Chapter 173: Obsidian Horn Stag
Adrian stood on the branch and was finally able to see what was going on. To his surprise, his initial conjecture was wrong. There were two teams of cultivators, yes.
However, they weren’t fighting one another. Rather, they were facing a stag. However, this was no ordinary stag. Unlike other beasts that he had encountered so far, it didn’t have any hint of red on its fur.
It looked like a completely normal stag. That is, until one saw the horns on its head. They were completely black, with a faint luster that resembled a polished mineral. That, and the fact that it was multiple heads taller than even the tallest cultivator there.
"Obsidian Horn Stag!" Adrian muttered the name to himself in slight surprise. Thanks to the inheritance, his knowledge of beasts surpassed most people in this world. A glance was all he needed to recognize most species of beasts.
The beast in front of him was known as the Obsidian Horn Stag. From its name and appearance, one could easily identify what made it unique. Though it resembled the mineral, it wasn’t actually made of obsidian.
Rather, it was a mutation that happened if the beast had accumulated an incredible amount of fire Qi. This beast must have been incredibly lucky and consumed a treasure herb that helped it mutate into this unique variant.
Of course, in this mystic realm that had an abundance of fire Qi, the appearance of one or two Obsidian Horn Stags was not too surprising.
However, this one was a Rank 4 Obsidian Horn Stag. It was a rarity among rarities. For an Obsidian Horn Stag to reach the middle stages of cultivation, it had to have a decent combination of luck and talent.
However, it seemed that its luck had turned sideways, as it was now being besieged by the combination of two different teams.
Adrian did a rough head count and noticed around fifteen individuals besieging the beast. They were all working together to slay this magical beast. From their clothes, he could tell that they were separated into two different teams.
Their actions were also enough to display their allegiances. Though they were working together, they were also wary of eachother. After all, if they were to vanquish the beast, the problem of ownership was still in question.
It was highly likely that a fight would break out immediately after the beast was dead. Thus, they were all fighting with reservations, with most of them not using their martial skills.
However, this strategy would be costly for them. As Adrian continued to watch, the stag suddenly charged towards one of the teams that clustered together. Because they had been fighting for a while, they had gotten complacent and had let their guard down.
The stag, with its heightened intelligence, had identified the optimal escape route. That’s right, escape.
It had been fighting for quite a while now, and though it had incredible stamina, continuing the fight was not optimal. It was smart enough to realise the scheme of the cultivators.
They were probably trying to tire it out. It did not excel in strength like the Ember Earth bear, so it was not able to bulldoze through the team. However, even though it wasn’t powerful, its speed was almost unmatched at its level.
With a sudden charge, it caught the cultivators off guard and disrupted their formation. Two Golden Core realm cultivators that had been caught off guard were impaled on its horns, ending their lives in an instant.
Taking advantage of the commotion it had caused, it broke through the encirclement and, with a burst of speed, successfully escaped from the cultivators that surrounded it.
It ran away at full speed, its body disappearing between the trees. However, escaping wouldn’t be so easy. Unlike those who were complacent, the leaders of the two teams had noticed the Stags strange movement.
Recognising the signs, they made a split-second decision. Their eyes met, and with a shared nod, they both came to an unspoken agreement. Unsheathing their weapons, they both simultaneously launched their most powerful martial skills.
Both teams seemed to have come from affluent sects and families, because they were both using Gold Rank martial skills. As they were in the late stage of the Golden Core realm, they could unleash the full power of the martial skill.
Two arcs of light of varying elements landed on the Obsidian Horn Stag, injuring it greatly. Its defences were not great, barely surpassing those of Rank 3 magical beasts.
The attacks caused great injury to the Stag, causing it to howl in pain. Its escape attempt was almost foiled, as its blood stained its luscious brown fur.
However, it was still a genuine Rank 4 beast. With fierce determination, it continued its charge, effectively breaking away from the groups.
Seeing the Stag escaping, the leaders immediately rallied their members and began chasing the beast.
