Translator: Myriea_ActiasLuna Editor: Nou
In actuality, that Elder Moye had successfully broken into the Foundation Stage in the first place was largely due to luck. Not only had his base been unstable, but he broke through purely by chance; his foundation wasnât just blue, it was considered low quality even for a blue foundation. Fang Xing, on the other hand, had formed a foundation that was nearly purple, and its intrinsic quality was many times greater than Moyeâsâeven with the demon spiritâs contamination, the difference between the two was like heaven and earth.
Furthermore, Elder Moyeâs belief that Fang Xing was still in in Spirit Stage played a large part as well, causing him to use only fifty percent of his battle prowess. Considering how careless his approach was, it wasnât all too surprising for him to be sent flying by Fang Xingâs slap.
Just as Fang Xing was working through his confusion, he heard a loud growl settle over him. âBoy, youâre finally out. I have been waiting for youâŚ.â Those words belonged to Ying Shihou, who was coming towards him lightning fast to send a palm strike his way. The image of the Nine-Headed Lion manifested over Ying Shihouâs head, and the strength contained in his mighty palm was powerful enough to cover a thirty-foot radius in its force.
Fang Xing was startled by such a thng. âF*ck, Foundation Stage tier five. Gotta runâŚ.â He was still rather fearful towards this mid-Foundation Stage sect master from the Myriad Beasts Sect, and when he saw this palm strike moving closer, Fang Xing immediately shook his head before a pair of golden wings appeared and he flew off into the distance.
Ying Shihouâs attack struck only air, causing him some surprise at how fast the boy was. He still desired to uncover the secrets the boy had learned from the Qingqiu Tomb, however, so he didnât intend to let the boy go so easily. He released a loud roar and began chasing after Fang Xing, taking advantage of his incredible speed from being in the mid-Foundation Stage as well as mounted on a cloud.
Although Fang Xing himself hadnât studied the technique of using clouds to fly and could only use his golden wings, his speed was still not slow. The Hundred and Eight Thousand Swords had originated from a secret skill of the Peng clan to be used for flying, and the results were rather obvious.
One fleeing, one chasing, it didnât take long before this pair had flown over three thousand miles. Although Ying Shihou began to close in on Fang Xing, he still hadnât managed to catch him.
Fang Xing was feeling rather miserable. Just as he lamented how he wasnât going to be able to escape from this, a strange voice rose up from the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits Fang Xing had wrapped around him, âItâs a mere mid-Foundation Stage; what the hell are you running for?â
âBut I canât beat himâŚâ Fang Xing responded, dumbstruck.
Initially speechless, the Peng King replied, âYou think this Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits is only just for show?â
Fang Xing hesitated, but he stopped when he realized how much sense it made. âNot gonna run away anymore. Letâs get him!â
Fang Xing had only just recently formed his foundation; he hadnât fought with anyone yet, and he also couldnât estimate the battle prowess of his current opponent. He was being overly cautious, and when he saw this mid-Foundation Stage Ying Shihou come after him, his subconscious had urged him to run. It wasnât until the Peng Kingâs reminder that he realized there was no need for him to be scared of Ying Shihou. Although heâd only recently formed his foundation, it didnât necessarily mean he didnât have a chance for victory if he had the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits in hand.
When Ying Shihou saw Fang Xing had stopped, he flourished his sleeves and solemnly declared, âBoy, it is best you give up now. I have questions to ask of you; I do not wish to take your life!â
âHahaâŚâ Fang Xing laughed without answering before waving the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits. âBite him, Old PengâŚâ he commanded.
With a wave of the flag, black clouds began to appear and blot out half the sky. A countless number of beasts could be seen hidden amongst these smog-like clouds as they poured towards Ying Shihou.
A ten-foot-tall golden Peng bird was on prominent display as it floated within this pack of black clouds. It swam amidst the waves as vicious and powerful as a hungry shark, giving off a chilling sensation. This Peng bird was formed by the Peng Kingâs True Spirit, with a power so impressive it could even startle the heavens.
