Chapter 481: "An Opportunist (4)"
Ning Xin replied with a laugh: "Whether we can successfully win them over would depend largely on whether they are willing. If the men show themselves to be friendly and accepting of us, I would naturally reject any form of repayment when we get to the Spirit Moon Lake. Wouldn't that leave a much deeper impression than if we were to have just agreed to lead them to their destination for nothing?"
To entice and to win someone over, one must never start off from a lowered stance. Ning Xin knew she had to raise her status and worth before those men.
Lu Wei Jie did not fully understand what Ning Xin meant, but felt that what Ning Xin said must be right.
As the team progressed forward, a black shadow stood within the tall trees. He released a tiny black snake onto the layer of dried leaves that covered the ground under the tree and the tiny black snake quickly slid under the leaves and the tiny body quickly disappeared without a trace.
.....
Jun Wu Xie and her team found a water source and Qiao Chu and the others washed the blood off their bodies and sat on the tree stumps to nibble at their rations.
After a while, Ye Sha suddenly appeared before them. Qiao Chu and the others who had been waiting immediately stood up.
"Your subordinate has successfully tracked down the target." Ya Sha reported, his head lowered and kneeling on one knee.
"How many people in total?" Jun Wu Xie asked.
"Twenty seven, and on top of that, they just joined up with a team not of the Zephyr Academy and are proceeding towards the Spirit Moon Lake." Ya Sha replied.
Moving together with a team of people not from the Zephyr Academy?
The news that Ye Sha brought back to them was rather shocking for them.
"Do they still have something up their sleeves? Or have they enlisted outside help?" Qiao Chu rubbed at his chin. He had never met Ning Xin and Yin Yan but in his mind, he had projected an image of two sinister looking villains colluding with each other rubbing their hands in glee.
Fan Jin had been about to speak but after Qiao Chu's quick accusations, he just remained silent, and his body slumped.
Fei Yan noticed Fan Jin's low spirits and gave Qiao Chu a light punch. Qiao Chu stuck his tongue out and looked apologetically at Fei Yan, waving his hand in awkwardness.
"Spirit Moon Lake? What for?" Jun Wu Xie ignored Qiao Chu's opinions and asked.
"The team seems to need to get to the Spirit Moon Lake to find some herbs. Ning Xin agreed to lead the way and the team would give her the spirit stones from high grade Spirit Beasts in return." Ye Sha reported plainly.
"Five high grade Spirit Beasts! ? That little vixen called Ning Xin is really merciless with her terms!" Qiao Chu was shocked. To the others just like him, before they met Jun Xie, they had been living in abject poverty and they knew only too well the fee asked to just lead the way was incredibly atrocious.
Fan Jin's head lowered and he did not even want to look at any of them.
"Did you find out the identities of those men?" Jun Wu Xie asked, as she stroked at the little black cat's fur while deep in thought. She has promised Fan Jin to spare Ning Xin and Yin Yan and if they did not come provoke her, she would not care whether they lived or died.
Ye Sha hesitated a moment before he spoke: "Several of the men in the team coincides with people in the memories Master Wu Yao gave me."
"Gave you memories?" Jun Wu Xie asked, her eyes narrowed.
"Ye Sha's memories." Ye Sha said.
"..........." Qiao Chu and the others heard Ye Sha and Jun Xie's conversation and were finding it rather frightening.
"Which are they?" Jun Wu Xie had a rough idea what Ye Sha meant. The memories of the previous Ye Sha had been passed onto the current Ye Sha through some unusual method by Jun Wu Yao.
Ye Sha raised his head to reply: "One of them is from the Rui Lin Army, General Long Qi, and the other one is Rong Heng, from the Cloud Treading Peak. As for the others, your subordinate only knows that they belonged to the Rui Lin Army and Cloud Treading Peak, but I do not know their individual names."
At the moment that Ye Sha's words ended, Jun Wu Xie's hand that was stroking the little black cat suddenly froze!
Chapter 482: "The Most Ferocious Strike Force (1)"
"The Rui Lin Army?" Fan Jin raised his head suddenly and he looked at Ye Sha with a look of disbelief on his face.
"What is this Rui Lin Army?" Qiao Chu's face was puzzled, not understanding why Fan Jin had such a strong reaction.
Fan Jin stared at Qiao Chu and saw that Hua Yao and the others were all similarly seemingly clueless and he asked incredulous: "You have not heard of the Rui Lin Army?"
Qiao Chu nodded.
"The Rui Lin Army is an incredibly ferocious strike force of the Qi Kingdom's. The Qi Kingdom is just an extremely small power standing among various powerful states and the lands they occupied were considered just a trifling speck and their insignificantly small population were in no way comparable with any of the other states surrounding it. But the Qi Kingdom was still able to build itself up amongst all the individually stronger forces that ringed them based on just one lone reason, the widely feared and most ferocious strike force, the Rui Lin Army. The army wasn't really big, and it is rumoured that they numbered merely one hundred thousand. But each and every single soldier in there possessed extraordinary might and power and no matter which force or power that had ever met them on the battlefield, every single one of the survivors eventually found themselves all haunted by frightening dreams after it." Fan Jin had always admired the strength of the strict regimental military, and he had heard a lot about the widely famous Rui Lin Army.
