Fateful Encounter with the Spirit Beast

In the north of the Kingdom of Saint Kai, the Demon Beast Forest has been shrouded in mist for years, appearing dark and tranquil, yet it is filled with danger. Countless bones of monster hunters, mercenary groups, and unsuspecting passersby litter the ground, leaving no one able to fully describe the scene inside the forest. The deeper one goes, the higher the levels and intelligence of the beasts, and it is rumored that the center of the forest serves as a passage from the human realm to the demon realm, but who can truly know?

Since beginning her journey for cultivation outside, Feng Xuewu had resolved to use the Demon Beast Forest as her training ground. The reason was simple: the most brutal training environment was the best place to forge one’s will and martial skills. Accompanied by Dixiang, Xiaojin, Yue Lianxuan, Yingdie, Liu Feng, and Atta, the group of five and two beasts crossed the Posidon Mountains and arrived at the Demon Beast Forest.

As they focused on the eerie transformations of the forest, perhaps due to Yingdie’s sensitivity to concealment and tracking, she suddenly remarked, “Everyone, since we left Saint Kai City, I’ve had this feeling that we’re being watched.”

Feng Xuewu and Liu Feng nodded slightly at her observation, while Yue Lianxuan, who was about to speak, was pulled back by Feng Xuewu. Atta appeared unfazed and continued, “I have the impression that their target is Xiao Xue and Xuan’er.”

Feng Xuewu lifted her chin slightly and stared at the sky above the Demon Beast Forest, murmuring, “If their target is on me and my sister Xuan, would they really let us enter the Demon Beast Forest?”

Liu Feng chuckled, “Of course not. What they want is you both alive. If you were to die, they’d have a hard time explaining that when they return.”

Feng Xuewu asked, “Lianxuan, what do you think we should do now?”

Yue Lianxuan tilted her head, pondering before saying, “We should draw them out and ask them why they are following us. If they can’t explain, we’ll just have to fight!” She finished with a playful pout, appearing innocent and natural.

Feng Xuewu replied, “How should we draw them out?” As soon as she spoke, they all turned to look toward the Demon Beast Forest, a shared understanding growing in their hearts with a hint of a smile.

Liu Feng laughed and said, “Xiao Xue, do you remember the formations Boss trained us in? I suggest we three take the lead in the attack, while Yingdie and Dixiang protect Xuan’er, who will be ready for rescue. Xiaojin can use the terrain to launch surprise attacks from the shadows.”

Xiaojin, who had been yawning on Dixiang’s back, perked up at the suggestion. He jumped onto Yue Lianxuan’s shoulder, his eyes gleaming mischievously as he bared his teeth in a playful grin. He vowed that he would certainly fulfill his favorite task. With that determination expressed, Xiaojin swiftly crawled away, disappearing into the depths of the Demon Beast Forest.

Feng Xuewu exchanged a look of agreement with Liu Feng and took the lead into the forest, followed closely by the others. Suddenly, a dark tone echoed, commanding, “Stop!” The group knew that the mystery would soon be revealed.

With that voice, two to thirty men, all wearing black masks that revealed only their eyes, surged from the surrounding trees, surrounding Feng Xuewu and the others. A tall, slender man stepped forward, his gaze flicking back and forth between Feng Xuewu and the other two women, a sinister smile on his face. “So, it really is the cream of the crop. Tsk, tsk! In just two or three years, you’ll all be stunning beauties. No wonder, no wonder!”

Yue Lianxuan felt uncomfortable under the man’s scrutinizing gaze, as if she were being appraised like merchandise. On the other hand, Feng Xuewu and Yingdie remained unfazed. Feng Xuewu then asked, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

The man grinned maliciously, “You don’t need to worry about who we are. You’ll find out soon enough. For now, everyone, you will come with us. We wouldn’t want to get our hands dirty, would we? Behind you is the Demon Beast Forest; there’s no escaping.”

Liu Feng scoffed, “We haven’t even fought yet, and you’re already assuming victory? Don’t run away with your tails between your legs when this is over!”

