Chapter 554

"Not good, it's a Wind Beast!"

Hearing the distant beastly roar, the armored man’s expression changed slightly.

"How can a Wind Beast appear so soon after entering the Gale Plains? Don’t they usually hide deeper inside?"

The middle-aged man beside him looked equally grim.

This path they chose had been carefully selected.

According to the usual route, they should’ve been able to avoid most of the Wind Beast nests.

But this time, barely inside the Gale Plains, and a Wind Beast had already appeared.

A sense of unease settled over the group.

The unexpected appearance of the Wind Beast hinted at some unknown change within the Gale Plains.

And at this point, even if they wanted to turn back, it was already too late.

The caravan was moving slowly, while Wind Beasts—known for their speed—could overtake them with ease.

The surrounding gales grew fiercer, the wind and sand blinding, making it almost impossible to see ahead.

Left with no other option, the armored man gritted his teeth and summoned a lamp-shaped artifact.

In the next instant, a powerful surge of energy erupted from the artifact. A glowing barrier spread out, enveloping the entire caravan.

The barrier not only provided strong protection, but also dispersed the raging wind and sand.

The group that had been staggering in the storm, along with the nearly upturned carriages, suddenly regained stability.

"Everyone, stay alert. There’s a high chance Wind Beasts will attack soon. Prepare to defend yourselves.

And whatever you do, don’t step outside the light of the Wind-Stilling Lamp. If you get lost out there, don’t expect us to risk our lives to save you!"

Because the wind was too loud, the armored man used divine soul transmission to shout his warning.

"This fellow’s quite responsible."

Sitting quietly in a corner of one of the carriages, Lu Qing's eyes flickered at the armored man’s words.

Although the smaller caravans had paid the Merchant Guild a protection fee...

Given the dire situation, it was admirable that the armored man still chose to expend his spiritual power to protect everyone. That showed real commitment.

"But... things are clearly not looking good."

Lu Qing lightly sensed his surroundings and shook his head inwardly.

His cultivation far exceeded that of anyone here.

He had already detected what lay ahead.

“Young friend, did you notice something amiss?”

A voice sounded beside him.

Lu Qing paused slightly, cursing inwardly at the old fox’s vigilance—he really never let his guard down.

Seeing that others in the carriage were now looking his way as well...

Lu Qing put on an embarrassed expression. "Senior flatters me. I was merely worried... the astral winds of this Gale Continent are truly fierce. I just hope we can all make it out safely."

"So that’s what you’re worried about," Old Qiao said with a laugh. "But no need for concern. The Merchant Guild regularly crosses the Gale Plains and has plenty of experience.

Otherwise, these smaller traders wouldn’t be willing to pay so many spirit stones to hire them as guides."

“Hmph, coward!”

A scrawny young man suddenly let out a cold snort, his tone full of disdain. “It’s just the Gale Ravine—what’s there to be afraid of?

If you’re that scared, I suggest you turn back now before we get in too deep!”

"No need to worry, fellow cultivator. I came with the Merchant Guild through the Gale Plains once before, and nothing happened at all—it was completely safe."

A red-robed woman smiled as she spoke.

"Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll rest easier." Lu Qing responded with a somewhat "sheepish" smile.

"The Merchant Guild must be quite capable to do business across the Gale Plains. No need for alarm, everyone—"

But before the red-robed woman could finish her sentence, a blood-curdling scream abruptly cut her off.

It was a scream full of terror, as if the person had encountered something utterly horrific.

Immediately after, a wave of panic erupted outside.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone in the carriage was shocked and hurried outside.

What they saw upon stepping out stunned them.

At the rear of the convoy, a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator who was guarding one of the small caravans...

Was being mauled by some kind of monster—his lower body already gone, the upper half still caught in the beast’s maw, struggling and screaming in agony.

He was outside the range of the lamp’s protective light.

Despite his desperate wails, it was all in vain. His Foundation Establishment cultivation meant nothing.

In the blink of an eye, the beast swallowed him whole, and the screams ceased.

