CH 67

Half asleep, Jiang Chao Ge suddenly heard a chilling call from the distant mountains that made his hair stand on end. His body trembled and became alert.

Zhi Xuan grabbed his hand, “It’s the call of a Fei Yi. Don’t worry, it’s far away.”

The others were also awakened from their light sleep and quickly became alert.

Sisi rubbed his nose, “I’ve always wanted to catch a Fei Yi to make a bow, but weaker ones don’t have enough skin and the big ones are too hard to beat.”

“We saw a flying claw made from a Fei Yi outside the mountain,” Jiang Chao Ge said quietly.

“Fei Yi is not suitable for making bows,” Yun Xi said. “Snake bones are suitable for making weapons with flexible joints, such as flying claws, section whips, and section clubs. Snake skin is suitable for making soft whips or soft armor. Fei Yi’s wing bones can barely be used for a bow, but it would be more ideal if the size is large enough. Like you said, if we encounter such a large Fei Yi, we can only run.”

Sisi asked in amazement, “How do you know so much?”

“I am a spirit tool craftsman.”

“You’re also a spirit tool craftsman?” Sisi looked at him incredulously.

Yun Xi glanced at him, “Why can’t I be a spirit tool craftsman?”

“Then what kind of beasts are most suitable for making bows?” 

Yun Xi stroked his chin, “Many of us believe that the leg bones of large beasts are the most suitable for making bows, but I prefer fish or bird wing bones. Bows made from these materials are more flexible than wooden bows, but still not too rigid. If suitable animal bones cannot be found, it’s better to use a wooden bow.”

Sisi snapped his fingers, “Our people have been using bows for thousands of years, and your insights are similar to ours. Many people think that using a spiritual tool to make a bow can give them an extra safeguard, but after I lost my bow, I’ve been using a wooden bow. The best accuracy and maximum potential of a bow is my greatest protection. I don’t need beasts to protect me.”

Ruan Qiansu looked at him and said, “In the end, it’s because you sold your spirit weapon.”

“Hahaha, what does a child know?” Sisi laughed awkwardly and climbed up a tree. “Let’s go, since there’s a Fei Yi in the southeast, we’ll take a detour.”

In order to conceal their tracks, the group’s spirit beasts transformed into human forms and walked through the dense forest on foot.

Sisi quacked like a duck the whole way and seemed to have endless energy. He jumped up and down and moved through the towering trees and craggy rocks with ease.

Yun Ren Shu quietly told Jiang Chao Ge that this level of strength and agility couldn’t be gained just by training or inherited gifts from parents. It must be some kind of skill of the Tuozu tribe, combined with a long-term cultivation of spiritual power. Sisi was one of the most skilled people in this.

Jiang Chao Ge believed this because when they were ambushed outside the Tuozu village, the people there were more agile than normal people when climbing trees. However, they were still inferior to Sisi.

After walking for a long time, Yun Xi’s stamina couldn’t keep up. He summoned a horse to ride on, which made Sisi mock him.

After walking for a while, Zhi Xuan didn’t want to walk anymore. The mud and water on the ground dirtied his clothes, so he transformed back into his child form and let Jiang Chao Ge carry him.

Seeing Yun Xi exhausted, Zhi Xuan leaned his small head on Jiang Chao Ge’s face and affectionately rubbed his cheek against it. “Chao Ge, are you tired?”

“Not at all.” He carried Zhi Xuan’s sword, a backpack, and the little predecessor on his back but still felt like they weighed nothing. With the increase in spiritual power, the strengthening of his physical fitness had skyrocketed. He could easily wield a heavy sword with one hand, jump seven or eight meters high onto the back of Tian Rong, and wear only a thin coat when it was freezing. In his previous world, his physical abilities had already surpassed that of a normal human.

Zhi Xuan then comfortably nestled on him, admiring the scenery while lost in thought.

Jiang Chao Ge asked, “Yun Xi, hasn’t your physical endurance improved?”

Yun Xi shook his head and replied, “That’s because we have different paths in spiritual power cultivation.”

“Oh?” Jiang Chao Ge became interested. “I only know that there are three different paths, which are the spiritual weapon user, spiritual tool craftsman, and spiritual priest. But I don’t know the specifics of their differences.”

