Among these Feiling people, two stood motionless in the air, showing no intention of making a move.
One was a gaunt and short figure—Ao Qing of the Qiyue Clan. The other was a tall man with four pupils in his eyes. One wore an indifferent expression, while the other frowned deeply.
“Fellow Daoist Ao, the Golden Nether Moths of this level have never appeared in the Wandering Vine Path before. These creatures should only exist in the fourth layer of the Abyss. It seems something has truly gone wrong down there, or else these deep-layer monsters wouldn’t have surfaced here,” the tall man said slowly as he watched the others trapped by the colorful moth dust, their attacks utterly ineffective against the strange powder.
“I don’t need you to tell me that. If mid-tier monsters can appear in the first layer, encountering Golden Nether Moths here isn’t surprising either. These matters aren’t for us to handle—the elders of our clans will take care of them. However, once we reach the third layer, if you still insist on following me, don’t blame me for making you my first target,” Ao Qing replied coldly.
“Lady Ao, why must you be so heartless? I, Fei Ye, have been devoted to you. I’ve already proposed marriage to your clan three times, yet each time you personally rejected me. I don’t understand—your clan has always advocated for strong alliances, and you yourself have declared that you’ll only marry the strongest among the Holy Sons of the various branches. Do I not meet that requirement?” The tall man’s four pupils flickered with an eerie light as he spoke in a deep voice.
He was none other than Fei Ye of the Nanlong Clan, a figure on par with Zhu Yinzi and Ao Qing!
“Indeed, the Holy Sons and Daughters of our Qiyue Clan only marry the strongest of their peers from other branches. But how capable you truly are—others may not know, but I do. Your strength isn’t even worth my notice. Give up your foolish hopes!” Ao Qing curled her lips in mockery.
“I know your divine abilities are vast, Fellow Daoist Ao, and I admit I’m far from your match. But among the Holy Sons of the various clans, aside from me, none are worthy of being your cultivation partner. If even I don’t stand a chance, then surely no one else would catch your eye. Unless… you’ve taken a liking to that brat from the Chirong Clan, Zhu Yinzi? If so, I’ll go find him right now and cut him down with my sword,” Fei Ye glared at Ao Qing.
“Zhu Yinzi? Hmph, as if he’s worthy! If I’m not satisfied with you, why would I even glance at him? But during this gathering of the clans, I did come across someone rather interesting. Though I didn’t get the chance to test him myself, my instincts tell me his abilities might not be inferior to yours,” Ao Qing suddenly chuckled.
“Which clan’s Holy Son is he? Tell me! I’ll go meet him. If his abilities truly surpass mine, then so be it—I’ll stop pestering you. But if he’s weaker than me… heh heh…” Fei Ye’s expression darkened instantly.
The two conversed casually amidst their clansmen, completely disregarding the attacks of the golden moths around them.
Meanwhile, under the pressure of the moth dust, the protective barriers conjured by the other clansmen were shrinking inch by inch, clearly unable to hold out much longer.
“Fine, if you want to test him, go ahead. He’s the Holy Son of the Tianpeng Clan, surnamed Han—a completely unfamiliar face. I didn’t inquire further,” Ao Qing nodded indifferently.
“The Holy Son of the Tianpeng Clan? What kind of powerhouse could come from such a weak branch?” Fei Ye was stunned.
“Who’s to say? The Tianpeng Clan may be weak, but that doesn’t mean they can’t produce an exceptional Holy Son. Don’t forget—I cultivate the Qiyue Clan’s most profound ‘Seven Orifices Mystic Art.’ In terms of spiritual perception, no other technique among the seventy-two branches can compare. Though I only glimpsed him from afar, my instincts tell me he’s unfathomable. If you really seek him out for a fight, don’t end up losing your life instead,” Ao Qing said coldly.
“Your word is enough! But if your judgment is wrong, once the trial ends, I’ll propose to your clan again. If I recall correctly, your metamorphosis ceremony is just a few years away. This time, you won’t have the chance to refuse me,” Fei Ye pressed with a hint of threat.
