by Feng Yise
"Senior Apprentice Sister Nanfeng? Senior Apprentice Sister Nanfeng?"
"Uh, ah? What is it?" Nanfeng Zhirou only reacted after Ye Yuan called out twice in a row.
"It's late. We should go."
It had already been five to six days since they entered the Endless Forest and Ye Yuan still had two medicinal herbs which he had not acquired.
Since this matter was settled, he naturally did not want to continue delaying.
If not for the fact that he needed to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm, Ye Yuan would have long let Yuan Fei kill Su Yishan and would not have let so many things happen.
Nanfeng Zhirou followed behind Ye Yuan somewhat dejectedly, utterly unlike her usual self.
Along the way, the two were very silent. Neither opened their mouth to speak.
After four hours, Nanfeng Zhirou finally could not resist and opened her mouth to ask, "Ye Yuan, don't you have anything you want to ask?"
"When you want to talk, you'll obviously say it. If you don't want to talk, then it's also meaningless if I ask." Ye Yuan just replied nonchalantly without turning his head back.
Nanfeng Zhirou glared at Ye Yuan's back view somewhat resentfully and said discontentedly with pouting lips, "Tch, this guy who doesn't understand women! This Princess will talk about it, alright? My father is Nanfeng Yi. I'm called Nanfeng Zhirou. My aunt is called Nanfeng Ruoqing. My father is the ruler of the State of Qin. Is this fine?"
"I already knew this long ago."
"I know that you are aware, but you should at least show me your attitude, right?"
Nanfeng Zhirou was so exasperated by Ye Yuan that she gritted her teeth and halted her steps to stomp her feet. She shouted loudly at Ye Yuan's back view, "Hiding our identities from you is my aunt and my fault, but we also have difficulties that we can't say. It's so inconvenient to enter the academy with my aunt and my identity. That's why we concealed our surnames. Initially, I also planned on telling you when we get back, but didn't I not have the opportunity this whole time?"
Ye Yuan also stopped and turned around. Looking at Nanfeng Zhirou, he suddenly smiled and said, "Senior Apprentice Sister Nanfeng is thinking too much. If I really have any attitude, I would have long left you behind and ignored you and not stand here talking to you. Not having an attitude is the best attitude."
Nanfeng Zhirou bit her lips and then said angrily, "Then why didn't you say that earlier. I even thought that you were really angry."
"You also didn't ask me," Ye Yuan replied very innocently.
Nanfeng Zhirou thought about it and felt so too. It seemed like it had just been her imagining all sorts of things from the start. She had not even asked this fellow.
Perhaps even this matter of concealing their identities did not count as something in this guy's heart?
"Fine then. I was the one who imagined things! Then you tell me. When you killed Su Yishan, why did he slow down by half a beat?"
Nanfeng Zhirou had a carefree personality. Knowing that Ye Yuan was not angry, this matter was directly filtered out by her.
Nanfeng Zhirou became that unruly little princess once again.
"About that . . . It's a divine soul mystic art, the God Stunning Spike. It can make people lose focus for a short period of time," Ye Yuan did not have any intention of hiding it and said it directly.
"Divine soul mystic art! You actually even know divine soul mystic arts!" Nanfeng Zhirou exclaimed in astonishment.
"This is just the shallowest type of divine soul mystic art. What's there to get excited about?"
Not that Ye Yuan was posturing, but this God Stunning Spike was really the crudest one among the divine soul mystic arts he knew.
Chapter 157 - Demonic Beasts’ Fierce Battle
The God Stunning Spike was just a simple way of using soul strength to attack the opponent's divine soul. It was not all that profound.
If Su Yishan were prepared beforehand, Ye Yuan would not even have succeeded.
After all, Ye Yuan only had middle-rank Alchemy Master soul strength; it was roughly the same as Su Yishan.
This attack of his took him by surprise.
Of course, divine soul mystic arts were not much to Ye Yuan. But in mortal countries like the State of Qin, it was absolutely an exceedingly rare existence.
