Chapter 1327: Golden Scaled Beast

Wang Changsheng frowned slightly. He could have accepted the situation if Zhang Wuchen had explained everything clearly beforehand, but Zhang Wuchen had concealed the existence of the restriction and the associated risks. This made Wang Changsheng extremely displeased, as it was blatant deception.

"Madam Zhang, I asked you multiple times, and you never mentioned any restriction," Wang Changsheng said with dissatisfaction. Zhang Wuchen was treating him like a fool, and he could not tolerate it.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, please don't misunderstand. I possess a unique treasure that specifically counters this restriction. The weakened restriction is virtually no different from having no restriction at all. The Celestial Void Cave only enters a period of weakness every few hundred years. If I don't obtain the Soul Nurturing Flower, I'll have to wait another hundred years or more. I can promise you that after we succeed, I'll tell you the whereabouts of the Profound Ice Cold Qi. You must know what Profound Ice Cold Qi signifies, right?"

Zhang Wuchen's tone was full of temptation. Profound Ice Cold Qi is a spiritual treasure that forms only in glaciers over ten thousand years old. For cultivators practicing ice-attributed techniques, it is an absolute boon. Refining Profound Ice Cold Qi would significantly enhance a cultivator's divine abilities.

"Profound Ice Cold Qi? Really?" Wang Changsheng frowned, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

"Of course it's real. Our two families are connected by marriage; I have no reason to deceive you. I absolutely must obtain the Soul Nurturing Flower." Zhang Wuchen's expression was solemn; without replenishing her depleted primordial spirit, advancing to the mid-Nascent Soul stage would be incredibly difficult for her.

"Can your unique treasure really nullify the power of the restriction?" Wang Changsheng was still somewhat skeptical. Zhang Wuchen had deceived him once, making it difficult for him to trust her.

"If Fellow Daoist Wang is uneasy, then we can go first, and you can follow behind." Hearing this, Wang Changsheng pondered for a moment before agreeing.

Zhang Wuchen took out a map and began discussing strategies to deal with the demonic beasts. Her first plan was to lure two low-grade Fourth-tier Golden-Scale Beasts out of their lair, then trap them with a formation, and seize the opportunity to collect the Soul Nurturing Flower. The second plan was to adopt a divide-and-conquer approach: Wang Qingling and Lin Yuzong would engage one Golden-Scale Beast, while Wang Changsheng and Zhang Wuchen would deal with the other. Afterward, they would return to eliminate the second Golden-Scale Beast. The third plan was for Zhang Wuchen and two others to engage both Golden-Scale Beasts, while Wang Qingling took the opportunity to collect the Soul Nurturing Flower.

The first plan was the best, but its execution difficulty was high, as Fourth-tier demonic beasts are not easily lured. The second plan was more practical.

"Qingling, do you have any suggestions?" Wang Changsheng looked at Wang Qingling, thinking it would be excellent if she had other methods.

"Golden-Scale Beasts possess a trace of Qilin bloodline, making them not easy to deal with. Senior Zhang's three plans are all good; I have no other suggestions," Wang Qingling honestly replied. She explained that her previous success in luring the Blood Glaze Beast was due to good fortune. With only an hour for the restriction to be weakened, she didn't have much time to strategize. If not for the unique terrain here, she might have been able to lure other Fourth-tier demonic beasts to fight the Golden-Scale Beasts.

"Let's proceed with the second plan! If it proves unfeasible, we'll switch to the third plan." Zhang Wuchen's tone was full of confidence; she had been preparing for this day for a long time.

Three days passed quickly. Zhang Wuchen released two ape puppet beasts and sent them towards the valley. As soon as they entered, several millstone-sized crimson fireballs streaked across the sky, rapidly hurtling towards them. Judging by the fireballs' size, the power of the restriction had indeed been significantly weakened.

Boom! With several muffled thuds, a sea of crimson flames engulfed the two ape puppet beasts. The two ape puppet beasts rushed out of the fire and retreated from the valley, showing signs of melting but still able to move.