“Hmph, you’re quite well-informed. True, my coming-of-age ceremony is in three years, and I can’t delay it any longer. If that man truly isn’t your match, then there likely isn’t anyone among the Feiling Race stronger than you. If so, I’ll accept your proposal upon our return,” Ao Qing lifted her chin proudly.
“Hah! Then it’s settled. If we run into this Han fellow in the third layer, all the better. If not, I’ll challenge him after we return. Surely someone you’ve taken notice of wouldn’t fail such a simple trial,” Fei Ye laughed wildly, a glint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
“Do as you please. These pests are getting on my nerves. Will you deal with them, or shall I?” Ao Qing swept her gaze around indifferently.
“Heh, such a trivial task—leave it to me!” The burly man grinned, suddenly slapping the giant sword on his back. With a resonant hum, the sword shot into the sky, transforming into a massive golden light that circled above.
At the same time, Fei Ye leaped into the air, morphing into a colossal bird with a flood dragon’s head and a whale’s tail. With a flap of its wings, it soared upward, merging with the golden light of the sword in a flash.
As soon as someone broke free from the protective barrier, the golden moths let out a collective hum, swarming toward the sky. Before they could get close, a storm of powder surged toward the golden light.
A thunderous roar erupted, and the golden light expanded severalfold, unleashing a torrent of razor-thin golden rays that enveloped the moth swarm below. The thick layers of powder instantly emitted a scorched stench upon contact, pierced through effortlessly.
Countless golden moths hidden behind the powder were struck by the dense golden rays, falling dead in droves. In moments, nearly half of them had been annihilated.
A giant moth, far larger than the rest, let out a strange cry, and the remaining moths scattered in panic.
Ao Qing, standing among her clansmen, frowned and muttered an incantation. A massive, shadowy silhouette flickered into existence behind her—a grotesque, seven-headed phantom, each head resembling a different beast: ape, leopard, and others, all ferocious in appearance.
At her command, the phantom’s eyes slowly opened, glowing crimson, and its mouths gaped wide. Seven streams of emerald light surged forth, sweeping across the distance in an instant, engulfing the fleeing moths.
An unbelievable sight unfolded—wherever the green light passed, the moths were sucked in and exploded into bloody mist. Only a tenth of the swarm managed to escape.
The golden light in the sky dimmed, revealing Fei Ye, his giant sword resting on his shoulder. He gazed at the seven-headed phantom behind Ao Qing, his expression one of fascination.
—
A small black shadow darted forward, and several crystalline black creatures were shredded into pieces by white claw streaks, releasing wisps of black mist. The shadow circled the mist, absorbing it entirely before returning to Han Li’s shoulder, revealing a cat-sized beast—the leopard-qilin hybrid he had tamed.
“Tsk tsk, I never expected Brother Han’s spirit beast to be so effective against these ice fiends. It detected them before any of us could. What kind of spirit beast is this? I’ve never seen anything like it,” remarked Qin Xiao of the Yelü Clan, her beautiful face filled with amazement.
Lei Lan and Bai Bi also stared at the beast in astonishment.
“I’m not sure of its name either. I stumbled upon it in the wild and tamed it. I didn’t expect it to have a taste for ice fiend energy,” Han Li said with a faint smile, stroking the beast’s furry head.
Shortly after entering the ice fiend territory, the little beast, which had been sleeping soundly in Han Li’s storage bracelet alongside the Soul-Crying Beast, suddenly woke and urgently contacted him through divine sense, eager to come out.
Though surprised, Han Li knew the beast, despite its youth, possessed extraordinary talents. With no immediate threats nearby, he released it.
Soon, the leopard-qilin’s performance stunned everyone. Not only was it unusually energetic in this environment, but it also displayed an uncanny sensitivity to the ice fiends—detecting them even before Han Li could, darting out to shred them with its claws and devour their essence with evident delight.
Though these fiends posed little threat, their stealthy ambushes from beneath the ice were troublesome. Yet the leopard-qilin, with a single charge and a strange cry, could flush them out, making them easy prey.
By now, the beast had consumed over a thousand fiends, its originally yellow, patterned fur now shimmering with a white glow—a sign of its growing power.
As Han Li watched it roam freely, he couldn’t help but stroke his chin in contemplation.
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