Chapter 223: Yellow Omen

Inside the spatial teleportation portals was a seemingly endless snowy plain that stretched across for hundreds of thousands of miles. 

No Heavenly King would be able to traverse this massive length of snowy plains even if they were given months of time.

On the snowy plain, expanding all across it, was a beautiful snowy forest. 

The trees all varied in height, some being so close to the ground while others were miles deep into the skies. There were numerous caves and large pit holes inhabiting all over this snowy forest.

This snowy forest had a particular design as it was constructed to be a confusing maze with endless twists and turns and dead ends. 

Residents of the Plunged Tundra know this Land as one of Plunged Tundra's forbidden lands.

These perilous lands aren't easily accessible to any general or even expert cultivator. 

Normally, not even the New Branch City City Lords should have access to this forbidden Land. However, because of the Ice Nine Tail Sect's overwhelming resources and power, they had limited access to it.

In this dangerous Land, there was an endless count of monstrously powerful Spirit Monster roaming all over the place. 

If any Heavenly King were to go unprepared here even if they were at the tenth level, the very peak of the Heavenly Transformation realm. They would still get brutally torn by the dangers lurking within here.

Although where there's massive danger, there are always excellent lucky chances and Heavenly Class treasures. 

But, there was one monumental change that had suddenly occurred within this independent realm that shook all Mercenary squadron groups here.

The sky, which should always be a sky blue color, had drastically changed. 

Now a sickly yellow had mixed into the sky, reaching across the whole independent realm!

Nobody was even sure how'd it happen. 

The only thing the Mercenary squadron group felt was a slight shake from the ground. And the next thing they knew, the sky had shifted to a pale yellow color in the snap of a split second. 

As cultivators and Mages alike stared up in the now sickly yellow sky, there wasn't a single one that didn't feel a sudden slight dread fill their veins.

Whatever caused the sky to shift was most obviously a looming omen. 

However, this didn't stop any Mercenary squadron group. They all continued about the Mercenary Exchange Event, believing that the scenery changed just for some odd reason that won't matter in the long run.

When the sky had so suddenly changed, the Mercenary Exchange Event was only beginning. 

All Mercenary squadron groups had just left their teleportation portals, none encountering any Spirit Monster where they landed. 

And very, very soon, they all were about to experience a hell they could've never expected.

….

At one particular spot in the massive snowy forest, a squadron group of six were cautiously approaching a striking sight. 

This squadron made sure to keep their Heavenly auras as suppressed as much as possible. At the same time, they quietly shuffled through trees and snowy bushes.

This particular Mercenary squadron group hails from Kilri Circle Mercenary group. 

They were about hundreds of feet away from the target they had their sights on. But with their Heavenly eyes, it was effortless for them to see up to that distance.

The sight was a colossal Spirit Monster boar-type creature. 

This vicious towers over twenty feet in height and sported far more intimidating features than the Spirit Monsters outside of this independent realm.

Even from a long distance away, the Kilri Circle squadron group could still perceive this Spirit Monster aura. 

It was firmly at the eighth level of the Heavenly Transformation realm! 

And at the top of this vast Spirit Monster head was a long single branch extending far out like a horn.

At the tip of the branch was a round blue color fruit with small spikes extending out of it. The spikes had covered the whole fruit, giving it a peculiar exotic design. 

When seeing this exotic fruit, the Kilri Circle squadron members' eyes all began to lit up with greed.

"What luck! Not even a few meters in, and we already found a Heavenly treasure! This Qi root fruit will benefit all of us greatly." The only seventh level Heavenly King of their squadron had spoken out loud.

This seventh level Heavenly King was the leader of this squadron, and his greedy sentiments were shared by the other members. 

The other members were all sixth-level Heavenly Kings. Their squadron formation was a typical standard among all Mercenaries groups.

Even if there weren't multiple seventh-level Heavenly Kings on the same squadron, they all exuded stable confidence. 

It didn't matter that they were about to face an eighth-level Heavenly King to get the Qi Root fruit. Everyone in the squadron was adequately prepared with numerous talisman and Spirit Artifacts that can majorly change the tide of battle.

Although, this didn't mean there wasn't any risk in trying to get this Heavenly Class treasure. One careless mistake could end up in a disastrous result for them all. 

But the Kilri Circle squadron members all determined the risk was worth it.

The Qi Root fruit significantly helps speed up cultivation for most tier of cultivators. This treasure fruit will majorly enhance the amount of Qi one can absorb and comprehend, allowing for a chance for someone to achieve a bottleneck breakthrough.

