Chapter 312: The Beast Emperor's Trap! The Secret of Bright Mountain

Chapter 312: The Beast Emperor's Trap! The Secret of Bright Mountain

"The three Beast Emperors are most likely in the Sacred Land," Lei Hui Beast King hastily replied, sensing Li Yuan's murderous intent.

Currently, he had suffered severe injuries and had no leverage for negotiation.

"Should be?" Li Yuan furrowed his brows.

"The Sky Serpent Beast Emperor's whereabouts are not something I'm privy to," Lei Hui Beast King explained. "Under the Sky Serpent Beast Emperor, I'm far inferior to Chi Yan and Hei Guang in terms of trust. Many secrets of the Sacred Land are known to Chi Yan and his peers, but the Sky Serpent Beast Emperor doesn't share anything with me."

"As for the other two Beast Emperors' whereabouts... I know even less about them."

Luo Chan and Tavarez both nodded to Li Yuan.

Indicating that Lei Hui Beast King was telling the truth.

If Lei Hui Beast King had been trusted, he wouldn't have allied with the Seven Stars Civilization so quickly.

"As for the entrance to the Sacred Land..."

"I only know of one location, which is the 'Area 67 on the outskirts of Bright Mountain' as you mentioned."

"There are always a large number of Flying Heaven Beast Kings guarding that place," Lei Hui Beast King said gravely. "Our Ruin Beast Tribe's Flying Heaven Beast Kings... Once they reach the Flying Heaven Rank, they can enter through that entrance, undergo certain assessments, complete the covenant ceremony, and become what's known as 'Ordinary Soldiers.' After that, they gain access to a Star Art and one to two Tier 3 weapons."

"If they can become more advanced soldiers, it seems there are also many special weapons and treasures... but most Beast Kings can't achieve that."

"Star Arts? Weapons?" Surprise flashed through Luo Chan and Tavarez's eyes.

Only Li Yuan remained the calmest, having received confidential information from Dongfang Ji and Fang Hai.

When it came to understanding Bright Mountain, no human warrior present could surpass Li Yuan.

Bright Mountain was likely a fallen Foreign Civilization's 'Divine-Class Mother Ship.'

"You should be able to tell that most of our Flying Heaven Beast Kings have cultivated a Star Art," Lei Hui Beast King said with a bitter smile. "We can't create Star Arts... they all come from the Sacred Land, and the same goes for weapons."

"Our Ruin Beast Tribe's knowledge of cultivation comes from the Sacred Land," Lei Hui Beast King explained, seeming to know a lot at this point.

He knew that even if he didn't reveal this information, it wouldn't be long before the Seven Stars Civilization discovered it as well.

"The human warrior you mentioned entered through that passage and seems to have passed the assessment, truly entering the Sacred Land," Lei Hui Beast King said.

"What kind of assessment?" Li Yuan asked.

"It's the soldier assessment," Lei Hui Beast King replied. "Most of us Flying Heaven Beast Kings can only become what's known as 'Ordinary Soldiers.' According to the Beast Emperors, if one's strength is powerful enough and their potential great, they might become Elite Soldiers and enter the Sacred Land... but Chi Yan Beast King has never managed to do so."

"Not to mention the other Flying Heaven Beast Kings."

"However, that human warrior managed to do it," Lei Hui Beast King shook his head. "His strength is probably not even on par with mine, I truly don't know why."

But Li Yuan already understood the truth.

Combining the intelligence provided by Alliance Leader Dongfang Ji about the mother ship.

The passage Lei Hui Beast King mentioned was likely a testing ground for soldiers on the 'Divine-Class Mother Ship.'

However, the difficulty of the assessments for Second and Third Stage Life was vastly different. While these Flying Heaven Beast Kings were among the weaker ones within their rank, they couldn't pass the elite assessments of the Flying Heaven Rank. On the other hand, Yu Jinghe was exceptionally powerful among Second Stage Life.

The potential gap was stark!

"It's not just that human warrior."

"Not long ago, the Heavenly Virtue Civilization launched a surprise attack, reaching the outskirts of Sky Serpent Lake," Lei Hui Beast King said gravely. "Since it was a surprise attack, we didn't have time to gather so many Flying Heaven Beast Kings... There were only three to four dozen Flying Heaven Beast Kings present."

Li Yuan nodded slightly, understanding that the large gathering of Ruin Beast Tribe members was likely due to a previous conflict with the Heavenly Virtue Civilization.

"Go on," Li Yuan urged.

