bayedsolid Chapter 364 Black Tiger's Assault
Chapter 364 Black Tiger's Assault
"Wow!"
A splashing sound rang out, clearly audible in the hollow underground pit.
"Watch out, there's something in the water!"
Lin Changsheng noticed the commotion and quickly reminded Yunmiao Zhenjun, who was standing to the side.
The inability to use divine sense in this place greatly weakens the cultivators' strength.
Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch might not be able to detect a crisis in time if they cannot use their divine sense.
On the contrary, Lin Changsheng, who was at the late stage of the third-order body refinement realm, had been tempered by the power of qi and blood for many years, and his senses were sharp. Even without the aid of divine sense, he could grasp the changes in the surrounding environment.
"It's a special 'Netherworld Beast' from the Yellow Springs River!"
"I never expected to encounter such a monster on the outskirts of the Yellow Springs River!"
Yunmiao Zhenjun looked into the water, his words carrying a hint of surprise.
‘Click! ’
'Whoosh! '
In the darkness, the Cloud Mist True Monarch, dressed in plain clothes, gently waved her hand, and a silver longbow appeared.
The next moment, her slender figure held a bow in one hand and gently raised the other, pulling back the bowstring. A chilling aura gathered at her fingertips, transforming and condensing into an ice crystal arrow, which shot out.
Under the faint light of the cold blue ice crystal arrow, Lin Changsheng saw a strange monster resembling a lizard floating in the Yellow Springs.
Unlike ordinary monsters, this creature, which resembled a lizard, had no life force within it. Instead, it was shriveled and exuded a terrifying aura of malevolence.
As the ice crystal arrow, condensed from the magic power of True Monarch Yunmiao, flew out, it exploded with a 'crack' upon contact with the monster, instantly covering it with a layer of frost, freezing the lizard monster within and restricting its ability to move.
"Hurry up! These 'Nether Beasts' are born from the evil energy of the Yellow Springs and are extremely difficult to completely destroy. We can only temporarily restrict their movement."
As they spoke, led by True Monarch Yunmiao, the two stepped on the stones and left the place.
"This is the 'Nether Beast,' born from the convergence of evil energy from the Yellow Springs. As long as it is within the Yellow Springs' range, it is virtually immortal."
Lin Changsheng recalled the introduction given when True Monarch Yunmiao arrived.
Especially when a cultivator's divine sense is suppressed, all kinds of spells, magical abilities, magical artifacts, and magical treasures are affected, and their combat power is severely weakened.
In order to deal with this 'Nether Beast', True Monarch Yunmiao specially used a bow-type magic weapon, combined with his own ice-attribute magic power, which greatly restricted the 'Nether Beast' without the need for divine sense assistance.
……
A moment later, the two moved away from the attack range of the 'Nether Beast'.
Lin Changsheng silently tried his other methods.
Because the divine consciousness cannot leave the body, many methods that require the assistance of the divine consciousness are all ineffective here.
Using magical artifacts and treasures for attack greatly reduces accuracy and may even lead to the embarrassing situation of not being able to retrieve them in time.
High-level spells and talismans can still be cast normally.
The puppet, crafted using special techniques, retains a wisp of consciousness within its central control system, allowing it to still be controlled normally.
What surprised Lin Changsheng the most was that the 'Wood God Thorn' formed from the spirit tree, one of his natal magic treasures, was still connected to his mind and could be activated and controlled as if it were an extension of his own arm, even without the assistance of divine sense.
After silently reflecting on it, Lin Changsheng felt somewhat at ease.
Although his overall strength has been weakened, he still has powerful trump cards that he can consistently utilize, an advantage that others do not possess.
For seven or eight days in a row, True Lord Yunmiao and Lin Changsheng traveled in the dark.
Lin Changsheng gradually adapted to his surroundings.
As they ventured deeper, the two encountered several attacks from 'Nether Beasts'.
But most of them were easily dealt with by True Lord Yunmiao.
Only once did they encounter a sneak attack from five or six 'Nether Beasts'.
These 'underworld beasts' have no fixed form.
There are various kinds of lizards, bears, snakes, fish and many other species.
Perhaps they were all kinds of demonic beasts on the ground in their previous lives, and for some reason they were stranded here and were invaded by the evil energy in the Yellow Springs.
For the first time, Lin Changsheng took the initiative to step out of the protective barrier of Yunmiao Zhenjun and released the corpse-refining puppet. With a close call, he cooperated with Yunmiao Zhenjun to repel the 'Nether Beast'.
Finally, they arrived at the turbulent underground passage.
"Go through these last secret passages, and you'll arrive."
Yunmiao Zhenjun's tone carried a hint of pleasure.
The long underground journey is a test of one's mentality. Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would feel depressed if he were in such a quiet environment for a long time.
The two rallied their spirits, passed through the malevolent miasma, and continued their journey.
At the same time, Lin Changsheng's senses, enhanced by the power of his qi and blood, seemed to detect a subtle movement.
"Be careful, don't go in!"
