"You think you can snatch someone from under my grasp?"

Yue Ya's gaze turned icy as a powerful demonic aura burst forth from her body. Her five fox tails merged, stretching out behind her to violently strike a giant crocodile that had lunged with its jaws.

The giant crocodile let out a long howl and quickly transformed into a burly man over two meters tall, his feet churning through the mire as he charged at Yue Ya. "If we were outside, I might have feared you a bit, but the Thunder Swamp is my turf! What do you have to fight me with?"

At the same time, the giant python and the hippo also took on human forms. The giant python became a skinny man over three meters tall, while the hippo turned into a short, chubby man only one and a half meters tall.

Luo Xiu took a deep breath, assumed a fighting stance, and asked Su Shenyun, "Which one do you want?"

Su Shenyun retorted, "What if I don't want to choose any of them?"

Because Zhu Hui had previously unleashed "Swallowing Rivers and Mountains," Su Shenyun's Dantian was completely devoid of Spiritual Power. Relying solely on her Physical Body, she couldn't possibly contend with the Demon Beasts.

"Looks like in the end, I'm the one who has to handle everything," Luo Xiu grumbled. A surge of black energy suddenly enveloped him, and he dashed forward.

The Land of Lawlessness contained a nearly endless supply of the Aura of the Dead. Luo Xiu could absorb it at any time through his left eye and store it in the Reaper's Charm Script on his right arm. For this reason, even Zhu Hui's "Swallowing Rivers and Mountains" could never have absorbed it all.

However, the Three Bandits of Thunder Swamp were on the same level as Zhu Hui. Since Luo Xiu had only reached the Great Perfection of the Gathering Spirit Realm in his cultivation of the Reaper's Art, he could only take a beating in the face of such a disparity.

After Luo Xiu was thoroughly beaten, Yue Ya on the other side finally sent the giant crocodile flying. She then wrapped two of her fox tails around Luo Xiu and Su Shenyun's waists and fled with them in her grasp.

「Back at the original spot.」

The giant crocodile rubbed his mouth, cursing under his breath. "Damn it! In a one-on-one fight, I still can't beat that saucy fox, Yue Ya."

"To think that I, the great King of the Poisonous Crocodile, a hero of my stature, would be thrashed by a saucy fox. It's infuriating!" Just moments ago, the King of the Poisonous Crocodile had been beaten senseless by Yue Ya, even losing several of his favorite teeth.

"Tian Bang, why didn't you help me just now? Are we still brothers or not?" he roared, turning his furious gaze toward the three-meter-tall skinny man.

Tian Bang forced a wry smile. "I wanted to, but that human kid is damn resilient and strong as hell. I really couldn't handle him. Besides, that Nine-Tailed Fox girl kept throwing flirtatious glances at me and got me all worked up. I just wasn't in the mood to fight. If you don't believe me, ask Big Mouth."

The short, chubby man named Big Mouth revealed a simpleton's grin and stammered, "Boss, Tian Bang... Bang is... is right!"

"Dammit, after them!"

"Boss, they seem to have... escaped toward that place!" Tian Bang suddenly pointed in the direction Luo Xiu's group had fled, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes.

The King of the Poisonous Crocodile's eyelids drooped. "Damn. They're really asking for death!"

***

「Meanwhile.」

Luo Xiu, who was busy fleeing, was also cursing. Just now, he had been viciously beaten by Tian Bang and Big Mouth, even losing a tooth.

"Damn it, I've never been beaten like this in my entire life. One day, I'm going to come back for revenge!"

Seeing Luo Xiu's bruised and swollen face, Su Shenyun felt a mix of pity and amusement.

Yue Ya offered a faint smile. "Your body is quite tough, though. Despite being human, your constitution is comparable to a level seven Demon Beast's."

Flying low to the ground, Yue Ya moved swiftly. As they spoke, the three of them ventured deep into the Thunder Swamp.

"We're in trouble!"

While flying, Yue Ya suddenly came to a halt. Her beautiful eyes trembled as if she realized something dreadful was about to happen.

Su Shenyun looked around in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Yue Ya's expression was grave. "In my haste, I got the direction wrong. We've entered the territory of that terrifying creature—the Burial Sword Tomb of the Thunderstorm."

Luo Xiu surveyed their surroundings. The blackened, desolate land stretched as far as the eye could see. The ground was dry and cracked, dotted with the skeletons of giant beasts and the remains of countless broken blades and halberds. It seemed a cataclysmic battle had taken place here long ago. The air was filled with a subtle, terrifying presence that made one's heart pound for no reason. At the same time, Luo Xiu sensed a dense Yin energy; with his left eye, he could even see the Residual Souls floating in The Void.

"Since we took a wrong turn, why don't we head back now?" Luo Xiu suggested into the silence.

Yue Ya's face was grim as she stared ahead. "Once you step into the Burial Sword Tomb of the Thunderstorm, there's no turning back," she said slowly. "There is only one way to leave: defeat that terrifying creature."

Su Shenyun immediately grew alert. "Why can't we turn back?"

At that moment, Luo Xiu turned and tried to walk back. The next instant, the ground beneath him erupted with dazzling lightning that coiled around his legs. A powerful current surged through him, making him tremble violently and cry out in agony.

Su Shenyun was shocked and quickly pulled him back.

