Chapter 305: Cultivators and Magical Beasts Converge, Chu Ning Seizes the Opportunity

Chapter 305: Cultivators and Magical Beasts Converge, Chu Ning Seizes the Opportunity

This eighth-stage transformed demon was burly and towering, with a pair of thick bear legs as its lower body. Its upper body and head, however, resembled an extremely rugged middle-aged man.

At this moment, a pair of eyes flashing with a sinister light glanced at the puppet bird. But the next moment, it ignored the bird and turned its attention to a figure emerging from the storm.

Through the eyes of the puppet bird, Chu Ning also spotted this person. He had a weathered face and wore a gray shirt; it was none other than the Black Sha Old Demon, Si Tu Yan.

A hint of disappointment was evident on Si Tu Yan's aged face at this moment. Apparently, he hadn't made any remarkable discoveries either.

After exiting the blizzard, he must have sensed the presence of this eighth-stage demon as well. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the next instant, a strange gleam flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Interesting. You know I'm here and yet you don't flee. Instead, you dare to face me directly." The half-man, half-bear eighth-stage demon spoke in a rough voice.

Contrary to expectations, Si Tu Yan's face didn't show any signs of panic. Instead, he looked at the bear demon with confusion. "You must be a magical beast from the depths of the Xue Feng Mountain Range. I've entered the Xue Wu Valley several times before, and I've never heard of your kind venturing into this valley."

The bear demon let out a hearty laugh. "How intriguing. You sent out a little toy to scout the area, and here I thought you were a sneaky fellow. I didn't expect you to have the guts to question me, Bear Daddy. But you can go to your grave with that question unanswered."

As it spoke, the eighth-stage demon charged towards Si Tu Yan, leaving behind a trail of demonic wind.

However, the renowned Jin Dan Old Demon didn't even spare him a glance. He transformed into a faint shadow and disappeared from his original spot, rushing towards the direction of the valley exit.

His speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the puppet bird's line of sight.

The bear demon's attack missed, and seeing Si Tu Yan's incredible speed, it seemed taken aback. "No wonder this guy was fearless in front of me. He's a master of escape techniques. I should've let the bird demon or the leopard demon guard this place."

Muttering to himself, the bear demon quickly gave chase.

At this moment, Chu Ning, hiding underground, wore a complicated expression. "This eighth-stage bear demon probably thinks that no cultivator can escape its spiritual sense, so it assumes that the puppet bird belongs to Si Tu Yan."

Through the bear demon's words, Chu Ning surmised that he hadn't been targeted by the eighth-stage demon, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Even with his mid-Jin Dan stage cultivation, which could rival even the peak of the later Jin Dan stage, he didn't feel confident facing an existence at the Yuan Ying level.

However, as he thought about the bear demon's final words, his back turned slightly chilly. There was more than one eighth-stage magical beast in this valley.

Emerging from the ground, Chu Ning summoned the puppet bird to his side and swiftly flew towards the exit of the valley.

After traveling about twenty miles, the icy power, just like before, had noticeably weakened. But Chu Ning's expression only grew more solemn.

The demonic aura was too thick! He couldn't sense the presence of any eighth-stage magical beasts, but he felt the aura of several seventh-stage beasts.

Apparently, they were not uncommon in this area.

In fact, Chu Ning even sensed that about three thousand zhang to his left, a seventh-stage magical beast was rapidly flying in his direction.

Chu Ning quickly flew forward, hoping to avoid an encounter with this beast. If it were just a single seventh-stage beast, he might not have been so wary. But given the abundance of eighth-stage demons in the area, he had no desire to linger or engage in battles.

"It seems like there's another seventh-stage magical beast ahead."

Just as he had flown forward, Chu Ning paused again, his eyes flashing slightly. He placed the puppet bird in a concealed spot on the ground and once again buried himself a hundred zhang underground, activating the Spirit Concealment Technique to block spiritual sense probes.

After just a few breaths, two seventh-stage magical beasts appeared from two different directions. And between them was a Jin Dan cultivator with a grim expression—none other than Wu Lingwei, the manager of Frost Moon Pavilion.

As the person in charge of Frost Moon Pavilion, she had a better understanding of the Xue Wu Valley and the Spirit Clarity Fruit than ordinary cultivators. Thus, Wu Lingwei had chosen not to venture into the caves beyond the blizzard but to explore this area instead.

Previously, she had encountered and fought off a seventh-stage magical beast, thinking it was just a coincidence. Although she had sensed that the demonic aura in this area was slightly denser than usual, she hadn't paid it much mind.

But now, she found herself facing two seventh-stage magical beasts that usually dwelled in the sea. With her wisdom and experience, she knew that something unusual was happening.

As she saw the two beasts gearing up for an attack, Wu Lingwei suddenly produced a conch-shaped object and spoke urgently. "The Spirit Clarity Fruit is escaping! Are there any fellow cultivators willing to help stop it?"

Her voice, amplified by the conch, echoed throughout the Xue Wu Valley. Even Chu Ning, buried underground, heard it clearly.

