Chapter 347: Mysterious Cub

The thorns glowed, some silver-white, others pale gold. All the plants here were extraordinary, pulsating with potent energy. Even the rocks and soil flowed with shimmering light, imbued with spiritual essence.

Chu Feng was carefully and cautiously dismantling the field. After he spoke, silence fell within, and the creature lay dormant. The field Chu Feng had established was intact and didn't need to be removed; its primary purpose was to prevent the creature from escaping. Moreover, ancient field symbols were present in this area.

As he ventured deeper, a hazy mist emerged, yet the serene glow remained undimmed. The entire area shimmered with a pale golden radiance; even the springs and puddles were vibrant with color. An ordinary person would surely mistake this for an immortal's dwelling. The energy here was incredibly rich, teeming with vitality, making him feel refreshed with every breath. Evolvers residing here for extended periods could significantly enhance their physiques.

Clearly, the fields here posed no challenge to Chu Feng. In this Sacred Land of Fengchan, fields were ubiquitous, but the true danger lay in the forbidden zones, such as the area behind the altar, which was veiled in golden mist and haze. That region undoubtedly held terrifying fields that obscured the sky, and any rash intrusion would be fatal. The area in front of the altar was considerably safer; Chu Feng had already successfully guided others through it once before.

From the soil, he carefully unearthed a vibrant red jade, seemingly dripping blood, gleaming with a dazzling light, and inscribed with mysterious runes. "A treasure!" This place contained materials left by ancient spellcasters, far superior to Chu Feng's own magnetic stones and jade pieces. Chu Feng dismantled the field, collected the materials, and deposited them all into his jade vase. Ultimately, he succeeded in dispelling the field in this area and stepped inside.

He surmised that this creature couldn't be too formidable; otherwise, if it possessed significant power, it would have ventured beyond the altar instead of hiding here. After all, it was a mere cub, at its weakest. Once it matured even slightly, it could become a god or a demon!

Chu Feng's own field remained intact, not yet dismantled, as he feared the creature might escape. After a careful scan, he couldn't help but frown. The area was of moderate size, featuring a small stream that shimmered with silver-white light, where river fish swam leisurely. "A creature!" Chu Feng was surprised, but upon closer inspection, while it contained some energy, it was far from being a divine beast—at best, it was merely a tender delicacy.

There were also fruit trees here, bearing unusual fruits—some vibrant red like agate, others gleaming golden. Their rich aroma could awaken ordinary people, though they certainly couldn't elevate one to king-tier status. While these were opportunities for ordinary people, Chu Feng regarded them as nothing more than fresh fruit. He couldn't consume them before, but with the black and white grindstone now, it was no longer an issue. Without hesitation, he picked them and placed them into his spatial bottle. A thorough search yielded no creatures imbued with spiritual energy.

What's going on? Has the young beast escaped?

"Hmm?!" Finally, Chu Feng made a discovery: on a flat expanse, he spotted broken scales on a brown rock. Nearby, he found carvings on a stone wall. He meticulously examined them, yet surprisingly recognized none; they resembled both oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions. He was momentarily speechless! Chu Feng pondered over them repeatedly but failed to decipher their meaning. However, beside them were crude, wobbly drawings, seemingly made by a cub. After a long period of contemplation, Chu Feng roughly grasped their meaning. He was instantly filled with disappointment.

The drawings on the stone wall roughly depicted a young beast being born, trapped in the Fengchan land, eventually finding a way to escape, and then departing. "It already escaped, it's long gone?!" Chu Feng gazed up at the sky. "Why is my luck so terrible?" It was utterly disappointing. He had eagerly entered, intending to capture the divine beast alive, only to find it long gone. What a letdown.

Chu Feng suddenly turned, seeing a toad crawl from the water, where it began gnawing on river fish before hopping towards a thicket of thorns. It was quite sizable, weighing about four or five catties, and emanated energy fluctuations, stronger than the river fish but not significantly so. Chu Feng paid it no mind; instead, he transformed into a streak of lightning, swiftly traversing the area in search of further clues. However, he was disappointed; there were no further clues.

After a thorough observation, Chu Feng swiftly darted towards the exit with a whoosh. There was nothing unusual; no creature had disrupted his field. Still suspicious, he eventually located the toad once more. He stared at it intently. The toad squatted there, and after finishing the river fish, it emitted a few muffled gurgles. Then, Chu Feng chuckled softly.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*

Disregarding caution, he threw several magnetic stones, encircling the toad to set up a field. Startled, the toad frantically hopped and scurried, attempting to flee, but was blocked by the field. "Don't be afraid," Chu Feng said, softening his tone as he approached the toad. "I mean you no harm; I just want to take you from this place." However, the toad remained dull and unresponsive, appearing utterly ordinary. "You're quite clever," Chu Feng said with a smile, continuing to speak to it. "Carving words and drawings in advance, making people believe the divine beast cub had already left—that's not simple." Yet the toad remained utterly unresponsive, only fleeing when he drew near, behaving no differently from an ordinary toad.

Chu Feng reached out, intending to catch it. Suddenly, it expelled a mouthful of liquid, spitting it at Chu Feng. He swiftly dodged aside, stating, "Stop hiding. You're the only toad here; there's no group. Where did you come from?!" Only then did the toad's dull eyes finally shift, and it opened its wide mouth, vigorously spewing saliva at Chu Feng. "Oh, for Pete's sake!" Chu Feng dodged. The toad's demeanor shifted too quickly; once it opened its mouth, it was like a torrential downpour. He was nearly drenched to the bone, fortunate for his swift reaction.

