Chapter 73

Ning Ning and Chi Ru last went to White Mud Mountain for a trip, and by chance discovered dozens of spirit roots nurturing Fire Juice Fruit; they were not yet mature at the time, so they did not harvest them.

"I went to take a look yesterday; they might mature within these two days, but a pack of Flame Wolves guard the area around the Fire Juice Fruit;

but it's not a big problem; when the time comes I'll have Da Niu drive the wolves away, and they can guard the Fire Juice Fruit for us in the meantime."

The ripe Fire Juice Fruit can fetch a good number of Gold Soul Coins.

Tie Li has been leafing through books about Soul Beasts, but hasn't found any information about himself.

This left Tie Li feeling very disappointed; perhaps the library of the Fia Soul Master Academy isn't comprehensive enough.

Nevertheless, gaining access to the advanced Soul Master Academy library is a rare chance, and Tie Li wants to use it to enrich his lacking Soul Master knowledge.

But just sitting there, he lost track of time; when he finally realized, the sky had become completely dark.

He turned and saw Chi Ru's extremely displeased gaze.

"You actually made us wait this long; that's too much," Chi Ru complained.

Ning Ning didn't voice any displeasure, but a hint of lingering sorrow in her eyes gave Tie Li a chill.

As for Da Niu, the restless one, he had already run off.

"My fault. What should we do next?" Tie Li said apologetically.

The gates of the Fia Soul Master Academy had been sealed; the best solution was to wait until the next day.

"I don't care about you; I'm going back to rest," she said, and Chi Ru left the library.

"How about you go rest with Chi Ru, and I'll stay here a bit longer," Tie Li suggested.

The library holds many books, and opportunities are scarce; Tie Li wants to absorb as much knowledge as possible.

"No, actually I also want to look up some information."

After Chi Ru left, Ning Ning sat beside Tie Li, just as she had said, and began leafing through the books.

Tie Li didn't think much, remaining immersed, without noticing Ning Ning's gaze gradually changing toward him.

……

"Hey, you actually stayed in the library all night?" Chi Ru, accompanied by Da Niu, arrived at the library and saw Tie Li, focused, reading the book in his hand.

"You've had enough; we should set off," Chi Ru called.

"Where are we going?" Tie Li put down the book, asking with a hint of confusion.

"To White Mud Mountain; the Fire Juice Fruit is about to ripen. This time we helped you, so you need to come help as well."

"Fine." Tie Li nodded, agreeing.

Although he couldn't find his own answer in the books, he still gained plenty of Soul Master knowledge he needed.

"That's about it."

White Mud Mountain lies just south of Fikesi City; the four set out from the south gate, and it takes roughly half a day to reach the mountain.

"By the way, why is it called White Mud Mountain?"

The four arrived at White Mud Mountain, and Tie Li asked with a puzzled expression.

"Because there's a Baidi here." Ning Ning said.

"Baidi?"

"On White Mud Mountain there's a region where a group of Thunder Attribute Plant Soul Beasts live; the lightning they emit occasionally collides, or even dissipates underground;

resulting in the surrounding soil being coated with a layer of Lightning Light, which looks like a whitish mud from the outside, so people call it Baidi, and the mountain became White Mud Mountain," Ning Ning explained.

"I see."

The four walked toward the interior, but stopped just before reaching the Fire Juice Fruit area.

A pack of Flame Wolves guard the place; their sense of smell is keen, and anyone entering their territory is immediately detected.

"It's almost ready; the Fire Juice Fruit hasn't fully ripened yet."

Unripe Fire Juice Fruit emits a fresh green scent; Chi Ru's keen nose sniffed the air and could tell.

"Just missing a touch of moonlight; it'll definitely ripen tonight," Da Niu said.

Da Niu may not seem smart, but he possesses a lot of Soul Master knowledge; it's something he's been taught since childhood.

It's only half a day away, and everyone can wait.

Tie Li glanced around and discovered a peculiar spot.

Eight towering peaks interlocked, forming a unique valley; at first glance, Tie Li was quite impressed.

"What is that place?"

"It's the Savage Crow Valley. Thick fog pervades the valley, and even a Six-ring Soul Emperor entering it could become trapped, never finding a way out in a lifetime," Chi Ru said.

"Of course, as long as you don't enter the valley there'll be no danger," Chi Ru said.

Tie Li noted it down silently; the first glance at the Savage Crow Valley was indeed striking, but the longer he stared, the more an inexplicable dread grew.

When Tie Li came to his senses, the Thunder Python Inner Core in his body suddenly pulsed.

"What's happening?" Tie Li thought, startled.

However, the Savage Crow Valley was too dangerous for him now, not worth a reckless gamble.

"Sss"

A fragrance suddenly wafted through the air.

"What's going on? How did the Fire Juice Fruit suddenly ripen?"

This scent only appears when the Fire Juice Fruit ripens, yet moments ago it was still the fresh green aroma.

The moonlight needed for the fruit cannot appear during the day.

"It's the Flame Wolves; they must be using some method to accelerate ripening," Da Niu said.

"They're only hundred‑year‑old Flame Wolves; how could they know this?"

"Perhaps it's a fire spirit trick."

Da Niu suggested another possibility: the Fire Spirit Beast is a soul beast of fire and spirit attributes, with extremely high intelligence.

Generally, Flame Wolf packs hardly have any Fire Spirit Beast; only in a strong clan could one be born.

Da Niu did not delay, rushing forward into the realm first, intending to drive the wolves away.

Tie Li and the two companions were about to follow Da Niu when they heard the wolf king's voice.

Awooo

Dozens of Flame Wolves, each with a century of cultivation, appeared around them, enveloping the three.

Tie Li sensed trouble immediately; a century‑old Flame Wolf is not hard to handle, but if the number exceeds a certain threshold, even a Soul Ancestor could meet a bitter end.

Seeing the Flame Wolves surrounding them, Tie Li's first thought was that they had been lying in ambush nearby all along.

If that were true, it would mean the four of them had been discovered early, and this was a trap specially set by the Flame Wolf King or the Fire Spirit Beast.

First lure Da Niu, who poses the greatest threat to them, into it, splitting the battlefield into two, eliminate their three Soul Elders, then gather the strength of an entire clan to confront Da Niu, the Five Ring Soul King.

Tie Li and Chi Ru are both battle‑type Soul Masters, so they have self‑protection abilities, but Ning Ning is a Support-type Soul Master; even if Tie Li and Chi Ru fully protect her, facing so many Flame Wolves is extremely dangerous.

【Author's note: I just fell, not as exaggerated as you say; my wrist is a bit sprained, affecting my typing speed, but I can guarantee two updates a day, definitely not a break in updates (break updates cut JJ), once I recover I'll make it up to you!】

(End of chapter)