In the Five Thousand Mile Eastern Wasteland, Exotic Beasts roamed freely and human settlements were sparse. Deep within this wilderness, extraordinarily powerful Exotic Beasts dwelled.

Beast Tides didn't occur without reason; some upheaval must have triggered such an event.

Of course, it was also possible that the Exotic Beasts in the wilderness had bred too quickly, disrupting the entire ecosystem of the Eastern Wasteland and thus triggering a large-scale Beast Tide.

At this moment, Ling Chen and the team of hunters were nearing the village.

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the sky. A dense mass of dark specks rapidly approached, revealing themselves to be a flock of fiery-red, bird-like Exotic Beasts. Each bird stood half a person tall, with a formidable build.

These Red Feather Birds were inherently ferocious and man-eating. Although their beaks appeared small, they could easily swallow a person whole when fully opened.

"Those are Red Feather Birds, Peak First-rank Exotic Beasts!" the hunter captain exclaimed in alarm.

The other hunters also looked terrified, their faces pale with fear.

CLANG!

Before everyone's horrified eyes, Ling Chen swung his sword towards the flock of avian beasts in the sky.

A whirlwind of sword qi, infused with True Qi, swept out, devastatingly sharp. No matter their size, the Red Feather Birds plummeted from the sky one after another, like a torrential downpour of dark shadows.

"He killed over a dozen Red Feather Birds in a single strike!"

Several hunters gaped, their eyes wide with disbelief. These Exotic Beasts, which were enough to fill them with dread, had been so effortlessly vanquished by Ling Chen's single attack.

Unleashing such power in a single strike was simply incredible. Is this the might of a Martial World expert?

Currently, Ling Chen's Martial Arts Cultivation had reached the Eighth Level of a Martial Master. At this point, he could kill a Grand Master with the snap of a finger, let alone mere Red Feather Birds.

A gigantic black shadow, with eagle-like claws and a pair of wings on its back, dived toward the group. Its speed was astounding, surpassing even Ling Chen's.

"Another one! It's a Wind God Eagle, a High-grade Second-rank avian Exotic Beast!"

The faces of everyone turned ashen.

They had only heard of the Wind God Eagle in rumors and had never seen such an Exotic Beast before. They could only identify it based on descriptions in books.

We're done for. It's all over, they thought, their faces ashen. An Exotic Beast of this caliber actually ventured out from the depths of the wilderness!

Ling Chen's expression remained unchanged. With a flicker of movement, he reappeared in mid-air and unleashed another sword strike.

His sword swept out, accompanied by a crack of thunder.

SPLAT!

The Wind God Eagle had arrived swiftly, but it died even faster, its head cleaved in two by the sword qi.

"Just one strike again!"

The hunters were awestruck. They were becoming numb to it. Ling Chen was simply too powerful; every Exotic Beast was slain instantly with a single strike. He seemed invincible.

After Ling Chen slew the Wind God Eagle with one strike, the various avian Exotic Beasts in the sky scattered in all directions.

With no more Exotic Beasts giving chase, the group finally reached the village.

However, the village was already in utter chaos. Swift Exotic Beasts had broken in and were slaughtering people everywhere.

"Everyone, gather around! With Young Hero Ling Chen assisting us, we can definitely escape safely!" As soon as they entered the village, the hunter captain shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hearing this, the villagers were skeptical. Only a small number approached; the rest continued to flee in disarray, without any order.

The hunter captain wanted to shout again but was stopped by the female hunter beside him. She shook her head. "Forget it. They're scared out of their wits. Your shouting won't help. We should leave now. If we wait until other Exotic Beasts arrive, I'm afraid even we won't be able to get away."

"Not so fast," Ling Chen said, shaking his head. "We save as many as we can. Go and gather them quickly, use any means necessary." To him, all lives were precious; as long as he had the ability, he wouldn't miss the chance to save anyone he could.

"Understood!"

The hunter captain's eyes lit up. He couldn't help but see Ling Chen in a new light. He'd never expected someone of Ling Chen's status and power to care about the lives of common folk like them. It was truly rare. In Jianghu, people possessing such a chivalrous spirit were becoming increasingly scarce.

The other hunters also dispersed. Although they were more concerned with saving their own lives, they had to obey Ling Chen's command. If they didn't stick close to Ling Chen, their chances of survival would be even slimmer.

ROAR!

Suddenly, the eastern wall of the village collapsed as a small, mountain-sized Exotic Beast charged in. This Exotic Beast resembled a rhinoceros yet also a lizard, its entire body covered in gray scales. These scales looked as tough as iron and emitted a metallic sheen.

"It's an Iron Scale Beast!"

A flicker of alarm crossed Ling Chen's eyes. The Iron Scale Beast was a Second-rank Peak Exotic Beast. He didn't expect it to appear here.

"Mommy!"

Just then, a little girl in animal skins darted out from a small wooden hut nearby, crying as she ran. When the Iron Scale Beast spotted the little girl, its eyes flared with a crimson, murderous light. Its massive claw then swiped brutally towards the little girl.

Just as the beast's claw was about to come crashing down, a streak of sword qi, swift as a bolt of silk, shot out and slammed into the massive appendage. The blow tore a large gash in the Iron Scale Beast's thick Scale Armor, knocking its attack off course.

BOOM!

Deflected by the sword qi, the beast's claw slammed into the ground beside the little girl, cracking the earth but leaving her unharmed.

WHOOSH!

A figure flashed, and Ling Chen landed in front of the little girl. He swung his sword, the gleam of the blade tracing a crescent moon, carving a deep gash into the Iron Scale Beast's belly. Flesh and blood flew.

Roaring in pain, the Iron Scale Beast went berserk. Its enormous body lunged at Ling Chen, making the very earth tremble violently.

Ling Chen reached out with his left hand, scooped up the little girl beside him, and then, with a tap of his foot, soared upwards, deftly evading the Iron Scale Beast's attack.

In the next instant, Ling Chen thrust his sword towards the Iron Scale Beast's head.

PSCHT!

Holding the little girl barely affected his speed. In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen was before the Iron Scale Beast. The Cloud-hidden Sword in his hand pierced the creature's tough hide as if it were tofu, sinking deep within.

With lightning speed, Ling Chen withdrew the Cloud-hidden Sword and leaped back, landing where he had stood.

BOOM!

The Iron Scale Beast's mountain-like body crashed heavily to the ground. Brain matter oozed from the bloody hole in its head.

"Yue'er."

Just then, a woman hurried forward and took the little girl, Yue'er, from Ling Chen's arms. Her face was ecstatic.

"Thank you, brave warrior!" The woman looked at Ling Chen, her eyes gleaming with gratitude. While gently pressing the little girl's head down, she bowed to Ling Chen. "Quickly, thank the benefactor for saving your life."

"There's no need for that." Ling Chen quickly helped them up. "There's no need for such formalities. Everyone should leave this place as soon as possible."

Witnessing this, the other villagers stared at Ling Chen in awe. To see such a massive monster slain so easily by Ling Chen's sword was something that left them utterly astounded; he seemed almost divine.

"Everyone, did you see that?" the hunter captain seized the opportunity to shout to the crowd. "Young Hero Ling Chen's skills are unparalleled! Even the Iron Scale Beast was slain by his sword! As long as we follow him, we will surely survive! If we scatter and run, we're doomed!"

"What he said makes sense. Why should we run with such an expert here?"

"Exactly! Since this young hero is willing to help us, we should follow him. We'll be safe once we reach a large town."

After witnessing Ling Chen's might, the villagers' attitudes changed instantly. Everyone scrambled to gather around him.