More than a dozen Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts swiftly approached the wooden house. The closest white tiger suddenly caught sight of an enormous Gourd Vine beside it.
Seven gourds glimmered with different lights beneath the night sky, looking incredibly mystical.
But this Ten Thousand Year Demonic Pattern White Tiger paid it no mind.
"These gourds look pretty tasty... After I eat that human, I'll eat these gourds too."
With that thought, it immediately swung a claw at Shi Bantian's house.
Just then, the vines outside the house suddenly lit up with green light, which directly enveloped the house where Shi Bantian was.
"Hm?"
The Demonic Pattern White Tiger at the front was stunned. It knew this was highly unusual.
But these Spirit Beasts had spent the past few days hiding with their Spiritual Power stretched taut. This was, after all, a place where humans lived. They feared a high-level Spirit Master might appear, kill them, and take their spirit rings. Now that the opportunity had finally come, it was unwilling to give up!
So it did not withdraw its attack. Its massive tiger claw slammed directly toward Shi Bantian's house. The next moment... the instant its body touched the barrier, it rebounded as though it had struck the ground and was sent flying backward.
Bang! Bang...
The immense recoil smashed the Demonic Pattern White Tiger hard into the ground, sending shattered stones flying everywhere before it finally came to a stop!
The Spirit Beasts behind it were all dumbfounded.
"What happened? Why did that damn tiger get sent flying?!"
"Something's wrong. Everyone, be careful... This place is a little strange."
"It's that Gourd Vine! There's something wrong with that thing!!"
These Spirit Beasts truly deserved to be called Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts, possessing a measure of intelligence. They quickly realized that green light had come from the Gourd Vine.
All the Spirit Beasts turned their eyes toward the glowing Gourd Vine.
And just as they suspected, Shi Bantian's good "sons" had made their move!
"What are you big bad guys trying to do? Are you trying to hurt Father?"
"Do you even need to ask? It's obvious..."
"You stray cats and dogs, go away! Go away!" the little gourds on the vine said angrily again.
The other little gourds anxiously shouted, "You're not allowed to bully Father! You're not allowed to bully Father!"
"If you don't leave... don't blame us for beating you up!!"
Hearing the little gourds speak from the vine, shock flashed through their eyes. As Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts, they had naturally gained intelligence, but they still could not speak human language directly. At most, they could communicate through beast speech.
Perhaps this Gourd Vine was a plant-type Spirit Beast with unusually high intelligence. But plant-type Spirit Beasts were famously weak in battle!
These Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts, blessed with high-grade bloodlines, naturally did not fear it and immediately mocked them.
"So they're just newborn little gourd brats. I'm a fucking Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast. Since I'm in a good mood, I only want to eat the human in that house. Before I decide to settle the score with you weak little plants, you'd better quiet down!!"
A Giant Turtle standing beneath the vine threatened them.
The other Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts chimed in as well.
"That's right. Don't blame me if I burn your entire Gourd Vine... you little brats."
"Hahaha... exactly."
These Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts did not take the gourds seriously at all, because the gourds truly did not look like they had any combat ability!
"These stinking turtles and stinking big birds want to eat Father!... No, absolutely not!?"
"Father is so nice. How could he be eaten? We have to protect Father!!"
"Right... protect Father!!!"
The red gourd, the eldest among them, roared even louder.
"Brothers, come with me and drive these bad guys away!!"
The gourds answered, "Okay!?"
The next moment!
The fourth green little gourd from the left suddenly shone with green light, then began spitting blazing flames. It was none other than the green Si Wa.
"Hehe, let me roast these Spirit Beasts into cooked meat. Father will definitely like eating them."
Faced with a gourd launching the first attack, the turtle-like water-type Spirit Beast immediately sneered.
"Such a tiny flame... Watch this old turtle's Profound Nether Water Escape!!"
It drew in a deep breath, then spat out a jet of water... The water instantly condensed into an incomparably massive wall before it!
"This old turtle possesses some of the bloodline of the Divine Beast Xuanwu. Among Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts, its water-element power is absolutely among the best."
"Ordinary flames... are no match for it at all."
The Spirit Beasts behind it commented cheerfully, but the next moment, they heard a miserable howl!
"Urgh... So hot, so hot!!"
The Mysterious Nether Tortoise, which had been so arrogant moments ago, was rolling on the ground. Its water escape had vanished completely, while flames wrapped around its body. Its face was filled with agony.
"Extreme Fire, it's the power of Extreme Fire... This damned gourd's flames have reached the level of Extreme Fire. I'm no match for it."
"What?"
All the Spirit Beasts were horrified. They could already smell roasted meat coming from the Mysterious Nether Tortoise, proving that those flames had truly injured it!
Extreme Fire! The pinnacle of flame...
Even the slightest shortfall could not be considered extreme. Although the Mysterious Nether Tortoise's water-element power was formidable, it still fell a little short of Extreme Water.
Moreover, among these Spirit Beasts, the Mysterious Nether Tortoise's cultivation was higher than that of most present. Many of the Spirit Beasts were frightened by this sight and hurriedly retreated several steps.
While the Spirit Beasts were still immersed in their shock at the Mysterious Nether Tortoise's defeat, a young voice drifted down from above.
"Seems like it's not fully cooked yet, but Father should like it a little charred too, right?" The green gourd swayed as he muttered.
The Mysterious Nether Tortoise's burned claws could no longer move. It could only withdraw into its shell and let the flames scorch it as intense pain surged through every part of its body.
"Old bird, hurry and help?"
The Mysterious Nether Tortoise cried out in pain, pleading for help from the bird-type Spirit Beast in the sky that radiated scorching flames.
"Heh... Now you remember me? Earlier, you lot were still trying to ditch me!!"
The bird-type Spirit Beast, the Demonic Flame Phoenix, sneered. Yet it still chose to help, because this Gourd Vine was truly extraordinary. It possessed a trace of Phoenix Bloodline, and its flames had already come very close to the level of Extreme Fire!
It took a deep breath and violently exhaled a flame hundreds of meters long. The searing blaze seemed as though it would ignite the surrounding space itself.
It attacked at full strength from the start!
With the Mysterious Nether Tortoise as an example, it would not underestimate its opponent again. It intended to burn this Gourd Vine to ash.
At that moment, the gourd beside Si Wa, Wu Wa, also cried out happily.
"Hehe, fun, fun! Fourth Brother, I'm coming too! I want to join in too."
Then, the cyan Wu Wa glowed with a faint watery blue light, dazzling in the night. The next moment!
"Have a taste of water's power."
He fiercely sprayed several icy-blue streams of water.
Before you continue