The mountains trembled, forests swayed. Rhinos, fire oxen, tigers, kui-beasts, panther hounds—”beasts of such ferocity they rushed forth in countless hordes. Trees lay shattered in their path like landslides, leaves whirled amidst rolling stones, earth shook and skies darkened—utter chaos. “Aaaaaaa!” came cries. The men of Baicun bore the first wave of destruction; by fate’s cruel hand fifteen lay crushed, tossed, trampled within eyeblink, torn by creatures taller than rooftops. Their limbs snapped, torsos crunched, flesh pulped. Upon dozens of fleeing gray wolves, their surviving clansfolk fled with faces ashen. These were not mere neighbors—they saw beloved kin flash by their inner eye forever. “Ready!” thundered Shi Yun Feng over the maelstrom.
The wild surged forth, trees snapping like kindling; their onslaught left naught but ruin. With a guttural scream, “Slaughter them!” Shi Lin Hu roared as his calloused palm seized a dull bone from empty air. Glowing runes erupted across his arm, and like flame merging with timber, that bone drove down upon exposed flesh. Blood mist erupted. Armoured with sinew-bone symbiosis now inseparable: blood fused into marrow, sinew intertwined with shaft. Earth roared its protest. A tremor erupted across mountain as though primeval terrors awakened. All bestial onslaught recoiled; even the mightiest quaked at his reek of primal rule. Like wolves before alpha, like moths in shadow’s sweep—they veered their attack, giving this human passage.
“Uuuwwaaaooooo!” cried the baiflybeast from sky’s vault—an ear-piercing screech, a ghost howling its damnation echoing deep into the pines below. It screamed with magic, goading forward those feral battalions. Reluctant at first were many beasts, hesitating—but then several stood on their hind-legs, advancing to break open this defense. “Breach!” Lin Hu commanded in a voice that split mountain. His markings exploded in luminous laced array, runes converging into a prime rune: beast emblems carved into his very marrow, portal forming before him—an ancient beast spirit stirring behind.
From that rune, thunderous guttural cry exploded across peaks. Lin Hu’s form surged—ript from mortal scale, muscles bursting from fabric—thrice the height now: a mountainous titan bronze flesh glowing ominous. Fist drove forward with sonic shockwave, crushing beast into a bloody cloud mid-air—entrails spraying, skull shards arcing crimson across sky. This was the aura of primordial beast-king—crushing all opposition with invisible domination. Even wolves howled in dread. They shivered like lambs now beneath predator regard.
Above, Baiflybeast glared—one eye twitching not in just fear, but insatiable greed as well. He realized—this village did hold cards worth wagering against a true sacred beast like himself. However, he would not retreat. A Liongod beast-body contained transformation possibilities that could elevate a creature like himself beyond mortal limits indefinitely. With chilling calculation befitting his species, he launched assault—but directed not toward beast-king linhu this beast knew too well—but to remaining villagers instead, aiming to divide focus through simultaneous assault pressure. He would exploit that distance between man and those needing protection… force Linhu’s might into wasteful partial deployment… drain his power…
Linhu raged inwardly, fists clenching. “Absofuckinglutely intolerable!” his three-meter fury growled toward sky. Veins erupted across sinewy arms. Light from runes intensified as with titanic effort, he raised both arms above his head, and—like summoning ancient wind—released a second phantasm.
The sky trembled. Beasts shrieked as hurricane-force shockwave tore through treetops all around, sending ancient pine splintering skyward before that translucent entity launched toward the enemy baiflybeast like a celestial vise. The elder beast gasped, diving to the farthest left as runic spells glimmered over its claws—an emerald halo forming a shield in front of it. The spectral beast collided.
Boom!
Baifly’s entire body jolted mid-air; Linhu himself lurched backward, blood droplets spattered from parted lips onto grass below. His bone rune mastery was not perfected—hence why that ancestor artifact yielded such partial expression of true power… But still, impressive enough to actually disrupt Baifly’s aura long enough to make him doubt his next advance. But rather than dissuades such ambition, Baifly eyes burned even hotter. Now it desired to obtain this man’s heirloom as much—if not even more—so than that coveted lion-god carcass beneath their conflict.
