Chapter 16: Four Yuan Ying Beasts

The Four-Eared Earth Splitter Rat, the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon, and the Wind Roaring Ox—these three monstrous beasts from the Thousand Demons Forest were terrified upon seeing Qu Yi effortlessly kill two of them without losing any of his own vital energy. They dared not attack again.

Qu Yi’s waving gesture clearly expressed contempt. Though angry, these three beasts still had enough sense from thousands of years of cultivation to realize that attacking now would be suicide.

Although the six experts from the Biyun Tower, united in their combined power and using a sword formation to seal off space, could contain Qu Yi, they couldn’t kill him. Thus, the situation became eerily quiet.

“I say, you three—your Thousand Demons Forest is quite famous. Why are you such cowards? Come at me together,” Qu Yi said, waving his hand again, urging the three beasts to attack.

This time, the gesture was not just an insult but seemed like a call to death. The three beasts became even more afraid and dared not advance.

Qu Yi was frustrated. Just by showing a little of his strength, these once confident beasts now refused to attack.

Meanwhile, the six people from the Biyun Tower, who were sealing off space outside, were also shocked. If Qu Yi killed one beast, he would devour its Yuan Ying, and his own vital energy wouldn’t even decrease. They couldn’t keep sealing space forever. Eventually, if Qu Yi killed all the beasts, they too would be in danger.

“Four-Eared, Sky-Eye, let’s attack him together,” Yuan Feng, the master of the Biyun Tower, transmitted his message mentally.

Yuan Feng understood clearly that only by combining the strength of both factions could they deal a serious blow to Qu Yi.

“Alright. First, compress the sealed space, then we’ll attack Li Mu together,” Four-Eared replied immediately.

In an instant, the six people from the Biyun Tower directed the Wooden Dragons to shrink the space enclosed by the “Six Dragon Spirit Locking Sword Formation,” reducing an area of one li to just a hundred meters.

Qu Yi sensed the shrinking space but remained unafraid. He walked step by step through it toward the three beasts.

The three beasts lined up, ready to launch a surprise attack at the last moment.

“Attack!”
“Attack!”

As the space shrank to within a hundred meters, the people from the Biyun Tower and the Thousand Demons Forest sent out attack signals through their mental communication.

In an instant, the space of the Six Dragon Spirit Locking Sword Formation collapsed. The six people from the Biyun Tower already held their wooden swords, pouring all their Wood element vital energy into them, ready to attack Qu Yi.

At the same time, the Four-Eared Earth Rat, the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon, and the Wind Roaring Ox also rushed toward Qu Yi. One was exhaling Earth Element energy, another had a frozen ice ball in its mouth, and the third was generating a violent storm with Wood Element energy, all preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Qu Yi.

The six humans and three monsters swiftly arrived in front of Qu Yi, ready to attack.

Qu Yi smiled instead. He suddenly took out a spirit talisman and infused it with Earth Element energy, activating the Earth-based talisman.

This talisman was called the Earth Demon Heaven-Hiding Talisman. It had been stolen by Qu Yi from an elder of the Ying Tian Sect while he was in the Demon Poison Star Region. It was a spirit talisman at the late stage of the Fusion realm.

“Oh no!”

The powerful warriors from the Azure Cloud Tower and the Thousand Monsters Forest felt uneasy upon seeing Qu Yi’s faint smile, and their fear grew even more when they saw him activate the talisman. True Man Gou Huo had said that Qu Yi possessed many powerful magic artifacts, and now these warriors realized that this talisman was one of them.

The nine warriors realized the danger but could not retreat. They continued to attack Qu Yi fiercely.

Qu Yi discarded the Earth Demon Heaven-Hiding Talisman and took out the Frozen Soul Ice Crystal. He activated the crystal with his energy, causing his entire body to be covered in ice.

The spells of the nine warriors struck the ice layer but only managed to crack it without breaking it. By then, the warriors had no time to retreat and could only desperately defend themselves.

When the Earth Demon Heaven-Hiding Talisman was activated, the entire sky turned into a sea of yellow sand and earth, with waves of Earth Element energy surging. Within this space of Earth Element energy, a hundred-meter-tall Earth Element giant suddenly appeared. It had ten arms and ten legs, resembling an ancient Earth demon that had descended from the sky to destroy everything in existence.

The giant stretched out its ten arms, each one capable of crushing a cultivator at the late Fusion realm into meat. Its power was astonishing. Moreover, within this space of Earth Element energy, those who tried to defend themselves with their own energy would also be attacked by the surrounding Earth Element energy.

