Chapter 659: Deadly Crisis

They were not far from the Lei Qing Behemoth's territory. The two monsters ahead also possessed powerful frost abilities, and He Lingchuan wanted to try his luck, hoping they might produce frost-pill-like concretions.

Frost Silver Beasts might not be harder to defeat than these two, but their movements were shrouded in mystery. And since it was He Lingchuan's first time entering the Fringed Realm, finding them in these vast mountains would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The further southwest they went, the more open the terrain became, and the larger the beast herds grew. Starting from a few hundred, the herds gradually swelled into thousands. Eventually, the plains were so densely packed with creatures that the original color of the ground was barely visible.

He Lingchuan roughly estimated there must be at least ten thousand of them.

Among them were both predators and prey, all looking agitated but moving in a single direction.

Behind the massive herd, several small black dots moved incredibly fast, almost too quick for the naked eye to track.

Wherever they ran, the herds jostled forward in a frantic rush.

It turned out there were more than just two of those peculiar monsters.

Even experienced hunters like Captain Zhou were surprised after observing for a while. "They're actually herding the Danube beasts," he exclaimed.

These creatures understood how to outflank, encircle, and cooperate, working seamlessly together like hunting dogs.

This was incredible for Danube beasts.

"See that large white stone up ahead? Once we pass it, we'll be in the Lei Qing Behemoth's territory."

He Lingchuan noticed the ground there was deep black, a stark contrast to the vibrant colors outside. Occasionally, small lightning snakes would even dart across the surface, erupting in blue-white light.

"Lei Qing Beasts occasionally patrol here to reinforce their territory borders."

He Lingchuan noted that he said "Lei Qing Beasts" rather than "behemoths." "Are there many Lei Qing Beasts?" he asked.

"Our teams rarely venture here, and no one has counted their numbers in recent years, but they should be considerable," Captain Zhou replied. "After all, if a lord emerges within their clan, they gain protection."

Once they passed the white boundary stone, a cacophony of "kang kang kang" sounds echoed across the plains, rising and falling.

The monsters herding the beasts were communicating with each other.

They quickened their pace almost simultaneously.

Under this strange pressure, the beast tide surging across the plains and hills began to accelerate, running faster and faster.

Eventually, it transformed into a rolling torrent, surging forward.

Dust obscured the sky and blotted out the sun.

Just then, several new hunters, drenched in sweat, caught up from behind.

As they converged with the group, they delivered urgent bad news:

"The sandstorm is coming."

He Lingchuan immediately heard gasps all around him. A sandstorm? Was it that serious?

He gazed into the distance and, sure enough, saw activity on the far horizon.

Whirling dust clouds, seemingly mixed with purplish-red lightning, created an ethereal, almost fantastical sight.

Though still distant, He Lingchuan could already vaguely sense the impending oppressive force.

Indeed, the Fringed Realm had almost no vegetation; once a sandstorm kicked up, the sheer scale of it would be immense.

The hunters groaned and cursed.

"How unlucky are we this time? We've run into both the beast tide and a sandstorm!"

Captain Zhou bellowed, "Disperse! Disperse! Go collect as many Soothing Pearls as you can, quickly!"

There was no time for explanations; everyone scattered immediately, no second reminder needed.

The Chi Yan team also sprinted away, a member reminding He Lingchuan, "Collect Soothing Pearls as fast and as many as you can!"

Everyone scattered, spreading out through valleys, rocky hollows, and across the plains, gathering pearls wherever they found them.

He Lingchuan humbly inquired, "What's happening?"

"Sandstorms in the Fringed Realm are no joke; one ten years ago killed over a hundred hunters!"

Could a sandstorm truly kill people? Yet the hunters who entered the Fringed Realm were no ordinary individuals; they were at least cultivators or spiritual beings, possessing strong resilience against harsh natural environments.

"They weren't necessarily blown to death, but the sandstorms here last a long time — often two or three hours!" his teammate quickly explained, stooping to gather pearls. "Most people suffocated because they couldn't replenish their Soothing Pearls!"

He Lingchuan understood.

Their survival in the Fringed Realm hinged on the Soothing Pearls, and a sandstorm would likely blow them all away!

That would mean two or three hours during which they couldn't collect any pearls.

Furthermore, Soothing Pearl grass grew low to the ground with obviously shallow roots. A strong wind would likely rip them apart, scattering both the plants and their pearls.

After a sandstorm, survival would become a major problem for them as outsiders.

Therefore, before the storm hit, everyone needed to gather as many Soothing Pearls as possible, quickly stockpiling enough for their survival!

Understanding the gravity of the situation, He Lingchuan dared not delay. He unleashed his Swallow's Return technique, rushing around.

Each plant typically bore three to seven Soothing Pearls. After harvesting, it would take another two to three hours for them to regrow.

This meant that from the start of the sandstorm until everyone weathered the disaster and could emerge to collect pearls again, there would be at least a five to six hour interval!

Each hunter consumed eight Soothing Pearls per hour, meaning a baseline of over forty pearls would be needed for five or six hours of survival.

It was then that everyone sensed something was amiss.

Earlier, everyone had been moving in the wake of the beast tide, and those creatures had undoubtedly crushed countless Soothing Pearl plants as they advanced. Ironically, the vast plain had become a barren area for harvesting. He Lingchuan ran for dozens of meters and only managed to find two plants.

In such an expansive wilderness, there were surprisingly few pearls for so many people.

