Lin Xuan Was Instantly Defeated

Following Lin Xuan's lead, more cultivators flew out from the Northern Heavenly Gate to engage the beast tide.

Techniques of all kinds and methods of every variety were unleashed.

Against the monstrous horde, there was no need for mercy.

Yet the battle felt far from satisfying.

Bloodline detonation—whether self-triggered or activated upon death—was their curse.

The beast tide fought with grim resolve, exploding without hesitation when the time came.

Even after slaying a beast, cultivators had to brace for its final blast.

This forced them to carefully control their power, ensuring they could retreat to a safe distance before delivering the killing blow.

Alternatively, they could strike with enough force to both slay the beast and fling its corpse away.

For the average cultivator, this was no easy feat—most lacked the experience.

Many ended up caught in the explosions, and even those who dodged in time found the fight exhausting.

How much simpler it would be to swing their swords mindlessly! Now they had to calculate every move—what a nuisance.

Some could tank the blasts with sheer physical resilience, but this played right into the beast tide's hands.

As for turning the beasts' explosions against their own kind, that required precise timing and power.

The monsters weren’t fools—the moment they sensed an attempt to hurl them, they’d detonate instantly.

The battlefield had devolved into chaos, with the frontlines a tangled mess of humans and beasts, making such tactics near impossible.

After the initial clash, everyone below the Void Refinement realm joined the fray.

Void Refinement experts tried striking the beast tide’s rear to trigger explosions there, but the moment they acted, the horde’s elites intercepted them, locking them in fierce duels.

No more openings would be given.

Though the humans had gained an early advantage, the true brutality of the battle was only beginning.

Casualties quickly mounted on the human side, their numbers steadily thinning.

Against the sheer size of the beast tide, even the best preparations couldn’t prevent losses.

The Grand Priest watched with satisfaction.

Close combat was their forte—even if it meant attrition, they’d whittle down the Northern Heavenly Gate’s forces.

Numbers favored the beasts; nearly all of the Untamed Wilds had answered the call, weak and strong alike.

The human side, though mostly at the Foundation Establishment level or above, was outmatched.

There was no helping it—the Northern Heavenly Gate could only hold so many.

What use were ordinary folk? To slide into the beasts’ jaws and hope they’d get too full to fight?

They couldn’t even serve as cannon fodder—just dead weight.

If the humans tried to win through numbers alone, it’d mean the Northern Heavenly Gate had already fallen.

The Grand Priest took a moment to rest. Now, it was up to the humans to deal with the endless tide.

Di Haoran and the other Mahayana cultivators longed to confront the Beast Lord, but the horde’s elites barred their path.

They knew slaughtering these beasts would drain them—and if the Grand Priest and Beast Lord hadn’t even moved yet, who would face those two if they were spent?

Worse, the Beast Lord and Grand Priest lurked at the very rear of the battlefield. If Di Haoran ventured there, no backup would reach him.

Getting trapped would be disastrous.

Di Haoran refused to risk distractions during his duel with the Beast Lord.

It couldn’t be helped—the Beast Lord was at the Tribulation Phase. Di Haoran had prepared five Mahayana experts, himself included, to face him.

All five had to be at their peak.

In the end, Di Haoran and the others held back, biding their time.

The human side would wait for the beast tide’s Mahayana elites to show themselves before deploying their own, keeping the rest in reserve.

The Grand Priest, however, was in no hurry. He waited for the Beast Lord to recover fully before they’d strike together.

For now, the beasts would grind the humans down.

Lin Xuan, though a Mahayana cultivator, couldn’t resist joining the fray. He thirsted for battle against powerful beasts.

Yet none came for him.

So he fought on, believing that if he shone brightly enough, the horde’s elites would take notice.

And they did.

His crowd-clearing prowess was unmatched—his wide-range, devastating attacks carved a path straight into the heart of the beast tide.

Arrogant. Reckless.

It was like watching a one-man slaughter, as if he feared no retreat.

But Lin Xuan was confident. Even if cornered, he could withdraw to the Northern Heavenly Gate.

From the gate, Elder Yan watched with pride.

Now restored to a physical body—forged by Lin Xuan from rare treasures—and his cultivation regained at Mahayana Perfection, he marveled at how far his protégé had come.

“After all these trials…” Elder Yan murmured, itching to join the fight.

But he couldn’t. He was one of the five chosen to face the Beast Lord.

The beast tide, however, wouldn’t let Lin Xuan run wild.

The Leopard Speed King soon confronted him. A Mahayana expert was needed to match Lin Xuan’s strength.

And this was no ordinary Mahayana—this was a former Beast Lord, now at Mahayana Perfection.

Such an insolent human deserved a brutal lesson.

The Leopard Speed King bared his fangs in a savage grin, his killing intent unrestrained.

He didn’t underestimate his foe.

Lin Xuan tensed but didn’t falter. His comprehension of the immortal’s legacy had deepened.

Fighting above his level? No issue.

Even this gap wouldn’t break him.

In an instant, they exchanged a hundred blows.

The Leopard Speed King’s grin stiffened.

He’d gone all out from the first strike, expecting to crush Lin Xuan instantly.

Yet here the human stood—unbroken. A disgrace.

Worse, Lin Xuan’s combat genius let him exploit their clash’s shockwaves to annihilate nearby beasts.

This blatant multitasking was nothing short of contempt.

Enraged, the Leopard Speed King intensified his assault.

But another struck first.

A devastating force slammed into Lin Xuan.

He strained to resist, but it was futile—the impact hurled him backward like a ragdoll.

He crashed into the Northern Heavenly Gate’s wall, embedded deep in the stone.

Only then did the force relent.

Blood gushed from Lin Xuan’s mouth as his vision blurred.

The Beast Lord had intervened.

That human’s arrogance had irked him.

Yet to his surprise, Lin Xuan still breathed. A mere Mahayana surviving his blow? Interesting.

“Lin Xuan!”

Elder Yan rushed out, prying him from the wall and carrying him back.

The injuries were grave but treatable.

“A lesson in humility,” Elder Yan mused as he worked. “Glory has its price.”

“Elder Yan… embarrassing,” Lin Xuan coughed. “I barely lasted.”

“Nonsense. Surviving the Beast Lord’s strike is no small feat.”

“I’ll recover fast. This isn’t over.”

Undaunted, Lin Xuan’s resolve burned brighter than ever.