Sunset Warrior Chant - Chapter 47 - Magical Beast Garden (Part 2)

The four of them had slain half a golden snake and continued on their way deeper into the Magical Beast Garden, eager to see what formidable creatures lay within. Throughout their journey, the low growls of magical beasts could occasionally be heard.

Fu Qiruo knew they were entering an uncharted area. Although there were hundreds of people together, they were scattered across the Magical Beast Garden like an abyss, hearing beasts but seeing no people, which made everyone feel isolated.

There must be unforeseen dangers lurking in the Magical Beast Garden. If it weren’t as perilous as the legends suggest, why would there be so many injuries each time? If the beasts were inherently weak, the hundreds of people could have dug three feet into the ground for a thorough carpet-style search. The school’s team formation rules, with their limits on numbers, seemed merely formal; in the chaos of battle with beasts, who could distinguish the exact numbers? Clearly, even with large numbers, they were not much use against powerful magical beasts.

Suddenly, a scream from ahead hastened their steps, curious to find out what had happened. After a short while, they reached the edge of a dense forest and stepped out to find themselves by a large, lush green lake, which brought them some relief. The dense forest’s dim visibility and overgrown weeds made it hard to notice potential dangers. Just as they thought of washing their faces at the water’s edge, the lake began to churn, and two golden heads emerged, tongues flicking, over a meter above the water. They were the same species as the golden snake they had injured earlier. The sight of the golden snakes startled the group, and they realized that a cool bath in the lake was now out of the question. The snakes, having spotted the group at the lakeside, swiftly swam towards them. Fu Qiruo pointed his Spirit Sword at the golden snakes, ready to practice his sword skills once more, as more golden snakes surfaced amidst the splashing.

Xiao Gang exclaimed in shock, “So many golden snakes, how can we kill them all? And we couldn’t eat that many even if we did.”

As soon as Xiao Gang finished speaking, the ground beneath them trembled, and a massive noise erupted from the lake. The water surged up five to six meters high and, several dozen meters from the shore, a huge head emerged, several times larger than the golden snakes. It was a giant python, over ten meters tall, with a body as thick as a barrel. The length of its body hidden under the water was unknown, but its movements in the lake created massive waves. The giant python emitted a faint golden glow, seemingly the ancestor of the golden snakes.

The giant python retracted its head and then opened its huge mouth, sending a powerful jet of water toward the shore. Yu An shouted, “Run!” The four of them immediately turned and dashed toward the dense forest. Xiao Gang, being closest to the water, had just turned to leap away when a massive force struck him from behind. The water jet hit his back, lifting him off the ground. He plunged forward, falling several meters away. Lu Xiner saw this and rushed to help him up, asking, “Are you alright, fourth junior brother?”

Xiao Gang felt his body take a heavy hit and his breathing stalled momentarily. After catching his breath, he found no serious injuries and replied, “I’m fine!” Another water jet came hurtling towards them, and Lu Xiner yelled, “Let’s go!” Turning around, she murmured an incantation for water magic, and a green glow rose in front of her, forming an Ice Wall that moved to intercept the water jet. Lu Xiner quickly dodged backward.

The water jet struck the Ice Wall, which instantly shattered. Several golden snakes had already made their way onto the shore, and more were moving toward them from the water, with at least a dozen now close to the bank.

The group quickly dove into the dense forest, running blindly deeper into it without a sense of direction. Several golden snakes relentlessly pursued them. Lu Xiner, running at the back, periodically cast Ice Blast, but there were too many snakes. Each time she slowed one down, another would leap at them from the side. These golden snakes were level 4 wind magic magical beasts, much faster than Xiao Gang, and within a short time, the group was surrounded by over a dozen snakes.

Lu Xiner alone held off two golden snakes, while Fu Qiruo wielded his Spirit Sword, creating a barrier impenetrable to the wind and rain, also blocking on one side. Yu An continuously activated light magic, his wrist adorned with a sparkling bracelet that lit up, firing Light Feather Arrows that whistled through the air, causing the golden snakes to dodge. Xiao Gang stood ready behind the three, prepared to assist at any moment.

All four were Prodigy-level cultivators with considerable strength. Although the golden snakes were level 4 magical beasts, the four formed a circle and kept the snakes at a distance. The snakes did not dare approach too closely, knowing that advancing even a step would come at a significant cost.