Upon hearing Liu Feng’s words, the surrounding lackeys were furious and prepared to charge, but the leading man simply raised his right hand. Instantly, the enraged group calmed down, reverting to their previous demeanor, though their gazes became more ferocious, fixated on Liu Feng, who still wore a carefree smile.

The man noticed that his lackeys had calmed down and smiled, saying, “Impressive! It seems I underestimated you. Just one comment, and my subordinates lost control. Quite formidable! However…” As he spoke, a powerful aura began to emanate from him, suffused with a cold air that rushed toward Feng Xuewu and the others.

Feng Xuewu suppressed her surprise. With a thought, a soft, cold blue light enveloped her entire body. In an instant, the blue glow intensified and then dissipated, revealing Feng Xuewu clad in the Indigo Sky Armor, wielding the Indigo Ice Spear, standing proudly before everyone like a female warrior ready for battle. She took a confident step forward, swinging her spear to dissipate the chilling aura.

Yingdie spoke slowly, “Is this all that the Flower Moon Alliance is? Just a bunch of bullies trying to scare others?”

The mention of the Flower Moon Alliance shocked everyone present. Feng Xuewu and her companions were puzzled as to why members of the Flower Moon Alliance were after them, and how they even knew they were heading into the Demon Beast Forest. Meanwhile, the man and his associates were bewildered as to how Yingdie had seen through their intentions.

The Flower Moon Alliance is the most despicable and feared organization on the Xuanwu Continent. They specialize in abducting young girls and boys of various races, using various techniques to seal their martial and magical abilities, turning them into slaves without any ability to resist. These slaves are then sold to high-ranking officials and nobles for their depraved entertainment. As long as you can pay the price or offer rare weapons or gems, they can bring you the person you desire, even if it is a princess or the child of a noble from any country.

Due to their sophisticated methods of operation, they remain well-hidden and use cruel tactics. They leave no survivors except for those they intend to capture. Additionally, connecting with them requires passing through numerous checkpoints for verification. Their intelligence network spans across all the countries of the Xuanwu Continent. It is said that they are so well-informed that they even know every move the king makes. Thus, any slightest movement cannot be hidden from them, making all countries helpless against the Flower Moon Alliance.

The leading man said, “Interesting, interesting! I didn’t expect you to be quite skilled, possessing such fine weapons, and even knowing that we are from the Flower Moon Alliance. You can’t blame us then.” Suddenly, he shouted, “Everyone, take action. Whether they live or die is irrelevant, but do not let a single one escape.”

Upon receiving the command, the lackeys, like wolves and tigers, immediately brandished their weapons and rushed forward.

Feng Xuewu’s side quickly adopted a triangular defensive formation, shielding Yue Lianxuan, Dixiang, and Yingdie within their triangle. Yue Lianxuan hastily began to chant a blessing of Light, providing the group with spiritual support and encouragement. Atta, holding a single-edged sword, stood at the forefront, bravely confronting wave after wave of attacks, embodying the spirit of a lone warrior who could hold off a thousand foes. Liu Feng and Feng Xuewu, armed with a long sword and the Indigo Ice Spear respectively, flanked the sides, engaging the enemies surging past Atta. Yingdie, standing next to Yue Lianxuan, drew out two daggers, focusing intently on observing the battlefield shifts.

While the defense put up by Feng Xuewu and her companions was formidable, the members of the Flower Moon Alliance could not break through immediately. However, facing the life-or-death pressure of the skirmish was more than the unbloodied trio could bear. Moreover, there was a leader on the outside, watching the situation unfold with a predator’s gaze, adding immense psychological pressure on Feng Xuewu and her group. They found themselves struggling to maintain their defense, unable to gain any advantage.

The leading man smiled and murmured, “A warrior, a swordsman, a knight skilled in both magic and combat, a priest, and a dark element assassin. Today’s haul is truly bountiful.” Suddenly, he shouted, “Break the demon formation!”

