In the silent forest, Ling Xi relied on his exceptional eyesight to dart between the towering trees.
In a forest full of Magical Beasts, night was often the most dangerous time.
Setting aside the fact that Ling Xi was only a two-star Dou Master, even some second-order Magical Beasts that were good at hiding in the dark posed a lethal threat to him.
"That roar sounds like it might belong to some kind of wolf-type Magical Beast..."
Perhaps because he was getting closer, the roars in Ling Xi's ears grew clearer and clearer.
"But what's the other Soul Beast?"
"And why are two fifth-order Magical Beasts clashing here in the middle of the night?"
Magical Beasts usually had an extremely strong sense of territory, and their territories tended to remain roughly fixed.
So high-order Magical Beasts were unlikely to fight each other to the death.
In the pitch-black sky, violent waves of energy swept outward with each roar.
Even though Ling Xi was standing some distance away, he could still feel the powerful shockwaves rushing past him.
Ling Xi slowed his pace. Only after releasing his powerful soul force to cover himself did he cautiously dart toward the source of the noise.
"Is that a fifth-order Magical Beast, a Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf?"
Standing atop the leafy crown of a towering tree, Ling Xi finally saw what was happening.
Outside a small valley at the foot of a mountain, a silver wolf nearly three zhang long threw back its head and howled.
Its entire body was covered in silver-gray scales that gleamed like metal in the moonlight.
But the most unusual thing about the wolf was its tail. Its forked tip was shaped like a strange bolt of lightning, and sparks of electricity flickered around its body from time to time.
"This is a fifth-order Magical Beast... a Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf?"
Ling Xi studied the wolf-shaped beast for a moment and immediately recognized its species.
"Strange. Aren't wolf-type Magical Beasts supposed to be the most territorial?"
During the more than half a year he had spent in the Ling Domain, Ling Xi had learned more than just cultivation and alchemy at Ling You's side. He had also studied quite a bit about Magical Beasts.
As Ling You put it, "Wherever a high-order Magical Beast stands guard, there's usually something good."
That way, if Ling Xi ever came across one, he might be able to take advantage of the situation.
"That snake facing off against the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf looks a little like a Great Earth Boa..."
Ling Xi shifted his gaze away from the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf and looked at the giant boa guarding the valley entrance.
The boa was yellowish-brown all over and thick enough for several people to wrap their arms around. It looked far larger and more imposing than the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf.
"But ordinary Great Earth Boas only reach the third or fourth order at most. Why is this one so huge?"
"It looks no weaker than the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf!"
Magical Beasts were much like humans. Differences in potential determined their limits.
The Great Earth Boa might have a mighty-sounding name, but it was really just a giant snake without venom or elemental attacks.
It usually relied on its enormous body to constrict its prey to death, making it far inferior to the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf.
"Hiss!"
The standoff between the two Magical Beasts lasted only an instant. The Great Earth Boa suddenly surged forward, kicking up a skyful of dust as it lunged at the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf.
There was no denying the intimidation its massive body inspired. The moment it moved, Ling Xi even felt as though the earth were trembling.
"Roar!"
The Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf howled. Faced with the Great Earth Boa's attack, it retreated instead of advancing.
It became a zigzagging bolt of silver lightning, shooting sideways at astonishing speed and narrowly avoiding the Great Earth Boa's charge.
At the instant the two passed each other, a dazzling ball of lightning suddenly burst from the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf's claws. It slammed hard into the boa's body.
Boom!
Thunder crashed and lightning flared, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day.
With a sound that set Ling Xi's teeth on edge, a large patch of scales where the Great Earth Boa had been struck turned black and charred. A hint of blood could even be seen beneath them.
But the Great Earth Boa only paused for a moment after being hit. Its thick tail swept toward the Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf with tremendous force.
The Thunderblaze Celestial Wolf dodged nimbly once again. The spot where it had been standing was smashed by the boa's tail, leaving a ditch several meters long.
"These two fifth-order Magical Beasts are fighting to the death here in this valley. Could there be some kind of treasure inside?"
Watching the two fifth-order Magical Beasts below fight like mad, Ling Xi's thoughts raced.
Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures were always guarded by Magical Beasts.
With a flash, Ling Xi climbed the sheer rock walls on either side like an ape.
It was nighttime, and Ling Xi had concealed his presence with his soul force. Neither of the two fifth-order Magical Beasts battling below noticed him.
The rock walls surrounding the valley were extremely steep. Even with Ling Xi's strength as a two-star Dou Master, climbing them was difficult.
Still, he managed to reach the cliffs around the valley without mishap.
"What thick fog..."
Looking down from the cliff, Ling Xi could see nothing but a hazy veil of mist.
After a brief moment's thought, he took some soft strips of cloth from his Nakai Ring and wrapped them around the soles of his shoes. Then he took the long spear from his back and held it in his hand.
Once everything was ready, Ling Xi drew a deep breath and leaped from the cliff.
As he plummeted, he thrust the Star-Splitting Spear into the rock wall, bringing his fall to an abrupt halt.
With a light leap, Ling Xi landed safely in the valley, then retrieved the Star-Splitting Spear from the rock face.
Mist filled the valley, and the night was so dark that Ling Xi could barely make out his surroundings.
He abruptly released his soul force, and everything around him appeared clearly in his mind.
Following the direction sensed by his soul force, he continued deeper into the valley.
Ling Xi proceeded with great caution, but after a while, the sounds of the two Magical Beasts fighting at the entrance had gradually faded away.
"This is a fine place. All the natural energy in the valley has gathered in this little pool."
After walking for a while longer, Ling Xi came upon a deep pool. A patch of flat ground lay in the middle of it.
"So that's why those two fifth-order Magical Beasts, each equivalent to a Dou Wang, were fighting so fiercely!"
A foot-long plant with four green leaves was growing on the flat ground in the middle of the pool.
"Form-Shaping Grass!"
Ling Xi enunciated the plant's name one word at a time.
To humans, Form-Shaping Grass was completely useless.
But to Magical Beasts, its importance was self-evident.
Besides serving as the main ingredient in the Seventh-grade Form-Shaping Pill, mature Form-Shaping Grass could also transform a Magical Beast into human form.
Once transformed, a Magical Beast could gain the cultivation talent of humans while retaining its own powerful body and long lifespan.
It was easy to imagine how tempting Form-Shaping Grass was to Magical Beasts that had yet to transform.
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