Climbing the Peak

Lightning struck all around her, shaking the mountain. Sometimes pebbles or even larger slabs of stone would fall, scratching her clothes or even scraping her skin. It was somewhat perilous to climb but she did so with little regard for the falling rubble. Even with the constant rumbling from the lightning strikes, she scaled the mountainside calmly.

"This..."

Midway up, Ming Yue found that there was nowhere else to grab for. Taking out her dagger, she strengthened it with her own energy and stabbed it into the wall. Creating her own path, she scaled up, reaching the Radiant Carnation before cutting it at the stem and storing it in her spatial ring.

A quick detour that took no more than half an hour and she returned without much injury.

Walking back on the road with her two pets, there was a lingering thought within her.

"That was quite simple..." she thought.

It was strange that a Radiant Carnation, a rank 5 plant, did not have any beast coveting it. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the dreary landscape. How was it that no creature had taken it? No creature stood by to keep watch?

What she did not realize was the abrupt changes that had happened within these mountains after she had left the first time. The death of not one but two Rank 5 beasts, the Thunder Roc and the Purple Storm Tiger, had caused an uproar within thise mountains. Battle for their flesh had left many beasts dead which caused a splintering effect as everyone was enticed by this opportunity.

Those lucky enough to have some of that flesh would find themselves stronger and brimming with power. Feeling high and mighty from this, old leaders would be challenged and new ones would come. In the end, all those that lose would become nourishment for the victorious. As for the victorious, they would once again challenge those above them and the cycle continues.

The lack of beasts came from the constant battling. She did not notice it before but as Ming Yue walked deeper into the mountains, she could smell the metallic taste of blood. It grew extremely heavy, to the point that there was a light red mist. It was then that the trio walked upon a bloodied path.

"What is this?" she muttered under her breath before taking out Drifting Sky and readying it.

They walked past bits of flesh and splattered blood before finding two beasts in the heat of battle. Two wolves with gray fur and glowing blue claws growled at each other. Both were heavily injured, bite marks on their throats, gashes all over. They were not small but were nearly the size of Ming Yue and they were too focused on each other to notice her.

Seeing as this was the only path to walk through. The group watched and waited for the fight to end. There was no point in interrupting them and killing them both did not yield any benefits to her. Besides, it seems that it was going to end soon.

The two wolves did not have the energy to call upon the lightning and settled for a wild exchange of claw and fang. They wrestled each other to the ground, biting at each other's necks. Finally, one of them could no longer hang on, their strength failed and their opponent pinned them to the ground. Just as victory was a hand, a echoing howl froze the two as another wolf-like creature suddenly appeared.

Compared to these gray-furred wolves, this one was of another league. It had white fur and glowing silver eyes. Its pupils were in the shape of a crescent as it towered nearly two feet above the two wolves. It glared at them, angered by the disturbance within its territory.

It snarled at them, circling the two wolves who both suddenly forgot about their battle with each other and stood together. They barked at this giant wolf, baring their fangs at it.

"That...isn't that a Crescent Cloud Wolf?" she thought with disbelief.

"First the Radiant Carnation, now a Crescent Cloud Wolf, is my luck that good?"

She had encountered not one but two things that was needed to make the Thunderous Fairy Pill.

Too many good things have happened and though she wanted to question it, she dared not to or else she might be ruining this streak of hers. With that, she decided to make her move. What she needed from this Crescent Cloud Wolf were its bones. If she was going to do this right, she needed a quick an powerful strike.

Ming Yue made her move through the use of Phantasmal Wind, her sword silently moved under the stormy weather as she aimed for the neck. Like a ghost, she disappeared from where she stood and appeared right behind the massive white wolf.

But then a feeling danger washed over her to which she backed off immediately, jumping away. What came after was not an attack from the Crescent Cloud Wolf for it had yet to notice even her. Instead, lightning struck down, cracking the stone and turning it black. If she had continued with that attack, the lightning would have struck her and death would have been waiting.

"Damnit, too close", she grit her teeth, annoyed that her attempt had been thwarted.

On the other hand, she was relived to have not lost her life to some random stroke of lightning.

"Perhaps, my luck isn't that good."

Ming Yue muttered as she prepared another attack. Unfortunately she no longer had the element of surprise as the lightning had caught the attention of the three wolves. She only had a small window to make a move and attacked the Crescent Cloud Wolf once more.

However, a Crescent Cloud Wolf was rank 5, a being on par with the Thunder Roc and the Purple Storm Tiger. Unlike the other two, its focus was on speed and it dodged the attack, leaving merely a blur in its wake.

She saw it run up the mountain in a straight line, an attempt to escape.

"Hei Yue! Xiao Yin!" Ming Yue called as the two little beasts came to her side.

Together they chased the Crescent Cloud Wolf, leaving the other two wolves to their devices. As much as these two wanted to chase, they had exhausted each other and could barely move their bodies. Rather, they focused back on each other.

A victor was almost found but now there was a second chance.

As for Ming Yue, she followed the white wolf up and through the mountain.

A Crescent Cloud Wolf lived up to its reputation as an illusive beast, its movement was difficult to track. It was certainly quick but what made it so hard to follow was that it directly ran up the mountain. The wolf moved naturally and with grace, as if the steep climb was nothing more than a ordinary run. It didn't seem like it was running up a mountain, rather more like a flat grass field.

It was unfortunate that Ming Yue had no movement technique. Her small but agile body was enough to meet her needs though now it was clear that she might not be able to catch up.

However she tried her utmost, summoning a burst of wind to launch her and her two pets up. They practically shot up the mountain as Ming Yue urged the wind even further. The Crescent Cloud Wolf, saw her from the corner of its eye and began to run even faster.

With her hand, she summoned a few needles and shot them at the wolf. A lance here would break her concentration stop the wind from supporting the three.

There were five needles, one for each finger of her hand that she shot. Small and extremely fast, the Crescent Cloud Wolf might have noticed her coming but it did not notice her attacks and felt sharp pain on five different parts of its body.

It winced in pain, nearly tripping before growling at Ming Yue. Then it leaped off with its jaws wide open as it took the group down.