Magic Beast

Jiang Lu looked over the team and was secretly startled. There was not a single cultivator below Qi Refinement, Fourth Level; among them, she was at the very bottom in terms of strength.

"Our team is considerably stronger than the others. You are not particularly strong within it, so do not rush to the front. Just follow behind us."

The trace of impatience in the captain's eyes was far too obvious. Jiang Lu and the others nodded, unable to help feeling awkward.

Their strength truly was lacking, so being looked down upon was only natural.

Still, the other party had not openly displayed their disdain, and that was enough for them.

Jiang Lu sorted through the items in her storage pouch and immediately followed the departing team.

The ten-li distance was meant to prevent the Beast Tide from breaking through the first line of defense and attacking them.

If the beasts reached the outskirts of the dense forest, it would no longer be something they could stop. They would have to report it and request aid from other cities.

Thinking of that beast with a crystal core, Jiang Lu pondered in secret. Perhaps these beasts were merely testing the waters, while the beasts behind them were even stronger.

Only beasts at Level Three or above possessed crystal cores, yet the one she had slain had possessed merely Level One strength.

Either it had mutated, or its strength had been suppressed.

And the only thing capable of suppressing a beast's strength was an even stronger being within that forest.

As she pondered, everyone began setting up camp.

Gu Miao was in the same team as Jiang Lu. Seeing her preparing to head to a corner to meditate and cultivate, he walked over.

"Junior Sister Lu."

Hearing him, Jiang Lu gave a polite smile and responded, her tone carrying a hint of puzzlement.

"Senior Brother Gu, is there something you need?"

Gu Miao's hand tightened slightly, then relaxed. His lips moved soundlessly for a moment before he finally asked,

"Junior Sister Lu, do you feel that this Beast Tide has undergone some great change?"

Though Jiang Lu was not strong and even possessed a Mixed Spiritual Root, her warning had genuinely saved everyone's lives.

Gu Miao vaguely felt that Jiang Lu was extraordinary—or rather, that her two beasts were extraordinary. That was why he had shamelessly come to ask.

Jiang Lu looked at him with a calm expression.

"Senior Brother Gu, even the City Lord said there was something unusual. Naturally, I think so as well. But as for how unusual it is, what ability does a Qi Refinement, Fourth Level cultivator like me have to know?"

"I only think that since this differs from the past, we should remain vigilant at all times and avoid throwing away our lives. We must not be as lax as before."

Jiang Lu spoke earnestly and sincerely. Whether or not she knew the true reason, this was not something a Qi Refinement Middle Stage cultivator like her could speak of.

This time, Senior Brother Gu was either plotting something deliberately or had been panicked out of his wits. Either way, it had nothing to do with her.

Seeing that she was unwilling to say more, Gu Miao did not press further. He regretted asking as soon as he had done so.

Jiang Lu was not wrong. Since even the first wave of the Beast Tide had been abnormal, what came later might be even more dangerous.

He had truly been seeking medical help in desperation. If Jiang Lu really had such ability, why would she be cooped up in a place like this?

He then nodded and sat down to one side. Watching Jiang Lu close her eyes and cultivate, he shook his head with a laugh.

To still have the energy to cultivate in such an environment, Junior Sister Jiang Lu's state of mind was truly extraordinary.

Chi Li and Cangchen glanced around before quietly crawling out of Jiang Lu's cloth pouch.

Chi Li carried a storage pouch on its back. Jiang Lu had bought it for them.

That day, while she was choosing a sword, the two little fellows had stared eagerly at the storage pouches. Since it was not much money anyway, she bought them the cheapest one.

At the very least, it could hold some pills and snacks. She had even made clothes for the two of them. Since they had formed a contract, she could simply treat them like pets.

Though these two pets were somewhat unusual.

Chi Li and Cangchen exchanged a look and headed into the dense forest. The two of them had sensed an unusual aura. If that aura was real, their strength could recover by at least another layer.

Jiang Lu sensed the two of them leaving but did not stop them. They knew their limits. If they got caught and stewed into soup, she would not be able to save them.

Two sneaky figures gradually crossed beyond the first line of defense and headed deeper into the forest, unnoticed by the cultivators on guard.

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"Stinky bird, did you sense which direction it's in?"

Cangchen asked in a low voice. It had to admit that when it came to sensing such opportunities, it was inferior to the stinky bird.

"Shut up."

Chi Li smacked it with a wing and cursed at it.

Cangchen nodded aggrievedly.

It had only asked. Why did it have to hit it?

Then Chi Li closed its eyes and pointed in another direction.

"Over there."

Though neither of them was particularly strong, their talents and bloodlines were there. Naturally, they were not slow.

Very soon, they arrived at the outer edge where the forest connected.

As soon as they approached, they saw a group of beasts lying prostrate on the ground. Every beast was kneeling in worship toward one direction.

Their bodies trembled faintly.

They exchanged a glance. There were so many beasts at the outskirts? That was impossible. There was definitely something wrong here.

Their master had been right. The beast riot had not happened by chance; it was surely the oppression coming from the depths.

The two of them carefully concealed their auras and headed toward the place those beasts were worshipping.

Then they saw a Spirit Pearl at the very front, emanating a red aura!

Demonic Qi clung to the Spirit Pearl, carrying an alluring temptation.

They turned to look at the beasts prostrating themselves on the ground. Their scarlet eyes were filled with longing.

Longing for strength!

They exchanged another look. Just as they had thought.

These beasts had been enticed and oppressed by the Demonic Qi on the Spirit Pearl, which was why they had begun to riot.

Spirit Pearls were not exactly rare, but in the Lower Realm, they were still precious. How could such a treasure appear here?

To beasts, it was a treasure. If they refined it, their strength would rise by several levels no matter what.

Unless...

A high-level beast had deliberately placed it here to lure these low-level beasts into serving it.

The two of them then revealed excited looks.

Hehe~

They could not sense the aura of any high-level beast nearby, leaving only one possibility: the Demonic Qi clinging to the Spirit Pearl was the aura of that high-level beast.

That beast had fallen to demonic corruption and been tainted by Demonic Qi!

But... the contamination was not too deep. They were confident they could strip away the Demonic Qi.

"What do we do? We definitely have to take that Spirit Pearl! But if we touch it, will we draw that Magic Beast's attention?"

Cangchen stared at the Spirit Pearl, drooling with desire.

Chi Li shot it an irritated look. What a worthless stinky dragon.

Fortunately, their bloodlines were powerful enough that this Demonic Qi could not affect their minds.

Otherwise, with how greedy it was, it might already have been lured in.

"We'll do this... then this..."

The more Cangchen listened, the more excited it became, its tail swaying uncontrollably.

The two of them quietly moved closer to the Spirit Pearl. A white ball of water appeared above Cangchen's head and gradually drifted toward the Spirit Pearl.

At last, it stopped beside the Spirit Pearl...

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