Its glowing red pupils shifted toward cold malice; it ululated—fourth-direction summoning reinforcements—a thousand gray wolds reappear under its voice’s tyranny. Surrounding the village warriors like hunting wolves closing in—forcing defenders to divert precious attention and energy towards the flanking attacks. This tactic left villagers exposed—forced reactions to multiple simultaneous onslaughts wearing them rapidly thin.
From skyward ambush—the baifly waited again like a patient python. As any normal guardian beast could easily level entire civilizations with a breath alone… to see it reduced to nuisance-harasser of mere humans should provoke fury, you’d imagine—if such a thing still possessed capacity for emotion outside predatory instinct beyond mortal understanding.
But Baifly merely hovered there in silence, calculating. It wasn’t as powerful as usual after suffering prior injuries, hence needed this cautious, drawn strategy.
On surrounding perimeter—gray pack attacks intensified without cease. Defending villagers barely held perimeter intact amidst relentless harried attacks.
Swooo—boom!
From heavens it acted—an incantation flaring. A brilliant golden aura flurried outwards from short front-paws, then condense into enormous raptor-talons. An enormous golden claw—manifesting as corporeal construct from ancient primordial runes, extended down—a crushing execution from god-tier magic.
This wasn’t merely magical pressure: it was a manifestation of his primordial ancestral markings themselves tearing into reality—a killing blow that threatened the gathered souls below.
“Die, crippled canine demon!” Linhu thundered upward. Teeth grit tight as ancient inscriptions within flesh sang in resonance—his left forequarter radiating intense crimson. This primordial rune shimmered; a second entity burst forth from his glyph, stronger, more physical—manifesting now clearly as a beastly lion-dragontiger known in lore called “Bá’an”—emerging to clash once again.
Rooooaaaaaarrgghh!!!
Collision of beast and claw lit skies brighter than daylight. Thunder erupted amidst the tempest.
That descending talon failed to complete its mission—veered off course. Its redirected force slammed against cliffside beyond, shattering entire mountain’s shoulder into cascading rubble… The entire region trembled with seismic aftershocks of that impact. Onlookers froze in awe—then fear—this baiflybeast’s power had yet to manifest all potential… What might happen if fully engaged?
Linhu trembled—exhaled blood again. Ancestor artifact too potent—exposure at this level exhausting his life-forces beyond capacity to endure extendedly… But before he could rest or heal or prepare further…
Howls erupted anew from all flanks.
The beast-pack advanced together now—reigniting assaults under renewed coordination thanks seeing Linhu falter moments ago… They were taking orders again directly from Baifly’s telepathic command…
Situation turned dire beyond words. Village’s collective annihilation seemed all but inevitable unless something changes.
This time Baifly did not feint. Now that full battlefield status clear within its mind, he launched actual strike dive without feigns. Its earlier failed experiments confirmed these humans did hold two potent artifacts—but even now they were not manifesting their full power yet—therefore he would strike decisively…
“Screeee!”
Suddenly—a miniature light burst forth. Xie Tian—a child—unleashed his treasured weapon—the string of sacred monster-teeth beads that gleamed like meteor swarm, all rushing in brilliant spiral formation. Their trajectory aimed squarely—piercing through baifly’s chest cavity.
Beast recoiled—outraged snarl erupted. Its teeth—its most sacred relic that had been painstakingly harvested over millenniums during life’s apex. It never expected these could one day come wielded into weapon by another wielder—not even an outsider—but especially not a baby-faced runt!
Baifly dove downwards—chanting incantation, attempting reclamation ritual upon his ancestral weapon-teeth.
However, right as retrieval glyphs extended from his claw toward necklace—surprise struck… the child’s entire form shuddered—his blood markings activated like glowing spider net enveloping entire silhouette, flaring intensely.
From his hand, a piece of weather-worn ancient scaled hide appeared from satchel. He held it close, pressed it to pectoral—there it fused through chest’s epidermis into his very being like branding.
