CH 59

At this moment, rays of sunlight penetrated the thick fog and scattered into the area, revealing a glimpse of the true appearance of the chaotic Kunlun Mountains. The shadows of beasts hidden in the fog were also appearing and disappearing, and the valley echoed with hair-raising screams. The dense fog made the air stagnant, and the pungent smell of blood made people nauseous.

When they saw the hundreds of beasts filling the valley, they shivered involuntarily. Those beasts were like hungry cubs waiting to devour them. One step forward, and it would be a path to slaughter.

They slowed their pace, stepping on snow and corpses, while the beasts in the fog were showing signs of restlessness. The air was filled with murderous intent, making it difficult to breathe.

But as the threat grew more imminent, Jiang Chao Ge was no longer afraid. He exclaimed, “If we manage to kill them all, how much can we sell them for?”

Yu Ren Shu was helpless, “You’re thinking about money at a time like this?”

“How can we survive without money to support us?” Jiang Chao Ge got pissy, “Ruan Qiansu, that wastrel.”

Ruan Qiansu’s voice came from above his head, “What’s wrong with me? I’m listening.”

Jiang Chao Ge forcefully held back his words, and grumbled with disappointment, “Even if we kill them all, we can’t take them with us.”

A voice came from above, “Use the storage bag, you can take them away.”

“Really? The storage bag has this function?”

Long Xiang said, “As long as it’s not alive, you can take it away. The dead beasts are no different from the pork, beef, and mutton we buy.” He spun the Zui You halberd spirit weapon around in his hand, cutting a sharp arc in the air and placing it in front of him. He looked straight ahead with bright eyes, “However, I don’t think you have time to put them in there.”

Jiang Chao Ge wiped the blood from the corner of his eye with his sleeve. The wound on his shoulder, inflicted by the eagle, was aching. The heavy Zhi Xuan Sword gave him a sense of reassurance. He gritted his teeth, “That’s right, because we’ll have to kill everything in our way.”

Tian Rong and Zui You’s running speed gradually increased, almost flying as they rushed deep into the Kunlun Mountains. In the sky, Zheng Chen carried Ruan Qiansu and Yun Xi as they flew swiftly. Four Zhen Niao spread their huge wings and escorted them from the front, back, left, and right, their sharp beaks emitting a hissing sound that seemed to carry a hint of poison.

Yu Ren Shu held his mace, and wore battle armor. His silver hair was even more delicate and smooth than moonlight and mercury, dancing in the wind. The cold metallic colors of his armor matched with the wild and unrestrained amber color of the Tian Rong spirit mace, producing a beauty full of fierceness and killing intent. Yu Ren Shu took a deep breath, and a surge of spiritual power followed the swing of his weapon, splitting apart the dense fog!

Various ferocious beasts rushed forward with their teeth and claws, giving Jiang Chao Ge the feeling of being thrown into a den of tigers and wolves. However, they were not sheep waiting to be slaughtered!

Yu Ren Shu leaped up with his mace, which slammed vertically into the ground with a loud boom. Jiang Chao Ge felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, and a surge of spiritual power spread out from Yu Ren Shu’s body, like a sharp sword shooting in all directions. The ground was cracking open with the force of the Tian Rong spirit mace, and even the weaker beasts were being thrown back by the spiritual power.

A one-eyed five-tailed badger tried to attack Yu Ren Shu from behind, but Tian Rong rushed to the rescue. The two fierce beasts tangled and bit each other, the scene turning bloody.

Long Xiang rode on the back of Zui You, leading the way in front. Zui You’s spirit halberd was five feet in length, even longer than Long Xiang’s height. The advantage of a weapon with such length was that ordinary beasts could not get close. The thrust of his weapon sucked the blood of the enemies, and the crescent blades at both sides caused additional damage. Zui You’s elegant and pure blue fox fur was covered in splattered blood. His nine tails were lowered, and his sharp claws and teeth tore at the enemies, displaying a ferocity that was no less than that of Tian Rong.

Jiang Chao Ge and Zhi Xuan rode on the back of the bison spirit tool, galloping on the trail of blood they had created. Several Zhu Yan birds flew around among the tree branches, avoiding the sweeping attacks of Tian Rong and Zui You, and pounced towards the bison that looked much weaker.

