Within Yangzhou territory, second only to the 'Gui Yuan Sect' in stature, the Iron-Clad Gate completely controlled Chu County?

Teng Qingshan looked over. Jin Tao, from the Iron-Clad Gate, was standing alone in a corner, leaning against a wooden post with his eyes closed, conserving his energy.

"Esteemed sirs, esteemed sirs!" the white-haired elder shouted loudly, "That black monster could enter through any part of our manor. Therefore, esteemed sirs, please select a good vantage point and stand guard patiently. By deep night, I trust you will all see the monster and slay it!"

The elder spoke to the martial arts masters present with a thread of reverence woven into his tone.

"Patriarch Jin speaks correctly," someone called out, with others echoing loudly in agreement. "If we spread out, we can cover each other better and leave nowhere for that monster to flee."

"Whoosh!" The Iron-Clad Gate master, Jin Tao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, tapped his foot. Like an illusion, he shot directly onto a distant rooftop, then leaped to another further away, swiftly vanishing from sight.

Instantly, the assembled martial artists either darted into alleys or sprang onto rooftops, each seeking a superior position.

Marquis Duan urged him on, "Brother Qin Lang, the rooftops offer the best view of the monster. I'm securing a good spot now, taking the lead." With that, Marquis Duan tapped his foot. Light as a feather yet incredibly swift, he landed directly on a rooftop and, with a few quick flashes, he too disappeared.

Teng Qingshan smiled: "This Marquis Duan, his Qinggong seems a notch above that Jin Tao."

Teng Qingshan also sprang onto the rooftop, using his internal energy to negate his body weight. Light as a swallow, he moved rapidly across the tiles, rushing in one breath to the northeastern corner of the Jin Family Manor, where he sat down cross-legged on a roof, beginning his seated meditation, awaiting the arrival of the black beast.

...

"Patriarch, those masters... can they kill the monster?" The men of the clan all looked toward the white-haired elder.

"Alas." The white-haired elder’s eyes held sorrow as he sighed. "Do we have any other options now? We can only place our hope in these masters' aid. If this fails, as discussed by our clan council, if the monster is not dead in five days, our people will begin their migration and leave this place!"

The men, who faced death without fear, fell silent.

"Tonight, everyone endure and patrol thoroughly," the white-haired elder instructed.

"Yes, Patriarch!"

These several dozen of the clan's most elite men, each grasping a saber or spear, formed teams of ten and began to disperse, starting their patrol throughout the manor grounds.

The night was hazy, and the martial artists waited silently.

Marquis Duan lay casually on a rooftop, swinging one leg over the other.

"Black monster, hehe. Able to devour a person in an instant. If that young fellow wasn't lying to me, the black monster should be some kind of demonic beast! Hehe. I, the Carefree Marquis, roam the world, yet I have never seen a true demonic beast. Today, I must have a good look." Marquis Duan muttered to himself.

The title 'Carefree Marquis' was one he had bestowed upon himself.

His mischievous, sprite-like eyes scanned his surroundings, his ears occasionally twitching.

"We've waited two hours already, why hasn't it come?" Marquis Duan grumbled.

Suddenly—

"Tssst!" A faint sound. Marquis Duan's eyes flashed bright. He silently flipped over, dropping from the rooftop to the ground without a sound.

He took two quiet steps, then turned, slipping into the courtyard of a household.

The main hall door was open!

With a monster appearing daily, which household would dare leave their main door unlatched?

"It's open? And the sound it made was so slight. If it weren't me, Marquis Duan, but another first-rate martial artist, they might not have heard it at all." Marquis Duan was astonished. "The legends say that demonic beasts can already think like humans; it seems true." Marquis Duan had already concluded the monster was a demonic beast.

Marquis Duan stealthily hunkered down in a corner of the courtyard. In the darkness, a person hidden in a corner like this would be truly difficult to spot unless one looked closely.

Whoosh!

Marquis Duan felt a gust of wind, and a massive black shadow instantly materialized in the courtyard. Marquis Duan only managed to glimpse the dense, faintly cold-glinting scales before the black shadow flickered again and leaped out of the courtyard.

"Trying to escape!" Marquis Duan sprang up, immediately following the black shape that had just cleared the courtyard, and flung out his hand—

Swish!

A throwing knife instantly cut through the air, striking the black shadow's body.

Clang!

A crisp sound; sparks flew off the dense scales. The massive black shadow dove sideways into a nearby alley and vanished from Marquis Duan's sight.

"What a terrifying body. It seemed nearly ten feet tall, possessed four limbs... its entire body was covered in dense scales, and those scales were truly..." A chill ran down Marquis Duan’s spine. He was a first-rate martial artist, yet his throwing knife failed to pierce the monster's scales. In that brief moment, amidst the darkness, Marquis Duan had only seen it vaguely.

As for a detailed appearance, he hadn't seen clearly.

Marquis Duan looked up and roared: "Monster!"

"Black Monster!"

His shout echoed like rolling thunder across the entirety of the Jin Family Manor.

"Capture the monster!" Immediately, shouts erupted throughout the entire manor. Doors burst open in every household, and nearly everyone poured out. In a matter of breaths, the entire Jin Family Manor was filled with clan members, all looking crazed, each clutching their weapons.