At that moment, a spear came hurtling through the air, striking the monster square in the forehead.

The creature let out a shriek, then disintegrated into a whirlwind of yellow sand and fled.

Only the artifact-grade spear remained, planted where it had struck.

“It’s a Wind Beast!”

Old Qiao looked on gravely.

He had sensed something off about this trip from the start—and now, his premonition had come true.

The red-robed woman’s face was even worse.

She had just vouched for the Merchant Guild’s safety, and now someone had been killed right in front of her.

A complete slap to the face.

“So that’s a Wind Beast?” Lu Qing’s eyes gleamed.

That monster had devoured a man whole, yet fled as wind and sand...

And it seemed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding gales, hiding its aura completely.

That explained why even the Golden Core cultivators in the carriage hadn’t sensed its approach.

“What’s going on? Didn’t I tell you not to leave the lamp’s protective barrier?!”

The armored man rode over on his scale-armored warhorse from the front of the convoy.

The spear artifact on the ground suddenly flew into his hand.

So it had been him who drove the creature off earlier.

“No, we didn’t step outside the barrier! That monster suddenly charged in and snatched Old Wu away!”

A middle-aged man stammered his reply.

"Impossible!" the armored man looked incredulous. “To breach the Wind-Stilling Lamp’s barrier, it would need at least the power of a Golden Core First Transformation!

We only just entered the Gale Plains. How could a Golden Core-level Wind Beast appear so soon?”

"I—I swear it’s true! Everyone saw it happen with their own eyes!”

The middle-aged man insisted.

Seeing the looks on everyone’s faces, the armored man knew the man wasn’t lying.

But that only made his heart sink further.

Everything happening today was far from normal.

Not only had the Wind Beasts appeared unusually early, but this one had reached Golden Core stage.

Wind Beasts of that level typically remained deep inside the Gale Plains in a few specific zones. They rarely ventured out.

Could something have changed within the heart of the Gale Plains?

The more the armored man thought, the more uneasy he felt.

After a moment’s hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and used divine soul transmission to shout loudly:

“There must be some strange upheaval within the Gale Plains—it’s no longer safe to go forward. Turn around! We’re retreating to the valley at once!”

But his words sparked an uproar among the smaller caravans behind him.

“Turn back? Are you joking? I promised my client I’d deliver the goods in five days!”

“My batch of spirit herbs has to reach the Danxin Sect within seven days!”

“That’s right—we paid spirit stones for this journey. You can’t just call it off!”

“If the delivery is delayed, will the Merchant Guild compensate us for the lost profit?”

“You took our spirit stones! You said you’d guide us through the Gale Plains!”

“Isn’t the Merchant Guild supposed to value its reputation? And now you’re breaking your word?”

The various small caravan leaders were visibly agitated.

Many of them had urgent deliveries bound for clients, which was precisely why they had braved the dangers of the Gale Plains in the first place.

Now that they’d already paid their spirit stones, hearing the armored man declare a retreat was something they couldn’t accept.

If their delivery schedules were delayed, they would be liable for breach of contract—and compensation!

Of course, a few of the caravans whose timetables weren’t as tight had no objections.

The horror of that monster’s attack had truly shaken them.

With the Gale Plains proving so deadly, retreating now would be the wisest course of action.

“Shut up, all of you!”

The armored man’s eyes turned cold, and he bellowed furiously at the noisy crowd.

A surge of divine soul pressure swept out, instantly making the faces of the complaining caravan leaders go pale.

The weaker ones even coughed up blood, severely injured by the backlash.

“Know your place!”

Facing the fearful eyes of the traders, the armored man's face was grim and unforgiving.

“You were the ones who begged the Merchant Guild to lead you through this route.

Before we set off, I made it clear: you follow my orders—no exceptions.

If you refuse to turn back, then go forward on your own!

But don’t blame me when you die out here in the Gale Plains!

Here’s your spirit stones—take them and scram!”

With that, he tossed out seven or eight cloth pouches, which landed in front of the loudest complainers.