Jiang Chao Ge tightened his legs around the bison’s neck, twisted his waist, and swung his sword, cutting down a Zhu Yan bird, along with a thick tree branch with the same circumference as a thigh. However, before he could turn his head back, he felt a cold breeze behind his head. The fog surrounded him, and if he could feel the wind, then there must be an enemy behind him. He turned around, but it was too late. He threw himself forward, trying to avoid the attack.

Jiang Chao Ge heard the miserable screech of a Zhun Yan bird in his ear, and a burnt smell pervaded the air. He turned around and saw that Zhi Xuan had transformed into a young boy around ten years old, with his hands burning fiercely and clamped on the neck of a bird beast. The entire head of the Zhun Yan was on fire!

Zhi Xuan threw the bird away with a disdainful flick of his hand, turned around, and noticed Jiang Chao Ge looking at him in surprise, “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

“Uh, no…”

“Don’t just stand there!” Zhi Xuan raised a ball of fire in his left hand and threw it towards the back of Jiang Chao Ge. A sneaky bird beast was startled and flapped its wings to fly away.

Jiang Chao Ge quickly turned around to face the enemy. He exclaimed in surprise, “I didn’t expect you to be able to help me.”

Zhi Xuan snorted softly, “Whether or not I can help you, depends on how much spiritual power you can give me.”

Jiang Chao Ge laughed loudly, “Okay, okay!”

In the sky, Ruan Qiansu used her battle axe with extraordinary skill, like a spiritual being, moving among the birds of prey. The sound of wailing continued to come from above, and blood rained down from the sky from time to time. Four Zhen Niao poison birds acted as bodyguards on the outside, biting the weaker beasts, which would instantly die. The more powerful ones would lose their ability to move.

Yun Xi’s face was pale, and he was consuming a large amount of spiritual power, manipulating four poison birds to form an encirclement, preventing the birds of prey from approaching them. He had never seen such a fierce scene in his life. At the time, when he intervened in the battle between Zhi Xuan and Xiao Xue, he realized that Xiao Xue was occupied with his own affairs and had no time to pay attention to him. Secondly, he was a young calf that was not afraid of tigers. He had never seen ancient beasts, so he could not intuitively appreciate their strength. However, these beasts were different, hungry and wanting to tear him apart. Yun Xi couldn’t help but feel terrified.

Ruan Qiansu sensed his tension and whispered: “You need to calm down to reduce the waste of spiritual power. Otherwise, we will die faster.”

Yun Xi took a deep breath. “I…I’m a little scared.”

“Then close your eyes.”

“Close…close my eyes?”

“You give spiritual power to the poison birds and they will attack the enemy by themselves. You just need to control the output of power well. Leave the rest to me.”

Yun Xi hesitated. It wasn’t that he doubted Ruan Qiansu’s strength, it’s just that he was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would never be able to open them again. He didn’t want to die here, there was so much more of this icy world he wanted to see.

Ruan Qiansu’s tone became firmer. “Leave it to me.”

Yun Xi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He controlled the spirit power that had been released erratically due to nervousness and gradually poured it into the poison birds. Because of his concentration, he could sense the birds’ movements, which were all under his control, even which ones were injured or low on stamina. As a spirit tool master and spirit guide, he had no self-protection abilities, and the summoned spirit beasts were his best defensive weapons!

The group continued to kill, leaving behind a bloody path on the Kunlun Mountain, the white snow stained with red. The smell stimulated their senses, driving them to become even more crazy and warlike.

Jiang Chao Ge had not enjoyed killing like this in a long time. During the battle at the Twin Peaks, he was still a novice who could only rely on others for protection, cowering in a corner, depending on favorable terrain and a full-force strike to slay a serpent. However, in just a few months, he had gained the strength of a second-level spirit weapon master. Not only did his spiritual power greatly increase, but his blade skills also improved by leaps and bounds under the guidance and training of Ruan Qiansu and Long Xiang. Without realizing it, he had already become able to stand on his own, protecting himself completely. This made him feel proud and confident.

