Terror

The next morning, dawn broke, and sunlight spilled down, warm and comforting.

Lin Yaoyao's injuries had already eased, and he could move freely. His cultivation had reached the fifth level of Qi Condensation; after this ordeal, under the effects of the Vein-Renewing Pill and Eight-Treasure Soup, his cultivation had advanced another step.

With Xia Xiaojiu leading the way, the group set off directly for the place of fortune he had mentioned.

Meng Xianxian did not leave. Like a little tagalong, she stayed behind Su Hao, sometimes poking her head out to chat with him. Naturally, her goal was the delicious Eight-Treasure Soup.

The group entered the Great Wilderness Mountains and moved forward cautiously beneath the shroud of mist.

"Roar!"

A thunderous roar suddenly rang out, making the forest tremble as waves of savage aura rushed at them.

Su Hao and the others immediately went on guard. Judging by the sound, this demon beast was anything but ordinary.

"It's here—a Firecloud Demon Lion!" Su Hao fixed his gaze ahead as a lion three zhang tall strode out, its entire body crimson red, as though flames burned across it.

Its blood-red eyes were as large as bronze bells, savage and vicious. Drool dripped from the gaps between its blade-sharp fangs.

This was a demon beast at the seventh level of Qi Condensation—and a hungry one at that.

"I'll do it!"

Meng Xianxian did not take it seriously at all. She strode forward, flicking one hand, and an enormous weapon appeared.

It truly was enormous.

A purple sledgehammer, three meters long, with a hammerhead a full meter across. It looked incomparably heavy, yet in the hands of that petite, slender little girl, it danced nimbly, light as though it weighed nothing.

"Bang!"

The next instant, something unbelievable happened. Meng Xianxian moved like lightning and struck like thunder. The hammer came crashing down with a howling wind—and shattered the Firecloud Demon Lion's skull in a single blow.

That was a demon beast at the seventh level of Qi Condensation!

"Brother, do you understand now? Do you still think she's cute?" Xia Xiaojiu asked in shock. Meng Xianxian's cultivation had broken through yet again.

Lin Yaoyao's eyes widened. "Brother Hao, this girl is ridiculously strong. You absolutely can't marry her and bring her home as a wife."

Su Hao's face darkened. What was this fool thinking?

"Impressive, right?" The little girl rested the oversized hammer, utterly mismatched to her build, on her shoulder and said smugly.

"Watch out."

Just as her words fell, Su Hao suddenly called out a warning.

At the same time, two more Firecloud Demon Lions emerged from the forest. The moment they appeared, they pounced to kill. At the seventh level of Qi Condensation, demon beasts were already quite intelligent.

They attacked together, even coordinating with one another.

Catching her off guard, they lunged like lightning. Their gaping, bloodied maws had already opened, and Meng Xianxian had no time to react. Even if she had, dealing with one demon beast was already her limit.

Sweat broke out on Xia Xiaojiu and Lin Yaoyao's foreheads.

At that moment, Su Hao was already moving. His speed erupted beyond all bounds. With a violent sweep of his sleeve, the Godslayer Sword shot forth with a howl, hurtling toward one of the Firecloud Demon Lions.

At the same time, he had already closed the distance completely. He hurled Bald Chicken with all his strength, sending it crashing into the demon lion.

Bald Chicken's body was tough. Though it let out a miserable, pain-filled shriek, the Firecloud Demon Lion was likewise knocked backward. That gave Meng Xianxian the chance to evade the killing blow.

Only then did Xia Xiaojiu and Lin Yaoyao rush forward. Working together, they killed the two demon beasts.

"That scared me to death." Meng Xianxian patted her small chest, calming her racing emotions. At the same time, she looked gratefully at Su Hao. If not for him, the Firecloud Demon Lion's pounce would already have taken her life.

Xia Xiaojiu shook his head. "Keep showing off, and you won't be far from death."

