C3 The Love Between the Youth and the Spirit Beast.

The Cloud Water Swamp in the southwest of the Divine Martial Continent was a paradise for all kinds of poisonous insects, snakes, vicious birds, and fierce beasts. Humans rarely set foot in this place because there were countless and difficult to distinguish swamps and mud pools. Even the Hunters who relied on hunting Spirit Beasts and collecting medicinal herbs to live avoided this place.

But today, the Cloud Water Swamp was abnormally lively. Hundreds of people were running on the grass, and there were even more than a thousand people flying in the air. They were pursuing an old man and a woman.

As the venomous insects erupted into the sky, they formed a dark cloud that disrupted the midday sun. At that moment, even the Spirit Beasts that normally dominated the area hesitated to appear. Occasionally, Flood Dragons lurking beneath the swampy waters would shoot up water spouts hundreds of meters high, aimed at the airborne intruders. Yet, these interlopers were cautious enough not to engage in aquatic combat. The rest of the swamp's self-proclaimed overlords retreated, well aware that the visitors were not to be trifled with.

"Old man, you actually dare to steal our empire's treasures. Do you think that you can escape from being pursued by entering the Cloud Water Swamp?"

"Stupid blind man, hurry up and return the Jade Leaf Purple Heart Flower and Fire Cloud Pearl. Otherwise, you will die carelessly."

"That woman is seriously injured. Let's deal with her first."

These two people were Wu Yun and Meng Ying. In order to treat the children's illnesses over the years, they had done a lot of things, and they were not afraid of the pursuers at all.

The enemy was still chasing them, and the distance was gradually shortening. Wu Yun knew she could not face them directly, which would be more dangerous.

She turned her head and smiled elegantly, saying, "I said I was borrowing, not stealing. I will return it to you guys in the future."

A man wearing a general's armor sneered, "Did you say borrowing? Do you think you can borrow it like that? Did we agree?"

Wu Yun said helplessly, "It was because you didn't agree that we took it. Anyway, you guys don't lack these things."

A middle-aged man wearing a civil servant's uniform pointed at Wu Yun and said, "Whether we lack it or not is one thing, but you actually dare to barge into the treasury. Where is the Empire's respect, and where is the Yu Family's respect?"

Wu Yun said coldly, "I took this thing to save lives. Besides, didn't you guys also seize those few Hunters? How dare you mention the Empire's face? Do you want me to go to your capital and tell your emperor about the Yu Family's incident?"

The middle-aged civil servant's eyes revealed killing intent as he growled, "You know too much, so you must die. Fourth brother, proceed!"

The fourth brother was the general, and he immediately shouted, "Set up the formation!"

When Meng Ying heard the words "Set up the formation," he instantly rushed over. A huge green palm condensed behind him and slammed towards the crowd on the ground.

"Insignificant tricks!" Several people in the air attacked simultaneously. Dozens of Spiritual Energies gathered into a golden fist that smashed towards Meng Ying's palm.

Meng Ying swiftly split his palm in two, deftly dodging the incoming fist and continued to hit the ground.

Meanwhile, soldiers on the ground quickly arranged themselves into battle formations. Hundreds of spears were raised simultaneously, emitting a dazzling array of colors from their tips. These lights converged above, creating a protective semicircular barrier.

With a resounding "Bam!" the green palm disintegrated into powder. Meng Ying withdrew his hands, wiping away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. He couldn't help but feel relieved that they had acted swiftly; otherwise, Wu Yun would have been in grave danger."

As the green palm struck, the barrier shattered inch by inch, and those below were thrown about as if intoxicated.

The old man urgently shouted, "Quickly disperse and release the barrier! There's poisonous fog!"

After the green palm shattered, it didn't vanish completely; instead, it transformed into a fine green powder.

The people below were bewildered, for they feared nothing except poison.

Seizing her chance in midair, Wu Yun swiftly executed a series of hand seals, raising her hands high. In an instant, it seemed as if space itself had torn open. Countless meteorites descended from the sky, crashing into the airborne group. "This is the Fragmentary Star Technique! Dodge quickly!" Someone yelled.

No one knew who shouted, but the crowd in midair was also in a mess.

But it was too late for many. Several meteorites shattered their defenses, exploding and causing chaos.

"Arrogant!" a middle-aged man charged at Wu Yun, his golden-bladed longsword aimed for her chest.

