Chapter 508: Wen Yanling

The spirit beast flew straight ahead, slicing through the sky.

Three full days had passed since they left Honghai City. The Witch Soul Tomb was not in the same direction as the City of Ten Thousand Kingdoms; instead, it was on the opposite side of the alliance. The mountains here twisted and turned, like giant dragons lying prone on the ground, seemingly ready to soar into the sky and gallop across the heavens at any moment.

Inside the house on the beast's back, Zhang Xuan stood by the window, his eyes slightly closed. Over the past three days, he had completely consolidated the power of a peak Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator. At this moment, he wasn't cultivating, but rather organizing the information about Witch Soul Masters in his mind. To identify the Soulless Golden Figures, Pavilion Master Sai had previously collected many books on Witch Soul Masters. When Zhang Xuan was in the Treasure Appraisal Hall, he had absorbed all that information into his mind but never had time to review it thoroughly. Now, he finally had the opportunity.

"Correct!" His mind murmured quietly as information from dozens of books, flawless and complete, converged.

The descriptions of Witch Soul Masters across all the books shared a common theme: they were eerie and sent shivers down one's spine. Their profound research into souls made others apprehensive. After quickly skimming through the books, Zhang Xuan shook his head. The lineage of this profession had been severed, leaving behind virtually no comprehensive records. The current texts offered only fragmented information, with little practical value. After reading for a while, he not only failed to understand anything but also found himself even more confused.

"Never mind, I'll just take it one step at a time!" Knowing he wouldn't gain any useful insights, he sighed, opened his eyes, and turned to Sun Qiang and Zhao Ya. "Come here!" he called.

"Teacher!""Young Master!"

Everyone approached him.

"If Master Zhang has something to tell them, do we need to step aside?" Zhao Feiwu asked, noticing Zhang Xuan's solemn expression. Lineage transmissions often involved many secrets, and outsiders were usually not permitted to listen.

"No need," Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "It's nothing major. I'm just reminding them of a few things to be aware of after we arrive at the Witch Soul Tomb."

"Oh? Things to be aware of? Then... can we listen?" Zhao Feiwu, Pavilion Master Sai, and the others' eyes lit up, and they all looked over simultaneously. Who was this man? He was a Master Teacher who could even expel possessing souls, a Five-star Appraiser, and a Grandmaster of Formations. Such a serious instruction must be extremely important. Perhaps after hearing it, they would benefit greatly, significantly increasing their chances of survival inside the Witch Soul Tomb.

"Of course!" Ignoring the excited crowd, Zhang Xuan looked at his students and retainers, his expression solemn. "Once we reach the Witch Soul Tomb, pay close attention, all of you. If anyone gets possessed... do NOT immediately try to destroy the soul. I still have questions to ask!" If the soul that possessed Luo Zhu earlier had still been alive, he could have certainly extracted useful information and perhaps avoided the risk of going to the Witch Soul Tomb at all. The more he thought about it, the more he regretted it, which was why he needed to make this instruction with utmost seriousness. He didn't want to be too late in explaining, only for these young ones and Sun Qiang to rush to destroy any possessing souls, making it impossible to ask questions later.

"Yes!" Zhao Ya and the others quickly nodded their heads. To prevent any accidents, their teacher had already placed a stream of zhenqi within each of them before their departure. This would allow them to resist any approaching souls and prevent possession.

"Good, that's better! That's all for now. You may all return to your cultivation!" After giving his instructions, Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Zhao Ya and the others nodded, then dispersed again, quietly sitting down.

"That's it?" They had been watching eagerly, filled with anticipation, assuming he would impart crucial advice. But upon hearing his words... Zhao Feiwu, Pavilion Master Sai, and the others' lips twitched, and they nearly fainted. When others went to the Witch Soul Tomb, they were terrified, fearful of any mishap, exercising extreme caution. Yet, this fellow... it felt less like he was venturing into a dangerous place and more like he was taking his students on a picnic. Why else would he so solemnly instruct everyone not to "eat too much," presumably to leave some for him?

"Cough, cough!" Luo Zhu, in particular, coughed a few times, nearly choking on his saliva. He had prepared countless items for this trip to the Witch Soul Tomb, even writing his will. Yet, this person seemed to be strolling through a market, completely at ease. There truly was a gap between people...

Suppressing his frustration, he looked down at the terrain below, assessed their location, and then approached Zhang Xuan. "Master Zhang, we're almost at the Witch Soul Tomb!"

"Almost there? Where exactly are we?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking over.

"It's the Nine Bends Mountain of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms."

"'Ten Thousand Li Red Wave Sea, Thousand Li Nine Bends Mountain.' Is this the border with the Mingxia Empire?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The Treasure Appraisal Hall had a map of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms, which he had previously reviewed, giving him a general sense of directions. He had assumed the Witch Soul Tomb would be somewhere in the central part of the alliance, not on the border. The Mingxia Empire was a vast nation with power comparable to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms, and its name was among the twenty-seven forces participating in the Master Teacher Grand Competition. As a boundary between two major powers, Nine Bends Mountain saw constant conflict every year and was considered one of the most perilous regions.

