Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 4067: Gathering The Beasts

The darkness of the void parted as a spatial tear appeared within the Mad Demon Depths. A moment later, an enormous figure emerged from it, his long white hair and beard fluttering in the turbulent energy that surrounded the opening.

Lin Mu glanced around before confirming that he had arrived at the intended location.

The Mad Demon Depths were just as oppressive as ever. The peculiar energies that permeated the region continued to interfere with ordinary perception, while the distorted surroundings made it difficult for most cultivators to determine their exact position.

Of course, Lin Mu had already become familiar with the region after spending time exploring it. He had also established several spatial coordinates that allowed him to navigate through the area with relative ease.

’Good. Everything is still stable,’ Lin Mu thought.

He had chosen to return here because it provided a convenient intermediate point for his spatial movements. More importantly, it allowed him to travel without leaving an obvious trail through the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect’s ordinary transportation network.

With the investigation into the Vault Division about to begin, he wanted to make certain preparations before joining the others.

Lin Mu raised his hand and circulated his Spatial Qi.

A faint silver glow appeared around his fingers as the surrounding space began to ripple. The ripples gradually expanded, forming a circular opening. A moment later Lin Mu stepped through.

WENG!

The portal contracted behind him before disappearing completely and he had arrived near the outskirts of the Wild Peak’s territory.

A small pond lay only a few steps away, its clear surface reflecting the surrounding trees. Several clusters of reeds grew along its banks, while patches of moss covered the nearby stones.

The forest was dense enough that very little sunlight reached the ground. Thin beams of light passed through the canopy, illuminating drifting motes of dust and the occasional insect flying between the branches.

It was a peaceful location, far removed from the commotion that had recently engulfed the Wild Peak.

Lin Mu took a moment to examine the surroundings. ’They should be somewhere nearby.’

He had barely finished that thought when several familiar sounds reached his ears.

Chirp~

HISS~ HISS~

Meow!

Four figures emerged from the surrounding forest almost simultaneously. The first was a tiny black bird that flew out from between the branches, its dark feathers blending almost perfectly with the shadows.

Behind it came two serpents, one white and the other black, moving with remarkable speed as they slithered through the undergrowth. The last was a magnificent liger beast whose muscular body moved with surprising lightness despite its considerable size.

They were none other than Lin Mu’s four tamed beasts: Ashy, Xiao Yin, Xiao Yang, and Little Shrubby.

The moment they saw him, all four hurried toward him.

"Master!" Little Shrubby called out eagerly.

Lin Mu smiled. "You arrived faster than I thought."

"I brought them all!" Little Shrubby declared proudly.

The liger had been responsible for gathering the others and bringing them to the agreed location. Considering how easily three of the beasts could become distracted, Lin Mu had expected the task to take somewhat longer.

"Good job." He reached out and petted Little Shrubby’s head.

The liger immediately leaned into his hand, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. His tail swayed from side to side, stirring the grass behind him.

Ashy landed on Lin Mu’s shoulder and tilted her tiny head. "What are we doing, Master? I was getting bored."

Her bright eyes examined his enormous appearance with curiosity. She had already seen him using Mengli Zhenyu’s disguise, so she was familiar with the transformation. Still, she seemed to find his long white beard particularly interesting.

"Are we beating up some baddies?" Xiao Yang asked eagerly.

The white serpent raised his head, looking as though he hoped the answer would be yes.

Xiao Yin slithered closer. "I got tired of playing with the beasts here," she complained. "They don’t even come close to us anymore."

Lin Mu’s expression became slightly strange and glanced toward the surrounding forest. There were plenty of beasts living within the Wild Peak’s wilderness, including several species that ordinary cultivators would consider dangerous.

However, none of them were currently anywhere near the pond. In fact, Lin Mu could sense that the surrounding region had become unusually quiet.

’What exactly have these four been doing?’ he wondered and looked at Xiao Yin.

The black serpent seemed entirely unconcerned.

"They used to be fun to chase," she continued. "But now they run away as soon as they notice us."

Xiao Yang gave an irritated hiss. "Some of them even hide underground!"

Ashy chirped. "And the flying ones don’t come out anymore. They’re so boring."

Lin Mu gave a wry smile as he could easily imagine what had happened.

His four companions had probably spent their free time chasing the local beasts for entertainment. Considering their strength and unusual abilities, the unfortunate creatures would have stood little chance of escaping once the games began.

’Those poor beasts.’ Lin Mu silently offered a prayer for the creatures of the forest.

Hopefully, his companions had at least avoided injuring them too badly. He decided against asking for details as there were more important matters to discuss.

"Well, you won’t have to worry about being bored for a while," Lin Mu said and all four beasts immediately turned toward him.

"I have a mission for you." Their reactions were instantaneous.

"Really!?" Ashy chirped excitedly.

Little Shrubby’s ears perked up while Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang raised their heads together.

"What mission?" the two serpents asked almost in unison.

Lin Mu smiled. "We’re going to investigate some suspicious people within the sect. I need all four of you to help."

The beasts grew even more excited.

"Are they strong?" Xiao Yang asked.

"Some of them might be," Lin Mu answered. "But fighting isn’t our main objective right now. We need to gather information first."

Xiao Yang seemed a little disappointed, though he quickly recovered.

Lin Mu turned toward the tiny black bird perched on his shoulder. "Ashy, I have a particularly important task for you."