Chapter 485: Strange Creature
Yu Nianzhen’s opponent was called Zheng An.
He was a treasure-hunting cultivator, and his cultivation was in the eighth level of the reincarnation realm.
His Plants and Beasts gourd was an ancient treasure he found in the Burial Province.
From what Zhang An knew, the Plants and Beasts gourd was a training treasure.
However, when it came to him, the training treasure became a trapping tool.
He often used it to capture cultivators, and when the people died, he would harvest all their belongings.
This time, his plan was as usual.
When the Cangxing mountain master was unguarded, Zhang An trapped him in the Plants and Beasts gourd.
After that, all he had to do was wait.
With a lazy smile on his lips, Zhang An sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.
At the same time, Yu Nianzhen was still making his way through the jungle.
Originally, he was walking randomly and followed no specific direction.
However, after walking for a long time, he decided to walk towards where he heard the beast roar.
After all, danger and opportunities were close companions.
If there was a way out of the small world, Yu Nianzhen suspected he would find it in the most dangerous place.
’I wonder how XiaoYue is doing.’ Yu Nianzhen wondered as he walked in the jungle.
’He should be worried about me.’ He concluded and frowned.
Although their soul bond was the most powerful Taoist companion contract, it wasn’t invincible.
At the moment, Yu Nianzhen could only sense that Jiang Yue was alive, but he couldn’t transmit any thoughts or feelings through the bond.
’If worse comes to worst, I will use the golden teleportation talisman to teleport to XiaoYue’s side.’ Yu Nianzhen decided.
However, this was the last option.
After all, the rules of the challenge were there.
If he appeared on Jiang Yue’s martial stage, he would automatically lose the duel.
Most importantly, Yu Nianzhen had defended his martial stage for ninety-eight years.
After holding on for so many years, he didn’t want to lose just when he was about to succeed.
"For now..." He started but suddenly stopped.
Simultaneously, he narrowed his eyes and vigilantly looked to his right.
’Is it a demonic beast?’ He wondered.
However, he didn’t have to wonder for long.
Less than a breath later, a creature appeared in front of him.
The creature was in the shape of a rabbit, but Yu Nianzhen was reluctant to categorise it as a rabbit.
It was three metres tall, had blue fur and vivid green eyes.
Most strange, it had fangs protruding out of its mouth and a long scaly tail.
No matter the angle, Yu Nianzhen felt that the creature looked like a failed experiment rather than a naturally occurring demonic beast.
While he was observing the creature, Yu Nianzhen didn’t forget to move around to prevent the demonic plants from entangling him.
However, the creature took this movement as a provocation.
As soon as Yu Nianzhen moved, the creature also moved.
It leapt upwards, and the scaly tail lashed towards the swordsman.
’It seems its movements are not restricted.’ Yu Nianzhen thought, feeling a little resentful.
At the same time, he used Shanjiang to parry the rabbit’s tail.
Unfortunately, Yu Nianzhen underestimated the creature.
Because he was trying to preserve his sword qi and intent, he only used physical strength to block the tail.
However, this was not enough.
As soon as Shanjiang collided with the tail, an incredible force transmitted through the sword, and hit Yu Nianzhen.
Originally, Yu Nianzhen was confident in his physical defence and wasn’t too worried about the attack.
Unexpectedly, in the face of the attack, his defences mysteriously failed, and Yu Nianzhen lost the ability to resist.
Without resistance, his body flew backwards, smashing countless trees along the way.
When he finally stopped, his body was covered in wounds, and a line of blood streamed from the corner of his mouth.
"Why..." Yu Nianzhen started, but blood surged in his throat, and he couldn’t continue speaking.
In desperation, he swallowed the blood and used his consciousness to examine his body.
From this observation, he discovered that several internal organs were damaged.
Fortunately, the injuries weren’t too serious and could be easily healed with a little power of the Tree of Life.
Thinking of the Tree of Life, Yu Nianzhen pulled back his robe and revealed his chest.
On his left chest, twelve leaves were imprinted.
