Chapter 138: The Weakness of the Accompanying Beast
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Swish—
A faint rustling sound echoed through the swamp as a colossal figure slowly emerged from the murky depths. The creature was completely covered in thick, black mud, concealing its true colors and patterns. Only a vague outline of its body could be seen. The beast had a long neck with a small head, and its short, sturdy limbs supported a massive, dome-shaped shell, similar to that of a turtle. The creature’s back arched high, towering above the swampy water.
What truly astonished the onlookers was the pristine Purifying Lotus that grew on the creature’s shell. As the beast rose from the swamp, the lotus ascended with it, seemingly floating in the air.
“An accompanying beast?” Yu Zhao gasped, her eyes wide with surprise. She had always known that accompanying beasts guarded spiritual herbs, but she had never heard of a spiritual herb actually growing on one of these creatures before.
Ji Han Zhou and the others, all disciples from prestigious sects, immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. They tensed up, understanding that the strength of an accompanying beast was directly proportional to the level of the spiritual herb it guarded. The fact that this creature could survive in a swamp that could corrode almost anything meant its strength was likely no lower than the early Nascent Soul stage.
GRARRRHHH!!!
The beast suddenly let out a deafening roar, either disturbed by the presence of the cultivators or sensing other beasts coveting the Purifying Lotus on its back. Agitated, it buried its massive head into the swamp, inhaled deeply, and then swiftly lifted it again.
Splat, splat, splat!
Countless droplets of black mud rained down from the sky, striking several birds and beasts in the air. The mud pierced through them like daggers, sending them plummeting to the ground with pitiful cries.
Yu Zhao’s pupils shrank in alarm. Without hesitation, she scattered a handful of talismans from her right hand. The talismans activated instantly, pushing her backward at great speed. Ji Han Zhou and Mo Ci, who were standing behind Yu Zhao, were also propelled backward by the force of the talismans.
Boom, boom, boom!
The defensive barrier formed by the talismans shattered layer by layer in an instant.
“Ahh!” Several cultivators who couldn’t dodge in time were struck by the mud, leaving bloody, gaping holes in their bodies.
“Damn it!” Yao Wuji cursed under her breath. She gently patted the red spider beneath her. The spider’s eight long legs suddenly bent and then sprang upward, narrowly avoiding the flying mud.
Behind the red spider, Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue were wrapped in spider silk. Fang Cheng Lang remained calm, having already taken out a defensive artifact and held it in front of him. A golden light shield unfolded, but the relentless pounding of the mud caused the shield’s glow to rapidly dim. Yet, it managed to hold until the barrage ended.
When the assault finally ceased, another group of cultivators had fallen, leaving only about a dozen survivors. The birds and beasts that had gone berserk earlier now seemed to recognize the ferocity of the accompanying beast and fled in panic, leaving behind the lifeless bodies of their comrades.
“Sister Yu Zhao, should we retreat?” a female cultivator from Hundred Flowers Valley, having barely survived the recent crisis, now looked to Yu Zhao as the leader of their group and sought her opinion.
Yu Zhao glanced at the few remaining cultivators and replied quietly, “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
They had come too far to leave empty-handed. Yu Zhao was certain that a final battle was imminent.
Her prediction proved accurate. The cultivators who remained standing had emerged victorious from a pool of nearly a thousand competitors. Each of them possessed unique skills. Even Fang Cheng Lang, who had nearly lost his ability to fight, had managed to protect both himself and Cui Jue with his exceptional swordsmanship. Having endured this long, none of them were willing to give up now. Retreating was out of the question.
“Let’s join forces,” Yao Wuji suddenly suggested, surveying the scene. It was clear that no single person could defeat the accompanying beast. Their only chance was to work together.
“I agree.”
“Same here.”
“Alright.”
The remaining cultivators nodded without hesitation, each clearly having had the same thought. They then turned to look at Yu Zhao and her group of six.
Yu Zhao didn’t respond immediately but glanced back at her comrades. Mo Ci and Ji Han Zhou both nodded firmly. They had come too far to back down now.
“Alright,” she agreed.
Excluding Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue, there were seventeen capable fighters left. After a brief discussion, they decided to divide into three groups and launch a coordinated attack on the accompanying beast.
As for how they would divide the prize—the Purifying Lotus—no one mentioned it. Everyone knew that their alliance was fragile and would shatter the moment the beast fell.
“Move!”
A flurry of spiritual light erupted simultaneously, striking the accompanying beast with precision. However, to the group’s despair, the beast’s flesh was as tough as steel, and their attacks barely left a mark. Instead, the beast, now enraged, charged at them with its thick limbs. Despite its massive size, it moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it had climbed onto the shore, leaving a five-foot-deep footprint in the ground.
It was clear that if anyone were to be stepped on by that massive foot, they would be crushed into paste.
High defense, swift speed—this accompanying beast seemed to have no weaknesses. Despair flickered in the eyes of the other cultivators, some even considering retreat, when a spark of realization ignited in both Yu Zhao and Yao Wuji’s eyes.
The beast’s weakness was the Purifying Lotus!
Without hesitation, both of them sent a blast of spiritual light toward the lotus on the beast’s back and leaped into the air, lunging forward. Their eyes met mid-air, filled with determination and resolve.
The accompanying beast’s flesh was tough, but the Purifying Lotus growing on its back was incredibly fragile. With a dull thud, Yao Wuji’s spiritual light was blocked by the beast’s outstretched neck, but Yu Zhao’s attack circled around and struck the stem of the lotus from behind.
The Purifying Lotus, now severed, separated from the beast’s shell and flew forward.
“Roar!” The accompanying beast let out a reluctant growl, the light in its eyes fading rapidly. Its enormous body collapsed with a thunderous crash. But no one paid any attention to the beast’s death. Every eye was fixed on the Purifying Lotus floating in the air.
“Heh,” Yao Wuji sneered, ordering the red spider beneath her, “Snatch that Purifying Lotus for me.”
The red spider hesitated for a moment before spitting out a thread of silk. The silk shot forward at lightning speed, leaving Yu Zhao far behind.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Fang Cheng Lang, Ji Han Zhou, Mo Ci, and the others clenched their fists in nervous anticipation, silently praying that the lotus wouldn’t fall into Yao Wuji’s hands.
Just as the silk was about to reach the Purifying Lotus, Yao Wuji’s face broke into a triumphant grin. But then, the situation took an unexpected turn. The silk missed the lotus entirely, instead latching onto a nearby corpse and swiftly retracting.
Yao Wuji’s expression changed dramatically. “No! It’s not the right one!”
At that moment, Yu Zhao, who had already leaped forward, used her spiritual energy to pull the Purifying Lotus into her grasp. In the next instant, she smoothly slipped it into her storage space.
She spread her hands and gave the group a small, polite smile. “Sorry, everyone, but it looks like the Purifying Lotus is mine.”