Nine Heavens Mountain stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles, with no end in sight. The first three tiers were especially vast, covering half of the entire mountain range.
The outer region was so large because Nine Heavens Mountain was shaped like a ring, with each tier enclosing the next, from the outside in. That meant the deepest tier, the ninth, was actually at the very center.
Even so, it took Ma Feifei and Yang Chengzhi nearly half a day to cross from the outskirts into the third tier. The vast distance was one reason; another was that Ma Feifei was still getting used to his cultivation.
It was embarrassing to say, but though Ma Feifei was nearly three stages above Yang Chengzhi, he still couldn't run as fast as him.
Yang Chengzhi could cover more than ten meters with a single bound. Ma Feifei used spiritual energy to pick up speed, yet kept falling behind. He couldn't jump as far as Yang Chengzhi, and he was using no less spiritual energy, either.
There was nothing he could do about it. Ma Feifei wasn't very skilled at controlling spiritual energy. Most of it turned into clusters of white rings of light around his legs, and only a small portion actually propelled him forward.
But Yang Chengzhi saw Ma Feifei's performance quite differently.
"Brother Ma's cultivation truly is unfathomable. He can even draw Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy along with him as he walks."
"He's following right behind me at an easy pace. He must be afraid I won't be able to keep up, while also trying to spare my pride."
"I never expected someone so young as Brother Ma to be so considerate of other people's feelings." Yang Chengzhi couldn't help sighing.
Thinking of this, Yang Chengzhi suddenly felt that Ma Feifei seemed even more imposing. He was ashamed that his own cultivation was so weak he couldn't keep up with Ma Feifei. With that, he steeled himself and urged his spiritual energy onward, increasing his speed by another three notches.
"WCNM!" Ma Feifei was still carefully figuring out how to use spiritual energy to move faster. When he looked up, he saw that Yang Chengzhi had sped up again for no apparent reason. He was about to run out of sight.
By then, the two of them had entered the second tier. The Spirit Beasts they encountered were around levels two and three. Given his stage, Ma Feifei should have been able to crush any Spirit Beast here. The problem was, he'd never fought anyone, let alone killed a Spirit Beast!
What if Yang Chengzhi disappeared and Ma Feifei got lost, then ran into a Spirit Beast? Fight it? What a joke. They'd just passed a Spirit Beast that was more than ten meters tall and looked like a Tyrannosaurus rex. It had been ferocious, its mere presence enough to overwhelm him. If they actually fought, Ma Feifei might forget how to release spiritual energy and get slapped to death by the beast.
Even setting aside whether he could win, he couldn't kill it! Ma Feifei was determined to become a laid-back cultivator. Taking a life was something he simply couldn't do.
Fortunately, Ma Feifei had gradually gotten used to controlling his spiritual energy to increase his speed. Since his cultivation was higher than Yang Chengzhi's to begin with, he slowly managed to catch up.
Before long, they reached the third tier.
"We're here. This is the third tier." Yang Chengzhi brought Ma Feifei to a stop in the middle of a plain. Looking around, they could see cultivators fighting Spirit Beasts dozens of miles away, and the sounds of battle never stopped.
On the Azure Dragon Continent, ninety percent of cultivators were stuck below the Spirit Ancestor Realm. Spirit Beasts between levels four and six could be found in the third and fourth tiers of Nine Heavens Mountain, so those two tiers drew the most cultivators hunting Spirit Beasts.
Even more than the outskirts did.
"Then go hunt Spirit Beasts. I'll just look around," Ma Feifei said, glancing around before nodding.
Then he took out paper and a pen and wrote down a few lines.
"Chengzhi studied books for more than ten days and gained insight. After one night of cultivation, he advanced to Spirit Master Stage Seven. Early the next morning, he set out for Nine Heavens Mountain to hunt Spirit Beasts..."
Yang Chengzhi watched as Ma Feifei suddenly took out paper and a pen and began writing. Every so often, he muttered something under his breath. Yang Chengzhi couldn't make head or tail of it.
Hadn't they come here to hunt Spirit Beasts? Why was he writing? A poem? An essay?
Something about this just feels off!
With a baffled expression, Yang Chengzhi began his money-making adventure. Ma Feifei followed right behind him, constantly writing with his pen. Together, they made for a strange sight.
Before long, Yang Chengzhi encountered his first Spirit Beast.
It was a Level Four Azure-eyed Wolf, about three meters long, with blue fur all over its body. The fangs on either side of its mouth were long enough to pierce a person. It had only one eye, and its eyeball was also blue. Quite unusual.
Yang Chengzhi felt confident facing this kind of Spirit Beast. He drew the spirit sword at his waist and infused it with spiritual energy. A faint glow spread across the blade. Raising it, he charged.
Ma Feifei looked around but couldn't find a tree, so he crouched down fifty meters behind Yang Chengzhi. He watched the fight between Yang Chengzhi and the Azure-eyed Wolf intently, never stopping his writing.
"Upon reaching the third tier, he encountered a Level Four Spirit Beast. Chengzhi drew his spirit sword and charged, engaging the beast in battle."
"Chengzhi moved with such agility and speed that he became a blur, leaving only the faint glow of his sword in sight."
