Sunset Mountain, Hall of Unity.

"Second Leader, Second Leader, that Black Bear Spirit has come to steal again!

The fruits in our private stash have been eaten clean by it, and the rice is also much less."

"What? What are you all doing? So many of you watching, yet you let that bear spirit sneak in?"

Zhu Darui, with a face full of beard and eyes wide like brass bells, spoke rather displeased upon hearing this.

Huang Lei, who reported to him, felt quite aggrieved, "Second Leader, that bear spirit is too powerful, practically invulnerable to swords and spears.

We set traps in advance, but after it fell in, it crawled out as if nothing happened. We can't really go head-to-head with it, can we?"

"Sigh, pity I'm getting old and haven't been able to break through. If I were a Martial Artist, I wouldn't be helpless against this bear spirit!" Zhu Darui said somewhat unwillingly.

"If only the First Leader were here." someone nearby muttered.

Upon hearing this, both of them fell silent.

Ever since Lou Yi left, he's been gone for half a year, and all sorts of rumors have surfaced on the mountain.

Some say the First Leader has died tragically in an accident, or he has abandoned Sunset Mountain altogether.

In any case, with Lou Yi gone, and Zhu Darui lacking the ability to stand on his own, many brothers on the mountain have left within this half-year, and the peak prosperity is long gone.

"Forget it, I'll go take a look." Zhu Darui said helplessly.

He's not a match for that bear spirit, but there's no one else capable on the mountain.

"What's this Black Bear Spirit? I come back and there's work to do." A familiar voice came from outside the hall, brightening the eyes of everyone inside.

...

Sunset Mountain, back mountain.

Zhu Darui, Huang Lei, and others followed a young man closely, their expressions excited.

"This Purifying God Incense, can help me comprehend the Hu Family Breathing Technique?"

"This Spirit Monster Jerky, can replenish Qi-Blood, is it very expensive?"

Seeing Lou Yi again, Zhu Darui noticed the other's aura had become as deep as the ocean, and his reverence was deeper than before.

"Alright, stop asking, take it and use it." Lou Yi said, hands behind his back, carefully searching for traces of the Black Bear Spirit in the dense forest of the back mountain.

Having tricked Zhu Darui into guarding this mountain for half a year, Lou Yi felt some remorse, so he brought him some good things.

The others around were also familiar faces, like Huang Lei, who had all been cellmates in Xinxiang dungeon before.

Zhu Darui wasn't foolish, and in order to maintain his position, he had to promote some newcomers to position as trusted aides.

However, from the increasing white hairs on his head, being a bandit leader wasn't easy.

The trees in the back mountain were towering, with a myriad of 'rustling' sounds from birds and insects, full of vitality.

Except for Lou Yi,

everyone else was fully armed, wearing bamboo hats, clothes tightly wrapped to avoid being targeted by poisonous insects.

"Hmm..."

After searching the back mountain for half a day, Lou Yi and the bandit brothers finally found some clues.

A few large trees in front had a massive number of broken branches, and a large amount of bark had been stripped off, clearly damaged by brute force.

It seems the Black Bear Spirit is nearby.

With a 'whoosh', Lou Yi disappeared from the spot, following the traces forward.

Suddenly.

'Buzz...'

'Buzz...'

A sound like an engine roar came from a cave ahead.

Lou Yi walked over for a look, and couldn't help but grin.

A giant bear, five or six meters long, with shiny black fur, was leaning against the rock wall, snoring in its sleep, yellow drool pooling on the ground.

In its arms, it was hugging several burlap sacks tightly.

One sack was torn, spilling a large amount of white rice from the cave entrance, much of it piled on its heaving belly.

"Ah!"

Lou Yi suddenly shouted loudly, startling the bear awake.

With a 'bang',

it jumped so high it hit the top of the cave, knocking a hole in the rock wall.

"Roar!!"

The black bear glared at Lou Yi, letting out an angry roar.

Though it didn't immediately pounce, it kept roaring and trying to intimidate, wanting to scare Lou Yi away.

Its jet-black eyes, the size of eggs, glinted with a cunning different from ordinary beasts.

'This black bear must have become a spirit.' Lou Yi thought, "And it seems a bit timid?"

Lou Yi didn't pull out an axe, but instead rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the Black Bear Spirit.

The Black Bear Spirit roared repeatedly, and seeing it couldn't scare away the human with an intimidating presence, it pounced fiercely.

'Bang bang bang bang!'

The two clashed instantly.

...

Tai City, Heavy Sword Sect.

The sect grounds were vast, with three mountains and several lakes, an ordinary person would be lost inside for a day.

Currently, atop the highest mountain in the sect, an incomparably sharp aura shot into the sky.

Soon after, peals of wild laughter echoed through the skies above the sect.

"Seven Bloods Unite, True Strength Breaks Body, revitalizing our Heavy Sword Sect starts today!"

Sensing the commotion, the members of the Heavy Sword Sect rushed to the highest peak, their faces joyful.

"The Sect Leader has broken through!"

"After over a hundred years, our Heavy Sword Sect has finally produced another Martial Artist!"

"What of the approaching Beast Tide? With a Martial Artist on watch, we will stand firm!"

"It's time to settle scores with past enemies."

The news of the Sect Leader's breakthrough to becoming a Martial Artist swept through Tai City like a Category 10 typhoon, causing a huge sensation overnight.

In teahouses, taverns, on streets and alleys, even in marketplaces, there were numerous people discussing the topic.

"Have you heard? The Heavy Sword Sect's leader has become a Martial Artist!"

"A Martial Artist, whew... if my family even produced a Martial Scholar, it'd be a milestone."

"The Beast Tide is coming, with the Heavy Sword Sect leader in charge, Tai City will be safer, monsters won't easily break through."

In this world, martial prowess is revered.

Becoming a Martial Artist is a significant leap for an individual or family, vastly different in social standing.

A Martial Artist can easily join a guild for protection, become a patron of a prestigious family, or even pass the Martial Scholar exam to join the court.

While a Martial Artist, able to leap between eaves and walk on snow without a trace, with True Strength breaking free from the body, is near the pinnacle of individual martial prowess.

In any city within Wangjiang County, they count as a strategic weapon, easily counted on one hand.

If a family or sect produces a Martial Artist, they can leap to become a top force in the city, standing firm against the City Lord's Mansion.

But this news wasn't good for the Extreme Fist Sect, which had longstanding grievances with the Heavy Sword Sect.

"Heavy Sword Sect's leader Jiang Chi, having become a Martial Artist, will they be a threat to our sect?"

"If a Martial Artist acts, we have no one who can withstand it!"

"The Heavy Sword Sect's strength surpasses ours, not only do they have a Martial Artist, but also four Full Cycle experts."

The disciples were very anxious, the scene of the Heavy Sword Sect causing chaos after Qi Bao's death was still vivid.

"Nonsense! With the Beast Tide approaching, all forces in Tai City must set aside their grievances and focus on resisting the Beast Tide.

If the Heavy Sword Sect tries to settle scores now, it will destabilize people's hearts, and the City Lord's Mansion won't allow it!"

At the critical moment, Elder Zhou came out to dispel rumors and stabilize morale.

...

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