As we were waiting for the day to come up, a couple of things happened. First of, was the mother of the cub we met earlier. She had come close, too close for comfort towards us, enough that we were able to see her details even under the looming darkness of the mist and the forest.
The beast itself sniffed in our direction and turned its head, it was easily three meters in height with more than that in length.
She had probably realized that we were above the tree but found no need to come after us. Since in between her jaws was the neck of a giant one-horned boar that seemed to have mutated by the toxic environment. With prey in the mouth, it wouldn't risk losing it, or fighting someone else. But I knew one thing, we were spotted, and we were spotted in the territory of this creature.
The beast moved away, and we need to move away soon because I have a strong feeling that she will come back once she delivers the food to her cub to either chase us out or kill us.
After urging Mei Ling to move, even despite her reluctant acceptance of my request, saying that I was overthinking and was risking even more by moving through the forest at night. She still came with me grumbling under her breath.
And just after half an hour's worth of walking, we literally stumbled upon a cultivator who grunted.
"Good heavens! Can't you see in front of you… oh wait, you can't. Just move carefully Xiao Lue," The cultivator said.
My heart felt as if it was going to stop, I need to finish this guy off immediately.
And just as I was about to stab him in the back, a blood-curdling scream echoed not even a few dozen meters in the direction we came from.
"Help me!! Myung! HELP ME!" screamed the voice, but suddenly a growl and a loud crunch followed and no more voices came in our direction.
"X-Xiao…Lue," the man stuttered, realizing that his companion was the one who was assaulted, and the person next to him was most definitely not his companion.
Mei Ling didn't hesitate, she grabbed the cultivator by the shoulder and ripped out his throat, then sent her sleek dagger into his ear. Ending his life instantly.
"What the hell was that?" she asked worry in her voice clear for me to hear.
"That would have been us if we didn't leave the territory, let's keep moving this commotion will probably have more of the Imperial Remnants coming after us. Let's keep moving," I said as we headed out.
We couldn't afford to stay close to that beast's territory, and even if it meant delving deeper into the unknown ground, it was better than staying close to a hunter.
Among the darkness of the night and the occasional howls and screeches, we trudged and moved through the rough jagged terrain.
I heard a low growl nearby and had to pull the rope to inform Mei Ling, we were surrounded.
"I sense beasts, three of them," she said.
"Wolves, I added, make sure to keep close, they won't attack unless we give them an explicit reason to. Keep calm and keep moving, now that we're on their radar they'll not give up the chase," I said.
It wasn't the worst thing actually, this is good, wolves hunt in packs, which is known, and for these three alone to be here, it must be a new pack. Now that they're hunting us, it serves as a good protective measure.
"As long as they're close, they'll be our alert system, if they attack you, try not to inflict grave injuries on them, just push them back and have them rethink of a new attack method. We need to keep them with us for as long as we can," I said.
"You're planning on using wolves as your own watchdogs?" she questioned.
"They have better hearing, and smelling sense and are more than capable of navigating this terrain, the moment they leave us or run away, that means we're in deep shit but it's better to be informed that we're in deep shit than to be in it without us knowing. Keep pace," I said as we moved on ahead.
This isn't a simple trial, Du Shen must have gone through this same shit with Mei Ling, but how would he be able to navigate and move through this poison valley?
I'm sure of it, this current body I'm using is using heavenly Qi, it's not a body fit for the Poison God cultivation. It has all its meridians opened. As for the arts that he knows, this body is far too weak to be able to safely navigate this area.
Looking at Mei Ling, however, things are different, she is stronger, more capable, and has a higher cultivation base.
I'm sure of what happened in the past, Du Shen must have relied on Mei Ling to help him cross the Valley, and that is probably his regret. With him relying on her, she took the mantle of protecting him. And that was probably the reason for her death.
He must have blamed himself ever since for that and has saved this memory on the chance he'll save her.
Though for now, it isn't hard for a Nascent Soul cultivator to survive. But I'm sure things will change soon.
Du Shen mentioned that nothing he did even in this memory was enough to save her from certain death. And the only thing I could consider certain death is the only variable that I cannot put under my control.
The Ascendant cultivator.
He should be more than capable of turning this whole Mist Valley upside down, and if push comes to shove, and he appears here, we'll probably die.
So, knowing fully that this trial will end the moment that guy shows up means I need to make something out of nothing.
The trial clearly mentioned that there was no way to save Mei Ling, even Du Shen who must have taken this trail several times over was probably unable to go beyond the difference in cultivation level.
But I'm not Du Shen, my thinking process is completely different.
Du Shen must have tried to overpower the ascendant, and tried to hide from him or run away from him, which probably all failed once he came down.
I on the other hand have my own way.
"What are you doing?" Mei Ling asked as she saw me occasionally drop to the ground and write something.
"Markings, don't worry about it," I said as the two of us continued heading forward.
One of the two wolves decided to jump me the moment I went down, and thanks to a swift and powerful kick from Mei Ling the wolf was struck down, whining from the sudden blow.
"Keep your guard up," she said.
"I am," I said as I wrote something else.
If I can't hide, fight or escape, the only thing left for me to do, is to confuse.
And when it comes to confusion, I'm pretty damn good at it!
Hours later, after constant hunting and blocking the creatures, they suddenly stopped, and one of them even whined. The three wolves immediately legged it leaving us alone.
"What's going on?" asked Mei Ling.
"I don't really know," I said and suddenly something hit my face.
It was a tree branch.
The poison concentration up ahead was far lower and less than the whole of the Poison Mist Valley, enough that you could actually see even when there was barely any light.
I scooched under the low-hanging branches and was able to enter a new area.
Mei Ling followed me and her eyes widened.
"We need to leave! NOW!" she said.
I would have agreed because what was in front of me was pretty damn surprising.
We were staring at a massive dome made of tree roots and vines. They twirled and spiraled around themselves creating a cocoon of sorts. And in the middle of this secluded place was a small pool, a pool of pure putrid and most foul of poisons.
A pool of Body and Bone Grinding Poison.
"I guess… it happens here…" I mumbled.
"You arrived rather fast," spoke someone, and looking at them, I was a bit skeptical. He looked familiar…
It was a man with two eyes that looked like those of a demon. His whole body exuded an aura of oppressive might. His red hair swam as if he was underwater without the interference of wind.
He wore black armor with gold patterns. He had a symbol of a Phoenix on his breastplate.
'The Fire Lord?'
I recognized him immediately. It was the current fire lord though he is just at the Ascendant Level Right now, he'll grow stronger and mightier soon. But what is he doing here?
The Fire Lord moved towards us, while Mei Ling stood between us.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Me? The world is what I want, do you have it?" he asked sarcastically.
"Don't answer," I said as I pulled her back.
"I guess your minions were too inadequate in catching us you had to move in yourself," I stated.
"Yes, they took too long, I was tempted to blow the whole planet up but I need that which you stole," the fire lord said his tone wasn't accepting a no for an answer.
Just as he finished his words, Mei Ling pulled a book out of her holding bag and said, "If you want it, then go after it," she said and threw the golden book into the pool of poison.
'Ah shit… I guess I know what's gonna happen next,'
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆webnovel