Fateful Encounter with the Spirit Beast - Chapter 58 - Xina's Necklace 2

After waiting for a long time, Laguli sensed the hated and feared aura of holy light concentrated solely on the girl before him, and there was no sign of movement. Coupled with the bloodstained odor filling the air, his ferocity surged once more as he prepared for another large-scale attack. Just then, Yue Lianxuan suddenly opened her eyes. Slowly raising her hands, which had been clasped together, she summoned the holy light that swiftly flowed between her fingers. With solemn and serious words, she chanted, “Burn away all evil filth in the world, dispel all resentment and darkness among the people, holy light flame.”

With her words, beams of holy light surged up into the sky, raining down on Laguli like a torrential storm. The searing heat caused Laguli to roar in agony as he frantically tried to escape, his wretched cries echoing throughout the Demon Beast Forest.

Yue Lianxuan’s eyes flickered with a hint of compassion as she commanded, “Dixiang, holy light ball!”

A holy light ball emerged from Dixiang’s mouth and struck the wailing Laguli, immediately igniting the holy light flame. The flames spread across the ground, engulfing Laguli in a sea of fire. In no time, Laguli was completely consumed by the holy light flames, leaving nothing but ashes on the ground.

Suddenly, everyone caught sight of a young Laguli rushing into the ashes, desperately digging through the remnants. Yue Lianxuan turned her head away, brushing away rebellious tears with her fingers. Although they were demon beasts, the innate bond of kinship was something all beings shared. Suppressing her sorrow, Yue Lianxuan approached the young Laguli and gently said, “You need to leave! This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. You want to eat us, and we have to protect ourselves, leading to this war.”

The young Laguli looked up in fear at the one who had killed many of its companions, suddenly biting Yue Lianxuan’s little foot. Yingdie rushed forward, and just as her dagger was about to pierce through Laguli’s head, she heard Yue Lianxuan shout, “Yingdie, stop!”

Yue Lianxuan, enduring the pain, gently squatted down and caressed Laguli’s head with her right hand, softly saying, “Bite, if it helps relieve the hatred in your heart, then go ahead and bite!” Laguli, who initially thought she was going to die, found that the very assailant was allowing her to bite without resisting, and while others looked on with hostile eyes, her assailant gazed at her tenderly. Unconsciously, Laguli loosened her teeth, remained silent, and turned to leave.

Feng Xuewu approached the dazed Yue Lianxuan, watching Laguli walk away, and said, “Xuan’er, are you feeling any better?” Yue Lianxuan shook her head.

Feng Xuewu continued, “Not everything in life can go as one desires. Love and hatred are indeed essential elements of this world. Without them, there would be no such thing as the value of life. Perhaps you feel guilty for killing Laguli, but it was also to protect us; otherwise, we might all have died at her hands. Thus, every situation has two sides, depending solely on whether your intentions are good or evil.” Yue Lianxuan spent the day quietly pondering over Feng Xuewu’s words after the bloody battle.

Led by the dark element, Tianxiang instantly arrived in a unique cave, its ceiling covered in white cloudstone emitting a soft light. The surroundings were bare except for a small pool on the right, the rest being just cave walls, void of anything else. However, the intensity of the dark element here was alarmingly high, even more so than at Darkglow Mountain, which had attracted the dark element in large quantities due to the Death Scythe; what unknown item could be here then?

The opaque, bottomless pool puzzled Tianxiang and Youni, wondering what secrets it held. Just as they were contemplating, suddenly the water in the pool churned violently, and a burst of dark mist, thick like dense clouds, sprayed towards them. Youni, startled, immediately lunged towards Tianxiang, who had lost his martial arts, but it was a moment too late. Tianxiang’s head was already penetrated by the dark mist, enduring an itch as if insects were burrowing inside. “Youni, don’t panic, I can still endure it. Be careful, I think the monster that’s about to attack us will appear soon.”

Hearing Tianxiang’s words, Youni gradually calmed down. Although she couldn’t help but glance worriedly at Tianxiang’s face, she kept her focus on the unknown monster.

Suddenly, the previously turbulent surface of the pool became calm. Out of nowhere, a beast about one meter tall, with webbed feet and scales covering its entire body along with a long tail, leaped out from the depths of the water. Its back was lined with spiky protrusions, its eyes were glowing green, and dark mist swirled around its mouth. Its roar was thunderous, shaking the ground beneath them. Having never seen such an exotic beast, Youni couldn’t help but scream.

