Barbaric Warbeasts

Barbaric Warbeasts...

The day the two martial academies merged, another significant announcement rippled through the airwaves. The Crown Prince of Snowcloud expressed his desire for a marriage engagement with the Princess of Chu.

The Princess of Chu stood a high chance of becoming the Crown Prince of Snowcloud's primary wife.

Yet, Xiao Lǜ was unrelenting in his pursuit. He continued to send envoys to the Emperor Star Academy, insisting they return Qin Yao. The reason? Qin Yao was among the potential candidates for the Crown Prince of Snowcloud's main wife, and they were determined to bring her back at all costs.

Predictably, the Emperor Star Academy rejected the request, prompting the Royal Clan to intervene. They decided to send an emissary to the Emperor Star Academy.

This turn of events made those with keen instincts uneasy. Was the Royal Clan finally gearing up to take action against the Emperor Star Academy?

However, this wasn't the only cause for concern. Two days after Qin Wu's escape, alarming news emanated from the battlefield between the Qin Residence and the Royal Clan. The Royal Clan launched a fierce assault, deploying experts to assassinate Qin He and Qin Ye. As a result, Qin He lost his remaining arm and sustained severe injuries. If not for the intervention of a mysterious expert, he would have met his demise.

Moreover, unsettling rumors circulated, hinting at the movements of other powerful troops stationed on Chu's borders. They had started marching toward the Royal Capital with a clear message: "The Chu emperor has become a tyrant, unjustly slaying loyal subjects and sacrificing dedicated generals. He has lost the mandate of heaven and should no longer rule."

On one hand, the shocking revelation of the Wu King's death sentence, bestowed by the Emperor in the past, reverberated throughout Chu Country. It set off a whirlwind of discussions and rattled the hearts of citizens. This revelation, coupled with the tangible actions of the Chu Royal Clan during their dealings with the Qin Residence in Sky Harmony City, solidified the growing belief that the current emperor was a tyrant, no longer deserving the mandate of heaven. The country cried out for a transfer of power.

The only piece of news that favored the Royal Clan was Snowcloud's dispatch of troops to aid Chu in defending their borders. Simultaneously, this served as a declaration to other nations that Snowcloud and Chu were in alliance.

Those in lofty positions and with esteemed statuses sensed a storm brewing in the air. They had never fathomed that a seemingly innocuous event like the Jun Lin Banquet could trigger such a formidable chain reaction.

As for the tempest gathering in the outside world, Qin Wentian remained oblivious to it within the Spirit Beast Testing Grounds.

After a day inside, he grew increasingly accustomed to his surroundings. Numerous warbeasts' spirits were scattered about, each requiring a certain level of strength to obtain.

He also grasped that these testing grounds weren't real. Like the demonic beasts, he inhabited a dream-will manifested physical body. His consciousness entered the testing grounds through a dream, yet the sense of reality here surpassed anything he had encountered before. Not only could he absorb the spirits of the beasts, but conversely, the warbeasts could also absorb him.

in this moment, Qin Wentian found himself in an alliance with Yue Qingfeng and the others, engaged in the hunt for another warbeast.

This warbeast held a decent rank - a Flowerrock Leopard, sitting at number 241. Condensing an Astral Soul from it would endow the cultivator with a body as resilient as granite, providing formidable defense. Moreover, it would greatly enhance their speed, agility, and offensive capabilities.

"Brother Qin, there are still three others with me, and once they absorb the warbeasts' spirits, the next one will be yours. After all, you already ingested a spirit right after entering," Yue Qingfeng explained as they pursued their fifth warbeast together.

"It's alright. I'd like to venture alone from now on," Qin Wentian replied. Although Yue Qingfeng had been extremely polite during their day together, there was an unmistakable disdain in the expressions of his companions. Arrogance and pride wafted in the air, making the situation uncomfortable for Qin Wentian.

While they shared common origins, their statuses were worlds apart. They hailed from the Azure Emperor Palace, whereas he was from a martial academy in a small country.

