Chapter 1132, The Seven Stars of Slaughter

Translator: Silavin

 

“So that’s what happened.” Lu Fan nodded, the picture now complete.

 

It explained why the group had searched the Bronze Forest for so long without success, and why even Ouyang Bai Ge, whose Void Insects permeated every corner of the Map, had taken so long to lock on to its position.

 

The Bronze Qilin could transform into anything within the Bronze Forest, altering its own nature at Will. It could be a Monster then to an environmental object and then back again.

 

Who would have thought that an unremarkable Bronze Tree could be a creature as formidable as the Bronze Qilin?

 

One had to acknowledge its extraordinary caution.

 

And yet, the one searching for it happened to be Ouyang Bai Ge, the Void Ancient God. The Bronze Qilin had spatial awareness of the entire Three Star Bronze Forest, but so did she, through the web of Void Insects she had woven into every corner of it.

 

If the Bronze Qilin had held its nerve, maintained its Bronze Tree Form for a little while longer, Lu Fan’s group might truly have begun to doubt the intel Ye Xiu had provided, and departed to seek other leads.

 

But there were no ifs.

 

The Bronze Qilin’s body was far less massive than the Bronze Serpent’s had been, yet its form was no less imposing. It was fierce and powerful by every measure. It glared at Lu Fan and his companions with unblinking predatory focus. The pressure radiating from its body had condensed into a tangible force, a blade-wind of pure intimidation that swept outward continuously, strong enough to make even the hardened Bronze Trees around it bend and lean.

 

Its might needed no further demonstration.

 

Its Level surpassed the Bronze Serpent’s. It was so far beyond that Lu Fan could not even read its Level directly. But drawing on the method Ouyang Bai Ge had taught him, channelling the power of an Ancient God to bridge the gap across several Levels, he was able to pry open the Bronze Qilin’s Attribute Panel.

 

A Level 170 Legendary Grade Boss.

 

Legendary Grade. That was the rank of an ordinary adult Giant Dragon.

 

In other words, the Bronze Qilin’s combat power was fully comparable to that of a fully-grown adult Giant Dragon.

 

In a world where Giant Dragons were regarded as Divine Beings, the Bronze Qilin stood at the absolute pinnacle of what existed in this world.

 

Compared to it, the Bronze Serpent from before was completely outclassed.

 

Ye Wuxian’s eyes went wide as she registered the number. “A Level 170 Legendary Grade Boss!? And this is merely one obstacle on our path to find the Sacred Jiang Family? The might of a Sacred Land is truly staggering.”

 

Lu Fan smiled. “It’s a Sacred Land, after all. Even Supreme Tier Ancient Noble Families look insignificant in comparison to them.”

 

He paused for a moment, then continued. “But, I don’t think the Sacred Jiang Family actually arranged for the Bronze Qilin to guard their ‘entrance’. Even a Sacred Land couldn’t command a Boss of this calibre at will. I believe this Bronze Qilin falling under them is the work of the Slaughter Ancient God.”

 

The moment his words settled, Ouyang Bai Ge nodded. “Yes. The Slaughter Ancient God has taken control of the Bronze Qilin and set it here as a guard at the gate of the Sacred Jiang Family.”

 

She directed their attention toward the Bronze Qilin’s chest. “Look carefully. There, at its heart. There is a crimson-red mark. That is the Slaughter Heart.”

 

“The Slaughter Heart is a crystallisation of the Slaughter Ancient God’s own Ancient God Power. The Slaughter Ancient God has clearly bestowed some of his Ancient Got Power upon the Bronze Qilin, empowering it to stand guard here and ensure that no one discovers the method of entering the Sacred Jiang Family’s territory.”

 

The group followed her gaze. Through the interlocking components of the Bronze Qilin’s chest, they could see it. It was a slowly revolving sphere of brilliant flame-light, pulsing with radiance, feeding its energy into every part of the creature’s body.

 

Beside Lu Fan, Ye Wuxian tilted her head in puzzlement. “The Slaughter Heart? What is that? Why was there no Slaughter Heart on Ye Xiu’s body?”

 

She had never seen Ye Xiu in person, but she had heard accounts of his death from beginning to end. Not a single mention of anything resembling a Slaughter Heart.

 

Ouyang Bai Ge’s answer came with a light smile. “The Slaughter Heart is not something that can be crystallised easily. Even back during that period when the Slaughter Ancient God’s degree of awakening had reached its absolute peak, when it had fully reclaimed all of its power, it could only crystallise seven Slaughter Hearts in total.”

 

“A single Slaughter Heart is enough to grant the recipient a complete transformation. This is a fundamental shift in their capabilities. Only those who are the absolute most trusted servants of the Slaughter Ancient God would ever be given one.”

 

“The seven individuals who received the Slaughter Hearts are known as the Seven Stars of Slaughter. Each one possesses terrifying strength. They cannot match an Ancient God, but sweeping aside the Ancient God Slaves of other Ancient Gods? That is trivial for them.”

 

“The Slaughter Ancient God has always held Ancient God Slaves in contempt. In every Ancient Gods Struggle For Supremacy of the past, it would march out with the Seven Stars of Slaughter at its side to subjugate other Ancient Gods directly.”

 

The moment she finished, the group understood immediately why Ye Xiu had never carried a Slaughter Heart.

 

Ye Xiu was powerful, but not remotely powerful enough to be worthy of one.

 

Lu Fan’s suspicion turned to Jiang Baishen. The figure he had briefly observed earlier was likely one of the Seven Stars of Slaughter. When he had unleashed his Black Dragon Pressure, the vast majority of people in the Sacred Jiang Family had been struck senseless. Yet Jiang Baishen, though clearly affected, had continued to stand and speak with great composure.

 

That level of resilience placed him above every other individual in the Sacred Jiang Family without exception.

 

Beyond Jiang Baishen, the Bronze Qilin itself now bore the Slaughter Ancient God’s Slaughter Heart within its chest, which further confirmed that its power was genuinely frightening.

 

With that assessment made, Lu Fan drew out his Refined Undefiled, then summoned Xiao Ye and entered their Riding State. He turned to address the group. “Alright. Whatever the case, we’ve found the Bronze Qilin. If it’s one of the Seven Stars of Slaughter, we don’t need to stand on ceremony. We go in together, take it down, and then we find the way into the Sacred Jiang Family.”

 

“Understood!”

 

The others answered as one, each drawing upon their Ancient God Power.

 

Across from them, the Bronze Qilin, though constructed entirely from bronze parts, was uncannily lifelike. It carried itself with all the presence and bearing of a creature of genuine flesh and blood. Lu Fan could read the gravity and wariness in the details of its expression.

 

This creature was extraordinarily cautious. That much was evident from the way it had concealed itself until this moment, doing everything in its power to avoid a fight.

 

It could clearly sense the fluctuations of Ancient God Power emanating from Lu Fan’s group. It had understood that the people standing before it were Ancient Gods. These were beings of the same level as its own Master, beings who wielded Ancient God Power.

 

In terms of raw capability, aside from the Level advantage, it held no other edge whatsoever.

 

It hesitated, but only for a heartbeat.

 

The Bronze Qilin made a choice that none of them had anticipated.

 

With a low, guttural snarl, it triggered no Skill. Instead, it turned its head sharply away from the group and ran.

 

A stunned silence fell over everyone.

 

A Boss. Not fighting. Simply turning and fleeing?

 

None of them had ever seen anything like this.