Strange Beasts and Immortals

Deep within the Yunluo Mountain Range.

A man and a beast moved up and down among the peaks. The deeper they went, the more astonished they became.

"Fourth-tier demonic beasts, and there's a fifth-tier demonic beast!"

Shen Yi almost cried out in alarm. In the valley before him alone, no less than a hundred demonic beasts were gathered. The lowest tier was fourth-tier, equivalent to a cultivator in the late Qi Refining stage. This was just a drop in the ocean; looking into the distance, they were densely packed with demonic beasts.

"With so many demonic beasts gathered here, something big must be happening."

Shen Yi hid in the shadows, guessing in his heart. He wanted to turn back immediately and report the situation to the Immortal Academy. However, the endless stream of demonic beasts surging towards them blocked his retreat.

"Since I can't go back, I might as well press on deeper."

With that thought, he once again concealed himself among the vegetation, disappearing without a trace.

"Sixth-tier demonic beast!"

Shen Yi was shocked again. A sixth-tier demonic beast possessed combat power comparable to a Golden Core cultivator. As far as he knew, the vast Yunluo Mountain Range only had a dozen or so sixth-tier demonic beasts. Yet before him, there were five. Each exuded a dangerous and ferocious aura, coiled in the center of the valley as if guarding something.

"Yiya!"

Just as Shen Yi fell into thought, Little Black yipped and rushed out, mingling with the beast horde.

Shen Yi was anxious and angry, his heart filled with worry, but he dared not act rashly, fearing he would attract the attention of the sixth-tier demonic beasts.

He could only watch as Little Black leaped and skipped among the beasts, stepping on one's head, then standing on another's back. Shen Yi watched with bated breath, while Little Black seemed extremely excited, as if attracted by something. It yipped all the way, charging towards the area where the sixth-tier demonic beasts were coiled.

"Come back!"

Shen Yi's heart pounded, and he almost shouted out loud. In the blink of an eye, Little Black had arrived amidst the demonic beasts. Yet, those beasts seemed not to have noticed its presence.

After a long while, Little Black wobbled back to Shen Yi.

"Yiya! Hiccup!"

Shen Yi grabbed its neck, letting it flail its limbs and emit grunts.

"What? You're saying there was an egg there, and you even took a couple of bites?"

Shen Yi was speechless. Little Black was truly audacious, but he was also curious about what was inside that egg.

With his path blocked both ways, Shen Yi found himself in a dilemma. He could only find a cave to cultivate quietly and await the outcome. Little Black, on the other hand, had been coming and going daily since arriving here, appearing at the beast egg from time to time, always returning with a look of satisfaction and overflowing with vitality.

This continued for several days until a beast's roar shattered the tranquility.

This single roar stunned numerous demonic beasts, and many low-tier demonic beasts were instantly crushed, turning into pools of blood and flesh. For a time, a bloody scent filled the valley.

"Seventh-tier demonic beast!"

Shen Yi trembled, holding Little Black tightly in his arms, fearing it would rush out recklessly.

"Zhu Yan! You've crossed the line!"

Suddenly, a large bird descended from the sky, speaking human words as it warned a giant white-headed ape on the mountain peak.

"Gui Che, the Sacred Beast Egg is not something you can control!"

The ape and the bird confronted each other, releasing peerless auras, neither willing to back down an inch. The beasts under their feet all knelt on the ground, trembling.

"Qiu Niu! Since you're here, why not show yourself!"

Zhu Yan grabbed a metal staff from the void and pointed it deep into the clouds. Gui Che, upon hearing this, shot a feather towards that direction.

Boom!

The clouds shattered, and a colossal figure appeared, with a bull's head and a human's body. It held a feather between its fingers, the very feather Gui Che had just shot.

"Another unusual beast!"

Shen Yi was even more alarmed. What kind of sacred beast could cause three Yi Shou to appear together?

"Hmph!" Qiu Niu snorted and shot the feather back. A streak of fire crossed the sky. "The sacred beast is about to be born, and all who see it shall share!"

The three Yi Shou each unleashed their might. Chaotic energy permeated the air, mountains cracked, the earth trembled, and the sky ignited. Pitiable were the beasts below, unable to withstand the pressure and were ground to dust.

Shen Yi circulated the Indestructible Scripture, and under this immense pressure, he began to cultivate. Even so, blood continuously flowed from his mouth.

Fortunately, this world-destroying might did not last long. A divine light appeared in the sky, and a giant hand instantly seized the three Yi Shou, rendering them immobile. Along with the Sacred Beast Egg, they vanished into the void.

"Immortal!"

Although it was only for a brief moment, Shen Yi clearly felt that aura, which did not belong to this world. It contained the Great Dao of heaven and earth, an irresistible supreme will. Alas, it only existed for a fleeting moment, preventing him from grasping its profound mystery.

At this moment, the valley experienced another upheaval. Without the deterrence of the seventh-tier Yi Shou, the several sixth-tier demonic beasts began to fight amongst themselves, each wanting to become the new king.

For a time, beast roars and bird cries were incessant. Blood splattered across the land, and countless demonic beasts perished, paving the way for the birth of a new king.

The colossal fierce birds and beasts unleashed their divine techniques, their demonic might overwhelming. The iron-chain-like terrifying feathers, the towering bodies that pierced the heavens, and the world-destroying weapons darkened the entire sky and split the earth apart, whipping up a great wind.

Shen Yi watched, engrossed, his mind captivated by the battle before him. He felt a sense of enlightenment, yet it always eluded him by a hair's breadth. Suddenly, a mournful cry, as if from the deepest abyss, sounded, and a feather, carrying the power to disrupt the heavens and earth, shot towards him.

Shen Yi had no time to think. His Spirit Wings erupted, and he shot straight into the clouds.

Seeing Shen Yi's sudden appearance, the demonic beasts paused for a moment, then each unleashed an attack, firing it at Shen Yi in unison.

Shen Yi broke out in a cold sweat. The attacks from these five sixth-tier demonic beasts were no less than the full-power strike of a Golden Core cultivator. Since he could not resist, he could only try his best to escape, hoping to shake off the attacks behind him.

"Phew—That was close!"

Shen Yi stopped on a mountain peak, looking into the distance. The mountaintop had been violently blasted apart, rocks flying everywhere, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of lingering fear.

"The depths of the Yunluo Mountain Range are fraught with danger, with demonic beasts appearing everywhere. It seems I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible."

He looked at the demonic beasts roaming at the foot of the mountain and made up his mind.

After flying for several more days, dodging dangers along the way, Shen Yi finally found a place rich in spiritual energy with Little Black. What surprised him even more was discovering a dilapidated thatched hut filled with dust, clearly abandoned for a long time.

So, Shen Yi settled down here. He cultivated daily without incident. Two to three months passed in the blink of an eye, and his cultivation finally reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. What amazed him even more was Little Black. The little fellow would disappear during the day and only return late at night. Now, its released aura was no less than his own.

It wasn't until he inquired that Little Black, with a mysterious expression, pulled him and jumped into the pool next to the thatched hut.