Chapter 274: Beast Mountain

Chapter 274: Beast Mountain

After leaving the hall and arriving at a small courtyard arranged by Xie Xianhai, Chu Ning and Shi Xue'er's expressions turned somber.

Upon hearing Xie Xianhai mention the forbidden Beast Mountain, Chu Ning immediately inquired about it.

However, he found that the other party knew very little about the place.

All they knew was that Beast Mountain was located in a corner of the island, about a hundred miles from their current location.

The mountain was surrounded by a peculiar and powerful wind that could tear one to shreds upon approaching.

Moreover, a violent storm would erupt every six months to a year.

After each storm, demonic beasts would appear on the island, and the strange wind around the mountain would temporarily disappear.

In the past, there had been attempts by body cultivators from the island to enter during these brief lulls, but none had ever returned.

Some had even been blown to bones during the subsequent storms.

Over time, no one dared to venture near the mountain again.

Chu Ning and Shi Xue'er's first thought upon hearing this was whether the mountain also had a spatial fissure, and if the so-called storms were actually spatial storms.

However, the people of the East Forest Tribe knew nothing about spatial fissures or storms.

No amount of inquiry would yield any useful information.

"Brother Chu, what should we do now?" Shi Xue'er asked, her face filled with worry as she looked at Chu Ning.

As a Golden Core cultivator, she felt useless in this place, unable to exert her strength, which only added to her anxiety.

Chu Ning, however, maintained a relatively calm expression.

"There must be some secret hidden within the forbidden Beast Mountain. We will have to venture in sooner or later.

But as they said, the storm just erupted today, and it's likely related to our teleportation here.

We'll have to wait at least half a year for the storm to appear again."

Chu Ning paused before continuing, "However, before that, we can go and investigate the area outside Beast Mountain.

Let's see if it's a spatial fissure or something else strange.

Then we can try to find any remnants left by the cultivator who came here a thousand years ago.

That person stayed on this island for over a hundred years, so I doubt they had no knowledge of this place."

Shi Xue'er nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Brother Chu, the chief mentioned earlier that the tribe where the previous cultivator resided was destroyed seven hundred years ago.

Their land has long been occupied by the Giant Stone Tribe, the largest tribe on Wu Ling Island.

Are you planning to go to them for information?"

"There's no better option," Chu Ning replied, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"As the only outsider to have come to this island in a millennium, I believe the Giant Stone Tribe, despite occupying the other tribe's land, would still hold that cultivator's belongings in high regard."

As he spoke, Chu Ning recalled Xie Xianhai's expression when he had heard that Chu Ning was a cultivator.

"The people here are not content with being trapped on this island. They must have studied the outsider's belongings extensively."

"That's true," Shi Xue'er agreed, but her eyes held a hint of worry as she added, "However, I've heard that the chief of the Giant Stone Tribe is a sixth-level body cultivator.

Brother Chu, are you..."

"Sixth-level body cultivator," Chu Ning murmured, unconcerned.

According to the nine levels of body refinement, the sixth level was equivalent to the late Qi Refining stage.

But Chu Ning had already cultivated the second volume and second variation of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique.

If one were to follow the nine levels of body refinement, he would already be at the seventh level.

Even against a sixth-level body cultivator, he had the advantage of being at a higher cultivation stage.

The only concern Chu Ning had was that the opponent was the leader of the largest tribe on the island.

It wouldn't be easy to force his way in alone.

After all, four hands were better than two.

Chu Ning voiced his concerns, and his gaze fell on the vermilion beast crystal in his hand, which he had specifically obtained from Xie Xianhai for research purposes.

From Xie Xianhai, Chu Ning learned that this beast crystal held great value for the people of Wu Ling Island.

There was a unique art of forging on the island, creating heavy offensive weapons that could harness the demonic power within these beast crystals to launch attacks.

Additionally, the demonic power within the beast crystals was beneficial for body refinement.

"Since this beast crystal is so useful to them, perhaps we can find a way to persuade them without resorting to force if we can obtain more of these," Chu Ning said to Shi Xue'er.

Shi Xue'er, upon hearing this, asked curiously, "Brother Chu, may I have a look at that beast crystal?"

Chu Ning, understanding her curiosity, didn't refuse and handed it over.

Shi Xue'er held the beast crystal thoughtfully, then suddenly turned around.

As Chu Ning wondered at her actions, he saw her reach for something around her neck.

Shi Xue'er turned back to face him and asked, "Brother Chu, does this look similar to what you have?"

She held out a necklace adorned with crystals of various colors, and among them was a fiery red crystal that resembled the Crimson Wolf Beast Crystal in Chu Ning's hand.

Chu Ning took the necklace, still warm from Shi Xue'er's body temperature, and his face betrayed his surprise.

"Miss Shi, what is this?" he asked.

"My master obtained this item by chance," Shi Xue'er explained. "When I first started cultivating, my physique was poor, so I used this to nourish my body.

Later, my constitution improved significantly, especially during the Foundation Establishment stage, when I discovered that it had a strengthening effect.

So I've always kept it close."

