Chapter 126: The Ancient Ferocious Beast—Taotie

Chu Han was immediately struck with terror. The roar had not come from far away, and its intensity signaled a beast of immense power; the mere sound wave had been enough to scatter his internal energy. Such strength was far beyond anything he could currently contend with.

Wang Tian and Duanmu Meng'er were equally shaken. The Phantom Forest was home to many high-level magical beasts, and any careless provocation of such a creature would inevitably lead to death. The atmosphere grew grim. Wang Tian, driven by a desire for revenge, refused to retreat, but Chu Han cared little for their lives—if they provoked the beast, no one here would escape. Survival was his only priority.

Just then, Wang Tian gritted his teeth and launched an attack. Chu Han was horrified; the man had a death wish. In the midst of a duel, how could they hope to survive if they drew the beast’s attention? With no desire to fight, Chu Han struck Wang Tian aside, intending to flee. At that exact moment, a colossal shadow descended from the sky, engulfing Wang Tian before swallowing him whole. The shadow then fully revealed itself to Chu Han and Duanmu Meng'er.

It was a gargantuan beast, easily the size of two small mountains. Its entire body was a deep, brownish-red, covered in scales as dense as plate armor. Two massive wings blotted out the sky, tipped with razor-sharp feathers of the same color. A single horn protruded from its massive head, and its eyes, like copper bells, glowed with a malevolent red light, locked onto the two of them with intense killing intent. When it opened its blood-stained maw, a thick, nauseating stench of gore filled the air, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. Every step of its four massive limbs caused the very ground to tremble.

"This... is this the legendary beast—the Taotie?"

Chu Han’s heart skipped a beat. This was no mere high-level magical beast; it was one of the four legendary, peerless fiends. He had read about them in ancient texts, where the Taotie was ranked first. It was known for its volatile and cruel temperament, possessing such immense power that a single movement could shatter a mountain peak. Compared to a Taotie, a tenth-level magical beast would not even be a snack. According to the records, in the ancient era, twenty Celestial-level experts had once besieged a Taotie, only to have three of their number killed and the rest grievously wounded before they finally managed to drive it away. Its strength was beyond comprehension.

Upon hearing Chu Han, Duanmu Meng'er turned pale. She was well aware of the Taotie's infamy, but she had always believed it to be a creature of myth, long extinct. She never imagined it would be hiding here in the Phantom Forest.

The three remained in a tense standoff. Chu Han and Duanmu Meng'er dared not move, while the Taotie, like a cat toying with a mouse, did not immediately strike, instead observing them with a curious gaze.

"Meng'er, there is no other way. We cannot defeat this creature. We must run. I will launch an attack, and then we must flee in opposite directions. Do not look back," Chu Han whispered, cold sweat drenching his skin. It was their only chance; their survival now rested on fate.

Duanmu Meng'er nodded. Chu Han let out a roar, gathering every ounce of his internal energy to form a massive ball of lightning in the air. To maintain the technique, he shoved a handful of recovery pills into his mouth. The lightning ball plummeted, striking the Taotie square on its head. The beast merely tilted its horn, and the lightning dissipated instantly. But it was enough—it had bought them a split second of distraction.

"Run!"

Chu Han shouted, and they bolted in opposite directions. Realizing it had been tricked, the Taotie roared in fury and took to the air, wings beating as it gave chase. Though they had split up, the Taotie had clearly fixated on Chu Han as the one who had mocked it, pursuing him relentlessly.

Seeing the beast on his trail, Chu Han felt a fleeting sense of relief. If it was chasing him, he might have a chance, but if it had gone after Duanmu Meng'er, she would have been doomed. Still, outrunning a Taotie was nearly impossible. He pushed his speed to the absolute limit, desperate to break out of the Phantom Forest, but the beast stayed close behind. It circled in the air, seemingly content to toy with him, waiting for his hope to shatter before descending for the kill.

Yet, Chu Han refused to give up. He carried a deep, blood-soaked vendetta; he could not die until his revenge was fulfilled. He reached the exit of the Phantom Forest only to find it blocked off. He cursed bitterly—the Taiyi Sect must have been unaware of the Taotie’s presence, or they never would have sealed the forest.

With no other choice, he turned back toward the depths of the forest. A massive fireball erupted from the sky—the Taotie had begun its assault. Chu Han accelerated, barely dodging the blast. The beast swooped down, swiping a claw through his body. However, no blood was spilled; Chu Han’s form dissolved into a flash of lightning. It was a lightning illusion, allowing him to narrowly escape a fatal blow.

His true self had already vanished behind the beast. The Taotie, realizing it had been duped again, bellowed in rage and pursued him with renewed ferocity.

Chu Han continued his frantic flight. He lacked the courage to even resist; they were not on the same level. His attacks were useless, while a single strike from the beast would end him. Sensing the overwhelming pressure behind him, he knew he would be caught eventually. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed another handful of recovery pills, forcing them to shatter within his body to flood his energy center with raw power. It was a desperate, reckless move that would leave impurities in his meridians, but he had no time to worry about the consequences—survival was all that mattered.

Another fireball descended, larger than the last. Unable to dodge, Chu Han was struck in the back. He screamed in pain, but in that moment of agony, a clever escape plan took root in his mind.

He quickly manifested another lightning illusion, imbuing it with his own aura, while he suppressed his true presence and hid inside a small cave, controlling the illusion to flee frantically. As expected, the Taotie was lured away by the illusion. Hiding in the dark, Chu Han exhaled, wiping blood from his lips. He was shaking; even with his "Undying System," he knew that one direct hit from a Taotie would likely push his system’s load to its limit, if not kill him outright.