Since coming to this world, all his past accomplishments and fame had turned into dust. Even the skills he had learned in the underworld were almost useless on this ancient continent. This made him frustrated and indignant for a long time. But now, as he looked at the shattered bodies and splattered blood under his blade, even though he was injured in multiple places, he had only one word in his mind: exhilarating. This was who he was, Jiang Chao Ge! A man who didn’t need to shrink back on the battlefield, but gave his all to kill the enemy.

Jiang Chao Ge and Zhi Xuan stood back to back. In front of them, Tian Rong and Zui You cleared the way, while Ruan Qiansu and Long Xiang were killing fiercely on either side. Above them, Ruan Qiansu and Yun Xi covered one side while the four poison birds acted as guards. They encountered the lightest attacks, but it was enough to keep them busy. Fortunately, they had excellent tacit understanding and followed their teammates to carve out a bloody path, never stopping even for a moment.

As they became increasingly aggressive, more and more beasts began to avoid them. Destroying all they could in their path, their running speed became faster and faster. Finally, Ruan Qiansu and Long Xiang returned to their respective spirit beasts. At this point, no beasts dared to block their path, and they charged past the continuous Kunlun Hills, officially entering the legendary Kunlun Immortal Boundary!

They ran continuously for tens of miles before feeling that they were no longer being chased, and they stopped, gasping for breath.

Jiang Chao Ge fell off the back of the bison, hitting the ground with a thud and panting heavily.

Zhi Xuan jumped to his side and helped him up. “Jiang Chao Ge, where are you injured? Get that spirit guide over here!”

Jiang Chao Ge took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Let him go check on the others for serious injuries.”

“I don’t care,” Zhi Xuan glared at Yun Xi. “Come here quickly.”

Zui You shouted, “No, first come and check Xiao xia’s injuries. He hurt his left rib.” He hugged Long Xiang and gently stroked his face with a distressed expression.

Long Xiang’s eyebrows furrowed tightly, biting his lips and refusing to speak, with small beads of sweat constantly appearing on his forehead, showing his pain.

Yun Xi struggled to walk towards Long Xiang, his spiritual power almost completely depleted, his steps weak. He crouched down to check on him, then took out a medical kit from his storage bag, applied medicine to Long Xiang’s wound and gave him a spirit pill to maintain his vitality. “I am currently unable to treat his injuries. We can only do this for now. I will rest and treat him completely tomorrow.”

Zui You anxiously stroked Long Xiang’s hair, softly saying, “Is it very painful? Relax and look at my eyes. Don’t think about anything else.”

Long Xiang hesitated, “Your sorcery doesn’t work on me.”

“Normally it may not work, but you are currently weakened. Listen to me and completely relax. Just look at my eyes, and the pain will fade away soon.”

Long Xiang took a deep breath, relaxed his body, and looked into Zui You’s mesmerizing eyes. The tenderness in those eyes was so enchanting that it could intoxicate people. Although he was not afraid of Zui You’s sorcery, he was somewhat wary. He never dared to stare at Zui You’s eyes seriously, but now he focused his gaze, unable to describe how beautiful and charming those crimson eyes were. They were as tranquil and mysterious as a pool of water, making people unknowingly drown in them. As he continued to gaze, his eyes gradually lost focus and became empty.

Zui You softly spoke, “Good boy, it doesn’t hurt anymore. You won’t feel any pain now, you’ll fall asleep soon, and when you’re asleep, you won’t feel any pain…”

Long Xiang slowly closed his eyes, his nose lightly twitching as he fell into a deep sleep.

Yun Xi was quite interested, “This technique is good, even better than an anesthetic.”

Zui You hushed him, “Quickly rest, little Xia’s injuries are not light and need timely treatment.”

“I know.”

Yun Xi treated the wounds of Ruan Qiansu, Yu Ren Shu, and Jiang Chao Ge separately. Although their injuries were not too serious, they were all exhausted. Tian Rong and Zheng Chen were so tired that they had returned to their weapons to recover, while Zui You insisted on staying out to take care of Long Xiang.

Zhi Xuan allowed Jiang Chao Ge to lie on his lap and looked at his body full of wounds. Although most of them were only flesh wounds, it still hurt his eyes. Jiang Chao Ge reached out and touched his face, laughing, “Don’t look like that, these injuries aren’t a big deal.”