Having previously encountered golden snakes, Fu Qiruo had gained experience. His Spirit Sword, enhanced with dark magic, worked seamlessly with his movements, allowing him to handle one golden snake with relative ease. If not surrounded by the other snakes, he would have charged and slain another. However, the situation was complicated with the four of them trapped in the middle, uncertain of what to do next.

Xiao Gang had a sudden idea and opened the bag of roasted golden snake meat on his back. The outer snakes, smelling the meat, became restless. The snakes in front attacked even more fiercely. Guessing correctly that the snakes were hungry, Xiao Gang quickly cut the snake meat into smaller pieces and threw them far in all directions.

In an instant, over a dozen golden snakes dashed after the scent of the meat, leaving only three snakes in front of the group. Xiao Gang shouted, “Let’s break out now!”

Fu Qiruo quickly strategized and shouted, “Let’s kill one or two before we leave. Those few pieces of roast meat aren’t even enough for one golden snake; they wouldn’t even fill the gaps between their teeth. Once they swallow the meat, they’ll still chase us.” Lu Xiner agreed, “You’re right, let’s try taking one down first!”

Lu Xiner forcefully activated her water magic, launching Ice Blast at two golden snakes with great speed. The snakes dodged and retreated over ten meters. Now only one remained in front of Fu Qiruo, while Yu An swiftly moved behind the golden snake and pushed out Light Feather Arrows with all his might. A series of white arrow glows hissed toward the snake as Fu Qiruo danced forward with his Spirit Sword to trap the snake, and Lu Xiner leaped to block an Arrow Snake from escaping.

Under the trio’s coordinated attack, the golden snake was quickly sliced into several segments by Fu Qiruo’s Spirit Sword, the pieces flying in different directions due to the force of the blade.

The two golden snakes that Lu Xiner had repelled now turned and charged back. Lu Xiner and Yu An faced off against one, while Fu Qiruo attacked the other. Lu Xiner performed two maneuvers of Ice Blast and was about to quickly finish the fight with a level 4 water magic, Ice Spell. However, amidst the dense barrage of Light Feather Arrows and ice blades, the snake suddenly split into two sections, and a golden sword suddenly struck down, quivering as it stuck in the ground.

“Don’t forget about me; a swordsman’s speed isn’t slow either,” Xiao Gang said as he pulled out his Berserk Sword from the ground.

Yu An paused for a moment and then said, “I thought you only knew how to roast meat.”

Lu Xiner quickly tugged at Fu Qiruo’s arm and exclaimed, “Let’s get out of here fast, or we’ll be surrounded again.”

The four hurriedly escaped the dangerous area and dove deeper into the dense forest, heading in the opposite direction of the lake. They didn’t know exactly where they were, but one thing was certain: encountering more golden snakes or worse, a giant python, was a terrifying thought.

As it neared noon, Xiao Gang remarked, “It seems like we’ve shaken off the group of snakes. The delicious roast meat has also been returned to the golden snakes. What should we eat now?”

Lu Xiner responded, “We’ll eat whatever we find. You’re the expert hunter; we’re waiting for your cooking.”

Xiao Gang sighed and said, “It seems that’s all we can do.”

The group cleared away weeds under a tree to make space for resting, drank some purified water, and contemplated how to resolve their lunch.

Fu Qiruo moved his neck back and forth, loosening up his cervical spine, and said, “We’ll need to go hunting for magical beasts later.”

“Maybe the magical beasts will come to us,” Yu An joked.

Fu Qiruo was about to speak when a deep roar interrupted him, followed by a series of loud “boom… boom… boom…” sounds, causing the ground to shake violently. The trees in the forest trembled, their branches and leaves quivering as if an earthquake were about to occur. Xiao Gang stood up swiftly, looking towards the direction of the noise. About dozens of meters away, he saw a figure running frantically, with large trees toppling to either side in its wake. Emerging from the thicket was an enormous creature, so huge that ten-meter-tall trees barely reached its shoulders.

The four of them were unsure of what sort of creature it was and were deeply alarmed. They grabbed their weapons and hid behind a tree that required two or three people to encircle. As the figure came closer, Fu Qiruo could see clearly-it was a boy. His face was flushed and covered in blood, and he wielded a large knife.

Trailing the boy was a giant creature resembling a human but with a massive muscular build and an ox-like head sitting on its shoulders.

