“That’s it?” Long Di’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Everyone made it seem like it was this frightening thing.”

Suddenly, a spiritual transmission made its way to him, ’Now boy! Run away!’

****

This spiritual transmission baffled Long Di. Where did it come from?

He looked all over before backing away from the corpse as he felt a sinking feeling arise within him.

It wasn’t long before he spotted the carriage in the distance. He could barely make out some frenzied movements atop the fleeting thing.

“How did her spiritual force reach this far?” he said to himself. “Wait, something’s wrong.”

Without waiting for anything else, he took off in a rush. He didn’t know why, because he was sure the damned thing was as dead as dead could be. However, in a cultivation world, fleeing first and asking questions later normally made all the difference in the world.

Whilst running, he focused his spiritual force into a straight line which would tremendously lengthen its range before sending it after the carriage, or more specifically, Yaomu Shou.

When it finally connected, a two-way communication powered by Verizo- I mean Long Di’s spiritual force was established.

‘First of all, how did you send a spiritual tr-’

‘Run faster!’ Yaomu Shou’s panicked thought rumbled in his head.

Long Di’s expression remained unchanged as he stared straight at Yaomu Shou, even from so far away. ‘How can I run any faster?’ he asked in the most deadpan way ever.

She reeled back a bit at that, ‘Wha-’

Long Di didn’t let up though, ‘You’re the equivalent of the person who calls to ask where I am, and when I say I’m on the bus, you respond by saying *hurry up.* Question, how do I hurry up?’

Yaomu Shou went temporarily brain-dead before she rebooted and immediately went back to the matter at hand, ‘Get out of there! Shidashi Maos have nine lives!’

Long Di’s blood ran cold when he heard this. He subconsciously turned his head around when he saw a harrowing sight.

The current Shidashi Mao was the very embodiment of Pet Semetary done right and it was terrifying.

It was on its feet once more, however, its head was a mangled mess. Broken pieces of skull and meat in the form of pulp rendered it unrecognisable.

The force and impact of its own speed and the edge of Long Di’s saber did a number on it.

Whooo…

A cold wind blew across the plain as the killing intent and the bloodlust of the Shidashi Mao erupted the moment its featureless face turned in Long Di’s direction.

It was healing, though. The broken skull fragments were being forced out by some unexplained function or force, while the exposed skull could be seen regenerating while the cracks were being filled.

The regeneration of flesh around the damaged area was disgustingly vivid.

Shu!

A cloud of dust was all that was left when it made its first step.

“Shit,” Long Di became flustered when he saw this. His spiritual force was still spread out all around him and he could see the Shidashi Mao bearing down on him.

“It’s faster now,” he immediately noticed its improved speed.

‘Shidashi Maos experienced a boost in most of their attributes post-death. You’ll notice an unreasonable increase in the aspect that caused their death. I’m guessing that same saber strike may not find its way through its head as easily as it did before! So be careful!’

He could hear Yaomu Shou’s explanation as he decided to keep the connection open.

‘Couldn’t this be a Shidashi Mao that was on its ninth life?’ Long Di thought.

‘Unlikely, this is an infant,’ Yaomu Shou advised.

Though he was running for dear life, he had to ask, ‘How do you know that?’

‘It’s only at the fifth rank,’ explained Yaomu Shou. ‘Shidashi Maos are born at the fifth rank. If this one was fully grown, you would be dead already and this plain would be drowning in blood already. They are an evil beast!”

‘They’re kinda cute pre-Long Di, though,’ commented Long Di.

‘Cute your mother, you freak! That thing has the face of death!’

Long Di looked back at the Shidashi Mao who ate up the distance he created in very little time, focusing mainly on its face that was mostly healed, ‘Then death needs to give me the name of its doctor cuz that’s moe till it can’t be moe no more.’

‘The hell does that even mean!? Why do you a- Behind you!’ Yaomu Shou’s freaked out shriek rumbled in Long Di’s head unceasingly.

Krssh!

Long Di executed the same move once with his saber draped in saber intent and wreathed in lightning!

Bang!

The second verse was not the same as the first. The move ended with the saber landing on the Shidashi Mao’s head with an equal head-on collision.

The lightning was being held at bay by a fluff of fur that now covered its head where it was mostly barren before. The same fur was also able to stand up to the might of saber intent as well!

“And the meme here is ‘because Shidashi Maos learn from their mistakes.’ Damn it, this thing’s got to have some weakness.”

Bang! Bang! BANG!

Saber met claws over and over, but Long Di was being continuously beset by new wounds that found residence on his body.

