Fateful Encounter with the Spirit Beast - Chapter 59 - The Secret of the Hurricane 1

In Tianxiang’s Niqiao Acupoint…

A somewhat fatigued Yesace said, “I tell you, Yates! How much longer is Master Xiang going to stay unconscious?” Looking at his gradually fading form, he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, “I wonder if I can hold on until I get a chance to say my last words.”

In a similar situation, Yates replied breathlessly, “You don’t see it? I’m not doing much better than you! But when we gathered our Energy together to help Master Xiang block that dark rat dragon’s deadly strike, I felt a faint presence of Xina Silan.” He ended with a puzzled expression.

Yesace grinned slyly, “You mean your precious Silan, who is revered as the Deity of Life in the human realm while being in the divine realm? But why do I sense a presence of dark element?”

Yates rolled his eyes at Yesace and said, “What precious Silan! If she hears you, I guarantee you won’t be able to leave in one piece. But the dark element you perceive must be the Xina necklace she left in the human realm!”

Yesace responded, “That makes sense! I’m wondering if we should start preparing? I really can’t hold on any longer!”

Yates replied, “Who knows how long this sleep will last? But one thing is for sure; it’s worth it. What do you plan to leave for Master Xiang?”

Yesace pondered for a moment before saying, “Let’s skip the earth-shattering Forbidden Spells and ultimate magic. Other than information about the demon realm’s environment and its unique traits, along with some schemes I know, I honestly can’t think of anything else to give him! After all, Master Xiang is still human. Some of our knowledge is beyond what his body can endure.”

After a period of silent contemplation, Yates said, “Then I’ll leave him my experiences from the wars and martial skills I acquired in the divine realm, human realm, and demon realm. After all, Master Xiang’s extraordinary nature will surely bring him many unpredictable fortunes and misfortunes in the future. The more we provide now, the more at ease we can feel!”

Yesace let out a sound of affirmation and began to channel the remaining Energy, extracting the information he wanted to give to Tianxiang and compressing it into a faint dark light. As he was close to completing the process, he suddenly thought of something important and quickly added a tiny bit of dark light. Once the dark light was finished, Yesace revealed a satisfied smile and said, “I’ll take my leave now!”

Watching Yesace’s form vanish into thin air, along with the fluctuation of his Energy center, Yates thought, “Yesace really has a carefree spirit-he leaves as he pleases and sleeps whenever he wants!”

After shaking his head, he gathered his strength to manifest a soft silver light energy sphere in front of him. In addition to the information he planned to share, he added a few more details. Looking at the silver energy sphere and the dark light, which danced around each other like old friends, Yates couldn’t help but think, “These deities and demons sure have a lot in common; even the things they create share such a bond!” He sent the memory files from both of them into Master Xiang’s sea of consciousness and softly murmured, “Master Xiang! We’ve done all we can to help you. Now it’s up to you! I hope that when we meet again, we can finally have a proper face-to-face conversation.”

Just as Yates finished speaking, Tianxiang’s voice suddenly broke through, “Yesace, Yates, what happened to you?”

But instead of receiving responses from the two, he was met with an empty, endless space. Calling out their names again and again, Tianxiang felt the increasing fluctuations of Energy, yet his shouts and tests were like stones thrown into the ocean, making no impact at all. In this void, he seemed to catch faint traces of information, but he had no idea where the clues were coming from. With no other choice, he decided to leave this place for now and planned to return later to investigate further.

Crying uncontrollably while lying on Tianxiang, Youni’s mind was a blank, a way to release the grief that overwhelmed her. An unending sense of regret haunted Youni’s thoughts; she even believed that if she could bring Tianxiang back to life, she wouldn’t hesitate to give up her own life to do so! This idea suddenly struck her, and she remembered that she had a Heart Imprint Contract with Tianxiang, which meant she could sacrifice her core Energy to save his life. Without hesitation, she began to meditate.

As time passed with Youni focused completely, just as she was about to transfer her core Energy into Tianxiang’s body to awaken him, the previously fallen Bowstringless Bow suddenly transformed into a necklace, swirling above her. It seemed to resonate with her meditation, and a beam of dark light shot directly into Youni’s sea of consciousness. Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind: “Silly girl, your master is not dead!”

