That sound… it wasn't like thunder at all. It was more like the heavy footsteps of some enormous beast moving!
"Ma… Ma…"
Through the jade slip, You You's voice suddenly sounded, stammering as if something had choked her, leaving only repeated syllables.
This extremely abnormal reaction made Xie Zhaolin's heart skip a beat while she was maneuvering against the golden-back beast wolf! Since when had You You ever lost her composure like this?
"Shut up! Speak clearly!"
Xie Zhaolin narrowly dodged a tearing swipe from the wolf and shouted sharply through her divine sense, her tone icy, forcefully suppressing You You's panic.
With Xie Zhaolin's command, You You jolted as if she'd finally regained her voice, speaking extremely fast yet still trembling:
"Th-the valley… the valley mouth! Look at the valley mouth! That… that sea of flowers! It's the Bewitching Beast Yam!
I-It-It-It-It came here?
It charged in! Ahhh! And it's rolling in with a rumble!"
Xie Zhaolin was dodging a vicious pounce from the wolf when her heart sank. She scanned the valley entrance with her divine sense.
Dust was billowing up at the mouth of the valley!
The thick beastly mist was being pushed aside by an invisible force, revealing a massive, multicolored, and utterly strange sea of flowers stretching as far as the eye could see, rushing into the valley at an almost absurd speed given its enormous size!
Countless giant legs formed from entwined roots stomped the ground, making the earth shake with every step. Wherever it passed, rocks shattered and plants were devoured, leaving only bare ground.
At the center of the flower sea, enormous blossoms emitted a dizzying fragrance and powerful mental waves! If it wasn't the Bewitching Demon Yam, what else could it be?
A chill shot from Xie Zhaolin's feet straight up to her crown, every muscle tensing involuntarily!
"Damn it!" Even Xie Zhaolin, usually so composed, couldn't help but curse inwardly.
How could this thing find her here?
Had the previous battle lasted too long, leaving a tiny flaw in her Breath Concealing Wood Transformation Art that it detected?
Or… was this ghostly creature's tracking ability even more insane than she imagined?
A foreboding feeling pressed down on her—if the Bewitching Demon Yam had come here, even more terrifying beings could soon be drawn by the Rebirth Flower's aura!
The golden-back beast wolf alone was already a nightmare to deal with. Add in a bizarre, stubborn Bewitching Demon Yam… one-on-two, even if she used every trick in her arsenal, it'd be a fight to the death!
She couldn't engage recklessly!
But she couldn't panic either; panic only led to mistakes. She had to stay calm and figure out a way to turn the situation around.
In an instant, a wild idea flashed in Xie Zhaolin's mind—let these two fight each other!
When the snipe and clam struggle, the fisherman profits!
Especially since the Bewitching Demon Yam was barreling in without much thought, maybe it'd be easier to manipulate!
The golden-back beast wolf was clearly thrown off by this sudden intruder and massive disturbance. It stopped attacking, its crimson eyes suspiciously fixed on the flower sea charging toward its lair, then it unleashed an earth-shattering roar!
"Auwoo! You rotten leaves! How dare you invade my territory! Get out!"
Its territorial instincts flared, showing utter fury at the blatant intrusion.
Even though a flicker of caution passed in its eyes, it didn't back down. The ore vein was precious to it—if it held the territory, breaking through to Nascent Soul wasn't impossible.
The Bewitching Demon Yam, however, didn't care about the wolf's roar. Its goal was clear—its massive floral body barreled straight for the central Geng-metal vein, or rather, for Xie Zhaolin beside it.
Countless swaying flowers turned toward the wolf, emitting even stronger mesmerizing waves.
Opportunity!
A cold glint flashed in Xie Zhaolin's eyes. She made her decision. She stopped retreating and instead bent her body sharply, dashing toward the spot where the golden-back wolf and Bewitching Demon Yam would collide.
This position was cunning, making the enraged wolf think she was trying to snatch the vein amidst the chaos, while the barreling flower sea assumed she was prey shielded by the wolf!
Just as the Bewitching Demon Yam was about to crash into her and the wolf—
Xie Zhaolin unleashed her full mobility, sliding sideways at a hair's breadth from the edge of the flower sea!
The dodge was flawless, timed to perfection!
Rumble—!
Without Xie Zhaolin as a buffer, the Bewitching Demon Yam couldn't slow down—or maybe it never intended to. Its massive front slammed directly into the raging golden-back beast wolf!
Petals and branches shattered, and cracks appeared on the dark-golden scales.
"Auwoo! You rotten leaves are asking for death!"
The golden-back wolf staggered from the collision, pain fueling its fury. Without hesitation, it raised a massive claw and struck toward the nearby flower sea!
But in the blind spot to its side and rear, Xie Zhaolin's eyes glinted coldly. She silently formed hand seals. A condensed streak of baleful qi shot toward the core flowers at the heart of the Bewitching Demon Yam's sea!
The strike wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but it was cunning and provocative.
Pfft!
The baleful qi hit precisely. Though it didn't deal heavy damage, it immediately incited the Bewitching Demon Yam into a frenzy of rage!
From its perspective, the golden-haired wolf and its "protected prey" were clearly attacking in tandem!
Especially that insidious strike—it came straight from the opposing camp!
Buzz—!
The entire flower sea trembled violently, releasing colossal energy waves. Thick vines and roots lashed at the golden-back wolf, while other branches tried to circumvent it to strike Xie Zhaolin behind.
Roar!
"How dare you touch it!"
The wolf, furious that it was both hit and attacked proactively, erupted in anger. Its back spines shone brilliantly, and countless Geng-metal blade energies shot out, colliding fiercely with the vines and roots!
Boom!
Bang bang bang!
Sizzle!
The two beasts instantly entangled, launching a frantic clash!
The valley erupted with deafening roars, energy storms sweeping across, a scene of utter chaos!
Xie Zhaolin took the chance to fade into shadow, slipping silently to the edge behind a giant rock. She suppressed her aura completely, heart pounding, but her gaze remained ice-cold.
Success!
The immediate danger had been temporarily diverted!
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We're almost caught up with the raw serialization, so if there are a few days gap between my future updates, that's why.