Chapter 168: Slaying A Transcendent
The audacity of the Black Horn Beast was pushing Wang Xuan to the limits of his temper. He could hardly resist the urge to retaliate. Does this creature truly believe that those who transcend the ordinary were invincible?
Before he would let his anger dictate his actions, Wang Xuan needed to ascertain a few things. Was this aged wolf-like beast in cahoots with the three transcendent beings they had encountered earlier? How else would it know about the short sword, and why was its interest so pointedly specific?
Additionally, Wang Xuan wondered if the mention of the White Peacock would invoke a sense of dread in the beast. He was loath to reveal his trump card unless absolutely necessary.
"We are mere mortals; how could we dare to provoke transcendent beings within the Hidden Land?" Zhao Qinghan's voice broke through, measured and clear. "Someone is misleading you."
She informed the Black Horn Beast that on their journey they had encountered another transcendent creature, also an enforcer, who had assured them of impartial justice.
"That enforcer discovered the three transcendent beings crossing boundaries and has gone to apprehend them," Zhao Qinghan stated calmly.
Grandmaster Ma was initially puzzled; when had they met another enforcer? Then, realization dawned upon him—it was a ruse by the cunning Zhao Qinghan.
Upon hearing this, the pupils of the Black Horn Beast contracted slightly, but it kept its composure, its gaze fixed on Zhao Qinghan. The intensity in its eyes was terrifying, pressing down on her with immense force.
"We have been pursued and nearly killed by three transcendent beings. The enforcer assured us that should any harm befall us, the matter would be investigated thoroughly."
Zhao Qinghan spoke with a composure that belied the gravity of their situation, her steady demeanor aiming to deceive the demon and protect not just her own life but those of Wang Xuan and their equine companion.
Wang Xuan remained silent; Zhao Qinghan had said everything that needed to be said. He stood ready, vigilant for any sudden aggression from the beast.
The Black Horn Beast's gaze was cold and unfathomable as it queried, "What did this other enforcer look like?"
"A peacock, over five meters in length, with plumage as white as snow and surrounded by an aura of auspicious light," Zhao Qinghan replied truthfully, for she had indeed seen such a creature.
The Black Horn Beast's eyes held a chilling coldness as it scrutinized Zhao Qinghan. "You are quite astute, responding with composure, daring to extort me with tales of a great demon to intimidate and threaten. Indeed, not bad. But, you do not truly understand that White Peacock. It may act, but it never offers verbal guarantees."
The creature continued, its voice as sharp as its mind, "You see, your heart rate increased just now. Moreover, you’re consolidating your thoughts, afraid that my powerful mental abilities will detect the finer details and seize the fragments of your thoughts, revealing the truth that you never encountered the enforcer."
The wily old wolf-creature was cunning and observant, its vigilance high, piercing through the veil of their ruse.
Zhao Qinghan, about to speak, was silenced by a gesture from Wang Xuan, who stepped protectively in front of her. This Black Horn Beast was no benign entity; it could turn hostile at any moment and was not easily fooled.
"I understand your stance," Wang Xuan finally spoke, his earlier deductions affirming that the Black Horn Beast had been incited against them by the three transcendent beings. "The short sword is indeed related to the Earth Immortal, but I am puzzled as to why you side with those three."
The old wolf's eyes gleamed with a glint of greed at the mention of an Earth Immortal Palace, its entire body cloaked in black fur over three meters long. Although it sat as if in meditation, an aura of malice was barely concealed.
"Yes, there is," Wang Xuan replied, locking eyes with the creature. "I alone know of it, having stumbled upon and picked up this short sword by chance. If you wish for me to guide you there, then you must not harm any one of us. Otherwise, I assure you, not a word will I divulge, for I am known to be quite steadfast."
The Black Horn Beast feigned nonchalance, setting down its dark, menacing claws. It had intended to attack them outright, to maim both the humans and the horse to prevent any complications.
Wang Xuan warned, "The place is perilous; I feel a single transcendent being is not enough to face its dangers. I would advise against venturing there alone."
"It's of no concern. I have a nephew who has also broken through to the transcendent realm. He can accompany me," the beast replied indifferently, its mind set on discovering the Earth Immortal Palace to explore and investigate at leisure.
