Chapter 825: This Time it’s... Godherald of Starfire

Chapter 825: This Time it’s... Godherald of Starfire

The Great Hunt was a very important event for their species. Participants included, not just their own subsidiary species, but outside cultivators as well. Everyone had a chance to earn the qualifications. Xu Qing was a good example. Because of that there was no set number of participants.

However, there were a limited number of forbidden mountains. With so many cultivators participating, securing one of those forbidden mountains was no easy task. That wasn’t to mention that the requirement to pass the round was three mountains. At a certain point, the only way to collect enough forbidden mountains was to fight with other participants. That was the only way to meet the basic standard.

Of course, the Firemoon Darkheavens didn’t want people who merely met the basic standard. They valued strength, and as a result, there would always be very fierce fighting. As the Firemoon Darkheavens tried to raise venomous bugs in a jar, things would happen such as what Xu Qing and the Captain had just heard about.

Special forbidden regions were being opened.

In the first round of the Great Hunt, there would always be participants who were members of the nobility subservient to one of the Firemoon Darkheavens’ three grand stewards. Depending on the requirements from the temples of the gods, they would open their personal forbidden regions for use in the competition. And instead of discouraging fighting and robbing, they actually promoted it.

Vortexes of flesh and blood could be found throughout Firemoon Darkheaven regions, which would lead directly to those forbidden regions. As a result, the first round of the Great Hunt was widely promoted, and would attract chosen among chosen.

That said, due to terrain and travel limitations, it was almost impossible for all the participants to show up at one specific forbidden region at the same time. Normally speaking, local cultivators would get the news first, and would flock to be the first to enter.

Right now, a vortex of flesh and blood had appeared in the northwestern part of the eighth region, in the territory of a Firemoon noble. The area was normally kept sealed, with an outer layer that shone with golden light, and indicated that the area was private property.

The forbidden region inside was so large it took up about half of an entire prefecture. The mutagen was so dense it formed a mist. There were a large number of mutant beasts as well. Taking in the forbidden region as a whole, it was actually not very far from becoming a forbidden ground. It was filled with jungles, rivers of poison, villages of grues, as well as some astonishing forbidden mountains.

Hovering in the air above the tallest of the mountains was a magnificent palace. There were two rows of statues leading into it. And in the depths of the palace hall, seated on a throne, was a hulking figure with his forehead resting on his palm. He seemed to be dozing. He appeared to be middle-aged, and glowed with golden light. He was mighty, with Smoldering God fluctuations that could crush worlds.

He was the Firemoon noble who owned this forbidden region. He had opened the place to honor the orders given by the temples of the gods. He also happened to be somewhat interested in the chosen cultivators participating in the event. That was why he had come in person to see what promising individuals might rise to prominence in his forbidden region.

Of course, there were also some unwritten rules that everyone had to comply by, which included him.

As the appointed time neared, the Firemoon noble opened his eyes and sighed. That exhalation caused heaven and earth to dim, and kicked up intense winds. The golden barrier that covered the forbidden region then collapsed.

It turned into a golden mist that swept inward toward the palace hall. A moment later, it entered the hall, and the Firemoon noble inhaled it.

Then the Firemoon noble spoke in a cool voice that echoed out in all directions like heavenly thunder. “The forbidden region is now open. Put on a good show, ya little punks.”

Chosen Firemoon cultivators who had been waiting in the area immediately started moving into the forbidden region at top speed.

“That palace looks very out of place,” the Captain said in a low voice. “I’d say it probably belongs to a Firemoon noble. Someone important must be here to watch the show. There have already been a lot of deaths here in the past seven days, little Ah Qing. I can smell the blood.”

Xu Qing nodded. He had just spotted some bloodspirit weeds nearby that looked unusually healthy. It was a plant that thrived by absorbing death auras. When things died near them, their leaves would automatically turn in that direction.

In fact, as Xu Qing was looking around at the bloodspirit weeds, their leaves stirred and all pointed in one specific direction, whereupon they started wriggling as if absorbing something. Xu Qing didn’t do anything in response. However, the identity medallion the clay fox had given him pulsed, and then caused him to turn invisible. Meanwhile, the Captain squatted next to a tree and transformed into a worm.

After enough time passed for half an incense stick to burn, they detected sounds from not too far away.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed as he waited.

A figure appeared, racing in their direction. It was a young Firemoon Darkheaven with a cultivation base in Spirit Trove. That said, his cultivation base was unstable, and he was clearly injured, with a listless expression and a mouth stained with blood.

He looked anxious. As he got close to Xu Qing, he suddenly stopped and looked around. Seeing nothing seemed to make him even more nervous, and he opened his mouth to speak.

That was when a sound rang out that sounded like metal grating against stone. A figure neared in a bright red sea of flames.

“Since we happened to run into each other, Master Gravesparrow,” he said in a sinister voice, “why don’t we settle our old grudge once and for all. Where do you think you’re going to run to?”

The speaker stopped in midair, revealing himself to be another young Firemoon Darkheaven. Flames covered him, which was something Xu Qing hadn’t seen among other Firemoon Darkheaven cultivators. Astonishingly, he had two forbidden mountains orbiting above his head.

“Old grudge??” snapped Master Gravesparrow, his eyes burning with fury. “You know full well which of us started that grudge!”

Master Gravesparrow suddenly turned to the side and bowed, his expression one of piety as he loudly said, “I, Master Gravesparrow, chief legate of Steward Deepspirit of the Starfire Temple, offer respectful greetings to the godherald of Starfire!”

The pursuing cultivator looked around in surprise. However, there was nothing more than silence after that.

Master Gravesparrow’s complexion turned a bit more ashen. At the same time, the pursuing cultivator chuckled softly.

The Firemoon noble in the golden temple opened his eyes. “Well, isn’t this interesting?”

As the words left his mouth, he slowly pointed at the spot where Xu Qing stood invisibly in the forbidden region.