Lin Changsheng exclaimed in surprise, disregarding etiquette, and hastily grabbed Yunmiao Zhenjun's slender wrist to stop him from moving forward.
'boom! ’
Before the words were finished, a frenzied aura suddenly arose from the hidden passage in front of the two.
In an instant, a deafening sound rang out, and a huge burst of fire, accompanied by a tremendous impact, enveloped Lin Changsheng and Yunmiao Zhenjun.
Even with the defensive magic shield activated by True Monarch Yunmiao, it only withstood the impact for a breath or two before shattering into pieces.
The residual force of the impact sent the two flying dozens of feet away.
The area around the secret passage trembled violently, and for a moment, the waters of the Yellow Springs splashed and malevolent energy surged.
In the darkness, a deep blue magical shield lit up once more.
With a "crash," True Monarch Yunmiao and Lin Changsheng emerged from the rubble.
"Fourth-tier Azure Thunder!"
Yunmiao Zhenjun had a cold expression, and his close-fitting ice silk soft armor was exuding a faint aura of power.
A cold rage flashed in her eyes as she looked at the spot where they had been standing, where a dark, gaping crater had been blasted out and was now filled with the gushing waters of the underworld. A sense of lingering fear washed over her.
Lin Changsheng's blood and qi surged, and he had several abrasions on his body, as well as corrosive marks left from his brief contact with the Yellow Springs water, as if he had been scalded by boiling water, with large patches of his skin burning red.
Fortunately, True Monarch Yunmiao was there to shield him from most of the damage.
"Someone is attacking!"
The same thought simultaneously crossed their minds.
Such a pre-planned ambush tactic did not originate from the Forbidden Land of the Underworld.
"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect that even with his divine sense suppressed, True Monarch Yunmiao could still dodge the explosive power of 'Azure Thunder'."
A rough, deep voice rang out, and a man in a fur cloak beside him walked out slowly from the corner in front, a smile on his face.
It was none other than the Black Tiger True Lord, whom they had met not long ago.
"It's you?"
After seeing the person's appearance clearly, Lin Changsheng frowned.
After practicing the body-refining technique 'Ancient Ape Glazed Technique', he reached the late stage of the third level of body refinement.
Due to the special nature of his cultivation technique, Lin Changsheng's physical strength was greater than that of ordinary body-refining cultivators of the same level.
Furthermore, after circulating his qi and blood, a phantom image of an ancient ape standing upright, about two zhang tall, materialized around his body.
It gave him the keen senses of a wild beast, so that nothing, no matter how small or minute, could escape his grasp.
Even a Nascent Soul cultivator, when concealing their aura, cannot completely avoid subtle movements such as blood flow, heartbeat, and breathing.
Earlier, when the two entered the secret passage and triggered the trap, Lin Changsheng had noticed a strong heartbeat.
But it wasn't the 'Black Tiger True Lord' in front of him; it was someone else entirely.
The next moment, Lin Changsheng seemed to realize something, his expression darkened, and he reached out and gently stroked the storage bag at his waist, at the same time several different colored magic talismans appeared in his palm.
In addition, three tall and powerful corpse puppets appeared around him, surrounding him.
"Three top-tier Tier 3 puppets? Interesting."
"It seems that it was you just now, kid, who noticed something was wrong and ruined my good time."
Attracted by Lin Changsheng's serious demeanor, Black Tiger True Monarch turned his gaze over and chuckled sinisterly.
"Master Lin, there is no need to worry too much. Although this person is at the peak of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he is unable to exert his true strength due to the influence of the special magnetic field of this place. With me here, I will ensure that Master Lin is safe and sound."
The silver longbow in Yunmiao Zhenjun's hand exuded a sharp, cold aura as he transmitted a message to Lin Changsheng to reassure him.
Just as they were exchanging words, an extremely strong oppressive aura emanated from the dark passage behind them.
'call out! ’
A dark, shadowy light flickered, and Lin Changsheng felt an oppressive aura, as if from the wilderness, enveloping the two of them.
Yunmiao Zhenjun was finally moved. He turned around and urged the silver longbow in his hand. A thicker ice crystal arrow was hastily formed. It was like a pale blue stream of light in the darkness, trailing a chilling frosty aura, and shot out!
‘Crack! ’
The ice crystal arrows shot out and collided with the approaching figure, unleashing a powerful burst of icy energy.
The newcomer smashed the ice crystal arrow with a pair of giant tiger claw phantoms conjured from his fists. The icy power that erupted only adhered to the opponent's arms and then quickly dissipated under a surge of boiling blood energy.
Lin Changsheng finally saw this newcomer.
This 'person' was two zhang tall, with a broad back and a powerful build, and an exceptionally robust physique. He resembled a human, but possessed many tiger-like features. He had a mustache on both sides of his mouth, tattoo-like patterns on his face, and a strange 'king' character carved on his forehead.
It looks exactly like a combination of a human and a tiger.
"A fourth-tier demon king, Lord Youhu Mountain!"
"When did you break through to the mid-stage of the fourth tier?!"
