Chapter 212 - Arc 13: Wild Beast Plains | Chapter 212: Observe
Translator: Lynn
These were four immortal cultivators, all of them at the Golden Core Formation stage.
Among them, a tall man inquired, “Ah Wu, how did you manage to find out?”
Another shorter man explained, “There’s a constant stream of people placing orders in the town every day, but they are mostly in the Golden Core Formation stage. People in the Golden Core stages are rare, and true swordsmen have a distinctive aura. Many have heard of his reputation, and with a bit of inquiry, we’ve learned a thing or two.” The two young cultivators also chimed in.
“I’ve discovered that there was indeed a pair of senior and junior brothers with distinct personalities who arrived here about half a year ago.”
“They separated after arriving, and that junior is now listed in this martial arts order,” the former shorter young man added.
“Observing the fact that the Qianwu Team has gained more fame in the past six months, it’s evident that there’s something going on.”
The three of them engaged in calculations and speculations repeatedly, and the tall man chuckled deeply, saying, “In that case, the junior Xu Ziqing must be alone in the plain. Once we find him, he won’t escape our watch.”
The shorter young man spoke again, “I will tail the Qianwu Team and likely get information about Xu Ziqing.”
After contemplating for a while, the tall man shook his head and said, “Due to the Qianwu Team’s recent prominence, it would be inconvenient to tail them directly. If the team becomes aware of it, things won’t look good.”
The other two concurred, “When I use my spiritual sense to search, we’ll undoubtedly find him!”
The tall man made a final decision, “Let’s proceed accordingly! The mission entrusted to us by the second senior brother must not be missed! But the Daoist of the Ruthless Killing Sword has already ventured deep into the plain, so we need to be cautious.”
The remaining three also responded in agreement, “Absolutely. The third elder has also led several elders to search for the Daoist of the Ruthless Killing Sword. We can’t lag behind them!” They devised a plan and went to place their orders.
Afterwardl, they scattered to look for some clues to various locations. Without further delay, they entered the plain together.
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Amidst the mist that blanketed the sky, a two-horned beast pounded the ground as a black and gold-feathered eagle bent down, its sharp claws firmly gripping the creature’s back. In an instant, it tore off a large piece of skin, exposing flesh and blood.
The two-horned beast screamed, desperately galloping and thrashing its body, but the eagle’s claws dug even deeper. With a “poof,” the spine collapsed, and the eagle’s claw pierced into the animal’s body, extracting a red inner alchemy.
The wild beast collapsed to the ground, and the eagle, with blood-stained claws, joyfully soared into the air.
Just as it was about to fly onward, a red vine silently approached, causing the eagle to retreat. The vine swiftly entered the body of the fallen beast, instantly absorbing its blood.
Not far away, a young man in green robes stood calmly, cradling a snow-white young fox in his arms, smiling gently.
His entire demeanor exuded peace, and within that calmness, there was a vibrant energy.
The young fox affectionately rubbed the back of the boy’s hand, lifting its head to sing softly at the eagle.
The eagle circled in the air, releasing its sharp claws, and the inner alchemy dropped down. A white shadow rushed over, caught it, and swallowed it with a tilt of its neck.
Undoubtedly, this green robes-clad young man was Xu Ziqing, who had wandered the Wild Beast Plain for half a year.
He not only cultivated himself but also allowed Chonghua to hone its skills. Even the young fox, Hu Xueer, was released by him, relaxing during this relatively safer time.
Amusingly, Chonghua and Rongjin, who had been with him for years, recently saw their dynamics change. Rongjin, usually as smart as a child, began to irk Chonghua more and more.
Chonghua, fond of being spoiled, couldn’t approach Xu Ziqing freely due to Rongjin’s vigilance, leading to a sense of injustice. After accepting Hu Xueer, Chonghua transformed into a big brother figure, growing closer to Hu Xueer.
Hu Xueer devoured the inner alchemy given by Chonghua, then scurried back into Xu Ziqing’s arms, enjoying his touch. Despite being young, it possessed the cunning nature of a fox, effortlessly charming Xu Ziqing over the past few days.
Originally, Xu Ziqing held a deep affection for Chonghua and Rongjin, but his feelings for Hu Xueer grew more sincere in the past few months, thanks to its soft and endearing nature.
Meanwhile, Rongjin consumed the flesh and blood of the two black-horned beasts, swiftly returning to coil around his “mother’s” waist.
Having completed the hunt, the four companions, Xu Ziqing, Chonghua, Rongjin, and Hu Xueer, prepared for practice once more. After a half-year stay on the plain, though initially unfamiliar, Xu Ziqing had become well-acquainted with many terrains.
His figure swayed, transforming into a blue light, effortlessly navigating through countless weeds. Proficiency in the wood escape technique and the ability to restrain his breath had become second nature amid the plethora of plants on the plain.
A hundred miles ahead lay a beast den, gathering a ten-mile radius of wasteland for recuperation. Countless strange rocks stood, forming a natural lair where groups of big and small beasts, led by a four-horned beast, constituted the predominant force near the periphery.