"The monster is here!"

Someone instantly shouted.

"The monster fled north!"

Shouts arose from every direction. Once everywhere was filled with people, spotting the monster became easy.

...

Teng Qingshan looked toward the southwest. He had chosen the northeastern position of the Jin Family Manor; who would have thought the monster would appear in the southwest? No wonder he hadn't detected anything.

"A monster? It must be a demonic beast! And probably one whose strength isn't too great. If this monster's power matched the Flood Dragon of Bi Han Pool, it likely wouldn't need to hide from humans and sneak around!" Teng Qingshan's form was like lightning, shooting toward the direction of the shouts.

It was clear that wherever the monster ran, people there would immediately start shouting.

Demonic beasts possess intelligence!

Naturally, they also possess pride!

If a demonic beast were as powerful as that Flood Dragon, why would it sneak around, and flee when encountering a large crowd?

It would simply kill them all!

"Use heavy weapons to attack the monster!" A loud shout came from not far away. The one shouting was none other than the Iron-Clad Gate master, 'Jin Tao'.

Jin Tao, brandishing his battle saber, pursued rapidly from behind.

"Tss—" Jin Tao looked down at his left arm. There was a massive gash on his upper arm, and even after sealing the pressure points, it was still bleeding slowly.

"This demonic beast, among its kind, can only be considered average. If there were enough people, it could still be caught. What a pity. Hmm, I must report to the sect that this demonic beast definitely lives in Flame Mountain!" Jin Tao chased desperately, but he only saw the distance between himself and the dark shadow growing further apart. Soon, the shadow vanished from his line of sight. Jin Tao could only stop in frustration.

...

Others could not keep up, but Teng Qingshan clearly saw the massive black shadow, maintaining a distance of about forty Zhang between them. Though far, with his exceptional eyesight, Teng Qingshan could still see it under the faint moonlight.

Employing the Tian Ya Xing technique, Teng Qingshan rapidly closed the distance.

One fleeing, one chasing, they soon rushed into the 'Flame Mountain' north of the Great Jin Manor. This mountain was named 'Flame Mountain' because a volcano had erupted here a very, very long time ago. Of course, this was ancient history now. The current Flame Mountain was covered in vegetation and plant life.

The massive black shadow, upon entering the mountain, moved with surprising agility, its speed increasing.

"Hahaha, stop running!" Teng Qingshan laughed heartily.

From an initial distance of forty Zhang, after running for several miles, the distance between him and the massive black shadow was now less than three Zhang.

"Roar~~~" The demonic beast grew agitated and roared, seemingly trying to intimidate Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan could now clearly see the demonic beast's appearance: it was about nine feet tall, possessed four limbs, a long face, and a long snout. Its head somewhat resembled a crocodile from his previous world, or perhaps a Tyrannosaurus Rex's jaw. Its back had protrusions—short, sharp, formidable spikes—while its powerful torso, including the belly, was covered in dense scales. Its strong four limbs resembled those of a lion, though these limbs were also covered in scales, and each paw bore sharp claws.

"No wonder it can swallow a person in one bite!" Seeing its appearance, Teng Qingshan understood. "With a head this big and a mouth this long, opening it wide would easily allow it to swallow a person. But... the beast is only this large; how could it swallow three people at once? How could its stomach accommodate them?"

Teng Qingshan noticed that the demonic beast's belly was only slightly distended.

Swoosh! Teng Qingshan leaped suddenly, landing directly above the demonic beast.

"Roar!" The demonic beast threw its head back, opening its massive maw, ready to bite.

"You court death!" Teng Qingshan's Reincarnation Spear plunged straight out—

The Shadow-Following Spear Technique—Eighty Thousand Jin Force!

Clang!

A clear sound rang out, and the demonic beast, struck by the immense force contained in the spear thrust, rolled uncontrollably onto the ground before immediately flipping back over.

"What formidable scales!" Teng Qingshan focused and saw that only one scale had shattered; beneath the broken scale, there was actually another layer! "A pity, its physical strength seems rather mediocre; it was knocked down by a single thrust from my spear. No wonder that Jin Tao was shouting about using heavy weaponry." Teng Qingshan understood the beast's weakness.

While its scales offered strong defense, its inherent strength was ordinary.

"Awooo~~"

The beast threw its head back and roared, and suddenly, its entire body turned red, emitting a faint crimson glow.

Boom! The beast instantly transformed into a streak of red light and shot off into the distance.

"So fast." Teng Qingshan gave chase.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In just a few breaths, the beast had shot to the mountaintop.

"Let’s see where you flee now." Teng Qingshan was slightly surprised; the beast's absolute maximum speed was nearly identical to his own maximum speed.

Upon reaching the summit, the demonic beast faced the sheer cliff edge and, without hesitation, leaped down.

Teng Qingshan stood at the precipice, gazing down into the unfathomable gorge. He smiled coldly and jumped as well. However, as he descended, Teng Qingshan grasped protruding rock formations every few dozen meters to slow his fall. In moments, Teng Qingshan reached the bottom of the canyon.

"Hmm?" Teng Qingshan looked around; the demonic beast had vanished without a trace.