Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy

  Facing the setting sun of the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Wang Lu’s group, under the mask of the cover spell of Xiao Qi, easily passed through several sentry posts on the Grand Cloud Mountain, gradually approaching to tonight’s main stage.

  Wang Lu walked behind Xiao Qi. Each step that he took was consistent in length, and his body’s center of gravity was also unchanged, completely ignoring the terrain under his feet. In addition, his magical power was reserved, circulating within his Jade Mansion without any outside exchange, as if it was isolated.

  This was his new ability after breaking through the Xudan Stage. As his magical power in his Jade Mansion gradually condensed into a core, magical power quantity was no longer important. When fighting, in most of the cases, it was enough to rely solely on supply from the rotation of the Void Core within the Jade Mansion. Meaning that his power was genuinely self-sufficient. Looking from another point of view, no matter how bad the environment he was in, he has ample force to survive.

  Behind Wang Lu was Liu Li. The girl’s temperament and Wang Lu was diametrically opposed. Her breathing perfectly blended with the surrounding, however, different from her previous high-level Foundation Establishment Stage circumstances, every blade and every grass in her body [1] seemed sharper than normal…This was her sword intent that spilled outside her body; as a deficiency of the low-level Xudan Stage, Liu Li still couldn’t perfectly control the new condensation of Void Core in her Jade Mansion. However, if changed to another point of view, when Liu Li decided to send out her sword intent, how much power could erupt from this excessively powerful Void Core?

  Walking on the fourth place was the cat girl, her eyes glued at Liu Li in front of her. Her face was filled with envy, longing, but also with a hint of trepidation. It was her instinctive fear of dangerous thing as a spirit beast. Although her levels were many times higher than Liu Li on cultivation base, if they really fought… she did not have the confidence to win.

  While indulging in flights of fancy, she suddenly heard Xiao Qi stopping and speaking.

  "… Sure enough, as you expected, it’s loose on the outside but tight in the inside. Beast Master School’s power is completely concentrated in a few key points. The other places are almost deserted."

  It turned out that the sentry post that their group had just passed was the same sentry post they passed a few days ago. And previously, the head of the patrol here was a Xudan Stage disciple. However, now, they just left behind five spirit beasts with acute senses, and the patrol strength has largely diminished.

  Wang Lu said, "It’s very normal. At this critical time, if they spread their precious force across various places on the Grand Cloud Mountain, without any key points, it would mean that their preparation is inadequate. Before the fifteenth day, no matter how barbaric and uneducated the Beast Master School people are, they must have reached a tacit understanding with the nearby sects and powers, and the vast majority of unknown forces has been smothered out."

  Xiao Qi asked, "Then what about us?"

  "We would need to ask A Xia about it." Wang Lu’s smile showed a bit of ridicule. "For a few days, we drank and ate by the Green Lake, but Seventh Madame, can you guess what were A Xia’s day be like?"

  Xiao Qi looked up and thought. "Mostly not very good. Not only he suffered a heavy defeat in the valley, but he also lost his partner Ling Yan. But when he wanted to make a comeback, he can’t find our traces. He didn’t even have the opportunity to recoup his loss, so I think his days must have been uncomfortable."

  Wang Lu said, "If you were A Xia, what would you do?"

  "Me? There’s really no other choice than to admit my mistake with the Great Elder."

  Wang Lu laughed. "And wait to die under the wrath of Tiger King? Actually, the correct course of action is to make the best out of the situation."

  "Make the best out of the situation?"

  "For example, if it were me, I can claim the few intruders have already been killed by the Ten Thousand Beasts Array in the valley, however, their hidden strength is very alarming, resulting in both sides being greatly injured."

  Xiao Qi was startled. "Tell that we die? Empty words mean nothing, who’s going to believe him? At least he should have several loots to be more convincing right?"

