C2569
C2569
Fang Xiang suggested, "Should we catch a few rabbits for dinner?"
Wan Chengfeng shook his head. "Let's spare them. They don't have long to live as it is."
As they talked, a figure in the distance caught their attention. It was a coyote, but its fur was streaked with red. It stood on a large rock, warily watching them.
Jiang Fann noted, "That looks like a demonic beast, a Flame Wolf. Unfortunately, without spiritual strength to cultivate, it's severely degenerated. Otherwise, it would have a full coat of red fur. If we encountered it outside, it would likely be part of a large pack and quite formidable."
As the Flame Wolf saw them approaching, it leaped off the rock and ran away, not interested in any confrontation.
Fang Xiang, eager to contribute, asked, "Want me to go catch it?"
"Leave it be," Wan Chengfeng replied. "It's not a high-quality demonic beast. Without spiritual strength, the Flame Wolf isn't the monster the guards warned us about. There must be something more significant around here."
Fang Xiang added, "Even if it's not strong, these creatures are as smart as humans once they're grown. It probably knows this area better than we do, which beats wandering around aimlessly."
"You've got a point, but it's already gone. If we run into other creatures, we'll deal with them then. Let's not waste our energy on this one; we have no idea what else is out there."
That afternoon, Wan Chengfeng suddenly stopped and looked off to the side. Following his gaze, Jiang Fann and the others noticed several figures in the distance, watching them. They were all demonic beasts, but they didn't seem interested in approaching.
Wan Chengfeng said, "It looks like they're keeping an eye on us."
"Do you think they can sense our energy?" Jiang Fann asked.
"They probably can't sense our energy," Jiang Fann replied. "Since they can't cultivate, their spiritual sense isn't developed. Born into this world, their ability to perceive energy is almost nonexistent. We likely just wandered into their territory, and now they're watching us. But they're not a threat; these aren't any special kind of beasts."
Wan Chengfeng chuckled, "If these guys are here, the others should be around too."
Fang Xiang added, "The sooner they come, the better. Saves us the trouble of finding them."
The beasts continued to watch from a distance, not making any move to approach. If they were dealing with ordinary people from the city, they might have already attacked.
As night fell, Jiang Fann and his companions stopped to rest, sitting cross-legged on the ground without building a fire. They wanted to see what the beasts following them were planning.
Sure enough, under the cover of night, a few figures slowly approached, though they kept a cautious distance. Jiang Fann and his two companions watched them draw nearer without making a sound.
When the creatures stopped about sixty-five feet away, Fang Xiang was ready. If they came within thirty feet, he planned to catch one, which would save them a lot of time. However, to their surprise, the creatures paused for a few minutes before suddenly scattering, as if startled by something.
Seeing this, Jiang Fann and his friends were taken aback, unsure of what had just happened. Soon, a shadow appeared under the moonlight in the distance, racing toward them with astonishing speed, like a blur in the night.
Jiang Fann and his companions were surprised because they sensed a strong presence scanning them. This figure was much more powerful than they had anticipated, as if it didn't belong in this environment.
As it drew closer, the figure slowed down, allowing them to see it clearly. It was a black wolfdog, not particularly large, but with a striking gold stripe on its forehead, giving it an extraordinary appearance. It stopped a few yards away, eyeing the three of them with evident curiosity.
Fang Xiang couldn't hold back any longer and charged straight at the wolfhound without a second thought. He unleashed his spiritual strength, ready to summon his spiritual weapon, but the environment made it a costly move. In the blink of an eye, he was face-to-face with the wolfhound.
Just as he was about to strike, the wolfhound lunged at Fang Xiang, its head colliding with his weapon in an instant. Sparks flew from the wolfhound's head, and the next moment, Fang Xiang felt a jolt in his arm as his weapon was knocked away.
The wolfhound stood firm, looking at Fang Xiang with disdain, as if he were an overconfident rookie. Fang Xiang staggered back, caught by Wan Chengfeng, disbelief etched on his face. He pointed, and his spiritual weapon returned to his hand. He was about to charge again when Wan Chengfeng stopped him.
"You're no match for it. Don't go."
Fang Xiang was frustrated. He hadn't expected things to turn out like this. He had planned to show off a bit, but instead, he got schooled by this big wolfhound.
Suddenly, the wolfhound spoke. "I never thought after all these years, a practitioner would finally enter this place. Is the good era from outside finally coming?"
After Fang Xiang's attack, the wolfdog remained unfazed, as it was completely unharmed and didn't take them seriously at all. Wan Chengfeng attempted to probe with his spiritual strength, but unfortunately, the opponent's Qi Sea was depleted, making it impossible to determine their original level.