*Pffft! Pffft! Pffft...*

The toad opened its mouth, unleashing a gust of wind and splattering liquid everywhere. The transformation was too sudden; moments ago it was lethargic, and now it was wildly spewing saliva. Furthermore, the spectacle was astonishing, akin to a torrential downpour. "Divine beast, you're disgusting! Can't you stop that? Don't spit anymore!" Chu Feng yelled in exasperation. For a moment, he was unsure if the liquid was poisonous and could only dodge. By all appearances, the toad wasn't releasing poison; it truly seemed to be spitting saliva, mouthful after mouthful, at Chu Feng. "You utter nuisance!" In one continuous barrage, it spat over twenty mouthfuls of saliva at Chu Feng, forcing him to retreat.

Then, it truly fled. The simple field created by a few magnetic stones couldn't contain it; the ground cracked, and the magnetic stones shattered. Furthermore, it was incredibly fast, moving like a storm or a bolt of lightning. What most disoriented Chu Feng was that it didn't jump; instead, it moved all four limbs in unison, scuttling forward like a person crawling on the ground, using both hands and feet. Its four limbs rotated with unbelievable speed. "What kind of toad is that?!" Chu Feng exclaimed, wide-eyed, and immediately gave chase. This creature spat saliva and scuttled forward with all four limbs moving in unison, displaying a bizarre, unconventional gait.

*Bang, bang, bang...*

At a distance, the toad crashed violently, attempting to burst through the confines of Chu Feng's field. However, it was impeded and unable to escape. Chu Feng burst into laughter, now certain that the so-called divine beast was indeed this toad. But this was utterly bizarre. Where were the golden scales, the feathers? He surmised that the toad was not its true form.

"Croak!"

Finally, the toad turned back and, after letting out a muffled croak, sent a booming resonance through Chu Feng's spirit. Clearly, this divine beast was extraordinary, possessing immense spiritual power that surpassed typical king-level creatures. Simultaneously, it emitted mental waves, questioning Chu Feng why he attacked it when there was no prior enmity between them. "As I've said, I harbor no ill will; I merely wish to befriend you," Chu Feng replied. The toad's aura receded, its large, bulging eyes appearing remarkably pure and innocent as it questioned Chu Feng, asking if he was truly sincere. "Of course it's true," Chu Feng asserted, appearing utterly harmless with a smile as he took out some unusual fruits and offered them. To anyone observing, he resembled a child trafficker holding a lollipop, attempting to lure a child away.

"Croak!"

Suddenly, as Chu Feng drew near to offer the strange fruit, the toad erupted. Golden energy surged forth like exploding heavenly thunder, crashing into Chu Feng. Most terrifying was its mental energy, which, accompanied by that croak, violently vibrated like thunder from the heavens, threatening to shatter Chu Feng's spirit. This was an exceptionally terrifying energy wave. Nearby, rocks shattered into dust, and the stream evaporated instantly, turning into a fine mist. Even the ground itself was sinking and cracking. This toad was incredibly powerful, nearly gravely injuring Chu Feng. Moments ago it seemed naive and innocent, yet in an instant, it unleashed a torrential assault on him. Furthermore, when it leaped, it struck out with its palms like a human, delivering continuous blows that erupted with lightning. Chu Feng met its palms, a look of surprise on his face. The toad's palm strike was incredibly potent, imbued with astonishing energy!

"Croak, croak, croak..."

Its body grew, standing upright and reaching Chu Feng's height. It continuously unleashed palm strikes, devastating everything in its path, shattering massive rocks and fracturing cliff walls. In that moment, it seemed to wield the power of thunder, capable of matching Chu Feng's attacks. Amidst the golden light, this toad appeared incredibly sinister, like a martial arts master, its two palms striking relentlessly—almost like the legendary Ouyang Feng, master of the Toad Style. Moreover, it now looked incredibly solemn, its entire body radiating an intense golden light as it engaged Chu Feng in a life-or-death battle. Chu Feng was astonished; this toad was utterly bizarre. More so than many humans, it resembled a true martial arts master, standing upright on its hind legs while its forelimbs moved in a flurry, sending palm imprints flying amidst a brilliant golden aura.

As the toad glowed and appeared majestic, it suddenly, while in close contact with Chu Feng, opened its mouth and spat a mouthful of saliva. "Pffft!" "You've got to be kidding me..." Chu Feng turned his head, dodging the assault. This was truly an unprecedented experience: two formidable experts engaged in combat, with one spitting saliva at the other. He now understood: it wasn't venom, merely saliva. This toad was utterly devious; it was doing this on purpose. "Pffft!" As expected, whenever he drew near, it would spit. "What kind of divine beast are you? Show me your true form! You utter nuisance, that's disgusting! Spit again, and I'll roast you!" The toad's saliva possessed astonishing penetrative power, capable of shattering cliff walls, making it a legitimate form of attack. Soon, Chu Feng's face darkened, as the saliva once again transformed into a torrential downpour.

*Bang, bang, bang...*

He unleashed continuous, heavy blows, determined to suppress this powerful toad! "Reveal your true form!" "Illiterate fool," the toad finally spoke, transmitting its thoughts mentally and directly showing contempt for Chu Feng. "I disdain to speak further with you, since you can't even recognize the words I wrote." Chu Feng suddenly felt utterly bewildered! "Who can read your oracle bone script?" Chu Feng retorted angrily. "Today, I'm going to beat you to death!" "Pah, illiterate!" The toad spat again, resuming its intense battle with him. It had to be said, this toad was incredibly formidable; Chu Feng had to expend considerable effort just to begin suppressing it.