It could be said that the fame of the Rui Lin Army shone much brighter outside than inside the Qi Kingdom itself.
"Extraordinary skills and power? Are all their ring spirits of exceptionally high grade?" Qiao Chu asked, deeply curious.
Fan Jin shook his head.
"The Rui Lin Army's soldiers are famous not for their extraordinary spiritual power or exemplary ring spirits. What really earned them the fame of being known as the most ferocious strike force is the spirit when they stepped onto a battlefield. They do not know retreat or surrender and everybody says their soldiers possessed souls that fought to the death and not a single one of them would fear and would stare at Death straight into his eyes. In a war between states and countries, one single man's strength limited what he could achieve, but when put together into a force where all the men were bound tightly in flawless cohesion and who did not fear death, they become a supreme ferocious strike force, the ultimate weapon. Did you know when the Qi Kingdom was just newly founded, in their first battle against an opposing kingdom, the Rui Lin Army took the vanguard. The Rui Lin Army numbered three hundred thousand then! And after that battle, the Rui Lin Army had only about eighty thousand men left! All of those two hundred over soldiers had not taken a single step backwards in that battle, they resolutely used their flesh and blood to resist the enemy, to protect every square inch of their lands!" Fan Jin was narrating all this in a fervour, almost as though he had witnessed that dreadful and terrible battle with his own eyes.
"You must realise that the enemy soldiers that the Rui Lin Army were up against numbered a grand million! An army a million strong! Outnumbered by more than three men to one, but they nevertheless dug in and frightened the enemy into retreat, and they never dared approach the Qi Kingdom's borders ever again! That resolute and unwavering strength of spirit cowered the enemy and the unparalleled deterrence the Qi Kingdom gained was bought with the blood of those two hundred over thousand soldiers of the Rui Lin Army!"
Qiao Chu and the others listened, eyes wide in rapture. They did not know much about anything in the Lower Realm. Things like the different states and countries and their armies were all things they were not familiar with as well. They had only focused on making themselves get stronger and to find the Dark Emperor's tomb, that would gain them sufficient strength to rival the Twelve Palaces, for them to exact their revenge.
They had not known that in these lands that they had lived in for so many years, had actually contained such a group of valiant men whose blood burned so fiercely, who dared spit in Death's eye, and choose to die than turn from the enemy, just to protect their lands and their people!
The teammates were all at an age when they were all brimming over with youthful exuberance and they were all caught up in the fervour, greatly inspired with the tale of valiant heroes.
At that moment, before any of them had even seen the men from the Rui Lin Army, they already held great reverence in their hearts for the widely famed, most ferocious strike force in the whole Lower Realm.
Only Jun Wu Xie was the lone exception, who had quietly listened to Fan Jin's narration, and lowered her eyes.
Everyone only knew that the Rui Lin Army were brave and strong, but they did not know that the Rui Lin Army held the highest death toll for its commanders. As in every battle, the commanders of the Rui Lin Army were always leading their men in their charges, always at the vanguard.
The Qi Kingdom was too small, and its citizens weak, hence, they could not afford to lose.
As the moment they lost, it would mean the kingdom is lost!
Chapter 483: "The Most Ferocious Strike Force (2)"
The Qi Kingdom cannot afford to lose, and they dared not lose.
The fame of being undefeated, was forced out of them due to the unthinkable alternative!
If they lost, they would lose their homeland.
Jun Wu Xie distinctly remembered Jun Xian's sorrowful expression when they had spoken and chatted about it. Jun Xian would always have a forced smile on his face, but his eyes would always be sorrowful when he was reminded of the pain of loss.
The prominence and notoriety of the Rui Lin Army was bought with the very lives of its selfless soldiers. Everybody only knew of the ferocity and strength of the Rui Lin Army, but none remembered the countless deaths of the martyrs who gave their lives for their countrymen.
If he could, Jun Xian would willingly give up all fame and fortune, than allow the very men who braved the various battlefields at his side.
The members of the Jun Family, must never feel proud of the Rui Lin Army's fearless reputation!
This was the word passed down from Jun Xian himself.
As it should and must be a humiliation, when a commander was not able to bring the soldiers he led into battle back home alive, and the blame must be laid on the commander's incompetence.
Jun Wu Xie did not know when sentiment had started, but she remembered her grandfather's and uncle's sorrowful and determined faces when they told her that.
"The Battle Spirits Forest isn't too far from the Qi Kingdom, but I still wouldn't have expected to see anyone from the Rui Lin Army in here." Fan Jin was looking rather excited. The heroes that he had revered and admired for a long time might appear before his eyes and he was feeling really excited like a kid all over again.
Qiao Chu cleared his throat lightly and said to the excited Fan Jin: "Might I point out that those gods of battle that you mentioned earlier are now with Ning Xin and her team, and it seems that they have been deeply taken advantage of."
With that one statement, Fan Jin's passionate face suddenly as if he had been doused with a whole pail of cold water!