The six members of the Azure Cloud Tower practiced Wood Element cultivation techniques, with Wood Element energy in their bodies. When they saw one of the giant’s arms approaching them, they each drew their wooden swords and unleashed their strongest Wood Element spells to withstand the powerful strike.

These six spells included ones like the Wood Dragon Soaring into the Sky, the Tree Warriors, and the Ten Thousand Bamboo Sticks Piercing the Air—each being the strongest move of the six members of the Azure Cloud Tower.

However, these six wood-based spells not only had to withstand the Earth Demon’s palm but also were affected by the surrounding Earth Energy, weakening their power. When the Earth Demon’s palm struck, the six spells collapsed instantly and were scattered, allowing the Earth Demon’s palm to hit the six people directly.

Yuan Feng and Yuan Zi, two advanced cultivators from the Biyun Tower who had merged their powers, managed to block this powerful strike with their defensive shields. But Sang Bai, Sang Shuan, Le Chuan, and Le Geng failed to resist the Earth Demon’s attack and were knocked unconscious, falling straight downward from the air.

The Earth Demon’s other three hands also struck at the three monstrous beasts in the Thousand Demons Forest. The Four-Eared Earth Rat, which practiced earth-based cultivation techniques, was unaffected by this Earth Energy environment and moved freely through the air, keeping the Earth Demon’s palms from reaching it. The Sky-Eye Ice Dragon, which practiced water-based cultivation techniques and was filled with Water Energy, was severely suppressed by the Earth Energy. It needed to expend more of its own Energy to defend itself. Although it managed to block the Earth Demon’s strike, it lost a great deal of Energy in the process.

The Wind Roaring Ox, as expected, was only at an early stage of merging its powers and practiced wood-based cultivation techniques. It lacked sufficient Energy and was suppressed by the Earth Energy. When the Earth Demon’s palm struck, it was blasted dozens of meters high with blood. Yet, its physical defense was strong enough that it wasn’t killed by the strike and instead fell to the ground, creating a huge pit.

Meanwhile, Qu Yi, inside the ice layer, endured fierce attacks from the Earth Demon’s palm. As long as the ice layer shattered, he would immediately use his Water Energy to generate Frost Soul Ice Crystals and form a new ice layer to protect himself.

The Earth Demon’s Hidden Sky Talisman didn’t last long. After all, attacking nine advanced cultivators at once, along with the ice layer equivalent to an advanced merged state, consumed its Earth Energy extremely fast, and it ran out in no time.

The overwhelming yellow sand disappeared, leaving only Yuan Feng, Yuan Zi, the Four-Eared Earth Rat, the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon, and Qu Yi still inside the ice layer.

While maintaining the ice layer, Qu Yi had used the Energy from all three of his Yuan Ingams; now only one still had Energy left.

At the moment the yellow sand vanished, the four advanced cultivators from the Biyun Tower and the Thousand Demons Forest were still in a dazed state, while Qu Yi inside the ice layer remained fully alert.

Whoosh!

Qu Yi suddenly emerged from the ice layer, rushed to the ground, and killed Sang Bai of Biyun Tower. He immediately took out his Yuan Ying and swallowed it. It was a Yuan Ying at the mid-stage of fusion; as soon as Qu Yi swallowed it, all his vital energy was restored. Without any delay, he quickly dashed across the ground, killing Sang Shuan, Le Chuan, and Le Geng one after another. As for that Wind Roaring Ox, Qu Yi didn’t dare kill it and left it lying in the pit.

“Li Mu, how dare you…” In the air, Yuan Feng and Yuan Zi cried out in grief. These four masters at the fusion stage were the backbone of Biyun Tower, yet they were all dead in the blink of an eye.

“I not only dare, but all of you four must also die.” Qu Yi soared into the air and immediately used his secret technique, “Final Kill.” In the next moment, he was behind Yuan Feng, thrusting his Golden Spear with pinpoint accuracy into Yuan Feng’s back, the tip piercing right through his heart.

“You…” Yuan Feng managed to speak, his voice filled with deep regret. Qu Yi showed no sympathy. As the spear pierced Yuan Feng’s body, his left hand transformed into a claw, entering Yuan Feng’s body to extract his Wood Element Yuan Ying. Qu Yi also obtained the Wood Element Yuan Ying at the late fusion stage!

Escape! At this moment, Yuan Zi, the Four-Eared Earth Rat, and the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon all saw Qu Yi’s brutality and realized they couldn’t defeat him, being in extreme danger. Qu Yi smirked coldly and used “Final Kill” again. His body leaped through space, arriving behind Yuan Zi, and he thrust his Golden Spear once more.