Trouble. He looked up toward the northeast, seeing the distant sandstorm advancing steadily, already past the horizon.

In this desolate land, its speed was far greater than that of a swift horse.

He Lingchuan bent down to cut, his movements swifter than others thanks to his Swallow's Return technique.

Normally, Fringed Realm hunters had an unwritten rule: collect pearls without damaging the plant.

This way, the Soothing Pearl plants could regrow pearls in two or three hours. Otherwise, if the roots were severed, it would be ages before new plants sprouted.

It was a practice that benefited both individuals and the community.

But in the face of natural disaster, no one could afford such considerations. Chopping down the entire plant, pearls and all, with a single slash was far quicker.

He Lingchuan was exceptionally fast; he could cut ten plants in the time it took others to collect three or four.

There were only so many Soothing Pearl plants on the plain; if he collected more, others would get less. Some hunters grew displeased, shouting at him, "Can you leave some for others? Don't be so greedy!"

In these rock crevices, three or four clusters of surviving Soothing Pearl plants happened to be growing. He Lingchuan swung his knife like falling rain, swiftly cutting them all down.

The other person was enraged and looked ready to swing his axe.

He Lingchuan, however, tossed two complete Soothing Pearl plants his way. "You're too slow," he stated.

The man instinctively caught them, momentarily stunned, while He Lingchuan had already leaped two steps away.

Time was precious, and he didn't want to waste it squabbling.

He was about to gather the Soothing Pearl plants seven zhang (about 23 meters) away; these few clumps of small plants grew at the edge of the megalithic array and hadn't been trampled. But another hunter was already rushing toward them at full speed.

He Lingchuan assessed the distance and gave up.

Before he could turn away, however, he saw the hunter retreating step by step, head raised, clutching a large hammer.

Although He Lingchuan was behind him and couldn't see his face, he could sense the hunter's muscles were taut, indicating extreme tension.

He followed the direction of the man's intense gaze and saw a colossal beast slowly lumbering out from behind the megalith.

It was still one of those unidentified monsters, but its body length exceeded three zhang (over ten meters). When it stood on its hind legs, its height could reach nearly one zhang (about 3.3 meters).

With such an immense size, the sense of oppression it exuded was incomparable.

Even with another person between He Lingchuan and the monster, he still felt an overwhelming pressure when its yellow eyes fixed on him.

That gaze was a mix of bloodthirsty rage and cunning suspicion.

He Lingchuan even detected a hint of disdain.

Could Danube beasts actually possess such high intelligence?

Most terrifying was its original grey-black coloring; even He Lingchuan hadn't spotted it while it was lying amidst the megaliths. As it slowly emerged, its skin rapidly shifted to a spotted dark red.

This creature also understood camouflage.

Moreover, when people from Linhu City entered the Fringed Realm—whether Concentric Guards or Imperial Army soldiers—their elemental energy vanished, making it very difficult to detect such camouflage.

Different worlds operated under different laws; the elemental energy from their world could not be brought here.

The monster stared at the retreating hunter, but instead of pursuing, it extended a foot and deliberately crushed the Soothing Pearl plants growing by the stone.

Three or four small plants, which had managed to grow together, were all crushed under its single foot. The pearls cracked and shattered on the ground, dissipating into vapor.

Everyone who witnessed this scene was speechless.

He Lingchuan was certain the monster had deliberately crushed the Soothing Pearl plants in front of everyone.

This meant it was fully aware of the Soothing Pearls' importance to visitors from the human realm.

Furthermore, this act brought it no benefit, yet it still performed it, clearly reveling in the malicious pleasure of harming others without gaining anything itself.

Joy, revenge, malice, mockery—could a Danube beast truly possess such complex emotions?

Immediately afterward, the monster began to approach.

Despite its enormous bulk and the high gravity, it moved without a sound, and the ground didn't even tremble.

The hunter in front turned ashen and, finally unable to withstand the pressure, turned and bolted.

"Fool!" others cursed upon witnessing this.

Turning and running in front of a wild beast isn't escaping; it's provoking.

Inciting a behemoth's killer instinct benefited no one. You couldn't even risk that with ordinary Danube beasts; they'd chase just the same.

However, the behemoth merely gave him a fleeting, indifferent glance.

It even took a turn and started walking toward He Lingchuan.

His scalp tingled. Why did this creature specifically seek him out?

Looking up at the behemoth from such close proximity truly felt like a prey's perspective, making the hair on He Lingchuan's neck stand on end.

But the monster didn't pounce; it merely lowered its head and sniffed twice.

He Lingchuan also saw its nostrils flare, as if it were discerning a scent.

With Floating Life already in hand, he tensed every muscle, poised to leap back at any moment.

Instead, the behemoth snorted, shook its neck, turned, and strode away.

In a flash, it had vanished, chasing after the beast tide. Its massive body moved with surprising agility.

The hunter who had just escaped death watched its retreating form disappear, muttering, "Could that have been a lord-level beast?"

It exuded a powerful sense of oppression, but no one could confirm if it was a new lord of the Fringed Realm without engaging it in combat.

No one present wanted to engage, so they turned back to collecting pearls.

He Lingchuan, however, remained puzzled. Why had the behemoth shown interest in him?

As everyone frantically worked, the sandstorm drew steadily closer.

By this point, both the Danube beasts and the hunters had already entered the Lei Qing Beasts' territory, continuing their southwest advance.