This distinction was palpable when they distributed the warbeast spirits. Qin Wentian couldn't easily change their perspectives, so he decided to go his own way.

"Brother Qin, please understand that this place is exceedingly perilous," Yue Qingfeng cautioned.

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"I'll be cautious," Qin Wentian casually replied.

"In that case, I won't hinder you further, Brother Qin. But remember, don't let a moment of anger cost you your life. Cooperation here is purely for mutual benefit; it's just a matter of priorities," Yue Qingfeng added with a hint of meaning in his words. Qin Wentian furrowed his brows, sensing an undertone in Yue Qingfeng's remarks. Without replying, he turned and left the area.

"What an audacious fellow. He doesn't know the meaning of death. A cultivator from the Emperor Star Academy dares to act so proud. He doesn't even realize that we saved him and yet wants to stand on equal footing with us from the Azure Emperor Palace. How laughable. But I wonder why the Azure Emperor founded such an academy back then," a person beside Yue Qingfeng rudely commented, not bothering to keep his voice down, ensuring that Qin Wentian heard him.

Speeding up, Qin Wentian left the group behind. He knew the dangers of traveling alone in this place, but he refused to compromise his principles for the sake of safety.

He arrived at a vast grassland with a mountain range in the distance. However, he soon sensed danger approaching.

A massive Roc emerged from the mountain range in front of him. Its body shimmered with resplendent light, and its sharp, cold eyes were locked onto Qin Wentian.

"Silvery Roc, ranked 98th in the Warbeast Index," Qin Wentian muttered, realizing that this was his first encounter with a demonic beast from the top 100 rankings.

But that wasn't all; behind him, another source of extreme danger was approaching.

Turning around, Qin Wentian spotted a gigantic demonic bear exuding terrifying waves of Demonic Qi. Its body appeared to be covered in silvery armor, even its sharp claws gleamed with silver.

"Silver Armored Bear King, ranked 97th in the Warbeast Index," Qin Wentian muttered. Both of these demonic beasts were formidable opponents, both ranking in the top 100. He was now sandwiched between them, and the situation was anything but fortunate.

With a buzzing sound, Qin Wentian's body moved like a Garuda, evading to the side. The Silvery Roc's wings flapped, transforming it into a silver streak of lightning, moving even faster than Qin Wentian. Meanwhile, the Silver Armored Bear King's heavy steps sent shockwaves through the earth. Despite its massive size, it was surprisingly agile, just slightly slower than Qin Wentian.

The top 100 of the Warbeast Index were all formidable adversaries.

The Silvery Roc soared gracefully above Qin Wentian. Another ancient halberd materialized in his grasp. Although this place wasn't the real world, there wasn't much difference from it. In the outside world, he always kept a spare ancient halberd tucked away in his interspatial ring.

With a sharp sound, the Silvery Roc spat out a silver streak of light, hurtling toward Qin Wentian at a breakneck pace. Qin Wentian abruptly halted, summoning the energy within his body and responding with a barrage of palm strikes that clashed with the silvery ray.

The wind intensified, and the Silvery Roc's razor-sharp claws descended like lightning, aiming to seize Qin Wentian's head.

Qin Wentian's Mountain Splitter technique erupted, and the metallic clang echoed as it blocked the Roc's claw.

"Such strength," Qin Wentian muttered as he managed to push back the Silvery Roc. However, his arms were numb, trembling from the powerful impact. But just as he thought he had a moment to breathe, the Silver Armored Bear King closed in, shaking the earth with each step. It roared with fury, swinging its silver paw directly at Qin Wentian.

"Falling Mountain Palms!" Qin Wentian unleashed rapid palm strikes with his left hand, surging with divine energy. Yet an instant later, he was slammed heavily to the ground by the bear's attack, feeling as though his left arm was on the verge of shattering.

The attack power of these warbeasts ranked in the top 100 was ruthlessly formidable.