“In simple terms, those who practice the spiritual weapon user path, like you guys, have the most noticeable changes in physical endurance. Your strength, speed, agility, and even resistance to toxins, impact, and wound healing speed can all be enhanced. It’s a path naturally designed for warriors. However, the spiritual priest is completely different. This path adjusts your body from within, slowing down aging, eliminating diseases, and long-term elimination of unhealthy factors in your body, while greatly extending your lifespan. The most important thing is that this path not only gives you good health, but you can also use your spiritual power to help others heal their injuries or even temporarily lend your spiritual power to others. This is a selfless and beneficial skill. But because the goals are too different, the spiritual weapon user and soul priest cannot be practiced together. The spiritual tool craftsman’s practice is in between. It can improve a person’s physical endurance a little, but its main function is to sense beast souls and summon them, forge spiritual devices using one’s own spiritual power. Additionally, summoning spiritual beasts as a spiritual tool craftsman requires less power than others. At the same time, it also makes your brain clearer, strengthens your memory, and is able to absorb more knowledge.”

Jiang Chao Ge laughed, “It’s a pity that you can’t have all three, otherwise, you would become an almighty god.”

“That’s for sure. Most people would already be considered successful if they can master one type of skill in their lifetime. Usually, those who try to learn two will end up not being proficient in either,” Yun Xi said.

Yun Ren Shu then asked, “What about you?”

Yun Xi replied seriously, “I am exceptionally intelligent, so I have learned both types of skills well.”

Sisi mocked from the treetop, “You aren’t humble at all.”

“I’m stating the facts. Based on my age, I haven’t seen many people with higher cultivation than me.”

Jiang Chao Ge winked, “So, we have found a treasure.”

Yun Xi raised his eyebrows and chin slightly, obviously proud, but did not want to show it.

“It’s fortunate that the paths of a spiritual weapon user and spiritual priest cannot be learned together, otherwise, the opponent would have been very powerful,” Long Xiang said.

Jiang Chao Ge sighed, “That’s right. Whether a person can attune with their spiritual weapon or not depends on their innate spiritual perception, not on which skill they practice. If a powerful spiritual weapon is bound by a spiritual priest, it would be difficult to defeat.”

Yun Ren Shu nodded, “Everything has its pros and cons. We won’t know until we actually fight. In my opinion, it’s a waste to have a powerful spiritual weapon bound by a spiritual tool craftsman or a spiritual priest. In the past, if we found a Heaven-ranked spiritual weapon, we wouldn’t let the spiritual tool craftsman or the spirit priest try to use it even if there was a match.”

Yun Xi pouted and whispered, “It’s even more wasteful to not use a spiritual weapon at all.”

Yun Ren Shu turned his head to look at him, “After binding to a Heaven-ranked spiritual weapon, only the spiritual weapon user can use it until they die. If it’s bound by a spiritual priest, they won’t be able to use the weapon to protect themselves properly. It’s like an unarmed person entering a robber’s den with a box of jewels, they are just seeking death. Spiritual beasts themselves are not willing to collaborate with weak humans and will find ways to suck their spiritual power. If it were you, would you dare to bind to it?”

Yun Ren Shu’s tone was calm as usual, yet he exuded an intimidating aura. Yun Xi shrank his neck and moved away.

Jiang Chao Ge laughed, “Don’t scare him.”

Yun Ren Shu shrugged, “I’m not. I’m just stating the facts. Therefore, even though spiritual weapon users and spiritual priests have the ability to summon spiritual weapons, there is not a single Heaven-ranked spiritual weapon that is controlled by them, and even mythic-ranked spiritual weapons are rare. It’s simple logic. They can’t protect themselves, so they can’t keep their weapons. The most powerful attack ability for a spiritual tool craftsman is summoning spiritual beasts. The spiritual power they expend is less than what we expend, and their control is stronger. And spiritual priests usually don’t face attacks.”

Zhi Xuan shook Jiang Chao Ge’s neck, “Did you hear that? I’ve been telling you to change your cultivation path. You only need to summon me out.”

Jiang Chao Ge smiled bitterly, “It’s too late now.” Besides, he enjoyed holding a sword and feeling in control of his own destiny.

Before the sun set, they had climbed over a mountain peak. The further they went towards Xuan Yuan Hill, the warmer the climate became. The snow and frozen soil had long been left behind, and the dense forest seemed endless. In some places, the tree canopy was so dense that it almost blocked out the sky. As the light gradually dimmed and the sun set, they heard the sound of Fei Yi’s cries again. Except this time, it was more than one.

