Chapter 126

Lu Fan, upon hearing this, gave an embarrassed smile, a little awkwardly said: "Oh? There's still such a thing? I came here in a hurry, I don't know many things about the Dragon Tower Secret Realm."

He was not just unaware; he was completely unprepared. It's no wonder he was careless; as for secret realms, he had visited who knows how many in his past life. Basically, that's it; besides, they're just young juniors, third- or fourth-rank martial practitioners coming and going for training—given his experience and skill, he naturally didn't take them to heart.

"Then, I suppose, to find those demonic beasts, I can just sit here and wait?"

Lu Fan clenched his fists again, a faint joy flickering in his eyes. Within the demonic crystal and demonic origin, there was a trace of true dragon power, which he had already refined this time. What surprised him was that, during the refinement of the true dragon power, a trace of the curse seal was actually expelled.

The curse seal of Nalan Qiusha's Star Curse Technique, like a bone-eating maggot, this time his body flickered with silver light, seeming fine but actually in dire straits. Only by refining more true dragon power and dispelling this curse seal as soon as possible could he set his mind at ease.

"Looking for demonic beasts?" Yang Sheng and the others all opened their mouths wide, exchanged glances, and exclaimed in fear: "President, the beast tide erupts tonight, extremely dangerous; we should flee quickly, or else it'll be too late!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Fan was not startled but delighted, and said toward the left front: "What do you mean? This Kun Python isn't coming to cause us trouble; it's heading to the beast tide center to rendezvous?"

Yang Sheng and the others blinked, then looked in the direction Lu Fan pointed; in the dim primeval forest, a vague long shadow loomed, coiling toward them.

Before they could see it clearly, a shrill long howl suddenly came from that shadow. The sound wasn't loud, but unusually piercing; though hundreds of zhang of empty space lay between, it felt as if it could pierce one's eardrums, making them instinctively cover their ears.

"Whoo—"

Following the long howl came a fierce demonic wind. The surrounding tree trunks bent to unimaginable arcs, and the treetops thrashed in the gust, making cracking sounds.

"Oh no, what kind of demonic beast is this?"

They almost simultaneously shouted, shocked beyond words, their voices tinged with fear—but in the raging demonic wind, no one could hear anyone else. Although Lu Fan's words were clearly audible beside them, they seemed not to have heard the words "Kun Python."

"Crack—"

The sounds of thick tree trunks snapping one after another, like thunderous booms in a raging wind, came from far to near, swift and fast.

That long shadow gradually became clear—it was a ferocious huge python, about ten zhang long, with two arm-thick red horns on its head and a blood-basin-sized mouth. Its entire abdomen had grown four strong, powerful short limbs; the sound of the giant tree breaking just now was precisely it stepping on and snapping the tree trunk as it leapt forth.

The wind raged, qi surging in all directions. Yang Sheng and the others had no time to react, each staggering left and right, unable to stand firm.

Lu Fan stood with his hands behind his back, calm and upright, his eyes slightly narrowed, appearing to focus intently.

"Hah! Quite a catch—I never expected that inside this Dragon Pagoda secret realm there would be a rare fourth-rank Kun python!" He gave a faint smile, his eyes suddenly turning cold: "Once I have you, I can summon the beast tide that hasn't yet gathered; my Dragon Origin Purple Qi will then never lack!"

As his words fell, he suddenly kicked off with both legs, leaping up. Against the raging wind, he rose upright.

"Hiss!"

The Kun python seemed to hear Lu Fan's words; as the dominant overlord of this secret realm, it could not tolerate his contempt, and its ferocity flared. It twisted, raising its head high and let out a heavenward roar.

"Hmph! Beast, die!"

In the blink of an eye, Lu Fan had already surged through the layers of wind and waves, arriving ten zhang from the Kun python, bare-handed, pinching a single seal, and dove down.

The Kun python's raised snout struck in a zigzag pattern, lunging upward. Though its body was huge, its speed was unbelievably fast—truly a flash of lightning—and in one bite it engulfed Lu Fan's figure.

"What? Impossible!"

Yang Sheng and the others reacted immediately, but it was already too late—Lu Fan's figure had completely vanished, swallowed into the Kun python's blood-basin mouth, not even a trace of his aura escaping.

They found it hard to believe, unwilling to accept what they saw, and instinctively rubbed their eyes.

The Kun python smacked its bloody mouth twice, then flew into a rage, opening its ferocious maw and wildly thrashing its head, letting out long roars one after another.

"Hehe! You beast, your reaction is pretty quick—not at all sluggish!"

A light laugh rang out, and Lu Fan's figure slowly appeared atop the Kun python's head, standing firm as if rooted. No matter how the python thrashed, he never moved half a step, his body hardly swaying at all—as if walking on level ground.

"Great! Young Master Fan is indeed unharmed!"

"Hah! This petty demon beast could hardly harm Young Master Fan—we worried for nothing!"

"How impressive, what a technique—truly enviable and admirable!"

Exclamations of surprise rang out, and Yang Sheng and the others all let out a relieved breath, their faces glowing with admiration.

Lu Fan glanced briefly, his gaze turning cold, and he swept down the seal in his hand.