He was slightly taken aback. Since there were only two seventh-stage magical beasts outside, he had kept his spiritual sense active to monitor the situation.

"Spirit Clarity Fruit? Where is the Spirit Clarity Fruit?" A confused look flashed across Chu Ning's face, but the next moment, he understood.

As expected, with Wu Lingwei's shout, the attention of everyone in the valley was drawn, including those who were fleeing towards the exit and those still struggling in the blizzard.

Their expressions changed as they looked towards Wu Lingwei's direction.

Soon, figures emerged from all directions, rushing towards her.

The eighth-stage bird demon also heard Wu Lingwei's shout, and its bird-like eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I initially thought it was just an excuse made up by a cultivator, but could it be that the Xue Wu Valley truly has the Spirit Clarity Fruit?"

However, the next moment, a mocking smile appeared on its face.

"This is good too. Those human cultivators will probably all go after the Spirit Clarity Fruit.

It will save me the trouble of waiting here."

Muttering to itself, the eighth-stage bird demon flew towards Wu Lingwei's direction.

The other eighth-stage demons, possessing intelligence comparable to humans, had similar thoughts. They all changed their course and flew towards the same direction.

Even the bear demon, who was chasing after Si Tu Yan, abandoned its pursuit and flew towards Wu Lingwei.

Si Tu Yan, who had a perfect opportunity to escape, now had a look of excitement on his face. Instead of fleeing the valley, he followed the bear demon towards Wu Lingwei.

The bear demon noticed this and a cold smile appeared on its face, but it didn't pay him any mind and continued flying forward.

At this moment, in the depths of the valley shrouded by the blizzard, three people from the Huan Ling Sect had just exited a cave on the easternmost side.

Dan Tai Song muttered, "This Xue Wu Valley is truly misleading. These two caves have such dense spiritual energy, yet there aren't any treasures to be found.

Aside from some lava, there's nothing else here..."

However, when he heard Wu Lingwei's voice, his eyes lit up.

"Senior cultivators, the Spirit Clarity Fruit has appeared. Let's go and take a look."

The red-robed beauty and the middle-aged man exchanged glances, and the former asked with confusion, "How could news of the Spirit Clarity Fruit's appearance spread so easily if it's true? Long Kong Palace's Frost Moon Pavilion should want to keep this a secret."

"Perhaps it's because the Spirit Clarity Fruit is difficult to obtain. Regardless, we should go and take a look."

Dan Tai Song's eyes flickered as he said, "With the two of you here, what tricks could she possibly play?"

The middle-aged cultivator thought for a moment and then agreed, "Alright, let's go and see what's happening."

...

People from all directions were converging towards Wu Lingwei's location.

At this moment, Chu Ning, hidden underground, frowned slightly and sighed inwardly.

He had originally planned to use his earth escape technique to leave once Wu Lingwei and the demon started fighting, thinking that they would be too occupied to pay attention to him.

However, the two seventh-stage magical beasts seemed to have received some sort of signal. They surrounded Wu Lingwei but didn't attack, and he could only imagine that more cultivators and magical beasts would soon gather here.

Even the Yuan Ying cultivator from Huan Ling Sect and the eighth-stage demons were likely to appear, and Chu Ning couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

"It looks like I'll have to wait for things to get really chaotic before I can find an opportunity to escape."

The chaos Chu Ning was waiting for soon arrived. The bear demon, who had been chasing Si Tu Yan, and Si Tu Yan himself were the first to arrive.

"An eighth-stage magical beast?"

When Wu Lingwei saw the bear demon, her expression turned even more shocked.

She saw the two seventh-stage magical beasts roaring at the bear demon, and her gaze fell on Si Tu Yan, who was right behind the bear.

"Si Tu Daoist, what's going on here?"

Si Tu Yan's cloudy eyes landed on Wu Lingwei, and a chill passed through them.

"Wu Daoist, I should be the one asking you that question.

Where is the Spirit Clarity Fruit?"

Wu Lingwei's beautiful eyes flickered, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.

"It escaped. I was chasing the Spirit Clarity Fruit when I encountered these two demons blocking my path, so the fruit took the opportunity to flee."

"It escaped? What does the Spirit Clarity Fruit look like?" Si Tu Yan's eyes shifted uneasily.

He had already sensed that something was amiss, and he was preparing to flee again.

If the Spirit Clarity Fruit was here, he would definitely take the risk and fight for it.

But if it wasn't, then it was a different story.

Wu Lingwei understood Si Tu Yan's thoughts, but with so many high-level magical beasts present, she couldn't afford to let him leave. If he did, she would be instantly killed by the three demons.

Wu Lingwei needed to keep him here.

"The Spirit Clarity Fruit has a seven-colored appearance and resembles an infant."

Upon hearing this, a strange look appeared in Si Tu Yan's eyes, and his hoarse voice sounded, "So it really is the Spirit Clarity Fruit? This fruit is also known as the Spirit Infant Fruit. Its seven-colored infant form is its appearance before maturation, and you're not lying about this."