After resting for a moment, Su Hao stepped forward and collected the demon cores from the three demon lions. They could serve as resources to strengthen cultivation. Then he began skinning them while Lin Yaoyao fetched water to wash them clean. Soon, they were set on a grill, and a rich fragrance spread through the air.

"Little Hao, if you ever use me as a club or a shield again, I'll fight you to the death!" Bald Chicken said furiously, aching all over.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, it darted forward. Ignoring the heat, it immediately began pecking away as though eating rice. The spot it chose made the others stare blankly; even the carefree Meng Xianxian blushed.

"This stuff is a huge tonic! It works even better than tiger whip!"

Bald Chicken said blissfully.

Meng Xianxian looked somewhat surprised. After examining it carefully, she strode over. "Strange. There isn't much cultivation energy in your body. How can you speak human language like a demon beast of the Spirit Sea Realm?"

"I, your lord, am naturally gifted."

"Your intelligence is unusually high too. What kind of demon beast are you, exactly?" Meng Xianxian frowned. She was a genius beast tamer from the Southern Gate and knew demon beasts extremely well, yet she could not see through Bald Chicken.

"I, your lord, am a divine beast."

"Fine. Be my pet beast, then. I'll definitely treat you well." Meng Xianxian continued, completely ignoring the cold look Su Hao gave her.

"I, your lord, was thinking of taking you as a human pet."

"Bang!"

Meng Xianxian kicked out, sending Bald Chicken flying hundreds of meters away, vanishing without a trace.

"If it weren't for Su Hao's sake, I'd definitely subdue you and then roast you," Meng Xianxian muttered.

Xia Xiaojiu lowered his voice beside Su Hao and said, "You'd better be careful. This girl truly is a beast-taming prodigy. Since entering the Spirit Creek Sect, she's subdued over a hundred demon beasts. Aside from that big black dog, every last one ended up in her belly. Keep an eye on your strange beast—if she gets hungry, she'll dare to eat anything."

His voice was not loud, but Bald Chicken, who was angrily hurrying back, still heard every word clearly. Its body shuddered, and it immediately burrowed into Su Hao's storage bag. Before disappearing, it did not forget to say, "Throw a drumstick in for me."

After wolfing down the roasted meat like a whirlwind sweeping away the clouds, the group set out once more. They traveled for a full two days before finally reaching a valley.

Deep within the valley, they could hear the sound of flowing water. It was not loud, like a trickling stream tinkling down from the mountaintop.

"It's up ahead. Be careful—the place is home to powerful demonic beasts," Xia Xiaojiu warned.

The group proceeded cautiously and soon spotted a sheer cliff. A stream flowed down from its summit. This place seemed to have once been a waterfall, but it had since dried up, leaving only the stream behind.

"The entrance to the place of fortune is at the mountaintop." Xia Xiaojiu smiled. On his first visit, he had gained some benefits. But on his second, third, and countless later visits, demonic beasts had kept him out.

In fact, that was also why he had invited Su Hao. Alone, he could not contend with the demonic beasts within.

"I'm not concerned about those. The demonic beasts inside those holes in the cliff face are the truly terrifying ones. We have to find a way around them," Su Hao said calmly. The moment Xia Xiaojiu invited him, he had understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Xia Xiaojiu froze. The demonic beasts in those holes were strange; while asleep, they gave off not the slightest trace of an aura, and ordinary people could not detect them. Yet Su Hao had seen through them at a glance. Just who was this kid?

Curiosity filled his heart.

"Indeed, the demonic beasts on that cliff wall are terrifying. We absolutely must not provoke them, or our lives will be in grave danger." Xia Xiaojiu pointed at the bowl-sized holes, a trace of fear on his face.

But as soon as his words fell and he looked over, his expression changed drastically. "Little Bean, are you looking to die?!"

Meng Xianxian had already swaggered closer. From the thousands upon thousands of bowl-sized holes, terrifying auras began to ripple out.