Shi Xue'er's cheeks flushed slightly as she continued, "After forming my Golden Core and tempering it, this item didn't have much use for me, but I kept wearing it out of habit.

"As for beast crystals, I can hunt down more magical beasts to obtain them," Chu Ning continued with a smile. "Didn't the people of the East Forest Tribe mention that there was just a storm in the forbidden Beast Mountain? I should be able to acquire quite a few by going on a hunting trip."

"That's true. With Brother Chu's abilities, hunting down magical beasts should be a breeze," Shi Xue'er agreed lightly, nodding.

However, instead of putting the beast crystal necklace back on, she said, "But for now, Brother Chu, you should keep this as a backup."

Chu Ning considered her suggestion and then tucked the necklace into his chest, nodding. "Alright, I'll keep it safe for now."

The two of them decided on their next course of action. They returned to their respective rooms for the night, but neither could sleep. The next day, Chu Ning sought out Xie Xianhai early in the morning. He expressed his intention to visit the Giant Stone Tribe to investigate whether the island's outsider from a thousand years ago had left anything behind. He also offered to help hunt magical beasts to obtain beast crystals as compensation.

Here's the rewritten text with the requested changes:

"A magical beast with peak fourth-level strength?" Chu Ning asked, surprised but eager to learn more. He immediately inquired about the location of Hundred Beast Mountain.

Xie Xianhai replied, "Since Brother Chu is unfamiliar with this place, even if I point out the direction, you might not be able to find it. Why don't I accompany you there myself?"

Chu Ning was slightly taken aback by Xie Xianhai's offer to join him but soon understood his concern. "To be honest, Brother Chu, in addition to the fourth-level peak magical beast, there are also other second- and third-level beasts in Hundred Beast Mountain. No one dares to venture there because of the powerful beast. Now that we have this opportunity, I can take advantage of it to obtain some second- and third-level beast crystals, which would greatly benefit our East Forest Tribe."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning finally understood.

When Shi Xue'er learned that Chu Ning intended to go to Hundred Beast Mountain, she naturally wanted to join him. However, considering the dangers of the trip, she had to let go of the idea.

Xie Xianhai reassured them, "Brother Chu and Miss Shi, please rest assured that Miss Shi will be very safe here in our East Forest Village."

Chu Ning and Shi Xue'er exchanged reassuring glances and then set off with Xie Xianhai, heading once again toward the center of the island, where the forbidden Beast Mountain was located.

"Is there nothing on this island that can be used for transportation?" Chu Ning asked after they had walked for about twenty miles. He found the journey tedious, as he was accustomed to using his escape technique for faster travel.

Xie Xianhai shook his head with a smile. "No, we usually travel on foot."

Chu Ning sighed softly. He couldn't use any of his spiritual powers, not even to open his spirit beast bag and release the golden lightning eagle for flight. However, he wasn't in a hurry, so he didn't use his Thunderstep Technique to speed up their journey.

Out of curiosity, Chu Ning asked, "In your body refinement techniques, do you have anything similar to a footwork or escape technique?"

After some thought, Xie Xianhai nodded. "Our tribe has a technique called the Shadowfall Step, which is useful for agility and movement, whether in battle or during travel."

"Shadowfall Step?" Chu Ning asked, intrigued. "Could you demonstrate it for me, Chief?"

He was quite interested in the unique body refinement techniques of this island.

Xie Xianhai didn't hesitate and readily demonstrated the technique by leaping forward with a light and agile movement.

While the speed was impressive, it didn't astound Chu Ning, who was already familiar with the Godwind Escape and Thunderstep techniques. However, he noticed that the Shadowfall Step was much lighter and more effortless than the Thunderstep. It seemed more suitable for long-distance travel.

Therefore, Chu Ning tentatively suggested, "Chief, could you teach me this Shadowfall Step? Of course, I wouldn't want you to be at a disadvantage, so I could offer some body refinement techniques that I have—knife and sword techniques, for example—in exchange."

Chu Ning had come across numerous techniques suitable for body cultivators in the collection of scriptures he had organized from the Wolong Valley ruins. While he didn't need them himself due to the secret techniques of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique, he had memorized quite a few.

Xie Xianhai's eyes lit up at Chu Ning's offer. "Since Brother Chu is interested, I'll teach you the incantation."

And with that, he imparted the incantation for the Shadowfall Step to Chu Ning.

When Xie Xianhai stopped about twenty zhang ahead of him, Chu Ning smiled faintly.

In the blink of an eye, his figure flashed, and he had already covered a distance of nearly sixty or seventy zhang.

Without slowing down, Chu Ning continued to rush forward, and in just two blinks of an eye, he had already reached not far in front of Xie Xianhai.

This immediately caused the chief of the East Forest Tribe to widen his eyes in surprise.

Although the Shadowfall Step was not considered a top-tier secret art within the tribe, it was still quite challenging to cultivate it to a proficient level.

Yet, at this moment, Chu Ning had managed to achieve this level of mastery after merely listening to an explanation and watching a demonstration.

