Chapter 138: The Weakness of the Companion Beast
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Whoosh—
Amidst the soft pattering sounds, an enormous figure slowly emerged from the swamp.
Its entire body was covered in black mud, obscuring any discernible colors or patterns. Only its general shape could be made out: a long neck with a small head, thick and short limbs, and a semicircular shell resembling a turtle’s. The shell rose sharply at the back.
What astonished everyone most was the Pure World Green Lotus growing on its shell. As the creature rose from the swamp, the lotus ascended toward the sky.
“A Companion Beast?” Yu Zhao gasped.
She had always known that Companion Beasts lived near rare spiritual herbs to protect them, but this was the first time she had heard of an herb growing on a beast itself.
Ji Han Zhou and Mo Ci, being disciples of major sects, were also familiar with Companion Beasts. Instantly, they became alert.
Companion Beasts and spiritual herbs existed in symbiosis—the higher the herb’s rank, the stronger the beast. Judging by this beast’s ability to survive in the swamp, which corroded everything, its strength had to be at least at the Nascent Soul stage.
“Roar!”
The Companion Beast seemed either agitated by the cultivators’ intrusion or aware of other beasts coveting the Pure World Green Lotus. Its temperament grew volatile. It buried its massive head into the swamp, inhaled deeply, then lifted it abruptly.
Splatter, splatter, splatter!
Countless blobs of black mud shot into the air like rain. Birds and beasts flying above were pierced by the mud and fell from the sky, crying in agony.
Yu Zhao’s pupils shrank. With a flick of her right hand, she scattered numerous talismans, infusing herself with spiritual energy to propel her rapidly backward.
Ji Han Zhou, Mo Ci, and the others, standing behind her, were also pushed back by her retreat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The talisman-made barrier shattered layer by layer.
“Ahhh!”
Some cultivators failed to dodge in time. The mud struck them, leaving bloody holes in their bodies, blood pouring incessantly.
“Damn it!” Yao Wu Ji cursed under her breath and lightly patted the red spider beneath her. The spider’s eight legs bent and sprang up, avoiding the splattering mud.
Behind the spider, Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue were wrapped in spider silk. Fang Cheng Lang remained calm, pulling out a defensive artifact before the web reached him. A golden barrier unfolded before him, absorbing the relentless strikes of the mud. The light dimmed rapidly but held until the assault ended.
After the first round of attacks, another group of cultivators had fallen. Only about ten people remained. Even the frenzied beasts and birds, sensing the Companion Beast’s might, screamed and fled, leaving behind piles of their kin’s corpses.
“Fellow Daoist Yu, should we retreat?”
A female cultivator from the Hundred Flowers Valley, who had come to regard Yu Zhao as the team’s anchor after the earlier crises, sought her opinion.
Yu Zhao glanced at the remaining cultivators and whispered, “Wait a bit longer.”
None of them would willingly leave empty-handed. The final confrontation was yet to come.
Yu Zhao’s prediction was correct.
The survivors, chosen from nearly a thousand competitors, were all uniquely skilled. Even Fang Cheng Lang, who was almost incapacitated, had relied on extraordinary swordsmanship to protect himself and Cui Jue.
Having endured so much, none of them would easily give up now.
“Let’s work together.”
Yao Wu Ji glanced around the group before suddenly speaking.
“It’s impossible to kill this Companion Beast relying on individual strength alone. The only way is for everyone here to join forces.”
“I agree.”
“Count me in.”
“Understood.”
The other cultivators nodded without hesitation, clearly harboring the same thought. Then, they all turned their attention to Yu Zhao’s group of six.
Yu Zhao didn’t respond immediately but looked behind her. Mo Ci and Ji Han Zhou gave firm nods in return. At this point, no one was willing to back down.
“All right.”
Excluding Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue, who were incapacitated, there were still seventeen people able to fight. After a brief discussion, they decided to attack the Companion Beast from three directions. No one even mentioned how the Pure World Green Lotus should be distributed; everyone understood that their fragile alliance would collapse the moment the Companion Beast fell.
“Move out.”
Countless beams of spiritual energy erupted simultaneously, precisely striking the Companion Beast. However, despair set in when they realized its flesh was as impenetrable as a fortress. Their attacks couldn’t harm it at all. Instead, their assault enraged the beast, which charged at them with its massive limbs.
Despite its enormous size, the Companion Beast was terrifyingly swift. In an instant, it stepped onto the shore, leaving a five-foot-deep footprint in the ground. The consequences of being trampled by such a creature were clear—anyone caught beneath its feet would be crushed into pulp.
High defense, immense speed—this Companion Beast had no apparent weaknesses. Just as some cultivators’ eyes began to fill with despair and thoughts of retreat crept into their minds, Yu Zhao and Yao Wu Ji’s gazes lit up with identical clarity.
The Companion Beast’s weakness was clear—it was the Pure World Green Lotus on its back!
Without a word, the two launched simultaneous strikes at the Pure World Green Lotus, then leapt into action. Their eyes met midair, both filled with unwavering determination to claim it.
Though the Companion Beast was tough, the Pure World Green Lotus growing on its back was as delicate as a flower. A dull thud echoed as Yao Wu Ji’s spiritual energy was blocked by the Companion Beast’s extended neck. However, Yu Zhao’s attack arced around, striking the stalk of the Pure World Green Lotus from behind.
With a crisp snap, the Pure World Green Lotus detached, leaving only a small portion of its stalk, and flew forward through the air.
The Companion Beast let out an unwilling roar, its eyes dimming rapidly before its colossal body collapsed with a resounding thud. Yet, no one paid any attention to its death. All eyes were fixed on the Pure World Green Lotus hovering midair.
“Heh.” Yao Wu Ji sneered and commanded the Red Spider beneath her, “Go snatch the Pure World Green Lotus for me.”
If they wanted to compete with her, they’d have to prove themselves capable.
The Red Spider paused momentarily before spitting out a thread of webbing. The web shot through the air at lightning speed, leaving Yu Zhao far behind. Fang Cheng Lang, Ji Han Zhou, and Mo Ci clenched their fists nervously, silently praying that the Pure World Green Lotus wouldn’t fall into Yao Wu Ji’s hands.
Just as the webbing came within reach of the Pure World Green Lotus, a look of triumph spread across Yao Wu Ji’s face. Yet, in a surprising twist, the webbing veered off course, brushing past the Pure World Green Lotus and snagging a nearby corpse instead.
“What? Wrong target! That’s not it!” Yao Wu Ji cried out in shock.
In that moment, Yu Zhao surged forward, using her spiritual energy to pull the Pure World Green Lotus into her grasp. The next instant, she smoothly slipped it into her Storage Space.
She spread her hands and offered a small smile to the stunned crowd. “Apologies, everyone, but the Pure World Green Lotus is now mine.”
Yoink.