Chapter 210: Chapter 208: Abducting a Spirit Beast
Faced with such a tyrannical Spirit Beast, Qin Li could only prepare to beat a strategic retreat. ’If this Black Panther really attacks me, I’ll just run!’
What was a little pride compared to his life? While a fight against this thing probably wouldn’t be fatal, Qin Li didn’t dare go all out in such an unfamiliar environment. ’What if... I attract other powerful Spirit Beasts? Then I’d really be screwed.’
"How are you not afraid of my aura?"
To Qin Li’s surprise, the massive young Black Panther actually spoke in a human tongue, and what’s more, it asked such a naive question.
Qin Li chuckled dryly and said, "Because I’m stronger than you, so of course I’m not afraid of your aura. Can’t you tell I’m trying not to stoop to your level?"
The Black Panther found the human’s words quite harsh, but its father had told it that for anyone whose aura you couldn’t suppress, there were only two possible responses.
Submit, or run!
But for a human—a creature all Spirit Beasts looked down on—to suddenly appear in this paradise for their kind and not even fear its aura, it left the young Black Panther feeling rather indignant.
So, it said, "I hear humans love to boast. Who knows if you’re just all talk?"
The young Black Panther’s voice sounded like that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, very immature. Qin Li couldn’t help but laugh. He never expected to encounter something so amusing in a place like this.
He had experience dealing with Spirit Beasts before. The Little Fox was also very innocent, but she was much more mature mentally than this young Black Panther. ’This little guy... if he were human, he’d clearly just be a kid!’
At this thought, a bold idea quietly rose in Qin Li’s mind.
’When the Little Fox left, he had been quite reluctant to see her go. What a powerful ally she was! At Four Seasons Valley, if the Little Fox were there... wait, even with her, she’d be no match for that damned woman, Bing Mengyun.’
Qin Li pursed his lips, his thoughts turning dispirited.
"Hey, human, why aren’t you answering me? Did I hit the nail on the head? I’ve never eaten a human before. Why don’t you let me have a taste and see what you’re like?" Seeing Qin Li’s silence, the young Black Panther thought it had guessed right. A grim, smug smile spread across its face as it bared its fangs.
"All talk? Me?" Qin Li laughed, and then suddenly, a colossal aura erupted from his body. If the Black Panther’s aura had been a rushing river, then Qin Li’s was a torrential flood, like the edge of a sword aimed directly at the young beast.
The Black Panther’s glossy black fur stood on end. Its tail shot up, puffing up to a great thickness. Its eyes filled with terror and shock as its powerful claws dug into the ground, and it began to retreat step by step.
Qin Li’s aura had come on quickly, but he withdrew it even faster, causing it to vanish in the blink of an eye. He then looked at the young Black Panther, whose eyes were filled with shock and vigilance, and said with a smile, "So? Am I much stronger than you, or not?"
The Black Panther nodded involuntarily. It lowered its two front paws to the ground, its hindquarters sticking high in the air, and rested its head between its paws. Its voice was laced with fear. "Powerful human, you are stronger than me!"
Seeing the Black Panther and sensing no more hostility from it, Qin Li slowly walked over. He bent down and placed a hand on the young Black Panther’s head. The fur was soft and smooth to the touch. The Black Panther, unaccustomed to being petted by a human, let out a low growl from its throat, but it soon turned into a contented purr.
Just like a docile cat.
It was a scene that any human or Spirit Beast would have found incredible. Even Qin Li himself found it hard to understand. It seemed he had a natural affinity for certain Spirit Beasts.
His mind racing, Qin Li sat down next to the Black Panther and asked casually, "What is this place?"
By now, the Black Panther could also sense that this powerful human meant it no harm. In fact, the aura emanating from him felt very comfortable.
Hearing Qin Li’s question, the Black Panther lifted its massive head and looked at him with bewildered eyes. "Human, you don’t even know where this is? Then how did you get here?"
"I... I got lost..." Having no other choice, Qin Li could only ignore the scorn in the Black Panther’s eyes and tell a lie. The truth was, he had no idea how he’d ended up in this godforsaken place either.
Sure enough, the Black Panther rolled its huge yellow eyes, making a very human-like expression, and said, "To get so lost you end up here... Human, I have to say, you truly are powerful! I seriously doubt you could have made it through the countless dangers to get in here!"
As it spoke, the Black Panther shook its large head and continued, "This place is one of the forbidden lands on Profound Island. Of course, ’forbidden’ is a term for you humans. To Spirit Beasts, this place is a paradise!"
Qin Li breathed a sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness, I’m still on Profound Island,’ he thought. But his hatred for Bing Mengyun deepened. ’That bitch, she actually sent me into a forbidden land. She clearly wants me to die here! Fine. You just wait!’
