High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 728: Chapter 697: One-Man Army

Even in death, its scales emanated a faint aura, a testament to its formidable strength in life. Its head was larger than Xu Wuyi’s entire body. Its massive, bloodthirsty maw hung open to reveal densely packed fangs, each as thick as a human arm and sharp enough to pierce alloy with ease.

This was a Beast King—the absolute overlord of a Star Realm, a terrifying existence capable of rivaling a Human Grandmaster.

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath and grabbed one of the Beast King’s forelegs. The limb, thicker than his waist, was incredibly heavy. He pulled upward, realizing the creature’s corpse weighed much more than he had anticipated—several tons at the very least.

However, as a Grandmaster, this weight was nothing to him. Circulating his Qi and Blood, his strength erupted, easily hefting the Beast King’s corpse onto his shoulder. Then, he turned and walked toward Ren Bai.

After a few steps, he suddenly remembered something else. Stopping in his tracks, he looked at Ren Bai with a flash of embarrassment on his face.

“Grandmaster Ren,” he began, his voice hesitant. “About the Beast King from earlier…”

Ren Bai looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Xu Wuyi paused before admitting the truth. “The corpse of the first Beast King—the Ape-shaped Beast King I encountered when I came in—seems to be gone.”

Ren Bai was taken aback. “Gone?”

Xu Wuyi nodded. “I used ‘Chaos’ to disrupt the Order within its body. It completely disintegrated, turning into Energy Particles that dissipated into the air. There’s nothing left.”

Ren Bai remained silent for a few seconds before laughing. His smile was faint, carrying a touch of good-natured teasing.

“This was your first time fighting a Beast King Level, right?”

“Yes,” Xu Wuyi nodded.

“No wonder,” Ren Bai said. “It’s inevitable to lack experience your first time around. You didn’t know how precious a Beast King-level Star Beast’s corpse is, nor did you know how to preserve it during combat. It’s completely normal. Everyone has their first time.”

He paused briefly before adding, “If you get an opportunity like this in the future, try not to destroy the corpse. Every single piece of material from a Beast King Level is invaluable.

“Some Grandmasters might not get a chance to solo-kill a Beast King in their entire lives. You, on the other hand, went after two on your very first try. Yet you obliterated the corpse of one, and the other was ultimately killed by me.”

Listening to this, Xu Wuyi’s embarrassment deepened. He knew Ren Bai was just joking and wasn’t truly blaming him, but the waste caused by his own inexperience still brought him a pang of regret.

Ren Bai waved his hand. “Let’s go. We need to head out first. Matters here aren’t finished yet; the Rift still needs to be restabilized. You carry that Beast King’s corpse, and don’t lose it.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and followed behind Ren Bai with the Beast King’s corpse resting on his shoulder.

The two of them walked out along the narrow passageway, one after the other. The surrounding dark red Energy continued to surge wildly, and the twisted spatial barriers still emitted an eerie glow. However, Xu Wuyi felt entirely different now compared to when he had first entered.

On his way in, his mind had been solely focused on his mission, filled with the absolute resolve to rescue Ren Bai. Now, on his way out, a wondrous sensation had blossomed within him. It was a feeling that only came after fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with a true powerhouse.

Ren Bai walked ahead of him at a leisurely pace. His white robes were still torn, and his figure from behind still looked frail, but Xu Wuyi knew this man was far stronger than he appeared. The complete Shadow Sword Technique had instantly slain a Beast King with a single strike.

This was Ren Bai’s true strength. Even though he was only at the second step of a Grandmaster, his Sword Dao had been honed to the absolute pinnacle, allowing him to fight above his level and slay far stronger opponents.

As the two traversed the narrow passage, light gradually appeared ahead. It was the glow of the Rift’s exit—the light of the real world.

Xu Wuyi quickened his pace, following Ren Bai as they stepped closer and closer to the exit.

A few minutes later.

They stepped out of the Rift one after the other. The dark red light faded behind them as the familiar, warming rays of the sun fell upon their bodies. The scent of the mountain forest permeated the air, accompanied by the distant chirping of birds. Everything felt so real, so profoundly tranquil.

At the outpost entrance, a large crowd was still gathered. Su Yueling, Zhao Kun, and the other Martial Artists had been waiting there ever since Xu Wuyi went inside.

When they saw Ren Bai and Xu Wuyi emerge from the Rift, everyone froze in stunned silence. Then, an eruption of cheers broke out.

“Grandmaster Ren!”

“Grandmaster Ren is back!”

“Grandmaster Xu is back too!”

“They killed the Beast King! Look at what Grandmaster Xu is carrying!”

The crowd boiled over. The heavily injured, the lightly injured, and every Martial Artist still capable of moving surged forward in excitement. They looked at Ren Bai, at Xu Wuyi, and at the massive Beast King corpse slung over Xu Wuyi’s shoulder, their eyes brimming with sheer reverence and gratitude.

Ren Bai waved his hand, signaling for silence. The crowd immediately quieted down, everyone standing perfectly straight as their gazes fixed on him.

Ren Bai looked back, his eyes sweeping across every face in the crowd. He saw Su Yueling’s pale yet resolute expression, the bandages wrapped tightly around Zhao Kun’s arm, and the injured Martial Artists who still held their backs straight with unwavering pride.

Then, he spoke, his voice raspy but perfectly clear.

“You all did very well.”

It was an acknowledgment from a Grandmaster. Within the crowd, some eyes reddened with tears, some clenched their fists, while others lowered their heads to hide their emotions.

Ren Bai continued, “The battle on the Rift’s side isn’t over yet. Though the Beast King is dead, the Rift still needs to be restabilized. In the coming days, I will still need to rely on your hard work.”