"There's an incredibly powerful Second Stage Life in the Heavenly Virtue Civilization, and he's terrifying," Lei Hui Beast King recalled, then quickly added, "Of course, his strength is far inferior to Spirit Lance's."

"Cut the chatter," Li Yuan said, frowning.

"Yes," Lei Hui Beast King nodded repeatedly. "He also wore black, and his weapon was a blade. He seems to have comprehended the Earth True Intention... In his battle with Chi Yan Beast King, he forced Chi Yan Beast King to a stalemate."

"Chi Yan Beast King couldn't win?" Surprise flashed through Li Yuan's eyes.

So formidable?

It was common knowledge that, according to Li Yuan's estimation, even Yu Jinghe or Rudneff before his breakthrough, if they fought Chi Yan Beast King, they would likely lose, and might even die... The mysterious powerful individual Lei Hui Beast King mentioned was probably a super genius from the Thousand Demon Civilization.

"Originally, if it came to an all-out battle, the Heavenly Virtue Civilization might not have been able to defeat us," Lei Hui Beast King said gravely. "But for some reason... Hei Guang Beast King suddenly opened the entrance for them."

"I suspect Hei Guang Beast King received the Beast Emperors' command," Lei Hui Beast King said. "That's why he let them in."

"It's the Soul Crystal Ball!"

"The three Beast Emperors each control a Soul Crystal Ball, and we Flying Heaven Beast Kings all have a trace of our essence within the balls... Through the balls, the Beast Emperors can communicate with us even when they're in the Sacred Land,

Lei Hui Beast King explained, "Similarly, if we die in battle, our final moments can be transmitted back through the balls."

In the face of this statement, the group of human warriors paled.

Such a bizarre treasure?

If that's the case, then the three great beast emperors must have already been aware of the Spirit Lance's power.

But Li Yuan remained calm, in the vast heavens and boundless dimensions, there were countless strange treasures.

Just like Gu You's 'Soul Lamp', it was even more miraculous; even separated by multiple dimensions, it could still confirm one's life or death.

If Ming Mountain was truly a fallen god-level mother ship, having a similar treasure wouldn't be surprising.

"Therefore, in the end, the Heavenly Virtue Civilization retreated."

"According to the Flying Beast King guarding the entrance to the Sacred Land, the top-tier warriors of the Heavenly Virtue Civilization should have also entered the Sacred Land through that entrance." Lei Hui Beast King added, "Later, to avoid being defeated one by one, the hundreds of Flying Beast Kings under the command of the three great beast emperors gathered in one place."

"Until you all arrived."

Time passed.

Through Lei Hui Beast King's narration, Li Yuan and the others learned more about the Mingxu Star Realm and the Mingxu Beast Tribe.

"Spirit Lance."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've said all I know." Lei Hui Beast King's heart was pounding, and he spoke softly, "I hope you'll spare my life."

Luo Chan and Tavarez turned to look at Li Yuan.

Whether Lei Hui Beast King would be spared depended on Li Yuan's attitude.

"Lei Hui."

"If I hadn't already known so much information, I might have been deceived by you." Li Yuan spoke softly, "Your words, nine true and one false, are indeed formidable."

The human warriors' faces changed dramatically. Deceived?

"Spirit Lance, I dare not deceive you." Lei Hui Beast King's face turned crimson, and he was very agitated.

"That Soul Crystal Ball, it's not just for close-range communication, it should also be able to transmit messages over extremely long distances, right?" Li Yuan smiled slightly, looking at Lei Hui Beast King, "You're probably in constant communication with the Sky Serpent Beast Emperor, trying to lure me to that Sacred Land entrance by any means, right?"

Finally, Lei Hui Beast King's face changed.

Before he could refute—

"Furthermore," Li Yuan continued, "I suspect that when you found us, the Seven Stars Civilization, on the surface, sold out the Mingxu Beast Tribe's intelligence... In secret, it's likely that the Sky Serpent Beast Emperor instructed you to play a crucial role at the critical moment."

"The Sky Serpent Beast Emperor, I'm not wrong, am I?" Li Yuan stared at Lei Hui Beast King, as if staring at the beast emperor behind the scenes.

Boom! Lei Hui Beast King suddenly erupted, his body instantly radiating countless violent thunderbolts. These thunderbolts seemed to engulf the entire group of human warriors in raging lightning.

However, as Lei Hui Beast King burst forth, Li Yuan was prepared, his speed surpassing the beast king's.

"Hua!"