Despite his current viciousness towards the enemy, the Peng King didnât forget to loudly yell back at Fang Xing, âLittle bastard, I am still a proud beast king. Be careful what you sayâŚ.â
Fang Xing chuckled. âI will remember it for next timeâŚ. Old Peng, get him!â
Although Fang Xing was speaking in a relaxed manner, Ying Shihouâs expression fell as the black clouds came sprawling towards him; the clouds were so strange and mysterious that even he felt a chill down his spine. With a loud roar, he activated his beast spirit and the manifestation of a nine-headed lion appeared above his head, as large as a small mountain. All nine heads opened their mouths in unison before releasing a roar filled with power towards that black cloud.
The Nine-Headed Lionâs ability: Lion Roar of the Devoured Heaven!
The sound waves crashed forward, pushing the clouds out of the way. The roar traveled over the sky, causing gusts of hurricane wind to sweep across in its wake.
The Peng King showed a cold smile from within the black clouds. âHehe, using the techniques of the beast spirits of our beast tribes for your cultivationâthis discipline of yours is very interesting!â Its body suddenly grew three times larger until it wasnât much smaller than the Nine-Headed Lion, and he suddenly spread open his wings before thrusting his sword-like feathers forward. When the lionâs roar and the feathered swords collided, both actually canceled each other out in an instant, and the area of collision was filled with black smoke that flew in all directions. The smoke disrupted the wind and clouds as it covered up the sky, filling it with chaos.
The Peng Kingâs voice rose up from the darkness, his words exceptionally potent and awe-inspiring. âTo overlap your body with the beast spirit and borrow its powers to use their abilities is rather ingenious. If someone ordinary met you, theyâd probably be at a great disadvantage; in front of me, however, you just so happen to be restrained. This beast spirit, Iâll take it insteadâŚ.â
Fang Xing was overjoyed to hear so much confidence in the Peng Kingâs voice, and he contemplated on how this Peng King must have been a rather vile person in the past. Those wordsââIâll take it insteadââhad been spoken so naturally and casually, it was clear the Peng King had definitely done the same many times before.
After colliding head-on with the Peng King, Ying Shihou was left extremely surprisedâthe Nine-Headed Lion that had never failed him before had actually been ineffective. He started to pour Qi without restraint and madly activated the Nine-Headed Lion spirit once more to fight against the black smoke, no longer caring about Fang Xing whatsoever by now. Even a mid-Foundation Stage cultivator would begin to feel less capable than heâd wish once he was surrounded by hundreds of beast spirits in a dangerous situation.
Most terrifying of all was the large Peng bird inside the black cloud, whose battle prowess was so great as to inspire awe.
Logically speaking, Ying Shihou had studied the beast spirit of the Nine-Headed Lion for nearly a hundred years, and the battle prowess he was able to display was indeed much greater than the recently crafted Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits, which hadnât received even a drop of blood in sacrifice yet. Since the flag had the monstrous Peng King as its central control, however, its total battle prowess was multiplied, and Ying Shihou even vaguely sensed he wasnât able to contend against itâall he could do was pour everything he had just to resist.
During Ying Shihouâs moment of panic, The Peng King quietly sent Fang Xing a message: âKid, this personâs battle prowess isnât bad at all. We havenât received a blood sacrifice and so have limited power; truthfully, weâre not strong enough to be his opponent right now. Fortunate for us, heâs studied the techniques of the beast spirits, putting him at a disadvantage against the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits. Weâre able to ward him off for now, but if we continue on like this, Iâm afraid weâll reach a stalemate; you need to help out as well so we can subdue him together. That nine-headed lion spirit inside of him is actually a Budding Soul Stage beast spirit of an ancient beast race, and now that weâve run into it, we cannot let it go. We must take its spirit seal and add it to our flagâŚ.â It seemed this old man didnât have all the confidence he seemed to have.