Despite being knocked to the ground, Qin Wentian remained in grave danger. The Silvery Roc swooped down, a silver ray of light piercing from its beak. Its cold, murderous eyes seemed capable of ending his life.

"If I die here, I won't get another chance," Qin Wentian silently thought. His death here would mean losing his qualifications and expulsion from the testing grounds. He believed that Luo Tianya, his father, had also perished within these testing grounds. It was likely that his father wanted him to succeed where he had failed.

Executing the Berserker Beast Halberd Art, Qin Wentian's bloodline surged with power. His body expanded in size as his black hair billowed behind him, and the ancient halberd in his hand pierced through the air.

Once again, the Silvery Roc clashed with Qin Wentian's halberd. This time, the Roc was sent hurtling backward, tumbling through the air. One of its silver claws disintegrated into dust, and it screeched in pain.

Despite the Roc's injury, Qin Wentian was still in a dire situation. The Silver Armored Bear King launched another ferocious attack, charging towards him.

"F*ck off!" Qin Wentian shouted, unleashing the Forgotten Imprint with all his might. Empowered by the Mountain-type Divine Energy, a thunderous sound reverberated as he blocked the massive bear. However, he was once again slammed to the ground.

"Top 10 warbeast spirits... Azure Emperor, you are truly ruthless," Qin Wentian thought. To reach the 8th level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion, he needed to obtain the warbeast spirits of the top 10 ranked beasts in the Warbeast Index. He couldn't even begin to fathom the power of the top ten warbeasts, which represented constellations from the 5th Heavenly Layer. If he could condense an Astral Soul from one of them, his strength would be immeasurable when he reached the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

The two warbeasts once again closed in on Qin Wentian. As he fought for his life, Qin Wentian executed the Garuda Movement Technique to its utmost limits, transforming into a blur of afterimages. His ancient halberd slashed through the air, creating beautiful arcs, while his left palms delivered relentless palm imprints. Despite his valiant efforts, his body was riddled with injuries, and under the relentless onslaught of the two warbeasts, his death seemed inevitable.

Just as he thought he might not survive this ordeal, a sudden gust of wind heralded the arrival of a graceful figure in sky-blue robes. She brandished a sharp sword and sliced toward the Silvery Roc. Her Sword Qi clashed with the Roc's claw, intertwining and multiplying endlessly.

The pressure on Qin Wentian eased as he focused his attention on the bear king. With the support of the swift Roc now absent, he managed to evade the bear's attacks while delivering his own strikes with the ancient halberd, causing the bear to suffer repeated injuries.

As the battle raged on, two groups of silhouettes appeared on the outskirts, neither offering assistance. They observed the ongoing clash between the warbeasts, Qin Wentian, and Qian Mengyu.

These groups were from two different factions. One included the handsome youth who had previously fought with Qin Wentian, his companions, and Yue Qingfeng's group.

Witnessing the appearance of these cultivators, the Silvery Roc soared into the sky. It possessed the ability of flight, making it impossible for these individuals to pursue it.

The Silver Armored Bear King, in a state of panic, unleashed a frenzied assault. Qian Mengyu looked at Qin Wentian and spoke, "Let's give up. You may be able to defeat it, but I doubt you'll have the opportunity to absorb its beast spirit."

Qin Wentian, however, couldn't ignore the greed flickering in the eyes of the other cultivators, who regarded him like prey. How could he willingly give up now?

Suddenly, Qin Wentian's ancient halberd pierced one of the bear king's eyes, eliciting a roar of agony. Twisting the halberd deeper, he aimed for the bear's brain, causing the bear's body to blur and become illusory.

With a twist of his palm, a familiar spiral pattern appeared, and he began absorbing the warbeast's spirit. Demonic Qi surged from his body as his black hair danced in the wind.

"Doesn't he fear death?" sneered the people from the Azure Emperor Palace as they watched Qin Wentian absorbing the warbeast spirit. They knew that everyone here was a manifestation of spirit consciousness. Even if Qin Wentian absorbed the spirit, they could still extract it from him after his death.