"Why would I lie to you, Daoist Si Tu?" Wu Lingwei said calmly.

"Although I also desire the Spirit Clarity Fruit, I would rather it fall into the hands of human cultivators than the demon race."

As Wu Lingwei finished speaking, two more late-stage Jin Dan cultivators arrived.

One of them was as old as Si Tu Yan, and the other was a female cultivator.

Although this female cultivator couldn't compare to Wu Lingwei in terms of beauty, her green-robed appearance gave her an air of elegance and detachment.

Upon seeing her, Wu Lingwei's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "Jing Daoist from Shen Yin Valley, and another Daoist as well. How about we join forces to drive away these demons first?

The four cultivators glanced at each other, and Si Tu Yan and Wu Lingwei stepped forward to face the eighth-stage bear demon. Meanwhile, Jing from Shen Yin Valley and the elderly man each engaged one of the seventh-stage beasts.

"Finally, the battle has begun!"

Chu Ning, hidden underground, felt a wave of relief wash over him. He was just about to use his earth escape technique to make his move when three more late-stage Jin Dan cultivators flew in from three different directions.

The trio was taken aback by the chaotic scene before them, but Wu Lingwei's face lit up with joy.

"Brothers Xiao, Xu, and Chen, quickly, help us slay this demon!" she cried.

The three late-stage Jin Dan cultivators exchanged a glance and prepared to join the fight.

But just then, a loud rustling sound accompanied by a gust of wind signaled the arrival of another eighth-stage demon—a half-man, half-dragon beast.

Its eyes swept over the three newcomers, a faint glow flashing in them. Then, the upper half of its body transformed from human to dragon form, its size increasing significantly.

It had become a massive black dragon, carrying with it a pungent wind as it charged toward the three Jin Dan cultivators.

"Another eighth-stage demon beast!"

Surprise filled the faces of the cultivators in the air and Chu Ning underground alike.

What was more, Chu Ning could clearly sense several astonishing auras rapidly approaching their location.

Among them were two demon beast auras and, more concerningly, the auras of the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Huan Ling Sect.

"Let them come! The more, the merrier. When things truly descend into chaos, the other areas will be left unattended by high-level demon beasts and cultivators," Chu Ning thought to himself, deciding to hold his position for now.

Soon enough, the bird and leopard demons arrived almost simultaneously. They, too, sensed the approaching Nascent Soul cultivators and chose to observe the situation.

The trio from the Huan Ling Sect also joined the fray.

"Four eighth-stage demon beasts!!!" exclaimed the red-robed beauty, astonished by the number of high-level demons present.

The bird-headed eighth-stage demon turned to the red-robed woman and the middle-aged man, speaking in a human tongue. "Excellent. We initially intended to hunt some Jin Dan cultivators, but now we have Nascent Soul cultivators joining the fray. What a pleasant surprise. Our hunt will be even more fruitful!"

The middle-aged man let out a cold huff. "Hunt? It is we human cultivators who hunt your kind, demon beasts. And you, an eighth-stage demon, dare to use the word 'hunt'?"

"Cawwww!!!" The bird demon screeched in anger, momentarily forgetting human speech as it transformed into a massive blue phoenix.

This bird was an eighth-stage wind-attribute demon beast known as the Qing Feng Phoenix.

For demon beasts that had not fully taken on human form, their original beast forms were typically their strongest.

The middle-aged man's face turned solemn as he assessed the situation, then turned to Guang Dan Tai Song and said, "Song, you and I will handle these two demon beasts. You, Master Zhong, go help against the bear demon!"

Dan Tai Song nodded in agreement, especially since Wu Lingwei had been the one to first shout about the Spirit Clarity Fruit.

"Be careful, Master Zhong!" Dan Tai Song called out as he took to the skies.

Just as Zhong had flown halfway toward the bear demon, the Qing Feng Phoenix transformed into a bolt of blue light and charged toward him.

"You dare, you wretched beast?!" the middle-aged man roared, his hands shooting out two beams of yellow light toward the phoenix.

Zhong quickly retreated, knowing that even he, a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, couldn't withstand the phoenix's attacks head-on.

The phoenix, known for its speed, easily closed the distance and lashed out with its massive wings, sending two gusts of wind toward Zhong.

Even with his defensive artifact, the Ice Demon Drum, Zhong was overwhelmed and sent crashing to the ground along with his drum.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the leopard demon dodged the middle-aged man's attacks and lunged at Zhong. The red-robed woman and the man rushed to his aid, but the leopard demon blocked their path.

As the phoenix's sharp claws were about to strike Zhong, the middle-aged man finally reached them and swung a yellow stick-like artifact at the phoenix's claws. Simultaneously, he pulled Zhong out of harm's way, tearing his robe in the process.

A small storage bag flew out and landed on the ground right above Chu Ning's underground hiding spot.

Although Chu Ning had stopped using his spiritual sense to probe, the puppet bird was still active and drew his attention to the bag.

"I wonder if this storage bag contains the means to control that ancient, simple seal," he thought, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end