The forest suddenly became lively as a Rank 4 beast was being chased by a retinue of Golden Core realm cultivators. However, in a contest of speed, few could match the Obsidian Horn Stag.
In just a few moments, the cultivators were left in the dust, with only a few of them managing to continue the chase. However, even they weren’t able to keep up.
They could only watch the magical beast escape with obvious reluctance on their face.
The Obsidian Horn Stag, though injured, was home free. At least that was what it thought. It hadn’t realized that there was someone following it from the trees above.
Adrian was trying his best to keep up, employing the Astral Steps to the utmost. For a brief moment, he was able to keep up with the beast.
However, with a Rank 4 beast that specialized in speed, it was only a matter of time before it pulled away. Seeing the beast pulling away, his mind raced with multiple thoughts.
A normal person would give up at this time, seeing their inability to keep up with the beast. However, Adrian was no normal person; he was too stubborn and therefore didn’t want to give up so easily.
Then with a flash of brilliance, or rather... madness? A vague idea formed in his mind. Before he could even ponder the validity of his plan, his body had already acted.
In one fluid motion, he took off the Bloodstar from his neck and hurled it towards the Obsidian Horn Stag with full force. Just before the pendant left his finger, his body vanished, disappearing into the Bloodstar.
The pendant flew through the air, and with a combination of luck and accuracy, it landed right on the obsidian horns of the stag. The Stag, still reeling from the pain, didn’t notice the pendant that hung off its horn.
It continued running, and within a few breaths, it disappeared among the greenery,... or rather the reddery.
Meanwhile, Adrian, who had appeared inside the Bloodstar, could only hope his plan would work. It was something he had thought up on the fly, so he didn’t have the time to consider how feasible it actually was.
He could only hope that it was successful. Not knowing when would be an appropriate time to come out of the Bloodstar, he could only wait for the whole day.
When night fell, he woke up from his cultivation session. Seeing the dark environment, he realized it was now nighttime. He stood up and stretched his body, releasing the tension that had accumulated after hours of cultivation.
Then he drew his Skyveil Sword, getting ready for a fight. From the atmosphere, he could infer that it was around midnight. While he couldn’t be sure, he believed that the Obsidian Horn Stag woudl be sleeping right now.
While it seemed he was just hoping without any real evidence, the circumstances were enough evidence. The Stag was injured, so it would have to find some place to rest.
Besides, to avoid predators in its vulnerable state, it would choose a secluded space where no one could find it. Assuming it wasn’t injured, even with a thousand guts, Adrian wouldn’t have dared to appear beside it.
It might have returned to its herd, leaving him surrounded by enemies. Since it was Rank 4, the probability of having multiple Rank 3 members would be high.
However, in its current condition, it would most likely be alone. With a deep breath, he steeled his resolve, and with a flash, he disappeared from the Bloodstar.
Meanwhile, the Obsidian Horn Stag had indeed retreated to a secure location. After running for the whole day, the Stag was completely tired. Its injuries, though not life-threatening, were very severe.
A huge wound appeared near its neck and was dragged across its left hoof. Another was on its back, exposing its flesh to the atmosphere.
It was currently resting with its eyes closed, trying to recover from its injuries. It had found a secluded cave that was far away from the initial battleground.
A/N: Hello, my readers(if there are any of you guys still left). I know that some of you, most of you, must have been disappointed with my inconsistency. I’m deeply sorry. These past couple of months have been hectic for me, so I couldn’t update like I thought I could.
Heck, I hardly even had time to write anything. However, most of my issues have been dealt with, so I’m back now.
For those of you that hasn’t given up on me and still have faith in this story, I just want to say thank you. From now on, there will be daily updates, and I’ll continue to make sure that I strive not to betray your trust(again)
Anyways, that’s all from me. Thanks, and I love you all.
PS: Don’t forget the power stones and golden tickets. If you can throw in a few gifts every now and then, I won’t complain as well (●’◡’●)
