The surroundings were eerily silent. Elder Qing Yue raised her hand, and an exquisite ancient zither appeared in her palm. She sat cross-legged, placing the zither on her lap. Several elders had already cast various defensive Immortal Techniques, forming protective barriers around the disciples.
Guangwei Zhenren swiftly pulled Lei Xiuyuan and Li Fei behind him. The longsword at his waist suddenly transformed into a streak of clear light, whirling around the two in an impenetrable defense.
With a few sharp plucks, the zither emitted a chilling and piercing melody. Razor-sharp spiritual energy intertwined with the music, shooting out like countless invisible arrows in all directions. The energy flew several zhang away before being deflected back, crashing into the defensive barriers with thunderous force. Qingle Zhenren immediately pressed down on the strings, halting the music.
The elders exchanged glances, seemingly confirming something. Guangwei Zhenren let out a sharp cry, and the flying sword circling Lei Xiuyuan and Li Fei suddenly shot forward. A flash of clear light flickered before the group, and in the next instant, it appeared several zhang away, transforming into a slender figure. Moving as fast as lightning, the figure brandished the sword, filling the air with dazzling light. Moments later, the figure returned, kneeling before Guangwei Zhenren. It had snow-white hair, a tall and slender frame, and striking purple eyes—clearly a weapon spirit.
"Why did you return?" Guangwei Zhenren frowned urgently.
The weapon spirit bowed its head respectfully. "Reporting to my master, there is nothing ahead."
This was truly troublesome... The elders exchanged glances once more, each seeing shock and wariness in the others' eyes. If they had encountered a Ferocious Beast with formidable combat prowess, it wouldn’t have been as vexing. The most troublesome among such beasts were those with weak combat abilities—some even perishable with a single Supreme Harmony Art. Most excelled in concealment or beguilement, making them nearly impossible to guard against. Already, two elders had vanished without warning. Retreat was no longer an option, yet staying to confront the beasts left them clueless. The group was at a loss.
"Esteemed elders, I didn’t expect to meet again so soon."
A cold, aged voice suddenly rang out overhead, followed by two figures landing swiftly before the group—Wuzheng Zi and his disciple from Star Rectitude Hall, who had just bid farewell in Duanming City. Noticing the strange expressions on everyone’s faces, Wuzheng Zi was inwardly puzzled. Known for his meticulous nature, he surveyed the scene carefully. The dozen or so disciples nearby were from the Embrace Sky Sect, all pale with fear. Among the No Moon Court elders, it seemed a few were missing. Had they encountered some powerful Demonic Beasts?
Guangwei Zhenren clasped his hands in greeting, forcing a smile. "Master Wuzheng, be cautious. It seems a formidable Ferocious Beast lurks here."
He quickly recounted the events. Wuzheng Zi’s brows lifted slightly, and after a long pause, he mused, "Invisible and concealed, capable of making elders vanish without a trace... Could it be... the Gluttonous Beast, one of the Four Fiends?"
Elder Qing Yue gasped. "The Gluttonous Beast?! How could one of the Four Fiends appear in a place teeming with low-level Demons?"
Wuzheng Zi called out, "Tongzhou."
Ji Tongzhou immediately bowed and responded, "Yes." Raising both hands, the group felt a wave of scorching heat as a vast sea of flames erupted across the surrounding ten-li radius. Encircled by the inferno, the flames licked wildly yet left them untouched.The elders couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. The Immortal Techniques of Star Rectitude Hall had always been domineering and unrestrained, yet this young disciple had already grasped their essence at such a tender age. No wonder the usually aloof Wuzheng Zi treated him with such care.
Wuzheng Zi smiled faintly and said, "Esteemed elders, my humble disciple has embarrassed himself. Now, let's focus on the matter at hand. I once heard that the Gluttonous Beast devoured thousands of small nations overnight, with both people and their dwellings vanishing without a trace—a phenomenon strikingly similar to the elders' sudden disappearance. Given the recent anomalies and the Gluttonous Beast's nomadic nature, its appearance here is hardly surprising. Fortunately, it didn't swallow Duanming City, which is something to be grateful for."
Qingle Zhenren, startled by his certainty, exclaimed, "So those who disappeared were swallowed by the Gluttonous Beast? How could there be such an unstoppable Ferocious Beast?!"
For Celestials like Chongyi and Dongyang to be devoured without even a sound was unthinkable. No matter how powerful a Ferocious Beast was, Celestials always had a fighting chance. Among the Four Fiends, Taowu had been slain by Guangwei Zhenren, while Hundun and Star Rectitude Hall's Xuanshan Zi had fought to a stalemate and vanished. How could the Gluttonous Beast be so terrifying?
Guangwei Zhenren sighed. "In my opinion, being swallowed doesn't necessarily mean death. The Gluttonous Beast feeds on human desires and shouldn't pose immediate danger. If it could swallow thousands of small nations, its size must be colossal—likely spanning thousands of miles."
The thought that they might be standing inside the Gluttonous Beast's gaping maw sent chills down everyone's spines.
