Reborn Medicine King

"I did sense some cultivator nearby, but I didn't see what they looked like. Except for going to greet the three masters earlier, I've stayed here the whole time and haven't left."    

The leading beast headed straight for the stone monument, feeling the spiritual energy it emitted, and finally relaxed.    

"Luckily, the legacy within the monument hasn't been damaged. At least we can give the young master an explanation."    

The red glow on the monument faded as the three beasts arrived.    

Not far away, Jiang Fann, within the barrier, was watching them, noticing they weren't paying attention to his group at all.    

Fang Xiang, seeing this, also relaxed a lot.    

"Looks like you were right. They really don't know we're here. That remnant can't communicate with them at all. So what was the point of the holy beast leaving this remnant behind?"    

Jiang Fann replied, "He never imagined that so many guardian beasts would be here, and that a cultivator would risk everything for a legacy that's not important to human cultivators. That's why this remnant wasn't left for these guardian beasts but for its bloodline. Once the little one receives the legacy, it will guide it to grow quickly, which is better than just receiving the legacy alone."    

Fang Xiang nodded. "So what do we do now? You're not still planning to take the legacy here, are you?"    

Jiang Fann didn't answer right away. He had just finished assimilating his spiritual strength, and leaving now felt like giving up too easily. Besides, that lingering thought had tricked him, and he wasn't about to leave feeling defeated.    

Fang Xiang noticed his silence and immediately understood his thoughts. He spoke up, "You really aren't afraid of trouble, are you? But maybe we should change our identities. Zhu Ying's fire qilin came with them, and if it finds out what we're up to, we'll lose all credibility with Zhu Ying."    

Without waiting for Jiang Fann's decision, Fang Xiang began disguising himself. He wasn't about to give up on Zhu Ying.    

Jiang Fann wasn't in a rush. The three demonic beasts hadn't left. According to the panther, there had been human cultivators around here before, and they wanted to root out whoever was hiding. If they could retrieve their lost treasure, they'd regain their honor.    

Unfortunately for them, Jiang Fann's concealment technique was exceptionally clever. Despite their decent abilities, they couldn't detect him.    

However, the next move by the three demonic beasts caught Jiang Fann by surprise. One began to roar, and soon, beasts from all directions started converging on the area, ready to follow their lead.    

The leading beast spoke, "There might be an outsider hiding nearby. Let's conduct a thorough search of the woods. Don't let even a fly escape. Whoever finds him will be richly rewarded."    

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of demonic beasts around them sprang into action without a moment's hesitation. Fang Xiang, who had just started to relax, tensed up again at the sight.    

Jiang Fann kept the inhibition shrinking until it only covered the area around the two of them. Watching the demonic beasts pass by, Fang Xiang barely dared to breathe. More beasts continued to arrive from behind, joining the search.    

The forest, already not very large, was becoming increasingly crowded with demonic beasts. Two of them nearly collided with Fang Xiang and Jiang Fann, but luck was on their side—they hadn't been discovered yet.    

Swallowing hard, Fang Xiang said to Jiang Fann, "We just had a tough time with those three beasts, and now it looks like we're surrounded."    

Jiang Fann glanced around, confirming Fang Xiang's observation. The area was nearly filled with demonic beasts, and with their numbers, it seemed only a matter of time before they were found.    

Fang Xiang then asked, "What do we do now?"    

Jiang Fann already had a Great Shift Talisman in his hand and had enhanced Fang Xiang with his Spiritual Strength. If any of the beasts did happen to collide with them, he was ready to get Fang Xiang out of there immediately. After all, they had already gained a lot from this venture, and it was crucial to make sure they only took calculated risks.    

"I'm really counting on you. I don't have your skills," he said with a hint of humor.    

Jiang Fann replied jokingly, "You've already changed your appearance. They won't recognize you, so they won't come after you. At worst, just give up that 'nest.'"    

"Give it up? No way!" he retorted, clearly someone who believed in securing what he had.    

Perhaps because they were close enough to the stone monument, the searching beasts began to wander away, neglecting the area nearby. Jiang Fann held onto his Great Shift Talisman, never needing to use it.    

Fang Xiang watched the beasts disperse, a smile forming on his lips. "Did we really just slip past them?"    

But as luck would have it, another beast appeared from the distant forest—a rat-like creature. The lead beast ordered it to sniff out any hidden cultivators.    