"We haven't reached the border yet; we're at Warm Speech Ridge, the third bend," Luo Zhu replied. Nine Bends Mountain was a range with nine distinct bends, each with a more specific place name. Warm Speech Ridge was precisely at the third bend. Legend had it that a peerless expert once passed through this area and was ambushed by a tide of spirit beasts. Remaining calm, he gently persuaded them, and eventually, the beast tide retreated. This became a celebrated tale, and the name Warm Speech Ridge originated from it. This place was rich in spiritual energy and home to numerous spirit beasts and savage beasts. Although not yet at the official border between the two nations, it was still considered one of the most perilous locations. Many people, upon hearing its name, were reluctant to go there.

"Warm Speech Ridge has many spirit beasts. We can't fly directly over it; otherwise, we could easily be ambushed by aerial spirit beasts, which would be incredibly dangerous!" Transcendent Mortal realm cultivators couldn't fly on their own. If they encountered attacks from other spirit beasts in the air, it would be extremely dangerous. Falling from that height could very likely lead to instant death. Therefore, few people chose to fly over mountain ranges known for their numerous flying spirit beasts.

"Elder Jin is right," Luo Zhu interjected, "but there's no need to be too nervous. The Young Master's spirit beast has reached the peak of Transcendent Mortal 3-dan and is incredibly powerful. Ordinary spirit beasts wouldn't dare to provoke it, so it should be able to carry us to our destination. Of course, we can't fly directly to the tomb itself," Luo Zhu continued. "There is indeed a formidable flying spirit beast living near the Witch Soul Tomb. I'm afraid that if we get too close, it might agitate it, which would be very troublesome!"

"Are you talking about that Fiend Dawn Beast?" Jin Conghai asked.

"You know this beast, Elder?" Luo Zhu was surprised.

"Of course, I know it. That creature has reached the peak of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, and it can fly. It has repeatedly taken human lives. The alliance has dispatched many experts to hunt it down, but unfortunately, all have failed!" Jin Conghai's expression turned grim. "Furthermore, not only is it powerful and fast, but it's also said to possess a dragon lineage, giving it unparalleled defense. It's incredibly difficult to deal with; even the Beast Hall has no solution for it. How far exactly is the Witch Soul Tomb you mentioned from where it resides?"

"Not far, only a few hundred meters," Luo Zhu replied. "Last time I came, I studied its patterns and waited for it to leave to forage before finding an opportunity to enter. This time, we have more people, making us a larger target. My suggestion is that we be cautious, prepare in advance, and proceed on foot."

"A few hundred meters? That's too close..." Jin Conghai's eyebrows furrowed. At the Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Turbid-Clear realm, where the turbid and clear separate, and the soul can detach from the body, one could detect objects hundreds of meters away simply by sensing, without even needing to see them. Being so close meant they were practically in the creature's lair. At such a distance, let alone flying, even walking might disturb the creature. Although he was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivator, he was only at the initial stage. Against a flying savage beast with a dragon lineage, he would have no power to resist. Even as a Poison Master who could use poisons, he would need the beast to be completely unprepared. Its ability to fly, coupled with the dragon lineage's strong resistance to poison, meant that if his attack missed or failed to take effect, he would infuriate it, potentially leading to the slaughter of everyone. He had thought the Witch Soul Tomb itself was dangerous enough, but he hadn't expected such a ferocious creature to be nearby.

"It is very close," Luo Zhu said, hesitating slightly. "However, I hid here for three months previously and figured out its patterns. As long as we are careful and follow those patterns, we should avoid detection."

"Since you've found its patterns, I have an idea!" Jin Conghai said, looking at Zhang Xuan after a slight hesitation. "Master Zhang, could we disembark about two kilometers away and then proceed on foot?" Everyone now looked to Zhang Xuan for leadership. Naturally, they would follow his decision.

"Alright," Zhang Xuan nodded. He had never been here before and didn't know how powerful the Fiend Dawn Beast truly was. Since the two of them had finished their discussion and decided this, it was fine by him. Two kilometers was no distance at all for cultivators of their strength.

"Very well, it's settled then," Jin Conghai said. "When we're there, let me know, and I'll inform the beast to land."

"Understood!" Luo Zhu nodded.

"You've heard of this Fiend Dawn Beast too?" As the others discussed, Sun Qiang, seeing Pavilion Master Sai's face turn pale upon hearing about the Fiend Dawn Beast, couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, I've heard of it!" Pavilion Master Sai forced a bitter smile. "That massive creature is incredibly powerful. Rumor has it that the Head of the Beast Hall, along with twelve elders, attempted to hunt it down simultaneously, but they all failed!"

"Twelve elders?"

"Indeed. Elders of the Beast Hall are all as strong as I am. The fact that so many of them failed clearly demonstrates its immense power!" Pavilion Master Sai shook his head. "Not only can that creature fly, but because of its dragon lineage, its defense is incredibly strong, making it impervious to swords and spears. Even a full-force stab with a mid-tier spirit weapon would have little effect. It's fast, has strong defense, a violent temper, and a strong sense of territory... If it truly guards that place, getting past it won't be easy..."

"Are you scared?" Interrupting him, Sun Qiang's face was filled with disdain. "If you're really scared, then don't go! And you call yourself the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Appraisal Hall..."

"Me... scared?" Pavilion Master Sai nearly fainted upon seeing Sun Qiang's expression. He, a dignified Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, was actually being scorned by a mere steward, whose tone even carried mockery... The master was arrogant, but who knew the steward would be even more so? He was panting with rage, just about to speak, when Luo Zhu's voice rang out.

"We've arrived..." As soon as he spoke, everyone felt the flying savage beast below them sway before it began to descend directly toward the sprawling mountain range.