Fan Jin had thought that the terms that Ning Xin had asked for were extremely unreasonable as well.
"Let's go." Jun Wu Xie had been silent a long while and she suddenly spoke, lifting the little black cat onto her shoulders where it usually perched.
"Little Xie, where are we going?" Qiao Chu asked of Jun Xie quizzically. He knew Ning Xin was taking advantage of people again, but it shouldn't matter to them as they had no ties with those men. He could only sympathise with the men from the Rui Lin Army in his heart.
"Spirit Moon Lake." Jun Wu Xie said simply.
If Ning Xin would just leave her alone, she really couldn't be bothered about her. But Ning Xin had chosen to take such great advantage of the Rui Lin Army's men, Jun Wu Xie could not allow Ning Xin to have it her way.
Her grandfather's men, must never be subjected to such abuse by such a malicious and manipulative person!
With those words, everyone with the exception of Ye Sha were surprised and at a loss of words at Jun Xie's sudden decision.
"Wh..... why are we going to the Spirit Moon Lake?" Qiao Chu's eyes were wide with wonder. Jun Xie had never been a nosy person and when Fan Jin had shared the stories so fervently, Jun Xie's face had remained cold and otherwise expressionless.
Was Jun Xie's blood stirred up by the stories and wanted to go save the men from the Rui Lin Army from being abused?
Jun Wu Xie gave Qiao Chu a cold glance but did not say a word to him.
Qiao Chu gulped, but was somewhat getting used to Jun Xie ignoring his frequent outbursts.
"But we do not know where the Spirit Moon Lake is located." Rong Ruo had taken out her map to study when Jun Xie had mentioned it earlier. Forget about finding the Spirit Moon Lake on it, the map did not even show the area that they were currently standing.
"Please follow me. I have released an Ink Snake and the Ink Snake will continue to follow them. We will only need to follow the Ink Snake's presence and we will be able to locate them." Ye Sha replied stoically.
The teammates exchanged meaningful glances. They were all intensely curious about Ye Sha's identity, but they all politely kept all their questions to themselves.
After Fan Jin's reverential narration of the Rui Lin Army, Qiao Chu and the others had gained a very good and positive impression of them and when Jun Xie said that they would be going to where the Rui Lin Army's men were, they did not object in the slightest.
After they organized themselves a little, the teammates followed behind Ye Sha, as they looked out for signs that the Ink Snake had left behind, and made their way towards the Battle Spirits Forest's Spirit Moon Lake.....
Chapter 484: "The Most Ferocious Strike Force (3)"
While they were making their way towards the Spirit Moon Lake, Ning Xin asked Lu Wei Jie to try to chat Long Qi and the other men up but he was completely ignored.
Long Qi did not utter a single word in reply and just put forth a darkened face, refusing to saying anything.
The ungraciously snubbed Lu Wei Jie went back to Ning Xin gloomily. He had always enjoyed endless fawning and unbridled admiration from everyone in the Zephyr Academy and always had gaggle of disciples surrounding him all the time. He was not used to being rebuffed so completely and his face showed his displeasure as he sulked beside her.
When Ning Xin saw that even Lu Wei Jie had failed to gain some favour, she got Lu Wei Jie to take the lead moving forward while she slowed down and fell to the back of the group, to move together with Long Qi and his men, a sweet smile plastered on her face.
"Seeing that you and your men are unfamiliar with the Battle Spirits Forest, this should be your first time here. I am wondering what you and your men seek at the Spirit Moon Lake? To be honest, my father is the Vice Headmaster of the Zephyr Academy and is extremely familiar with the Battle Spirits Forest. The Zephyr Academy conducts two Spirit Hunts every year and we frequent the Battle Spirits Forest here. We would always bring back many things from the forest when the Spirit Hunt ends and if we have stock of what you seek here, wouldn't that save you a lot of time and effort?" Ning Xin had a beautiful face and her smile had melted countless hearts. Her tone of voice had been consciously lowered and her voice flowed like sparkling water flowing smoothly along a little brook, making it extremely hard for people to feel any dislike.
In fact, if she had not made such an outrageous demand earlier, the impression she would have given to Long Qi and the other men would have been very good.
Long Qi frowned though, his face a mask of impatience.
The youths repeated attempts at striking up seemingly casual conversation rubbed the straightforward and candid Long Qi the wrong way.
Since they had already agreed to the deal, they each only had to deliver their own end of the agreement. This obvious attempts to initiate more interaction made the stalwart men who lived and died by the sword extremely uncomfortable.
The other soldiers following beside Long Qi shot discreet glances at Ning Xin, seeing the beautiful face and her sweet amicable smile. But not the slightest sign of admiration showed on the faces of all the men.
To them, with that level of looks and that level of grace, cannot be compared to their very own Young Miss!
The Rui Lin Army barracks were filled with a whole bunch of stalwart and resolute men. They were usually shut off from the world and were mostly deeply immersed in training, resulting in all of the men rarely having the chance to come into contact with the opposite gender. The only female that appeared frequently before them was the Lin Palace's Young Miss, Jun Wu Xie.