Even if it was the crudest type of divine soul mystic art!
When the State of Qin's martial artists fought, they would not even think of the other party using divine soul mystic arts, because this thing was too rare.
Hence, martial artists who possessed divine soul mystic arts tend to succeed in sneak attacks.
It was just that too few people knew it; so scarce that there simply wasn't any need to be on guard against it. There was no need to go so far as to be on guard against the opposing party's divine soul mystic art every time one fought a battle. Being distracted like that was, on the contrary, a big taboo.
"Yeah, I should have thought of it long ago. Other than divine soul mystic arts, how could Su Yishan have made this kind of low-level mistake?" Nanfeng Zhirou muttered.
Ye Yuan turned to go. Nanfeng Zhirou quickly recovered and hurriedly chased after, grabbing hold of Ye Yuan and said, "Ye Yuan, teach me this divine soul mystic art, okay?"
But Ye Yuan shook his head and said, "Not okay!"
Seeing Nanfeng Zhirou's face change instantly, Ye Yuan quickly said, "Right now, your matter at hand is to cultivate the Water Defying Incantation. Wasting time on other matters would only delay your cultivation. After your Water Defying Incantation is completed, I'll teach you an even stronger one!"
Only now did Nanfeng Zhirou's rage transform into joy as she said, "You were the one who said it! If at that time, you don't teach me, I will . . . I will . . ."
Nanfeng Zhirou said "I will" for a long time and could not think of an even better threat.
Ye Yuan's strength was already no longer beneath hers. What could she threaten Ye Yuan with?
"Relax. I have plenty of divine soul mystic arts. As long as you can cultivate to a sufficient realm, I have as many as you want! Let's go!" Ye Yuan said very generously.
The previous life's Ye Yuan virtually gave up on the Martial Path but had researched quite a bit in terms of divine soul. Therefore, he also cultivated many divine soul mystic arts.
Of course, the aim of him cultivating the divine soul was still for alchemy. These divine soul mystic arts helped Ye Yuan to better understand the divine soul. He naturally enjoyed it tirelessly.
. . . . . .
A day later, Ye Yuan brought Nanfeng Zhirou and Yuan Fei to the Gray Pine Forest to harvest the Pine Yang Fruit.
This place obviously also had powerful demonic beasts to guard it. However, it was merely a Tier 2 demonic beast.
Ye Yuan released Yuan Fei, and that demonic beast immediately started quaking. It did not reveal the slightest hostility from the start till the end.
The hierarchy in the demonic beast world was more stringent. When a Tier 2 demonic beast faced a Tier 3 demonic beast, there was only the word 'submission.'
Obtaining the Pine Yang Fruit effortlessly, Ye Yuan and the rest rushed to the Blackwater Ravine. It was also the habitat of the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python.
The Blackwater Ravine was to the east of the Crimson Summit Ridge, roughly over a thousand miles away. It was six hundred miles from the borders of the Endless Forest and also an extremely perilous land.
But to the current Ye Yuan, it was not all that dangerous.
With a Tier 3 demonic beast following by his side, he could go anywhere he wanted to in the thousand mile radius of the Endless Forest.
However, Ye Yuan normally would not let Yuan Fei follow by his side, but made him stay inside the spatial artifact.
Not only there were many students participating in the trial inside the Endless Forest, but there were also even more demonic beasts hunters. If they encountered anyone, they could only silence them permanently.
Ye Yuan did not wish
to murder innocents, so it was better to lay low.
Also, Ye Yuan had the intention of tempering himself when he entered the Endless Forest. If he made Yuan Fei take the front for everything, it would lose the meaning of tempering.
A day later, Ye Yuan and Nanfeng Zhirou finally arrived at the Blackwater Ravine.
This place had babbling brooks with a beautiful forest. It was quite a nice place to go to.
The six hundred mile region is a boundary. Here, Tier 1 demonic beasts and Tier 2 demonic beasts mingled together.
Of course, this was also not an absolute assumption.
