Chapter 182
The collapse of Demon Peak.
You XiaoMo stands outside those wide open doorways and examines the lofts. He discovers that these lofts seem to be where martial artists practice. Some lofts are so simple and bare that there is only a bed. Some of the floors are in a complete mess with scattered weapons and combat techniques.
In order to pass off as a qualified treasure hunter, You XiaoMo prepares a magic bag and collects everything in the lofts, good and bad. He then moves on to the next loft. As for the tightly closed stone rooms, he doesn’t dare to touch them for now. Who knows if some living thing might suddenly rush out from inside.
Just when You XiaoMo finishes clearing out the tenth loft, he suddenly catches a whiff of medicinal fragrance.
The medicinal fragrance is extremely strong, continuously diffusing out from the neighboring stone room.
You XiaoMo walks up to the stone room and looks at the tightly shut stone door. The stone door looks as if it hasn’t been opened for a really long time, with green moss growing on top of it. Can it be that this stone room is where magic herbs are stored?
No matter what the answer is, the presence of medicinal fragrance means that there must be magic herbs inside.
You XiaoMo rolls up his sleeves immediately and exerts all his strength. *ge zhi*, the door finally opens a tiny crack. At this moment, the medicinal fragrance emitted from the magic herbs immediately rush out from the cracked door. Breathing it in invigorates the soul.
After half of an quarter hour later, the stone door is finally pushed by him enough to reveal a gap that is just enough for his body to enter.
After forcing his way into the stone room, panting and wheezing, and seeing the magic herb fields filling the room, he feels that it was all worth it.
This place is even more spacious than the great hall. Actually it can’t be considered a stone room because this is like a miniature world. Above is not a ceiling but an expanse of blue sky. The floor is covered with magic herb fields. There are those that have matured, those that have yet to mature, and some that are even just germinating.
Most are low level magic herbs, followed by mid-level magic herbs, and finally the high level magic herbs.
What is rather disheartening is that there aren’t many high level magic herbs. By the time You XiaoMo finds them, he only sees a small patch of high level magic herbs lying pitifully in a corner. At a glance, it’s definitely not more than a hundred stalks.
You XiaoMo laments as he moves all the high level magic herbs into his dimension.
At this time, Luo ShuHe and the rest finally reach the peak of the mountain after enduring a thousand sufferings and ten thousand hardships. If Ling Xiao had not dealt with that level nine water demon, they would probably be even slower.
But what greets them is a great hall that is already riddled with a thousand wounds and a hundred holes.
Luo ShuHe’s expression is extremely unsightly, “Sure enough, someone beat us here.”
It’s just that the extent of destruction of the great hall exceeds his expectation. He had thought that even if someone would beat him to it, their strength wouldn’t be high enough to charge past the guards. He didn’t expect the other party’s strength to be even higher than he imagined.
The other forces also arrive. Seeing the condition of the great hall, their reactions mirror that of Luo ShuHe.
At this moment, Qing Cheng sect’s Elder Mo shrewdly notices that TianXin sect’s Lin Xiao is not here. He whispers into Luo ShuHe’s ear to inform him.
Luo ShuHe looks over to TianXin sect’s location and, true enough, does not see Lin Xiao. He can’t help but have his suspicions piqued, can it be that the person that beat them here is Lin Xiao?
But it doesn’t seem right after thinking it through. Lin Xiao’s strength is still Star level two stars. The Elders of TianXin sect who are stronger are still here. Even if they sent Lin Xiao to go ahead of them, he can’t have caused all this by himself. Furthermore, that little mage that was by his side is also not here.
Because the condition of the palace is beyond everyone’s expectation, the few major forces decide to put aside their differences for now to discuss how to deal with the current situation.
Luo ShuHe glances at the TianXin sect representative and remarks seemingly offhandedly, “Elder Shi, why is it that Brother Lin Xiao is not among you? Could it be that you all let him go ahead ba?”
With his remark, the other people finally notice this bit, all of them turning to look at the rather gloomy-looking Elder Shi.
Of course Elder Shi can’t tell them that TianXin sect did not tell Lin Xiao anything about Demon Peak. This is an internal matter of TianXin sect. If they were to find out, they could use it against them. If Lin Xiao finds out, he may act out in retaliation.