  Wang Lu said, "Empty words? However, conversely, if we want to question him, we need to come up with proofs that we are still alive. A Xia can claim there are no loots and not even the body because we come from a secret sect, whose body possesses a control system that, once killed, would explode and destroy the body as well as the magical treasures. Although there’s no evidence to prove his words; as long as we don’t appear, others would not be able to disprove it."

  "Isn’t this too far-fetched?"

  "Therefore, these days, A Xia must have been miserable. Although it’s not clear how A Xia’s friendship with Tiger King is, since it was Tiger King himself who requested him to come from the Southern Heaven Region, if not necessary, he absolutely would not be too harsh on him, because if investigated, the fault would ultimately be in Tiger King’s hand. On the other hand, currently, the most important thing for them is to catch the immortal beast; there’s really not worth in spending too many thoughts on minor details. They sent A Xia to deal with us because they were worried that we might disrupt their plan. However, over time, common sense dictates that our opportunity to disrupt is getting less and less. And now, since we still don’t appear, it is determined that our chance is basically wiped out. Therefore, though A Xia’s cost of doing things is high, he has basically completed his task."

  "But such lies would always be exposed."

  "It’s also possible to not be exposed. At least, it’s better than dying on the spot under Tiger King’s wrath."

  Upon hearing this, Xiao Qi could not help but shake her head. "For his own selfish interest, he does not hesitate to let the key strategic point of Beast Master School be exposed to risk. Is this kind of person the one you said to be the swine teammate?"

  Wang Lu laughed. "If you look at it from my point of view, it’s actually a praise!" Then, he retrieved his smile. "Therefore, for this extremely selfish person, even having many brilliant abilities, it’s also useless."

  Xiao Qi asked, "Mm, then do you plan to make the move before nightfall?"

  "No. That’s too early. The darkness before the dawn is the hardest to endure. This is the truth that everybody knows. Right now, Beast Master School is tight on the inside and loose on the outside. We’ll wait until both inside and outside are loose, then we’ll make our move."

  "Both inside and outside are loose, that is…"

  "We have to wait for their spirit beast collar to be completed and their Ten Thousand Spirit Lock Termination Array firmly locked Emperor Essence, until every one of them thinks that they have succeeded… then we’ll snuff out their dream. Seventh Madame, your spell is the crucial point here. At least, it has to let us safely approach the edge of the Ten Thousand Spirit Lock Termination Array."

  Xiao Qi patted her monk staff against her chest as a guaranty sign. "Rest assured, leave it to me."

  "Mm, then let us make our final rest here. When the moon rises, it’s showtime."

  ——


  The color of the sky dimmed down along with the passage of time. As the deep curtain of the night gradually sank in, from the back of the mountain, the bright full moon rose up.

  On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the moon on the Grand Cloud Mountain was stained with a touch of gold, and the contour of the disc seemed to have a wave-like luster just like the contour and shape of the yellow part of the freshly opened egg.

  On the Prominent peak of the Grand Cloud Mountain, more than a hundred Beast Master School people were all holding their breaths with rapt attention, waiting for the golden egg in the sky to break open and enter the next stage, where Emperor Essence would appear, and the hiding immortal beast to unwittingly walk into a trap. For this day, they have been preparing for many years, even traveling thousands of miles from Southern Heaven Region. They have spent too many efforts and sacrifices, thus, failure was absolutely not allowed.

  The battlefield was set on the Full Moon Valley under the Crown Cloud Peak. Some time ago, mountain peaks were squeezed out of this piece of field through the Five Mountain Broken Veins Great Array, to create a sealed trap. Moreover, different from Ling Yan and A Xia’s previous half real half void spiritual energy generation, this time in the Full Moon Valley, it was all real; even if there were a spell that broke the cage, it would not disappear.

  Hundreds of Foundation Establishment and Xudan Stage disciples were distributed throughout the valley where they fused their magical power with the spiritual energy along the Feng Shui Line to maintain the Full Moon Valley; it was truly an astonishing in scale array operation. During the day, the Grand Cloud Mountain was quiet. This time, it was still the same deathly silent. Most of the disciples throughout the valley were somewhat uncomfortable.

