Chương 163: Chapter 52: Azure Vine at the Lake Bottom

Violent, guttural roars reverberated through the jagged canyon, shaking loose pebbles from the precipices. The giant ape, clutching its blood-stained stone club with white-knuckled intensity, presented a truly wretched sight. Its once-resplendent golden fur, which usually shimmered like spun sunlight, was now scorched a soot-black and matted with a mixture of filth and dried ichor.

Deep, jagged lacerations across its barrel chest and massive thighs revealed quivering, raw muscle where the hide had been violently peeled back by sharp, high-level techniques. A short distance away, Xing Tianxie stood amidst the settling dust. His robes were tattered, and his complexion was drained of color from the grueling exchange. Yet, his presence remained overbearing, his dark eyes burning with an unquenchable, sharp battle intent that seemed to pierce through the very air like unsheathed steel.

He stood with his back straight, radiating the cold, predatory confidence of a True Inheritance Disciple who refused to yield.

"I acknowledge that your strength is formidable," Xing Tianxie spoke, his voice steady and resonant as if he were addressing a human peer rather than a beast.

"Even if I deploy every technique at my disposal, I currently only hold a marginal advantage. To truly slay you would require far too much time—a luxury I simply do not have in this trial. Before long, other cultivators will converge on this location to contest this prize. If you persist in this mindless struggle, I will be forced to reveal my hidden trump card and erase you from this world entirely to avoid further complications."

He gestured toward the pulsing, ethereal luminescence of the artifact hovering nearby.

"You must realize that this Mu Jade Sword is a relic of my kind. It is bound by ancient restrictions that a beast like you cannot hope to bypass or utilize. If you retreat now, I shall show mercy and grant you a path to live. What is your choice? Death for a useless trinket, or survival?" The ape's intelligence was remarkably high, honed by centuries of survival. It hesitated, its eyes flickering with a complex mix of primal greed and cautious fear as it stared at the shimmering Mu Jade Sword. Roar!

With a final, thunderous bellow of pure resentment, the beast slammed its bloodied stone club down with earth-shattering force, pulverizing a boulder the size of several men into fine, grey dust. Without another glance, it turned abruptly and bounded toward the dark, mist-shrouded recesses of the canyon.

Having survived for over two hundred years, it recalled a memory from its youth: a powerful Tier 3 Demon Beast that had guarded a similar glowing blade, only to be ruthlessly slaughtered by a coalition of human cultivators. That memory was etched into its soul. The green light was soothing to its spirit, but survival was the only treasure that truly mattered. Xing Tianxie slowly withdrew his hand from the opening of his storage bag, letting out a silent breath of relief.

Avoiding the use of his final, lethal measures was the optimal outcome for the long journey ahead. After securing the Mu Jade Sword within his bag, he sensed its resonance, transformed into a streak of azure light, and surged toward the horizon.

"Hmm?" Within his own streak of light, Reyn's brow furrowed as his Divine Sense picked up a distant shift in the trial's energy.

"Another Mu Jade Sword has been claimed. I wonder which elite has the strength to seize it so decisively." Thousands of miles to the east, a young cultivator traveling alongside two companions also paused mid-flight. His eyes narrowed, reflecting a cold, calculating light as he gazed toward the source of the disturbance.

"What is the matter, Xiao Hu? Rest your heart. As long as you follow us two brothers faithfully, we guarantee your absolute safety within the boundaries of this Trial Realm." Standing beside the youth, a short, stout cultivator reached out and clapped a heavy, calloused hand onto his shoulder, speaking with an air of unearned bravado and casual arrogance.

"Exactly! When we brothers join forces, there isn't a soul in this entire realm we have ever feared. Xiao Hu, do not let your heart waver with such useless trepidation," the other cultivator added, a smug, self-satisfied grin stretching across his face as he struck a pose of feigned profundity, looking every bit the seasoned veteran. Upon hearing their reassurances, Xiao Hu's deeply furrowed brow smoothed out instantly. He offered a subservient, fawning smile to his companions.

"Both Daoists possess such profound cultivation and formidable divine abilities; being in your company, my heart is naturally at peace. Hmm? Let us head toward the left. I have a distinct premonition that something of great value lies in that direction." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"Xiao Hu's instincts are never wrong! Let us move, and quickly! We cannot afford to let others snatch the prize before we arrive!" The two brothers' eyes lit up with sudden greed. They practically dragged the youth along, their movements energized by the prospect of loot as they bolted toward the left-front at high speed.

