Chapter 37 [VIP]
"Junior brother, come up quickly!"
Upon hearing Shen Hezhou's words, Jiang Zhuochen immediately took action, but he was still a step too slow. A dark tail rose high, then swiftly wrapped around Jiang Zhuochen's waist, pulling him towards the bottom of the pool!
In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace.
Shen Hezhou and his fellow disciples, including Ling He, were so frightened that their legs went weak, and their natal swords flew into the water one after another in the next moment.
There was no movement in the darkness, and Shen Hezhou was so anxious that he was about to gather people to form an array and destroy the pool.
Suddenly, the water surface began to bubble violently, churning incessantly. Everyone held their breath, and soon a demonic beast with a deer's head and a snake's body rushed out and leaped onto the surface. On its head, between its two antlers, sat Jiang Zhuochen, completely unharmed, his face beaming with pride.
The senior brothers breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they could still report back to their master.
The monster's tail swung in the air, shattering an invisible barrier and revealing its true green form, which gently carried Jiang Zhuochen to the top of the tree.
Jiang Zhuochen picked the unknown herb and placed it on the ground. He waved to the monster with a smile, but the monster scurried into the bottom of the pool without looking back.
"Heavens! It's a sky full of azure clouds!" Qu Ling exclaimed in surprise.
"What is this?" Jiang Zhuochen asked, completely bewildered. "Why is Senior Sister so surprised?"
The herb in his hand was entirely emerald green, with a pigeon-egg-sized fruit at its tip that shimmered with seven-colored light and emitted a wonderful fragrance.
Only after this treasure appeared did they realize why they hadn't been able to find it anywhere.
The Azure Cloud Sky grows only near water sources. To prevent it from being picked, it forms a protective barrier, projecting light into the water and releasing energy. It is guarded by ferocious demonic beasts. Ordinary people cannot break the barrier unless the demonic beasts allow it.
"This is a real treasure," Ling He said with a smile. "I heard it can bring the dead back to life, heal the wounded, and preserve a soul that is about to dissipate. If you eat it directly, your cultivation level can be forcibly raised by two realms."
"Such a good thing?" This time it was Jiang Zhuochen's turn to be surprised.
“However, I advise you not to eat it yet. If you can’t refine this burgeoning spiritual energy, you might explode and die,” Ling He said.
Jiang Zhuochen immediately lost interest. "What's the use? Can an ordinary person absorb the cultivation of two realms in a short time?"
“Even if most people couldn’t absorb it, they would still cherish it like their lifeblood. How could you be so disgusted by it?” Feng Shuang joked. “But compared to this spiritual herb, I didn’t know that Junior Brother could subdue this demon beast with his bare hands.”
“It wasn’t me.” Jiang Zhuochen touched his nose. “It was probably my master.”
His eyes were still closed, and his limbs were flailing about from choking on water when a fierce and domineering spiritual force exploded around him in an instant. Later, when he was able to open his eyes, the demon beast had been subdued. He only had time to sense the extremely faint trace of the remaining spiritual force and judge that it was probably his master protecting him.
The senior brothers felt a chill run down their spines. Oh no, they were in trouble. They wouldn't be able to explain this to their master.
A fellow disciple remarked enviously, "Junior brother is so lucky."
A priceless treasure that is useless is equivalent to trash. Jiang Zhuochen didn't quite understand what was so good about it, so he could only humbly say, "It's alright, it's alright."
Just then, from behind a huge cluster of crystals refracting seven-colored light to the side, five or six people suddenly emerged. They were wearing Daoist robes with black and red flame patterns, and were disciples of the Blazing Sun Sect, known for their domineering techniques and flamboyant behavior. The leader had an arrogant face and sharp eyes like an eagle, staring intently at the spiritual herb in Jiang Zhuochen's hand.
"Azure Clouds?" The Blazing Sun Sect disciple's eyes flashed with undisguised greed and delight. "I didn't expect to encounter such a treasure so soon after entering. I'm quite lucky. However, it would be a waste for you to keep such a spiritual object in your hands. It would be better to hand it over to us so that it can be put to good use."
