PCJ – Chapter 768 The Boar King’s Berserk Transformation

The cultivators specializing in long-range attacks used various means — some relied on Daoist techniques, others on powerful crossbows and longbows. Their dense barrage fell like a torrential downpour upon the Copper-Skinned, Golden-Haired Boars charging through the narrow valley. In an instant, the pigs were rolling all over the ground. Even with their thick hides and sturdy bones, this wave of attacks caused massive casualties. Many were trampled to death by their own kind. After this round alone, out of a herd of over five hundred, more than a hundred had lost their combat ability, and at least twenty to thirty were killed on the spot. Minor injuries were too numerous to count.

This first wave had achieved such remarkable results that all the Battle Hall cultivators couldn’t help but cheer aloud.

“Don’t celebrate too soon! Get ready for the second round of attacks!” Wen Xiaoqun quickly ordered.

What seemed like simple mounds of earth and a few basic arrangements had, in fact, guided the boars to cluster together again. Their ranks, scattered by the first assault, regrouped tightly.

“I thought these earth mounds were pointless at first,” Ning Yi remarked in surprise, “but I didn’t expect them to make the boars automatically avoid certain paths and bunch up again.”

“These arrangements were all carefully calculated by the Sect Master,” Yuan Yansong explained. “After all, these Copper-Skinned Golden-Haired Boars are beasts driven by instinct. They don’t think much — when faced with obstacles, they naturally choose the path of least resistance. That tendency allows us to herd them together and unleash the full power of our ranged attacks.”

Wen Xiaoqun raised a small red flag again. “All ranged attackers, attention! Ready—one, two, three—attack!”

At his command, all long-range cultivators once again unleashed their spells and weapons upon the herd.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed across the valley as the Copper-Skinned Golden-Haired Boars were blown apart and sent tumbling.

Countless sharp arrows whistled through the air. Though the boars’ hides were said to be as tough as iron, the arrows still pierced through. Any that struck a vital point felled their targets instantly.

This time, the distance was closer, and the attacks were even fiercer. The archers could hardly stop—nocking, drawing, and firing again and again until their arms trembled too much to pull the bowstrings. Meanwhile, the spell cultivators ceaselessly released one talismanic attack after another.

This second wave inflicted even heavier losses. Nearly two hundred boars were killed. Between the two rounds of attacks, more than half of the herd had been wiped out.

“ROAR!”

The Copper-Skinned Golden-Haired Boar King let out an enraged roar. It was furious at the devastating loss of its kin. Its eyes turned blood-red, and at that moment it went berserk!

The Boar King’s cultivation was already at the late stage of the Qi-Refining-to-Spirit-Transformation realm. Once berserk, its power surged to the very peak of that realm. Among the Battle Hall, only Zhang Jiaohua himself could possibly face it head-on.

“Awwooo!”

The Boar King’s roar triggered a resonance among the remaining beasts. Every Copper-Skinned Golden-Haired Boar’s eyes turned crimson, glowing like red lanterns.

“This is bad! They’ve all gone berserk!” Zhao Qi shouted in alarm.

Every cultivator in the Battle Hall felt a chill. The weakest of these boars had been at the early Spirit-Transformation stage—now, berserk, they’d effectively advanced to mid-stage, while the stronger ones surged to late-stage levels.

Though their numbers were halved, their collective strength had actually increased.

Moreover, the boars had now broken through the second barrier. At this close range, with their formation scattered, long-range attacks were no longer effective.

“All squads, form into small combat units! Divide the herd and use formation tactics against them!” Wen Xiaoqun commanded immediately.

The Battle Hall had trained long for this. The troops who had just been arranged for long-range and melee formations swiftly reorganized into small tactical squads.

By the time the squads took their positions, the boar herd had already reached the final barrier. The terrain there caused the beasts to scatter again—just as planned. Every movement of the boar herd had been anticipated by the Battle Hall.

The Copper-Skinned Boar King was at the center of the herd. It looked battered, its body covered in wounds, with several arrows still lodged in its back trembling as it ran. Enraged beyond reason, it charged forward recklessly.

Wen Xiaoqun waved his hand. “Elders, with me!”

All the Battle Hall elders were cultivators at least in the mid-to-late Spirit-Transformation stage—battle elites. Wen Xiaoqun gathered them specifically for crises like this. The Boar King’s berserk power had multiplied; an ordinary cultivator could die from a single charge.

Their mission was to confront the Boar King and its guards directly.

All this was within Zhang Jiaohua’s sight. If he took action himself, the Boar King could be dealt with easily. But he had no intention of intervening. This was an opportunity for the Battle Hall to grow stronger.

While they were still at the outskirts of the Spirit Beast Mountains, facing beasts that weren’t truly powerful yet, this was the time to temper the Battle Hall’s combat capabilities. Only through real battle could true fighting power be forged!

Meanwhile, Hu Tengda and the other Law Enforcement Elders were still leading their family elites toward the Spirit Beast Mountains.

“It looks like we’re almost there,” Qi Shengchao said, glancing ahead.

“Yes, the Spirit Beast Mountains are just up ahead,” Zhou Yingtong nodded.

“Though the Sect Master’s decision this time may seem unwise, we have to admit his skill in crafting artifacts is extraordinary,” Tian Ningxue said. “If only we had those flying spirit tools, we wouldn’t be suffering from all this travel.”

“Indeed. After this battle, our five great families will jointly request the Sect Master to provide us with such artifacts. I believe he’ll make a wise choice,” Hu Tengda chuckled, completely forgetting that before a cultivator of Zhang Jiaohua’s level—one who had already reached the Spirit-Returning realm—he couldn’t even control his own life or death. Yet he was already plotting to undermine Zhang Jiaohua’s authority.

“Look! There’s a battle ahead—it must be the Battle Hall!” Hu Tengda’s younger brother, Hu Ran, shouted suddenly.

Even without his shout, everyone had already seen it. The sight was breathtaking: flames shot skyward, explosions rumbled one after another—the battle was clearly fierce.

“The Battle Hall must be finished! A battle that intense must mean they’re facing a high-level spirit beast. Those rookies can’t possibly withstand that!” Fan Zihan sneered.

“Let’s hurry over and see if we can do anything to help,” Tian Ningxue urged.

“Wait,” Hu Tengda interrupted quickly. “We still don’t know what’s happening over there. If we rush in and it’s truly a high-level spirit beast, and our family elites are all wiped out, we’ll regret it.”

At his words, the elders of the five great families immediately fell silent. None of them wanted to risk their family’s best disciples. After all, they hadn’t come to die—they had come to pick up the spoils.

Originally, Hu Tengda’s group should have arrived at the Spirit Beast Mountains two or three days after the Battle Hall. But on the road, they’d been lucky enough to encounter a herd of wild horses. The five families cooperated to capture them all, gaining mounts and greatly increasing their travel speed. Hu Tengda had hurried ahead with a group of elite disciples, worried that if they arrived too late, the Battle Hall might already be wiped out—and they wouldn’t even get the chance to reap any benefits.