Chapter 186: Summer’s Big Fight
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
While w.a.n.g Lu was firmly determined to personally travel across five hundred kilometer radius area around Grand Cloud Mountain to get the young immortal beast one step ahead of the Beast Master School, on the Forgetting Peak of the Grand Cloud Mountain, many Elders of the Beast Master School Division were experiencing an unforgettable divine tribulation.
The Forgetting Peak of Grand Cloud Mountain was the tallest peak within the thousands of miles of radius area surrounding it. It occupied a commanding position that overlooked all around it. And on the top of the peak, there was initially a Daoist temple made by disciples of White Dragon Temple. However, the building has already been removed by Beast Master School, replacing it with a building made of layered rocks as the main base of their division, which looked far more rugged than the previous building.
However, the building, built and fortified by a secret method, trembled by an intermittent roaring sound. Large and small cracks began to emerge, and dust and gravel rustled down as if it could collapse at any time.
"You these two incompetent sc.u.ms!"
Within the hall, a cat-eared girl with an ashen face and defeated look kneeled in the center. Next to her was a st.u.r.dy, semi-naked, with several visible battle scars, st.u.r.dy man. Both of them were bombarded head-on by that roaring sound within the hall. On the verge of collapse, blood began to overflow the capillaries of their seven orifices. The cat girl’s cultivation base was far higher than Chi Hou, but the pressure that she received was also many times heavier, which overwhelmed her.
While sitting in the chief position, the one who sent out that roaring sound was someone with stature even more grandiose than Chi Hou—a formidable cultivator with a stout neck and tiger head.
It was the Great Elder of this place. Daoist Master of Yuanying Stage, Tiger King Lei Zhen [1].
This tiger head Great Elder was not of a spirit beast origin, but was a pure blooded human. It was just that when he reached the Yuanying Stage, he remodeled his body into permanent beast form. Though he no longer has the shape of a human, he possessed spirit beast’s magical abilities, of which, the tiger’s roaring thunder just now was one of them.
The roar of thunder from someone with cultivation base of Yuanying was not something that even peak Jindan Stage cultivator could withstand. Compared with the cat girl’s previous wail on that level area, it was more than ten times as powerful! If Tiger King had the intention to kill, the eleven Elders present within the building would not be able to leave the place to bear witness.
However, the people present also knew that though Tiger King was furious, he did not have the intention to kill. They just had to resist as hard as they could until his anger cooled down a bit and they would get down to discuss the main affair.
Before long, the roaring thunder finally subsided, and people began to relax. However, the next moment when Tiger King coldly humphed, people’s heart immediately jumped in fright again.
"More than a year has pa.s.sed since we came from the Southern Heaven Region. For those of you Jindan Stage Daoist Masters, one year is not a long time. However, during this period, our investment is by no means less. Including me, more than half of you here have encountered bottlenecks in our Immortal Cultivation training, thus need to practice in seclusion as soon as possible. However, for the sake of the sect, for more than a year, no one has relaxed even for a moment. We started this from the scratch since the sect didn’t give any support. On this mountain, every brick and every stone on the building are our own construction. In short, we have spent quite a lot."
The two rows of Elders sitting before his high chair secretly nodded. More than a year ago in the Southern Heaven Region, for this matter, they had already planned for a long time. Coupled with this, everyone’s investment has been very difficult to measure.
"What we did was not in vain. After coming from afar, our group managed to establish a base in this place and able to expel the original owner, the White Dragon Temple, as well as more than ten cultivation sects in various size within the five hundred kilometers radius area around Grand Cloud Mountain. Now it can be said that this piece of mountain is already in the palm of our hands.
Hearing this, the two rows of Elders’ faces sank.
"However, after a whole six months, we can’t even control what happened within the hollow of our palms. We can’t even find that animal’s shadow on the Grand Cloud Mountain. When the sect’s emissary came three months ago, can you guess what did he say?"
Just by looking at the gloomy complexion of Tiger King, the elders knew that the people that came from the Southern Heaven Region didn’t have any good thing to say.
"I don’t want to repeat those words, however, when that emissary told that impertinent remark, on the same day, I have already twisted his chin!"
