Chapter 399: The Kill
People who lived by the mountains had their own methods for dealing with what was inside.
They might not be systematic, but they were often surprisingly effective.
Bai Mo was leading them deep into the mountains to investigate the situation.
If they found startled herds of beasts gathering, then there would be no other choice but to inform the residents of Dagu Town to abandon their homes and flee.
At this moment, Bai Mo was calm and composed, projecting a distinct air of confidence.
Back at the sect, it was fine for other disciples to take the lead.
But now that he was operating alone, the first rule of the Foreign Affairs Hall was to never disgrace the sect's prestige.
"If a disciple of the sect goes out into the world and can't make people look up to them, they've truly wasted their life."
Those were the exact words of the disciples from the Foreign Affairs Hall.
They were meant to make Bai Mo and the others keenly aware of the difference between themselves and the Cultivators of the outside world.
"Immortal Master, you've come a long way from the Xuandao Sect."
"After you've assessed the situation in the mountains, why don't you let us prepare a fine banquet to welcome you?"
The old man, who believed everything was most likely fine, extended the warm invitation, speaking with ease.
"We may be a remote and humble place, but we have our own local delicacies."
"Indeed, indeed!"
Someone else chimed in.
Lv Qing's heart stirred. He stole a glance at Bai Mo's expression as a few ideas began to form in his mind.
"Ahem!"
He cleared his throat.
"An excellent idea. Why don't—"
HOOOOOOWL!!
Before he could get the words out, a long, beastly howl echoed from the direction of the mountains.
The color drained from all their faces.
"This is bad! It sounds so close. Could it be...?"
Bai Mo's feet moved, and his figure was already gliding away. Though terrified, Ah Er dropped to all fours and sprinted, keeping pace surprisingly well.
Lv Qing and the others followed.
A dozen breaths later, the group saw the scene at the foot of the mountain.
A tall Demon Beast stood on two hooves, swinging a long trunk. It had a disturbingly human-like face, and a fresh animal hide was draped over its shoulder.
At that very moment, it was using its massive hands to tear a red-robed Cultivator in half.
Blood filled the air.
The six Cultivators had never encountered such a ferocious aura in their entire lives.
Lv Qing's eyes burned with a rage so intense it seemed they would split open.
The murdered Cultivator was a junior member of his Lv family.
In all of Dagu Town, whose cultivation was the most outstanding?
It could only be the members of their six families.
Though they were usually lax, this was a matter of life and death, so they had taken personal responsibility for posting guards at the foot of the mountain.
The old man who had been speaking so eagerly was now deathly pale.
He could see it clearly: the hide on the ferocious Demon Beast's shoulder belonged to one of the three Demon Beasts that laired in the mountains.
Now that a Great Demon had fallen, didn't that mean the very barrier they relied upon had been breached?
Countless terrible consequences flashed through his mind.
The old man cried out in a choked voice.
"A beast calamity!!!"
"Shut up!"
Bai Mo glared at him, forcing him to swallow the rest of his words.
Focusing his Divine Thought into a single thread, Bai Mo concentrated his senses on the creature.
Two breaths later, his face paled for a moment, then instantly returned to normal.
"It's just one rogue Demon Beast. Nothing to worry about. Follow me and we'll slay it!"
The six Foundation Establishment Cultivators hesitated for but a moment, and Bai Mo had already left them in his dust.
POP! POP! POP!
Telling them to help had just been a force of habit for Bai Mo.
The moment he drew near the Demon Beast, he flicked his wrist, and a dozen or so Pills shot out, exploding against its body.
Colorful smoke billowed out, startling even Ah Er, who had been about to draw closer, forcing him back.
A black smoke suddenly swirled out, enveloping the figures of both Bai Mo and the Demon Beast.
Bai Mo dodged a sweeping attack from the creature's massive trunk, swallowed a Pill, and then with a mere thought, a giant Pill Furnace slammed down over the Demon Beast's head.
SHIIING!
A Longsword, gleaming with a cold light, appeared in Bai Mo's hand. It was a gift from a disciple who had once sought Pills from him.