With his face being eroded by the dark mist, Tianxiang couldn’t see anything. His ears still rang from the earlier roar, buzzing incessantly. Relying on his sense of presence, he held Youni’s hand and calmly said, “Youni, don’t be nervous or afraid. Describe its appearance to me.” Under Tianxiang’s calming influence, Youni quickly detailed the exotic beast’s form.

After a moment of contemplation, Tianxiang suddenly laughed, radiating a powerful aura. He remembered a description from a book Yelena had that closely matched this creature. One of the lines stated that this beast was the dark rat dragon, belonging to the dark element category. Its shape and abilities resembled those of an ancient dragon; it was resistant to physical attacks and immune to dark magic. This creature preferred living in dark areas or places rich in dark elements, but it was also suspicious by nature and timid like a mouse, treasuring its treasures above all.

Indeed, the dark rat dragon, which had been poised to attack them, sensed the confidence and presence in Tianxiang’s laughter. Its own toxic mist was failing to instill fear or pain in this human, causing it to realize that this person was far more complex than it had anticipated. It instinctively considered fleeing. However, the treasures in the pool were too enticing to ignore, putting it in a dilemma.

Tianxiang spoke to Youni, “This beast is the dark rat dragon. By nature, it is timid and suspicious, and it cherishes treasure immensely. Since it belongs to the dark element, we just need to concentrate and release the aura of light element to make it retreat.”

After this, the two began to summon large amounts of light element energy. As the light element arrived, the dark rat dragon appeared increasingly agitated and restless. When a faint white glow emerged from their bodies, the dark rat dragon finally retreated toward the wall of the cave, weighed down by its choices. However, as it departed, it glanced back longingly at the pool, clearly reluctant to leave the treasures behind.

After watching the dark rat dragon leave, Youni looked at the dark mist on Tianxiang’s face, anxiously asking, “Are you all right?”

Tianxiang replied, “Thanks to the neutralizing effect of the light element, the itching sensation on my face has lessened significantly. Would you like to go down and see what the dark rat dragon was after in the pool?”

Youni hesitated, “But what about you?”

Tianxiang assured her, “I’ll stay up here to maintain the light element in case the dark rat dragon decides to come back.”

Seeing Tianxiang’s determination, Youni reluctantly agreed, “Okay, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With that, she immediately leaped into the pool.

The pool was deep and dark, its bottom completely invisible. Despite Youni opening her eyes wide, she could only see about the length of her hand, and the unpredictable currents made it difficult for her to navigate.

After searching meticulously in every direction, she didn’t find anything unusual, which made her contemplate giving up the search. Just as this thought crossed her mind, a surge of dark element suddenly erupted from the bottom of the pool, causing the water to churn violently. However, this change brought a glimmer of hope to Youni; in the midst of the seemingly mundane chaos, something was finally happening. Remembering her principle of staying composed in the face of uncertainty, Youni cautiously moved toward the source of the dark element.

Suddenly, a wave of familiarity enveloped her as the water rippled around her, stirring a strange urge to get closer to it. Surprised by this sensation, Youni found herself unable to resist her instincts. By the time she regained control of her actions, she realized she had reached her destination.

As Youni arrived, the area where the dark element had previously surged suddenly fell silent, with no more unusual occurrences. This made her feel as though the dark element had directed her to this very spot.

Youni reached down to clear away the muddy bottom of the pool, and her fingers brushed against something bulky. It felt like a necklace. As she grasped the necklace in her hand, the same sense of familiarity she had felt earlier surged through her entire body, as if an old friend-long unseen-was whispering sweetly in her ear, sharing feelings of longing and affection. Youni found herself lost in emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time, feelings that were apart from her connection with Tianxiang.

Suddenly, a powerful and disturbing aura of darkness emerged from the water, disrupting Youni’s thoughts. Startled, she remembered she wasn’t skilled in combat while submerged, and she immediately intended to leap out of the pool. However, the dark aura seemed to shadow her every move. Once she burst out of the water, she was met with the sight of the dark rat dragon, whose eyes were now swirling with layers of dark mist. A glimmer of greed shone amidst the mist as it stared hungrily at the necklace in Youni’s hand.