The unexpected voice interrupted Youni’s intention. Confused and unable to clearly hear the words, she asked, “Who are you? Why are you stopping me?”

The voice replied, “I am Xiansi, a dark angel serving the Goddess of Life, Xina Silan. I am stopping you because your master is actually unharmed, so transferring your life Energy would be futile.”

Youni felt a mix of surprise and skepticism as she asked, “Really? Are you lying to me?” After a brief pause, she asked, “Wait! How do you know this?”

Xiansi responded, “Don’t rush. Just listen to me. I am a guardian angel assigned by the Goddess of Life to the dark necklace. I know everything that happens outside, but I can only communicate with those recognized by the dark necklace’s master.”

After hearing the explanation, Youni couldn’t contain her urgency and quickly asked, “Then what happened to Tianxiang?”

With a gentle smile, Xiansi said, “At a critical moment, the presence of deities and demons formed a defense that allowed him to escape a deadly blow. However, due to the sheer force of the impact, he was momentarily knocked unconscious. After all, the dark rat dragon is not like ordinary demon beasts.”

Feeling slightly reassured, Youni asked, “Then how did you end up in my consciousness?”

Xiansi secretly chuckled to herself, thinking how loyal yet naive Youni was. It was admirable how deeply she cared for her master’s safety, yet she selectively listened to Xiansi’s words. So, Xiansi said once more, “I am Xiansi, the guardian angel of the dark necklace. Because the dark necklace recognizes you as its master, I can communicate with you.”

Youni replied, “I understand that, but the problem is that I don’t have the dark necklace you mentioned.”

In her heart, Xiansi was glad that Youni wasn’t entirely ignorant but just hadn’t grasped the situation yet. “Earlier, you acquired a Bowstringless Bow, which is actually the dark necklace transformed into a weapon based on your preferences. It should also provide a set of armor.”

“Oh!” Youni exclaimed, then asked, “Since the artifact recognizes its master, do I have any responsibilities that come with it? I realize there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but I won’t abandon Tianxiang.”

Xiansi replied, “Responsibilities? I’m not entirely sure. The six necklaces left by the Goddess of Life are meant as precautions. After all, some beings from the demon realm may find ways to come to the human realm or manipulate humans to cause chaos, while the divine realm, bound by treaties with deities and demons, cannot intervene directly without risking another war.”

Youni understood, “I see. Is there anything else? Otherwise, I want to go see Tianxiang.”

Xiansi said, “There’s nothing particularly urgent now. My task is complete, and I must return to the divine realm. Remember, since you’ve inherited the dark necklace, an irresistible fate awaits you.”

As Youni acknowledged with a simple “Hmm,” before Xiansi departed, a thought lingered in her mind: Why do I have the vague sense of the chaos deity Yates’s presence? And there’s also an unexpectedly pleasant aura of demonic energy emanating from someone named Tianxiang. Hmm! I need to hurry back and inform the Goddess of Life so she doesn’t continue to worry about the fate of the chaos deity.

At the same moment Xiansi left, Youni awoke. The moment she saw that Tianxiang had regained consciousness, she joyfully embraced him, exclaiming, “Tianxiang, you’re okay! How do you feel now?”

Tianxiang, initially focused on absorbing the experiences left by Yates and Yesace, was startled awake by Youni’s presence. Seeing her eyes red and swollen filled him with concern. “I’m okay now, and I’m sorry for making you worry!”

Youni gazed at Tianxiang’s face and suddenly exclaimed, “Tianxiang, your face!”

Only then did Tianxiang notice an unusual tingling sensation on his face. Without thinking, he instinctively scratched at it, inadvertently peeling away a layer of dark, charred skin. To his surprise, the area where the dead skin came off revealed perfectly smooth, uninjured skin beneath.

After thoroughly washing himself in the pool, Tianxiang was astonished to find that all the burn marks on his body had completely vanished.

He couldn’t help but wonder how this had happened. Suddenly, a realization struck him: the poison mist of the dark rat dragon contained dark elements, which had the ability to consume everything. Fortunately, he not only possessed dark elements himself but also the light elements that protected him. Additionally, Master had treated him with medicinal baths from a young age, giving him exceptional resistance to poison, along with regenerative and recovery abilities unmatched by ordinary people. The poison mist could corrode only the surface of his skin, unable to penetrate deep into his body. As a result, the burned areas were eroded away, revealing his original skin. Truly, it was a classic case of “a blessing in disguise.”