The Elders were horrified. The emissary that came three months ago was supposed to be of higher position than the red guy before them! The Elders on this Grand Cloud Mountain have already been cold-shouldered by the school, but now...
"Since five years ago, we learned about the Grand Cloud Mountain’s moon spirit, and we have done everything for it! Since it has come to this, we have no way to retreat from this path anymore. No matter what kind of difficulties, whether it’s the people from the Southern Heaven Region who want to hold us back, or if there are new magical abilities from that moon spirit, or even Zen Master Dog Meat, that son of a b*tch who is blocking our way, the only thing we have to do is to crush all these problems. For this, we will stop at nothing!"
Tiger King said that and then clenched his fists. It was such a fierce clenching that the air around them exploded, which sent out an ear-splitting explosion sound.
"Ling Yan, this Zen Master Dog Meat thing has always been your responsibility. It is also your mistake that she was able to run away. Now on this occasion, I give you a chance to redeem yourself by personally catching that b.a.s.t.a.r.d back yourself."
The cat girl hurriedly nodded to express her grat.i.tude. However, her clear eyes also revealed a trace of doubt.
On the cultivation base, the middle-level Jindan Zen Master Dog Meat naturally couldn’t be compared to her, a peak Jindan Stage. However, the other side has a profound method, thus, on comprehensive strength, there was not that much difference between them. The other day, were it not for using the Beast Master School array, the cat girl actually did not have the confidence to win the match, not to mention the existence of the middle-rank spiritual treasure in Zen Master Dog Meat’s hand, which has enough potential to reverse any adverse situation. Right now, Tiger King told her to bear the fault by doing a meritorious deed—catching the Zen Master Dog Meat back. However, if she really went out to find her, it would be strange if the cat girl’s head wouldn’t be splattered by her staff.
Tiger King glanced at her and then coldly humped. "What? You think it’s difficult?"
"No, subordinate do not dare!" The cat girl broke into cold sweat, and her body shook with fright.
"Humph, that son of a b*tch’s cultivation base is not that good, but she has a nice treasure in her hand. You alone are indeed not her opponent, but I won’t let you die in vain. I will let you borrow a person."
Cat girl was inwardly startled and immediately overcome with joy. Tiger King has four spirit beasts under his control. While the cultivation base of any one of them was comparable to her, but each has special abilities, which would make them a rarely seen powerful partner! If the four of them really came out and then helped each other, solving the Zen Master Dog Meat and the other two small fries would be a piece of cake.
"All right, you may come in."
Along with the summon from Tiger King, a person walked out from behind the main hall. That person has a trace of typical Southern Heaven Region people. Obviously, he was a person from the headquarters that Tiger King just called to help them. However, when that person showed itself, the cat girl Ling Yan seemed as if she was struck by lightning, utterly dumbfounded!
"How could it be him!?"
Seeing the soft smile of that middle-aged cultivator who walked to the side of Tiger King, not to mention the respectful salute, Ling Yan’s body involuntarily began to tremble, tingling as a feeling encompa.s.sed all over her skin. Her heart ached with terrible pain as she involuntarily recalled the cruel past events.
Right now, Ling Yan has successfully a.s.sumed the human form. Small parts of her body still retained the characteristics of spirit beast, after all, she was a member of Beast Master School, which let her enjoyed all the rights of human cultivators. However, prior to that, she was just an ordinary spirit beast in the Beast Master School captured by its members on a desolate mountain. She had to experience a harsh training to learn the rules of the human world.
And at that time, the one responsible for training her was exactly this brown-skinned cultivator before her.
Beast Trainer A Xia.
"Ling Yan? Long time no see."
In the presence of that friendly smiling face, Ling Yan tremblingly retreated a few steps. In the past, whenever A Xia exposed such a smile, it meant the beginning of pain for her.
Seeing this unusual development, Tiger King frowned. "I heard that in the Southern Heaven Region, you two have a master-disciple relations.h.i.+p. So you two should know each other very well and has a tacit understanding. Moreover, your past collaborative efforts are also good. That’s why I called him here. Ling Yan, what’s your problem?"