Yu An whispered, “It’s an Ox-headed man. These beings possess tremendous strength, nearly that of a level 6 swordsman, but they’re not very fast. Look, the boy running ahead is only at the level of a level 3 swordsman.”

The four quietly retreated further away, still hiding behind the trees. As the boy and the Ox-headed man passed by, they noticed the giant striding forward, each step causing the ground to tremble and leaving huge footprints. Occasionally, the massive hands of the creature would tear apart the trees in its path, snapping them in half or uprooting them entirely.

Fu Qiruo scrutinized the boy, noticing that he seemed injured, running just ten meters ahead of the Ox-headed man, who was unable to catch up immediately. However, the boy’s steps were unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment. Despite running several dozen meters, the Ox-headed man remained close behind, and the boy couldn’t extend their distance.

Yu An remarked, “That boy’s life is in danger. He seems to be injured and won’t be able to run much longer. The Ox-headed man has boundless energy and can chase him to the ends of the earth without tiring.”

Fu Qiruo suddenly felt the boy looked familiar and muttered, “Doesn’t he look like the boy next door with that large knife in his hand?”

Xiao Gang replied, “Yes, he does. But his face is covered in blood, making it hard to recognize.”

Fu Qiruo said, “That boy’s pretty pitiable, always being disciplined by his father. We should go check on him; we can’t let him lose his life in the Magical Beast Garden!”

Yu An cautioned, “That Ox-headed man is no joke. Let’s not risk our own lives.”

After a moment of thought, Lu Xiner said, “But if the Ox-headed man isn’t faster than a level 3 swordsman, then what should we be afraid of?”

Xiao Gang added, “Exactly, we can’t just watch and do nothing, especially since he’s a good neighbor.”

Yu An looked up to the sky, stood in a daze for a moment, and sighed, “Oh well, I guess I’ll risk my life for a good deed.”

The four of them sprinted after the Ox-headed man. Lu Xiner said, “I’ll go ahead and use Ice Blast to provoke it, leading it away. Then I’ll circle back to find you.”

The three boys knew that Lu Xiner was significantly faster and more powerful in attack than any of them. When they were less than twenty meters behind the Ox-headed man, Fu Qiruo called out, “Be careful, senior sister.” The three retreated to a hidden spot. Lu Xiner stepped forward and shouted, “Come chase me!”

She swiftly cast Ice Blast at the Ox-headed man, sending dozens of ice blades to its back, cutting several bloody marks. The creature roared furiously, turning to face Lu Xiner. Being so close, the roar was so intense that it made her eardrums ache.

The Ox-headed man saw that Lu Xiner was a small person, less than two meters tall. It bent over and let out another fierce roar at her.

A gust of wind hit her face, making her hair flutter wildly. Lu Xiner was startled-this level 6 behemoth was indeed terrifying. Fu Feng, a level 6 mage, might not carry such an imposing presence when standing next to her, though he was much more refined.

Lu Xiner launched another Ice Blast, but the Ox-headed man blocked it with a large hand, shattering the ice blades into countless small shards. The shards flew back towards Lu Xiner with even greater force than before.

Startled, Lu Xiner quickly dodged. The ice shards barely missed her, two small holes appearing in her clothes. She turned and ran, and the Ox-headed man, realizing the boy had vanished, angrily pursued her instead.

In no time, the Ox-headed man was far away, chasing after Lu Xiner. When its thundering footsteps finally faded, Fu Qiruo and the others emerged from the dense underbrush. He shouted in the direction of the boy, “Hey! Are you the kid from next door? I think we’ve crossed paths before.”

The boy hadn’t run far. Hearing Fu Qiruo’s voice, he showed himself. Fu Qiruo approached, taking a closer look. Indeed, it was him; but his hair was disheveled, his face dirty and smeared with blood, making it hard to recognize. Fu Qiruo helped wipe his face and asked, “Are you hurt?”

The boy replied, “I got swiped on the back by the Ox-headed man, but it’s not too bad. The blood on my face isn’t mine-it’s my companion’s. Our team got attacked: the Ox-headed man killed a mage and severely injured a swordsman, and the rest were scattered.”

Xiao Gang asked, “What’s your name?”

The boy answered, “I’m Qi Nanshan.”

Xiao Gang grinned, “I like that name. Why don’t you join our team? We can explore the Magical Beast Garden together.”

Qi Nanshan replied, “Thank you for saving me!”