'Freak'
Sun did not like this person at all.
Sun spat out blood as he felt his insides being mended.
Quite a lot, actually; he began to vomit mouthfuls of blood.
Slowly, he recovered. Strength started to fill his body as he circulated his Qi within.
His healing Dao Art -- Hundred Pills Healing -- allowed Sun to recover his injuries amply.
During his time at Corpse Mountain Settlement, he learned how to efficiently draw the Dao Art image and increase the success rate of manifested pills.
Most of the manifested pills were Bone and Flesh, healing those parts of Sun's body.
Blood was the least in number.
Trying to shake off the lingering pain, Sun focuses on this wicked enemy before him.
'There's no way I can defeat this Demonic scoundrel...'
'If I could escape, I would have to leave this situation to my seniors! 'If' is the problem...'
'But, I can not just leave now. I must find a way to notify them, somehow...'
With the enemy's odd idleness and sickening grin, Sun spared some of his attention to the area around him.
Ordinary beasts. Beast Kings. Mystical Beast Kings.
Monstrous tiger. Giant tortoise. Mishapen bird.
And... the blue mass; Stream of Scales.
There was nothing else notable that was around.
'If my seniors could look further, wouldn't they find us?'
'Could I send some sort of signal? No... that would get shot down...'
'They stopped at the five-hundred-meter mark, should I hope that they look beyond?'
'But if I try to rely on that alone... No. I can't rely on that at all.'
'I have to escape!'
'If I lead that Stream of Scales beast to the edge of this encirclement, then I could use its massive body to tear a path out for me.'
'But if I leave this person here, I would have wasted my Senior's time and risk the Settlement.'
'So... I can't escape, but how do I defeat this person?'
Sun looked towards the edge of the encirclement once more.
In the next instant, he shot towards the vast horde of beasts.
"Hmm."
The Demonic Envoy simply watched, not bothering to move any of the beasts.
Sun's halberd slashed against the first beast.
Blood flew, yet the beast stood still.
Even as its body went limp, it did not whimper or move.
A strong sense of unease filled his body, but Sun could not relent.
He continued to slaughter various beasts, and even Beast Kings.
"Will this help you?"
The Demonic Envoy teased, not at all perturbed by Sun's actions.
"Whether or not you attack doesn't concern me; either way, I'm whittling down your forces."
Sun retorted as he felled another beast.
He focused on whittling down whatever beast he could.
If the Demonic Envoy cast the Stream of Scales, or any of those other three beasts, it would only aid in his endeavour.
If they mobilised the ordinary beasts, Sun was confident in fending them off the majority; he was not afraid of a battle of attrition.
Sun's plan was built on his primary Dao Art -- Crown Ring Tyrant's War Banner -- which amplified strength in proportion to violence.
'Throw your beasts at me, see what happens when I kill them all!'
Blood pooled on the ground, and the stench of iron was thick in the air.
With this number of beasts, Sun would be pushing the limits of his Dao Art to a height he's never reached before.
Not only that, supported by the faintest glimmer of hope, Sun may be able to bridge the gap between him and this Demonic Envoy.
Not just the Demonic Envoy, but also these four greater beasts.
As dozens fell by his halberd, Sun could feel strength surging in his body.
Newfound strength allowed him to continue.
A twisted sense of satisfaction filled him, too, which didn't go unnoticed.
Dozens more fell, and it wasn't long before he'd slain one hundred of these beasts.
'There are still so many...'
Sun did not let the vast size of this beast group waver his will, but he couldn't shake the uneasy foreboding creeping down his spine.
Jumping towards the next beast, Sun was met with its violent retaliation.
"Aghk!"
'They're finally making their move!'
At that thought, more beasts started to become animated.
"Don't you want them to resist?"
"What?"
"Are you not tired of facing these still beasts!?"
The Demonic Envoy's wicked cackle rang through the air.
Sun could only spare a frown in their direction before returning to the beasts rushing towards him.
He immediately steps back and takes a defensive stance.
The rustling of metal -- like chains -- approaches behind him.
Feeling the heavy weight slam into his side, Sun is smashed into the forest beyond the encirclement.
Gasping heavily for air, Sun's dazed vision slowly returns to him, revealing the shaded embrace of the trees.
"Oh, tide, why are you so violent?"
"How many lives will you sweep away?"
"Drowning the world in endless dismay~."
Sun groaned at the odd speech, trying to rise despite his shattered ribs.
"Oh, little lion, why do you swim out so far?"
"How many times will you sink in the stream?"
Drowning in the waterfall because of your dreams~.
Sun wanted to block out that annoying tease, but he couldn't lift one of his arms.
Looking onward, the ground shook.
In front of him, as far left and right as he could see, beasts began to stampede into the forest.
Surging forth like a great tide.
"Oh, little Sun, your ferocity is greatly admired."
"How many times will you put your life on the line?"
"..."
"Drown."
"Drown in the current you can not overcome."
Unable to move -- flee, charge forth, jump, dodge, or strike back -- Sun is trampled.
Drowned.
Sunk in the vast stream of beasts of the second tide.
"We will see whether you are worthy... live on, little lion~!"
That last part could not be heard, as countless beasts stepped on his body.
Sun held his one arm over his head, trying to protect himself as Qi circulated within his body.
The tide washed over him like a river, relentless and violently cruel.
He could not overcome the stream and now drowns in it.
The whole world faded to black.
...