The men with black face towels, who were previously attacking individually, swiftly divided into three groups. Each group launched successive, intersecting attacks, like waves crashing against the shore, their every weapon targeting the vital points of Feng Xuewu and her companions. In an instant, Feng Xuewu and her companions could not withstand the ferocious onslaught of the men with black face towels and had no choice but to continually move closer to Yue Lianxuan.

Sensing the dire situation, Feng Xuewu summoned her strength and shouted, “Ice Flowers of Nine Heavens!” Her entire being soared like a phoenix spreading its wings, ascending into the sky. In mid-air, her Indigo Ice Spear danced, creating a myriad of ice flowers that sparkled brilliantly like the first light of dawn. Then, gripping the Indigo Ice Spear with both hands, she dove downwards. The ice flowers, resembling thorned roses, surrounded Feng Xuewu, forming a whirlwind that seemed ready to engulf the men with black face towels.

Seeing the situation, the leading man shouted, “Not good!” His figure moved like a breeze, and three sharp claws suddenly emerged from each hand as he rushed toward Feng Xuewu. At that moment, Feng Xuewu, who was diving down, hesitated slightly, and the ice flowers around her accelerated toward the others. Seizing a brief moment, she yelled, “Yingdie, Black Mist, Xiaojin!” Then, she swung her spear horizontally, forcefully blocking the leading man’s claws.

The ice flowers, as abundant as stars, overwhelmed even the battle-hardened black-clad men, leaving them at a loss as they desperately swung their swords to fend off the icy onslaught. Just then, a sudden wave of dark mist enveloped everyone’s line of sight. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the black-clad men trying to counter the ice flowers, Liu Feng and Atta pressed back against their attackers and swiftly bounded toward Feng Xuewu’s direction.

While the black-clad men were focused on defending against the ice flowers, someone suddenly shouted, “There are ghosts beneath your feet!” In the ensuing panic, there was a series of thuds as many fell to the ground, their silence amplifying the fear of the unknown, filling the black-clad men’s hearts with dread as they had to keep an eye on both the ice flowers above and the danger below.

In mid-air, when Atta and Liu Feng arrived, Liu Feng immediately engaged the leading man, employing a hit-and-run tactic, causing the man to abandon his pursuit of Feng Xuewu. Atta, holding the unconscious Feng Xuewu who was coughing up blood, with three deep wounds on her right arm exposing the bone and bleeding profusely, her face pale, brought her to Yue Lianxuan’s side. After placing Feng Xuewu down, Atta immediately went to join Liu Feng in attacking the leading man.

Upon seeing Feng Xuewu’s condition, Yue Lianxuan immediately cast a healing spell to accelerate the recovery of her wounds. At that moment, a person with a black face towel suddenly charged at Yue Lianxuan, the knife in his hand already threatening the two on the ground. Suddenly, a thunderous tiger’s roar echoed through the forest, accompanied by dazzling silver light, stunning everyone present. A holy light ball, blindingly bright, appeared before the person with a black face towel in an instant. The horrific scream, the dismembered corpse, and the splattering blood enraged the man fighting Liu Feng and Atta. A powerful and icy killing intent surged from him, creating whirlwinds that blew away the black fog cast by Yingdie and momentarily stalled the attacks of Atta and Liu Feng.

As the black-clad men emerged from the dark mist to see the light again, they gradually calmed down.

Seeing that there were no opportunities left, Xiaojin and Yingdie returned to Yue Lianxuan’s side, protecting the two who had just finished healing.

The leading man glanced at the remaining ten subordinates scattered on the ground, their faces pale or blackened, the remnants of their terror evident in their expressions. In stark contrast, the two young warriors in front of him, though slightly injured, appeared unharmed thanks to the treatment from the silver light jia tiger. Standing tall like war gods, they defended the people behind them. Growing furious, he mocked, “Well, well! I never expected you to have a spirit beast-a silver light jia tiger! And that insignificant little snake is surprisingly powerful as well. It seems I underestimated you!”

