CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: ENCOUNTER WITH THE BLOOD BEAST

The night wind was chilly, and a pale phantom flashed through the pitch-black dense forest, followed by dozens of black figures swiftly pursuing, startling a swarm of flying fireflies.

Lucius moved with incredible speed; Wen Shu almost got flung off several times. She clung tightly to Lucius’s shoulders, suspecting it was no accident. The Soul Capturing Technique was not stable on Lucius; his consciousness was swiftly breaking free.

She lowered her eyes in thought for two seconds, glanced at the ever-nearing Blood Beasts behind her, clung to Lucius’s neck, and whispered close to his ear, "Lucius, I want you to make a Beast God Contract."

As expected, the male figure stiffened but only paused for a few seconds before nodding in response.

"You must swear not to harm me again, and promise to return me unharmed to Wu Xuan and Nan," Wen Shu’s voice was calm, yet crystal clear.

A struggle flashed in Lucius’s blood-red eyes, and his steps faltered slightly, but in the end, he couldn’t resist and repeated the command mechanically. A glowing beast mark appeared on his forehead.

Seeing the light, the tension in Wen Shu’s nerves finally eased a bit.

Yet, as Lucius hesitated, the Blood Beast team had already closed in. In no time, three burly figures clad in black robes appeared ahead, blocking their escape route.

Lucius turned back, trying to find a breakthrough, only to discover more Blood Beasts behind him. Five males with grim expressions blocked all exits from left to right.

The leading male had a long scar by his eye, and his fierce gaze swept across Wen Shu’s face, with contempt flashing in his eyes, "Are you Bai Shu?"

He thought she would be a ravishing female to captivate the leader and cause the loss of so many of his subordinates!

Before sending her back, he must make her suffer, or he would never ease the hatred in his heart!

With a domineering aura, the surrounding males also had ferocious eyes, pressing step by step, forcing them under a towering ancient tree.

Faced with an inevitable vicious battle, Lucius put Wen Shu down and, without hesitation, launched himself at the males.

Against nine males, he still did not transform into beast form, navigating the Beastmen with uncanny reflexes, his fingertips laced with spider silk, piercing through a male’s throat in an instant!

While they fought, Wen Shu healed her ankle, then hid behind the tree to observe. Before she could find her footing, the sound of branches snapping abruptly echoed behind her.

The sound of wind whooshed past her ear, her body instantly tensed, dodging by instinct’s edge. With a "bang," a chopping hand smashed into the tree trunk near her neck, leaving a deep pit.

Alarm bells blared in Wen Shu’s mind; she dared not imagine the consequences if the attack had landed on her!

The male stepped out slowly from behind the tree, draped in black beast skins, his hair equally black. The icy moonlight shone from above, making his ruthless eyes even darker.

It was the scar-faced leader.

Wen Shu rose warily, her back slightly arched, sensing the male’s gaze as if he were about to tear her apart alive!

As soon as the thought came to mind, the male lunged at her, his hands turning into claws, fiercely grasping at her face!

To be a team leader, his rank surely wasn’t low. The claws gleamed coldly as they approached, and Wen Shu could barely make out his actions.

A cold wind brushed her face, the sharp claw tips halted before her eyes, nearly piercing her eyeballs. But the male was suspended in mid-air, his ankle tightly bound by resilient spider silk, and he was flung to the tree.

The ancient tree cracked open, and the male’s eyes glowed red as he climbed up from the ground, the tree behind him crashing down with a "boom."

He wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, glancing at the male who attacked him with a stern expression.

With lingering fear, Wen Shu glanced at Lucius by her side, meeting his gloomy gaze. Her brows couldn’t help but furrow.

Lucius had regained consciousness.

"If you don’t want to die, hide."

The male shot her a cold glance before directly striking at the scar-faced one, though his moves lacked the agility and swiftness from before.

Wen Shu retreated with a cold expression, noticing he was injured, probably wounded while saving her. The male’s leg bore a scar, from which dark, foul blood oozed as the fierce fighting continued.

It seemed he was poisoned.

Scar-face naturally noticed this too. At a glance from him, the surrounding males shifted into beast form. Seven or eight large beasts roared and attacked Lucius together!

Still, Lucius remained in human form, confronting them. Wen Shu tightened her lips, not understanding why he didn’t transform into beast form.

No matter how high his rank was, his capabilities would be less than half if he didn’t transform into beast form. Was he too confident?

The dense forest echoed with roars. After killing yet another Blood Beast, it was clear Lucius was physically exhausted.

The two remaining beasts, however, were mad with bloodlust, eyeing him intently, ready to tear the high-level beast apart at any moment!

Gone was Lucius’s refined demeanor; he stood among the beast corpses, panting heavily, struggling to maintain his composure. His leg wound oozed dark blood, and his robe was stained with speckled bloodstains.

In the moment he gasped for breath, the two beasts suddenly lunged forward, biting his arms left and right. His fingertips shot out spider silk, instantly severing the Wolf Beast’s head, but the Tiger Beast, quick-eyed and deft, snapped his arm with a bite!

His arm twisted bizarrely at a ninety-degree angle, fresh blood gushing into his robe.

Sweat beaded on Lucius’s forehead. Yet, before he could counterattack, the Tiger Beast anticipated his move and, using the same method, broke his other arm.

Watching from behind the tree, Wen Shu frowned tightly. Lucius was indeed malicious, but he couldn’t die yet...

Seeing the Tiger Beast open its bloody maw, she hurried her steps toward it.

The Tiger Beast naturally heard her footsteps, but to it, a female’s attack was akin to a tickle; it didn’t perceive the female as a threat at all.

It didn’t even glance at Wen Shu, its fierce eyes solely fixed on the male under its paw. This high-level beast had nearly killed half of its subordinates!

It wanted to snap his head off and bring it back to the tribe as a trophy!

Lucius’s arms hung at odd angles. Due to the severe poisoning, his vision grew blurrier. Vaguely, he recognized the beast’s bloodthirsty gaze, finding it all too familiar.

He had seen it countless times before, on that female!

Every time she trapped him in an iron cage, whipped him until his skin cracked and he turned into a bloodied mess, or used hundreds of arm-length steel needles to wound him, the madness and bloodlust in her eyes twisted by pain were the same!

And he, he must escape!

Only by killing the beast before him could he survive!

Lucius raised his hand in a daze; the Tiger Beast’s dark mouth instantly enveloped his head, its rancid hot breath suffocating him. He felt sharp teeth dig into his neck, pain piercing through his throat.

He never imagined he would die this way...

Lucius couldn’t help but want to laugh, yet the anticipated pain didn’t come. The Tiger Beast let out a painful howl, the roars from its throat almost deafening him.

Before he could comprehend the situation, the back of his neck was fiercely grabbed, dragging him roughly out of the Tiger Beast’s mouth.

Air surged into his lungs. Lucius, breathing weakly, wiped his face with an elbow. Before he could clean off the saliva, a cold hand lifted his chin, patting it forcefully.

A cool female voice sounded beside his ear, "Hey, not dead yet?"