A terrifying spear light attacked, instantly piercing through the layers of lightning and penetrating Lei Hui Beast King's already wounded head... His skull shattered, and his body fell powerlessly.

The lightning that had just erupted with a force of several dozen meters also suddenly weakened, easily blocked by Luo Chan and Tavarez.

Lei Hui Beast King, dead!

Thus, all eight of the Mingxu Beast Tribe's top-tier beast kings had fallen.

The numerous human warriors looked at Li Yuan in shock.

"Spirit Lance, what do you think?" Tavarez couldn't help but ask.

"He was too hasty."

"Logically speaking, for his survival, he would have tried to reveal as much as he knew to ensure his safety."

"He spilled everything at once, making it worthless. What did he have to gain by preserving his life? Did he really believe we'd spare him so easily?" Li Yuan shook his head.

Everyone understood.

"Moreover, his temptation was too strong, repeatedly emphasizing that Sacred Land entrance, as if urging us to venture there... And he deliberately mentioned that the Heavenly Virtue Civilization also went there."

"Even the scene of their deaths could be transmitted back. Communication within the Mingxu Star Realm is impossible."

"As a result, he couldn't bear it himself." Li Yuan explained.

In truth, that so-called Soul Crystal Ball.

After half a day of contemplation, Li Yuan recalled the information provided by Dongfang Ji, which mentioned a treasure called the 'Soul Crystal Ball', a rare item that facilitates communication among a team of soldiers, barely qualifying as a technological item.

"So, you're saying they contacted us on purpose?" Luo Chan couldn't help but ask.

"Perhaps, but since they're all dead, there's no point in pursuing it further." Li Yuan shook his head, "Regardless of the Mingxu Beast Tribe's secrets, they've already suffered a crushing defeat in this battle."

"The most threatening group of top-tier beast kings has been wiped out."

Li Yuan looked down at the ruins below, where many beast king corpses lay. A complex expression flashed in his eyes, "They fought without regard for their lives. These beast kings deserve our respect."

"Respect must be earned!" Tavarez spoke in a deep voice.

According to the intelligence they gathered, the Mingxu Beast Tribe actually originated from different tribes. In the past, they had been at war with each other... But when faced with the arrival of the Seven Stars Civilization and the Heavenly Virtue Civilization, these diverse beast kings united as never before, fighting with their lives on the line.

However, this was the struggle of civilizations!

Li Yuan, Luo Chan, and Tavarez, in the face of the might of the Seven Stars Civilization, would never show mercy.

In contrast, they would strive to eliminate all potential threats.

Just as the Blue Planet once had the Evolution of All Spirits, where humans exterminated countless species, growing into the Primordial Spirit of All Things.

Today, amidst the myriad civilizations in the Dimensional Domain, past centuries have seen the Seven Stars Civilization face invasion after invasion, even the Great Extinction that Flying Heaven once encountered.

Li Yuan and Tavarez understood that if the Seven Stars Civilization didn't seize every opportunity to strengthen itself, it would eventually face extinction.

...

"Spirit Lance, what should we do now?" Luo Chan asked, "Should we go to area 67 on the outskirts of Ming Mountain?"

The others also looked at Li Yuan.

"No!"

"Let's go to the residences of the three Beast Emperors." Li Yuan said solemnly, "Especially the residence of the Sky Serpent Sovereign."

"If the Beast Emperors built their lairs in area 67, always on guard, wouldn't that be better?"

"Additionally, if the Beast Kings under the three Beast Emperors are gathering in one place, why concentrate specifically at the residence of the Sky Serpent Sovereign?" Li Yuan asked.

Everyone's eyes lit up.

In reality, Li Yuan's ability to think of so much wasn't because he was smarter than them... it was simply because Li Yuan had access to the most intelligence.

"Spirit Lance, do you suspect that the Sky Serpent Sovereign's residence is another entrance to the Sacred Land?" Tavarez couldn't help but ask.

"We'll find out when we get there." Li Yuan said, "Anyway, we're not going to the Sacred Land entrance in area 67 for now... most likely, a Beast Emperor is guarding behind that entrance."

Although they weren't overly afraid of the three Beast Emperors, Li Yuan still preferred to play it safe.

Having already lagged behind the Heavenly Virtue Civilization for so long, they weren't in a rush at this moment. Sometimes, haste wasn't a good thing.

"Why do the three Beast Emperors keep hiding in the Sacred Land and not come out?" Li Yang asked in confusion, "In a battle like the one just now, if the three Beast Emperors were all present, we'd probably suffer a crushing defeat."

