CHAPTER 346: CHAPTER 66: A WOMAN HOLDS THE PASS ALONE

Since then, the Gold Eater Worm gained another nickname, "Zebra Worm," much to its displeasure, but under the tyranny of Snake-haired Little Gore, it had no choice but to accept this new moniker.

Fortune and misfortune are intertwined; the "zebra pattern" was an additional boon gained by the Gold Eater Worm after devouring the Ming Rendie, but aside from this benefit, it also acquired another Dark Technique of the Ming Rendie: Forbidden Space, capable of sealing the Dark Power fluctuations within a hundred meters.

This skill might seem insignificant, but in fact, it holds tremendous advantages. The space Prohibition exhausts a large portion of the enemy’s power and also provides excellent defense. Moreover, in terms of frequency of use, it is far more practical than the less-utilized Insect Extermination Technique of the Gold Eater Worm.

With the disappearance of the Ming Rendie, there was no longer a Beast God on Kalan Peak.

The only regret of this journey was the tragic death of Ah Chu and her child, whose souls had long been devoured by the Ming Rendie.

After properly arranging the corpses of both, Yue Jinghua left the cave.

Outside the cave, Nan Muyu had already led the villagers away.

Trapped in the cave, Yue Jinghua lost track of time, and unbeknownst to her, a day and a night had already passed.

When she entered the cave, it was deep into the night, and when she emerged, the dawn was yet to break, and the stars were faintly visible.

Dark Beasts are always the most sensitive. In just a night, the Dark Beasts in the vicinity seemed to have sensed that the mischievous "Beast God" was dead. A few birds with emerald-green plumage bounced on the treetops at the cave entrance, shaking their bright tails and emitting chirping sounds.

The early morning at Kalan Peak was shrouded in mist. Looking out from this side of the mountain, a breeze of wind blew and the mist crashed against the cliffs like waves, faintly revealing five sword-like high mountains amid the deep clouds.

Five Saints Mountain.

Yue Jinghua stood before the peaks for a moment, and then, between the eastern sea of clouds, the red sun suddenly rose.

In an instant, the many peaks of Xuan Beast Ridge were bathed in the rosy sunlight, and the sea of clouds churned, presenting an incomparably beautiful sight.

Having fought a fierce battle against the Ming Rendie overnight, Yue Jinghua had faced life and death, and after witnessing the tragic state of Ah Chu and her child, she felt a heavy gloom swirling in her chest, the pressure weighing uncomfortably at the bottom of her heart.

She extended her thumb, pressed it to her Dantian, gathered a surge of Dark Power, and shouted loudly.

A roar from the youth, as if to expel all the gloom within her heart.

In the morning, such a sudden shout, like a muffled spring thunder, the sound was deep and resonant, passing through the depths of the cloud sea, and thundering between the mountains.

Yue Jinghua felt her spirits lift considerably, just about to turn and leave.

From the depths of the sea of clouds, a great force suddenly struck, instantly shattering the clouds against the cliff, and the ledge Yue Jinghua stood on was sheared off a large chunk, causing her to uncontrollably plummet downwards.

Below the cliff, the fierce wind was as sharp as knives, and falling would undoubtedly result in bone-shattering devastation.

"Not good," Yue Jinghua’s scalp exploded with dread. She transformed into a Dan Bow, and in a moment as the cliff sheared away, her long legs touched a stone on the mountain, using the momentum to spring back like a flying carp leaping over a dragon gate, she returned to the cliff.

Just as Yue Jinghua heaved a sigh of relief and was about to turn around, she was startled by the sight deep within the sea of clouds.

Above the sky, several hundred sixth-stage Saber-Hawks were densely packed, their brown eagle eyes now unsympathetically staring at Yue Jinghua.

Each of these Saber-Hawks, upon landing, was half the size of a person; with their broad wings spread, they were like sharp, unstoppable cleavers capable of splitting a huge stone into two in an instant.

The fearsomeness of the Saber-Hawks didn’t stop there; not only were they strong in individual combat, but they were also proficient in group attacks. When three Saber-Hawks fought together, they would closely coordinate like a formidable trident, piercing the throat of their enemy.

How did such fierce birds come to be here?

It turned out that Yue Jinghua’s loud shout, initially an expression of frustration, was something she often did when visiting famous mountains and rivers on Earth, occasionally belting out a "Cliff Lion Roar."

However, she forgot one thing—there are no Xuan Beasts on Earth, let alone the kind that doesn’t even announce their presence, calling over a hundred or so hawk brothers.

The nearest peak to Kalan Peak was Fire Phoenix Peak, which was home to Xuan Beasts of the Yi Clan who leave early and return late. Yue Jinghua’s roar, infused with the Nine Revolutions Creation Power, exceptionally imposing, reached the ears of the Saber-Hawks out foraging at dawn, who thought it signaled an invasion. Therefore, they flew over unreservedly.

Fortunately, Yue Jinghua’s mental fortitude was robust; though she desperately wanted to run, blood surging in her chest, she remained calm and still on the cliff, like she was just a stone, tree, or blade of grass on the mountainside.

The mountain wind howled, blowing Yue Jinghua’s sash whistling about.

It was only after more than half an hour had passed that the group of Saber-Hawks lost patience. They screeched briefly, formed an orderly queue, and departed one by one.

Only after the last Saber-Hawk had gone did Yue Jinghua grimace, shuffling her numb feet and running off like a rabbit.

The Five Saints Mountain was indeed no simple matter; even the birds outside the mountains were so formidable, let alone the Beast King that resided within the mountains.

Even the most powerful Dark Practitioner is as insignificant as dust in the face of hundreds or thousands of Xuan Beasts.

Yue Jinghua inwardly cursed her bad luck and headed straight down the mountain.

After entering the mountain and dragging her feet through the caves, an entire day and night had passed. Plus, Nan Muyu had set off earlier; if she didn’t return for too long, the district would likely be in an uproar.

Yue Jinghua thought about her concerns, her feet moving even faster. Fortunately, it was just after sunrise and Kalan Peak was remote, which meant few people frequented this area due to the "Beast God’s" influence.

She sped along as if riding the wind, finishing the hundred zhang climb in less than half an hour. As she reached the foot of Kalan Peak, she saw the noise of wagon and horses ahead; listening closely, they were just two or three miles away and it sounded like a large group of people was approaching.

Yue Jinghua didn’t want to attract attention, so she put on her mask from earlier, reverting to the disguise of a youth. With her head lowered, she slowed her pace and began to walk leisurely.

After passing several clusters of luxuriant spring reeds, she saw a group of men dressed as mercenaries, some driving wagons and others riding horses.

In the middle of the procession, like stars surrounding the moon, two pleasure palanquins were being carried, with two women sitting inside.

In such desolate mountains and wilds, it was necessary to have such a large group of mercenaries for escort. Yue Jinghua curled her lip and did not bother to take a closer look at the women in the palanquins as she passed by.

The group of mercenaries did not notice Yue Jinghua passing by. Although not many people passed through here, it was springtime, and encountering one or two adventurers stepping out for a spring outing was not unusual.

Just then, from inside the palanquin came a displeased voice, "You there, in the White Rhinoceros Armor, yes you—stop."