As Xiaojin shot a scornful glance, the man’s body suddenly radiated an eerie dark energy that surged toward Liu Feng and the others. His long green hair billowed upward like it was caught in a tempest, and a cold, otherworldly smirk played across his lips, sending shivers down everyone’s spine. A sense of fear began to creep into their hearts, making them feel slightly disoriented as if they wanted to say, “What kind of strange technique is this? Why do I feel so exhausted? So cold? I just want to return to my mother’s embrace.”

Just as Liu Feng and the others felt their heavy eyelids drooping, a gentle white light flowed through them, accompanied by a low rumble that echoed like the sound of distant mountain bells. It was as refreshing as much-needed rain falling on parched land, awakening everyone and making them feel revitalized, dispelling the strange discomfort that had settled over them. Just as the silver light on Dixiang had not yet faded, Liu Feng and Atta exchanged a glance and, in that instant, charged towards the leader of the black-clad men, trying to prevent him from using that strange technique once more. They only heard the leader say, “Too late!”

Suddenly, it felt like Liu Feng and his companions had plunged into an ice cave. Their blood seemed to flow like glaciers, and their movements became sluggish, lacking the agility they had before. The black-clad men seized this rare opportunity, quickly surrounding them, and some even bypassed Liu Feng and Atta, advancing towards Yingdie and the others, intent on capturing them alive.

In a matter of moments, Liu Feng and Atta found themselves in a grueling battle. The wounds they had just recovered from tore open again. Meanwhile, Dixiang, Xiaojin, and Yingdie struggled to protect Yue Lianxuan and the unconscious Feng Xuewu, unable to leverage their usual speed. If it weren’t for the black-clad men being cautious of Xiaojin’s poisonous fangs and Dixiang’s elusive holy light balls, Yingdie and the others would have already been captured. Given the current situation, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

Yue Lianxuan, drained of her magic power, could only watch anxiously but was helpless to intervene.

Although the leader of the black-clad men appeared calm on the outside, he was painfully aware of his predicament. He had never expected this mission to be more challenging than the organization had anticipated, forcing him to use the yet-to-be-fully mastered “Heart of Magic Ice Veil.” Now, with his internal strength depleted, he could only grasp a small window of time to recover. Fortunately, once this group was rendered powerless and captured, the mission would still be accomplished.

The situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable. Facing a ferocious assault, Liu Feng and his companions could no longer hold their ground. In an effort to protect Yue Lianxuan, Yingdie shielded her with her own body, taking multiple hits and losing too much blood, which gradually robbed her of the ability to move. Suddenly struck hard on the back of her head, everything went dark as she whispered, “Lianxuan, I’m sorry!” before collapsing to the ground.

Tears immediately streamed down Yue Lianxuan’s face as she cried out, “Yingdie!”

Bound and helpless, Liu Feng, Dixiang, and Xiaojin could only watch as the person with a black face towel who had knocked out Yingdie slowly advanced towards Yue Lianxuan and another companion. Terrified, Yue Lianxuan turned and clung to Feng Xuewu, shouting defiantly, “Don’t you dare hurt Feng Xuewu! Back off!”

Tears fell onto the Indigo Sky Armor. Just as the person with a black face towel raised the hilt of his knife, a swift, arrow-like blue light suddenly pierced through his body with lightning speed. The assailant stared in disbelief at the wound, then collapsed to the ground, his eyes still expressing confusion. He would no longer need to understand why, as the Indigo Ice Spear, still quivering from the impact, provided the best explanation.

This sudden and startling scene shocked everyone present. The leader of the group shouted, “Who is the mighty one who would show themselves?”

Echoes filled the air, but no one appeared. The man carefully scanned the surroundings, finding nothing unusual. He pointed gently at the two women on the ground and motioned with his hand. Another person with a black face towel approached them, and the same process ensued. The Indigo Ice Spear, once again, vanished from sight, and with a flash of blue light and a loud crash, the person fell once more.

