Chapter 89: Golden Spirit Essence

As Chen Nanshan and his companions, still trembling slightly, returned to Dragon Guard City, they gave a few casual explanations before countless human cultivators who had fled there began to withdraw in succession. People scattered in all directions, each restarting the work of cutting wood, quarrying stone, constructing their homes and marketplaces—a vibrant atmosphere of survival after disaster reigned.

Of course, there were quite a number of people who, frightened by the ordeal, gathered their few remaining belongings—what little was left after the destruction wrought by the mysterious beasts—and migrated from the border of the Endless Forest toward other cities within the royal court that appeared safer.

News of the mysterious beast attack on Dragon Guard City quickly spread, passing through every county, every city, and among the great families of the Purple Gold Royal Court. Because the scale of this beast tide had been so small, the rumor dissipated as quickly as it had spread.

Yet, to the surprise of countless people, a day after the incident, numerous figures at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages—even two great powers at the Transformation stage—suddenly descended upon Dragon Guard City.

The city was teeming with excitement and discussion. In the not-so-small hall of the City Lord's mansion, over a hundred cultivators, mostly middle-aged and elderly, gathered together—none below the Golden Core stage.

"City Lord Chen, have you discovered why this beast tide attacked?"
"And what of the hundreds of young disciples who entered for training recently—have any returned?"
"I have heard that before the beast tide, there were two incidents of countless mysterious beasts stampeding and roaring within the depths of the Endless Forest."

After much debate but no resolution, the two Transformation stage elders suggested that it would be best to personally lead a party into the Endless Forest to investigate. Everyone dispersed.

Thus, throughout the city and beyond, people witnessed two Transformation stage cultivators, including Chen Nanshan and ten Nascent Soul cultivators, soaring from Dragon Guard City toward the Endless Forest at great speed.

Meanwhile, Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er had already ventured deep into the heart of the Endless Forest. They continually masked their presence and avoided detection, cautiously skirting the outer fringes of beast clans guarded at least by third-tier, and sometimes fourth-tier, mysterious beasts.

With the help of Master Qin, Gu Xiaopang occasionally tore through the fabric of space, raiding one distant beast treasury after another. From deep in the forest, sporadic roars and stampedes echoed from various clans.

"Ling'er, should we keep going? The beast clans are getting stronger and stronger."
"Feels like neither of us could even satisfy their appetite."
"How is it my fault? I told you we shouldn't go deeper, but you insisted on raiding more nests!"
"Now look—on our route back, several fourth-tier beasts you robbed are probing everywhere with their divine senses. Even if we wanted to retreat, we can't."
"Er, sorry, that's my bad. Impulsiveness is truly the devil."
"So what now? Are we just going to hide here forever, living as wild man and wife?"
"Pah, who wants to be your wife?"
"I refuse to become a wild woman!"

Gu Xiaopang wore an expression of deep distress, pondering with his head lowered, unaware that Bai Ling'er's exquisite face beside him had blushed with a faint rosy hue.

The two figures continued to conceal themselves.

"Xiaopang, two hundred kilometers ahead lies a late fourth-tier beast clan, and its treasury holds something extremely important for you."
"What?! Oh!"
"Ling'er, wait for me here again."
"You want me to wait—didn't you just say you wouldn't raid anymore? You..."
"It was an accident, really!"
"Don't worry, I'll be right back."

Before Bai Ling'er could stop him, Gu Xiaopang immediately tore open space and flashed away. If his elusive master knew that his apprentice was using the rare power of space to repeatedly commit theft, who knows what he'd think.

At this moment, Bai Ling'er could only feel that if this expedition truly ended in their deaths, it would absolutely be Gu Xiaopang's fault.

The strength of a late fourth-tier mysterious beast, if compared to humans, was equivalent to a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. This level was generally all about focused cultivation, hoping to break through to fifth-tier or the Transformation stage and become a true overlord.

Take their Ethereal Sect, for example: of its seven peak masters, only the top three were at the Transformation stage; the other four, including Old Gu Fifth, were only at the peak Nascent Soul stage.

Even in the four great families of the imperial city, a late fourth-tier strength could easily serve as the chief enforcer, second only to the family head.

Now, reckless as ever, Gu Xiaopang flashed through space and entered the treasury of the late fourth-tier beast. There he found all kinds of starfall crystal cores, dozens of metal blocks, a hundred or so fourth-tier spirit herbs, eight rare fifth-tier spirit herbs, dozens of human cultivator artifacts and storage bags...

Gu Xiaopang's eyes gleamed with golden light; his heart was screaming with joy—he'd struck it rich, absolutely rich! His hands moved rapidly, sweeping up all the precious treasures in the vault.

"Master, I've taken everything. Where's the item that's so important for me?"
"Right below your feet, a hundred meters deep—it's the Gold Spirit Soul."
"Underground? Gold Spirit Soul?!"
"So true—searching for iron shoes with no luck, and here it is! Compared to the Gold Spirit Soul, everything else I've looted is just rubbish."
"Hurry up, grab it and get out!"

The Earth Element Spirit Dragon flashed onto the surface, its body imbued with earth elemental power. In an instant, Gu Xiaopang broke through layers of earth and stone, rushing straight toward the Gold Spirit Soul a hundred meters below.

"Got it—haha!"

"Roar!"

Just as Gu Xiaopang seized the living, dazzling golden soul, a thunderous and furious tiger's roar erupted from above.

"Quick, go! That beast has been awakened!"

"Alright!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a powerful suction drew the Gold Spirit Soul into an ordinary stone pendant, so that no one could detect its presence on Gu Xiaopang.

Concealing his aura to its utmost, Gu Xiaopang didn't return to the surface but instead tunneled underground, horizontally exiting the territory.

Amid the explosive roars, a late fourth-tier, two early fourth-tier, more than a dozen peak third-tier, and countless... multicolored Gold Scaled Tigers frantically bombarded the earth and stone within their clan's territory. Debris flew everywhere, deep pits opened up across the ground, following the exact path of Gu Xiaopang's underground escape. None of the tigers realized that this route led directly toward the Giant Shield Elephant territory nearby.

The racket drew the attention of several neighboring beast clans, but none dared venture into the territory of the enraged Gold Scaled Tigers.

After much effort, Gu Xiaopang finally surfaced far away, only to find himself within the territory of the Giant Shield Elephants.

Seeing no elephants nearby, Gu Xiaopang immediately leaped out and tore open space to escape.

Yet, as Gu Xiaopang emerged, the late fourth-tier Gold Scaled Tiger, its divine sense stretched to the limit, roared furiously and sped toward his location like the wind.

"Gold Scale Clan Leader, do you dare trespass into my Giant Shield Elephant territory?!"

"All of you, get out of my way!"

"How dare you! Stop him!"

Upon crashing into Giant Shield Elephant territory and seeing the thief vanish in an instant, the Gold Scale Tiger Clan Leader's eyes blazed red with rage, roaring incessantly.

"It's all your fault! All of you! You must be in league with him! Return my treasure!"

"Madness! Gold Scale old monster, you bully our clan too much—brothers, attack! Let's deal with him together!"

"Clan Leader!... Help the Clan Leader!"

"Damn you Giant Shield Elephants—stealing our clan's treasure and ganging up on our leader. This cannot be tolerated!"

"Charge! Crush these despicable Giant Shield Elephants!"

Battle erupted!

Several fourth-tier, dozens of third-tier, and countless lower-tier beasts of the two clans instantly clashed and bit at each other.

"Ling'er, let's go!"

"You were discovered?!"

"I'll explain later—just run!"

...