  "Damn, I always feel cold on the back of my neck, and my internal breathing is also not stable."

  In accordance with the array chart, a Foundation Establishment disciple was standing on top of a pine tree. His tall and burly body stood tall on a thin branch. He didn’t use any spell, nor did he show any pressure, which demonstrated his good cultivation base. However, this profound Foundation Establishment disciple actually has a lot of cold sweat on his forehead, which showed how restless he was.

  Not far away, standing in a puddle of water, his Senior Brother said, "This is where the Ten Thousand Spirit Lock Termination Array is placed at. Whether its negative energy or grievances, all are a hundred times more than normal. If there’s no array chart to suppress it, it would be a chaotic burial ground with numerous pits. You cultivate a wild heart sutra, and you’re naturally strong, so it’s normal if you feel uncomfortable. However, you don’t have to worry, there are elders who are pressing the array chart, so the force of the aggrieved ghost couldn’t create any wave."

  "I know that. Otherwise, I would’ve already changed shifts with the others and work outside the array. Although the reward is less, it’s much more comfortable. Senior Brother, there should be no problem with this time’s operation, right?"

  His Senior Brother smiled. "What problem could we possibly have? The elders have already arranged for this set. Everything that might have happened has already been calculated so that no one can shake our result."

  After saying that, the Senior Brother raised his head and saw the ripple of waves on golden disc above him; the time to break was near.

  Meanwhile, at the Crown Cloud Peak, Tiger King Lei Zhen raised his head slightly. The night where the Emperor Essence flow, and the change in the surrounding spiritual energy have already stirred the wild nature deep within his heart. However, as he possessed the double colored Nascent Soul in his Jade Mansion, he could still maintain his calm.

  He was a Division Head, therefore, in a matter of such importance, he must be patient… While suppressing his impulse, Tiger King repeated the whole plan in his mind, and then he spoke to someone beside him.

  "A Xia, are you sure they will make their move?"

  While speaking, his majestic tiger face moved, his gaze landed on the person beside, which was actually A Xia!

  This Jindan Stage Elder of the worst quality should have suffered a heavy punishment due to the last failure. However, now he stood upright with an indifferent attitude, completely without any care of his previous defeat.

  "Not a hundred percent sure." A Xia lightly replied, "However, since they won in their last engagement, there’s no reason for them to disappear from the scene. Especially the person that seems to be their leader…He’s very greedy. He won’t give up until he achieves his goal. Never know when to stop. Therefore, he will definitely make his move again, even if the risk is very big."

  After a pause, A Xia continued, "Perhaps in his opinion, there is a great opportunity. Because I might, due to my own selfish interest, conceal the news of my last defeat, thus, making you lower your guard and giving him an opportunity."

  Tiger King was slightly stunned for a moment, and then laughed out loud. "Hahaha, that’s right. According to your temperament, this is something that you indeed could possibly do."

  A Xia wryly smiled. "In your eyes, am I that unbearable?"

  Tiger King snorted. "Are you not?"

  A Xia helplessly said, "You’re right, I am indeed a really selfish person. If not you, I would indeed conceal this news, but…"

  Tiger King interrupted, "No matter! I don’t care about your selfishness. People naturally don’t want to suffer the wrath of heaven, what’s the big deal!? On my side, whatever benefit you want, just go get it! If I can’t provide it for you, being abandoned by you is a proper and to be expected as a matter of course!"

  A Xia faintly sighed. "Oh, Lei Zhen, there’s no need for you to say about your treatment to me."

  "Hahaha! I, Lei Zhen, has always been so!" Tiger King laughed wildly and then fiercely hugged A Xia. "Next, we’ll just have to slowly wait for them to show up. Since they dare to hurt you, I will make them pay with their blood!"

  …


  Note:

  [1] (i.e., every single part of her body)