Sky and earth screamed their dissent at this new awakening. The hide bonded into child flesh itself—a permanent union.
Starlight cascaded from that connection as beast-hide etched into the kid, becoming inseparable. A new pattern of arcane power radiated forth—an ancient glyph—his tiny form aglow like flame. An oppressive aura burst outward—not metaphor—actual wind pressure blew everyone else away like paper in hurricane blast.
Across the forest: beasts trembled uncontrollably. Some dropped onto knees out of primal terror; several collapsed unconscious.
This artifact was second of Shi clan ancestral armaments—meant for Shi Fei Jiao originally—but upon discovery of this child’s raw bone inscribed power, had been transferred secretly here—as their trump card.
As this entity’s roar thundered across lands, an ethereal gateway appeared amidst his glowing breast—once again pouring out monstrous force—in the form of the mythical “Baaan.” With this, he lunged—intercepting baiflybeast’s descending claws from below.
Baifly recoiled sharply—but could not break trajectory before collision. Left without option—he deployed same gold-talons in defensive measure for last stand.
CRASH!!
Clash sent thunder rolling across mountaintop like apocalyptic end times herald. His golden armaments—shattered completely! That same mystical beast wrapped entire physical form around Baiflybeast’s midsection, crushing down with force of thousand ton press.
From the heavens—the baifly’s ear-rending shriek echoed as its near-two-meter body almost got twisted in half by the crushing bite. It writhed free only partially, but its hind leg did not escape. A thundercrack erupted—his left limb snapped into unnatural twisted shape, bone fragments jutting out like branches on broken trunk.
Unlike others’ limited expression—Shao Teng manifested that artifact at unprecedented potency. Though still nowhere near ultimate level—the raw power spike dwarfed even what Lin Hu achieved previously!
Indeed—this tiny child might well have exceeded Linhu’s and elder masters’ expectations.
Shi Cun, as a village, once soared with splendor long buried into history. Yet even so—revealing existence of such items risked awakening greed from powerful clans lurking deep within land’s heart—a secret guarded for entire generation now broken.
Baifly screamed—not only anger. Betrayed. Defaced. Mauled by beings unworthy even of licking dirt from his feet. The artifact hadn’t been reclaimed; rather—two powerful opponents had instead left deeper mark—humiliation burned in his gut far more venomous than even physical damage inflicted.
He roared, climbing to higher altitude still snarling. Circling with hatred and frustration burning from eyes.
Yet strangely—when he ordered attack again, none of the remaining feral horde obeyed without hesitation. Fear gripped their hearts… even they now feared little child Shao Teng brandishing ancestral heirloom like living weapon. It had become the ultimate arbiter of dread among creatures.
Crazed with fury, Baifly spiraled in air with renewed vigor… occasionally darting downward like striking cobra—fast enough to blur eyes. They attempted retaliatory counterstrikes with weapons on multiple occasions, but the beast’s erratic flight-pattern evaded precision tracking every time.
“This beast is wearing us out!” Shi Yun Feng cursed. His face grimacing, he wiped bead of sweat from his own aging brow with shaking palm while turning toward his kin’s exhausted expressions below.
Consumption rate of those ancestor weapons was monstrous.
He nodded toward child—Xie Tian. Noted the glint behind the kid’s eye.
“Time it out right,” said Shi Yun Feng with grim calculation in voice.
The fanged monstrosity—Baiflybeast—returned like a comet toward cluster of vulnerable humans. Golden claws aimed to tear entire row of men apart at the torso…
Yet—barely missed as Linhu interposed at the critical second.
Still—a slippage of golden rune energy caught several behind him—blasting men flying backward with sickening cracks—limbs and torso shattered into pulp in one blow…
“Sliiiiicckk!”
Suddenly—on ground beside battlefield… the critically wounded Azure-Scaled Eagle—barely clinging to breath—flared suddenly back to life. With might beyond logic—its wings erupted in galeforce wind.
Its half-meter-long iron-hard yellow beak radiated emerald aura as glowing full moon—spun violently outward from his mouth like summoned spell.