Tianxiang sensed the aura and quickly made his way to Youni’s side, chuckling as he said, “Did you find the treasure? Looks like you brought back an accessory too!”

Youni replied nervously, “You still have time to joke around! It’s the dark rat dragon from before! It looks completely different now, and it’s fixated on the necklace in my hand!”

Tianxiang clarified, “The necklace! That’s what you found in the pool! It makes sense why it would draw out the dark rat dragon. It’s likely in a captivated state now. Be careful; its attacks will be fierce.”

Suddenly, the dark rat dragon let out a thunderous roar, and a dense cloud of black mist poured from its mouth, threatening to tear them apart. The relaxed expression on Tianxiang’s face shifted dramatically. He began to chant an incantation, and as he finished, a brilliant holy light barrier enveloped both of them. The dark mist met the holy light barrier like a raging river colliding with an unyielding rock, swirling away around it.

Youni quickly hung the necklace around her neck and asked, “What should we do now? I can’t use dark element magic, and it isn’t afraid of physical attacks. How can I help you?”

Tianxiang instructed, “All you need to do is fly above the cave with the necklace and attract its attention. Leave the rest to me.”

Without hesitation, Youni spread her wings and flew high, circling above the cave. As expected, the dark rat dragon’s full attention was drawn to her. Seizing the opportunity, Tianxiang cast the holy light barrier upon Youni, ensuring her protection, and hurriedly sketched a magic circle on the ground. Once he completed the intricate design, he bit his fingertip, allowing a drop of blood to fall onto the circle. Instantly, the previously ordinary magic circle began to rotate, slowly at first, but then gaining speed. As Tianxiang closed his eyes and fervently recited the incantation, the rotation of the magic circle fluctuated, and waves of light element surged into the air above it, forming a dense cloud of radiant light that danced freely.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, dampening his clothes, but Tianxiang persevered through the danger of depleting his magic. He concentrated on summoning the light element. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and exclaimed, “Throw the necklace into the magic circle in front of me!”

After narrowly dodging a wave of poisonous mist from the dark rat dragon, Youni dove low over the magic circle. She intentionally let the dark rat dragon see her as she dropped the necklace into the circle. As expected, the greedy dark rat dragon immediately charged into the magic circle without hesitation. Tianxiang shouted, “Flowing Light Holy Rain!”

The clouds of light, which had been swirling in the air, suddenly converged at the center of the magic circle, unleashing a cascade of brilliant light. It was like an endless meteor shower, aimed right at the dark rat dragon, which was now playing with the necklace. Countless blades of light pierced through the dark rat dragon’s body from all directions. Its agonized howls were terrifying, and in its hateful gaze directed at Tianxiang, the darkness swirling around its eyes suddenly turned hollow.

At the same time, Youni shouted, “No!” Heart racing with worry, she rushed toward Tianxiang, determined to block the attack with her own body before the dark rat dragon’s claws could reach him. Sensing her urgency, the necklace, which had been on the ground, suddenly vanished and materialized in Youni’s hands in the form of a bow. With her heart burning with desperation, Youni instinctively drew back the bow and released the first arrow, a swift dark arrow that struck down the claw aimed at Tianxiang’s face. However, as she prepared to draw a second arrow, the claw aimed for his heart was already upon him. Youni cried out, “No!” Tears streamed down her face, mixing with her grip on the bow that faltered under the weight of her sorrow. She felt as helpless as Tianxiang, who now lay quietly on the ground.

In her dream, Feng Xuewu suddenly screamed, “Brother Xiang!” Both she and Yue Lianxuan jolted awake at the same moment. They exchanged alarmed glances, noticing the cold sweat on each other’s faces. Feng Xuewu was the first to speak. “Xuan’er, did you have a nightmare?”

Wiping the cold sweat from her brow, Yue Lianxuan nodded and replied, “Feng Xuewu, you did too, right? Was it about Brother Xiang?”

Feng Xuewu responded with a shudder, “I dreamt he lay on the ground as if he were dead, but his expression looked so peaceful.”

Yue Lianxuan was surprised. “That dream is the same as mine. Could it be that we’re just worried about him so much? You know what they say: what occupies your thoughts during the day may haunt your dreams at night.”

Feng Xuewu said anxiously, “I hope so. We need to have faith in Brother Xiang. Although he’s facing challenges right now, I believe he’ll overcome them. It’s a pity we’re not by his side to support him.”