This rat beast wasn't particularly powerful, only at the peak of the Dao Understanding Stage, but its spiritual sense was sharp, and its nose was incredibly keen. Following orders, it scurried toward the monument, clearly detecting some lingering aura and spiritual strength.    

Once at the monument, it circled briefly before finding the remnants of Jiang Fann's formation and even picked up the formation flag from the ground. Excitedly, it ran back to the other three beasts, eager to claim credit for its discovery.    

The three beasts were taken aback by the scene. They had just been near the stone monument themselves but hadn't noticed any formation or seen the flag. The mouse-like creature was indeed peculiar, clearly possessing a unique talent.    

Placing the formation flag in front of the beasts, the leader spoke, "Keep searching. I feel he's hiding in the forest."    

The mouse creature turned and headed back into the woods, more determined than before. It circled the monument a few times and paused behind it, likely because Jiang Fann and his companion had lingered there earlier. Then, it pressed its nose to the ground and began moving step by step toward the duo's hiding spot. Its pace was slow, but its direction was spot on.    

Seeing this, the other three beasts gathered around. Jiang Fann could sense their heightened awareness, ready to act at any moment.    

Fang Xiang swallowed hard and said to Jiang Fann, "Looks like we can't avoid this."    

"It seems that mouse can pick up our scent from when we passed by. Its nose is incredibly sharp. Don't worry, I've got a plan."    

Just as the mouse was about to reach their concealed spot, a childish voice suddenly rang out, instantly drawing the beasts' attention.    

"Why is this taking so long? Isn't my time valuable?"    

In mid-air, a small fire qilin appeared, looking down impatiently at the three beasts below. It had already grown tired of waiting. As the fire qilin made its entrance, all the beasts present bowed in its direction, showing absolute respect for this creature.    

Meanwhile, Jiang Fann, who was trapped within a barrier, took out a pill and used his medicine arts to crush it into powder. While all the beasts were focused on the fire qilin, Jiang Fann discreetly scattered the powder, then used his skills to cover a rat-like beast with it.    

Suddenly, the rat beast's eyes turned red, and it unleashed its full power, sprinting rapidly in one direction. The leading beast was furious and shouted, "Stop, you fool!"    

But the rat beast didn't slow down, as if it couldn't hear the command, and dashed out of the woods.    

"Catch it for me!"    

The beast closest to the rat beast obeyed and tried to block its path, but was pushed back by the rat beast's energy. The rat beast seemed to have gone berserk, as if its strength had been fully awakened, ignoring anyone in its way.    

On any other day, those three beasts would have surely killed and devoured it without a second thought, especially in front of that little one. But now, inside the barrier, Fang Xiang was beaming with joy as he turned to Jiang Fann and asked, "Was this your doing?"    

"I just used some medicine to temporarily awaken its bloodline power. Beasts of this level all have ancient, fierce bloodlines. It'll come to its senses soon, but it probably won't dare to come back here. Those three will finish it off."    

The leading beast wanted the others to catch the mouse creature, but a fire qilin descended from the sky, landing right in front of them. It spoke, "Forget about it. Where's the legacy you promised me? Once I accept it, I need to leave. As for the lost items, let them go. Without the ancestral legacy, I can still rise quickly on my own. When the time comes, I'll grant you my true blood."    

Hearing this, the beast quickly bowed its head in refusal. "Absolutely not. Young Master, you just need to focus on becoming stronger. The upper heavens are starting to awaken, and the future will surely be a battle of the strong. You must grow quickly, or with our current abilities, we won't be able to protect you."    

"I woke up a thousand years early, so I understand. I know the legacy is here. Have the others leave; you three stay and guard me."    

"Understood!"    

With that, the other creatures quickly dispersed, knowing the fire qilin's orders carried more weight than anything the three of them could say. The little one, however, made its way directly toward the stone monument in the woods. It seemed to know instinctively that a legacy awaited it there, a memory passed down through its very bloodline.    

Though usually a bit laid-back, the little creature grew serious as it approached the monument, showing clear respect. Standing before it, the creature gazed intently at the fire qilin etched into the stone, its expression solemn. Slowly, it bowed its head, much like a youngster greeting an elder.    

At that moment, the little one seemed to ignite, with red flames radiating intense heat. The red spiritual energy from the monument was immediately drawn to the flames, causing the patterns on the stone to flicker with a vibrant glow. The monument's energy enveloped the creature, and the searing spiritual strength lifted it gently into the air, allowing the energy to flow into its body.    

It was clear that the key to unlocking this legacy was the little creature itself.