"If you won't let me live, then I'll make you pay!" Wu Yun conjured a radiant Bone Whip, which swiftly traced dozens of arcs, shattering the Qi blade. It then condensed into a silvery-white long spear, fiercely clashing with the middle-aged man's sword.

With a resounding "Clang," Wu Yun's immense strength nearly caused the middle-aged man's blade to falter. Her determination remained unwavering as she launched another fierce assault, aiming to eliminate the strongest opponent before any reinforcements could arrive and increase her chances of escape.

"Second Brother, come back!"

Fourth was startled when he saw Meng Ying tossing variously colored Medicine Pills toward the middle-aged man. He quickly called the man back.

"Sis, let's go!" Meng Ying threw a few more Medicine Pills into the air.

They rushed toward the Black Water River deep within the swamp. Meng Ying retrieved a square-shaped spiritual artifact, infusing it with his spiritual energy. In moments, the box transformed into a black-capped boat. They leaped onto the vessel, crossing the Black Water River, emitting an eerie, chilling aura.

"Fourth Brother, why the panic? This isn't a Poison Pill; it's just an ordinary Medicine Pill. Seriously, if we allow those two to escape, it could spell endless trouble in the future," Second Brother complained angrily.

Fourth Brother gazed at where Wu Yun and Meng Ying had vanished. "The way he threw those Medicine Pills... it's a unique technique of the Poison Sect. But who returns from the depths of this swamp alive? Don't worry, they'll be fine."

The civil servant reassured Second Brother, saying, "At most, we'll need to allocate some funds to make certain arrangements in the capital. It won't be a significant issue. Moreover, capturing them won't guarantee an easy resolution, especially considering that woman uses the Fragmentary Star Technique."

Second Brother scoffed, "Even if it's the Fragmentary Star Technique, the two continents are in conflict. We can just eliminate them. Enough about that; issue my command. Investigate these two individuals thoroughly. Don't miss any information. Their knowledge might fetch a handsome price at the Vast Mist Pavilion."

Meng Ying and Wu Yun had expended great effort to steal medicinal herbs and Medicine Pills for those in need. At this moment, they were training in the enigmatic Deep Dream Rainforest within the Shattered Domain.

The Shattered Domain held a unique status, some considering it a forsaken world, others a domain cursed by the heavens, or even the remnants of a continent shattered by a deity and cast adrift into the outer domain.

There were all kinds of legends, but very few people could enter the Shattered Domain. In these years, countless people had gone to the Shattered Domain, but they never returned.

Fourteen years ago, Meng Ying rode a spirit artifact and brought Wu Yun and her child, Feng Lian, across the Black Water River. They accidentally entered the Shattered Domain, and only then did they escape the endless pursuit.

After fourteen years, Feng Lian had grown into a handsome young man. At this time, he was leading his little sister, Mengjie, three years younger than him, to train in the rainforest.

"Brother, take a break. I feel like my legs are about to break." Mengjie pouted and looked at Feng Lian with anticipation.

Feng Lian squatted down obediently and carried Mengjie, who was smiling, on his back and ran forward.

"Brother, slow down. Don't scratch my face like last time."

Feng Lian stared at the leaves floating in front of him and said, "If you slow down, the Black Horn Earth Dragon will run away."

Mengjie indifferently said, "Well, why don't we simply run? This rainforest teems with Spirit Beasts. It's not easy to be allowed to come out. Besides, I haven't had my fill of enjoyment. Going back means enduring the daily torture from those few masters, and I'm utterly exhausted."

Feng Lian laughed and remarked, "You won't be content if you don't tease me, will you? I may not be a cultivator, but I still put in effort to improve. You, being a cultivator, should strive even more."

Mengjie complained, "Didn't Master Qiu mention that the Unfamiliar Village is cursed, making cultivation quite challenging? In any case, I can still progress without cultivating. I quite enjoy Master Fu Shi's lessons."

The moment Master Fu Shi was mentioned, Feng Lian's face turned black. He was most afraid of Fu Shi's class. She played the zither, chess, and calligraphy every day. Not only that, Meng Ying even forced him to learn dance with Mengjie. When he thought of this, he felt his legs go soft.

"Brother, hurry up and chase after it. The Black Horn Earth Dragon is about to escape."

Feng Lian could only forget about those unpleasant things and focus on pursuit.

"Excellent! We've successfully lured it into the trap Magic Array," Mengjie exclaimed, leaping down from Feng Lian's back with exuberance. She looked anything but exhausted, belying the rigorous chase they had just been through.

