Chapter 55: Crimson Thunder Fiend

Early the next morning, Lu Chen suddenly heard a knocking at the door.

He pushed the door open, sweating all over, and saw the naked Su Qian; after getting up, he also covered her with a blanket.

He came to the door, opened it, and discovered that it was actually Xu Cheng, whom he had seen yesterday.

"Lu Brother, I never thought you would live here!" Xu Cheng's attitude was much better than before.

Last time Lu Chen didn't tell him his name, so he must have found out later from somewhere.

"What's up?" Lu Chen looked displeased.

After all, he had come uninvited.

"Sorry to bother you, I don't know if you're free today, Lu Brother." Seeing the displeasure hidden on Lu Chen's face, Xu Cheng didn't wait for him to speak and continued, "I came today to share an opportunity with you, Lu Brother."

"Recently, a rare demon beast has appeared near the Heaven Demon Sect. Its flesh, blood, skin, and fur are extremely valuable—not only can they be used to make pills, but they are also excellent materials for crafting treasures."

"I originally wanted to go hunt them with my junior sister, but this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime chance; since we hit it off right away, I specially came to invite you."

Xu Cheng's words were very moving, but Lu Chen saw through their meaning at a glance.

"Hit it off"? Clearly he was worried the two of them couldn't handle it, so he dragged Lu Chen along.

Moreover, knowing he had an extraordinary relationship with Chu Lian, he wanted to win him over.

"But..." Although he knew the other's true intentions, Lu Chen was still very interested.

If such a demon beast could indeed be slain, its value might be exchanged for some of the pills he needs.

At the very least, it could be traded for the ingredients needed to make Soul-Nourishing Pills.

Moreover, his own supply of beast blood and other materials was nearly exhausted, so he ought to go out anyway.

Since the other party invited him, why wouldn't he go?

"Xu Brother, you're too polite." Thinking this, Lu Chen instantly showed a delighted expression and cupped his hands.

"Not at all."

"If so, let me make a brief preparation; we'll set out later." Lu Chen didn't leave directly because he naturally intended to wake Su Qian.

He closed the door and went to the bedside.

Su Qian had somehow fallen asleep beside Gu Xiangxiang.

The sight of the two asleep was rather charming.

"Qian'er." Lu Chen shook her awake.

"Master, what's wrong?" After Su Qian woke up, she looked at Gu Xiangxiang beside her, somewhat startled.

But she quickly came to her senses.

"Nothing much—I need to go out for a while; you just stay back and protect me."

Lu Chen then gave her a detailed account of what had just happened.

"If the demon beast is real, there might also be other demonic cultivators searching nearby; if any higher‑level cultivators appear, tell me right away."

Su Qian heard this and immediately agreed.

Only then did she suddenly realize she had been so exhausted last night that she forgot to put on clothes.

"Master, you're staring at me—aren't you embarrassed?"

Her personality has changed dramatically; now she even takes the initiative to flirt with Lu Chen.

"I see you all the time—what's there to be embarrassed about?" Lu Chen chuckled, waved his hand, and quickly stood up.

Afterward, he glanced into Chu Lian's room and then left his dwelling.

At that moment, Xu Lin had also arrived here.

As Lu Chen went out, he could clearly hear the two of them arguing.

"Let's go." Lu Chen spoke calmly.

"Go!" Xu Cheng noticed his appearance and immediately shifted the two's topic.

Xu Lin glanced at him, then stole a glance at Lu Chen, seeming to worry about something.

Lu Chen noticed this, but showed nothing.

The three quickly arrived at the gate of the Heaven Demon Sect and then quickly left.

After the three departed, Su Qian, now clothed, also followed from a distance.

The Heaven Demon Sect was built upon the mountains, and the surrounding demon beast populations are extremely numerous.

No sooner had they left the gate than Lu Chen saw several fourth‑rank demon beasts flying past in the distance.

However, they were too far away, and besides, that kind of demon beast isn't valuable, so he had no intention of pursuing them.

"Lu Brother, after you finish your studies at the Heaven Demon Sect, if you have time, come visit my Seven Demons Sect."

Xu Cheng, while searching for traces of that rare demon beast, smiled and said to Lu Chen,

"Of course." Lu Chen gave a casual reply.

At this moment, his attention was completely captured by the Empress.

"Empress Sister, how did you come out?"

Qi Luo Empress's soul form floated in the air, looking sternly at Xu Cheng and Xu Lin before her.

"Nothing much—I came out for some fresh air, and to teach you a thing or two."

Yesterday Lu Chen searched the Slaughter Qi Hall thoroughly, but found no trace of the aura the Empress spoke of.

When the Empress appeared today, his first reaction was still that she had discovered something.

"What is it? Some top‑level cultivation method?"

"Not at all." The Empress smiled faintly. "It's merely a tracking secret art."

The Empress formed a seal with her hands; a strand of spiritual power instantly shot from her fingertips into Lu Chen's brow.

"This is..."

Feeling a secret technique suddenly appear within his body, Lu Chen's steps faltered.

"Let's give it a try."

As the Empress's words fell, Lu Chen immediately began to try.

He came to a place where Xu Cheng had lingered, and extended his divine sense to attach to it.

The next moment, he suddenly felt his sea of consciousness tremble, and the scene before his eyes changed in an instant.

He seemed to have become that rare world demon beast, and, from its perspective, he retraced the route once more.

Xu Cheng and Xu Lin had originally still been searching for the next trace, but noticing Lu Chen's divine sense appear, their expressions instantly went blank.

"This divine sense?"

The tracking technique is not rare; ordinary cultivators can practice it.

But if one wants to track a target of similar or even higher cultivation level, it becomes very difficult.

The rare world demon beast the three were pursuing is a fifth-rank demon beast; although it seems to have been wounded by some disciple, it is still fifth-rank.

"Follow me." Lu Chen hesitated not, leading Xu Cheng and the others forward at high speed along the images transmitted by his divine sense.

The three followed the aura, passing through a forest, crossing a mountain range, and encountered many low-rank demon beasts along the way.

Xu Cheng and the others didn't bother with these demon beasts, but Lu Chen simply struck them all down in passing.

As the three arrived at a plain, suddenly a powerful thunderous might spread out.

"Found it! Sure enough, it's the aura of the Red Thunder Beast!"

"Roar——!"

Only hearing a roar transmit, the sky above the plain suddenly darkened.

Ordinary demon beasts need to reach at least sixth to seventh rank before they can possibly trigger a heaven-earth phenomenon.

But this Red Thunder Beast, not yet mature, merely fifth-rank, can already cause the heavens and earth to change color.

Lu Chen furrowed his brows, fixed his gaze on the location of that aura, and finally saw the true form of the Red Thunder Beast.

It was a giant beast over five zhang tall, its whole body covered in fiery red scales, and with each breath faint lightning flickered across its form.

It resembled a fierce tiger, but had five giant tails of different colors, the tips entwined with copious red lightning.

Merely standing there, its terrifying thunderous might could frighten away a host of demon beasts.

"Is this the rare world demon beast?"

Looking at such a pressure-filled giant beast, Lu Chen's first thought was not fear, but excitement.

【Detected host facing thunderous might!】

【Original effect: produce fear!】

【Reversed effect: produce excitement!】

"Such a rare world demon beast already has this much pressure at fifth rank; if its grade were higher......"

He well knew that demonic cultivators also have beast masters; at this moment, a strange seed suddenly sprouted in his heart.