“Lin Xiao is held up by some matter. He should be on his way at the moment. Everyone knows that there are layers upon layers of dangers in the Paradise Realm. No one knows what can happen. It’s only normal that plans change accordingly.”
Luo ShuHe pats his sleeve that is a little dirty while laughing, “Looks like Brother Lin Xiao’s luck is not too good!”
Elder Shi narrows his eyes and look at the Qing Cheng sect disciples behind him and says, “Putting aside Lin Xiao, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of the esteemed Ye Dan and Elder Li. It can’t be that they are ‘also’ held up by some matter ba?”
Luo ShuHe’s expression darkens. A hardly detectable murderous intent flashes across his eyes.
Of course Elder Shi doesn’t know that Ye Dan is already dead under the hands of Ling Xiao. And that Qing Cheng sect already knows that the ‘murderer’ is them. These words are tantamount to a thorn driven deeply into the hearts of everyone in Qing Cheng sect. Clearly this is not the time for them to act out. This is probably what’s called the highest state of ignorance.
“If you all want to ‘reminisce’, we XingLuo group will not keep you company.”
Looking at the the two or them trading barbs one after the other, the expression on XingLuo group’s Twelfth Star is rather impatient. They already don’t get along well with the two major forces. On top of that, they also have another motive this time so they are even more loathe to collaborate with them. They then set off by themselves to charge through the barrier.
With the departure of XingLuo group, the other people also feel that there is no need to work together. They were originally depending on their own strengths so in a flash, Elder Shi also brings his people with him. The three independent forces follow suit. Only Qing Cheng sect remains in the great hall.
“Young master, why aren’t we taking advantage of the situation to kill off the people from TianXin sect?” Elder Mo asks in frustration.
Luo ShuHe shakes his head, “Not now. The injuries of the Heavenly Bird of Six Thunders is too grave. Although it has recuperated for half a month, it only recovered twenty to thirty percent. We have few strong ones on our side. If we were to fight now, the other forces will be at an advantage. Furthermore, TianXin sect, that side seemed to have bonded with a few mid-level magic beasts. We can’t take their combat ability lightly for now.”
A dissatisfied disciple speaks up, “Young master, you can’t mean to let them go just like that?”
Luo ShuHe scoffs in disdain, “Of course not. Wait till we leave Demon Peak. I will make TianXin sect pay the price.
It’s too bad that man’s plans are nothing compared to God’s plans. Just as the various major forces go their separate ways, and prepare to search deep into the palace for treasures, another shockwave travels through the palace. This time, the frequency of the shaking is much stronger than what they felt when they were halfway up the mountain. The ground is shaking non-stop, as if it may split open at any time.
At this time, the magic beasts on Demon Peak also suffer a shock. A few high level magic beasts are shocked to discover that the barrier that imprisons the Demon Peak seems to have gotten much thinner than before, as if it could split open at anytime.
“Hou!!!”
An immense and limitless power presses down from the top of Demon Peak downwards.
All the magic beasts look at the palace on the peak in terror. But a second later, they lose all control over themselves and fall to the ground. Each and every one their faces are bright red with bulging blue veins. The terror in their hearts can never be eliminated.
This phenomenon doesn’t only affect the magic beasts at the foot of the mountain. It also includes the magic beasts who have been bonded.
Tang YunQi almost falls to the ground. She kicks the Seven-tailed Demon Fox who is crawling on the ground, “Idiot, what are you doing on the ground? Why are you not hurrying up to protect me?”
The Seven-tailed Demon Fox is her bonded magic beast. Its strength is level seven one star. It just had a breakthrough not long ago. If it wasn’t because it had just had a breakthrough, it wouldn’t have been caught by Elder Wang and the rest at that time. After that, although it had a smooth breakthrough, it also lost its freedom. It was bonded by Tang YunQi and it wasn’t even a life-bond.
However, no matter how Tang YunQi kicks it, it remains cowering on the ground shivering *se se*. It’s not that it doesn’t want to get up, it’s because that pressure is too terrifying. It simply can’t put up any resistance.
Lei Ju’s level six bonded magic beast is also in the same situation. But he is not as brainless as Tang YunQi. He can feel that there is an immense pressure. Clearly that roar just now from inside the palace is terrifying his bonded magic beast.
At the same time, the Heavenly Bird of Six Thunders almost falls off Luo ShuHe’s shoulder.
Although it is a high level magic beast, under the pressure of an emperor magic beast, he can not resist.
Very quickly, Luo ShuHe’s expression changes drastically as he senses his condition, “What happened?”
The trembling voice of the Heavenly Bird of Six Thunders is transmitted into Luo ShuHe’s mind, “It can’t be a mistake. That roar just now is definitely from an emperor magic beast. But how can an emperor magic beast appear on Demon Peak?”
It’s as if he is talking to himself but it causes Luo ShuHe to gasp.
Emperor magic beast, none other than one of the royal class. If he could bond with an emperor magic beast, wouldn’t that mean he would be able to march across Long Xiao continent with nothing to fear? Luo ShuHe can’t help feeling a slight twinge of regret at this thought but he very quickly suppresses it.
He already has a life-bond magic beast so he absolutely can’t dream of other magic beasts.
Furthermore, the majesty of emperor magic beasts will not allow them to bond with martial artists, even a life-bond won’t do. Unless there is unbelievable good luck, no martial artists would dare to dream of emperor magic beasts.
Just as everyone was still in shock, the palace finally collapses.
Not only that, everyone hears a *ka cha* sound, and an extremely deep fissure appears in the mountain under their feet.
Some people yell out ‘not good’ as everyone tries to get away. A second later, the fissure starts to extend downward from the peak, as if someone split it open with brute force. The Demon Peak barrier is also totally gone.
Each and every magic beast flees from the disaster, striving to be the first to escape down the mountain.
At this time, You XiaoMo who is still digging magic herbs in the stone room when it also starts shaking as the ground splits open. Because it happened all of a sudden, in a moment of carelessness, a few of the roots of the halfway dug out stalk of level seven magic herb in his hand snap, making his heart ache unbearably. This is a high level magic herb. He still puts it into his dimension anyway.
He had wanted to dig up some mid-level magic herbs but the magic herb stone room is already starting to crumble. The falling stone fragments smash onto the magic herb fields, flattening the magic herbs that have been growing for who knows how long.
Before You XiaoMo could feel the pain in his heart, an enormous boulder drops down towards him, frightening him such that he quickly enters his dimension. Damn, what a reckless waste of heavenly treasure!
It seems that all the magic beasts in the Paradise Realm are able to sense the collapse of Demon Peak.
Even the magic beasts that were in the midst of killing and shredding stopped on their own, each and every one turning to look towards Demon Peak.
As the palace falls down with a loud *hong long* sound, bursts of light streak down from the mountain peak. Those are martial artists fleeing the disaster. Because of the collapse of Demon Peak, the restriction on both martial artists and magic beasts disappear. The martial artists who weren’t able to fly earlier all take to their flying swords to flee down the mountain.
However, because Demon Peak is too large, and because everyone is fleeing in a hurry, quite a few disciples are separated from their group, such as Tang YunQi.
Under the protection of the Seven-tailed Demon Fox, Tang YunQi staggers and stumbles down the Demon Peak. Although she could have let the Seven-tailed Demon Fox bring along one or two other people with no problem at all, at the moment of life and death, she only cared about herself.
As a result, as the first one to flee the scene, she finds herself separated from everyone else. When she reaches the foot of the mountain after much difficulty, the ruins of Demon Peak is all around. An enormous chunk of the peak blocks the way in front of her, cutting off her line of sight.
Tang YunQi curses the Seven-tailed Demon Fox angrily, “Good for nothing. Quick bring me to the others.”
The Seven-tailed Demon Fox glances at her with suppressed anger. Damn human. Actually daring to treat it who has the ancient lineage of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox this way. There will inevitably come a time when you would undoubtedly regret it ten thousand times!
Right at this moment, a yelp of pain comes from behind them.
“Ai yo, damn it ya. Why are there so many sharp rocks over here? I must have landed wrongly!’
“Who is it!”
Tang YunQi is shocked, turning around abruptly. After shouting, she realizes that the voice sounds rather familiar but that grumbling voice immediately stops. She rushes to the rock to take a look, and her eyes immediately widen, feeling both astonishment and excitement.
“It’s you, You XiaoMo!”