Chapter 423: Wan Mang Mountain

Qinghua Small Realm.

The earth was lush and green, covered in small blue flowers.

The air was thick with dampness; nearby seemed to be a vast swamp.

Numerous miasmas rose, forming five-colored clouds and mists—beautiful beyond compare, yet any living being below the Seventh Layer of Foundation Establishment would, upon contact, have flesh rotted and blood corroded, reduced to white bones.

Song Zhong held his Flame War Blade, the black dragon perched on his shoulder, scanning the surroundings: "Is this the Qinghua Small Realm?"

He glanced at a map in his hand.

It had been given to him by the gatekeeper disciple upon entry.

"This area should be the outer periphery's Corrupt Poison Swamp… Qinghua Small Realm is vast, divided into the Corrupt Poison Swamp, Wan Mang Mountain, and the core's Endless Blood Sea…"

"The beast tribes of Qingdi Palace's She Xi Division mostly clash with us in Wan Mang Mountain… As for the core inheritance, it's rumored to be hidden in the Endless Blood Sea—a place of terrifying horror, where even Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot linger long… Even Nascent Soul elders would risk having their souls corroded upon arrival."

"To penetrate the Endless Blood Sea, one must obtain Wan Mang Mountain's specialty—the 'Snake Eye Pearl'; one Snake Eye Pearl can protect a cultivator for ten hours within the Blood Sea… Previously, many human and beast cultivators wielding Snake Eye Pearls found treasures within the sea…"

"Precisely because of this, Wan Mang Mountain is the fiercest battleground between both sides…"

"The Palace has set different rewards for different beast tribes… divided into Great Beasts, Great Beast Peak, and Beast Prince tiers…"

The term "Beast Prince Level" naturally does not refer to beasts with potential to reach Nascent Soul—any Great Beast with sufficient resources still has a decent chance of achieving Nascent Soul within the Qingyuan Great Realm.

The "Prince Level" requires at least Third-Stage comprehension of the Dao Principle while still at Great Beast realm!

Beasts like Song Zhong can effortlessly slay numerous Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment human cultivators.

"As for Beast Imperial Princes, they likely won't appear…"

"But one can never be sure—after all, that beast elder is a Beast Emperor-level existence."

A Beast Emperor-level existence is a Heavenly Beast, equivalent to a human Heavenly Realm cultivator!

Though beast tribes have many "Imperial Princes," each indeed extraordinary, among a hundred princes, perhaps not one will truly ascend to become a Beast Emperor!

Such is the cruelty of the Dao Path!

This is even more so due to the Qingyuan Great Realm's boundless expanse, ancient history, and endless succession of great cultivators' legacies.

In Fang Xing's home universe, since the cosmos's creation, there has been no second apex being besides the Creator!

"The relics and legacies of a Beast Emperor-level existence… might still attract Beast Imperial Princes…"

Such geniuses—even the current Black Dragon Fang Xing—would certainly not be their match.

Perhaps he could escape using his Void Dao Principle, but face-to-face, he would be utterly defeated!

…

At the edge of Wan Mang Mountain, two streaks of light fled ahead.

Behind them, a green light surged forward in pursuit.

Within the green light was a human figure, slender-waisted, clad in a green robe, her face covered in emerald scales—clearly a beast of Qingdi Palace's She Xi Division.

The fleeing figures ahead were two disciples of the Seven Kill Demon Palace.

One roared: "We've already surrendered our Snake Eye Pearls! Why chase us still? We've sent word to nearby brothers—don't bring ruin upon yourself!"

"Hehe, please hand over your lives to little sister—it'll count as merit for our tribe."

The green-robed woman flicked her tongue—crimson and forked—her eyes instantly turning into emerald vertical pupils.

Above the sky, a giant green serpent's phantom appeared, its countless scales falling like flying swords.

One of the Seven Kill Demon Palace's inner disciples raised a heavy blade, roaring as he spun it into an impenetrable circle, his defense as immovable as a mountain.

The other inner disciple's eyes darted—he instantly split into a dozen shadowy figures, each fleeing in a different direction.

Puff! Puff!

The scales fell swiftly, piercing through the mountain phantom's defense, turning the heavy-blade disciple into a sieve.

The green-robed woman chuckled, a snake scale appearing in her hand.

On the palm-sized scale, various runes glowed, capturing a strand of the disciple's essence-blood and soul.

She smiled sweetly as she secured her spoils, utterly dismissing the fleeing Seven Kill disciple.

Soon, a distant scream echoed, and another green light flew in, revealing a scaled man with long green hair: "Ye sister, I've slain that one… take this 'Soul-Binding Scale'."

"Thank you, Brother Fu—your divine power is astonishing; you must be close to achieving Prince status, yes?"

The snake-beast woman smiled seductively.

"Just a bit short, but with more cultivation, I'll surely reach it."