“Ah!” Yuan Zi screamed in pain. The Golden Spear once again pierced into Yuan Zi’s body, and Qu Yi extracted his Yuan Ying as well. The Four-Eared Earth Rat and the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon fled through the air, their spiritual senses detecting that Qu Yi had killed Yuan Zi again, filling them with even greater fear.

“Sky-Eye, follow me underground! I’ll hide in the ground—Li Mu definitely can’t chase me,” the Four-Eared Earth Rat shouted frantically. The Sky-Eye Ice Dragon was delighted at these words. But in the next instant, Qu Yi suddenly appeared in front of the Four-Eared Earth Rat, his Golden Spear already piercing into its mouth. Earlier, Qu Yi had used the Planet Shift technique, allowing him to catch up to the two beasts in an instant. With Planet Shift, as long as one’s vital energy allowed, their body could be moved to wherever their spiritual senses detected, unaffected by spatial fluctuations. Thus, despite fleeing at full speed, these two beasts at the late fusion stage were still caught up by Qu Yi.

The Four-Eared Earth Splitter kept its eyes open, its four ears swaying, before gradually losing its breath and dying. Qu Yi immediately formed his fingers into claws and plunged them into the body of the Four-Eared Earth Splitter, extracting its Earth Element Demon Infant. This Earth Element Demon Infant had the same effects as those of human cultivators’ Earth Element Demon Infants. He also obtained the late-stage Earth Element Yuan Infant after fusion! The Sky-Eye Ice Dragon shook its head; it even forgot to flee, staring blankly at Qu Yi. Apparently, it had been shocked by Qu Yi’s sudden appearance and was confused about how he could have arrived so quickly. “Don’t think that by acting foolish and cute, I’ll spare you. I want your Demon Infant,” Qu Yi sneered. Immediately afterward, he thrust his Golden Spear into the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon’s body, and his true energy entered the dragon’s body, destroying all signs of life. Then, Qu Yi took out the Sky-Eye Ice Dragon’s Demon Infant as well. He also obtained the late-stage Water Element Yuan Infant after fusion. Now, Qu Yi already had the late-stage Wood, Water, Earth, and Fire Element Yuan Infants—only the Gold Element Yuan Infant was left. Of course, this could only be obtained once Qu Yi’s soul realm reached the mid-stage of fusion, allowing him to use these Yuan Infants to advance to that level. Not long after the battle ended, Master Floating Cloud and Master Golden Pool from the Hidden Cloud Sect finally arrived and landed in the valley. Qu Yi flew back to the valley and, upon seeing the two, smiled and said, “Floating Cloud, Golden Pool, that Wind Roaring Ox in the pit below is a gift for you. Oh, I think Master Floating Cloud should take it. He can sign a soul contract with it right away.” It turned out that Qu Yi hadn’t killed the beast; he wanted to give the Hidden Cloud Sect a guardian beast. Hearing this, Master Floating Cloud was overjoyed, jumping around like a child. Suddenly, Qu Yi’s expression hardened, and he quickly took out a communication tablet. Scanning it with his spiritual sense, his eyes flashed with cold light. Master Floating Cloud and Master Golden Pool noticed the change in Qu Yi’s expression and felt that he must have something important to do. Without saying a word, Qu Yi scanned the communication tablet and immediately went to the pit. He kicked the Wind Roaring Ox in the head, finally waking the beast. “Ah… don’t kill me,” the Wind Roaring Ox, now back in his robust human form, cried in panic, no longer caring about healing his wounds. Qu Yi pointed the Golden Spear at the Wind Roaring Ox with his right hand and pointed at Master Floating Cloud with his left, saying sternly, “Wind Roaring Ox, you have a choice: become Master Floating Cloud’s pet, or die.”

“I… I don’t want to become a demon pet,” Roaring Wind Ox shouted.
Qu Yi curled his lips and said coldly, “Very well, then I’ll kill you.”
With that, Qu Yi raised his Golden Spear, ready to strike.
“I… I agree.” Roaring Wind Ox had no doubt about Qu Yi’s determination to kill it. Knowing it had no right to negotiate, it could only submit to survive.
Floating Cloud True Man laughed heartily, immediately descended into the pit, and planted a soul shackle within Roaring Wind Ox’s soul.
Seeing everything done, Qu Yi suddenly said, “Floating Cloud, Han Jin—you two will take charge of Hidden Cloud Sect from now on. I need to go handle some matters elsewhere. I believe I’ll be back soon.”
Without giving them a chance to respond, Qu Yi immediately used the Planet Shift technique and left.