"Five Elements Spirit Control Technique!"

With a loud shout, the seal turned into spiritual light and sank into the Kun python's skull. Though it was just a single strand, it transformed into a sheet of clear light that embraced the python's entire head.

Almost in an instant, the Kun python's frantic thrashing of its head ceased, its eyes glazed, the surrounding fierce winds dissipating for no reason, and it only weakly flicked its tongue, emitting faint hissing sounds.

"Pop!"

Lu Fan flipped down and landed steadily on the ground, the ferocious bloody mouth almost directly above his head. Yet he paid it no heed, as if fallen into a deep sleep.

"Everyone! The show is about to begin—would you care to join me and go see the heart of the beast tide?"

Upon hearing Lu Fan's words, Yang Sheng and the others stiffened slightly. To say they wanted to go look at the beast tide's center was truly courting death, utterly mad. Yet the instant Lu Fan finished speaking, they all nodded in unison, without even a moment's thought.

"Come on up! The beast tide's center is still far off—let this beast carry us there!"

Lu Fan flashed and once again stood atop the Kun python's skull, waving at Qiu Sheng and the others.

Although the Kun python had already been brought under Lu Fan's control, Yang Sheng and his group still approached it nervously and cautiously, finally trembling as they mounted its back.

"Go!"

Lu Fan gave a calm shout, and the Kun python's body swayed, rising dozens of zhang in a spiraling ascent, yet it hovered above the primeval forest canopy, circling outward.

The 'whoosh' of wind sounded in their ears, bright moonlight pouring down from above, while to either side lay the scenery of the primeval forest. Further down, cries and howls rose and fell, all rushing toward a single direction.

"Young Master Fan! With the Kun python subdued by you, we are safe and sound. But the beast tide's center likely harbors many powerful demon beasts; we are few and weak—is this venture perhaps too risky?"

The cold wind swept about, and Yang Sheng seemed to come to his senses, voicing some concern. The others, upon hearing this, also nodded in agreement—not doubting Lu Fan's ability, but worrying they might drag him down.

"No problem!" Lu Fan turned his head slightly, smiling faintly: "The beast tide's center is still far off; this Kun python came by a roundabout route, not drawn by that demon beast, but lured by the Dragon Origin Purple Qi on your persons!"

"What!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces filled with disbelief, then they suddenly realized. The matter of Dragon Origin Purple Qi attracting demon beasts had occurred many times in past secret realm expeditions, and they had heard such rumors before.

"Rest assured, as long as you stay by my side, the beast tide cannot harm you—in fact, it may even bring you considerable opportunity!"

Lu Fan waved his hand, offering two reassuring sentences. The crowd's faces lit up, as if they had thought of something, their hearts yearning, their eyes filled with an indescribable excitement.

After about half an hour, as they proceeded, the demon beast aura in the primeval forest below grew denser and more fierce. Even several auras comparable to the Kun python greeted them, letting out fierce cries and howls.

Yang Sheng and the others were utterly shocked, their hearts pounding. Yet, as Lu Fan had said, there was indeed little danger—far safer than their previous frantic scrambling.

"Hmm! We're about there—let's go down!"

As Lu Fan's words fell, he pointed with a single hand, and the Kun python, like a dragon entering its abyss, burrowed into the primeval forest.

The 'Hualah' sound shattered; beneath the dense canopy, magic beasts could be seen everywhere, crouched. Yet for some reason, they all lowered their heads, not daring to let out even a low growl.

Young Master Fan, what's going on with these magic beasts? I feel something's off!

Yang Sheng and the others all had strange expressions, only feeling that the surroundings exuded an oddness. Magic beasts are naturally ferocious, and moreover they have territorial instincts; even beasts of the same kind find it hard to coexist. Yet looking around, there were dozens of them, all different species, yet they peacefully coexisted, which is hard to comprehend.

Lu Fan glanced around and casually explained: 'This is practically the center of the beast tide; these magic beasts were summoned by higher-ranking, stronger magic beasts, much like how a human army summons and gathers its soldiers—there's some order, nothing strange about it.'

As his words fell, he pointed a single hand at the Kun Python beneath his feet.

Pa!

With a soft sound, the Kun Python seemed to be released from its bonds, swaying its huge head and letting out a long howl to the heavens.

Ao——

An unparalleled fierce aura burst forth, and the surrounding magic beasts all lowered themselves, already subdued by the Kun Python's might, stunned on the spot.

Lu Fan leapt into the air and suddenly appeared before a four-winged magic tiger, swinging his hand down in a grasping strike.

With a 'crack', the solid skull of the magic tiger split open; Lu Fan thrust a hand straight in, grabbed fiercely, and pulled out a dark crystal core.

At that moment, the magic tiger let out a miserable cry, its massive body shaking as it tried to rise. Unfortunately, that was impossible—the crystal core is the essence of a magic beast, even more vital than a human cultivator's dantian qi sea; without it, life force drains rapidly, and it collapses with a boom.

Lu Fan remained calm, casually formed a seal with his hand, extracting the magic tiger's spirit; he ignored the blood all around, sat cross-legged, and began to refine it.