Chapter 689: Taking the Risk

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The force in her body was forcibly stored using a special method. Although she had quite a bit of force, it would ultimately run out. She couldn’t convert the Heaven and Earth Force into her own, and there was no telling how long they would stay in the Mystic Forest.

Just when she was fretting about this matter, the distant dark clouds started rolling in over them, and the clear and blue sky darkened in no time. From a distance, it looked like a drop of thick black ink spreading across an azure-blue painting.

Roar!

An alarming roar suddenly resounded through the mountains, striking fear in them.

“What was that?” asked Shangguan Wan upon sensing a dangerous aura.

Mu Qinghe took a look in the direction the roar came from. “I think a high-grade fiend is about to break through!”

“To be able to trigger such a phenomenon… Could it be a ninth-grade fiend?”

Although an ordinary high-grade fiend would also cause quite a commotion when it was about to break through, it wasn’t to this extent. The dark clouds were currently gathering in the sky swiftly, and they were starting to loom over the Mystic Forest.

“I’ve never encountered such a situation, but… It’s likely to be a ninth-grade fiend indeed,” answered Mu Qinghe.

Shangguan Wan’s eyes lit up as all the worries and anxiety in her instantly vanished, leaving behind only curiosity and eagerness. Once that ninth-grade fiend breaks through, it’ll become a legendary fiend! Not only can I retrieve its blood by then, but I can also make it become mine and contract with it once my Yuan meridian fully recovers!

The thought of a legendary fiend being under her control excited very much, for n.o.body—except the Tianling Dynasty’s ancestor—had contracted with a legendary fiend in the past millennium. Even Shangguan Wan only had a ninth-grade Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant for a fiend, and that seemingly small difference in grade meant a huge disparity between a ninth-grade fiend and a legendary fiend.

If I can contract with a legendary fiend, I can easily surpa.s.s Shangguan Yue’s achievements! Under her sleeves, Shangguan Wan slowly clenched her fists. Her throat felt a little parched, and all the blood in her body seemed to be circulating faster.

Throughout the journey, she had heard so many comments about Shangguan Yue. Strictly speaking though, people had been comparing her to her deceased half-sister ever since she a.s.sumed this position—be it their cultivation talent and cultivation base or even their appearance and mannerisms. She couldn’t avoid these comparisons, and she would almost always lose to the other woman.

Despite having to go to great lengths every day to keep her physical condition a secret and handle all sorts of Tianling Dynasty affairs, Shangguan Wan was still living in Shangguan Yue’s shadow. Even after Shangguan Yue’s undignified pa.s.sing, many people still thought that she was irreplaceable.

Things had been like this when Shangguan Yue was alive, and they remained unchanged even after she died. Thus, Shangguan Wan—who had had enough of this life—desperately wanted her Yuan meridian to recover and her cultivation level to increase as soon as possible. She wanted to prove to everyone that she was more outstanding than Shangguan Yue.

“This is a chance not to be missed. I have to get the legendary fiend blood for my father!” After saying that, Shangguan Wan strode off and headed straight in the direction where the dark clouds were gathering.

Jiang Yucheng’s countenance turned somewhat serious as he glanced at the overcast sky and followed her.

WIth Mu Qinghe quickly leading the way, everyone headed in the Mystic Forest’s direction.

…

After leaving the Gray Triangle, they entered the Mystic Forest, which appeared no different from an ordinary forest at a glance. But because Mu Qinghe had warned everyone of the dangers within earlier, they used their force to set up a barrier around themselves upon entering the forest.

Chu Liuyue’s gaze flickered as she glanced at the lush forest and asked the legendary three-eyed eagle inwardly, “Do you know what fiend is currently breaking through in there?”

She figured that the eagle—which was also a legendary fiend itself—could sense a thing or two about it.

“Because we’re quite far away from it and it deliberately concealed its aura, I can’t tell what it is.” The eagle’s voice turned solemn. “But it must be a formidable fiend to be able to conceal its aura so thoroughly.”

So there really is a legendary fiend in the Mystic Forest? Even though Chu Liuyue was surprised to hear that, she hid her emotions, and like everyone else, started casting a barrier around herself before walking ahead.

…

It was quiet in the forest, save for the rustling sounds made by the dangling tree leaves that sashayed in the wind and the thick piles of fallen leaves when stepped on.

Many people couldn’t conceal their curiosity, so they would look around their surroundings as they walked. Even though the Mystic Forest looked pretty much like any other forest, everyone put their guards up when they recalled Mu Qinghe’s earlier warning.

It was hard to see what was going on in the sky after entering the lush and dense forest, but from time to time, they could hear the roars that were becoming clearer and clearer. This somewhat set Shangguan Wan’s mind at ease, for it meant that they were indeed getting closer to the legendary fiend.

“Why is it so quiet here?” asked Jiang Yucheng after walking some distance into the forest. He was the first person to sense the odd situation.

Elder Qiu Xi stroked his beard and explained, “It’s probably because the ninth-grade beast is about to break through, so the other fiends have run off to hide. Legend has it that heavenly lightning will be triggered when high-grade beasts break through. If they survive the lightning, they’ll successfully become a real legendary fiend. Hence, it’s natural that the other fiends would run off.”

Elder Duanmu Chun nodded in agreement. “Elder Qiuxi is right. Such a phenomenon has only ever existed in legends. I didn’t expect that we’d encounter such a situation the moment we arrived at Dahuang Swamp. How lucky we are!”

Not everyone in this world could get a chance to witness this phenomenon.

“I see.” What the two elders had said put Jiang Yucheng’s mind at ease.

Elder Qiu Xi laughingly said, “Didn’t Lieutenant Mu say that he’s never seen anything like this before? The Third Princess’s filial piety and bravery to seek medicine for the Emperor despite the dangers involved must’ve moved the heavens. That must be why we’re lucky enough to see this!”

Shangguan Wan’s mood improved greatly when she heard that. “I’m willing to do anything as long as I can help the Emperor. Besides, I have nothing to be afraid of with everyone around. All we have to do now is find that fiend and wait for it to break through to become a legendary fiend so that I can draw its blood to take back for the Emperor!”

Just then, the sky above them darkened considerably, which made everyone look up.

“What’s wrong? Why did the sky suddenly darken?”

“Have the dark clouds gathered here as well? They can’t possibly move that fast, can they?”

All of a sudden, someone shrieked, “Look! That tree is moving!”