"If you try to retreat, you will be attacked by the lightning that lingers in this land," Yue Ya explained.

Luo Xiu's face darkened. "You could have said that earlier."

Yue Ya looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. It was my oversight that dragged you both into this. Now, I can only try to challenge that creature."

With that, she resolutely stepped forward.

ROAR—!

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from ahead. A fierce gust of wind slammed into them, causing all three to stagger.

In an instant, lightning surged across the heavens and the earth. A huge, dark shadow descended from amidst the bolts, landing with a thunderous impact that kicked up a towering cloud of dust.

"Ignorant fools! You will be annihilated within my Wild Thunder, never to find peace in death!"

Yue Ya remained composed, seemingly prepared for this. Staring at the dark shadow, she said, "Since this junior has already stepped into this place, I will naturally accept the challenge, with no regrets in life or death."

Luo Xiu looked up. As the dust settled, he was startled to see that the dark shadow was a black bear. The bear stood upright, towering over ten meters tall. Several ghastly scars marked its chest, each one covered with purple, glowing crystals.

But what truly captured Luo Xiu's attention was the bear's back. It was pierced by countless swords, packed so densely that it resembled a hedgehog. The swords seemed to have fused with its very flesh and blood.

Yue Ya stood alone at the front, resisting the terrifying, oppressive aura. Her own demonic energy flared as she gritted her teeth and said, "This is the Mountain Sea Fierce Bear. The clan elders say it's a survivor of the ancient wars. It's rumored that it was the one who tore Chi You's Iron-eating Beast apart with its bare claws."

"And here, in the Burial Sword Tomb of the Thunderstorm, its power has surpassed that of a Great Demon. Even a Great Emperor would find it difficult to handle."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu and Su Shenyun exchanged heavy-hearted glances.

Just then, the Mountain Sea Fierce Bear swiped a paw. Several bolts of Wild Thunder tore through the air, arriving in an instant!

In that critical moment, Yue Ya selflessly threw herself in front of Su Shenyun, taking the brunt of the attack for her. Luo Xiu, however, was struck directly by another bolt. His entire body lit up and trembled uncontrollably as he threw his head back and screamed in pain.

A short while later, the area fell silent, leaving only the sizzling sound of lightning crackling through the mud.

Smoke drifted off Luo Xiu's body as he slowly straightened his back. "This Wild Thunder... is nothing special."

"What?" a shocked and disbelieving voice came from the Mountain Sea Fierce Bear. "You actually withstood my Silent Extermination Thunder?"

On the other side, Yue Ya, covered in burns and spitting blood, struggled to her feet with Su Shenyun's help. Her eyes were filled with astonishment as she looked at Luo Xiu. She had previously assumed that no matter how strong Luo Xiu's physique was, it was at best comparable to a seventh or eighth-level Demon Beast. But now, he had completely shattered her understanding. Not even a Great Demon could withstand the Silent Extermination Thunder!

This kid… could his physique be even greater than a Great Demon's? And what's above a Great Demon… could he be a Great Emperor? Is he just pretending to be weak?

While Yue Ya was lost in thought, she saw Luo Xiu resolutely step forward, walking straight toward the Mountain Sea Fierce Bear.

Su Shenyun watched his tall, retreating figure, her heart filled with a mixture of worry and awe. This is the silhouette a true man should have!

Yue Ya also watched Luo Xiu's back, her heart pounding as her eyes filled with admiration for the strong. That's it! He must be a Great Emperor. He's been pretending to be weak this whole time, but now that he can't fake it anymore, he's about to unleash his true power.

But in the next moment…

"Hehe, I mean, Senior Kuang Pi, you're so powerful. Beating up a few little bugs like us wouldn't be very satisfying, even if you win, right?"

"Besides, we don't have any deep-seated hatred for each other, so there's no need for all this fighting and killing. I, for one, hate fighting and killing. Why don't we make a deal instead?"

Luo Xiu approached Kuang Pi, bowing and scraping with a sycophantic grin.

A dark expression crossed Su Shenyun's face, her lips twitching. She suddenly felt so embarrassed she didn't know where to look.

Yue Ya was completely stunned, left utterly speechless and deeply disappointed. She had thought this man was finally going to act like a man, unleash his true power, and challenge the Mountain Sea Fierce Bear to protect the two of them.

And this is what he does?

However, Luo Xiu paid no mind to the strange looks the two women were giving him. His elder martial sister had taught him that survival was what mattered most.

The strong had their ways of surviving.

And the weak had theirs.

"Senior, what do you think?"

The Mountain Sea Fierce Bear looked down at the human before it with indifference, a hint of impatience in its eyes. "I don't need anything, so there is no need for a deal."

"No," Luo Xiu said, shaking his head. "In this world, no matter who you are, as long as you choose to live, you will have needs. The desires of the heart never perish."

He stared at the colossal beast before him and said earnestly, "Actually, I've already seen it. You're gravely injured, Senior. Your body is filled with the Aura of the Dead, and your meridians are corroded. You seem incredibly powerful, but in reality, you can only survive because you are here. If I'm not mistaken, you're using this land's lightning to fight the Aura of the Dead inside you."

"As it happens, I'm a doctor. And by an even greater coincidence, I happen to be able to cure you."

"So, Senior, are you willing to make this deal?"

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