Jiang Fann had anticipated this. Even with Fang Xiang using a spiritual treasure, he couldn't harm the creature's body. The opponent's physical strength clearly surpassed Wan Chengfeng's and was far beyond Fang Xiang's. Conservatively, Jiang Fann estimated that the opponent might possess the power of the Reincarnation Realm.
Jiang Fann said, "We didn't expect a Reincarnation Realm body-refining beast like you to remain here."
The wolfdog didn't deny it and replied, "This is my territory. But that jerk from the Thunder Sect trapped my spiritual strength in this space. I wasn't a match for those guys and could only watch as they set up barriers, isolating the powers on both sides. I've been stuck at this level for years, unable to break through."
As it spoke, the wolfdog's nose twitched, and it walked over to Jiang Fann, sniffing him. It looked at Jiang Fann suspiciously, then asked the three of them, "Are you all cultivators from the Upper Nine Heavens?"
Fang Xiang explained, "We entered here from the upper realms."
The large wolfdog circled around the others, sniffing Wan Chengfeng and his companion, before finally looking at Jiang Fann.
"Those two are, but you’re not."
Jiang Fann smiled at it, not intending to hide anything, and calmly said, "I’m indeed not a cultivator from the upper realms."
"Aren’t you two worried about hanging out with him? It could lead to trouble."
Wan Chengfeng frowned slightly, staring at the wolfdog with a sharp gaze.
"Are you trying to stir up trouble between us? That’s a bit low for someone like you."
The wolfdog wasn’t offended and replied directly, "Stir up trouble? I wouldn’t bother with you youngsters. I recognize the aura from your training, probably from the Valley of Immortals. But as for him..."
It looked at Jiang Fann and continued, "I could never forget."
This comment caught Jiang Fann off guard, as it was his first encounter with the wolfdog, and he didn’t understand its meaning.
Wan Chengfeng demanded coldly, "Explain yourself."
The wolfdog fixed its gaze on Jiang Fann and didn’t beat around the bush, saying, "He has the same aura as those folks, clearly from the same place—a bunch of troublemakers..."
The three of them were even more puzzled, but Wan Chengfeng quickly thought of something and asked directly, "You’re not talking about the group that clashed with the Thunder Sect back in the day, are you?"
The wolfdog said, "What you mentioned isn't quite accurate. It's not just about clashing with the Ganlei Sect, but with all the top forces of the Upper Nine Heavens!"
Jiang Fann looked at him in surprise and asked directly, "Are you saying that the cultivators who fought the Ganlei Sect came from the Nine Desolations?"
The wolfdog stared at Jiang Fann. "So, you really are from there."
Jiang Fann's interest was piqued. Back in the Nine Desolations, he had heard some things about the Upper Nine Heavens and the Nine Desolations. He even knew where the passage between the two realms used to be. He had visited it and seen the massive seal. There were many cultivators who longed for the Upper Nine Heavens, which eventually led to the establishment of the Lower Nine Heavens.
Jiang Fann asked directly, "What happened back then?"
"You folks from the Nine Desolations should know best, right?"
Jiang Fann shook his head.
"The cultivators who came to the Upper Nine Heavens never returned to the Nine Desolations."
The wolfdog continued, "I only know what happened initially. After the Ganlei Sect announced its dissolution, I was sent here, so I don't know how the Upper Nine Heavens dealt with those people in the end. Back then, with the help of some influential figures, the Upper Nine Heavens opened a passage to the Nine Desolations. Although the Nine Desolations wasn't as advanced, it had a unique environment."
"Being of the same human clan, it was relatively easy for the two realms to communicate. Some talented individuals who hit a bottleneck used that rift to enter the Upper Nine Heavens. At that time, they were even allowed to establish and develop their own sects there."
In the wake of the celestial suppression lifting, the prodigies from the Nine Desolations rapidly advanced in the Upper Heavens, awakening formidable combat abilities. Within a century, they had formed a significant force, becoming increasingly active and eventually challenging the dominance of the three major families. In response, these families began to suppress their influence. However, the cultivators from the Nine Desolations united, resisting the oppression, leading to an inevitable confrontation.
The ensuing battle raged for a full decade. The prodigies from the Nine Desolations proved their prowess, managing to hold their own against the top experts of the Upper Heavens within just a century. Although they suffered heavy losses, they successfully dismantled the power of the three major families. The Thunder Sect announced its dissolution, leading to the current state of affairs.