Chapter 199: Let Sang Biao Knock Them Unconscious, One By One
Her cultivation is in the Early Void Refinement Stage, but she was previously in the Early Body Integration Stage. The strength she exhibits should be that of the Mid Void Refinement Stage.
With the enhancement of flames, her strength should be able to reach the threshold of the Late Void Refinement Stage. However, the Huan Bird is ultimately a Heaven Rank Spiritual Beast, and the strength it exhibits is likely not that of an ordinary Mid Body Integration Stage.
Compared to it, Xie Yanning is still far from sufficient.
Therefore, Xie Yanning shares the same thought as Ming Zhaoshuang: “So we can only rely on your Qiongqi. But if your Qiongqi is released, let alone fulfilling the commission, it might not even be able to save our lives.”
But for them, this is already the best method.
Ming Zhaoshuang, however, smiled and said, “This is not difficult. As long as A Ning can hold off the Huan Bird for two hours.”
She had already figured out how to deal with this Huan Bird.
It’s just that she doesn’t know if it’s feasible.
If it is not feasible, she has no other options and can only give up the Nine-Orifice Lotus Root Silk and find another way to treat Ming Zhaoxue’s soul and body injuries.
After all, she is only in the Early Nascent Soul Stage, which is truly a stretch for her.
Xie Yanning said, “In Jingyan Ridge, holding it off for two hours should not be a problem. After all, it’s fire, my domain.”
Since that was the case, the two no longer hesitated and accepted the task.
Jingyan Ridge stretches for three hundred li. Bamboo forests grow densely at the foot of the mountain, obscuring the sky.
On the mountain, there are constant mountain fires raging, thunderclouds gathering, and endless magma erupting, covering the rolling mountain peaks.
Xie Yanning controlled her sword, Qingyan, and sat on it with Ming Zhaoshuang.
Xie Yanning looked at the extremely lush bamboo forest below and couldn’t help but sigh, “Fire overcomes wood. How can there be bamboo forests in a place like this?”
Ming Zhaoshuang recalled the geographical knowledge she had learned before and explained, “Jingyan Ridge is a complete volcano. The magma it erupts is rich in minerals, forming the most fertile soil. Although the existence of bamboo forests at the base is difficult to understand, it is not impossible.”
But what puzzled her was that with all the flames in this place, where did the water come from to sustain these bamboo forests?
It is indeed strange that bamboo forests grow here, and so densely.
The System then added, “The Huan Bird has Phoenix Bloodline and was born amidst flames. It also has the same bad habit as a phoenix, liking to eat Lian Shi. There are bamboo forests at the foot of the mountain. Therefore, although the environment of Jingyan Ridge is harsh, it is the most suitable place for the Huan Bird.”
“Because of this, the Huan Bird is extremely dependent on flames. Just as a Gu Diao cannot leave water, a Huan Bird cannot leave flames. This can be considered its weakness.”
However, within Jingyan Ridge, where there are flames everywhere, this weakness cannot be considered a weakness at all.
Ming Zhaoshuang narrowed her eyes and said to the System in a low voice, “System, you seem to know a lot about beasts.”
The System replied, “I have Big Data.”
Ming Zhaoshuang snorted dismissively.
Big Data, huh? She’s exposed herself so much and still hasn’t realized it. Does she really think she’s acting well?
The two of them sped on, Xie Yanning’s Divine Sense expanding as she searched the entire Jingyan Ridge for traces of the Huan Bird.
Although her cultivation had regressed to the Void Refinement Stage, her Divine Soul had not. It was still at the Body Integration Stage, especially since she had entered the Virtual Soul Realm, making her Divine Soul equivalent to that of an Early Mahayana Stage cultivator.
Therefore, searching for a Huan Bird was an easy task for her.
However, her expression suddenly changed, and she said in a low voice, “Bad news!”
Seeing her urgent expression, Ming Zhaoshuang also felt a pang of anxiety. “What’s wrong? You didn’t find it?”
Xie Yanning replied, “It’s not that I didn’t find it, but I found too many. Someone arrived here before us and started fighting with the Huan Bird, and they were severely beaten by it. I sensed that two Late Void Refinement Stage demon cultivators were fighting this Mid Body Integration Stage Huan Bird, and they are now on the verge of escape, with weak auras.”
She then added, as if remembering something, “There’s also a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator lurking behind them, as if intending to reap the benefits.”
Xie Yanning had originally thought that in a place like this, no one would deliberately provoke the Huan Bird.
After all, on the Huan Bird’s own territory, its cultivation might be even higher. Two Late Void Refinement Stage cultivators were no match for an Early Body Integration Stage being, so why would they provoke a Mid Body Integration Stage Heaven Rank demon beast?
Truly…
She frowned and said, “This is not good news for us.”
After all, this means that Sang Biao won’t be able to make a move. If it’s revealed, they will only be hunted.
Ming Zhaoshuang pondered for a moment. “It might not be bad news. We can trick them over to fight with us, and that will relieve some of the pressure.”
Xie Yanning asked, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll reveal Sang Biao’s existence?”
Ming Zhaoshuang replied, “I’m just afraid that you, A Ning, might not be able to handle this demon beast. It would be better to form an alliance with them.”
At first, she hadn’t realized the huge gap between the Void Refinement Stage and the Body Integration Stage, especially since she herself was just a broken Nascent Soul. But after hearing Xie Yanning say that two Late Void Refinement Stage cultivators were no match for the Huan Bird, it was likely that Xie Yanning would also struggle to hold it off.
So Ming Zhaoshuang immediately decided to change her strategy and chose to form an alliance with those three Void Refinement Stage cultivators.
As for Sang Biao, that wouldn’t be difficult either.
Ming Zhaoshuang said, “Once the formation is complete, we’ll have Sang Biao knock them out with a single slap each, and then it won’t be difficult.”
Her chosen method of handling the situation was simple and crude.
Xie Yanning chuckled, “With you like this, I really don’t know what to do.”
As a disciple of the Righteous Path, she had never used such underhanded tactics.
But she had to admit, she felt a bit eager to try.
After the two of them finished discussing, they headed towards the Huan Bird’s location according to where Xie Yanning had found it, flying towards it. As the flames grew taller and taller, Ming Zhaoshuang finally got a clear look at the Huan Bird’s appearance, as well as the two demonic shadows it was chasing.
The Huan Bird was enormous, its wings spread out as if to cover the sky. Its feathers were a fiery red, radiating a faint golden light. With each beat of its wings, the tips of its wings ignited with flames and firelight, enough to cleave through the lonely night.
It tilted its head high, looking down. Its cry was like rumbling thunder, and dark clouds had already gathered above its head, flashing with lightning that struck the thousand-foot waves of flame below.
And beneath the thousand-foot waves of flame were the two Late Void Refinement Stage demon cultivators.
Both of them were in the Late Void Refinement Stage, their clothes tattered and stained with layers of charring and patches of blood. In this scorching hot world, they could only keep running.
Ming Zhaoshuang could still hear them shouting:
“Yan Ao! I’m really fed up! I just came to accompany you to win over a beauty, not to die with you!”
“And you’re blaming me! Wen Ye, you tell me! If you hadn’t faltered just now and let me draw that talisman formation, I might have already trapped this bird!”
“It’s your fault anyway! I’ve been stalling for two hours, and you haven’t even finished drawing one formation!”
“Wen Ye, don’t shift the blame!”
The two of them ran and cursed, showing no regard for each other and pushing the blame onto each other, which Ming Zhaoshuang found amusing.
It seemed that these two, like them, were a combination of Sword Cultivator and Talisman Master.
Xie Yanning asked, “Should we intervene?”