Yue Lianxuan nodded silently in agreement. Together, they gazed into the glowing embers of their campfire, their minds drifting across countless mountains and rivers to an unknown place, filled with the sweet memories of every moment they had shared with Tianxiang.

As the two of them wore sweet smiles, Liu Feng, who was on night watch, suddenly let out an urgent whistle. They quickly got dressed and joined Liu Feng, only to find that Atta, Yingdie, and the two young ones were already there. They gasped at the sight before them: the blue-blooded Fangs dripping drop by drop onto the ground, hundreds of fiery red eyes staring at the humans like a delicious feast. As the fiery red eyes drew closer, they realized it was the night wolf.

Group attacking is characteristic of all wolf packs; cunning and ferocious, their bloodthirsty nature has become synonymous with wolves. Wolves are more active at night than during the day, and the night wolf is a prime example among them, which is why people say, “Better to meet a daytime thief than a night wolf at night.” This reveals the terror of the night wolf, which, although not capable of magic, has naturally corrosive claws. A scratch from them makes wounds difficult to heal, and if improperly treated, the injury could worsen, allowing the corrosive toxin to invade the organs, leading only to death unless resurrected by magic.

Facing the advancing night wolf, Feng Xuewu calmly said, “We just had a major battle with Laguli today. Our physical and magic strengths have not yet recovered. It’s not suitable to fight, let’s avoid their sharpness for now. Leave our belongings and retreat to the hill on the right!”

Liu Feng said, “Xiao Xue, don’t you find it strange? Why hasn’t the wolf king of this night wolf pack appeared? With the intelligence of the night wolf, they wouldn’t leave such a good escape route for us, would they?”

Feng Xuewu responded, “What do you mean?”

Atta continued, “Breakthrough tactics. We head to the hill in front of us and defend from a high position to hold off the night wolf’s attack.”

Feng Xuewu made a decisive call, “Xuan’er, ride on Dixiang. The four of us will form a diamond formation, Atta in front, Liu Feng and I on the sides, Yingdie and Xiaojin covering the rear. Xuan’er, can you still cast one holy light flame and blessing technique on the hill? Dixiang should start with the illuminating technique.”

Yue Lianxuan said, “I’ll try my best!” Dixiang then let out a low growl.

Feng Xuewu shouted, “Dixiang! Xuan’er!”

Dixiang and Yue Lianxuan, positioned in the center, suddenly radiated a silver light, enhanced by the illuminating technique combined with the holy light flame. The ground lit up brightly, resembling the scorching sun, temporarily blinding the night wolves. The scattered holy light flames heightened the panic and unease among the wolves. Seeing their plan come to fruition, Feng Xuewu shouted again, “Blessing technique! Break through!”

The blessing technique was a protection granted to loyal warriors by the priest, earned through devout faith in the Goddess of Life. It boosted the warriors’ resistance to damage while also uplifting their morale and courage.

Riding on Dixiang’s back, Yue Lianxuan felt perfectly stable, as if on solid ground, allowing her to concentrate fully on casting the blessing technique. With the blessing empowering them, the group pressed forward bravely toward the hill, undeterred by the numerous obstacles ahead.

Atta wielded his large blade without any fancy martial techniques; his simple yet effective slashes left a trail of severed night wolf corpses behind him.

Feng Xuewu’s Indigo Ice Spear showcased the advantages of long weapons, preventing the night wolves from getting too close. With precise thrusts and sweeps, she sent the attacking night wolves flying back into their pack, where they were quickly destroyed by their companions. Yet, more night wolves rushed in to fill the gaps, leaving Feng Xuewu with no time to rest.

Liu Feng rode the wind with his sword, using elegant and unconventional angles to strike with deadly precision against the night wolves. However, even he left openings, allowing some wolves to take advantage.

Behind them, Xiaojin and Yingdie had an easier time. Perhaps the night wolves hadn’t anticipated that Feng Xuewu and the others would take this path, combined with the initial chaos, which allowed the duo to pick off stray night wolves that had been left vulnerable.

As the hill loomed just ahead, a sudden howling from the right shattered the silence, sending a jolt through the group. Yue Lianxuan found her mental power faltering, causing the blessing technique to fade quickly. As a result, the wounds they had sustained started to weigh them down, slowing their progress.

