Chapter 127: The Rampage of the Spirit Beasts

Facing the menacing spirit beasts, Lin Yanghao was far from foolish enough to fight them to the death. The best of the thirty-six stratagems was to flee. He immediately channeled his Ghostly Wandering Steps and bolted, running for several miles in one breath before stopping. Only after glancing back and seeing no beasts in pursuit did he heave a heavy sigh of relief.

It had been a narrow escape; had he been a second slower, he would surely have been trampled into a meat patty. Had those beasts been drugged? How had they suddenly become so monstrous? It made no sense—it was completely unscientific! No, there was definitely something strange going on. The beasts’ strength had surged only after he had taken the purple vine; yes, that had to be it. It must be related to the vine. What on earth was this thing to be so bizarre?

Lin Yanghao decided to ask Ling'er, who was knowledgeable and well-traveled, but to his disappointment, she knew nothing about it. "Where should I go now? I can no longer stay in the Thousand Saints Marsh." Between the threat of Yu Laosan and his cronies and this new crisis with the beasts, he was caught in a pincer attack. Staying would mean certain death, so finding a new refuge was his only option.

Returning to the cave, he found Gu Shi still healing, though there was no sign of improvement. Gu Shi was surprised by Lin Yanghao’s return, having assumed he would abandon him. He was deeply moved by such loyalty. Although Gu Shi was a zombie, he retained the memories of his past life and possessed human emotions; otherwise, in terms of cruelty, even demonic cultivators would pale in comparison to him. "We must leave at once; this place is no longer safe," Lin Yanghao said urgently, pulling Gu Shi up and taking off on his flying sword.

"Put me down," Gu Shi pleaded, trying to break free. "I am a dying man. I will only drag you down. Go on your own." He didn't believe for a moment that Lin Yanghao, a mere Core Formation stage cultivator, could cure injuries that even he could not mend.

"With me here, you won't die," Lin Yanghao insisted. "I have found a way to heal you. Once we find a safe place, I will treat your wounds, and we will make them pay." Hearing this, Gu Shi ceased his resistance, though he remained skeptical. He knew his condition better than anyone; he was on the verge of death unless Lin Yanghao truly possessed the power to bring the dead back to life.

"Where are we going?" Gu Shi asked curiously. It seemed Lin Yanghao intended to leave the Thousand Saints Marsh, which seemed like suicide. "Haven't you heard that the most dangerous place is the safest?" Lin Yanghao replied. "They won't expect us to leave the marsh. By the time they realize it, I will have already healed you." He pressed on, though his flying speed was hardly impressive; had they been pursued, they would have been caught instantly.

Meanwhile, several cultivators from the three major sects were circling above the Thousand Saints Marsh, searching for any sign of a hideout. "Brother, look, there is a cave," one pale man pointed out. "Let’s investigate. We cannot leave a single stone unturned; we must find them even if we have to dig three feet deep."

They quickly reached the cave. "Such a strong aura of death—they were definitely here," one remarked, noting the heavy corpse miasma left behind by Gu Shi. "They haven't been gone long, let's pursue!" News of the trail spread quickly, and all the cultivators in the marsh began a carpet search, never imagining that Lin Yanghao had already slipped outside the perimeter.

Suddenly, roars erupted from all corners of the Thousand Saints Marsh, causing the searching cultivators to pale. Why had the spirit beasts gone mad? "Everyone, be careful! Something is wrong," one warned.

Soon, numerous mid-grade spirit beasts swarmed in from all directions. The cultivators were stunned—each beast was equivalent to a Spirit Severing stage master, and they vastly outnumbered the humans. The battle was desperate from the start. "Damned beasts! Die! I shall use your blood to temper my Kui Star Blade!" a furious man roared, charging in. Seeing him move, the others drew their swords and unleashed their strongest techniques, plunging into a chaotic melee.

If Lin Yanghao had known, he would have been overjoyed. The three major sects had unwittingly become his scapegoats. The battle raged for a full day, with the human cultivators suffering heavy losses. With the purple vine gone, every beast in the Thousand Saints Marsh had been driven into a frenzy.