âWell, I thought I wouldnât have to lift a fingerâŚ.â Fang Xing clicked his tongue and disdainfully replied, âNot that Iâm scolding you, but youâre a Golden Core Stage beast king yet you canât even defeat a mid-Foundation Stage. Do you even know the meaning of shame?â
The Peng King felt flames of fury begin to burn within. âI was of the Golden Core Stage when I had my physical body, but the me right now is nothing more than a single strand of spirit⌠and without a blood sacrifice, too. Youâre about borrow the power of the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits to ensnare a mid-Foundation Stage cultivator, so what are you unsatisfied with? You need to know that if someone else was in command of an Ancient weapon like this flag, theyâd need to supply their own blood essence as a catalyst and use up their own cultivation level. Since Iâve been stationed inside this flag with you as the main controller and me as the driver, Iâve saved you so much trouble, so how dare youâŚ.â
âAlright, alright, pay attention to when I join in. Itâll be so easy.â Ignoring the nonstop pestering of the Peng King, Fang Xing sneakily made his way towards Ying Shihouâs back, who was concentrating on the fight with the beast spirits and had his focus elsewhere. Fang Xing spat some saliva into his hands, took the Phoenix-Fear Zither from his back, and dashed forward as fast as lightning with both of his hands gripping the narrow end.
After reaching a certain mastery with the Hundred and Eight Thousand Swords, Fang Xingâs speed between short distances was incredible. Ying Shihou also didnât have time to worry about anything else, so Fang Xing was able to successfully sneak behind him before he tightened his grip on the zither and swung it towards the back of Ying Shihouâs head.
A high-quality Ancient weapon was being used like a large club.
Although Ying Shihou realized someone was attacking him from behind while he was immersed in his fight against the beast spirits, he wasnât able to react in time. He felt a strong jolt against the back of his head, the whack knocking him into a daze that halted the connection between him and the Nine-Headed Lion beast spirit as well. The Peng King let out a loud laugh as a countless number of his beast spirits rushed forward in a wave, covering Ying Shihou within.
âHowâs this? Itâs this whack of mine that was more effective, right?â Fang Xing proudly asked while settling the Phoenix-Fear Zither against his shoulder.
The Peng King, on the other hand, was effectively rendered speechless.
This had been the Peng Kingâs very first battle after so many years, but he hadnât expected to have so much trouble defeating someone who was only in the mid of Foundation Stage. It was even someone whose main discipline was restrained by the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits, yet the Peng King had only won because of this boyâs intervention. This might have been fine on its own, but the boy hadnât used any of his battle prowess and simply whacked him with a stick.
Was this not trying to make him look bad on purpose?
The Peng King spitefully kicked Ying Shihou, venting his frustration on him instead. âGo, suppress him and force him to move the Nine-Headed Lion spirit onto the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits!â Heâd had actually taken a fancy to Ying Shihouâs Nine-Headed Lion spirit after noticing it was the spirit of an ancient Budding Soul Stage beast paragon.
In principle, the Nine-Headed Lion Ying Shihou used wasnât any different from the beast spirits contained in the Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits. The Myriad Beasts Sect had used whatever methods they could to become one with their beast spirit and incorporate it into their discipline, passing it down through the generations while refining it into their own spirit sense. In this manner, not only were they able to use some of the special abilities this Nine-Headed Lion had in its former life, theyâd also receive some of the secrets of the beast race hidden within the lionâs spirit sense. This was indeed a very interesting and clever method, one the Peng King was rather intrigued and interested in studying.
Of course, the other reason was that the Peng King was the main spirit of the flag, and adding the seal of this beast spirit was akin to adding another Budding Soul Stage subordinateâit would increase their battle prowess overall.
âIf youâre smart, give me the seal of this Nine-Headed Lion!â Fang Xing commanded viciously while closing in, as though mugging the man.