Chapter Eleven: The Twelve-Headed Demon-Scaled Lion
“What's the matter? Feeling restless after entering the secret realm and want me to help loosen your muscles again?” Gu Liuyun raised an eyebrow.
Zhu Yan had gathered over a dozen cultivators, forming a sizable group, but they were still merely Qi Refining cultivators. Even if their numbers doubled, they might not stand a chance against Gu Liuyun.
“Second Young Master, he’s a Foundation Establishment expert...” a subordinate warned anxiously.
“Pfft! What’s there to fear?” Zhu Yan shot a fierce glare at the subordinate.
“He humiliated me in front of Qingqing. Kill him immediately!” he ordered the group beside him with commanding authority.
These men were among the family’s elite, already deeply resentful of Zhu Yan’s reckless behavior. Now, being ordered to face a Foundation Establishment master was clearly a death sentence.
“Second Young Master, I have an elderly mother waiting for me at home. I must beg off!” one subordinate bowed and said.
Before Zhu Yan could respond, the man darted away like lightning, vanishing from sight within moments.
With one person making a break, others began to waver as well.
Just as a youth was about to slip away, Zhu Yan caught him.
In a flash, Zhu Yan unleashed a powerful punch.
The youth spat a mouthful of blood and died on the spot.
“Anyone who tries to run will suffer the same fate!”
The chaotic scene suddenly fell silent.
Escape now was futile. Even if Zhu Yan didn’t catch them, with the might of the Zhu family of Hexi, could they really get away?
Unless...
Both Zhu brothers were dead.
A cold murderous intent spread through the crowd.
“No more nonsense. I don’t have time to play with you. Attack together,” Gu Liuyun beckoned Zhu Yan.
Beside him, Ye Qingqing swallowed nervously and tugged on Zhu Yan’s arm, urging, “Forget it, Zhu Yan. We’re no match for him...”
But Zhu Yan was already furious, shrugging off her hand. “He made me lose face. I want his life!”
With the two Zhu brothers leading, the group circled Gu Liuyun.
The overwhelming numbers made Chen Jiaojiao, hidden in the shadows, break into a cold sweat.
She also prepared to rush out at any moment to fight alongside Gu Liuyun.
Seeing that persuasion was useless, Ye Qingqing rolled her eyes and subtly stepped back.
Just as the battle was about to erupt, a fierce roar echoed.
Moments later came the thunderous pounding of hooves.
A lion covered entirely in scales like iron armor charged forward.
“Tier Two Ferocious Beast, the Demonic Scale Lion!”
Chen Jiaojiao gasped, covering her lips in shock.
A Tier Two ferocious beast was roughly equivalent to the peak of Qi Refining, its strength nearly matching that of a Foundation Establishment beginner.
Their defense was formidable; ordinary blades could barely scratch them.
Most terrifyingly, they were pack animals and rarely acted alone.
Sure enough, behind the charging Demonic Scale Lion came a second, then a third...
Twelve Demonic Scale Lions in total.
Gu Liuyun’s expression darkened.
Meeting the Zhu family never brought good fortune—it was downright unlucky.
The spiritual energy of cultivators was like a precious elixir to ferocious beasts.
Devouring one could boost their power by decades or even centuries.
The Demonic Scale Lions sniffed the air excitedly and let out triumphant roars.
“Run!”
Zhu Rong drew his long sword, shielding his brother Zhu Yan.
Staring into the lions’ blood-red eyes, some men couldn’t bear the pressure and fled.
A lion pounced on one, pinning him down and viciously biting his head off.
These pampered young masters were utterly terrified, some forgetting even how to circulate their spiritual energy.
“Roar!” A Demonic Scale Lion lunged at Zhu Rong.
Its sharp teeth clashed against his sword, ringing clearly.
What immense strength!
Zhu Rong’s hand went numb, nearly dropping his sword.
Yet, to Gu Liuyun, such brutal beasts were lowly pests.
In his previous life, he had fought these creatures countless times during his cultivation.
“We should retreat,” Chen Jiaojiao said, stepping out from the shadows beside Gu Liuyun.
Clutching her weapon, the exquisite Thorn, she kept watchful eyes on their surroundings.
This woman was loyal; in such danger, she did not abandon him.
Gu Liuyun found himself quietly admiring her.
“You probably don’t know, but Demonic Scale Lions are full of valuable materials. Their scales make excellent soft armor, while their fangs and claws are rare weapon components...” he explained.
“The only downside is their meat tastes awful—very fishy and rank.”
Chen Jiaojiao blinked in disbelief. “What did you say?”
At that moment, a lion that had been circling them suddenly attacked.
“Watch out!” Chen Jiaojiao panicked.
Gu Liuyun shifted his body lightly, easily dodging the lion’s claws.
With a swift counter, his fingers stabbed like a sharp blade into the lion’s throat.
The beast collapsed heavily, twitching briefly before going still.
“The weak spot is the throat. If you time it right, they’re not so scary,” Gu Liuyun said calmly.
Chen Jiaojiao twitched her lips skeptically.
It sounded as simple as eating or drinking, but how many could actually pull it off?
She glanced at the chaotic battlefield, where several had already died beneath the lions’ razor teeth.
Gu Liuyun pulled a dagger from his storage pouch and crouched, calmly cutting apart the dead lion.
In no time, he expertly stripped the scales, fangs, and claws, packing them away.
Meanwhile, Zhu Rong, bloodied from fierce combat, was barely holding on.
Behind him, Zhu Yan was surrounded and grievously wounded by several lions.
“You bastard! If it weren’t for you, how could I be this unlucky?” Zhu Yan’s eyes burned red with hatred as he glared at Gu Liuyun preparing to leave.
“If I die, you won’t get away either!”
He roared and charged at Gu Liuyun.
Behind him followed three or four lions with glowing red eyes.
Gu Liuyun grabbed Chen Jiaojiao’s collar, hoisting her up and tossing her onto a tree.
He then plunged into the circle of lions alongside Zhu Yan.
“Brother Gu!” Chen Jiaojiao called out, filled with worry.