Zhang Wuchen tested it repeatedly and confirmed that the restriction's power had been largely weakened. They would be safe if they exited the valley, which put their minds at ease considerably.

Lin Yuzong conjured an egg-sized crimson orb. Its surface was covered with profound runes and emitted intense heat. He cast a spell into the orb, and it flew above their heads. With a flash of red light, the crimson orb released a dense crimson glow, enveloping their entire bodies.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, we'll go ahead first. You can follow later." After saying this, Zhang Wuchen and Lin Yuzong walked towards the valley.

As soon as they entered the valley, a muffled sound came from high above. Several millstone-sized crimson fireballs suddenly appeared, crashing onto the crimson glow. The crimson light barrier rippled like water, and the crimson fireballs flashed intensely before vanishing, while the crimson light barrier remained intact.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Qingling watched Zhang Wuchen and Lin Yuzong intently, fearing any abnormality. Soon after, they reached the humanoid skeleton and took the valuables from the corpse. Seeing this, Wang Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. He conjured three Sea-Calming Pearls. With a flick of his spell, the three pearls immediately radiated brilliant blue light, emitting wisps of water vapor, and transformed into three dense blue water curtains, protecting them.

As soon as they entered the valley, several crimson fireballs descended from the sky, striking the blue water curtain and immediately dispersing. After walking over a hundred paces with no abnormalities, the worry in Wang Changsheng's eyes lessened slightly. The valley was long and winding, its ground covered with a type of red stone.

A little less than a quarter of an hour later, Wang Changsheng and the other three exited the valley, appearing in an open area. Several hundred yards ahead, a red peak over a thousand yards high stood tall. The mountain was quite steep and barren of vegetation, with a ten-foot-wide cave entrance halfway up its side.

"This is where the Golden-Scale Beasts nest. We need to act quickly." Zhang Wuchen's expression was solemn; they had to deal with the two Golden-Scale Beasts within an hour, or leaving would not be easy.

"It won't be easy to lure a Fourth-tier demonic beast out of its lair," Wang Qingling said, frowning. Not every Fourth-tier demonic beast is affected by Beast-Alluring Incense.

"That's simple. I'll personally go and lure them out. I refuse to believe they won't leave their lair." Zhang Wuchen was full of confidence; she planned to use herself as bait to personally lure the Golden-Scale Beasts.

A look of surprise flashed in Wang Changsheng's eyes. He had thought Zhang Wuchen had some special method, but he didn't expect her to use herself as bait. This method was the most direct and risky. Over a hundred years ago, Zhang Wuchen had sacrificed the lives of a group of outer-sect Core Formation cultivators to trick other Nascent Soul cultivators and severely injure her enemies. "Bold because of skill" perfectly described her.

"Madam Zhang, let me give it a try! If it doesn't work, you can go lure the Golden-Scale Beasts," Wang Changsheng suggested.

"Alright, then you can give it a try! Be quick; we don't have much time to waste." Zhang Wuchen agreed, urging him impatiently.

Wang Changsheng flipped his right hand, and a shimmering yellow talisman appeared in his palm, its surface bearing a humanoid pattern. With a slight flick of his wrist, the yellow talisman shot out. He cast a spell upon it, causing countless yellow runes to light up, emitting a brilliant yellow glow. From within the yellow light, a wooden-faced young man in yellow robes emerged; it was a Talisman Soldier. Wang Changsheng touched his glabella, sending a wisp of his spiritual sense to inhabit the Talisman Soldier.

The Talisman Soldier transformed into a streak of yellow light and flew into the cave. The cave was winding, and a faint golden light shimmered on its rock walls. Not long after, the Talisman Soldier reached the end of the cave, a cavern several hundred yards wide. Two exotic beasts, shimmering entirely in golden light, lay in the upper right corner of the cavern. Their appearance resembled Qilins, with a pair of golden fleshy wings on their backs and a dazzling golden horn on their heads.