Zhi Xuan said with a serious expression: “It’s not nothing. You are my person. Your hair, your blood, your skin, all belong to me. No one can touch them! Those sinister beasts… When I recover my true body, I shall level Kunlun Mountains to the ground.”

Jiang Chao Ge couldn’t help but laugh, “We have so much to do when you recover your true form.”

“Of course, I also want to take you to see thousands of rivers and mountains. I run very fast, so wherever you want to go, we can get there in a flash.”

Jiang Chao Ge’s smile grew wider as he thought about traveling the world with Zhi Xuan. It should be a great experience. Compared to Zhi Xuan, his life was short, like the snap of a finger. As long as he didn’t die, it was obvious that Zhi Xuan would accompany him for the rest of his life. He had never thought about living with someone for a lifetime before. He was cool-headed and believed that people would eventually part ways in life. He should not pour too much emotion into anyone, as it would only lead to trouble and trap him. So, he remained alone, not planning to get married or have any descendants. He only wanted to enjoy himself, spend his money, and live his life to the fullest, finishing it with a single kick, happily. But now, he knew that he had a companion who might accompany him for the rest of his life, and that it was Zhi Xuan. He didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with it, but felt that it was only natural. Perhaps only the bond between him and Zhi Xuan, defined by fate, could give him a sense of safety, letting him know that this person would never leave, at least not before him.

Jiang Chao Ge looked up at the treetops through the mist and muttered, “Good, when you recover your true body, we can go wherever we want to go. Who can stop us?”

Zhi Xuan lowered his head, ignoring the presence of others, and touched Jiang Chao Ge’s lips lightly with his own. His long hair cascaded on both sides, covering their faces perfectly. They were obviously engaged in something ambiguous, and Jiang Chao Ge poked at his forehead with his finger, pushing his head away, “Stop fooling around.”

“I’m not fooling around, I just want to kiss you,” Zhi Xuan said softly with genuine confusion, “I don’t know why, I always want to kiss you, anytime, anywhere. Why is that?”

Although he spoke quietly, Jiang Chao Ge was still afraid that others would hear, so he quickly covered his mouth with his hand, “Alright, let’s discuss this privately.”

Zhi Xuan laughed, “I love discussing things privately.”

Jiang Chao Ge’s heart skipped a beat.

Yun Xi was the least injured among them, so he took the initiative to take responsibility for cooking. However, everyone had no appetite due to their injuries, and after reluctantly eating something, they all went to rest.

Zhen Niao stayed around their temporary campsite. If they weren’t exhausted, they would have searched for a safer place, but there was simply nowhere safe around.

Jiang Chao Ge woke up after sleeping for what seemed like an eternity. He was uncertain whether it was day or night, and his entire body ached, making it almost impossible for him to get up. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized that he was on top of Tian Rong, who was moving ahead slowly.

Zhi Xuan gently tapped his face and asked, “Are you awake?”

“How long have I been sleeping?” Jiang Chao Ge asked.

“Almost two days,” Zhi Xuan replied.

“Where are we going?” Jiang Chao Ge asked.

“We don’t know. The compass has lost its efficacy since we entered the Kunlun Immortal Boundary, and we’re completely lost,” Yun Xi’s voice came from behind.

“And it’s highly likely that we’re just going around in circles,” Ruan Qiansu added. She swung her battle axe, cutting off a tree branch as proof. There was a fresh cut underneath indicating her mark that she had made a few hours ago.

Jiang Chao Ge frowned, “So, we’re really lost.”

“It’s even more complicated than that,” Yu Ren Shu spoke in a deep voice, “We’re trapped in the mist. It’s rumored that the mist in the Kunlun Immortal Boundary has a hallucinogenic effect, looks like it’s true.”

Zhi Xuan said, “Yin Chuan seemed to have mentioned the mist in the Kunlun Immortal Boundary to me…but I can’t remember.”

Yun Xi held his head: “Oh, you’re going to make me die of anxiety.”

Zhi Xuan snorted and turned his head arrogantly.