In the beginning, before Jun Wu Xie changed her soul, the men from the Rui Lin Army were deeply ashamed of the reputation garnered by their very own Young Miss. But due to her undeniable blood ties to the Jun Family, they had no choice but to bow in acquiescence. But after Jun Wu Xie's core changed, every action that she carried out from then on broke every longheld preconception they had of their Young Miss that made every single soldier within the Rui Lin Army go from utter contempt to unquestioned reverence and total submission.
In the hearts of these courageous and ferocious soldiers, the most flawless beauty under the skies and throughout the vast lands was their Young Miss and the most outstanding female was their Young Miss to which none could compare.
With such a shining premium Jun Wu Xie as the benchmark set in the men's hearts, any female who attempted to allure or secure a place within the men's hearts ultimately would only face utter and thorough failure.
The girl's looks were lacking, not fit to be even compared to their Young Miss.
Her eyes lacked life, unable to compare to their Young Miss.
She lacked charm, her smile obsequious, inferior to their Young Miss in every way! Their cold, proud and breathtaking Young Miss!
And, was the lass blind or what? Did she not see the obvious and blatant "do not disturb" expression on their General's face? They were still relentless in trying to get closer to him and blabbering nonstop. With the terms stated as repayment for her to lead them to their destination, nobody in their right mind, unless they had money to burn, would agree to her offer of getting what they need from her.
She was still completely oblivious to the fact that she had been completely despised from head to toe, in front of all these Rui Lin Army soldiers, and Ning Xin still had her sweet and amicable smile stuck across her face before them.
Chapter 485: "The Most Ferocious Strike Force (4)"
Those occasional glances that turned her way however, did not make Ning Xin even think of backing off on her advances but further encouraged her as she started feeling secretly pleased with herself.
Ning Xin had always been extremely confident of her looks and when she complemented her attractive good looks with her consciously moulded image that she built up for herself, she had always gained an advantage for her efforts. Hence, she would never in her wildest dreams expect that the burly and boorish military men would disregard her beauty so completely.
She thought that the soldiers were just like all the males she had previously encountered, secretly mesmerized by her.
"No need." Long Qi did not even turn his head her way and rejected her flat out.
The sweet smile on Ning Xin's face froze a brief moment but she recovered quickly.
"You don't need to be so distant, since fate willed us to meet here, it could all be predestined. We have still quite a ways before we would reach the Spirit Moon Lake, would you need me to tell you a little bit more about what the situation is like over at the Spirit Moon Lake?" Ning Xin asked, still smiling, not showing any signs of retreat even with Long Qi's outright refusal.
Long Qi's frown grew deeper. He had wanted to reject once more. But when he thought about it, it was true that they had never been to the Spirit Moon Lake and the only thing they knew was only when Mu Chen told them that they could get those herbs in the vicinity of the Spirit Moon Lake and it would not hurt them if they gathered a little more information about the place which might help them by making it easier for them to search and locate those herbs.
"I shall have to trouble you then." Long Qi replied, after assessing the situation and he suppressed the impatience that gnawed at his heart.
A smile came into Ning Xin's eyes and although she saw that this person did not seem to like conversing with others, she was however confident she knew exactly how to deal with men like this.
"The Spirit Moon Lake is vast, and is considered to be the main source of water within the Battle Spirits Forest. It is rumoured that the Spirit Moon Lake's water can nourish the spirit and it attracts a great number of Spirit Beasts. Many Spirit Beasts are usually seen in the vicinity of the lake as they come to the lake to drink. If they sense any strange and unfamiliar presence approach, there is a high chance that they would attack. So, I would suggest that when we reach the place, that you and your men do not go straight to the Spirit Moon Lake, but to observe the surroundings first, to see if there are any Spirit Beasts around, to avoid any casualties." Ning Xin harboured the intention to gain Long Qi's friendship and she decided that her words needed to contain certain elements of truth.
Long Qi replied instead: "There is no need for all that trouble, if there are any Spirit Beasts around, we'll just need to kill it."
Ning Xin was shocked at Long Qi's decisive words. He must have possessed strong confidence in his strength for him to use such strong words. In the beginning, when that youth had brought the news that he witnessed a group of men killing a high grade Spirit Beast, she had been doubtful. But after seeing Long Qi's confidence and feeling the impressive aura he gave out, she started to believe the youth's words a little more.
"Haha, words from the mighty are different indeed. Brother Long's skills must be really impressive and Little Xin is greatly humbled." Ning Xin smiled gently, her eyelashes fluttered as she stole glances at Long Qi's countenance shyly.
However, Long Qi did not react in the slightest, his face remaining cold and distant.
"Brother Long must have gone through much trial and tribulations. The journey ahead of us is still long and dull, would Brother Long be interested to share your past glories and exploits with Little Xin?" Ning Xin smiled very sweetly, looking every inch just like a bashful young lady.
If that had been someone else, and was shown so much adoration by a beautiful and shy young lady, the man might have very well been completely swooned and held spellbound. But Long Qi's face did not change in the slightest, completely unmoved.