The green-haired scaled man grinned: "This is Qinghua Lady's inner realm—she was once one of our kind, rich in opportunities, especially suited for us… If we obtain it, not just Prince status—even Imperial Prince status may be within reach…"

"If so, it might draw other Princes—or even princes of other tribes…"

The woman frowned.

"Don't worry—I learned from my elder brother: our tribe's elders have barred the other seven tribes from entering this place; for at least a hundred years, only She Xi Division may explore here. As far as I know… the Emperor has no interest; only five Princes have come… Wan Mang Mountain is vast enough to block spiritual senses. If we're lucky, obtaining the legacy is certain… But those humans—hah! As human cultivators, they dare covet Qinghua Lady's legacy? Aren't they asking for death?"

The green-haired scaled youth suddenly turned his head, a supple whip materializing in his hand.

Snap!

The whip's shadow pierced the air, spreading green Dao principles into endless, interlocking circles.

This was the Wood Dao Principle—endless, unceasing.

From the void, Song Zhong's figure was forced out; he crossed his blade, and flames rained down, forming shields to block the ceaseless whip strikes.

"Excellent whip technique… Though wielded through a Nascent Soul artifact, you're nearly at the Third Level of the Wood Dao Principle."

Song Zhong gazed at the green-haired man's whip, deeply impressed: "With time, you'll surely become a Beast King—too bad you've met me! Kill!"

Between humans and beasts, no words are needed upon meeting.

Where his blade pointed, a world of fire instantly formed.

Countless volcanoes, rivers of flame, fire-trees with silver blossoms, and flame spirits emerged—a whole world pressing toward the green-haired scaled man.

"Worse—human expert, flee!"

The green-haired scaled man gritted his teeth, whipping his scale-tipped whip—each circle of shadow now tinged with ink-green.

Hiss! Hiss!

The beings within the fire world touched by the ink-green instantly perished.

The Poison Dao Principle!

This beast man had also cultivated the Poison Dao Principle!

Yet Wood and Poison Dao Principles overlap greatly—mastery in one aids understanding of the other.

Those who cultivate the Wood Dao Principle are often either healers or poison experts.

The beast woman transformed into a streak of light, fleeing in the opposite direction without hesitation.

This wasn't due to beast nature's coldness—it was battlefield awareness: she knew her presence was useless, only a liability.

Whoosh!

Yet after she flew a hundred li, the void flickered—a twenty-meter-long black dragon, covered in glossy black scales and bearing leathery wings, appeared.

Its tail lashed out with immense force, instantly flinging the beast woman away.

"Puff!"

Blood trickled from the beast woman's lips; her face filled with disbelief: "You lowly four-legged snake… dare block me?"

In bloodline nobility, she far surpassed this mongrel beast.

Merely releasing her aura would have crippled his power.

"Filth! I am of Dragon blood, noble lineage—how dare you, this lowly snake beast, insult me?"

Fang Xing glared, his form darting through the void at impossible speed, dodging each emerald scale, appearing before her, and striking with a claw.

That claw seemed to disrupt the void, shattering it outright.

Terrifying silver chaos surged against the woman, making her scream, stripping all resistance, and sending her crashing to the ground.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Fang Xing flapped his wings, landing with the posture of a victor, pinning the woman beneath his foot.

"Dragon blood?"

The female snake beast's pupils shrank to needle points; she glimpsed Fang Xing's enslavement mark and sneered: "You're just a four-legged snake that gained sentience—dare pretend to be Dragon blood? Heh… Though your strength isn't bad, you willingly serve humans, slaughtering your own kind—you deserve death!"

"Same kind?"

Fang Xing sneered, his dragon jaws gaping as if ready to swallow her whole: "Isn't the beast way survival of the fittest? When did you start caring about kinship? Have you ever seen a tiger beast and a rabbit beast be friends? Or do you only eat vegetables?"

Beast is a broad category—in truth, their hatred for each other often exceeds human-beast racial enmity!

Even Qingdi Palace only truly commands eight beast tribes.

He smirked: "You don't seriously think I, this four-legged snake, am your kin, do you?"

The beast woman fell silent, then saw Song Zhong land.

In Song Zhong's hand hung a severed head with green hair—the earlier beast man.

His eyes bulged, clearly dying in bitter resentment.

"Kill this one too."

Fang Xing spoke.

Before the beast woman could react, Song Zhong brought down his blade.

As her head flew upward, her eyes still held a trace of confusion.

Clearly, she could not fathom how Fang Xing, mere a pet, could command his master.

Fang Xing watched the beast woman die, his face utterly expressionless.

Among beasts, it is always this bloody.

Defeat in struggle means only death.

He didn't lift a hand himself—that was already an act of kinship sentiment… well, actually, it was because after the death of a powerful beast tribe elder, one had to be cautious of the repercussions within the inner realm.

(End of Chapter)