While this force might not be considered significant in the entire Wild Beast Plain, it wielded tremendous power in its local vicinity.
Two months into Xu Ziqing’s entry into the plain, a group of 500 two-horned wild beasts escaped, leaving behind injured companions. Following their blood trail, he discovered the location of the beast’s den.
From then on, Xu Ziqing maintained vigilance over this animal den. He typically lurked outside, observing and, if necessary, engaging the beasts when they ventured out to hunt. After leading them to a remote area, he either fought them or released Rongjin to consume them.
Despite the wild beasts’ lack of intelligence or the insignificance of the prey compared to the beast cave, there was no violent reaction from the beast cave after these encounters.
On this day, Xu Ziqing, as usual, concealed himself in a field of wild grass outside the animal cave. He fixed his gaze on the entrance of the beast cave, marked by two huge stones.
Near the entrance, two three-horned beasts chewed on human legs, blood dripping between their teeth, marking them as gatekeepers.
Suppressing his anger, Xu Ziqing remained motionless, not emitting the slightest breath. Having spent an extended period on the plain, the sight of wild beasts devouring humans no longer affected him emotionally. Instead, it reinforced the understanding that coexistence with wild beasts was impossible, urging him to remain resolute.
After waiting for approximately half an hour, a long howl echoed from the beast cave.
A beast with two golden horns emerged, holding a cultivator in its mouth. Two rows of fangs pierced deeply into the cultivator’s chest, dragging blood across the ground. The cultivator, missing half of his arms and thighs, suffered severe flesh and blood loss and heart convulsions due to the animal’s teeth penetrating his heart.
Xu Ziqing clenched his fists, suppressing the rising anger within him. When these beasts moved away, he vowed to eliminate them immediately.
However, not everyone could endure this sight.
In the midst of Xu Ziqing’s contemplation, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew from the distance.
A female voice exclaimed, “Damn the beast!”
Following the sounds of rushing clothes, two young cultivators and a female cultivator charged forward. They wielded low-grade spiritual weapons in the form of flying swords, and their strengths surpassed the foundation-building stage. Their expressions exuded righteous indignation.
Observing this, Xu Ziqing secretly furrowed his brow.
These cultivators displayed arrogance and a touch of naivety, indicative of individuals newly exposed to experiences. Their conceit about their own realms rendered them bold, as evidenced by their daring approach to the beast’s lair after witnessing wild beasts devouring humans. While their intentions were commendable, their recklessness troubled Xu Ziqing.
They clearly lacked the cultivation base of the mid-stage foundation establishment, yet they dared to provoke the beasts in their lair. Did they truly believe that killing a two-horned beast with golden horns was an impressive feat? Even with his current Golden Core Formation cultivation, Xu Ziqing dared not draw the attention of the four-horned beast inside, which rivaled Golden Core stage cultivators.
Nevertheless, the three of them remained oblivious to Xu Ziqing’s concerns. As anticipated, they were all foreign cultivators who came to the Wild Beast Plain to practice with their sect’s elders. The woman was the daughter of an elder in the sect who had sneaked out with two senior brothers to explore the Wild Beast Plain. With the teacher’s influence, they easily registered, and as they encountered one-horned and two-horned beasts along the way, they grew more confident in their abilities.
Unaware of the dangers that lurked deeper in the plain, they gradually ventured into its heart, witnessing wild beasts clashing with warriors and rescuing people without incident. Their courage swelled, and they pushed deeper into the plain, eventually learning about the beast den from a wounded warrior they rescued. Ignoring the warrior’s warnings, they boldly declared their intent to save all the warrior’s companions.
So, they cautiously advanced toward the beast’s den.
However, just as they approached, the trio witnessed a wild beast in the act of devouring a living person. Naturally, they shouted, expressing their intent to confront the wild beast!
Swiftly, the leading female cultivator was at the forefront, pointing and commanding, “Quick!”
Her ice-blue flying sword, measuring about an arm’s length, shot straight out, slashing rapidly toward the beast’s pair of golden horns.
The beast with two golden horns shook its head, releasing the corpse of the warrior from its mouth. With a swift movement of its front legs, it transformed into an afterimage, bouncing away in an instant.
Despite the speed of the flying sword, it failed to make contact.
The girl snorted in displeasure. “Try again!” She then directed, “Let’s see where you can dodge this time!”
Following her command, the ice-blue flying sword executed a sharp turn, once again aiming for the eyes of the beast with two golden horns, seemingly attempting to blind it.
Observing this, Xu Ziqing’s expression grew more serious.
It was evident that the woman had not identified the beast’s weakness, and her attacks were consuming a significant amount of her true energy. If this continues, she might even lack the strength to escape.
The other two male cultivators did not fare much better. As the female cultivator launched her attack, the other two flying swords swiftly followed suit, converging on the wild beast alongside the ice-blue flying sword.
However, the beast with two golden horns was just that—a beast with strength not surpassing that of a foundation-establishment cultivator. Why, then, did it require the concerted efforts of three mid-stage foundation-establishment cultivators?
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