Chapter 1196, The Beast Core

Translator: Silavin

  

Vibrant Vermilion Peak was blanketed in snow year-round. Hardly any expert or Demonic Beast ever dared venture deep inside. It was a realm of silent ice and snow.

 

Yet today, the former tranquillity of Vibrant Vermilion Peak’s summit was no more. Thunderous sounds of fierce combat rang out one after another without pause, and snow flew in all directions across the sky.

 

At this moment, across much of Vibrant Vermilion Peak, the layers of snow had been blasted away, exposing the hard rock beneath.

 

Upon that rock lay no small number of glittering shards of ice crystal, and those shards were actually experts of the Myriad Races, who had been frozen into blocks of ice by the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s assaults!

 

Those shattered ice crystals across the ground, each one representing an expert reduced to a frozen ice block and then smashed to pieces. Yet, not a single drop of blood stained the scene.

 

This eerie sight sent a chill through the hearts of those still desperately holding on. Wave after wave of ice blades came raining down as though without end. No one could know whether the next moment it would be their turn to be pierced through and frozen solid.

 

In one corner of the area blanketed by those raining ice blades, Qin Yichen stood perfectly still and unmoved. Those ice blade attacks that were sending even Late Stage Martial Ancestors scrambling in all directions, were simply evaporated the moment they came within a metre of him. It was as though they met a blazing Sun.

 

His gaze, meanwhile, was fixed firmly upon those experts who, while defending, were still continuously launching counter attacks and trading blows with the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon.

 

Those experts were, broadly speaking, all at the Peak Stage Martial Ancestors, with a small number of Late Stage Martial Ancestors among them who managed to strike back here and there even while defending.

 

Among all those figures, the two most conspicuous were Zhao Xueqi and Zhang Heng. Though neither of them possessed Qin Yichen’s air of absolute ease. They still defended with considerable comfort, and every single one of their attacks left a deep mark upon the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s body.

 

“It seems this Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon is destined to be buried here today.” Qin Yichen gave a slight shake of his head, and showed no intention of making a move himself.

 

The rain of ice blades continued to pour down without ceasing. However, after the initial chaos of earlier, the many experts had begun to organise themselves. Their losses had not been small, but they were now just barely managing to hold the line.

 

Furthermore, though the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s power surpassed every expert present, this kind of prolonged attrition was clearly working against it.

 

The Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s intelligence was not low. It could sense that among those experts who had yet to act, there were several who posed a genuine threat to it.

 

One of them in particular, that scholarly-looking young man.

 

*Roar!*

 

In these circumstances, the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon grew increasingly agitated. It knew it could not go on like this. With a roar, it spread its twin wings and a brilliant, crystalline radiance erupted across its vast body.

 

*Boom!*

 

And then, pushing through the waves of incoming attacks, the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon swept powerfully towards the lake below. Its posture made it look as though it intended to retreat back into the water.

 

“Don’t let it escape!”

 

At the sight of the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon actually retreating on its own initiative, a flash of delighted surprise crossed the eyes of many present.

 

At once, shouts rang out across the field, and countless attacks came hurtling down in an all-encompassing barrage aimed squarely at the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon.

 

They clearly wanted to press their advantage and finish the creature off in one push. Were the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon to escape into the lake and catch its breath, dealing with it again would be different and far more troublesome due to its intelligence.

 

Qin Yichen’s eyes narrowed slightly as well. Vigorous Yuan Energy began to gather slowly around his body, ready to act at any moment.

 

The Beast Core of a Demonic Beast bordering on the Saint Realm, that was a rare and precious item.

 

In the Myriad Beasts War Domain, Saint Realm Demonic Beasts were not unheard of, but such creatures were rarely targeted by anyone, as very few possessed the means to do so.

 

The Beast Core of a Demonic Beast with half a foot in the Saint Realm was therefore something extraordinarily precious in the Myriad Beasts War Domain.

 

Were one to refine and absorb such a Beast Core, it would offer no small assistance in breaking through to the Saint Realm in the future.

 

The other experts present clearly had much the same thought as Qin Yichen.

 

In a moment, those who had been holding back and concealing their true strength threw caution aside and revealed their actual combat power. In an instant, half the sky was filled with sharp, devastating attacks, all angled to intercept the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon before it could reach the lake.

 

*Boom!*

 

Under this onslaught, the brilliant radiance coating the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s body was blasted apart, scattering into countless glittering ice crystals that drifted through the air.

 

*Roar!*

 

Staggered by this tremendous blow, the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s vast blue eyes began to suffuse with a tinge of red. Then, it unleashed a furious roar. Its giant maw snapping wide open, and from within that maw, a radiant orb of light roughly the size of a Human Head came flying out.

 

“The Beast Core!”

 

At the sight of that glowing orb, a surge of excitement lit up in the eyes of the many experts present.

 

Even Zhao Xueqi and Zhang Heng could not conceal the greedy gleam that flared to life in their gazes. Yuan Energy surged from both of them, manifesting as two enormous palms of condensed energy, which reached out to snatch the Beast Core.

 

*Roar!*

 

The Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s intelligence was not lacking, and it naturally had no intention of handing its own Beast Core over to anyone. The moment those two enormous Yuan Energy palms closed in, a blast of astonishing chill erupted from the Beast Core.

 

*Crack!*

 

Beneath that surge of cold, the two enormous Yuan Energy palms were frozen on the spot as though they had solidified into reality, becoming a pair of ice sculptures.

 

The expressions of both Zhao Xueqi and Zhang Heng shifted sharply. They were just about to act and seize the core themselves when the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon’s form swept over the surface of the lake. Its giant maw moved toward the Beast Core, intending to swallow it whole.

 

It was obvious, the cunning Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon had never had any intention of surrendering its Beast Core. This entire manoeuvre had been nothing but a ruse to allow it to escape.

 

“Grab the Beast Core!”

 

Shouts rang out at once at the sight, and figures came streaking towards the Beast Core from every direction. Several of the faster attacks had already wound themselves around the Beast Core like binding ropes.

 

Every single one of them, without exception, turned to a block of ice the moment they made contact with the Beast Core, slipping beyond the attacker’s control entirely.

 

Just as the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon was on the verge of swallowing the Beast Core and making its escape, a figure appeared there as if from thin air, like a ghost materialising from nothing, and in the midst of a sea of astonished gazes, closed its hand firmly around the Beast Core.

 

“He…”

 

This figure appearing from nowhere left everyone momentarily stunned.

 

“Everyone, rest easy and leave it with me.”

 

Beast Core now in hand, a flash of delight rose in Qin Yichen’s chest. Using the motion of tucking it into his robes as cover, he deposited it directly into his Space Ring, then turned to the assembled experts with an utterly serene smile.

 

His expression was precisely that of a man who had just performed the single greatest service in driving off the Azure Sky Demonic Flood Dragon.