Jiang Chao Ge said, “Since we’re just going around in circles, let’s not waste our spiritual energy. Let’s take a break and let Zhi Xuan think about it carefully.”

The group had no choice but to stop and rest again.

Tian Rong said, “I feel like something has been following us all the time, but I can’t be sure.”

Zui You said, “I feel it too, but it might not be coming after us. It could be a nearby beast.”

Zhi Xuan scratched his head and frowned, trying to remember. He muttered to himself, “What did Yin Chuan say…what did he say…” Finally, he became angry, turning red, “He said too much nonsense. How could I remember?”

Jiang Chao Ge wryly smiled, “Don’t be impatient. Shall I ask you how this mist is produced?”

“It is said that it was originally a martial art of a great wizard in Kunlun Mountain. To prevent outsiders from entering and disturbing their tribe, the mist became thicker and thicker over time, and lasted all year round.”

“Is there anything hallucinogenic in this mist?”

“It seems so, but I can’t remember.”

“How did you enter and exit the Kunlun Immortal Boundary?”

“I just ran around in a few steps.”

Jiang Chao Ge sighed, “Think about it again, don’t be impatient.”

Yun Xi walked around, observing the nearby trees, flowers, and grass with a thoughtful expression.

Suddenly, Tian Rong’s ears perked, “It’s back, that elusive spiritual power.”

“What is it?” Yu Ren Shu shouted, “If you have the ability, come out and don’t hide!”

The mountain forest was silent, with no response at all.

Yu Ren Shu messed up his hair irritably, “Damn it, damn it!”

Yun Xi said, “Stay calm. This mist is likely to affect people’s emotions. You’ve already been affected.”

Yu Ren Shu was stunned for a moment, and seemed to realize that his usual temper wasn’t as irritable. He took a deep breath and calmed down.

The group fell into a long silence, seemingly at a loss of what to do.

Suddenly, a strange laughter echoed through the forest. The laughter was eerie, hiding behind the thick fog, making it hair-raising!

Jiang Chao Ge shouted, “Who’s there? Come out!”

The laughter didn’t answer, only chuckled for a moment before suddenly disappearing, as if it had never appeared.

Ruan Qiansu said uneasily, “Was it just our hallucination?”

The group was unable to answer the question. The laughter came and went without a trace, as if it was really just a hallucination.

After a while, the laughter sounded again. This time, it was no longer hiding in the thick mist, but seemed to be right behind them, laughing in their ears, making their hair stand on end!

Yu Ren Shu jumped up from the ground and pulled out his Tian Rong spirit mace, roaring, “Who’s there! Who is it!” After shouting a few times without anyone responding, he couldn’t restrain himself and rushed towards the thick mist.

Long Xiang wanted to jump up from the ground to stop him, but it pulled at his wound, causing him to grimace in pain.

Tian Rong leaped up and used a claw to pin Yu Ren Shu to the ground. He then growled loudly into Yu Ren Shu’s ear, causing his face to suddenly change and his eyes to clear up a bit. Tian Rong said, “You have consumed too much spiritual power, and your body is weak and susceptible to illusions. Let me return to my weapon.”

Yu Renshu shook his head after rubbing his sore head with some force. He hugged his neck and stood up before saying calmly, “Turn into human form.”

Tian Rong immediately took human form.

Yu Renshu pinched his shoulder and said, “Just stay by my side.”

Tian Rong nodded.

Yu Ren Shu rubbed his aching head. He had consumed the most during the battle and was inevitably exhausted. Under the influence, he finally blocked his ears and resisted the occasional laughing sound, which was like a ghost appearing.

The laughter appeared and disappeared repeatedly, gradually driving not only Yu Ren Shu, but also the others to become restless, anxious and fearful. They felt as if they were being watched by eyes in the mist, and as if there were enemies lurking around them, ready to attack and kill them at any moment.

At this time, only a few strange beasts were not affected by the mist, but they could not stop their own spirit users from falling into the trap of illusion step by step.

Zhi Xuan watched as Jiang Chao Ge’s face was covered with sweat, his pupils dilated and as he constantly fell into illusions, only to be awakened by himself. This repeated mental torture almost exhausted him.