The Master of Beasts
Chapter 46: Convergence

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Convergence

With Huo Lie’s protection, during the journey to the core area of the Secret Realm over the past three days, all the Loose Cultivators they encountered had been dealt with by the eager Fire God. It was just a pity that Bao Nu’s attitude toward him was still rather mediocre.

Having just dealt with a few obstructive Loose Cultivators, Huo Lie came running over excitedly and said, "Junior Chen, I’ve got news! The leader from Vermilion Bird Peak this time, Zhu Yingque, has already gathered a large number of fellow disciples in the core of the Secret Realm."

"Really?" Chen Jiuge became somewhat excited as well. These past three days had been nothing but being ambushed or accidentally venturing into the territories of powerful local Spiritual Beasts, which had been utterly bothersome.

Perhaps the route had been cleared by senior brothers from his sect, as there were neither ambushes nor even slightly powerful Spiritual Beasts to be seen.

Gazing at the towering red pillar of light in the distance, Huo Lie stood with his hands behind his back and remarked, "Junior Brother, Senior Sister Zhu and the others should be over there."

Chen Jiuge didn’t respond but nodded to indicate that he understood.

Compared to reuniting with his fellow disciples, a now-calm Chen Jiuge also realized his awkward situation. He was at the early Nascent Soul stage and also a mid-Nascent Soul stage Body Refiner. Among his six Spiritual Beast companions, apart from War Song who was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, the remaining four were only at the early Nascent Soul stage, their Cultivation Techniques barely initiated. Coupled with the support-type Yue Meng, their overall combat strength was quite lackluster.

Had it not been for Senior Brother Huo Lie dealing with those obstructive Loose Cultivators in the previous three days, he probably would have been defeated long ago. After all, the Loose Cultivators capable of reaching this place were all formidable individuals, each either at the Perfect Nascent Soul stage or at the late Nascent Soul stage with special abilities. Battles with them were genuinely unpredictable, with a high probability of being overturned.

With the Nascent Soul Realm Flood Dragon flying at full speed, their pace was extremely fast. Even though its speed was greatly suppressed within the Secret Realm, the realm itself wasn’t that large. After two hours, the four of them finally arrived.

Before they even touched the ground, Spells came crashing down upon them.

The raging Flood Dragon Flame annihilated the assault, and the Fire God let out an angry roar at the attacking Cultivator.

"So, it’s disciples from the Myriad Beasts Sect, huh? I thought another lucky Loose Cultivator had stumbled along," said a Star River Sect disciple dressed in white robes adorned with stellar patterns, narrowing his eyes with a cold sneer.

"Xingcheng, are you seeking death!" A furious flame coalesced into a palm and slapped fiercely towards Xingcheng.

"Starry Brilliance."

Dazzling starlight collided with the flames, creating a huge explosion. Xingcheng remained unharmed, casting a cold glance at Chen Jiuge and the others before turning and walking away.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Yue," Huo Lie said, cupping his hands in a salute to the cultivator before him.

Yue Sanhai waved his hand dismissively. "I didn’t expect to encounter that cur Xingcheng while coming to meet you. How was your journey? And who are these two?"

Huo Lie briefly explained. Yue Sanhai then said to the He siblings, "The people from your local families are all located to the west."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for the guidance," He Jia said, aware that it wasn’t suitable for them to stay any longer. Fortunately, the He Family was not a minor clan. On this trip, He Jia wasn’t a key figure; as long as he could find his elder clan brother, their safety would be assured.

"Alright, you can pass through our encampment. There are quite a few Loose Cultivators gathered near your families’ designated area. Just be careful," Yue Sanhai suggested. Despite his rugged appearance, he was surprisingly considerate.

He Jia was very grateful. Under Yue Sanhai’s guidance, the group finally arrived at the Myriad Beasts Sect’s encampment.

He Jia once again expressed his gratitude to the three, then immediately left with his sister.

Huo Lie sounded a bit regretful as he said, "That Female Cultivator from the He Family... her secret technique is actually quite good, very useful."

"It’s no use. The one leading the Galaxy Sacred Land disciples this time is a direct descendant of their Great Elder and is very strong. Even Senior Sister Zhu is only evenly matched against him," Yue Sanhai said gravely.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiuge’s heart stirred. It seemed the disciples from the Galaxy Sacred Land were indeed formidable. From her name, Zhu Yingque, he knew she must be from the Zhu Family. The Zhu Family was the most powerful family on Vermilion Bird Peak, boasting a Golden Immortal among their ranks, making them a true major clan. The only question was whether this Senior Sister Zhu was from the direct lineage. However, given that she was evenly matched with a direct descendant of the Galaxy Sacred Land’s Great Elder, it was highly probable.

"Senior Brother Yue, have some new junior brothers arrived?" a young man guarding the entrance of the encampment greeted them lazily.

Yue Sanhai, who seemed quite familiar with him, replied briefly before leading Chen Jiuge and the others inside.

"The encampment is quite simple. The core area should open in a few days. Just find a spot to settle down for now. No one dares to cause trouble here," Yue Sanhai said, a hint of apology beneath his rugged exterior.

Originally, Senior Sister Zhu had set up a Palace here. However, to confront the Galaxy Sacred Land, she had stored it away to ensure she was in peak condition for the battle.

Yue Sanhai, having matters to attend to, briefly explained the situation before hastily departing.

After finding a reasonably secluded spot, the two used Spells to erect two small huts. Huo Lie said somewhat awkwardly, "Junior Brother, please bear with me."

Huo Lie had intended to go to the crowded central area, as he was the type who loved to show off. Unfortunately, the Fire God disagreed.

It had finally found a Fire Flood Dragon sister to befriend, yet Huo Lie still wanted it to show off for others! Could he not consider this Dragon’s feelings? This was simply outrageous of him!

The majestic Fire Flood Dragon twisted its huge body, "seductively" approaching Bao Nu. Its usually deep voice was now surprisingly gentle, "Sister Bao Nu, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

Bao Nu, although sentient, still had the mentality of a child and needed time to learn and grow. Thus, over the past few days, the relationship between the two Flood Dragons had grown somewhat closer. Bao Nu replied shyly, "Brother Fire God, this is too much trouble for you. I can just take a Fasting Pill."

"Trouble? What trouble? Those Fasting Pills are not fit for a Dragon to eat! Sister, wait a moment; brother will be right back." Watching the Fire God dart out of the encampment with a proud and pleased expression, Huo Lie felt the grand image he had cultivated in his Junior Brother’s eyes crumbling.

Chen Jiuge was unaware of his Senior Brother’s thoughts and felt that things were proceeding quite well. Given the Fire God’s attentiveness, he had also instructed Bao Nu to ask it more questions about cultivation to accelerate her progress. After all, there were inherent differences between humans and Spiritual Beasts. Furthermore, since Chen Jiuge himself hadn’t cultivated the Fire Dragon Transformation, he was unable to offer much guidance even if he wanted to.

These past three or four days had left Chen Jiuge genuinely exhausted. After a quick meal with his Senior Brother, they both returned to their respective huts to adjust their conditions. In a few more days, the pillar of light in the core area would disappear. Once the seal was broken, a fierce battle was inevitable. The only uncertainty was the current state of the Fire Qilin’s reincarnated body.

In these final few days, the remaining people in the Secret Realm began to converge on the core area. During this time, Chen Jiuge also encountered Zhen Dan.

Seeing Zhen Dan covered in bloodstains, her aura exceptionally sharp, Chen Jiuge couldn’t help but marvel. He had truly misjudged her. She had seemed so quiet and demure, yet she turned out to be this ruthless. It was terrifying to imagine how many she must have slaughtered to reach this place alone with her mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivation. (She had previously been at the early Nascent Soul stage but had broken through during combat, so she was now at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.)

「Another day passed, and the pillar of light disappeared.」