Chapter 77: Three-Level Demon Beast

The three-colored spirit deer was incredibly fast. Liu Yuerong and her two companions, using their Wind Control Art, couldn't possibly keep up. They wanted to capture the spirit deer alive to sell it for a high price.

After about fifteen minutes, the three-colored spirit deer ran into a dense thicket of bushes, taller than a person. Liu Yuerong pursued it without hesitation, with Wu Tianhu and Nangong Chen close behind.

Behind the thick bushes was a narrow valley, flanked by steep rock walls. If the three-colored spirit deer hadn't panicked and stumbled into the bushes, Liu Yuerong and her companions would never have discovered this valley.

At the end of the valley was a sheer rock face, beneath which was a cave several zhang wide. Without a second thought, the three-colored spirit deer charged directly into the cave.

Liu Yuerong hesitated for a moment, then slapped the storage bag at her waist. Two streaks of green light flew out, revealing two light-green human-shaped puppet beasts.

"Go."

Under Liu Yuerong's command, the two human-shaped puppet beasts strode into the cave.

"Junior Sister Liu, perhaps we shouldn't pursue further! What if there's a third-order demonic beast in the cave? That would be troublesome."

Nangong Chen looked at the dark cave, already thinking of retreating. They had ventured deep into the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. Before coming to Immortal Fate City, their elders had repeatedly warned Nangong Chen not to enter the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. Nangong Chen had already stayed in the mountain range for several days, giving Liu Yuerong plenty of face.

"Hmph, you're only thinking of retreating now? You keep mentioning third-order demonic beasts; what a coward. If you're afraid of death, then go back!" Wu Tianhu said disdainfully, casting a defensive shield on himself before rushing in.

Liu Yuerong turned and glanced at Nangong Chen without a word, then cast a defensive shield on herself and followed.

Nangong Chen hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and conjured a blue orb, releasing a blue glow that enveloped him, then followed suit.

The cave was dark and damp, but all three were Foundation Establishment cultivators and could use Spirit Eye Art.

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from ahead. Wu Tianhu and his companions' expressions tightened, and they immediately stopped.

"See? I told you! There might be a third-order demonic beast ahead. We should leave quickly!" Nangong Chen advised kindly. If he didn't want to leave a good impression on Liu Yuerong, he would have left long ago.

"Roar!"

A deafening tiger's roar came from ahead. This seemed to be a demonic tiger's lair.

Wu Tianhu pondered carefully, then said in a low voice, "Junior Sister Liu, I'll go take a look. If it's truly a third-order demonic beast, we'll leave immediately. If not, we'll kill it and return to Immortal Fate City at once. How about that?"

Liu Yuerong thought for a moment and agreed, taking out a second-order Fire Escape Talisman and holding it in her hand, ready to crush it at any moment.

Nangong Chen took out a second-order Earth Escape Talisman, his face full of vigilance.

Wu Tianhu also took out a Fire Escape Talisman, holding it in his hand, and cautiously walked forward.

Not long after, he saw a massive natural stone cave. A gigantic tiger, entirely red with two wings on its back, was fiercely battling the three-colored spirit deer. In the upper left corner of the stone cave, there was a two-zhang-tall green peach tree, bearing five fist-sized fruits.

"Flying Flame Tiger! Green Silk Peaches!" Wu Tianhu's face lit up with joy. The Flying Flame Tiger was only a mid-grade second-order beast; the three of them could handle it.

Upon learning it was just a second-order Flying Flame Tiger, Liu Yuerong exhaled softly and put away her Fire Escape Talisman. Nangong Chen also let out a long breath, his heart finally settling. Five century-old Green Silk Peaches, plus two mid-grade second-order demonic beasts—they had no reason not to act.

"Let's agree on this first: after we kill these two demonic beasts and gather the Green Silk Peaches, we return to Immortal Fate City immediately," Nangong Chen stated solemnly.

Liu Yuerong nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Wu Tianhu could only agree as well.