Feng Lian unsheathed his dagger, eyes narrowing as he studied the Black Horn Earth Dragon squirming within the magical trap. He was calculating the perfect moment to strike.

"You've got this, Brother! One move and it's done," Mengjie encouraged, her voice brimming with confidence. She plucked a handful of wild fruits from a nearby bush and sprang up into a tree, settling in to watch the show.

Feng Lian sighed, a touch of resignation in his voice. "Mengjie, this is a Rank Three Black Horn Earth Dragon, and it's at the intermediate level, no less. I'm not a cultivator with a fancy rank. How can you expect me to take it down in one move? Why don't you give it a try?"

In their world, cultivators were classified into six distinct ranks: Fengliang, Jade Mansion, Grace, Spirit Sea, Divine Court, and Grandmaster. These ranks paralleled the one-to-six ranking of Spirit Beasts. Furthermore, each rank had three sublevels: low, intermediate, and high.

Mengjie, who was at the low level of the Grace rank, knew well that Feng Lian, not being a cultivator, would find it a serious challenge to defeat the Rank Three Black Horn Earth Dragon.

She reclined against the tree trunk and sighed, "I'm pretty wiped out. I need to rest for a bit."

"Aooo …" The more the Black Horn Earth Dragon struggled, the tighter the rope binding the Spiritual Energy in the Magic Array became. There were a few threads that had already squeezed into its body, and the pain made it unable to help but cry out.

Seizing the moment, Feng Lian moved with agility that belied his non-cultivator status. He leapt onto the dragon's back as nimbly as a spectral ape and drove his dagger deep into the creature's most vulnerable spot—its neck.

Thrown off balance by the thrashing Black Horn Earth Dragon, Feng Lian was catapulted into the air. With remarkable agility, he contorted his body mid-flight, narrowly dodging the threads of the trap Magic Array, and landed safely outside its boundaries.

Eyeing the struggling, roaring dragon, Feng Lian felt a quiet surge of pride. This was his first time confronting a Rank Three Spirit Beast, and while he hadn't felled it in one go, merely holding his own was a significant milestone for him.

However, his expression quickly turned grave. The Black Horn Earth Dragon's immense strength posed a real threat to the integrity of the Magic Array. Should the array fail, neither he nor Mengjie would stand a chance against the unleashed beast.

Wasting no more time, Feng Lian seized another fleeting opportunity. As the dragon squirmed and flailed, he vaulted onto its back once again. With dagger in hand, he located the dragon's reverse scale on its forehead and slid the blade down to its underbelly before plunging it into its chest. With a grim resolve, he twisted the blade multiple times.

This act pushed the Black Horn Earth Dragon past the brink of tolerance. Roaring with renewed fury, it mustered a final burst of spiritual energy, shaking its head violently in an attempt to dislodge its tormentor.k

Feng Lian clenched the dragon's reverse scale with one hand and grasped its horn with the other. Straining with all his might, he lifted the massive head of the Black Horn Earth Dragon. He knew that raising its head would cause the blood from its wound to flow out.

Though he managed to maintain his grip, the dragon's rugged scales had already lacerated Feng Lian's entire body. After a quarter of an hour, he felt his strength dwindling, but he was determined not to give up. The forest ground around them had been painted red by the blood of the Black Horn Earth Dragon. If he persevered a little longer, he believed he could succeed.

Yet, cruel reality had other plans. In its dying moments, the Black Horn Earth Dragon summoned its last reserves of strength. With a mighty heave, it flung Feng Lian from its back and raised a colossal foot to crush his head.

Feng Lian's vision was shrouded by a dark force descending upon him. On pure instinct, he rolled swiftly to the side, narrowly evading the dragon's crushing kick. However, the ground was slick with viscous blood, impeding his movement as he rolled.

The Black Horn Earth Dragon's second foot was already descending upon his chest. In a desperate moment, Feng Lian summoned a reserve of strength he didn't know he had and sprang up, tightly hugging the dragon's massive thigh. No matter how vigorously it struggled, he refused to let go.

"Dao Ba and Ren Jian, my two masters, lied to me. They said that the happiest thing in life is to hug a thigh." Feng Lian kept accusing his two masters.

"See, I still have to make a move in the end to subdue it!" Mengjie stood on the Black Horn Earth Dragon's back at some point, holding the bloody dagger in her hand and making a naughty face at Feng Lian.

"Boom!" The Black Horn Earth Dragon finally stopped.

Feng Lian laid weakly in the blood mud and said, "Alright, you win."