Now that his face had fully recovered, Tianxiang still covered it with a light blue cloth, revealing only his bright and warm eyes. He knelt on the ground, tending to the corpse of the dark rat dragon. Youni, confused, asked, “Tianxiang, why are you still covering your face? Aren’t you healed?”

With a smile, Tianxiang replied, “I just want to avoid some trouble! Besides, this suits the identity I’ll be taking on next.”

Curious, Youni asked, “What identity?”

Tianxiang answered, “A mysterious exorcist and doctor!”

Youni chuckled, “Then I’ll change my identity too-to a mysterious chef! Hehe!”

Tianxiang smiled in return, but his hands continued to work diligently as he asked, “By the way, why is there a necklace around your neck that gives off such a strong aura of dark elements?”

Youni gently touched the dark necklace and recounted the words that Xiansi had shared with her. After finishing the task of dismantling the dark rat dragon and carefully cleaning the useful items to store in his dimensional space, Tianxiang said, “Since the dark necklace has recognized you as its master, it fully trusts you. So, just act in accordance with the will of heaven and your own heart; don’t go against fate. As long as you are true to yourself, you won’t betray its belief in you…”

Meanwhile, in the Demon Beast Forest.

Feng Xuewu, with a cold smile at the corners of her mouth, suddenly let out a sharp cry. A chilling battle intent radiated from her as she surged toward the pack of night wolves. The night wolves, previously charging forward, were suddenly struck by a significant drop in temperature around them. They shivered involuntarily, dousing their fiery greed and reckless bloodlust.

Floating slowly into the air, Feng Xuewu, with her Indigo Ice Spear in hand, launched a genuine ice blade that shot straight into the ground in front of the wolf king. Her eyes, filled with provocation, locked onto the wolf king, exuding an overwhelming combat spirit.

With a howl, a second ice blade came crashing down, shattering the one Feng Xuewu had launched as a sign of acceptance for her challenge. Within the clearly defined circle formed by the night wolves and Liu Feng’s group, Feng Xuewu stood facing the wolf king, while Liu Feng and others were still replaying in their minds the words she had left behind as she passed: “If I happen to be defeated, don’t worry about me; the ice necklace will protect me. You must buy time from a high vantage point until dawn breaks.”

The uproar of the wolf pack prompted the wolf king, who resembled a formidable overlord, to be the first to attack. Feng Xuewu thought to herself that they were indeed aiming for a quick resolution. Facing the wolf king’s lethal claws that emanated an age-old icy chill, she dared not confront them head-on. Instead, she chose to evade and fight with agility, using the length of her Indigo Ice Spear to neutralize the wolf king’s force. The relentless barrage of claw strikes made her see only the cold shadows of claws, but the shadow of her spear, reminiscent of a blue ribbon against the sky, continually blocked wave after wave of the wolf king’s assault.

The night was no longer dark. The wolf king, feeling that dawn was approaching, thought to himself that since he had accepted the challenge from this human, he must achieve a complete victory in front of his pack. Otherwise, he would have no face left to lead them.

With this thought in mind, he abruptly ceased his physical attacks and leaped backward. In an instant, dozens of ice blades appeared around him. Witnessing this, Feng Xuewu-whose internal strength and magic were nearly depleted-let out a frustrated cry. “What a pity! Otherwise, I should be pursuing him right now, tangling him up so he has no chance to catch his breath or cast any spells.”

As she watched the number of ice blades multiplying beyond count, Feng Xuewu was taken aback and shouted, “This is advanced magic! Ice Storm Blade! Everyone, quickly evacuate this place!”

In her heart, she silently urged the ice necklace, “Let’s create another miracle!” With that thought, she focused her mind and spirit on her Indigo Ice Spear and Indigo Sky Armor. Keeping her thoughts clear, she suddenly felt the Indigo Sky Armor detach from her body, transforming into hexagonal ice shards that swirled around her, like a torrent of blue water bubbling with energy. At the same time, the Indigo Ice Spear in her hand vanished, but Feng Xuewu sensed that it hadn’t disappeared; it had merged into her body. She became one with the spear. Suddenly, a phrase flashed through her mind: “Gun-Armor Separation, Ice Soul Union!”

