turning pale. She said to Ling Xiao, her expression grim, "Ling Xiao, they’re from the Maniacs!"

Ling Xiao nodded with a wry smile. He had recognized the tall, powerfully built Mercenary at a glance—it was the same man who had tried to kill him at the Adventurer’s Bar. Ling Xiao didn’t know his name, but that didn’t lessen his animosity toward him. ’A guy who’d try to kill someone just for blocking his path is definitely not a good person!’

"Should we..." Ye Wen Ni looked at Ling Xiao, her eyes asking for his opinion. She didn’t know when it had started, but she had grown used to letting Ling Xiao take the lead.

This was almost unbelievable, considering the first fifteen or sixteen years of her life. Back home, she was the undisputed "big sister" in charge!

"Watch!" Ling Xiao’s reply was simple. He had already discerned that the giant man had the highest cultivation level among the Mercenaries. ’He must be at least a Third or Fourth-rank Great Sword Master. The two by his side who haven’t moved are a little weaker. Out of more than twenty people, four or five are Great Sword Masters, and the rest are all Sword Masters.’

And although Ling Xiao wasn’t sure what tier the Magical Beast was, he could see that it hadn’t suffered any serious injuries. Its movements were like lightning, its fur was glossy and sleek, and it didn’t have a single scratch on it.

On the surface, it looked like it was trapped by the Mercenaries, but after observing carefully for a moment, Ling Xiao realized the Magical Beast seemed to be... toying with these humans!

As if to confirm Ling Xiao’s assessment, the leopard Magical Beast, like a cat that had tired of playing with a mouse, suddenly let out a long, thunderous roar. Ye Wen Ni turned deathly pale with fright. She grabbed Ling Xiao’s wrist and pressed close to him. She squinted, wanting to watch but not daring to look.

Ling Xiao also watched the scene below intently. The leopard Magical Beast lunged toward a Sword Master with the speed of a lightning strike. The Sword Master was about to block with his sword, but the Magical Beast’s speed seemed to have suddenly increased out of nowhere. It opened its massive, bloody maw, exhaling a foul, gamey stench, and sank its gleaming, sharp teeth viciously into the Mercenary’s throat.

A spray of crimson blood erupted into the air!

A look of disbelief filled the Mercenary’s eyes. His longsword fell to the ground with a CLANG, and his body crumpled.

’They had killed countless Tier Three Magical Beasts like this one, but they never imagined one of them would be killed in a single bite today!’

The leopard Magical Beast didn’t linger on its victory. After ripping out the Mercenary’s throat, it immediately pounced on its next target.

Casualties were an unavoidable part of a Mercenary’s life, but the death of their comrade still ignited the ferocity of the other Mercenaries. Their eyes turned red as they desperately threw themselves at the leopard Magical Beast.

The consequence was that the leopard Magical Beast instantly suffered five or six new wounds, and its blood dripped to the ground. DRIP. DRIP. But the price the Mercenaries paid was another five or six Sword Masters having their throats torn out!

Rock Shenke roared again and again. Unfortunately, the Magical Beast seemed to possess intelligence; it completely avoided the Great Sword Masters and instead targeted the weaker Sword Masters. What Rock Shenke found most unacceptable was that this Tier Three Magical Beast had yet to use any Elemental Energy!

Normally, Tier Two or Tier Three Magical Beasts would use their Elemental Energy right from the start of a fight. The Mercenaries would then stall it, waiting for the Magical Beast’s supply of Elemental Energy to run out before swarming in for the kill.

But today was just too bizarre! This Magical Beast, which clearly possessed the strength of a Tier Three or higher, had so far only fought with its agile body and sharp teeth, showing no intention of using its Elemental Energy.

And the Mercenaries... could no longer afford such losses.

"Serves them right!" After her initial nervousness, Ye Wen Ni gradually relaxed. The hand clutching Ling Xiao’s wrist quietly let go. A blush rose to her cheeks. But Ling Xiao, from beginning to end, seemed not to have felt the small, soft hand on his wrist, his expression serious as he watched the changing situation on the field.

"It’d be best if they both end up crippled!" Ye Wen Ni had no good impression of Rock Shenke whatsoever. ’All I did was try to borrow a sword technique manual from you!’ she muttered to herself. ’And you actually wanted to kill me for it? You even injured me! So you deserve to die!’

"No, there’s something strange about that leopard," Ling Xiao said in a low voice. He was reminded of the Wild Beast Cultivators he had encountered in the Cultivation Realm. Before they could take human form, they had to go through many upgrades, just like the staged advancements in Cultivation, from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment, and then to stages like Fusion. ’Beast Cultivators have ranks, too,’ he thought. ’I feel like this leopard Magical Beast is right on the cusp of advancing. It was discovered by these people while it was trying to conserve all its strength for the breakthrough, which is why it’s been holding back from using its Elemental Energy.’

Rock Shenke and his men, being veteran Mercenaries, soon realized what Ling Xiao had. Rock Shenke roared, "This thing can’t use its Elemental Energy! Everyone, we kill it even if it’s the last thing we do! A Tier Three Crystal Core! This one should be wind-elemental—worth at least thirty or forty thousand Gold Coins! Lads, kill it and we’ll be rich!"

Another Great Sword Master beside Rock Shenke also bellowed, "For our wives and kids, our folks back home, and for the families of our fallen brothers, give it everything you’ve got!"

"Give it everything!"

All the surviving Mercenaries roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Ye Wen Ni’s face turned pale again. She said nervously, "They... they’re not actually going to win, are they? Ling Xiao, should we run?"

"Win?" The corner of Ling Xiao’s mouth twitched, and a cold smirk appeared on his face. "Just wait for the show to begin."