68 Moving on.

BOOM! the tent blasted into smithereens. the impact sent Zhi Rui flying.

Han Feng who was in the middle of running, saw as she flew away with blood on her mouth. His eyes gleamed. With a few hand gestures, his body merged with the scenario.The beastly snake seemed confused and hissed a couple of times when suddenly, it felt heat signals and turned to blackie who had barely got away from the destruction.

Zhi Rui managed to land on her feet. Nausea came over her. She crouched down throwing up blood. At the last second, she materialized her energy into a shield, but the impact broke it. She used the impact force to jump backward. she was bleeding from the backlash of the broken magic.

She suddenly caught sight from the corner of her eyes. Guang Jing was a few meters away, behind a tree observing the fight.

She thought about the twin brothers position and a flash of understanding shone in her eyes. But before she could think of anything else, a distressing feeling came from blackie.

She saw with horror, blackie running in her direction with the snake behind her.

The air was dry and the night kept much of the sight hidden. but the beast's sinister's green eyes. shone to her like it was daytime.

'It's a level two beast. it can content with a level three cultivator with ease.'

Clenching her teeth and condensingenergy into her leg, Zhi Rui shot off in blackie's direction

Zhi Rui could feel the fibers of her muscles ripping.It was damaging, but blackie did not have the lightweight spell cast on her. Zhi Rui had to hurry.

The moment the beast raised its body to attack, Zhi Rui's eyes turned bloodshot. She decided to go all out furiously moving her energy to us her Ying tree ability.

She clasped her hands together. Slowly a thin illusory tree of her own size appeared on her back. It was gray with no leaves, emitting a desolate feeling.

Zhi Rui eyes shone. She did not understand what was happening but she materialized her energy enveloping it on her right foot.

Like lightning, the snake launched its maw onto blackie. Zhi Rui shoved her left foot on the ground and with the momentum kicked with the right covered in her energy.

Zhi Rui remembered clearly, one of the Ying tree's defense mechanism was repelling with its materialization of innate yin energy. With that in mind, Zhi Rui swung her feet with all strength she could possibly muster.Hitting the side of the monster gaping maw.

THUMP! The snake's head swayed and it passed a finger away from blackie. Without wasting time, Zhi Rui followed up by materializing her energy from the tip of the index until her elbow. Zhi Rui spearheaded her arm underneath the snake's head. This time her materialized energy did not broke. And she managed to sink her hand until the wrists.

but the creature's body needed at least two people to hug it.The wound only enraged it.

Zhi Rui took blackie casting the lightweight spell. They both ran

Zhi Rui took a deep breath, the monster's enraged grunts sung behind her.

Her feet were trembling with the kick impact. And her muscles were so strained because of her dense energy that they were ripping apart.

Zhi Rui knows blackie was too weak, with a thought they turned to where the other three were.

Han Fei and Chunhue had absurd expressions on their faces. OnlyZhao Lin remained placid.

Han Feng reached them and undid his ability at that exact moment they were shocked.He looked at Zhi Rui coming towards them seeing the tree behind her, he turned aggressively to Han Fei "Didn't she Just reached level two a few days ago!? How come she can already materialize her abilities essence!?"

Nobody answered him. Zhao Lin cleared her throat. "We should help her!"

There was no energy behind her phrase. She knew they were doing this on purpose. But she did not want to inquire Zhi Rui's resentment. so she chose to show her position to Zhi Rui.

Seeing their faces turn from surprise to horror as the snake followed her Zhi Rui smiled. Her blood was pumping,her breath shortened. She wanted to turn and fight it, but her level did not allow.

Seeing as the beast came closer of Zhi Rui. Zhao Lin decided to show some action. She jumped in front of the twin brother and raised her left hand. a three-meter illusory waterfall appeared on her back,

Zhi Rui suddenly felt something midair. She looked up and an enormous drop of water had formed. She stared in wonder as she passed under it.

Zhao Lin opened her eyes "Fall!"

As if it had the weight of a mountain, it smashed down on the beast's head.

Its smashed the ground. Cracks spread like a spiderweb on the ground.

Zhi Rui felt it was her chance. Her body filled with excitement. She did not run away, instead, she turned to face the beast.

Zhao Lin eyes went wide, as did everyone else's.

'This is bad! she will kill it!' Han Feng though as he shot off to attack the snake.

Zhi Rui covered her hand in the materialized energy and concentrated all the energy she had left on her arm muscles. her eyes were red and her smile was hideous.

She shoved it into the beast's confused left eye burying her arm all the way to her shoulder.

Her energy materialized energy cracked and blood oozed out of her mouth. A horrible pain showed her fingers were broken, but her smirk did not change. Rather she rummaged her hand inside its head, feeling it stop moving. Zhi Rui yanked her bloody arm out.