"Either they have more important matters to attend to." Luo Chan said, "Either... there's a reason they can't come out for a while."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Let's go." Li Yuan said, transforming into a stream of light and flying towards the distant Ming Mountain.

Boom! Boom!

Numerous human warriors flew into the Tier Four Warship, all rushing towards the residence of the Sky Serpent Sovereign.

The residences of the Million Scale Beast Emperor and Thousand Eye Beast Emperor were not yet fully confirmed by the Seven Stars Civilization, they only knew the approximate directions.

However, the residence of the Sky Serpent Sovereign, Sky Serpent Lake, was clearly marked on the map.

...

As Li Yuan and his group took action, deep within Ming Mountain, Sky Serpent Lake was a vast body of water.

Plop~

A nearly ninety-meter-long green flying snake darted through the clouds, its abdomen skimming the water's surface, causing ripples as it swiftly darted into the ancient palace at the lake's center.

"Qing Sheng!"

"Qing Sheng, you're back?" Two flying snakes, one black and one white, flew out from the palace's sides.

These two Flying Heaven-rank flying snakes were responsible for guarding the Beast Emperor's palace.

"You should all know the battle situation." Qing Sheng Beast King's face was ashen, "They're all dead, Uncle Chi Yan is dead, Hei Guang is dead, Tian He, Nan Xiong, they're all dead..."

Among the Flying Heaven Beast Kings, Qing Sheng Beast King's close-combat abilities were quite ordinary, but he excelled in flight... plus Li Yuan was unaware of his identity.

Consequently, Qing Sheng Beast King managed to escape by chance, and he immediately returned to Sky Serpent Lake.

"I know."

"Lei Hui Beast King also died in battle." The black snake said in a low voice, "Qing Sheng, go inside quickly. The Beast Emperor's projection is in the main hall."

Qing Sheng Beast King nodded and flew into the palace's main hall, where a huge, crystal-like sphere hovered in the hall's void.

Below the sphere, a massive projection appeared, and it was none other than the Sky Serpent Sovereign.

"Father." Qing Sheng Beast King spoke in a low voice.

"Did you follow my orders just now?" The Sky Serpent Sovereign stared at his child.

"I did." Qing Sheng Beast King nodded repeatedly, "I left with the Soul Crystal Ball, staying far away from the strong of the Seven Stars Civilization and the Heavenly Virtue Civilization... and I informed the Heavenly Virtue Civilization about Spirit Lance's strength and showed them many combat images."

On his way back.

The Sky Serpent Sovereign had already sent him a message, telling him many secrets and what he should do.

The most crucial thing was to take the Soul Crystal Ball with him.

However, once he took it away from this palace, the Soul Crystal Ball's effect would diminish... at least, the Sky Serpent Sovereign couldn't communicate with the outside world.

If they didn't take it with them?

It wouldn't be long before the Seven Stars Civilization's army would arrive.

"Father, when can you and the Million Scale Beast Emperor and Thousand Eye Beast Emperor come out?" Qing Sheng Beast King couldn't help but ask.

"The humans have sealed off all the exits, so now we can only enter the Sacred Land, but not leave." The Sky Serpent Sovereign shook his head, his snake eyes glinting with intent, "We're thinking of a way to get rid of that human warrior, Yu Jinghe, and regain control of the Sacred Land."

"The few geniuses who came from the Heavenly Virtue Civilization are also very powerful. Although we lured and killed two of them, Thousand Eye Beast Emperor was also severely injured..."

"In any case, escape quickly."

"Also, open the source energy chamber below the palace... since we can't ambush Spirit Lance in that soldier's passage, lure him into this passage.

The Sky Serpent Sovereign's voice was icy as he said, "The Sacred Land is a great temptation. As long as the top geniuses of these two great civilizations dare to venture in, we can kill them one by one... It won't be a problem."

"Yes, Father," the Green Ascension Beast King replied.

However, his heart was filled with unease. Even with the combined efforts of his father and the Thousand-Eye Beast King, they had failed to eliminate all the geniuses of the Heavenly Virtue Civilization... What if an even stronger Spirit Lance were to enter?

What would be the outcome?

It was hard to say! But at this point, there was no better option.

Soon after, the Green Ascension Beast King retrieved the Soul Crystal Ball and quickly left with two other Sky Serpent Beast Kings.

Not long after their departure, a deafening roar echoed through the vast Sky Serpent Lake, spanning dozens of kilometers. The lake's edge suddenly collapsed, creating a massive gap. A torrent of water surged through the breach, rushing down the cliffs below, forming a gigantic waterfall.