"Then how far is this place from where humans live?" Qin Li asked.
The young Black Panther shook its head. "Very far. In any case, I’ve never been to a human settlement, nor have I ever seen a human before. You’re the first one I’ve ever met! If I hadn’t just received my race’s inherited knowledge, I wouldn’t even be able to speak your language."
"Well, can you tell me how to leave?" Qin Li asked.
"That way..." The Black Panther stood up, turned, and faced east. It extended a paw and pointed. "If I run nonstop for three days, I can reach a place where humans live."
Then, it turned its head in another direction and extended its paw again. "That way, if I run nonstop for five days, I can reach another human settlement. But getting to either one means crossing the territories of many powerful Spirit Beasts. I’ve never dared to try."
Qin Li shook his head in frustration. ’It seems I’m in the central region of Profound Island, with human settlements in multiple directions. As for Fengsha City or Four Seasons Valley, asking this Black Panther would be pointless. It’s never even seen a human, so how could it possibly know about those places?’
"Then... are there any powerful members of your race who have been to human cities? Can you take me to see them?"
"No!" The young Black Panther shook its head so vigorously it was like a blur. Then it lowered its head and said in a low voice, "I was driven out of my clan. They won’t accept me again. Besides, you’re a human. If they see you, they’ll definitely kill you. They won’t let you go!"
"Huh?"
Now Qin Li was truly dumbfounded. He’d finally met a rather powerful Spirit Beast, only to find out it had been exiled from its clan.
"Why?" Qin Li asked.
"Can we... not talk about it?" The Black Panther looked up, its expression a mixture of awkwardness and sadness.
"Eh? What’s the harm in talking? Who knows, maybe I can even help you?" Qin Li said, tempting it with a grin.
’That’s right, this human is much stronger than me!’ The young Black Panther seemed to see a glimmer of hope. It turned, its huge yellow eyes shining. "Really? Human, you mustn’t deceive poor Baal."
"Your name is Baal?"
"Yes, that’s my name!"
"Xiaohai sounds better," Qin Li said with an assertive look.
"But..."
"It really doesn’t sound as good as Xiaohai!"
"Alright, then... as long as you can help me." And so, a pitifully powerful Spirit Beast was saddled with such a corny name by a certain someone.
Xiaohai’s was an incredibly powerful Spirit Beast race. Their cubs were born with the foundation of the Celestial Level, and with just a short period of cultivation, they could break through it. Xiaohai, for instance, had cultivated for a mere three hundred years and had already reached a level equivalent to the Early Stage of the Celestial Embracing Realm for a human Martial Artist. In contrast, the Little Fox, Linghu Feiyue, had cultivated for over a thousand years to reach the Middle Stage of the Celestial Integration Realm, and even so, she was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius of the Fox Race.
This just went to show how vast the differences between Spirit Beast races could be.
Xiaohai’s Black Panther race was even more formidable than that of the Black Water Kui Ox Qin Li had encountered at Phoenix Lake!
As for Xiaohai, the young panther had fallen in love with the daughter of a clan Elder—er, a female panther. In Xiaohai’s own words, she was the youngest and most beautiful female in their entire clan!
Xiaohai was considered young and promising within the clan. His strength was considerable, so he and the Elder’s daughter—that female panther—were seen as the most well-matched pair in their generation.
Unfortunately, another young Black Panther had also fallen for the Elder’s daughter. And so, a continuous battle to win a mate began. Xiaohai’s strength was slightly greater than his rival’s, and yet in their fights, Xiaohai had few wins and many losses.
Then, just a short while ago, a large quantity of treasures that had been missing from the clan for a long time were suddenly discovered in Xiaohai’s den! And it was a huge amount.
Xiaohai knew he had been framed, but the problem was, he had no chance to defend himself. The evidence was considered ironclad. He was declared exiled from the Black Panther clan, and then the female panther who had originally liked him accepted his rival’s courtship... Poor Xiaohai’s story was just that tragic.
This story, which seemed incredibly clichéd to Qin Li, had left its protagonist, Xiaohai, heartbroken to this day. He was so depressed that he had lost more than half of his interest in cultivation.
And so this patch of land, which no other Spirit Beast had wanted, became his temporary territory.
After hearing the story, Qin Li grinned and asked, "So, do you want to go back one day and get revenge? To personally kill the enemy who framed you?"
"Of course I do!" Xiaohai stood up, a resentful aura erupting from him. "I wish I could rip his throat out with my teeth!"
"Then... do you also want to go to the human world and see for yourself what it’s like where humans live?"