After a moment of contemplation, Guangwei Zhenren turned to the disciples of the Embrace Sky Sect and said, "We have urgent matters to attend to and cannot delay. It would be best for you all to return to your sects and report this to your elders."
Hearing this, Qingle Zhenren frowned. "Guangwei! Are you planning to ignore what happened to Chongyi and Dongyang and just head to White Edge Cliff as if nothing occurred?!"
Guangwei Zhenren replied calmly, "They are more than capable of protecting themselves. Let us first complete our mission, and we can discuss countermeasures in detail upon our return."
Without waiting for further objections, he immediately rose on a cloud. Suddenly, everyone saw his body lurch as if lifted by some invisible force. Wuzheng Zi reacted swiftly, shouting a warning and firing countless arrows of flame, but it was too late—Guangwei Zhenren vanished before their eyes.
Now even the elders panicked. Guangwei Zhenren was carrying Cui Xuan Xianren's Lesser World in his arms! The Outlander Tomb and two senior Celestials were inside! If he too was swallowed by the Gluttonous Beast, what then?
Wuzheng Zi abruptly drew a several-zhang-long black whip from his waist and cracked it in the air. Instantly, a ferocious fire serpent coiled around him. With repeated cracks, his surroundings became densely packed with fire serpents. Transforming into a streak of flame, he darted through the forest like lightning. Just as he was about to land, he too disappeared without a trace.
Ji Tongzhou's face paled. Raising his hands again, he summoned a sea of fire that surged ten li in radius, its flames reaching the heavens. He then mounted his sword, intending to follow his Master's example and circle the area. The elders immediately grabbed him. "Don't act recklessly! We must retreat first! We'll inform the major Immortal sects and decide our next steps!"Qing Yue Elder held Ji Tongzhou tightly as the group soared on clouds, forcing the dozen or so Embrace Sky Sect disciples to follow reluctantly. After flying for a while, the sky grew increasingly dark. Li Fei looked up—it should have been dawn by now, yet the heavens were shrouded in gloom, not like storm clouds but as if night had fallen again. The forest was eerily silent, with even the countless low-level Monstrous creatures that once roamed freely now hiding away.
The elders abruptly halted their clouds. One elder spoke gravely, "This is bad! We might not make it in time!"
Before the words faded, Li Fei felt an overwhelming, irresistible force yank her upward. She cried out in alarm, only to see many disciples around her being flung wildly through the air by the same force, unable to maintain their Sword flying or cloud-riding.
Suddenly, someone gripped her left wrist tightly. She turned to see Ji Tongzhou right beside her, his fingers turning white from the strain of resisting the pull, yet he refused to let go. With a fierce tug, he pulled her into his arms, locking her tightly against his chest.
She struggled desperately but couldn’t break free. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Lei Xiuyuan, dragged far away by the force. "Xiu Yuan!" she called urgently.
Ji Tongzhou’s hoarse voice whispered in her ear, "Who are you calling for? It’s me holding you."
Her arms were pinned, utterly immobile. In frustration, she bit down hard on his shoulder. The next moment, the world spun violently—the force became chaotic, tossing them like leaves in a storm. The howling wind and colliding Spiritual energy scraped against their bodies like blades, bringing excruciating pain. Darkness swallowed her vision again as her body slammed into something hard, knocking the breath from her lungs. The relentless force dragged her, tossing her about until she could endure no more and blacked out.
An unknown time later, Li Fei awoke to pain in every part of her body, her bones feeling shattered. A heavy weight pressed on her chest. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes—only to be met with blinding Golden light. She shut them again, gathering her scattered thoughts.
Raising a hand, she touched soft hair and gasped, remembering Ji Tongzhou clinging to her. She jerked her eyes open and looked down—sure enough, Ji Tongzhou lay unconscious atop her, his white Disciple uniform soaked in blood, his back and arms crisscrossed with deep gashes. Had the Spiritual energy caused these wounds?
She swiftly cast a Healing net over him before shoving him aside without mercy. The ground beneath her was uneven, something hard and cold pressing into her. She picked up a smooth, metallic object—a large, gleaming silver ingot!What kind of place was this?! Filled with confusion, she slowly stood up. The sky was as red as blood, stretching endlessly in all directions. Countless small hills rolled continuously into the distance, overflowing with dazzling treasures that made her eyes swim. These hills were entirely piled with gold ingots, silver bars, and even countless precious gems and pearls, along with innumerable rare treasures she had never seen before in her life.
Li Fei couldn't help but gape in astonishment—she had never seen so much wealth in her entire life! Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she gingerly caressed a silver bar, handling it as carefully as if it might shatter at any moment. She pinched it, then bit it—it was real silver! Not an illusion!
What should she do? Should she secretly take one? Li Fei clutched the silver bar, reluctant to let it go. Her heart wrestled with the temptation countless times before she finally, reluctantly, tossed it back down.
As the saying goes, when things go against nature, there must be a Demon at work. Everything here was utterly bizarre and far from reality, reminding her of the Ferocious beast, the Mirage Dragon, she had encountered at the East Sea Trial Grounds. This time, she had to remain vigilant at all times and must not be deceived again.
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