Chapter 386: 356. Chapter 356: Strange Beast

356. Chapter 356: Strange Beast

The vehicle advanced along the abandoned highway, delving deeper into the danger zone; on both sides, dense trees had overrun the road. Nourished by abundant cosmic energy, these trees and plants had undergone transformation—familiar species now seemed alien. The group entering felt as if they had stepped into a mysterious world.

The only remnant of modernity was this battered highway, choked by weeds.

But after traveling roughly eighty to ninety kilometers, the road ended. Strange, massive trees had erupted from the ground, growing directly across the pavement, completely destroying it.

At the road's end lay many cars—some intact, some wrecked, others torn apart by some creature.

Clearly, Li Yi and the others were not the first to penetrate this danger zone.

Many cultivators from Tianning City had explored here before, but Zhao Zhao Fangji was exceptionally lucky—he found his own opportunity, shattered his physical limits, and surged in power, earning the title "Invincible Zhao" in this city.

"From now on, we walk. It's not far—only about ten kilometers—but this stretch is extremely dangerous. We've now entered the heart of the danger zone; any kind of transcendent creature could appear. If it's a Soul Realm being, we can handle it together. If we encounter a Spiritual Power Realm being, this trip is over."

Zhao Zhao Fangji stepped out of the vehicle, assessed the surroundings, then pointed in a direction.

"Don't be so pessimistic. Just move forward."

Li Yi said: "Even if we don't find the divine fruit, it's still good practice. Since I reached Soul Realm, I haven't fought much. Testing myself against transcendent creatures is beneficial—it reduces their numbers and fulfills the Golden Academy's hunting quotas."

"True. Since becoming Soul Realm, I need to reacquaint myself with my own strength," Jiang Jiang Mingtian nodded, touching the magic sword at his waist, eager to hone his swordplay.

Zhao Zhao Fangji said: "Since everyone is ready, let's go."

"I'll lead. My battle armor has high defense—I'm not afraid of danger. And I became Soul Realm earlier than you all; I've fully adapted to my power. Follow me." Hu Fei, clad in sci-fi battle armor and wielding a battle blade, stepped forward.

He raised his hand and slashed, felling a tree to clear a path, then strode forward.

Li Yi, Jiang Jiang Mingtian, and Zhao Zhao Fangji didn't hesitate—they immediately followed.

All four were fully armed, showing no carelessness.

Even though they were all Soul Realm experts, they took every precaution. Even Li Yi wore armor forged from transcendent metal, with Fei Mu needles strapped at his waist. Though unarmed, his vast, swirling Gangqi was poised to erupt.

"Li Yi, if we can't get blood from mythic creatures, we can still team up to hunt a transcendent beast with mythic bloodline. The Life Cradle can't be wasted. That Qingluan Eagle before was excellent." Jiang Jiang Mingtian reminded him.

"I've already ordered Lan Ji to deploy the aircraft to capture the Qingluan Eagle. If successful, it can serve as a breeding subject," Li Yi said. "But I'd rather spend money to buy blood from the Fei. Isn't it better to raise a few Fei?"

Fei Mu could nurture divine needles. If he could acquire more, he might forge a great weapon from them.

Of course, this was only a concept—whether it could become reality remained uncertain.

The group continued forward.

But they hadn't gone far.

Suddenly, all their souls warned them—a threat loomed nearby.

Everyone fell silent and turned sharply toward one direction.

Coiled around a lush tree not far off was a massive serpent radiating a faint glow. It was peculiar—horned on its head, feathered wings on its back. The serpent had spotted Li Yi's group and now flicked its tongue, flapping its wings, issuing a warning sound.

But it didn't attack—it too sensed the danger these humans carried.

"A Soul Realm Feathered Serpent. Classified as a transcendent creature. The Golden Academy's database records it: highly venomous. A single bite can poison the soul—terrifying. And the Feathered Serpent has immense potential, capable of continuous cultivation and evolution, eventually transforming into the mythic being, Feathered Serpent God."

Hu Fei, leading the way, showed deep wariness.

"Li Yi, should we attack?"

Hu Fei then sought Li Yi's opinion.