"Another one has been taken, heh. This is for the best; it saves me the trouble of searching everywhere myself. Once you lot have gathered everything into your hands, I shall simply slaughter you and seize it all for myself." Deep within a desolate, jagged valley, a man stood stripped to the waist, his torso a gruesome tapestry of crisscrossing, jagged scars. With a guttural grunt of raw, primal power, he gripped a Tier 2 Black-Wind Crow by its wings and violently wrenched it apart.

Blood sprayed across the dry earth in a visceral arc. He tossed the mangled halves aside like common refuse, allowing a sickly, trembling toad-like demon beast at his feet to lunge forward. The creature frantically devoured the crow's flesh, swallowing the glowing inner core whole.

"Eat faster! Once you have swallowed it, digest the essence immediately! This Trial Realm is teeming with beasts of ancient, savage bloodlines. Consume every scrap you can find and evolve for me—do it now!" His voice was like grinding stones, cold and merciless.

"And remember, if you ever dare to deceive me, I will personally tear you limb from limb and roast your carcass over a slow fire!" The pathetic toad-beast shuddered violently at the threat, its bulbous eyes wide with terror. Its gullet worked with desperate, frantic speed, inhaling the remains of the Black-Wind Crow in mere seconds. Despite its small size—barely three feet in length—its belly remained unnervingly flat after the massive meal, retaining its frail, skeletal appearance as if it were a bottomless pit.

"Move! We hunt again!"

"Hmph! Mere Tier 2 low-grade beasts. Even if your numbers are significant, do you truly believe a pack of mindless curs can intimidate this young master?" Above a stagnant, low-lying marsh, a streak of遁光 light halted mid-air. A cold, mocking voice drifted from the radiance, dripping with disdain for the creatures below. Not far from the hovering cultivator, a solitary, magnificent lotus bloomed amidst the muck.

It bore nine plump seeds, each radiating a faint, ethereal fragrance that cut through the swamp's rot, shimmering with a soft, spiritual glow. However, guarding the flower within a radius of dozens of yards were over a dozen hideous creatures. They were half the size of a grown man, their hides bloated with pulsating, toxic pustules. Their limbs ended in blackened, razor-sharp talons dripping with lethal venom.

Their blood-red eyes burned with mindless ferocity as they hissed, exhaling thick clouds of grey, corrosive gas that withered the surrounding reeds.

"Strike!" The cultivator flicked his wrist, launching an unremarkable, pitch-black short sword. As his spiritual essence flooded the blade, it erupted into a thousand overlapping shadows. Dark light flickered with lethal precision, raining down upon the beast pack like a storm of obsidian needles. Puff! Puff! Puff! The black sword's humble appearance belied its devastating power. The sword-shadows carved through the beasts like hot knives through tallow. They had no chance to resist before being cleaved in twain.

The marsh was instantly dyed a visceral crimson, the heavy, metallic stench of gore wafting into the humid air.

"Useless trash," the cultivator spat. With a casual wave of his hand, the lotus pod was drawn into his embrace by an invisible force. Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. A dark, predatory smirk played on his lips.

"Another one has been taken. It seems things are about to get very lively indeed." With a flash of light, he vanished, streaking across the sky like a bolt of lightning toward the horizon.

A streak of azure light decelerated over a small lake, the radiance receding to reveal Reyn in his simple green robes. He hovered in the air, his brow knitting as he surveyed the body of water spanning several miles.

"This place is unnervingly strange," he muttered, his voice low and analytical.

"The silence is absolute. No birds in the sky, no beasts in the brush. Even the lake itself lacks any sign of life. Aside from those swaying green water-weeds, this is a graveyard." He extended his Divine Sense, sweeping the waters with invisible tendrils of thought. However, at the very center of the lake lay a patch of impenetrable gloom—a void where his mental probe was simply swallowed, unable to penetrate the depths. Reyn hesitated for a heartbeat before turning and diving into the dense forest.

Moments later, he returned, clutching a massive, struggling monstrous bird by its neck. He hovered once more above the dark, untraceable zone of the lake.

"Go." He hurled the creature downward. As the bird plummeted toward the surface, Reyn waited until it was less than ten yards from the water before flicking his finger to release the restrictive seal on its body.

"QUAA!" The bird, regaining its freedom, shrieked in pure terror. Its wings beat the air in a frantic, desperate rhythm. It managed to arrest its fall just a few yards above the water, turning to flee with every ounce of its strength. But in that exact moment, the surface erupted. A thick green vine, bristling with jagged, venomous thorns, shot out like a striking viper. It skewered the bird through its chest and dragged it screaming beneath the waves. Within breaths, the ripples vanished.

The lake returned to its deathly, deceptive calm.