C7 Strange Beast

"If you don't kill her now, you're inviting endless trouble!"

The voice of the armor echoed in Xiao Feng's mind once more.

"I could kill her, but I can't face my own conscience."

Xiao Feng had considered killing her, but he remembered how she had shown no hostility towards him and Xianyu, even going so far as to defuse a tense situation. She had also voluntarily given Xianyu a precious spark. For Xianyu's sake, if not his own, he felt it wasn't right to kill her.

"Being soft-hearted is a major taboo for those on the path of cultivation!" the armor warned.

"I'm aware," Xiao Feng acknowledged with a nod. "But I just can't reconcile it with myself to kill her outright."

"What if she reveals what you've done?"

Xiao Feng spoke up timidly, "Then, could you assist me, Senior?"

The armor was at a loss for words, thinking, Are you seriously using me as a scapegoat?

With a resigned smile, Xiao Feng turned to Yun Ruo, "I need you to swear that you'll never speak of my actions to anyone."

Yun Ruo regarded Xiao Feng with a mix of skepticism and disbelief, struggling to accept that he might actually spare her life.

"You're not going to kill me?"

Xiao Feng chuckled, "Why, were you hoping I would? Swear now, or I might just change my mind!"

Realizing Xiao Feng was serious, Yun Ruo composed herself and declared, "I swear that if I speak of today's events, my dantian will shatter and my soul will scatter to the winds!"

A cultivator's oath is binding; breaking it would invoke retribution from the cosmic order.

Xiao Feng nodded, then returned to the two bodies to retrieve their Storage Rings. He handed one to Xianyu and kept the other for himself.

"How were you able to..." Xianyu began, but hesitated. She knew Xiao Feng was strong, but to have taken down both Hai Hongxuan and Hai Li seemed a feat only possible for someone in the Flood Realm.

"It was a stroke of luck," Xiao Feng replied succinctly, aware that there were others around and certain details were best left unsaid.

"What should we do with their bodies?" Xianyu inquired, gesturing towards the fallen.

Yun Ruo quickly interjected, "I can argue that they were slain by Strange Beasts. Xianyu has her master's protection, but you..."

She turned to Xiao Feng with concern, "You could be subject to an investigation by the Mountain Sea Sect, or even held directly accountable! The only way to deter them is if you join the Mountain Sea Sect and become a disciple of an elder like Xianyu's master."

The founders of the Mountain Sea Sect were once heroes to the sect, but over the years, the sect's bond with the two races has weakened.

Thus, the Mountain Sea Sect is fully justified in protecting its disciples.

Xiao Feng sighed inwardly. He had truly hit a snag this time!

It was quite the predicament!

But despite the trouble, having come this far into the Secret Realm, he couldn't just give up now!

"Let's keep moving. There's bound to be more treasures ahead," he said with a smile, though he was inwardly cautious as he asked Armor Senior, "Is there any danger up ahead?"

"Hehe, don't worry about it. Just keep going," Armor Senior replied confidently. "I was wondering why this Secret Realm had suddenly become so affluent. Turns out, it's because of an old friend!"

An old friend! Xiao Feng was puzzled. Based on his guess, Armor Senior was likely related to the previous owner of the Overlord Spear. What kind of friend could he have?

Confused as he was, Xiao Feng felt reassured by Armor Senior's words and continued leading the way. They encountered an abundance of premium Spirit Stones and even collected a significant number of Dragon Crystals!

After a few more steps, Armor Senior suddenly instructed, "Open up this spot."

Without hesitation, Xiao Feng plunged the Overlord Spear into the ground, channeled his Spiritual Force, and moved the soil and rocks aside. They were all astounded to uncover a genuine Dragon Vein, a full five meters in length, radiating with the lustrous power of Dragon Crystal Spiritual Force—purely composed of Spiritual Qi, it was truly formidable!

Xiao Feng turned to the others, "How should we divide this? Taking it to market would spell disaster for us, but the idea of mining it ourselves is utterly fanciful."

Yun Ruo's gaze was intense with longing. "Hand over this Dragon Vein to me, and in exchange, I'll give you all the Spirit Stones and Dragon Crystals I have. I'll even throw in the Heaven Grade cultivation techniques from my Divine Cloud Sect. Just give me the Dragon Vein!"

"Your family won't be able to safeguard the Dragon Vein. In your hands, it's nothing but a hot potato!"

Xiao Feng and Xianyu exchanged a knowing glance. Yun Ruo's words rang true. Should the Dragon Vein end up with the Cloud Soaring Sect or the Rainbow Sect, it would only be a matter of time before the sect was decimated by the world's top masters!

"I'll follow your lead," Xianyu said, entrusting Xiao Feng with the decision. Her trust in him was absolute.

After a moment's contemplation, Xiao Feng spoke, "I'll give you the Dragon Vein, but I want all the Heaven Grade techniques from your Divine Cloud Sect in return."

Cultivation techniques were categorized into eight tiers: Holy, Divine, Heaven, Earth, King, Ghost, Mortal, and Eight Extreme. Heaven Grade techniques were exceedingly rare treasures within the Mountain Sea Sect. Acquiring them would undoubtedly elevate the Cloud Soaring Sect to new heights.

"I'll give you the Dragon Vein, but from now on, all secret treasures will be off-limits to you! Furthermore, any future Spiritual Veins, including Dragon Veins or Dao Veins, will belong to us."

"Agreed!" Yun Ruo didn't hesitate. Securing a Dragon Vein for her sect was an unparalleled achievement. Techniques, after all, paled in comparison to a Dragon Vein that could endlessly produce Dragon Crystals and superior Spirit Stones.

Having distributed Yun Ruo's assets, the party pressed on. Xiao Feng and Xianyu found themselves with an ever-increasing bounty of Dragon Crystals, so much so that Xiao Feng voluntarily handed over two thousand to Yun Ruo.

"We agreed that these belong to you. I don't need them."

"Keep it, as a token of friendship," Xiao Feng insisted, handing them over to Yun Ruo, who accepted them without a word.

Continuing their journey, the trio reached the end of the plains and came upon a canyon. Xiao Feng, prompted by Armor Senior, readied his Overlord Spear once more. But this time, the situation they encountered left all three utterly bewildered.

A Dragon Vein stretched out for nearly a hundred meters, its Spiritual Qi so thick it was suffocating. The vein shimmered like a majestic dragon, its brilliance captivating!

The trio gasped in awe—the sight was utterly breathtaking!

Before they could even gather their thoughts, a Strange Beast with dragon horns and a dragon tail leaped from the canyon's edge, landing squarely on the Dragon Vein.

The fearsome aura forced everyone to their knees!

Yellow Stage!

In all of Purvavideha, the mightiest known Divine Beasts were of the Universe Stage, yet here stood a Yellow Stage Divine Beast!

"Hmph, a bunch of ants dare to disturb my rest!"

The Strange Beast wasted no time. It raised its hoof, poised to crush them all, but Xiao Feng, quick on his feet, drew the Overlord Spear, barely managing to stand his ground.

Xiao Feng was not one to resign himself to fate. Despite the overwhelming odds, he was ready to fight!

In that instant, the Strange Beast's demeanor shifted at the sight of the Overlord Spear. Its oppressive presence vanished, and it even began to wag its tail!

"You, how do you possess the Overlord Spear?! W-w-who are you, exactly? Are you his reincarnation? No, impossible. I see now, you must be his disciple! Hahahaha, what a misunderstanding. How could I ever bring myself to harm you?"