121. The Siege Behemoth Asalon: The First Step to Dominating the Divine Land

As time crept forward, the effects of the "Nineteen Degrees of Spring Breeze" spread ever wider. The number of beasts grew exponentially, turning the area surrounding the Heaven-Reaching Tower into a chaotic, frenzied party of creatures of all shapes, sizes, and ages.

A disciple from the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts, unable to dodge in time, was suddenly pinned to the ground by a colossal bear demon. The disciple’s eyes bulged in terror as he stared into the bear’s eyes, which resembled two massive, blood-red discs—a truly horrific sight.

"Don't, don't come any closer! No! No! You beast, what are you doing? Stop! Stop it! Ahhh!"

A shrill, agonizing scream erupted. Before long, the disciple, his clothes shredded to rags, had been ravaged beyond recognition and lay gasping his final breaths.

The surrounding disciples watched in utter shock. "What the hell is going on here? These beasts aren't eating people; they’re... they’re doing *that*?"

"Good heavens! Is this supposed to be part of the ranking tournament? This is terrifying!"

"Run! Everyone, run!"

Thousands of beasts swarmed from every direction, all converging on the Heaven-Reaching Tower. The people caught along the way became easy targets for the maddened creatures.

A ten-meter-tall Golden-Toothed Jade Elephant suddenly wrapped its trunk around a century-old tree and began slamming its massive body against it.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The impacts were rhythmic. Once the elephant finished, the nearby disciples saw a hole in the tree trunk large enough to hide a grown man. One quick-witted disciple immediately scrambled inside. But just as the first elephant left, an even larger one arrived and slowly embraced the tree.

The disciple poked his head out, his face turning deathly pale as he gazed at the hulking monster before him. "No, don't! There’s someone inside! There’s still someone inside!"

*Thud!*

The elephant slammed into the ancient tree once more.

"There's... *ugh*... someone... *ugh*... still inside!"

The riverbank was a scene of pure disorder. Many beasts that feared the water simply grabbed nearby rocks or trees and began slamming into them, while the more aggressive ones hunted down people.

Xie Wuji felt his scalp tingle as he watched in disbelief, thinking how fortunate he was to remain unnoticed. He slipped onto the ground and peered around furtively until he saw Ji Liancheng in the distance, waving at him. "Cross the river quickly! If you don't cross, you’re dead! Hurry!"

*Whistle!*

Xie Wuji let out a sharp whistle, and his Blazing Demon Chicken descended from the sky. He leaped onto its back and soared into the distance.

Because the Blazing Demon Chicken was itself a beast, it required no incantations to fly. Most of the other disciples were currently wading through the water. While the water provided some safety, the massive, red-eyed horde of beasts chasing them left them no time to retrieve their spiritual artifacts for flight.

For the Beast King Mountain, however, this was wonderful news. Their disciples could command their beasts to fly without any chanting, allowing them to leave the other sects far behind.

On the surface of the water, beasts clashed with one another, and just then, the ground began to tremble violently. Far off in the forest along the riverbank, trees were being flattened in massive swathes.

Dongmen Jianhao looked up, his face ashen. "This is bad. It’s the most fearsome pack of beasts from the Dragon Cave Forest—the Armored Earth Dragons!"

No sooner had he spoken than a dragon’s roar shattered the air. From the riverbank emerged a giant lizard—or perhaps a dragon—at least twenty or thirty meters tall. Its sheer size was breathtaking. It resembled a dinosaur from the ancient world, complete with a massive, bone-encrusted hammer at the end of its tail. The hammer was studded with jagged, granular protrusions, marking it clearly as a formidable weapon.

"Wuji, do you know why no one dares to provoke the Li Kingdom?" Ji Liancheng asked.

Xie Wuji frowned. "Why?"