Then he turned away, heading back to the front of the caravan to organize the retreat.

“S-Sir, we meant no disrespect! Please give us another chance!”

Seeing the armored man really walking away, one of the caravan leaders panicked and rushed forward.

But before he could catch up, the swirling wind and sand beside him suddenly condensed.

It formed into a massive beast, which immediately slashed through the artifact’s protective light.

With one sweep of its claw, it seized the shouting leader and several people nearby, dragging them outward.

The sudden ambush sent a wave of terror through the crowd.

“I was waiting for you!”

Just as the captives were about to be carried off, the armored man, who had nearly walked out of sight, spun around.

He summoned his spear artifact, and the weapon burst into brilliant light as it shot forth with immense force.

The beast’s arm was pierced through instantly, exploding into a storm of sand.

Yet the monster didn’t seem to feel pain.

Even with half its arm blown off, its grip on the captives remained firm.

With horrific screams, the creature dragged its prey into the winds and vanished.

“Damn it!”

The armored man’s face darkened. Even after unleashing a full-powered strike, he had still failed to save them.

That was the trouble with Wind Beasts. Though their attack power was weaker than other beasts of similar rank...

They possessed a unique ability to dissolve into wind and sand, making them extremely difficult to kill.

This was why he had been so adamant about retreating.

If it were just Foundation Establishment-level Wind Beasts, he could manage.

But at the Golden Core level, their threat increased dramatically.

Even with his own Fifth Transformation Golden Core strength, he would struggle to slay a Wind Beast at Second or Third Transformation in short order.

“You’ve seen it for yourselves—the Gale Plains are undergoing some kind of upheaval.

Even at the edge of the region, Golden Core Wind Beasts are roaming about.

If you’re not afraid of death, by all means, continue forward—but the Merchant Guild will not accompany you.”

With those final words, the armored man ignored the pale, trembling crowd and walked away for real this time.

Soon, the Merchant Guild’s convoy turned around and began retreating the way they came.

This time, the small caravans that had been shouting earlier no longer dared to utter a word.

They followed closely behind, terrified of being abandoned.

After witnessing the brutal fate of those few traders, they had finally come to their senses.

No business deal was worth more than their own lives.

Without the protection of the Merchant Guild, they likely wouldn’t survive even a quarter of an hour in the Gale Plains.

“What about you folks? Will you be retreating to the valley as well?”

Old Qiao asked, holding two children in his arms as he looked to Lu Qing and the others.

“Hmph! Just a few puny Wind Beasts—what’s there to be scared of? I’m not wasting any more time with these cowards.

If you’re too afraid to move on, then I’ll go by myself!”

Before anyone else could respond, the scrawny young man let out a cold snort.

He activated his movement technique and dashed out of the Wind-Stilling Lamp’s protective light, plunging into the endless sandstorm.

As soon as he emerged, the sand coalesced again—another Wind Beast took shape.

A giant claw lashed out at the young man.

“Get lost!”

The youth barked coldly and summoned a flying sword.

With a flash of sword light, the Wind Beast was sliced to pieces, collapsing on the spot.

After dispatching the creature, the young man didn’t even glance back. His figure vanished into the sands, never to be seen again.

“He’s a sword cultivator? No wonder he’s so arrogant!”

The red-robed woman gasped in surprise.

Sword cultivators were known for their devastating attack power.

A powerful sword cultivator could unleash astonishing strength, fighting opponents above their level with ease.

No wonder this young man had been so brash and haughty—he was a rare sword cultivator!

“And what about you, Miss Hong Yan?” Old Qiao asked again.

“I also have urgent matters that cannot be delayed. Farewell, Senior Qiao.”

The red-robed woman smiled sweetly, then transformed into a cloud of red mist and disappeared into the storm.

Old Qiao sighed. Clearly, she too possessed some unique abilities.

Left with little choice, he turned to Lu Qing and a quiet, middle-aged man who had yet to speak.

“And you two, fellow cultivators? Will you also be leaving?”