Without hesitation, Feng Xuewu let out a clarion cry that pierced through the cacophony of wolf howls, lifting everyone’s spirits. Using the remarkable magic of her Indigo Sky Armor and Indigo Ice Spear, she soared into the air and shouted, “Feng Wu Bing Xuan!”

Feng Xuewu’s figure resembled a swirling water column whipped up by a tornado, and countless spear illusions created by the Indigo Ice Spear shot forth like droplets of water splashing in every direction. Though they appeared ethereal and insubstantial, they were in fact the relentless summons of death.

The brief and chaotic wails of the fallen night wolves echoed all around, their brutal fates clearing the space near the group. The heavy pressure that had weighed down on them suddenly lifted, and Feng Xuewu, after landing on the ground, gasped for breath, visibly spent from her exertion. Atta quickly stepped in to carry her as Liu Feng, Yingdie, and Xiaojin provided cover. After an arduous journey, they finally reached the hill.

There was no time to count how many wolves they had slain. Once atop the hill, the group quickly divided their tasks and ignited a massive fire across the prairie to deter the night wolves’ advance. They knew that as long as they could hold out until dawn, the night wolves would retreat on their own; after all, their threat decreased significantly during the day. Fortunately, the hill was situated upwind, and with the aid of the breeze, the fire spread swiftly, granting everyone a much-needed respite. After tending to their wounds and resting briefly, they heard Yingdie shout, “The wolf king has appeared!”

The wolf king stood as large as three night wolves, its fangs over a foot long and its eyes gleaming like rubies, occasionally flashing an eerie blue light. As it stood, fixated on the hill across the blazing sea of flames, the group’s gazes locked with its piercing stare. Suddenly, Feng Xuewu sensed an unusual fluctuation of water element magic, and she called out, “This is bad! It has water element magic abilities! Dixiang, unleash the holy light ball to stop it from using water magic to extinguish the flames!”

The holy light ball shot directly toward the wolf king, but just before impact, a night wolf leaped in front of it, absorbing the hit. The night wolf’s severed limbs scattered in every direction, accompanied by a burst of blue blood mist, inciting the other night wolves to howl in a thunderous, anguished chorus that echoed into the night.

Feeling the immense pressure from this cacophony, Feng Xuewu and her companions were forced to take a significant step back. Yet, undeterred, Feng Xuewu gave the next command: “Liu Feng, gather more wind element! Increase the wind intensity on both sides-we can’t face them from three directions. Atta, Yingdie, while the flames are still raging, dig some traps to weaken the night wolves’ resolve. Xiaojin, we need you to disrupt their first wave of attack. Dixiang, keep an eye on the wolf king. Don’t worry about its water element magic; just let us know when it can attack. Xuan’er, relax and take the time to recover. Restore as much magic as you can! If we can withstand this next assault, they’ll likely retreat with the dawn!” After finishing her commands, Feng Xuewu closed her eyes to meditate, focusing on restoring her energy and magic.

A chilling mist of water gathered heavily around the wolf king as it observed the group of so-called clever humans on the hill. Each of their movements transformed its agitated thoughts into calm calculation. Since gaining wisdom, it had never encountered such a tenacious and elusive human foe. Confused, the wolf king noted that while the flames on the left and right were growing stronger, the fire in the center was diminishing. Those cunning humans surely had some scheme in play!

Sensing the primal instincts of its followers stirring, the wolf king charged boldly into the sea of flames. The once-fading fire now dwindled to embers as the water element it commanded swirled alongside it, reducing the flames to mere sparks. Suddenly, the wolf king let out a thunderous roar, and the water surrounding it flowed like a forward-moving blue ribbon, breathing life and coolness into the air. With the path ahead cleared of flames, the night wolves that had been trailing behind couldn’t hold back any longer. They surged forward, driven by vengeful eyes and greedy saliva, charging toward the hands that were stained with their companions’ blood, vowing to leave no stones unturned.

At that moment, just as Dixiang let out a warning cry, Feng Xuewu opened her eyes. The sight of the rushing night wolves drew a cold smile from her lips, as if mocking their ignorance and ridiculing their fleeting lives. Yue Lianxuan, who opened her eyes a moment later, noticed Feng Xuewu’s cold smile. Suddenly, a familiar feeling surged in her heart. It was as if… yes, it was exactly like Brother Xiang’s smile!