Chapter 149: Encountering an Old Acquaintance

Chapter 149: Encountering an Old Acquaintance

The Double-headed Stone Beast and the Tai Sui Cub charged forward simultaneously, their massive bodies colliding with the cliff and sending chunks of rock tumbling down.

"Boom!"

Two large craters were left on the cliff face.

Both were incredibly powerful mystic beasts, turning the canyon into an absolute battlefield.

From the mouths of the Double-headed Stone Beast, frost and flames spewed forth. Some areas were frozen into icy wastelands, while others were scorched black, the rocks seemingly on the verge of melting.

"Whoosh!"

Ning Xiaochuan joined the fray, transforming into a streak of light as he landed on the Tai Sui Cub’s back. Gathering his sword intent, he unleashed a Sword Wave from his fingertips.

"Boom!"

The Annihilation Sword Wave pierced through the Tai Sui Cub’s scales, leaving a wound on its back. Scarlet blood spilled out, dripping onto the ground.

The Tai Sui Cub roared in pain, its claws glowing with Profound Qi as it sent the Double-headed Stone Beast flying with a swipe. Its tail lashed out, aiming for Ning Xiaochuan on its back.

Ning Xiaochuan collected a drop of the Tai Sui Cub’s blood before leaping into the air, landing over 30 meters away to evade the attack. However, the powerful shockwave from the tail strike still sent his Blood Qi churning violently.

The Tai Sui Cub had no intention of letting him go. Its eyes gleamed with ferocity as it charged forward, its hooves pounding the earth with each step, sending tremors through the ground. A wave of Profound Qi surged toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Standing firm, Ning Xiaochuan wore a faint smile as he raised the Mystic Beast Manual. "Seal!"

Just as the Tai Sui Cub was about to ram into him, it let out a defiant howl, struggling briefly before transforming into a streak of white light and vanishing into the Mystic Beast Manual.

Ning Xiaochuan focused his mind into the manual, discovering a new space within—a floating stone tablet inscribed with the words: "Second Palace of the Mystic Beast Manual."

Inside the Second Palace, the Tai Sui Cub had reverted to a half-meter-tall creature, with the head of a qilin and the body of a pangolin, looking somewhat clumsy yet fierce.

With the Tai Sui Cub sealed away, the canyon fell into silence. Only then did the Small Red Dragon cautiously emerge from behind a large boulder.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, the Tai Sui Cub burst out of the Mystic Beast Manual, landing right in front of the Small Red Dragon. Its earth-shaking roar shattered the surrounding rocks, startling the dragon so badly it fell onto its rear.

"Tai Sui, return."

Amused, Ning Xiaochuan recalled the Tai Sui Cub back into the manual before continuing his journey through the Ghost Dream Wilderness.

Taming a Tai Sui Cub was an incredible stroke of luck. In the future, it might even grow into an Earthly Sovereign, becoming Ning Xiaochuan’s most powerful battle companion.

The Small Red Dragon scrambled to its feet and hurried after Ning Xiaochuan, trailing behind him.

The Ghost Dream Wilderness was fraught with danger, teeming with lurking threats and numerous mystic beasts—some even as powerful as Fifth-rank and Sixth-rank mystic beasts, the kings among their kind. Even warriors of the Transcendent Realm would flee rather than face them.

In the evening, Ning Xiaochuan and the Small Red Dragon hid inside a hollow tree as a massive shadow flew overhead. They had no idea what kind of creature it was, only that its body was as large as a mountain, and the aura it emitted terrified all beasts.

Only after the shadow vanished into the horizon did Ning Xiaochuan and the Small Red Dragon emerge from the tree hollow.

"What a colossal body. Could it have been a Winged Dragon?" Ning Xiaochuan shuddered at the thought. If such a creature had discovered them, death would have been inevitable.

They traveled through the Ghost Dream Wilderness for another six days, covering hundreds of kilometers. Along the way, they encountered many mystic beasts, but none were suitable to be taken as mystic beast servants. Instead, Ning Xiaochuan absorbed their Blood Qi and Profound Qi, using them as nourishment for his cultivation.

At night, Ning Xiaochuan practiced Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, hoping to reach the fifth layer as soon as possible.

Through these days of life-and-death cultivation, Ning Xiaochuan had made tremendous progress. He had already mastered the "Rainbow Teleportation" technique to the level of Six Rainbow Movements, just one step away from achieving Great Perfection in this divine ability. He was also getting closer and closer to the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm.

In the middle of the night, Ning Xiaochuan was immersed in cultivating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, sensing the fluctuations of natural Profound Qi.

The Profound Qi transformed into tiny streams, flowing into his body.

Suddenly, the sound of a battle reached his ears.

Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes and looked south. "Five kilometers away, warriors are fighting."

This area was already deep within the Ghost Dream Wilderness. Ordinary students would never dare venture here, so encountering other warriors was highly unusual.

Ning Xiaochuan's body moved, transforming into a streak of Rainbow Light as he vanished into the forest, heading toward the source of the battle.

In the darkness, a melodious flute sound echoed. Every mystic beast that heard it became frenzied, charging madly in the direction guided by the flute.

Xie Mengyao unfurled her "Ice-Fire Twin Wings"—one side blazing with flames, the other radiating Cold Qi—as she flew above the treetops, her body swaying unsteadily.