Upon seeing who it was, even the usually composed True Monarch Yunmiao's tone wavered.
If it were only Black Tiger True Monarch, there wouldn't be too much to worry about, since this person is still within the normal early Nascent Soul stage and is suppressed by the Yellow Springs Forbidden Land, so he can't exert the strength of the early Nascent Soul stage at all.
However, 'Lord of Youhu Mountain' is different. As a fourth-order demon king and a tiger-type demon beast, his physical body is already powerful. In addition, his realm has been raised to the middle of the fourth order, which is comparable to a human Nascent Soul stage True Monarch.
If this were outside, even if these two joined forces, True Monarch Yunmiao would be confident in dealing with them. However, in the Yellow Springs Forbidden Land, he could better utilize his body-refining advantages, and a mid-stage fourth-order demon king posed a great threat.
"Old buddy, we're counting on your help to capture this woman this time."
"Perhaps the opportunity for me to advance to the mid-stage lies within her."
Black Tiger True Monarch's gaze fell on Cloud Mist True Monarch, his eyes deep and meaningful.
Looking at the Nascent Soul True Monarch and the mid-stage fourth-order Demon King in front of him.
Faced with this situation, Lin Changsheng couldn't help but feel troubled for True Monarch Yunmiao.
"Master Lin, facing these two at the same time, I, the True Lord, must do my best to deal with them. Later, I may not be able to spare the time to protect them. For now, you must defend against the surrounding Yellow Spring evil energy on your own."
The voice of True Monarch Yunmiao rang in Lin Changsheng's ears.
"True Lord, you may focus on fighting the enemy; there is no need to worry about your juniors."
Lin Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine and immediately agreed.
As he spoke, he activated his Everlasting Spring Technique, condensing a light green protective shield around his body.
The pale blue protective shield beside her then disappeared, and an even more powerful aura of ice burst forth from Yunmiao Zhenjun's seemingly frail body, its imposing force overwhelming.
Even Lin Changsheng, under this terrifying aura, had to control three corpse-refining puppets and retreat several feet away to barely alleviate the pressure from the infant energy's power.
At the same time, I was terrified.
The power of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is terrifying!
Unfortunately, in the Forbidden Land of the Underworld, due to the special magnetic field restrictions, it is difficult to exert full strength, and it may be somewhat difficult to fight two opponents at once.
If Yunmiao Zhenjun were to encounter any misfortune, Lin Changsheng, who was traveling with him, would likely also be affected.
For a moment, Lin Changsheng was lost in thought.
Although he had some means of self-preservation, he was confident that he could escape from the Nascent Soul cultivator.
But he still didn't want Yunmiao Zhenjun to perish.
At least this mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch has a pure heart. With her around, Lin Changsheng's position in the Willow Smoke Sect will be very stable, allowing him to cultivate without distractions.
There is no need to worry too much about the threat from Nascent Soul True Monarchs from other regions.
Inside the pitch-black passage.
Black Tiger True Lord's body was filled with magical energy, and he chanted incantations, urging him to activate the "Tiger's Movement Technique," a cultivation method he had practiced for hundreds of years.
Using his own aura to mimic a tiger-like demon beast, nourished by magical energy, the fur on his body grew much thicker, and his entire tiger back arched slightly, resembling a fierce tiger poised to pounce.
In the hands of True Lord Black Tiger was a tiger-head longsword magic weapon that emitted a cold light, its blade gleaming with a chilling aura.
On the other side, Lord Youhu Mountain revealed a pair of beast-like eyes, chillingly cold. His hands transformed into a pair of beast claws, surrounded by demonic winds, and low, deep roars faintly emanated from his throat, extremely intimidating.
The auras of the human and the beast were remarkably compatible, showing signs of merging, and their combined power surpassed that of the previous pair.
“Old friend, the magnetic field here is somewhat restraining to cultivators’ Nascent Souls. If there is an opportunity later, sir, capture Fellow Daoist Yunmiao’s Nascent Soul, interrogate him, and after obtaining the information you want, I will offer it to you.”
From afar, Black Tiger True Monarch's chilling voice rang out, as if he already considered Cloud Mist True Monarch as his own.
"Such a clumsy trick will not put any pressure on me, Fellow Daoist Black Tiger. You should put away this little scheme."
Yunmiao Zhenjun seemed to have seen through the other party's tricks and responded in a calm tone.
"Hehe, Fairy Yunmiao has been famous for many years. With her mid-Nascent Soul stage strength, she guards the Yan Kingdom and has always suppressed my Purple Moon Sect."
"However, I overheard that Fairy Yunmiao's aptitude was not outstanding back then. When she was in the Golden Core stage, she was not nurtured as a 'Nascent Soul seed', but instead she reached the True Monarch stage."
"Furthermore, since the fairy advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, she seems to still have energy left, her cultivation speed has not slowed down, and she frequently explores the Forbidden Land of the Yellow Springs. Is there any connection between these events?"
Black Tiger True Lord stared intently, his eyes filled with doubt.