A shiver went down Wang Xuan's spine; his probing had inadvertently revealed the existence of another transcendent monster. It was fortunate that he had not acted rashly.
A low growl emanated from the old wolf, and soon, an answering roar echoed through the mountains. Moments later, a wild boar, as massive as an armored vehicle, entered the cave. Its bristles were like steel spikes, scratching the stone walls of the cave as it passed, leaving visible marks.
Grandmaster Ma's gaze flickered with surprise—this was the wolf's nephew? Clearly, it was a boar!
"Let's go, lead the way!" commanded the Black Horn Beast as it rose to its feet. After a moment's thought, as if an afterthought, it demanded brashly, "First, show me the short sword."
To 'show' it the sword was, of course, tantamount to surrendering it—once in its grasp, would they ever see it returned?
"Why do you favor those three and target me, a mere mortal, with such intent? Why break the rules so flagrantly? Aren't you afraid that the White Peacock will take issue with you?" Wang Xuan asked as he withdrew the short sword, displaying it before the beast.
"Why? Because I owed a debt to their grandfather. Blame your bad luck," the old wolf responded, its gaze locked onto the sword. "It has a certain depth that I can't see through, an ancient relic."
"Is it right for you, an enforcer, to not restrain transcendent beings from wanton killing, and instead, turn against me, the victim?" Wang Xuan's voice was cold as he stepped back, adjusting his stance.
"Right or wrong is for me to decide. You provoked the transcendent beings, causing trouble from nothing. As the enforcer, it's my right to correct your mistake," the Black Horn Beast retorted with a laugh, dismissing morality with the wave of a hand.
Grandmaster Ma's eyes bulged with indignation. Was there no justice left? The enforcer was supposed to uphold the law, not twist it to such dark purposes!
"So you mean to say, even if I lead you to the Earth Immortal Palace, you won't let us off?" Wang Xuan shuffled his feet again, positioning himself strategically. He felt the time for delaying was over.
"It depends on your behavior. If you show sincerity, naturally I won't harm you. Who knows, you might be the chosen ones and find great fortune in the Earth Immortal Palace," the Black Horn Beast said with a grin, not wanting its prey to despair just yet.
It had already resolved that once they arrived, it would crush both man and beast with a swipe of its mighty claw—best to eliminate any chance of unforeseen occurrences.
"A deal's a deal!" With a flicker of hope, Wang Xuan tossed the short sword toward the beast.
The old wolf snatched the short sword from the air and held it up for inspection, its ancient blade drawing its attention.
Without a moment's delay, Wang Xuan moved. He activated the silver hairpin in his hand, unleashing a blinding beam of light that cleaved forward.
The Black Horn Beast, outraged, attempted to dodge but found the light upon it far too swiftly. It roared in full defiance as a surge of dark energy erupted from it, but it was futile.
The white light sliced through the beast's body with unstoppable force, causing it to spurt blood from its wounds.
The relentless beam didn't stop there; after cleaving the old wolf, it continued its deadly arc toward the enormous boar spirit behind.
Wang Xuan had deliberately chosen this position, ensuring all three adversaries were aligned so that a single strike from the silver hairpin might fell two transcendent creatures.
With a wet thud, the boar spirit, as massive as an armored vehicle, was bisected, its blood spilling freely.
Though split in two, the Black Horn Beast was not yet dead. A bright light began to shine from within its torn flesh as it made a desperate lunge towards Wang Xuan.
In that instant, between the torn bodies of the beast and boar, surged a white energy accompanied by the roar of a tiger. A spectral white tiger materialized, its roar thunderous as it tore them asunder.
The Black Horn Beast and the boar spirit lay dead, the ground around them strewn with blood and flesh.
Grandmaster Ma stared, dumbfounded and in disbelief. Was the coachman truly this formidable? To dispatch two transcendent monsters with a mere flick of his hand was terrifying!
Zhao Qinghan covered her mouth in shock; the two demons had been so effortlessly slain!
Wang Xuan sighed, looking down at the silver hairpin in his hand. It could only be used twice, and now one chance had been squandered.