The hexagonal ice shards, alongside Feng Xuewu, pierced into the overwhelming ice storm blades. The rising ice storm blades encountered the powerful force of the Ice Soul Union. The collision between the ice blades and ice shards created a loud, piercing noise that echoed throughout the entire Demon Beast Forest. A strong chill radiated from the point of their clash, causing trees and grass to instantly don a shimmering white cloak of snow.

The wolf king watched helplessly as dawn broke over the horizon, observing how his pack retreated slowly out of fear of the sunlight. Yet none of this left him feeling as cold as the reality before him: his strongest spell, the ice storm blade, had been reduced to a pile of crushed ice by the ice soul union. In the morning light, the shards sparkled vividly, glittering brilliantly, but to the wolf king’s eyes, they were painfully blinding.

Seeing the ice storm blades nearly shattered, and with the sun now rising, the wolf pack had long since vanished to escape its rays. He, however, had exhausted all his strength and gazed at the approaching Feng Xuewu with eyes filled with despair, preparing himself to face death.

Weak and battered, Feng Xuewu bit her finger, letting her blood drip onto the wolf king’s forehead as she recited the demon beast contract. As a radiant red glow enveloped the wolf king’s body, flaring brightly before fading away, she collapsed beside him. The wolf king, gazing at Feng Xuewu, could not comprehend why this human would help him. Squinting at the sun, which he had always despised throughout his life, he realized for the first time that it could provide warmth. Relishing the sun’s embrace, he too drifted into a sleepy haze.

Looking at Youni, who had her head wrapped up, Tianxiang couldn’t help but smile and said, “According to what the villagers just mentioned, if we go straight from here and cross over that hill, we’ll reach the City of Exile!”

Just as Youni was about to respond, a hurried sound of footsteps approached from behind, along with a shout: “Benefactor! Wait up!”

A slender young man appeared before them, and Youni quickly exclaimed, “Xiao Da, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home?”

Gasping for breath, Xiao Da exclaimed urgently, “There are thieves! A lot of thieves are coming to rob our village!”

Tianxiang spoke calmly, “Don’t panic. Let’s hurry back to the village while you explain everything.”

On the way, Xiao Da recounted the situation to Tianxiang. After Tianxiang and Youni had left the village, a sudden storm of dust had arisen, followed by the appearance of a group of thieves. Since the village was located near the City of Exile, the villagers had occasionally come into contact with fugitives and thieves, who would often ask to stay overnight and then leave on their own. However, this group of thieves demanded that the villagers hand over all their possessions, threatening to massacre the entire village if they refused. Even the experienced and diplomatic village chief was severely injured after just a few words. Taking advantage of the chaos, Xiao Da managed to slip away unnoticed. He had no idea whom to seek for help until he suddenly remembered that Tianxiang was heading to the City of Exile. Without hesitation, he rushed along the same route, hoping that Tianxiang could lend a hand to save his village from the crisis.

Tianxiang asked, “Do you know where these thieves are from?”

Xiao Da replied, “It seems like they’re from the Hurricane Band of Thieves.”

Upon hearing the name, Tianxiang’s expression grew serious, and he couldn’t help but curl his lips into a cold smirk as he said, “I didn’t expect to encounter them here.”

Noticing Tianxiang’s tone, Youni asked, “Tianxiang! Do you have a grudge against the Hurricane Band of Thieves?”

Tianxiang replied, “I suppose you could say that.” He then shared the story of his grandfather Ah Gang’s enmity and his promise to the Dawu Tribe with Youni.

Furious, Youni exclaimed, “I want to be a part of this! These thieves are utterly lawless!”

Tianxiang responded, “Right! But currently, my martial arts skills are completely depleted. If we want to annihilate them and rescue the Dawu Tribe members, the difficulty level will increase significantly, so we need to think this through.”

Turning to Xiao Da, he asked, “Do you know which thief leader is leading them?”

Xiao Da answered immediately, “It’s the Fourth-in-command! That’s what I heard the thieves calling him!”

Tianxiang inquired, “Will they stay overnight in your village?”

Xiao Da replied, “I think so, but I can’t be certain!”