The water level of the Sky Serpent Lake visibly dropped at an alarming rate.

...

Deep within the Bright Mountain, in an enormous hall supported by countless metal pillars, two colossal beasts loomed. Their bodies exuded a powerful aura.

One of them, a Sky Serpent over a hundred meters long, was entirely green. Its scales resembled a battle armor, and its serpentine eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Damn it!"

"Is he really a Tier 2 Life? How can a Tier 2 Life be this strong?" The Sky Serpent Beast King roared in anger, "According to the training officer, back then, the strongest Tier 2 Life on the Mothership didn't possess such freakish strength."

"Only the top-tier freaks in the mother civilization, after cultivating the ultimate Body Refinement Star Art and combining it with an extremely high level of skill comprehension, can theoretically unleash the power of a Flying Heaven peak." The Sky Serpent Beast King shook his head, "Is he a Flying Heaven rank? Or does he have a special treasure that can conceal his aura?"

"Sky Serpent."

A weak voice echoed, sounding somewhat feeble, "Now is not the time to hesitate."

"Even if he isn't a Flying Heaven rank, you should be grateful. Otherwise, his strength will continue to soar, and he'll stay in the Mingxu World for a longer period. In that case, our fate would be sealed." The weak voice belonged to a strange beast that resembled an octopus, but its main body was covered in countless eyes.

The sight was enough to strike fear into anyone's heart.

He was one of the three Beast Emperors of the Ruin Beast Tribe—the Thousand-Eye Beast King.

Upon hearing this, the Sky Serpent Beast King fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "Thousand-Eye, what should we do?"

"Wanlin will venture into the Elite Channel. He has six Star Pulses... He is the most promising among us three." The Thousand-Eye Beast King's voice was low, "If he succeeds, he can enter the inner layer, not only capturing Yu Jinghe... but also gaining control over the entire Mothership."

"Once we gain control of the Mothership, the entire Mingxu World will still be ours." There was a hint of excitement in the Thousand-Eye Beast King's voice.

"Our task is to block the latecomers as much as possible, preventing them from entering the Divine Being Zone and buying Wanlin more time."

"They are outsiders without the bloodline of the mother civilization. They cannot undergo the elite assessment and can only become 'Outsiders,'" the Thousand-Eye Beast King explained.

"Easy for you to say."

"Didn't the geniuses of the Heavenly Virtue Civilization still break in? And they even injured you," the Sky Serpent Beast King shook his head, "Although this Mothership is our home ground, the methods left behind by the dying Divine Beings will also guide these outsiders."

For thousands of years, generation after generation of Flying Heaven Beast Kings from the Ruin Beast Tribe had attempted to infiltrate the Bright Mountain.

Most of them had failed.

It was only after the rise of the three Beast Emperors that they truly entered the Mothership, uncovering the ultimate secret of the Bright Mountain and learning about the vast outside world. However, their relative strength was still too weak, making it impossible for them to access the core region of the Mothership.

Inside the Mothership, there were still the outer regions and the Divine Being Zones... The three Beast Emperors had thought they had enough time to slowly explore and strengthen themselves.

But they hadn't anticipated the expansion of the Starworld Gateway.

The Seven Stars Civilization and the Heavenly Virtue Civilization had directly launched an attack.

"Do our best, then." The Thousand-Eye Beast King shook his head, "After the Mothership's great war, we fell into this Star Realm... We are the remnants of the Mothership's strong, but we are not the true source of life in the Mingxu Star Realm."

"Let's go."

"If your plan succeeds, the Spirit Lance should enter through Channel Three." The Thousand-Eye Beast King's voice was low, "Intercept him!"

"Yes."

At this point, the Sky Serpent Beast King had no better option. The two Beast Emperors transformed into streams of light, traveling through the wide metal channels designed for the passage of beasts.

...

In the Heavenly Virtue Civilization's main base in the Mingxu Star Realm, within an enormous conference room.

"Is this the image sent by the Ruin Beast Tribe? Is it real?"

"The Spirit Lance? This!" The group of True Intent Origin Warriors and Skysoar Warriors stared at the projection in shock.

Dressed in black, with a long lance, he was slaughtering one Flying Heaven Beast King after another.

"Reporting!"

"Origin Warriors, unleashing the power of a Flying Heaven peak! Even in the history of the Thousand Demon Civilization spanning tens of thousands of years, such a freakish genius has never appeared!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end