But then, considering that the hairpin was a prize coaxed from the hands of a white tiger demon fairy, an adversary, his spirits lifted. There was, after all, a sense of achievement in using an enemy's treasure against them.
"Don't look at me," Wang Xuan confessed openly. "This was a killing device given by the white tiger reared by the red-dressed demon fairy." He then urged them, "Collect the spoils and let's make haste to leave!"
After all, they were in a demon's den, and there was no telling when another transcendent beast might come calling.
"Hey, there's an ancient map here," Zhao Qinghan exclaimed, discovering a parchment. "It has many sub-patterns, like a monster swallowing the essence of the sun and moon, and meditative images, like the cultivation methods of otherworldly beings."
Upon hearing Wang Xuan’s instructions, Grandmaster Ma's excitement was palpable. He leapt forward eagerly, his head darting in to scrutinize the map.
"Let's get out of here first!" Wang Xuan insisted. He hastily gathered up a half-eaten pig leg and grabbed a pair of tattered hind legs from the Black Horn Beast, finding it a rare feat to salvage such substantial morsels after the silver hairpin's deadly assault.
In an instant, the two men and a horse vanished from the scene.
Soon, the pungent scent of blood lured various wild beasts to the site, their roars constant as they fought to feast on the remains of the transcendent monsters.
On a quiet mountaintop, Zhao Qinghan stood speechless. The old wolf that had once threatened them was now being skinned by Wang Xuan. After being washed in a clear spring, its flesh was roasted to perfection.
"Come, eat while it's hot. This is transcendent flesh, highly nourishing!" Wang Xuan offered Zhao Qinghan several slices of the delicately wrapped meat in lotus leaves.
He then tossed a wolf's leg to Grandmaster Ma and alternated between bites of pig and wolf flesh himself.
"The best way to honor a fallen foe is to give them a proper burial—or in this case, digest them," Wang Xuan mused, savoring the taste that whetted his appetite.
Zhao Qinghan was astonished, remarking, "The flavor is truly exquisite... If we brought this back to Nova Star and had top chefs prepare it, these transcendent ingredients could become a renowned delicacy."
Meanwhile, deep in the secrecy of the land, within the abandoned city of earthly immortals, the siblings Zhong Qing and Zhong Cheng were gnawing on dried transcendent rat meat. Despite its pleasant taste, they ate with furrowed brows and eyes shut tight, as if they were undergoing torture.
The thought of consuming rat meat was enough to turn their stomachs, but recalling their elder's advice on its nutritional value, they steeled themselves and continued to eat.
"We must never let anyone we know see us like this!" they muttered to themselves.
......
In the distance, Xiong Kun and two other transcendent beings were all smiles, eagerly awaiting good news from the Black Horn Beast.
"With the strength of the Black Horn Beast and its multitude of minions, it must have already discovered and dealt with those two men and the horse by now. Such a pity to lose that short sword, though," they mused among themselves.
"The mysterious fog is even more precious, capable of remolding one's very foundation and truly defying fate. We must obtain it!" They conversed leisurely, with a relaxed air.
...
It was time for departure. Wang Xuan bid his farewells, "Take care and stay safe. I'm off to the land of the dead, preparing to advance into the transcendent realm. Soon, I'll be able to venture deep into the secret lands."
Grandmaster Ma hurried over with a trot, his head shaking, mouth agape, tongue lolling out in an all-too-equine attempt at a smile.
Wang Xuan was momentarily baffled, as if he had caught sight of a silly, grinning dog. But he quickly grasped Grandmaster Ma's intent — a reminder not to forget to harvest the demonic fruits. Grandmaster Ma aspired to transcendence too!
"Alright, I understand. I'll bring some back for you. Take good care of Qinghan!" Wang Xuan assured him.
Grandmaster Ma nodded vigorously, grinning from ear to ear, filled with anticipation for Wang Xuan's return with the rare demonic fruits. He dreamed of transforming, of charging alongside Wang Xuan into the depths of the secret lands, hooves thundering in transcendent glory!
"Be careful, safety first!" Zhao Qinghan called out, watching him depart into the distance.
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