There was nothing remarkable about the Longsword, except that it was exceptionally sharp.
Infusing it with his Spiritual Qi, just as the Demon Beast swung its fist to shatter the Pill Furnace on its head, Bai Mo swung the Longsword in a circle around its neck.
When he felt the resistance against his blade suddenly vanish, a flush crept across Bai Mo's face.
'Thankfully...'
Letting out a sigh of relief, Bai Mo retreated from the black smoke.
"Immortal Master!"
Lv Qing and the others had caught up, but terrified by the potency of the smoke, they dared not approach.
It was only then that they noticed a layer of what looked like flowing light covering Bai Mo's body.
It was this very layer of light that had allowed him to remain in the smoke for those few moments.
"It's over now."
Bai Mo said.
"When the smoke clears, have someone burn the beast's corpse."
"As for you lot, follow me into the mountains for a look!"
Having seen Bai Mo emerge unscathed, Lv Qing and the other five already had their suspicions about the outcome.
But to hear him say it, they were still stunned speechless.
'He is truly worthy of the title of Immortal Master from an Upper Sect...'
Back at the sect, Yuan Chu and his two companions had told Bai Mo something.
They said the Demon Beasts from the other side of the mountain range were far more violent than the local ones.
Wherever they passed, they slaughtered nearly every living thing they saw.
This was the source of Bai Mo's confidence in entering the mountains now.
By that logic, the path this Demon Beast had taken should be completely clear of any other creatures.
And indeed, it was.
The seven of them proceeded without incident until they reached the lair of the slain Great Demon.
The creature's once thirty-foot-tall body was now in pieces, its bones scattered everywhere, with bite marks visible in many places.
Blood covered the ground, and great splashes of it stained the nearby trees.
It congealed and dripped from the tips of the leaves, creating an indescribably horrific sight.
Lv Qing, his body rigid, slowly let out a breath.
"This is a catastrophe..."
The others mostly wore the same stiff expression.
At this point, they finally understood the true terror of a beast calamity.
"Immortal Master, could you possibly stay in Dagu Town for a while longer? We would be sure to show you the finest hospitality..."
Without a moment's hesitation, Bai Mo shook his head.
"You are all Foundation Establishment Cultivators. You must have some trump cards of your own."
"I'm not saying you have to defeat these Demon Beasts, but with proper preparations, it shouldn't be too difficult to hold them off for a few days."
'He had other places to inspect; how could he stay in one place for long?'
"Black Mountain City is a proper city. Let me go and take a look. There are many Cultivators there; perhaps I can find reinforcements for you..."
Lv Qing and the others felt bitter, but there was nothing more they could say.
'The man has his duties; how could we possibly force him to stay?'
Bai Mo knew that these men's entire lives were tied to Dagu Town. They would never leave unless they had absolutely no other choice.
'With them holding the line, Dagu Town can probably have a few more peaceful days.'
「The next few days.」
Bai Mo remained with the others at the foot of the mountain, keeping a close watch on the surrounding area.
Fortunately, there were no further Demon Beast incursions.
The only other powerful Demon Beast in the area eventually wandered over. After lingering for half a day at the spot where the Great Demon had met its violent end, it finally settled in.
Apparently, the new master wasn't bothered by the place being "unlucky."
Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Bai Mo decisively took his leave.
Lv Qing and the others failed to persuade him to stay, and in the end, could only send him off with kind words.
Setting out on his journey, Bai Mo passed by the two villages along his route. Seeing they were safe, he didn't even stop.
His Flying Ship sped onward, carrying him all the way to Black Mountain City.
This was a city with a population of roughly one hundred thousand people.
Perhaps because the city's administrators were quite worldly, the city, though not large, had a layout quite similar to that of present-day Immortal Arrival City.
There was, at least, a basic sense of order.
After announcing his identity, Bai Mo was led by the city's Cultivators to meet the senior brother who was stationed there.
An old man who had reached the venerable age of one hundred and twenty-one.