"Miss Ning." Long Qi stopped in his tracks suddenly.
"Brother Long, you do not need to be so distant. Just call me Little Xin." Ning Xin blushed and lowered her head, to hide the glee showing within her eyes at that moment.
"If you do not have any other information about the Spirit Moon Lake to tell us, then you do not need to say anything more. I have other things I need to discuss with my men and I would implore Miss Ning to excuse us." Long Qi looked coldly at Ning Xin, not bothering to show any manners or courtesy, driving her away without any hesitation.
Chapter 486: "The Most Ferocious Strike Force (5)"
Ning Xin's face changed then. Her beautiful smile looked a little forced as she quelled the anger that surged in her chest. Her forced smile was still frozen on her face as she turned to leave.
It was only after Ning Xin left them that the several Rui Lin soldiers heaved a sigh of relief.
"What was that smell on that girl? That strong scent almost gagged me." One of the soldiers rubbed his nose vigorously and the only thing he remembered about her was that overpowering scent that assaulted his nose, almost making his eyes tear when she was with them.
"Boss, do you think that lass has fallen for you? She was giving you the "eye" several times and she was even blushing to boot!" Another soldier "eyed" Long Qi with a laugh, poking fun at their general.
"Was she really blushing red? And not paled to white? When I looked at her before she left, there wasn't even any colour in her lips!"
"All of you stop all that gabbing." Long Qi gave the soldiers an "eye" of his own. "When we get to the Spirit Moon Lake, go immediately to find those Spirit Beasts and pay them off to send them off on their way."
Although the battle hardened Long Qi did not know much about the complicated relationship between a man and a woman, but he was rather astute. He could see that although Ning Xin was just a young and youthful girl, her underlying intentions were not that simple. The way that she repeatedly tried to probe into their situation, was strictly taboo to a military man out on a mission.
"Yes Sir!"
.....
"Senior Ning, what's wrong?" Yin Yan hurried forward to ask as he stared at the pale faced Ning Xin, as she rejoined the team with a mouth twisted in rage. Even Lu Wei Jie noticed the abnormality in Ning Xin and turned his head to look at her.
Ning Xin took a deep breath and suppressed the rage within her.
[Who do those scoundrels think they are? She spared them a little courtesy and they think they are all that great? How dare they spurn her like that ! ?]
Ning Xin, who had always been used to being universally adored and fawned upon was really greatly angered by Long Qi's cold and spurious treatment.
She had never been slapped by such indifference and total disregard to her person before!
"There has been a change of plans. These people are just hopelessly stubborn and a bunch of boorish and uncouth men who don't know what's good for them!" Ning Xin said angrily as she flung out her sleeve, her usual smile disappeared, without a trace.
"What really happened? What had angered you so badly?" Lu Wu Jie hurried over to comfort the beauty. "I see those men as just brutes who possessed great power and I did not really approve of you consorting with those barbarians earlier. If they are not receptive to our kind intentions, just leave them alone. We, as esteemed disciples of the Zephyr Academy, would not need to miss that little bit of might they have."
Lu Wei Jie had initially agreed to Ning Xin's plan, but having been shown and rebuffed by Long Qi's cold and distant expression the whole journey, his proud and egoistic personality had not taken the rejection well. And now that even his beautiful Ning Xin had been similarly unceremoniously scorned and spurned, his feeling of displeasure was greatly intensified.
"Hmph! They chose to reject the proffered wine so we'll give them poison instead! They asked for it! They wanted me to lead them all this way and they think they can be rid of me with just a few high grade Spirit Beasts? I, Ning Xin is worth much more than that!" Ning Xin's eyes narrowed and the gentleness in her eyes faded completely, suddenly replaced with venom and malice.
Yin Yan who was standing on the side froze and did not dare say anything in answer. It was Lu Wei Jie who suddenly spoke instead: "What do you intend to do? If we end up having to fight them, I don't think we're their match."
If those men had not been so powerful, Lu Wei Jie would have thrashed them up so badly they would be picking up their teeth. But faced with Long Qi, he could only swallow his rage and repress the anger within.
Ning Xin laughed chillingly and said: "Why would we need to dirty our hands? The Battle Spirits Forest is filled with Spirit Beasts afterall."
"But they are even able to take down high grade Spirit Beasts....."
"What about those above high grade?" Ning Xin's mouth curled up at the corners slightly, as she turned her head back at the group of several men trailing the team, and her eyes almost dripped with venom.
Chapter 487: "Guardian Grade Spirit Beast (1)"
Jun Wu Xie followed behind Ye Sha to gradually catch up with Long Qi and his men. After traversing through a large area of the dense forest, they finally came to a hidden lake nestled within the thick trees.
The lake's surface reflected the sun's rays looking like a massive pool of silver, its ripples stirring up bright brilliant stars as they shimmered within, a resplendent sight to behold. At the edge of the Spirit Moon Lake, several Spirit Beasts had their heads lowered to the water to drink and at the moment that the presence of Jun Wu Xie and her team were felt, the Spirit Beasts bolted and scattered in all directions, running into the dark cover of the trees, disappearing without a trace.