The three of them coordinated skillfully. Both the three-colored spirit deer and the Flying Flame Tiger were already covered in wounds from their intense battle. Nangong Chen threw several hundred-year-old Iron Thorns seeds. As soon as the seeds landed, they quickly grew into thorny vines, instantly wrapping around the three-colored spirit deer's four limbs. As for the Flying Flame Tiger, Liu Yuerong summoned three shimmering blue flying swords, which, combined with the two yellow giant axes conjured by Wu Tianhu, left the Flying Flame Tiger with no power to resist. Nangong Chen conjured a tiny flying needle and, while the Flying Flame Tiger was distracted, pierced one of its eyes.

The Flying Flame Tiger let out a pained shriek, its movements slowing. The three blue flying swords and two yellow giant axes surged forward, and the Flying Flame Tiger collapsed in a pool of blood.

Liu Yuerong produced a spirit beast bag and collected the heavily wounded three-colored spirit deer. Wu Tianhu was in charge of handling the Flying Flame Tiger's corpse, while Nangong Chen harvested the Green Silk Peaches.

"Huh, this Flying Flame Tiger had cubs! It's a shame they never got to be born," Wu Tianhu commented, discovering an unborn cub in the Flying Flame Tiger's swollen belly. The cub hadn't even had the chance to be born before its mother died at the hands of Wu Tianhu and Liu Yuerong.

Nangong Chen's eyes showed some worry, and he urged, "Since it had cubs, it means there must be a male Flying Flame Tiger, possibly a third-order demonic beast. We should leave quickly!"

"Hmph, 'third-order demonic beast' again. I've heard it a hundred times, my ears are numb," Wu Tianhu scoffed, his face full of disdain.

Liu Yuerong looked around, puzzled. "The spiritual energy here seems more abundant than outside."

Hearing Liu Yuerong, Nangong Chen and Wu Tianhu also felt the same.

"Green Silk Peaches ripen only once every hundred years. Plump Green Silk Peaches would never grow in a place with sparse spiritual energy. There might be some rare heavenly treasure here," Liu Yuerong said, while controlling three blue flying swords to fiercely strike the rock wall. Wu Tianhu also controlled two yellow giant axes, hacking at the rock wall.

"Perhaps this Green Silk Peach tree has been growing for many years, so over time, it naturally absorbed enough spiritual energy. We should leave here quickly! I have a bad feeling about this," Nangong Chen frowned, finding a seemingly reasonable excuse to urge them.

"Oh, there really is a spiritual object here!" Liu Yuerong exclaimed, delighted. She controlled her three flying swords to cleave off a millstone-sized yellow stone from one of the rock walls. At the end of the stone, there were some milky-white rocks emitting a faint spiritual aura.

"This is a spirit stone mine! There's a spirit stone vein here," Liu Yuerong exclaimed, moving closer to inspect it carefully.

"Junior Sister Liu, we should immediately return to Immortal Fate City and report to Senior Brother Chen, so he can contact Senior Uncle Yang. We've rendered a great service, and Senior Uncle Yang will surely reward us handsomely," Nangong Chen's eyes darted around as he suggested.

"How do you know there's a spirit stone vein here? What if there are only a few spirit stones, and we make Senior Uncle Yang travel all the way to Immortal Fate City, disturbing his secluded cultivation? Wouldn't that be our fault? I think we should thoroughly explore it before reporting to Senior Brother Chen; it won't be too late." Wu Tianhu wanted to mine some spirit stones for himself. If they reported it, he wouldn't get a share. Liu Yuerong was somewhat tempted. Just then, an angry roar suddenly erupted.

They followed the sound to its source and saw a gigantic red tiger standing at the entrance of the stone cave, its eyes blazing red as it glared at them.

"Third... third-order demonic beast!" Nangong Chen's legs turned to jelly. His prediction had come true; there really was a third-order demonic beast in the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. If he had known, he would have rather died than enter the mountain range. The corpse of the other Flying Flame Tiger still lay on the ground. Seeing its mate disemboweled by humans, this third-order Flying Flame Tiger was absolutely enraged.