Ling Yan opened her eyes wide. She very much wanted to say her piece. However, seeing the impatient stare that was written all over Tiger King’s look, she could not utter even a single word.
Perhaps Tiger King was aware of some of the things that happened in her past, but he didn’t care. As he said, the two of them once has a master-disciple relations.h.i.+p, with a tacit understanding of each other, and efficient collaborative efforts… It was a perfect partners.h.i.+p indeed, if you don’t think about all the pain Ling Yan had once suffered.
And for this pain of Ling Yan, would Tiger King even cared?
"I, have no problem." Ling Yan tightly clenched her fist while inwardly telling herself: "I am not like the old me. Now I’m a peak Jindan Stage cultivator and no longer afraid of the middle-level Jindan A Xia. A Xia has been cultivating for two hundred years, no longer he could go further than that… He’s no better than me!"
However, while she was thinking about it, A Xia’s voice came from behind her, "Mm, it’s been thirty years since we last met, but now your power is already at the peak Jindan Stage. It’s really an enviable talent."
During which, several icy-cold fingers quietly stroke the nape of Ling Yan. A trace of negative cold energy immediately dissipated, as if it tried to freeze her entire Jade Mansion.
Ling Yan was alarmed. Just now, when she was about to raise her magical power to resist, that energy immediately disappeared without a trace. However, A Xia himself never moved even half a step, always standing next to Tiger King.
A cold sweat trickled down from the girl’s head as she was utterly confused.
However, at this time, no one paid attention to her unusual state. After Tiger w.a.n.g a.s.signed people to deal with the matter of Zen Master Dog Meat, he began to arrange for other people in the Grand Cloud Mountain to continue setting up arrays, refining spiritual treasure and catching the immortal beast moon spirit. Everyone held their breath, afraid that they would miss even a single instruction.
Right now, it was almost the seventh month, closer and closer to that critical moment. The tasks scheduled by Tiger King became more and more tight, so no one has the leisure time to pay attention to the situation of others.
After a long time, Tiger King finally finished arranging out the tasks. All the present Elders have already departed, except for one person who looked deathly pale.
That person was Chi Hou. After he lost Silver Back and White Teeth, his two spirit beasts, in battle, and his main magical treasure taken away, his cultivation base had suffered a big drop; he barely managed to stay in Jindan Stage… In many people’s eyes, this young Elder has lost his value. And just now on the tasks arrangement, Tiger King had already given Chi Hou’s original tasks to other Elders.
Being ignored and not given any responsibility, Tiger King’s intention to him seemed to have been clear enough. However, Chi Hou really didn’t want to be put down like this.
"Great Elder, I…"
Tiger King simply paid no heed to him. Without sparing even a glance at him, he turned around and left the hall.
Chi Hou went into despair. He felt that his chest stifled intermittently. Inside his Jade Mansion, a layer of hazy fog has covered his golden core. Unexpectedly, there were signs that it was about to rupture.
However, at this time, a trace of negative power seeped from behind him and stabilized the turmoil of his Jade Mansion. Chi Hou turned his head in surprise, only to see a slightly unfamiliar face.
A Xia?
Chi Hou didn’t know much about the Beast Trainer from the Southern Heaven Region. He only knew that his cultivation base was just middle-level Jindan and hasn’t made any real progress in the last fifty years; on the Immortal Cultivation road, he was already a basket case. However, on the path of beast taming, he had obtained recognition from the several Great Elders in the Southern Heaven Region. And who knew what kind of method used by Tiger King, the Great Elder in the Grand Cloud Mountain, to let him be transferred here to partner with Ling Yan?
In short, the distance between them was far apart even if they were of the same sect—after all, even if the other side was already a waste in the immortal cultivation path, it was still a middle-level Jindan waste, far more powerful than Chi Hou himself. What could this kind of person possibly want to do with him?
A Xia revealed a smile, which on that brown face of him looked horrendously cold to Chi Hou.
"There is something I want you to help. Just now, the Great Elder didn’t a.s.sign you with any task, so I want to take advantage of your free time… We might as well take a trip to Celestial Water Lake."
…
[1] Lei Zhen means Thunder Shock
[2] Xia in A Xia means summer