Sisi quickly hid them.

Jiang Chao Ge looked up from the gap between the tree canopies, and saw a row of large and small black shadows flying low in the sky with their long, snake-like tails swaying gracefully. The wind generated by their flapping wings rustled the leaves.

Everyone held their breath in hiding, whether or not they had seen Fei Yi before. They all knew the dangerous nature of this venomous winged snake. It was already difficult to deal with one, let alone a group.

Once the group of Fei Yi had flown away, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued on their way. However, not long after they started walking, they heard the trees behind them rustling. When they turned around, they saw several black Fei Yi flying towards them with one head and two bodies, six feet long and four wings just like Shen Yan Suo’s Fei Yi but much smaller in size. However, they still appeared just as ferocious and frightening.

Sisi said, “There are too many, let’s run.”

Tian Rong and Zui You transformed instantly and the others lept onto their backs, running as fast as they could.

They had not learned much else these days, but running away was something they were experts at.

The Fei Yi were fast in the sky because there were no obstacles, but when flying low to the ground, trees and other obstacles made it impossible for them to catch up to Tian Rong and Zui You. The group ran frantically and soon left the Fei Yi behind. But to their surprise, the Fei Yi had some tactical ability; they left a few to block their path from the southwest and attacked from both sides. With no other choice, they had to run towards the north, only to realize there was another ambush ahead.

“Damn, they’re actually intelligent?” Jiang Chao Ge couldn’t believe it.

Sisi said, “There must be some Fei Yi with cultivation of over a thousand years. Can you live for a thousand years without being smart?”

Jiang Chao Ge couldn’t help but glance at Zhi Xuan.

Zhi Xuan glared at him. “What?”

“Nothing…” Jiang Chao Ge suddenly thought, “Wait, why is there no ambush on this side? Are they driving us in one direction?”

Sisi grabbed his hair, “It seems like it…but no, we’ve finally found our way, we can’t get lost again. Let’s keep running to the southwest. If there are more obstacles, we’ll fight.”

As the monsters flew towards them, everyone grabbed their weapons.

Jiang Chao Ge gritted his teeth, “Sisi, you want a Fei Yi? We’ll get you one today.”

Sisi laughed, “Alright, I want the biggest one!” He raised his bow, and the arrow shot through the clouds, directly towards the Fei Yi at the front.

The arrow struck true, hitting the snake head dead center. The Fei Yi let out a cry and fell to the ground, its two snake bodies writhing and rolling together. It shook its head violently, slamming into the ground and finally managed to scrape off the bamboo arrow before staggering back up into the air.

Sisi cursed, “How lucky can it be?” He shot another arrow, piercing through the Fei Yi’s neck, but it still wouldn’t die.

“I think we need to aim for the eyes,” said someone.

“It’s too dark, and the eyes are on the sides of the head. It’s impossible to hit them from the front,” Sisi said quickly.

Yu Ren Shu said, “Then leave it to me.” He shouted, “Tian Rong, charge forward!”

Tian Rong ran forward recklessly, and Yu Ren Shu swept his mace in a half arc, releasing a powerful burst of spiritual power. A fierce wind rose, causing the forest to tremble as trees and branches snapped and leaves flew everywhere. The three Fei Yi at the front, with their bodies crushed by invisible forces, fell to the ground in twisted shapes.

Jiang Chao Ge knew that Yu Ren Shu was powerful, but his attack today was even more advanced than before. It seemed like he didn’t have to open his eyes or aim when attacking; he could accurately capture his prey without wasting any spiritual power. If it weren’t for the fact that Jiang Chao Ge knew Yu Ren Shu had been training day and night, he would have suspected that he was holding back his true strength.

Sisi’s mouth dropped open, “Unity of man and weapon…”

“What?” Jiang Chao Ge asked.

Long Xiang exclaimed in surprise, “Unity of man and weapon, the first level of using spiritual power with a spiritual weapon.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll explain it later,” Yu Ren Shu shouted, “Zui You, don’t stop, keep running!”