Han Feng stood still. Stomped by the gruesome scene.

Zhi Rui laughed a pang of pain came from her whole body. but she laughed even more.

Blackie approached and licked some blood from her arms.Zhi Rui slowly settled the excitement and killing intent, she looked at the people standing dumbfounded in front of her. suddenly a thought occurred to her. The ruckus was over and the beast, dead. Yet Guan Jing had not appeared. What is he waiting for?

In the middle of her thinking, a swoosh sound came from behind. The world slowed down.

Zhi Rui could see the eyes of Zhao Lin and Han Feng widening in terror.

instinctively she materialized a shield. Suddenly another thought comes to her mind. Coldness spread in her stomach.

'I can withstand it. But blackie is right behind me, with no protection.' She tried to turn around but the snake's thick tail blew both of them away.

Han Feng watched in horror as Zhi Rui and blackie smashed on the floor stopping after at least twenty meters. Zhi Rui's arm was twisted and blackie had its whole ribcage broken apart.

Zhi Rui raised her head and saw blackie a few steps away. She got up and walked with a limp leg slowly. her arm's bone shattered but she ignored it. coughing more blood, she tried to crouch beside blackie but her legs did not allow the motion. She fell trying.

She managed to catch a healing pallet and shoved it on blackie's mouth.

Then with her inner energy, she examined blackie completely.

The pallet did not dissolve. There was no breathing. Zhi Rui sighed.

When the single-eyed snake threatened to attack again, a sudden flash of light pierced the animal right in the middle of the head. Guan Jing's image appeared. He used an advanced light blade spell and put it to death with a surprise attack.

He looked at Zhi Rui's miserable situation, he almost laughed. He knew the importance of a beast tamer's first beast. They grow strong together. He finally thought he paid her back enough. He straightened his stance, with a stern gaze he spoke.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time. Han Fengstarted screaming and I jumped to look for him, I wasted time, when in truth they were already in the camping." Finished, he bowed.

'Apologizing before anything. Have a taste of your own medicine' He thought.

Zhi Rui turned to him, her eyes indifferent. In a tone, only he could hear she spoke: "This pet, was my first one, And one of the few things that brought me joy.I don't feel sad because of attachment or love. It's...it's just, you took away something, that brought me joy. I did not felt solitude, nor bored with it. But dead... When It's dead I cannot do anything. I can only move on and find another."

Her expression was dull. As if it did not matter. she extended her hands above Blackie and its spirit entered her core.

Guan Jing frowned, he expected wailings and even rage. not this, her calm demeanor sent a chill on his back.

Zhi Rui stored Blackie. and again looked atGuang Jing.

"For this, you'll pay dearly."

His whole body turned cold and he had no words to say. for an instant, he froze. he shook the stupor out o him and waved his hand.

"Zhao Lin came in to cure her."

Zhao Lin did as told, when she was healing Zhi Rui she whispered a simply sorry for not being able to heal Blackie.

Zhi Rui smiled gently and nodded. after she got up and walked slowly to the dead snake.

"The beast's remains is to be shared with the group." Guan Jing stated.

Ignoring him, Zhi Rui laid her hands on its head absorbing the beast's remnant spirit.

She turned back and dug a grave and buried blackie.

Zhi Rui set up another tent, she carried five in case of accidents.

Inside her fatigue came over her. Zhi Rui wanted to kill all of them but she needed some of them alive to tell the tale of what happened and raise her reputation.

So she thought, and rationalized, who to spare and who to kill. first, she had to know what happened, it obviously wasn't an accident. But it also seemed too much for it to be murder.

'At midnight Han Feng started screaming from outside, immediatelyGuan Jing disappeared. And Han Fei went to wake the girls leaving me behind.

a moment later Han Feng appeared with a strong beast on his tail.

And Guang Jing who claimed to be able to help instantly withing ten meters was nowhere to be seen...'

Remembering the unnatural way Guan Jing chose the place to sleep, a gleam shone in Zhi Rui's eyes. 'Guan Jing knows this location. He formed a deal with the twins, Han Feng's job was to attract the beast, Han Fei would get the girls ready and they'd use the camp to kill it. While Guan Jing stayed to collect whatever that snake was shielding. He'll probably pay the twins very well for it.'

'That sound blocking barrier was a merely vicious way to get revenge without killing. Killing me after so much public safety assurance from the sect leader's would ruin his reputation heavily. And the sect leader knows that since he put a finger on it. the one overseeing the sect will have eyes on him.'

Understanding things cleary, Zhi Rui Sighed in relief.

Who deserves punishment, and who'll live to tell the tale; already became clear in her mind.