And as they were all experienced Mercenaries cultivators, the Kilri Circle squadron members didn't let their greed make them act rashly. 

They slowed their traveling speed and were just about to prepare a course of action.

Every squadron member had their eyes focused on the Spirit Monster, just in case anything surprising were to occur. But, even though the sky may have oddly changed, none of the squadron members believed it would change the environment or Spirit Monsters.

"Alright, you lot listen up." The seventh level Heavenly King quietly called out, keeping his voice just high enough for the other members to hear. 

"First, we're-wha?" 

The seventh level Heavenly King abruptly stopped talking. 

None of the other members question why he stopped as their minds were also caught in surprise.

From up ahead, the Spirit Monster boar creature that had its eyes peacefully closed during this short span of time had suddenly flung open its eyes! 

The Kilri Circle squadron didn't expect this at all. From their years of experience, they all precisely know these Spirit Monsters won't react at all when sleeping unless they get close to them.

And at the speed they traveled, and the noise they made, the Kilri Circle squadron were a hundred percent sure the Spirit Monster would stay asleep. 

Yet, against all expectations, the Spirit Monster had magically awakened.

More confusion swirled in the Kilri Circle squadron member's eyes as the Spirit Monsters' eyes weren't anything they've seen before. 

Though they encountered numerous Spirit Monsters, none of them had this unique quality like what this vicious beast had. Deep within the Spirit Monster's eyes, a deep yellow hue was nestling within it. 

And in the immediate instance, the Spirit Monster awoke, and the Kilri Circle squadron noticed the beast's strange yellow hue eyes, the beast instantly reacted!

Its eyes explosively burst with a savage, feral glow as if it lost all sanity upon awakening! 

The colossal Spirit Monster suddenly stood right up on its hind leg and then, 

"KWAAA!!" 

A tremendous roar blasted from the Spirit Monster's mouth!

The Spirit Monster's mighty shout caused a chaotic whirlwind, ripping the air currents to shreds, violently quake the ground, and even topple down several massive trees. 

"AH!! Damn!!" All of the Kilri Circle squadron members shrieked as they felt their eardrums painfully burst!

Everything happened so sudden and abrupt they didn't even get a chance to think about escaping before the Spirit Monster unleashed that ear-splitting roar. 

The Kilri Circle squadron had to frantically erupt their Heavenly Qi just to form a powerful barrier around their ears.

When they made the Heavenly Qi barrier, the Kilri Circle squadron member felt some of the pain in their ears alleviate. 

But right then, all of them suddenly felt the ground quake once again. 

'Rumble~!!' 

The Kilri Circle squadron members looked on ahead to see the Spirit Monster boar creature frantically thrashing about. It was as if it was undergoing its own mental hell, wildly flailing about with an increasingly insane look in its eyes.

"RWAAA!!!" 

"SKWAA!!!"

"CRAAA!!!"

As the Kilri Circle squadron members watch the raging Spirit Monster boar, they suddenly hear numerous other roars blare out at the same time. 

Like the Spirit Monster boar, these roaring shouts all had the same insane feral tone and intense destructive force about them.

"Nnng!! Just what the hell is going! Something like this never happened before!" One of the Kilri Circle squadron members shouted in absolute confusion. 

They all stood rooted to their spots since if they were to stop surging Heavenly Qi to their ears, they would surely lose their hearing to these roars.

The seventh level Heavenly King wanted to regain his bearings, but it was proving to be strikingly difficult with each passing second. 

With these powerful shots going off, even the seventh level Heavenly King was beginning to feel his consciousness become a bit dazed. The other squadron members were quickly losing consciousness faster than the seventh-level Heavenly King. 

And right when they all were nearing the borders of coming to passing out, the booming roars had finally quieted down.

In just a second, all loud and roaring Spirit Monsters abruptly went silent, turning everything back to an eerie silence. 

"Eh??" 

All of the Kilri Circle squadron members were puzzled. With how abrupt the noise went away, it almost felt like whiplash to them.

"Shit, I don't know what's going on, but we ne-"  The seventh level Heavenly King couldn't finish his sentence. Not when an immense aura suddenly blasted right towards him, tightly suppressing his body!

"Shit!!" 

The seventh level Heavenly King and the other squadron members all loudly cursed as their bodies were locked by this aura. 

They all identified this power. It came precisely from the eighth level Heavenly King Spirit Monster hundreds of feet away from them.

And when the Kilri Circle squadron members tossed their eyes back on the Spirit Monster boar, their eyes widened. 

A suffocating dread of imminent death burst within their minds.