His spiritual qi could offer him defence as a form-fitting shield of sorts, but spreading it over his entire body meant it wasn’t as focused as he would like it to be. Faced with the power of a rank 5 magical beast that was probably at the overlord class, this was probably the best that Long Di could hope for, especially when the speed of its attacks weren’t something he could match.

“I can’t keep taking damage like this,” Long Di’s situation had seeped in peril as danger mimed his steps. He tried his best to keep the relentless onslaught at saber length with declining efficiency the soon fatal price.

In the distance, Yaomu Shou had the carriage come to a stop and had her purple sword out and her hand near the blade. She was getting ready to invoke the Divine Edict.

Shu!

Suddenly, a figure flashed beside her. It was none other than Uncle Yan, his partner Wan Li was nowhere to be found at the moment.

“Young miss, you can’t treat the Divine Edict as something to be used so lightly.”

“Are you willing to make a move if I were to ask you, Uncle Yan?” she asked without looking at him, keeping a close eye on the battle in the distance.

He shook his head with a defeated look, “You know I can’t. The price for your freedom strips me and Wan Li of it.”

“And thus I don’t blame you,” she said with all seriousness. “However, the Divine Edict supersedes all and allows me to exercise my will with unquestioned authority and power.”

“But he is just a-”

“Man who is completely worth it,” she finished for him. “He won’t be my general, but he will be an ally of equal standing, at least. In addition, because of him, we have found the first living Yu Lang demon in thousands of years!”

Uncle Yan remained silent for a bit when he heard this as it was true, “When this finally settles, your return will no longer be your choice, young miss.”

“I know. For now, though, just get ready to make a move at a moment’s notice at the first drop of blood,” was all she said in response.

“Yaomu Shou?” a head popped up on the roof to see her standing there alone.

“What’s wrong Shen Ling?” she answered.

“Will Long Di be alright?” she asked as she made her way on top of the carriage.

“I will make sure he is,” Yaomu Shou replied.

Shen Ling bowed in thanks at this.

Yaomu Shou didn’t see this since her gaze was fixed on the battle taking place ahead. Or perhaps it would be more apt to call it.

…

Blood sprayed here and there as Long Di’s body was riddled with numerous claw marks.

He tried several times, numerous manoeuvres that he thought could be used to amend his current situation, but they all failed.

He even activated his physique and called upon a bit of his Heavenly Levyance tribulation lightning. The Shidashi Mao instantly ran off to create distance and only came closer to continue its assault when the lightning receded.

In addition, its overwhelming bloodlust and killing intent made the air feel oppressive and intensified its already brutish savagery!

“Meow!”

It was almost as if it wanted to slowly skin Long Di alive before it killed him.

“I can see why people fear these things. Maybe I can stab it in the mouth with my saber then activate my physique to kill it with my Heavenly Levyance lightning over and over so that it’s dead when I kill it,” Long Di was now coming to terms with these creatures' deserved reputation.

“Wait a tick. These are cats!” Long Di nearly slapped his own forehead when a mad idea came to mind.

He threw away the saber.

…

“The hell did he just do!?” Yaomu Shou yelled.

“The hell did he just do!?” Shen Ling and everyone else who was in the carriage yelled as well.

…

“The hell did he just do!?” Uncle Yan shouted.

…

“The hell did he just do!?” the commander atop the bastion’s wall cried out in shock.

…

‘The hell did he just do!?’ the Shidashi Mao probably thought to itself as it paused its attack in the name of confusion.

“Probably thinking the hell I just did? Ammi right?” Long Di guessed everyone’s thoughts at the moment.

Taking full advantage of the lull in the Shidashi Mao’s attacks and its proximity, Long Di rushed towards before jumping on top of its huge head, positioning himself between its ears.

The Shidashi Mao started to go crazy to fling Long Di off, but the latter was trying his best to keep his grip on dear life.

“It just dawned on me that maybe throwing away the saber wasn’t the best move. I think this world is starting to affect me,” he said to himself. “Well, that is neither here nor there. Now where is it!?” he started to look around frantically as if searching for something while the Shidashi Mao was moving like a mad bull!

Yaomu Shou and everyone looking at the battle kept their eyes glued to the spectacle before them.

One boy was riding on the head of one of, if not, the most vicious and bloodthirsty magical beast on the continent!

Suddenly, one of Long Di’s hands rose into the air before it came slamming down on the Shidashi Mao’s head with a seemingly formidable force behind it.

Boof!

A muffled sound came about as Long Di’s hand buried itself into the thick fur of the Shidashi Mao.

The footsteps of the Shidashi Mao slowed until it started to sway as if drunk on something. Its eyes were closed while it revelled in whatever it was that Long Di was doing.

Shortly after, a shocking sight took place that shook everyone to their core.

“Puurrrrrr…”