The leader, filled with uncontainable rage, signaled to his subordinates to capture Liu Feng and Atta alive as quickly as possible. Gathering the remaining internal strength he had, he rushed toward the two women like a gust of wind. But the Indigo Ice Spear arrived first, striking with incredible speed and power. The leader, taken aback, crossed his claws in defense. With a clang, the force of the attack pushed him away from the two women. His hands tingled, and shock washed over him-what a formidable weapon!

Regaining his composure, he focused his qi energy, contemplating how to overcome the situation. Once the numbness in his hands subsided, he devised a plan. He gradually shifted his position and suddenly kicked the body of one of his fallen subordinates toward the two women while darting in from another direction. The force of the flying body indeed provoked the Indigo Ice Spear’s defense, earning the unfortunate corpse another bloody testament to its prowess. In an instant, the leader was next to the two women. Yue Lianxuan raised her tear-streaked face and shouted, “What do you want?!”

With a menacing grin and a sinister glare, the appearance of the leader and his advancing hand became increasingly grotesque and repulsive. Suddenly, a surprising turn of events occurred: Feng Xuewu, who had been lying on the ground, extended her right hand and grasped the leader’s wrist, easily tossing him aside. She then slowly rose to her feet, emanating a chilling aura as her emotionless gaze took in the scene before her. With a gentle lift of her right hand, the Indigo Ice Spear flew back into her grasp with a sense of sentience. Her other hand caressed the spear as if she were whispering sweet nothings to a lover or trusting a dear friend. This simple yet poignant action made everyone present halt, captivated by the mysterious and extraordinary sight.

Feng Xuewu’s slightly upturned lips resembled the smile of the Grim Reaper in the eyes of the people with black face towels. The powerful and icy aura made everyone pause. The leading man sensed a dangerous aura from Feng Xuewu and, without hesitation, immediately grabbed Yingdie from the ground, placing his sharp claws on her neck. He barked, “Drop your gun, or I’ll kill her!”

Upon hearing this, Yue Lianxuan shouted nervously, “No, Yingdie! You have to save her!”

Feng Xuewu looked coldly at the leader and the unconscious Yingdie. Then she shifted her gaze to the worried Yue Lianxuan. Suddenly, she lowered the Indigo Ice Spear and coldly regarded the leader. Seeing that Feng Xuewu was unarmed, the leader sneered, “Very well. Now, bind all of you and take them away!”

Just as the black-clad men were about to act, Feng Xuewu smiled-a warm, soothing smile that felt like a gentle breeze or the comforting rays of the sun warming the earth. It captivated everyone, even the leader, as if they had been transported to a carefree world free of conflict. They felt blissfully enveloped in warmth, untroubled by any coldness. Then, without warning, an icy chill swept over the black-clad men as lethal blue lights erupted from the ground, piercing through their vital points, and screams echoed in the air.

The leader was the first to awaken from the dreamlike state, abandoning his hostage without a second thought. He quickly channeled his remaining strength and leaped into the air, performing a somersault. With his claws drawn, he created numerous circles to block the fatal blue beams shooting up from the ground. After several loud collisions, however, he could no longer withstand the continuous onslaught, and multiple blue lights pierced through his body. As he fell to the ground, struggling for breath, he managed to utter, “The Flower Moon Alliance will not let you go!”

With that, he dissipated into wisps of smoke, leaving Liu Feng and the others unaware that from the smoke, a green light floated upward, soaring toward the infinite sky.

The blue beams that had struck the black-clad men seemed to possess a life of their own, merging in mid-air to form the Indigo Ice Spear, which then gently descended into Feng Xuewu’s hands.

When Yue Lianxuan saw that all the black-clad men had been defeated, she rushed forward, exclaiming joyfully, “Feng Xuewu, you were amazing!” But Feng Xuewu seemed not to have heard, remaining quietly standing in place. It was only when Yue Lianxuan and Liu Feng approached her that they realized Feng Xuewu was already unconscious, as if she were in a deep sleep. As for the events that had just transpired, they would only be understood once Feng Xuewu awoke.