Of the twelve, eleven leaves were a dark green that was almost black while one leaf was rapidly losing colour and turning into a lighter green.
"I should be more careful to avoid injuries." Yu Nianzhen muttered with a frown on his face.
However, just when he was a little relieved, his heart palpitated and a cold chill crept up his spine.
As a cultivator, he knew this feeling and immediately realised he was in danger.
Without a second thought, he rolled to the side and hurriedly stood up, planning to escape.
Unfortunately, his reaction was still a little too slow.
From the front, Yu Nianzhen saw a scaly tail rushing towards him while three vines chased him from the back.
"Sword intent barrier." He shouted and a transparent wall appeared around him.
A moment later, the three vines and rabbit tail simultaneously hit the barrier.
’Where did the vines come from?’ Yu Nianzhen was a little confused.
From the beginning, he felt the demonic vines were annoying but he didn’t take them seriously.
Unexpectedly, the vines suddenly became powerful and almost pierced him into a sieve.
Although thousands of thoughts were flashing through his mind, Yu Nianzhen was not idle.
As the vines and rabbit tail continuously hit his sword intent barrier, Yu Nianzhen was looking for a way out.
"I have no other choice." He suddenly muttered with a determined look in his eyes.
A moment later, he exploded the sword intent barrier and took the chance to rush out of the opened gap.
Unfortunately, the world seemed to have awakened.
The previously docile jungle became a predator.
Wherever Yu Nianzhen passed, the trees and demonic plants attacked him.
Some tried to entangle him, others tried to bite him, and others threw all kinds of messy attacks towards him.
Seeing this, Yu Nianzhen was at a loss.
He didn’t know why the small world suddenly awakened, but he knew he wouldn’t survive long if things continued as they were.
After all, he didn’t have inexhaustible energy.
When his qi and sword intent ran out, he would either have to use the teleportation talisman or die.
"Think." He said and forced himself to calm down.
Soon after, Yu Nianzhen realised something.
In the beginning, the demonic plants were dangerous, but they were in a passive state.
However, everything changed after he encountered the rabbit creature.
’Is it responsible for everything?’ He wondered.
Without a second thought, Yu Nianzhen changed direction and ran towards the rabbit.
Since escape wasn’t a good plan, his only option was to fight and kill the rabbit creature.
If things went as hoped, the demonic plants would return to their passive state after he killed the rabbit.
Otherwise, the situation would turn worse, and Yu Nianzhen would have to think of another solution.
With such thoughts in mind, the swordsman no longer cared about his limited qi and sword intent.
At the moment, all he cared about was defeating the enemy.
"Falling meteor." He shouted, and an extremely fast sword energy rushed towards the rabbit.
In the blink of an eye, the attack hit the rabbit’s eye, and a painful howl resounded in the jungle.
In its pain, the rabbit thrashed around aimlessly and destroyed some of the demonic plants that were attacking Yu Nianzhen.
However, Yu Nianzhen was not complacent.
Although his attack injured the rabbit, the injury was not fatal.
’I should kill it before it regains its composure.’ Yu Nianzhen thought and no longer held his hand.
"Space annihilation." He shouted, and the rabbit was soon involved in a space collapse.
Space fractures appeared around the creature, and before it could react, its frontal left leg was cut in half, and a layer of skin was scraped off from its back.
As a result, the creature howled louder, and Yu Nianzhen couldn’t help but frown.
’The situation will turn worse if allow its howling to attract more creatures.’ He thought and directly unleashed another attack.
At the same time, he smashed the plants around him, rapidly consuming his limited qi and sword intent.
However, Yu Nianzhen had no other choice.
In the face of death, surviving was the only truth, and frugality was not an option.
An incense stick later, the area surrounding Yu Nianzhen was quickly emptied, and the rabbit creature was in its last breath.
Seeing this, the swordsman focused on the rabbit creature and strengthened the space annihilation attack that was about to engulf the enemy.
At the same time, Yu Nianzhen had a strange feeling in his heart.
The feeling was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar.