"Before long, the Level Four Spirit Beast couldn't hold out any longer. Chengzhi stabbed it several times, and blood poured from its wounds."
"Roar..."
"The Spirit Beast roared, its aura surging. Its blue fur stood on end, and its blue eye gradually turned red. When it charged at Chengzhi once more, it was even faster. Chengzhi parried in a panic, driven back again and again, unable to strike back."
"Damn, this beast's impressive! Is Yang Chengzhi going to lose?" Once he'd finished writing, Ma Feifei suddenly remembered that, even if he was writing a novel, Yang Chengzhi was actually fighting. What if he made a mistake and died at the Spirit Beast's hands? Wouldn't that be awkward?
But that didn't seem right. From what Ma Feifei had learned about cultivators and Spirit Beast levels during this time, a Spirit Master at Stage Seven should be more than capable of beating a Level Four Spirit Beast. He could even take down a Level Five Spirit Beast. Even against a Level Six Spirit Beast, he might be able to kill it alone if he had enough trump cards.
By that measure, a Level Four Spirit Beast should be as easy to kill as chopping vegetables for a Spirit Master at Stage Seven.
In truth, Yang Chengzhi had been crushing the Level Four Spirit Beast from the very beginning. He had only been using the Azure-eyed Wolf to familiarize himself with his newly improved cultivation. But after a while, Yang Chengzhi had gotten used to his strength—and the Azure-eyed Wolf seemed to be growing stronger the more they fought!
"Not good, it's breaking through!" As he fought, Yang Chengzhi noticed the spiritual energy around the Azure-eyed Wolf begin to surge wildly. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy around them was drawn toward it and flowed into its body.
"Awooo!" The Azure-eyed Wolf let out a long howl that carried for thousands of miles!
"Damn it, it's advanced into an Azure-eyed Wolf King!" The howl's shockwave sent Yang Chengzhi flying dozens of meters back. He landed on the ground, spirit sword in hand, and stared at the Azure-eyed Wolf in the air.
The Azure-eyed Wolf's blue fur had turned completely red, as had its eye. Its body hadn't grown larger; instead, it had become a third smaller.
Azure-eyed Wolves were common throughout the Azure Dragon Continent, and they were one of the most prolific kinds of Spirit Beasts. Adult Azure-eyed Wolves were generally around Level Four, though there were exceptions. Those exceptions were Azure-eyed Wolf Kings, which people called Azure-eyed Wolves that had advanced. Their cultivation could reach Level Five.
They were also renowned for their speed, making them among the most troublesome Level Five Spirit Beasts. Those below the Spirit Ancestor Realm generally avoided provoking an Azure-eyed Wolf King.
"What rotten luck!" Yang Chengzhi said with a bitter smile. He was only at Spirit Master Stage Seven, and facing an Azure-eyed Wolf King was going to be difficult.
But the newly evolved Azure-eyed Wolf King was clearly furious with Yang Chengzhi. It fixed its single eye on him, roared again, then shot forward like a shadow. It was ready to fight him to the death.
"So it evolved!" Seeing the man and beast clash again, with the situation turning sharply against Yang Chengzhi—who was now constantly on the defensive—Ma Feifei was surprised.
He'd heard that Spirit Beasts could evolve, but this was the first time he'd seen it.
Ma Feifei quickly picked up his pen and wrote: "The Azure-eyed Wolf was toyed with by Chengzhi, and its Rage reached the breaking point. It broke through its inner restraints and advanced into an Azure-eyed Wolf King, becoming a Level Five Spirit Beast. Against the enraged Azure-eyed Wolf King, Chengzhi could only defend passively. The advantage was now gone. Unless Chengzhi could turn the tables, he would likely die beneath the Wolf King's claws."
If Yang Chengzhi saw those lines, he'd probably be so angry he'd die on the spot! When had he toyed with the Azure-eyed Wolf? He'd only been trying to stabilize his cultivation and get some practice! How was that toying with it?
But Yang Chengzhi had no time to worry about any of that. The Azure-eyed Wolf King attacked far too quickly, and he couldn't afford to lose focus for even a moment.
Although he was still on the defensive, Yang Chengzhi hadn't suffered any real injuries. A Spirit Master at Stage Seven was no pushover.
His spiritual energy, however, was already more than half depleted. If this went on, once it fell below a certain point, he'd have no choice but to wait for death.
Thinking of this, Yang Chengzhi steeled himself and clashed with the Wolf King. His spirit sword struck the beast's claws with a clang, scattering a ring of light. The man and beast were both knocked backward.
That gave Yang Chengzhi more than ten meters of distance from the Wolf King.
Yang Chengzhi didn't dare pause. He gripped his sword with both hands and held it horizontally before his chest, the tip pointing skyward.
"Lightning Summoning Art!"
Yang Chengzhi called out softly and urged his spiritual energy. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy surged toward him, flowing into the tip of his sword. Then a silent bolt of lightning suddenly streaked down from the sky and struck the blade's tip.
"Crackle..."
The entire spirit sword was suddenly covered in lightning!
"Amazing, my Chengzhi!"
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