The strike happened before Baifly even registered. Too late he shrieked—but slower reflex now… The moon slammed into his injured foot—shattering it into bloody mist.
Baifly screamed, writhing mid-air with rage—still attempting defensive maneuver.
But before he broke loose…
“SCREEEAAHHHH!!”—came deafening avian war cry.
Azure eagle struck again—claw extended in glowing arc—gripping him in unbreakable vice-like grip.
Blood sprayed. The predator now prey.
Enraged—he tried one more last-resort burst—but the talons barely scraped through feathers—barely escaped. He spiraled backwards, panting heavily, aura collapsing.
Golden runes erupted across its broken frame in self-healing ritual… preparing counterattack now…
BOOOMMM!!!
Suddenly—surging force—like titan unleashed…
From below, the ground shook as Linhu—using residual relic aura—catapulted Shao Teng into upper atmosphere in one powerful arc-launch motion. As airborne—this boy—who still hadn’t grown into physical maturity—he channeled the full unleashed potency contained in the ancestral relic’s scaled breastplate. That ancient creature roared forth. The very sky fell silent as all forest life fell deathly quiet at its emergence. Like Báaan, like the very king and destroyer of all things feral. Its aura smote all living being into involuntary obedience.
“CRASHHH!”
The primordial horror’s physical form—clashed in the sky itself like twin comets colliding. Explosions of radiant magical force erupted like supernovas. Their impacts bathed the surrounding sky in searing white.
Blood rained. Limbs scattered. Torso parts tore asunder mid-air. What was Baiflybeast—was now barely half-remaining. Mangled, torn beyond recognition—bodyparts vanishing in crimson mist left trail behind in escape attempt. And he vanished like fleeing comet, fleeing fate.
Yet even then—Azure eagles’s body—shuddered. It reached out wings—caught descending child… but itself too weak and badly wounded to stabilize properly during recovery dive.
Both figures fell—spiraling downward toward pine grove in freefall crash. Thumps—crashes resounded from the impact.
“We must withdraw! Fall back now!” cried Shi Yun Feng urgently.
The victory achieved purely from the Baiflybeast’s own hubris—lulled into false dominance thanks to unexpected ambush by that suddenly awakening Avian. A split-second delay costing him near-catastrophe. For that single lapse—he nearly faced his eternal oblivion.
Fearing vengeance should the beast collect his wits—then charge straight back—doubting their stamina to survive second attempt. With one voice—they rallied all remaining strength and fled homeward en masse—never breaking stride or formation. Behind them—the decimated remnants of Baicun suffered terrible butchered death beneath initial bestial stampede.
No mercy—nor attention even spared backward—for now—such burdens required silence. Later justice for slain innocents might arrive—but not in fleeing hour of crisis. They fled.
However—
Just—just beyond last forest stretch ahead—the mangled, blood-spewing Baifly’s re-approach became apparent to all.
“No! Now he’s seriously enraged—half his form—torn, wounded—he seeks vengeance! He must think we hold more within us!”
That looming silhouette reappeared. A single half-physically intact elder being—the fury burned so hot within him he would stop at absolute destruction this time if need be. If he could reach the Liongod’s remains—restore his maimed body—then ascend again anew—then so be it.
One li remained. A single li. Between certain sanctuary and bloodied demise…
One villager—tearing hair from scalp—cried with desperation: “BEAST GOD… DEFEND YOUR PEOPLE… PLEASE BREAK THAT BARRIER THAT ISN’T YOURSELF! JOIN US BATTLES BEYOND THOSE TRENCHANDED ANCESTRAL LAWS, LEAVE YOUR SACRIFICE TROOPING BEHIND… PLEASE COME OUT TO PROTECT US!!”
Suddenly—there emerged—a dead-looking tree with only single verdant branch glowing softly in the pitch-black of night, illuminating entire village like divine radiance in ethereal light. Then—it stirred—emitting chain of green-glow from tip like divine whip lashing through dark.
It struck faster than lightning can blink… racing a hundred meters through void… stretching forth over entire field in a single violent whip… rushing to aid its mortal worshipers.
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