Moreover, his speed was only slightly slower than Xie Xianhai's, which couldn't help but astonish the tribal leader.

"Chief Xie, how about we race to see who's faster?"

Accompanying these soft words, Chu Ning had already arrived beside Xie Xianhai.

Xie Xianhai's fighting spirit was immediately ignited, and he quickly replied:

"Good!"

With that, he also used the Shadowfall Step to rush forward.

The two men were quite fast, and in the beginning, over a distance of a hundred li, Chu Ning, relying on his robust physical body, was able to keep up with Xie Xianhai, despite the latter having just learned the technique.

However, Xie Xianhai still seemed relatively relaxed.

But after a hundred li, Xie Xianhai clearly felt that Chu Ning's speed had increased significantly, and he had to exert all his strength to maintain his slight lead.

After rushing forward for another fifty li, Chu Ning had already subtly overtaken Xie Xianhai by half a body length.

And at this moment, Xie Xianhai realized that no matter what he did, he couldn't overtake Chu Ning again.

The two men's states had completely reversed.

Chu Ning was extremely relaxed, while Xie Xianhai was now noticeably strained.

After traveling together for two hundred li and reaching a mountain from which various demonic beasts' roars could be heard, Chu Ning finally stopped, and Xie Xianhai also took the opportunity to catch his breath.

However, the look he gave Chu Ning became even more complex.

"This person's understanding of the Way of Body Refinement is truly extraordinary. Even Shi Feng, the so-called millennium genius of Wu Ling Island, doesn't seem to have such insight.

Perhaps the key lies in the strength of his physical body.

No wonder he didn't show any fear when he heard about the existence of a peak fourth-level demonic beast here."

As Xie Xianhai thought about this, Chu Ning spoke up:

"Chief Xie, is this place Hundred Beast Mountain? And where is that fourth-level Rock Armor Beast usually located?"

"This beast doesn't have a fixed residence in the mountain, but the place it likes to frequent the most is a place called Danhua Wall in this mountain."

Xie Xianhai replied and then took the lead to walk forward.

"We can go to that place first, and if we encounter other demonic beasts along the way, Brother Chu, you don't need to take action. Just leave them to me."

Chu Ning smiled and followed Xie Xianhai towards the Danhua Wall.

As he had said, there were indeed quite a few demonic beasts in Hundred Beast Mountain.

After walking for a while, the two men successively encountered several demonic beasts.

However, they were all below level three, so Xie Xianhai had no difficulty dealing with them.

Chu Ning took this opportunity to observe Xie Xianhai's methods of dealing with enemies.

It seemed to have some similarities with the external body refinement techniques.

However, body refiners in the outside world would eventually accumulate some spiritual power at a certain stage, whereas Xie Xianhai solely relied on his physical strength.

In this regard, if it were solely a comparison of physical strength, unless Chu Ning had cultivated the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique to the second volume, even ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment body refiners from the outside world might not necessarily be stronger than Xie Xianhai.

After observing for a while, they continued on their way and soon encountered two third-level demonic beasts.

Third-level demonic beasts had strength comparable to mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Xie Xianhai, at the fifth level of body refinement, was also at the equivalent of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

He could handle one, but dealing with two was beyond his capabilities.

At this moment, Chu Ning also didn't hold back and directly took action, using the Thunderstep Technique and the Heaven Shaking Fist together. With one punch, he killed one beast!

Seeing this, Xie Xianhai's gaze towards Chu Ning became even more complex, and it now held more reverence!

Moreover, it also carried a hint of eagerness.

"Brother Chu, the place where that fourth-level peak Rock Armor Beast often appears is only about a thousand zhang away from here. I'll take you there."

At this moment, Xie Xianhai knew that Chu Ning's strength must be at least at the sixth level of body refinement, or even beyond.

Naturally, he was extremely eager to witness Chu Ning's battle with the demonic beast.

The two men immediately continued on their way.

And just at this moment, on the outskirts of Hundred Beast Mountain, four people were slowly approaching.

All four of them were robust and sturdy, and among them, one man, despite appearing to be around the same age as Xie Xianhai, had a full head of black hair and a ruddy complexion.

His exposed arms were muscular and exuded a sense of power.

Beside him stood a middle-aged man wearing demonic beast leather clothing, with a pair of round rings on each hand, and his entire body exuded a wild aura.

Walking alongside the elder, he didn't pale in comparison in terms of aura.

"Chief Shi Feng, is that demonic beast in this area?"

At this moment, the middle-aged man wearing the leather clothing opened his mouth and asked in a thunderous voice.

From his words, it was clear that the person next to him was Shi Feng, the chief of the Giant Stone Tribe and the only cultivator at the sixth level of body refinement on Wu Ling Island.

Shi Feng nodded slightly, his eyes burning with anticipation as he gazed into the mountain.

"Indeed, Brother Tie. That demonic beast is within this mountain. Today, the two of us will join forces to slay it!

Then, I will fulfill the promise I made to you."

Sorry for the slight delay, I've been a bit busy these past couple of days, and the updates might be a bit irregular for a while. Please bear with me.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end