"This is the Spirit Moon Lake? But..... Where are Ning Xin and the Rui Lin Army's men?" Qiao Chu peered to look all around but could not see any other figures besides the Spirit Beasts that had bolted.
Jun Wu Xie turned to look at Ye Sha and Ye Sha suddenly frowned.
"What is it?" Jun Wu Xie asked.
"The Ink Snake suddenly died. But just before death claimed it, it had followed that team of people past the Spirit Moon Lake. It seems that their destination was not to just come to the Spirit Moon Lake." Ye Sha reported all his findings immediately to Jun Wu Xie.
Just as all of them were still contemplating Ye Sha's words, a rumble shook the ground under their feet suddenly!
The massive trees that ringed the Spirit Moon Lake shook and rustled, all those Spirit Beasts that had hid themselves in the forest sensed the approach of a terrifying threat. They ran and bolted once again and the peaceful and tranquil scene at the was suddenly torn and shattered!
"What is happening! ?" A series of unidentifiable tremors under their feet made Fei Yan start to feel extremely uneasy.
Jun Wu Xie's eyes narrowed and she resolutely said: "Bring us to where the Ink Snake died."
"Yes!"
The team moved immediately and while they sped forward towards their destination, a ear piercing roar suddenly reverberated in their ears!
That thunderous roar sounded louder and more majestic than any they had ever heard!
That sound alone was enough to make everyone's blood surge and boil within!
The roar continued to reverberate through the surrounding trees and the leaves rustled violently in the sound waves kicked up!
"Guardian Grade..... Spirit Beast....." Fan Jin's face turned white as a sheet. The magnitude of that roar made him feel a distinct impending sense of doom creep into his heart.
He had seen a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast once with his father and that experience had been deeply branded into his heart and he had never been able to forget it.
"What did you say?" Qiao Chu turned his head to stare at Fan Jin, his eyes wide.
Fan Jin replied with a deathly white face: "That was definitely a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast, it can't be anything else..... The Spirit Moon Lake sits right in the core of the vast Battle Spirits Forest and the water from the Spirit Moon Lake is the best nourishment all the Spirit Beasts can get. Hence, high Grade Spirit Beasts frequently roam in the vicinity of the Spirit Moon Lake, and even the rarely seen..... Guardian Grade Spirit Beasts."
No one in the Zephyr Academy had even dared to dream of hunting a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast. It is widely rumoured that the power of a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast far surpassed that of the pinnacle purple spirit! Not to only mention the disciples of the Zephyr Academy taking part in the Spirit Hunt, even if all the teachers and Masters of the academy were confronted with a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast, they would have no other option than to flee!
Fan Jin had never dreamt that he would ever once again see a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast!
"The direction that the roar is coming from, is exactly where the Ink Snake was killed." Ye Sha slowed down his pace a little to share that shocking piece of news!
Ye Sha's Ink Snake had secretly tailed Long Qi and his men right from the start and its sudden death had already been greatly suspicious, and now they just heard, at the location where the Ink Snake died, there was a Guardian Grade Spirit Beast! ? What were they getting themselves into! ?
Did that also mean that Long Qi and his men that the Ink Snake had been shadowing all this while were confronted with the Guardian Grade Spirit Beast!?
Chapter 488: "Guardian Grade Spirit Beast (2)"
Since the beginning of time, never in the Lower Realm had anyone heard that anyone was able to hunt down a Guardian grade Spirit Beast.
Even the legendary purple spirit, which was the pinnacle of strength could only run when faced with a Guardian grade Spirit Beast!
It must be known that the fact was no purple spirit user had appeared among the people for a long time! Even in the Rui Lin Army, none existed at that time!
Upon hearing that devastating roar, not only Fan Jin's face looked sick, but even Qiao Chu and the rest did not fare much better. They might not have known who the Rui Lin Army was, but after hearing of their heroic and selfless exploits, those men have earned respect from the teammates.
"Why would they meet a Guardian grade Spirit Beast? All the Spirit Beasts here wouldn't initiate an attack unless they are first provoked or attacked, and then did they retaliate!" Rong Ruo said, her complexion not looking too well either.
After Rong Ruo said those words, the teammates all suddenly came to the same conclusion.
The men from the Rui Lin Army were all battle hardened and undergone much trials and tribulations, they would not be men that would be rash or ignorant in situations like this. They couldn't have possibly gone to provoke a Guardian grade Spirit Beast that they knew very well they wouldn't be able to beat. And the only people who would possibly provoke the Guardian grade Spirit Beast could only be the people in Ning Xin's team who harboured evil intentions against the men from the Rui Lin Army!
"It's over! This time it's really over....." Qiao Chu scratched at his head furiously, his heart torn from the fact that the heroes he had heard about were about to be killed by such a vicious plot.
Suddenly, Qiao Chu had barely finished his sentence when a black figure whizzed past away from them!
Jun Wu Xie was seated upon the black beast's back, like an arrow shot from a fully pulled back bow. And Ye Sha immediately shot out from the group to catch up with Jun Wu Xie!