She was severely injured, her stunningly beautiful face now deathly pale, a trace of blood at the corner of her lips.

A massive black vulture swooped down from the sky, letting out a shrill cry as it extended steel-sharp talons, aiming to tear into her back.

Boom!

Jin Quexi, as light as a butterfly, leaped from the treetops and slashed out a sword beam, cleaving the vulture in two. A rain of blood scattered through the air.

"They've summoned flying beasts. The sky is too dangerous—we need to retreat to the ground."

Jin Quexi was also badly wounded, half of a crimson battle sword still embedded in her back, piercing through her body. Blood gushed from the wound, staining her academy robe red.

Above them, the sky darkened as countless winged mystic beasts pursued them, their pupils glowing with eerie bone-green Profound Fire.

Jin Quexi was the first to land on the ground.

Xie Mengyao, having exhausted a great deal of Profound Qi by using her "Ice-Fire Twin Wings," immediately retracted them and followed Jin Quexi down, disappearing into the thick forest.

But the ground was no safer. Many mystic beasts chased after them, roaring terrifyingly, their cries shaking the earth.

Yue Mingsong ran barefoot through the jungle, drenched in sweat, shouting, "I say, you two ladies, why did you drop down from above again? Didn’t you see the mystic beasts swarming all over the mountains?"

Jin Quexi clutched the wound on her chest, gritting her teeth as she struggled to hold on. "No choice. They summoned winged beasts. The sky is even more dangerous than the ground."

There were four of them in total: Jin Quexi, Yue Mingsong, a member of the Tianli Society—also a second-term student—and Xie Mengyao, the only first-term newcomer among them.

Originally, there had been seven of them, venturing into the Ghost Dream Wilderness for a mission. But they encountered an incredibly fearsome enemy, and three of their companions were killed. Though the remaining four managed to escape, they were all severely injured.

Their pursuers were relentless, using flute sounds to summon mystic beasts, driving them to the brink of death again and again.

"Mystic beasts are everywhere. If we stick together, we’re doomed to die in the Ghost Dream Wilderness today. We should split up and break through in four different directions," said Li Jingming, who had the lightest injuries and was leading the escape.

At the Peak of the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm, he was the strongest among them. If they separated, he had a seventy percent chance of survival.

But if he continued fleeing with Jin Quexi and Yue Mingsong, he would likely be dragged down to his death.

Yue Mingsong objected, "No! Both of them are badly wounded. If we split up, they’ll die for sure. We either escape together or die together!"

But Li Jingming acted as if he hadn’t heard. Doubling his speed, he broke away alone, abandoning the other three amidst the horde of mystic beasts.

"Damn it! That coward has no sense of loyalty!" Yue Mingsong gnashed his teeth in fury but had no choice but to stop—they were completely surrounded, with all escape routes cut off.

"Roar!"

A Saber-Toothed Tiger fixed its blood-red eyes on Yue Mingsong, its razor-sharp claws poised to slash at his throat.

"Don’t blame him. He has the right to choose survival," Jin Quexi spat out a mouthful of blood and stopped as well, leaning on her sword for support. A bitter smile crossed her face. "Yue Mingsong, you always seemed so unreliable, but in a crisis, you actually have principles."

"Principles are useless now! Can’t you see we’re completely surrounded?" Yue Mingsong sighed in frustration, but then his expression suddenly brightened with forced optimism. "Still, dying alongside two beauties like you—many would envy me. Not a bad way to go."

In the darkness, hundreds of pairs of savage mystic beast eyes glowed as they slowly closed in on the trio.

These beasts weren’t overwhelmingly powerful, but their sheer numbers made escape impossible for Jin Quexi and the others in their current state.

"If anyone saves me now, I’ll marry them!" Xie Mengyao declared. Her figure was alluring, her curves exquisite, and her skin as pale as jade wax. Even with severe injuries, her devastating beauty remained undeniable.

No sooner had her words fallen than a streak of Rainbow Light flew over from the distant forest, landing on the ground and transforming into the striking figure of a youth.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the dense swarm of mystic beasts before him, catching sight of Xie Mengyao and the others trapped at the center.

Just as Ning Xiaochuan spotted Xie Mengyao and her companions, they too noticed him.

Yue Mingsong remarked, "I bet he’s been hiding in the shadows all along, just waiting for you to say that, Junior Sister. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? Ning Xiaochuan is too cunning—utterly treacherous, harboring ill intentions, and downright deceitful. Junior Sister, you must be careful when choosing a husband!"

Upon seeing Ning Xiaochuan appear, Xie Mengyao’s breathtaking face lit up with joy as she called out, "Ning Xiaochuan!"

The moment her voice rang out, the ferocious mystic beasts lunged wildly at the three of them, launching a vicious assault.

Ning Xiaochuan hadn’t expected to encounter them here either. Gripping his Profound Qi Sword, his body transformed into a streak of Rainbow Light as he charged straight into the horde of mystic beasts.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

With swift strikes of his sword, over a dozen mystic beasts fell lifeless to the ground in an instant.

Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze was sharp, his movements unstoppable. Every swing of his blade claimed another mystic beast as he swiftly advanced toward Jin Quexi, Xie Mengyao, and Yue Mingsong.