Zui You followed behind Tian Rong, pouncing on the approaching Fei Yi from left and right. The Fei Yi’s attack strength lay in its claws and venomous teeth. While Tian Rong and Zui You had stronger claws, they still had to avoid poison. Tian Rong had experience fighting Fei Yi; he jumped up and didn’t bite the neck, but opened his mouth wide and bit off the Fei Yi’s head.

Zui You imitated him, also trying to swallow the Fei Yi’s head whole.

The Fei Yi, however, was not to be trifled with, using its six clawed appendages to scratch their skin, fur, and flesh.

Long Xiang grabbed one Fei Yi’s wings and leapt onto its back, using his halberd to pierce its body before jumping back to the ground. He swept his weapon horizontally, drawing a circle in the air and eliciting countless cries of anguish.

Jiang Chao Ge stepped on the back of a zhen niao, fearlessly swinging his big sword and his eyes turning redder with every kill. He had a special hatred for the Fei Yi. He knew they were not related to Shen Yan Su’s spiritual beasts, but he still hated these vicious beasts to the extreme. Remembering his own weakness and helplessness when he first encountered the Fei Yi, his resentment grew stronger, venting all of his anger on them, crazily killing in all directions.

The group of Fei Yi were only slightly larger than the zhen niao and didn’t pose a significant threat to them. However, their numbers were vast and soon, the Fei Yi that had been surrounding them from other directions also flew over. Helplessly, they could only run towards the only safe direction. Although they knew they might be falling into a trap, they had no better choice. If they fought against hundreds of Fei Yi, they couldn’t guarantee that everyone would be able to escape unscathed.

They ran about four or five miles north, but the Fei Yi were chasing them relentlessly. They came across a deadly cliff.

Sisi cursed, “We can’t run any further.”

Ruan Qiansu asked urgently, “What do we do? Fly over?”

Yun Xi said, “No, we can’t. We won’t be able to beat Fei Yi in the air. They have wings.”

They saw hundreds of winged-snakes chasing them from behind, and ahead was an abyss that couldn’t be crossed. They thought it was the reason those beasts were driving them in this direction, but they didn’t expect two pairs of black wings to suddenly rise up from below the cliff, followed by a large black head and two long snake bodies that forked out from the head.

A giant Fei Yi that was three or four times larger than Shen Yan Su’s Fei Yi flew up from the bottom of the cliff. Its twisted muscles, huge wingspread, and venomous snake eyes made it look like a demon from hell. It was even more terrifying than a Luo fish and was the most vicious beast they had ever seen besides the ancient mythical beasts.

Yun Xi swallowed and said with a trembling voice, “This… this is the perfect size for making a bow.”

Sisi’s voice was strained, “I think I’ll stick to my wooden bow.”

The wind from the Fei Yi’s wings blew the group off balance.

Everyone looked at the black snakes behind them, then at the enormous monster Fei Yi in front of them, and immediately felt a sense of crisis.

Jiang Chao Ge gritted his teeth and said, “Sisi, you must be lying about going back and forth on Xuan Yuan Hill. This Kunlun Mountain is so dangerous, and everything here is deadly. We’ve all almost died several times in just two days. How did you survive with your unreliable personality?”

Sisi angrily retorted, “I didn’t lie. It’s just that you guys are unlucky targets. I traveled alone and never encountered anything like this before.”

Yu Ren Shu said heavily, “Stop talking and save your energy.”

Yun Xi, crying, squeaked, “We’re finished. I feel like I’m really going to die this time. This Fei Yi has at least three or four thousand years of cultivation. It’s not something ordinary spirit beasts can resist.”

Tian Rong and Zui You didn’t speak. They just growled at the Fei Yi, but didn’t dare to approach it.

At this moment, Jiang Chao Ge didn’t dare to hope that a white tiger would come out of nowhere and save them from the snake swarm like on the Twin Peaks. The only way out now was probably for Zhi Xuan to transform again.

Zhi Xuan tightly held his hand, and although he didn’t say anything, Jiang Chao Ge felt his intention.

Yu Ren Shu took a deep breath and said, “We only have a chance if we kill the largest Fei Yi.”

“Everyone knows that. But how do we kill it?”

“I and Long Xiang will deal with it. You guys block the smaller ones!” Yu Ren Shu raised his weapon. “Tian Rong, charge!”

Tian Rong roared and charged towards the Fei Yi like an amber lightning bolt. Zui You and Long Xiang fearlessly followed, approaching the Fei Yi from two sides.