"Little Xie! What are you doing! ?" Qiao Chu and his gang suddenly realised what was happening as they saw Jun Wu Xie rushing towards the source of the roars, and their hearts all skipped a beat in shock!
Had Jun Xie gone mad? Judging from his actions, was he intending to go save the men from the Rui Lin Army?
What kind of a joke was that?
Having been with Jun Xie for quite awhile now, Qiao Chu and his gang knew what kind of personality Jun Xie had. He was calm and decisive and was never one to poke his nose into other people's business. Just what was it that made him decide now to risk everything and go save people they had never even met! ?
He must have known that by rushing to the men's aid, he was rushing to confront not just any ordinary Spirit Beast! But a Guardian grade Spirit Beast!
Spirit Beasts were naturally highly resistant to poison and the poisons that Jun Xie was most highly skilled in would not work on a Guardian grade Spirit Beast, his decision would most undoubtedly kill him!
"Damn! Has Jun Xie really gone mad! ?" Qiao Chu said through gritted teeth, and he had no time to think further on it but to summon Rolly to the fore.
The massive Yin Yang bear appeared suddenly among the teammates. It bent and lowered its back, all four of its paws on the ground.
Qiao Chu's tall frame quickly leapt onto its back. Hua Yao, Fei Yan and Rong Ruo quickly followed and mounted themselves on Rolly's back.
"Rolly! Follow them! Quick!" They would never allow Jun Xie to ride off into his doom on his own!
Having received Qiao Chu's command, Rolly sprinted immediately. The lumbering body moved amazingly quickly, with Rolly's massively wide strides eating up the distance, its speed seemingly like a little whirlwind!
Fan Jin stood in his spot, eyes wide and speechless as he watched Qiao Chu and his gang speed off after Jun Xie, his mind a complete blank.
Why would the men from the Rui Lin Army suddenly encounter a Guardian grade Spirit Beast? Everyone knew very well how that had happened, but not one of them spoke a single word about it.
Fan Jin was not that dumb either. He thought about it for awhile and he could guess what had really happened as well.
But that realisation was a fact that he could not accept easily.
After struggling with his emotions a while more, Fan Jin finally clenched his jaw in determination, and ran towards the same direction that he had seen Qiao Chu and the others depart!
Chapter 489: "Guardian Grade Spirit Beast (3)"
Within a part of the forest, rows of trees were being felled and trampled into the ground. Shockwaves swept over the ground and the fallen leaves flew and billowed within the rush of the air kicked up, spinning and whirling in the howling wind.
The thick heavy scent of blood hung heavily in the air, as an immensely huge shape towered between the earth and the skies. Deafening roars erupted from the titanic beast, threatening to split the earth!
It was a Guardian grade Spirit Beast of epic proportions and the claws on its four limbs were razor sharp. Nine long white tails swayed in the air behind the beast and whatever those tails touched, be it trees or rocks, they broke and crumbled easily before the overwhelming force. Two twisted horns curled on top of its head and its scarlet eyes were filled with rage.
The beast's body was white throughout and over its smooth radiant fur, a faint shimmering red totem glow could almost be seen!
A raging Guardian grade Spirit Beast could destroy everything before it!
Under the raining stones, Long Qi zipped around to haul an injured Rui Lin Army soldier to rest on a tree stump and told him to hide himself.
One of the soldier's arm had been cut by the Guardian grade Spirit Beast's Wind Blade, a single cut nearly severing half of his arm off, almost hanging just from his flesh and sinew. The soldier had lost a great amount of blood and his face was drained of all colour, his body temperature dropping quickly.
"General, leave us..... You..... you should bring Rong Heng and the others away from here....." The injured soldier said, tugging at Long Qi's sleeve with his good hand.
"A Guardian grade Spirit Beast is not what we can take on. Bring Rong Heng and the others away from here while Little Wu and the guys are still able to hold the Spirit Beast back! Our deaths would not matter that much compared to the disciples of Master Mu. To the Rui Lin Army, those disciples are more important than anything else." The injured soldiers gasped heavily for breath after those words, his complexion looking worse than before.
Long Qi's expression was stern. Things had taken a sudden and unexpected turn that made this expedition unimaginably perilous.
A Guardian grade Spirit Beast, he had never even seen one before!
"I will not abandon my brothers." Long Qi clenched his jaw tightly. His body was already covered in wounds and within the team, he was the strongest and most highly skilled. And it due to that fact that he received the most attacks in the battle with the Spirit Beast. If it was not for his weapon ring spirit's ability to transform into strong sturdy armour, he might not be still alive now!
Long Qi turned to look at the injured Rong Heng and his fellow disciples. There were three disciples from the Cloud Treading Peak on this expedition to the Battle Spirits Forest and when the Guardian grade Spirit Beast attacked, all the men from the Rui Lin Army had quickly protected the three disciples with everything they had.
The soldiers were well aware that the Rui Lin Army numbered many more and it would not hurt the force much even if they lost the few of them. But the disciples of the Cloud Treading Peak cannot be allowed to come to harm. By protecting every single one of those disciples, they would be able to bring new strength to the soldiers of the Rui Lin Army in the future!