Li Yi thought for a moment: "It can poison the soul? Even the Life Repair Chamber can't save you. Forget it. Let's avoid it. One accidental bite and we lose someone. After all, it's Soul Realm—it's still dangerous to us."

He abandoned the idea of hunting the Feathered Serpent.

The others agreed.

Such a dangerous poison was better left alone.

After bypassing the tree where the Feathered Serpent rested, the group pressed on. The serpent, wary of them, made no move. Both sides let the other pass without conflict.

After advancing further,

Two rapid fleeing sounds emerged from the forest.

"A male and female transcendent creature. Weak—only Spirit Perception Realm. They sensed our arrival, felt danger, and fled," Hu Fei said. He didn't pursue—they moved too fast. Chasing them risked leading them into hazardous zones.

These transcendent creatures weren't stupid—they were all cunning as hell.

"Hunting transcendent creatures in the danger zone is tough. Either too dangerous or too alert. If this keeps up, we'll never complete the hundred-creature hunting quota," Jiang Ming said.

Hu Fei said: "Transcendent creatures in the deep danger zone fight daily for survival. The weak are already dead. Only the elite survive. The ferocious beasts in the abandoned zones are different—they lack intelligence, haven't been honed, and live in mild environments, so they're easy to handle."

"It's like us cultivators—even within the same realm, there's a world of difference. For example, a Spirit Perception Realm cultivator from the Golden Academy could kill a Soul Realm being outside. Environment shapes power."

"Exactly. That's the truth," Zhao Zhao Fangji nodded.

Li Yi, however, looked up at the sky.

If so, the best way to hunt transcendent creatures would be air superiority.

But the sky over the deep danger zone was a no-fly zone; if he launched the Thunder fighter jet, he would surely be spotted.

He reconsidered and abandoned the idea.

The four continued forward several more kilometers.

Suddenly, the forest ahead vanished, revealing a vast open area—not natural, but deliberately cleared by some creature. Even weeds were absent. Around them were traces of biological activity.

The group had unwittingly entered some creature's lair.

Before they could think further,

Their souls warned again.

"Hmm?" Hu Fei gripped his battle blade, tensing every muscle.

"Danger."

Li Yi's vertical pupils glowed, his eyes scanning for anomalies.

"I feel it."

Jiang Jiang Mingtian gripped his magic sword, channeling technique energy into the blade, which now emitted a sharp, emerald blade-light.

Zhao Zhao Fangji drew a deep breath, readying himself. He said grimly: "I passed this path before—no creatures lingered here. This must be new. The danger zone changes constantly. Every month is different. I never know what I'll face when I come here."

Just then, a cry like an eagle's rang out.

The moment the sound appeared, a massive figure plummeted from the sky, unleashing violent Gangfeng. Dust and stones flew, trees bent backward. The figure lunged straight at Hu Fei ahead—swift, brutal, utterly unexpected.

"Too fast!" Hu Fei's eyes narrowed. He instinctively swung his blade—but a scaled, one-meter-long claw blocked it, sparking violently. Then, a terrifying force slammed into him.

Boom!

The air exploded, the sonic boom echoing.

Hu Fei was flung backward, smashing through countless trees before crashing deep into the earth.

Everyone froze.

What the hell?

Hu Fei—clad in armor, wielding a blade, skilled in dual arts—defeated in one strike?

Wind howled, the cry continued.

Now they saw the creature clearly: its body glowed yellow, standing over six meters tall, armored in thick scales, legs like eagle talons—sharp, unbreakable. Its torso resembled a wild bull or stallion, yet behind it sprouted heavy wings. Its head was an eagle's, crowned with a massive bird beak.

At first glance, it resembled a mythic griffin—but different. None of them recognized it.

But from its aura, it was Soul Realm; yet its power could not be judged by normal standards—like the Qingluan Eagle before, it was Soul Realm but could match the Thunder fighter jet in flight speed.

"We're targeted. We must kill it to proceed."

Li Yi's vertical pupils locked onto the beast. He reached out with both hands—two brilliant silver blade-gangs coalesced and slashed forward, striking the strange beast instantly.