However, that martial artist which Ye Yuan treated was pretty unlucky. To have encountered the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python here could be considered super lucky.
According to the description by that martial artist, Ye Yuan determined that Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python might be Middle Stage Tier 2. This strength might not require Yuan Fei to come out. He might be able to handle it himself.
But Ye Yuan did not dare to be negligent. The Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python did not only have a formidable poisonous breathe, but its fleshy body was also very powerful. If one were to accidentally brush past by it, they would definitely suffer.
"According to the records, this Blackwater Ravine was originally a late-stage Tier 1 demonic beast's territory. But who knew when it became occupied by the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python. I reckon that there must be something that the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python likes here. Otherwise, it would not cling to this place. We might even obtain something nice." Ye Yuan transmitted his voice to Nanfeng Zhirou.
Nanfeng Zhirou was already long used to Ye Yuan's encyclopedic knowledge. She just asked, "Then what do we do now? Lure it out and kill it?"
Ye Yuan shook his head and said, "No rush. Let's sneak inside and check out the situation first."
The pair swallowed the Breath Concealing Pill and quietly sneaked into the Blackwater Ravine.
Traversing past layers of the dense forest, the two finally arrived close to the stream of water.
But right at that moment, from an empty space beside the stream, a series of intense fighting clamors sounded out.
Ye Yuan pulled aside the tree leaves to sneak a glance and actually saw two demonic beasts currently in the midst of a fierce battle.
One of them was a black python, roughly ten foot long. Looking closely, one could see that there was indeed a seven-colored stripe at its vital point. It was precisely the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python!
And the other demonic beast was a mighty white tiger; similarly a Tier 2 demonic beast.
Except that the white tiger's strength was a stage lower than the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python; just low-stage Tier 2.
The battle between the two was very intense. However, the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python clearly held the absolute upper-hand. That white tiger was currently already covered in injuries.
Bright red blood completely dyed that body of white fur, making it look very miserable.
However, that white tiger seemed to be very stubborn. It refused to take even a step back despite being injured to such an extent. Instead, it roared and took the initiative to attack the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python.
That manner of appearance showed that it clearly intended on taking it down with it.
"Ye Yuan, why doesn't that white tiger run away when it can't beat it?" Nanfeng Zhirou transmitted. Evidently, she also found it very strange.
Ye Yuan shook his head slightly and similarly transmitted his voice. "No idea. Maybe it has some reason that it can't retreat?"
"Demonic beasts also have reasons? I think it's just stupid and just have to fight to the death with that python. Could they be snatching territories? Such severe injuries, even if it wins, it most likely won't be able to survive."
"All life has spirituality. Even demonic beasts have feelings. You've also seen Yuan Fei. Low-tier demonic beasts don't have such complex emotions. But it refuses to fall back despite knowing that it's no match for it. I'm afraid that it really has its reasons."
While speaking, Ye Yuan pulled the tree leaves aside even more. The pair's visual field became even wider.
Entering their sight was a tiny white tiger the size of a cat was currently quivering there.
Nanfeng Zhirou could not contain her surprise as she turned to look at Ye Yuan.
Chapter 158 - Sword Driving Technique!
The little white tiger bared its fangs as the fur on its entire body stood on its ends. A low cat-like roar even came out of its mouth every now and then. No matter how one looked at it, it looked very cute.
And yet, under this sort of tragic circ.u.mstance, the little white tiger's roar seemed to be so helpless and pitiful.
Ye Yuan's heart shuddered for no reason as if he saw the former him.
"Ye Yuan, let's save that white tiger? Look at that little white tiger. It's really so pitiful." At this time, Nanfeng Zhirou's words sounded out by Ye Yuan's ears.
Ye Yuan turned to look but saw that Nanfeng Zhirou's face was already covered in tears. Clearly, she was deeply touched by that white tiger's profound parental love.
Under this sort of situation, it was obvious that waiting for the white tiger and the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python to fight until both were heavily injured would be the best, but Ye Yuan really could not do it.
