That scene… that aura… even a cultivator in the Life Aperture Realm would feel a chill in their heart at the sight. These were all ferocious beasts. Each one had a bloodthirsty gleam in its eyes—it was obvious that once the fighting began, it would be a fight to the death. Their savage, wolf-like nature exuded bloodlust and cruelty.
Yet the old farmer wasn't afraid at all.
Instead, he smiled faintly.
"A fine pack of wolf pups. Just in time to fertilize the land. Watch this old man's Farmer's Three Strikes."
Chuckling, the old man swung his hoe forward.
Farmer Hoeing the Fields!
Old Ox Plowing the Land!
Old Man Pushing the Cart!
With each swing of the hoe, a vicious wolf was crushed. When he rammed forward, the wolves' bones shattered and their organs burst. A single punch from him splattered their brains. The so-called Farmer's Three Strikes were executed repeatedly in his hands.
Every move landed without fail.
Strangely enough, these feral wolves seemed completely incapable of dodging his attacks. They were all struck down, one after another, blood soaking into the earth, staining and nourishing the land.
In just a few moves, the entire wolf pack was slain without anyone noticing how.
After the massacre, the old farmer turned his head toward a particular hidden spot and gave a goofy grin. That smile may have seemed simple and honest, but to the alien lurking in that place, it felt like a cold wind piercing through the bones. Their whole body turned cold involuntarily—a chill that reached deep into the soul.
In the very next moment, they retreated swiftly, abandoning the area and the thatched hut as though fleeing a cursed abyss, a forbidden zone of death.
It was terrifying.Truly terrifying.
Just the seemingly simple Farmer's Three Strikes had effortlessly slaughtered an entire wolf pack. What was even more frightening was the fact that they couldn't comprehend how it happened at all—and that was what made it so terrifying. Mysterious. Incomprehensible.
They continued on the road home.
That day, the alien races truly seemed to change their tactics, switching to assassinations instead. After walking for more than an hour, there were no direct attacks, no signs of enemy troops—everything around them was eerily quiet. The silence brought an invisible pressure.
The calmer it is, the more it signals an approaching storm.
The sense of pressure was palpable.
"My lord, something's not right," said Jia Xu, sensing the tension.
"Everyone, stay on high alert," Yi Tianxing responded with a nod.
Within the army, all the soldiers were positioned so they could instantly form a battle formation—the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.
Boom!!
At that moment, as Yi Tianxing stepped forward, the ground beneath him suddenly collapsed without warning. A large pit opened beneath him, trying to drag his body down. Normally, a Life Aperture cultivator wouldn't be threatened by such a fall—they could fly.
But just as the pit appeared, countless sinister vines shot up like vipers, coiling around Yi Tianxing's legs and pulling him downward with shocking strength. More vines whipped toward his body, binding him tightly. Every vine was agile like the limbs of a tentacled beast.
Terrifying.
Worse still, these vines began to devour his true qi and vital essence upon contact. They were some kind of energy-devouring monster. His protective aura hadn't even fully formed before being absorbed and dispersed by the vines.
If not for the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda suppressing his divine sea, even his inner true essence might have been siphoned away.
Within the vines' range, the world's energy was being consumed entirely, as though the area had become a zone of total suppression. Even ambient energy was being pulled apart and scattered—nothing could approach.
"This is bad! It's the legendary Essence-Devouring Vine—one of the Ten Great Demonic Vines. And it ranks near the top!" shouted Ye Zhiqiu, visibly horrified.
"Once it touches life, it rapidly drains true qi, mana, and then life force, turning flesh into nutrients. It's said to be immune to most divine arts. If it matures, even immortals retreat from it. This one's likely still in its infant stage, but it's already terrifying. Don't use spells—unless your spell exceeds its absorption threshold. Use physical strength. Use weapons to cut them!"
Upon hearing this, Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed. With a flash, a battle sword appeared in his hand, radiating a fierce Heaven-Cleaving Sword Intent. Without using any true qi, relying only on his battle intent and physical strength, he slashed at the vines.
Clang!!
The sword struck.
"What tough vines! If my sword hadn't advanced to the Mystic Tier, I might not have been able to cut through!"
The feedback from the strike made Yi Tianxing frown. These vines were as tough as spiritual weapons. If his sword were still only at the Yellow Tier, it might not have succeeded.
Once the vines at his legs were cut, his body halted mid-fall. Seeing more vines rushing at him, his sword slashed again and again—basic sword techniques executed to perfection, lightning-fast and yet clear as daylight.
Each strike severed a vine, forming a solid defense around him.
Even though the vines moved like serpents, none could breach the sword's perimeter.
Then, as if realizing they couldn't suppress him quickly, the Essence-Devouring Vine suddenly retreated, vanishing underground just as mysteriously as it had appeared. Only the pit remained.
"What a strange attack. This vine is terrifying—even in its juvenile form, it's already this tough. If it matures, it'll become a monstrous killing force," Yi Tianxing muttered, gazing at the empty pit with grim eyes.
"One strike and gone. When it failed, it vanished immediately. A juvenile Essence-Devouring Vine doesn't have this level of intelligence—this must be a controlled creature. Someone is orchestrating these attacks," Jia Xu added with a frown.
While the wilderness was full of dangers, this incident felt far too calculated—clearly an assassination attempt by the alien races.
Had Yi Tianxing been dragged underground, things could have turned deadly very quickly.
"Let's go. Keep moving."
Taking a deep breath, Yi Tianxing looked at the pit one last time and continued forward. No matter what, assassinations wouldn't stop his advance. That had only been the appetizer—deadlier strikes were surely coming.
"I fear the aliens will stop at nothing," said Jia Xu, his concern well-founded.
And he was right.
As the march continued, assassinations came one after another:
The ground suddenly transformed into a poisonous swamp, catching not only Yi Tianxing but many troops. Though the Hongmeng Pagoda absorbed the poison, over a hundred soldiers were rendered unconscious and had to be treated with detoxifying pills inside the pagoda.
Hidden assassins leapt from towering trees, their attacks swift and silent. One even got so close their sword nearly touched Yi Tianxing's throat.
Massive wolf packs, tens of thousands strong, charged from all sides. In the chaos, werewolves emerged, striking directly at Yi Tianxing.
Each assassination attempt was more cunning and vicious than the last.
Many alien races excelled in assassination arts.
In the brutal fighting, soldiers were soaked in blood, wounded all over. Were it not for the Moon Spring Water, casualties would've been much higher. Still, over a hundred soldiers died, and hundreds more were seriously injured.
Yet none of the soldiers showed fear—their spirits and morale remained unshaken.
They had marched over 400 li (approx. 200 km) by now.
As the sky darkened, nightfall approached once again.
"Night is here again… I fear the assassinations will only grow more intense," Yi Tianxing said grimly, eyes lifting to the sky.
Night, after all, was the ideal cover for assassins.
"My lord, we've found a ruined temple ahead," reported Wang Dahu. "Most of it's collapsed—only one room is intact. Should we enter?"
Indeed, a decrepit temple lay ahead.
"It's too run-down to stay in, but it might serve as a suitable place to camp. Let's check it out," Yi Tianxing replied.
"There's a beggar."
As they approached, they spotted—lying in front of the ruined main hall—a beggar.