Chapter 54: What The Hell Is Happening?!!!
Chapter 54
Li Yu himself couldn’t help but frown; this was getting pretty boring. He knew the terror he had already struck into the hearts of the beasts living in this section of the Beast Forest; because of that, he had deliberately worn a warm smile on his face, hoping they would take him for granted and attack him.
That way, he would at least be able to get a bit of a workout in, but now that they were all running away, how exactly was he supposed to get the exercise he desperately needed? He really, really wanted to stretch his muscles somewhat.
Yet, it seemed that the warm smile was having the exact opposite effect on the beasts, so he decided to change his approach.
From now on, he would keep a neutral expression instead; he believed that should settle things. Surely, the beasts would finally gather enough courage to attack him; that way, he would be able to tear them apart and finally feel alive again.
Li Yuexin took a while longer this time before regaining her wits and continuing to lead the group.
Her gaze had become strange and completely unreadable, and her mind was filled with countless thoughts: What exactly was causing so much fear among the beasts?
Even the prideful Spiked Gorillas were no exception. It was as if a devil was traveling alongside their group, one that the beasts could somehow see, causing them to flee the moment they laid eyes on them.
Speaking of that... hadn’t the beasts looked furious and frenzied when they first scanned the group earlier? At the very least, they had remained that way until their gazes landed on him.
Li Yuexin turned her head slightly and looked toward Li Yu. He was wearing a neutral expression on his face and appeared to have been intimidated by the beasts, all of whom possessed cultivation realms much higher than his own.
After all, Li Yu was only at the peak of Body Refinement, nowhere close to those beasts in the late stages of the Qi Gathering Realm. What was I even thinking? Of course, Brother Yu can’t be the reason for those beasts’ fear.
Li Yuexin shook her head. Her imagination had truly run wild; there was simply no way it was Li Yu. And that left the bigger question: Who... or what... was scaring away the beasts like this? They weren’t merely frightened; they were completely and utterly horrified.
The journey continued, yet the strange phenomenon persisted. More and more beasts fled the moment they spotted the group; some even let out terrified screams as they ran in every direction.
It was a shocking and unbelievable sight, and the group couldn’t help but be amazed by it.... everyone except Li Yu, that was. He was currently maintaining a neutral expression specifically so the beasts would come and attack him, and yet it wasn’t working at all.
Not a single beast stepped forward; those bastards simply turned tail and fled the instant they saw his face. It was irritating. At this point, he felt like chasing them down himself; unfortunately, the plan was to reach the outer perimeter of the Beast Forest before sunset.
That way, they could continue their journey the next day and arrive at the Li Clan by tomorrow, so he endured it. Still, he was really itching to tear something apart.
Nor was Li Yu the only one wearing an ugly expression; the rest of the group also had strange looks on their faces. Well, ugly wasn’t exactly the right word; weird would be more accurate.
Li Jie and the others all wore expressions that clearly screamed: What the hell is happening? Beasts were known for their maddening ferocity and their instinctive desire to attack opponents regardless of strength; they weren’t supposed to flee like frightened chickens.
And yet, that was exactly what they were doing. Clearly, there wasn’t anyone present who should be capable of causing such a reaction, yet every beast reacted the same way. The situation greatly confused the group.
Li Yuexin’s gaze became increasingly wary as she heightened her perception, attempting to determine whether something... or someone... was lurking nearby and causing this reaction. The group should have been able to realize that Li Yu was the reason, if not for one simple fact: their brains simply refused to accept it.
Just a day ago, they had witnessed a massacre with beast corpses numbering in the hundreds, yet none of them found it possible to believe what the evidence suggested.
Some things were simply too absurd, too impossible; and when something was that outrageous, the human mind naturally rejected it. Even cultivators were no exception; the impossible should remain impossible.
Thus, their minds subconsciously created alternative explanations for yesterday’s events rather than accepting the straightforward truth... that Li Yu, a mere peak Body Refinement cultivator, had been responsible for all of it.
Li Feng also cast a wary glance around the surroundings; he carefully searched to see whether someone or something was following behind them. But no matter how much he looked, all he saw was Li Yu standing there with a slight frown on his face.
The young man appeared just as concerned as everyone else regarding this strange turn of events. Li Feng shook her head—what was he even thinking?
Even if Li Yu was stronger than his cultivation realm suggested, he still shouldn’t be capable of causing such a reaction. The guy looked as helpless as the rest of them; in fact, he even seemed somewhat frightened.
What Li Feng didn’t know, of course, was that Li Yu wasn’t frightened at all. He was simply angry that he hadn’t gotten the chance to fight.
This must be a side effect of his physique, combined with the fact that he had become far too attached to battle and bloodshed, and now he wasn’t getting the opportunity to do what he enjoyed most.
The day passed in the blink of an eye without the group encountering a single beast willing to stand its ground. Every beast reacted exactly the same way: the moment the group appeared, the beasts would scream in panic and flee as fast as they possibly could.
It was as though Death itself had descended upon the forest. If anything, whatever was supposedly lurking within the shadows had completely traumatized every beast living in this part of the Beast Forest.
Soon, night arrived, but there was still a bit of distance left for the group to cover before they could finally break free from the Beast Forest and enter human settlements. The group cleared a small area within the forest, preparing to spend the night there.
Although there hadn’t been any trouble and they hadn’t fought a single beast since the day began, they all remained on high alert.
Something had been chasing the beasts away... that much they all agreed upon... yet no matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find anything.
Therefore, regardless of whether this mysterious person... or thing... was helping them, there was no guarantee it would remain friendly. They needed to stay vigilant lest they suddenly find themselves under attack.
That was what everyone else was thinking as they settled onto their bedding... simple woven fibers that were small in size yet surprisingly comfortable enough to rest on.
Li Yu’s thoughts, however, were completely different. His mind was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on anything; only a single word continued to echo within his head: Kill.
Li Yu frowned as he clenched his fists tightly. There was no doubt about it; something was wrong with him. Throughout the entire journey, he had constantly felt the urge to kill something, and he already had a good guess as to the cause.
He summoned his status panel and stared at a particular section: Bloodlust: 30%
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Sorry for the late update, guys!
Your humble author has once again been dragged into a series of real-life side quests. Sadly, unlike our beloved protagonists, I don’t have an overpowered system, a cheat skill, or a mysterious old grandpa to solve my problems.
The Chapters were supposed to arrive earlier, but reality decided to launch a surprise attack. Fortunately, your author emerged victorious... barely.
Since the update came later than planned, I’ve decided to release one extra Chapter as compensation. Consider it a peace offering before the angry readers begin forming a demon-hunting expedition.
So the Chapters are now out, and I hope you all enjoy them!
As always, don’t forget to vote, leave comments, and show your support. Every Power Stone, comment, and review adds spiritual energy to this author’s cultivation journey and increases the chances of future Chapter explosions.
Thank you all for your patience and support.
— Ultra