"Because the Armored Earth Dragons are their military siege beasts. In war, they act as living battering rams. There isn't a city gate in the world that can withstand a single blow from that bone hammer! This particular dragon is named Asalon. In the native tongue, it means 'Overlord of the Earth,' and it is the absolute sovereign of the Dragon Cave Forest," Ji Liancheng explained over the water.

Xie Wuji was stunned. "Even this thing is here?!"

"Yes. While all twelve Divine Beasts are Heaven-tier, the reason they are called 'Divine' is that they possess human-like intelligence. But how many Heaven-tier beasts do you think truly exist in this world?" Ji Liancheng asked.

"Certainly more than twelve," Xie Wuji replied.

"Exactly. Most beasts lack superior intelligence; their minds are very simple. Asalon, for instance, is terrifying in strength, but it is merely a siege beast raised by the Li Kingdom. Its intelligence is limited, yet it is still a Heaven-tier beast," Ji Liancheng said.

"Does that mean the twelve Divine Beasts are the same?" Xie Wuji asked.

Dongmen Jianhao chimed in with a laugh, "Not at all. While their power may be comparable, Divine Beasts with true intelligence can control their strength. They aren't in the same league. This Earth Dragon only recently reached the Heaven-tier. It’s a good thing it’s a herbivore; if it ate meat, the Li Kingdom couldn't afford to feed such a massive creature!"

Xie Wuji noticed dozens of smaller Earth Dragons trailing behind Asalon—its offspring. Even the young ones had bloodshot eyes, closing in on the crowd.

"Run! Asalon is here! It’s the Li Kingdom’s strongest siege beast! Run!" a disciple from the Beast King Mountain shrieked.

With a tide of beasts pressing in from behind, the disciples pushed themselves to the limit, sprinting toward the Heaven-Reaching Tower. The instinct to survive drove them beyond their normal capabilities.

"This is madness! If this is how the Li Kingdom holds its assessment, it’s far too cruel!"

"They even brought out Asalon! They’re cutting off every path for the disciples of the other sects!"

"No, they aren't even sparing their own people! Several from the Extreme Immortal Sect have already died!"

Many disciples, unable to escape, were ravaged repeatedly. Driven by the shame and agony, some even bit their own tongues to end their lives. Others dragged their broken, gasping bodies toward the lake, leaving long, harrowing trails of blood behind them.

The beasts affected by the "Nineteen Degrees of Spring Breeze" remained insatiable, continuing their frenzied, life-consuming pursuit.

The surviving disciples, all elites, finally managed to mount their own steeds and spiritual artifacts, racing headlong toward the Heaven-Reaching Tower. The journey was a marathon of survival, filled with splashing water and billowing dust.

Xie Wuji had an advantage, but the people of Beast King Mountain had an even greater one. Using their beast servants as mounts, they surged to the front, reaching the foot of the Heaven-Reaching Tower first.

The Beast King Mountain disciples began to coordinate. "Heaven has granted us this chance! With our beast servants, we travel much faster than those using flight artifacts. We must charge to the top together and claim first place in the rankings!"

"Yes! We cannot miss this opportunity. Our fate as the 'perennial runners-up' of ten thousand years is finally changing! We will be number one! Hahaha!"

"Brothers, charge!"

As they rushed toward the tower, the surrounding disciples grew red-eyed with fury.

A disciple from the Extreme Immortal Sect cursed, "I finally understand why these beasts went berserk! It was a conspiracy! The Beast King Mountain must have been tired of being second-best. They used a combination of overt and covert schemes to sabotage the ten great sects and claim the top spot for themselves!"

"Come on, brothers of the other sects! The Beast King Mountain caused this beast tide! Only they have the skill to drive beasts to such a state!"

Once the Extreme Immortal Sect raised the cry, the Beast King Mountain disciples instantly became the target of everyone’s wrath.

Xie Wuji’s mouth twitched. He had been wondering how to handle the blame, but he hadn't expected the Beast King Mountain to snatch the "black pot" for him so willingly. He secretly admired their dedication, thinking to himself that these people were truly loyal to their cause.