Jiang Zhuochen glanced at him disdainfully and put the spiritual herb into his sleeve. "You're such a show-off, mine probably isn't enough. Why don't you pick a couple more yourself?"
"You're courting death. These treasures of the secret realm are naturally formed, ownerless objects. When did they become yours?" Another disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect stepped forward with a sinister grin, crimson flames flickering in his hand. "If you know what's good for you, hand them over obediently, lest we fight and ruin our harmony, making everyone look bad!"
As his fellow disciples stepped in front of him, Jiang Zhuochen slightly raised his chin, his smile undisguised. "Wrong, it's only your faces that are unattractive."
Shen Hezhou attempted to reason: "Fellow members of the Blazing Sun Sect, we did indeed obtain this item first. According to the rules of the cultivation world..."
"Rules?" The leading disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect interrupted him impatiently, scoffing, "Here, strength is the rule. Enough nonsense, are you going to pay or not?"
Suddenly, a disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect standing on the flank attacked without warning. He flicked his finger, and a condensed fire serpent hissed like a venomous tongue, leaping over the crowd and heading straight for Jiang Zhuochen's face! This attack was swift and ruthless, clearly indicating that he was determined to kill and rob.
Shen Hezhou's expression turned cold, and he quickly drew his sword to parry.
"Attack! Seize it for me!" The leader of the Blazing Sun Sect shouted, and the others simultaneously launched an attack.
In an instant, this tranquil crystal forest transformed into a battlefield. Crimson fireballs, sharp sword energy, scorching palm winds, and talismans clashed fiercely.
The deafening explosions and the crackling sounds of crystals shattering were incessant, while dazzling yet deadly light effects flashed wildly in the distorted light.
Jiang Zhuochen had the lowest cultivation level, so he was the most conscious of avoiding the center of the fight and dodging the flying flames and rubble.
In the chaos, someone suddenly appeared behind him and launched a sneak attack. He felt a tremendous force and staggered backward uncontrollably, crashing headfirst into a dense cluster of crystals that reflected light in a way that made him dizzy.
"Junior brother!"
"It's dangerous over there! Come back quickly!"
"Don't go over there!"
The anxious exclamations of his fellow disciples were drowned out by the distorted light and the crystal's peculiar sound-absorbing properties, becoming distant and unreal.
Jiang Zhuochen felt the surrounding scenery twist and spin violently, as if he were passing through a viscous and cold film of water. The intense sense of spatial transformation made his stomach churn.
Upon closer inspection, he was horrified to find himself in a completely unfamiliar area.
The sounds of fierce fighting behind them vanished, replaced by a deathly silence. Looking out, all that remained was an endless, intricate, and eerie crystal forest, its shifting lights forming a vast, inescapable labyrinth.
He... was alone.
A moment of fear washed over Jiang Zhuochen's heart like an icy tide, almost suffocating him. He tried to activate his secret technique to sense things again, but found that the spiritual energy interference here was even stronger than before, making it impossible to pinpoint the direction of any of his fellow disciples.
He pursed his lips, somewhat bewildered, unsure whether his master could still save him if something happened here.
He dared not shout, for fear of attracting something even more terrifying, whether human or beast. After a moment of stunned silence, Jiang Zhuochen cautiously groped his way forward through the chaotic crystal clusters, taking each step with extreme care, his ears perked up, ready to catch any unusual sound.
He walked for an unknown amount of time, which felt like an eternity. Just as his spirit was about to be crushed by the endless silence and emptiness, he faintly heard the sound of flowing water ahead.
Jiang Zhuochen was overjoyed and followed the sound, hoping to find a water source to replenish his greatly depleted energy.
He struggled to push aside the last towering crystal wall, and suddenly a wide-open space appeared before him. It was a narrow canyon with a shallow stream at the bottom. The stream water was an unusual silvery-white color, flowing slowly and emitting a faint coolness.
However, before he could even get close to the stream, and before the joy on his face could fully unfold, a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly lit up in the thick shadows on the opposite bank of the stream, unlit by the crystal light!