At the same time, hundreds of Fei Yi behind them also flew over.

Two sharp crescent blades were seen dancing in the air as if they had their own lives. They swung wildly among the group of Fei Yi, thirsty for blood. Sisi’s bamboo arrows flew randomly, almost hitting those beasts every time. However, unless it hit their eyes, those Fei Yi always managed to struggle up, proving their toughness. Yun Xi honestly hid behind Jiang Chao Ge, with the four zhen niao protecting him, trying not to cause trouble for others.

Jiang Chao Ge looked back at Yun Xi, even though he was struggling on his own, he still felt a sense of comfort. He was no longer the waste that needed protection from Yu Ren Shu, Long Xiang, and even Ruan Qiansu. With Yun Xi being a spiritual priest, he was an important member of the team and deserved the first priority protection.

Jiang Chao Ge swung his broadsword, blood splashing everywhere, and charged towards the group of Fei Yi. Since he’s not fighting humans, and didn’t need any fancy or sophisticated swordsmanship, he only needed to be lethal with every strike. The blade swept with spiritual power and the creatures that used to seem powerful in his eyes were now nothing to fear.

“Chao Ge, behind you!” Zhi Xuan loudly warned as a ball of flame flew out and hit the head of a Fei Yi behind Jiang Chao Ge. Qilin fire burned fiercely like hellfire, with a high temperature that was not easily extinguished. Once it was caught on something, it would burn to ashes, making the Fei Yi scream in pain.

“Thanks.” Jiang Chao Ge turned around and chopped off the head of a winged-snake.

Yun Xi secretly approached, drew out his dagger, and cut off a sharp claw of a Fei Yi.

Tian Rong and Zui You agilely dodged the attacks while Yu Ren Shu and Long Xiang attacked the wings of the enormous Fei Yi from both sides. After several difficult clashes, the Fei Yi suddenly became alert and began to focus its attacks on the weaker Long Xiang.

Long Xiang plunged his halberd directly towards the Fei Yi’s claw. The monster screamed in pain, its sharp claw swiping and throwing Long Xiang out with his halberd. Yu Ren Shu jumped over four meters high and stepped on one of the Fei Yi’s wings, hitting its other wing with his mace, destroying it. The huge body of the Fei Yi immediately lost its balance and tilted to one side, at the same time, it grabbed Yu Ren Shu with its claw.

Yu Ren Shu, who wore soft armor, was slashed with a wound on his chest. He screamed in pain, the body like a kite with a broken string, plummeting to the ground.

“Shu!” Tian Rong shouted in desperation but was unable to free himself from the Fei Yi. The snakes tail kept trying to entangle and squeeze his body, but he struggled to avoid it.

“I’m fine…” Yu Ren Shu struggled to climb up from the ground and ran towards Long Xiang.

Long Xiang also struggled to stand up from the ground and spat out the blood in his mouth. “Zui You, target its right front wing!”

Zui You rushed forward and fiercely bit the Fei Yi’s wing. The snake tail fiercely whipped, hitting Zui You and ripping apart white fox fur. Zui You’s teeth bled, but it did not let go.

Long Xiang widened his eyes and yelled, leaping forward. The spiritual power released from his halberd was unstoppable, tearing a big hole in the snakes right front wing!

On the other side, facing the endless Fei Yi, Jiang Chao Ge’s physical and spiritual power were rapidly declining, but none of the monsters attacked Zhi Xuan. Jiang Chao Ge was unable to dodge and was attacked by a Fei Yi, knocked to the ground. It opened its mouth oozing poison, to bite him. He felt a sharp pain in his neck, then his body went numb, then the sharp pain struck again. He widened his eyes and stretched his body, almost unable to move.

“Chao Ge!” Zhi Xuan created a huge fireball, smashing it onto the Fei Yi. It screamed, flew up into the sky, and then smashed into a cliff.

Supported by Zhi Xuan, Jiang Chao Ge sat up and saw everyone injured or poisoned. His sight blurred again, and he was once again reminded of his profound weakness.

Suddenly, Yun Xi screamed, and Jiang Chao Ge turned his head abruptly. He saw two Fei Yi holding onto the wings of the only still functional zhen niao that Yun Xi was riding, spinning and tearing in midair, before finally throwing it off the cliff…