But the silver blade-gangs shattered on impact—the beast's scales showed not a single scratch.

"Hard scales," Li Yi realized. His test strike confirmed its traits.

The yellow scales weren't for show—they possessed astonishing defense.

The beast, enraged, saw Li Yi's attack and flapped its wings—its massive body surged forward in an instant. Impossible for such a huge form to move so fast.

Li Yi was stunned.

Though he'd unshackled his body and dodged at maximum speed, the claw still grazed his front.

One lunge tore through his protective Gangqi. The transcendent metal armor sparked violently, leaving a deep gash—but the armor held. Had it failed, Li Yi's chest would have been ripped open, his heart possibly torn out.

The beast's seemingly simple strike carried the essence of combat—like a martial master who had refined his art for millennia.

"This beast," Li Yi stared at the gash on his chest, heart pounding.

Such power—and it's only Soul Realm?

Could it be a mythic bloodline?

"Sword Calms the Four Seas."

At that moment, Jiang Jiang Mingtian seized the opening. He roared, unlocking every bodily lock, unleashing maximum power. His tendons, bones, and skin fused into one force. He slashed—his strike was breathtaking. His sword was a magic blade from the End-Dharma Daoist world.

Now infused with cosmic energy, the blade blazed, its blade-light extending nearly half a zhang.

Yet this near-certain strike was dodged.

The beast shifted sideways in an impossible motion, leaving multiple phantom afterimages. Though the distance moved was short, it evaded Jiang Jiang Mingtian's blow entirely.

"What?" Jiang Jiang Mingtian's sword missed—he was stunned.

Could it dodge that?

Are you cheating, beast?

The beast answered with a swift peck—like a hen pecking grain. Simple, plain—but Jiang Jiang Mingtian broke into cold sweat, his soul screaming danger.

Too fast. Impossible to dodge.

Jiang Jiang Mingtian instinctively twisted his head away from the fatal point.

The massive beak struck—and retracted swiftly.

The transcendent metal armor on his shoulder dented instantly. He screamed in pain—his shoulder blade and spine shattered. The force hurled him backward. He rolled several times, mouth full of dirt, barely stopping.

Fortunately, he lived.

If his head had been hit just now, he would have been dead for sure.

"Zhao Fang, join me—this beast I'll kill."

Li Yi no longer cared about the safety of the other two; as soon as he regained his composure, he let out a long roar, unleashing a burst of Gangqi, and shot forward at high speed straight toward the beast.

"Understood."

Zhao Fang clenched his teeth and roared as well, silver light weaving across his body, shattering all his inner chains—he became like a celestial soldier clad in silver armor, charging at the beast.

This beast is terrifyingly powerful; if we don't kill it, none of us will survive today.

The beast let out a piercing cry and showed no intention of fleeing; instead, it flapped its wings and charged straight at the two, treating Li Yi and the others as prey meant to be hunted and slain.

As its thick wings swept through the air, miniature tornadoes erupted from the ground, churning up dust and stones; trees struck by the winds were uprooted and shredded into fragments by the gale.

These attacks alone aren't lethal, but if struck, one would be immobilized and left defenseless.

Li Yi and Zhao Fang reacted in time, avoiding direct charges, swiftly dodging left and right, trying to use their agility to evade the beast's frontal assaults and find an opening to close in.

With full power unleashed, two Spirit Realm cultivators moved with incredible speed.

The whirlwinds that rose from nowhere failed to drag them in; instead, they slipped past effortlessly.

"There's only one chance—my Fei Eye Needle must strike with perfect surprise. This beast can fly; if startled, it'll take off in a single wingbeat. If it escapes, it'll hold a grudge, and we'll never make it forward—we'll have to turn back." Li Yi's vertical pupils flickered.

His only remaining advantage was the sharpness of the Fei Eye Needle.

All other methods were useless; even if Li Yi held the cracked short staff that could knock it unconscious, he could find no suitable chance to close in.

Zhao Fang knew Li Yi carried a divine light, sharp enough to sever bodies with ease—he had suffered from it before—so he too sought to create a single killing opportunity for Li Yi. Otherwise, if this brutal fight continued, all of them would surely die.