A low, menacing gurgle from deep within his throat broke the silence, carrying a teeth-grinding, grinding sound.
A ferocious beast resembled a cheetah, but its entire body was covered in jet-black scales that shimmered with a cold metallic light. Its tail swayed slowly from side to side as it nimbly stepped out of the shadows.
It wasn't particularly large, but its streamlined body exuded explosive power. Every step it took was silent, and its scarlet eyes were fixed on Jiang Zhuochen, cruel and cold, clearly regarding him as prey delivered to its doorstep.
Jiang Zhuochen's scalp tingled instantly, and he felt like crying but couldn't. A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and cold sweat soaked the back of his Taoist robe.
The aura emanating from this ferocious beast was chilling and savage, far surpassing any demonic beast he had encountered before, definitely possessing the strength of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator or even stronger. He could even smell a barely perceptible stench of blood and decay permeating the air.
His heart pounded in his chest as he cautiously and very slowly backed away, trying to escape its sight and return to the relatively intricate crystal labyrinth.
But the moment he moved, the monster moved! Without any warning, it was faster than Jiang Zhuochen could see, and in an instant it swept across the silver stream, bringing a foul stench, its sharp claws aimed straight for Jiang Zhuochen's throat!
Driven by his survival instinct, Jiang Zhuochen desperately channeled all the remaining spiritual energy in his body, frantically pouring it into the ordinary-looking longsword in his hand, which he held horizontally in front of him to block.
Clang—snap!
The longsword clashed with the claws that contained terrifying power, emitting a piercing shriek, before being easily severed.
As fragments of the sword flew everywhere and the immense impact was about to slam into Jiang Zhuochen, a flash of blue light appeared on his chest, condensing into an indestructible barrier that blocked the attack for him. He was thrown backward by the momentum and crashed into the hard, cold crystal wall behind him.
"Ouch..." Jiang Zhuochen's eyes reddened with pain.
The demonic beast landed lightly, unharmed. Its attack blocked, yet it showed no anger, a hunter's composure flashing in its eyes. It seemed to relish the prey's death throes, not in a hurry to kill it immediately, but instead, with elegant steps, approached Jiang Zhuochen once more. Saliva dripping from its gaping maw fell into the silvery stream, hissing and emitting wisps of white smoke.
Jiang Zhuochen found amusement in his misery, thankful he hadn't washed his hands earlier, or he would have died even faster.
He watched as the sharp, gleaming teeth and emotionless crimson eyes drew ever closer, and he prayed desperately that Xu Xing would arrive in time.
At this critical moment, a pure and extremely condensed spiritual energy transformed into a cyan longsword and appeared out of thin air between Jiang Zhuochen and the ferocious beast.
It appeared slender, ethereal, and elusive, seemingly devoid of any power, yet it struck first and most accurately at the very center of the beast's forehead.
*Pfft*
A faint, almost inaudible thud.
The beast's ferocious forward lunge suddenly froze, the playful light in its scarlet, eerie eyes instantly solidifying before quickly dimming and extinguishing like a candle flame.
Then its massive body lost all strength, collapsing limply to the ground, raising a few specks of dust, lifeless. Only a tiny, almost invisible hole remained on its forehead, from which a trickle of dark red blood slowly seeped.
Everything happened too fast; from the appearance of the longsword to the death of the ferocious beast, it was only a matter of seconds.
Jiang Zhuochen was dumbfounded, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't believe his eyes; the huge contrast between his near-death experience and his current state of mind left him completely blank.
Jiang Zhuochen thought to himself, "My master was indeed able to find me, even through the strange spatial barrier. It's just a pity about his jade pendant; it shattered in two right after it blocked the impact for me."
He looked up and around. The crystal forest remained silent, and the dim light flickered and swayed. Apart from himself and the rapidly cooling corpse of the ferocious beast, there was not a single person in sight.
"Master? Is that you?" he shouted into the void.
There was no response. Only his own echo reverberated softly through the crystal clusters before fading back into silence. But the dead beast on the ground and the broken jade pendant reminded him that this was no illusion.
A note from the author:
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