Rong Heng and his fellow disciples were in a dire situation. Although the soldiers from the Rui Lin Army were fighting to protect them with their lives, the shockwaves that swept through them from the Guardian grade Spirit Beast were not what medical practitioners like them could withstand, unscathed.
"General Long, we have dragged you down with us." Rong Heng looked at Long Qi, his face pale. If it was not for them, their skills from being in the Rui Lin Army would at least allow them to escape from the Spirit Beast even if they could not defeat it.
"This has nothing to do with you, I was too careless." Long Qi narrowed his eyes and anger flashed menacingly.
"No one would have expected the young youths to harbour such insidious intentions against us. If they had not provoked and led the Spirit Beast to us, we would not be in such a dire situation! And all those hateful wretches had even run away after leading the Spirit Beast to us!" Another Cloud Treading Peak disciple spat out those words in disgust!
Chapter 490: "Consecutive Slaps - Third Form (1)"
A Guardian grade Spirit Beast was something that no one dared provoke. Long Qi had initially agreed to hunt down five high grade Spirit Beasts for Ning Xin and her team and when they reached the Spirit Moon Lake, he had kept his word and went out in search for signs of high grade Spirit Beasts. Never had he ever thought that Ning Xin and her teammates would lead a raging Guardian grade Spirit Beast right up to them! And after the youths led the Guardian grade Spirit Beast to come right beside Long Qi and his men, they all took the opportunity to escape, dragging Long Qi and his right into the abyss!
When that scene replayed through his mind, Long Qi was absolutely seething in rage, but the situation did not allow him time to continue dwelling on that!
Five Rui Lin Army soldiers were still battling the Guardian grade Spirit Beast and their power was absolutely no match for the Guardian grade Spirit Beast. But in order to buy a little more time for Rong Heng and his fellow disciples to escape, they fought valiantly, laying their lives on the line. The tacit understanding developed over many years of battles between the men allowed them to hold out a little but they were all already badly wounded and they were all covered in blood. The blood dripped and scattered with their movements and the ground was soon covered in those scarlet splatters!
"I will need to trouble you men to bring my brother with you. The rest of us will continue to try to buy you more time." Long Qi handed the badly injured soldiers over to Rong Heng and his fellow disciples and rushed into the frenzied battle without even looking back!
"General !" The soldier looked on with despair as he stared at Long Qi's resolute back!
A distance away from the battle, Ning Xin was well hidden behind a cluster of dense trees. Her venomous eyes stared intently at the raging battle to the death and her lips curled into a vicious smile.
"Senior Ning, they are not a match for the Guardian grade Spirit Beast." Yin Yan said standing beside Ning Xin as he watched the men from the Rui Lin Army being pushed back step by step by the Spirit Beast.
"I had expected them not to be able to handle it. The Guardian grade Spirit Beasts do not eat people and it will leave after those men are dead. Those men had killed several high grade Spirit Beasts earlier and they are sure to have the high grade spirit stones on them." Ning Xin said with glee, her eyes shining with satisfaction.
Whoever dared embarrass her, would never escape her wrath!
That Escort Long had blatantly spurned her earlier kind offer and trampled on her pride. People like that only more than deserved to die!
Yin Yan lowered his head and remained silent. He was wary of Ning Xin's unbelievable viciousness. The team of men were outstanding in terms of strength and skills and just because the incurred the wrath of Ning Xin, they were led into a situation that they would have to pay for it with their very lives. Under that facade of a beautiful and sweet young lady, Ning Xin hid a venomous and malicious mind that terrified Yin Yan endlessly.
However, just at that moment, a commotion sounded from another direction caught Ning Xin's and her team's attention!
They saw two black shadows streak out from the trees, charging straight at the fully enraged Guardian grade Spirit Beast!
"What is that?" Ning Xin was greatly surprised. The black shadows moved too quickly and she could not see what they were!
Struggling valiantly, Long Qi's back was torn by a swipe from the Guardian grade Spirit Beast. The armour on his back was shredded along with his flesh and his whole back suddenly became one garish scarlet gory mess. Another Rui Lin Army soldier hurried to hold off the Spirit Beast while two other soldiers dragged Long Qi speedily away from the battle!
The abrupt and violent movements elicited so much pain that Long Qi suddenly saw stars before his eyes!
The Guardian grade Spirit Beast was able to even shred the strong armour his ring spirit had transformed into! That heaven defying power was truly not something any of them was able to take on!
As he looked on at the battlefield in despair, Long Qi clenched his teeth together tightly to keep himself conscious. But he knew for sure then, that all of them would not leave the forest alive!
And just when the Guardian grade Spirit Beast had knocked the soldiers standing in its way flying in all directions and was readying itself to pounce on Long Qi, a black shadow suddenly smashed into the head of the Spirit Beast!
A loud crash reverberated!
Strong shockwaves from the force of the impact threw everyone into the air!
Long Qi was sailing through the air when suddenly, in the next moment, he found himself caught by a strong force before he could crash into the ground!