Ye Yuan did not say anything. He just nodded slowly and took out the Canghua Sword, saying to Nanfeng Zhirou, "The weak point of the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python is that seven-colored flower. This is the high ground; an excellent place for ambushing. I'll go down and lure it over here, you find an opportunity to kill it in one blow!"
Nanfeng Zhirou nodded with all her might. The current her was also filled with a powerful resentment towards that python.
At the moment, the black python and white tiger was intoxicated with the intense battle. The white tiger suffered setbacks repeatedly, but it refused to back even one step.
The white tiger was already an arrow at the end of its flight. It only relied on a single obsession to forcefully hold on and not collapse.
That black python locked onto an opening and shot forward abruptly, directly targeting the white tiger's lower jaw.
The white tiger's actions already could not keep up with the black python at all any longer. If this bite landed, the white tiger will die without any doubt!
Right at this time, a white light sneak attacked the black python's face with lightning speed.
This happened too suddenly, the black python was unable to react to it at all. The white light directly struck its eye.
Phhssstt!
The black python's eyes instantly became a bloody mess.
An awful shrill cried out. The black python rolled on the ground in pain. The enormous body twisted non-stop and its tail swept around randomly filled with attack power.
Even Ye Yuan did not dare to rush up rashly at this time. He just gave the dying white tiger a look.
The white tiger gazed towards Ye Yuan with full of gratitude.
The little white tiger saw that the black python suffered injuries and plucked up its courage to come over to its mother's side. It used its tiny tongue to nurse its mother's wounds while periodically giving off whining sounds, appearing to be in great sorrow.
However, this scene did not continue for too long. The black python roused from its pain, and a grating howl indicated that it was currently in an enraged state.
The black python used its remaining eye to stare fixedly at Ye Yuan. But Ye Yuan just looked at it smilingly and even crooked his finger at it, seemingly very contemptuous.
That Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python flew into an even greater rage seeing the situation. With a swoosh, it vanished.
Ye Yuan was prepared long ago and naturally would not be successfully ambushed by it.
Similarly, with an Instant Flash, Ye Yuan vanished on the spot. That black python struck thin air.
"Big st
upid snake, I'm over here!" Ye Yuan once again crooked his finger at the black python over at the other side.
The Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python seemed to understand Ye Yuan's words. It rushed towards Ye Yuan once more recklessly.
Ye Yuan's movement technique was not much slower than the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python. He evaded once again.
Having repeated this twice, as long as Ye Yuan dodged one more time, the Seven Colored Flowing Cloud Python would enter the place where Nanfeng Zhirou was lying in ambush.
Nanfeng Zhirou was also sharpening her blade as she stared fixedly at the seven colored flower at the black python's vital point.
Ye Yuan dodged and entered the ambush radius. Just as he taunted the black python once again and Nanfeng Zhirou was on the verge of striking, the black python actually hesitated!
"Damn it. This black python is naturally cunning. It actually grew suspicious of my actions!" Ye Yuan's cursed in his heart.
The Canghua Sword shook, and a sword beam fired out again. Except, the black python that was prepared would not be struck so easily. It avoided it with a slide of its body.
It was just that after the black python dodged, it still did not head over here.
A bad premonition arose in Ye Yuan's heart. Indeed, the black python suddenly turned around and actually charged towards the white tiger!
"Damn it!" Ye Yuan silently cursed and chased over with his sword.
Nanfeng Zhirou laid in ambush for so long, but that black python actually ran away. She could not help feeling very depressed.
However, her lying in ambush did not hold much meaning anymore at this point. With a large stride out, she also chased after.
This black python was abnormally cunning. Even though it gave away its back to Ye Yuan currently, it swayed around. There was simply no way of getting an accurate aim. Ye Yuan fired out multiple sword beams in a go and was evaded by it.
In a blink, the black python was only several dozen meters away from the white tiger. This distance was merely an insignificant matter to it.
The white tiger was already on the verge of death at the moment. After that fierce burst of strength just now passed, it could no longer muster up strength at this time.