Chapter 153: Be Careful Not To Die

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Be Careful Not To Die

After establishing the contract, Sui Sui finally breathed a sigh of relief. One problem had been taken care of, at least. Whether the bird would prove as capable as it claimed remained to be seen, but for now, he had managed to secure himself a helper.

Well, that’s done, I guess?

He turned toward the bald bird, rubbing his hands together as he asked, "So, um... when are you going to get us out of here?"

The bird shot him an annoyed look and rolled its eyes. "Yeah, yeah. What’s the rush?"

The bald bird turned toward the net trapping them and spat out a small flame, similar to the one it had used against Sui Sui earlier.

Seeing the familiar flicker of fire, Sui Sui couldn’t help feeling skeptical. That little flame hadn’t seemed particularly impressive when it was directed at him, and he had easily dispelled it with his spiritual energy. Could something so unimpressive really burn through the net?

To his surprise, the moment the flame touched the net, it spread across the net at an astonishing speed. The fire raced along the tangled strands, swallowing one section after another until the entire net was ablaze. In the blink of an eye, the very net that had given Sui Sui so much trouble was dealt with by a single puff of fire.

Even more astonishing, the flames didn’t touch him at all. Despite burning through the net directly around his body, they seemed to avoid him entirely, as though the fire had a mind of its own.

So it wasn’t useless afterall?

Before long, the net had been reduced to ashes, and Sui Sui was finally free.

"Phew, finally!" Sui Sui let out a breath of relief as he brushed the last bits of ash from his clothes. Now that he was free of the net, he turned toward the bald bird, though his relief was short-lived.

After all, escaping the net was only the first step. The formation surrounding the area was still in place, and Sui Sui had just discovered that, besides blocking spiritual energy, it also prevented anyone inside from leaving.

Chu Ran had certainly gone to great lengths to keep him trapped here.

Sui Sui sighed inwardly before turning to the bird. "So, how do we get out of here now?"

"Hmm? Why the rush?" The bird puffed out its chest, looking entirely unconcerned by their predicament "You think this little formation can stop me? A mere formation-building cultivator made this thing, didn’t they? Don’t make me laugh!"

It gave the surrounding formation no more than a dismissive glance before its attention shifted to the forest. Its beady eyes gleamed with sudden interest, and the corner of its beak seemed to curl into a rather sinister smile.

"Besides, since such a good opportunity has practically been delivered to us, why not take advantage of it? I’ve been wanting a proper meal, but hunting beasts one by one is far too troublesome." The bird’s beady eyes narrowed as it turned its gaze toward the forest, its expression growing strangely pleased. "Ah, it seems our guests have finally arrived."

Sui Sui was momentarily taken aback. He swept his gaze across the surroundings, and his expression gradually changed as he realized what was happening.

In the short time they’d spent talking, the forest had quietly transformed. Figures began appearing between the trees one after another, while shadows stirred within the undergrowth. Before he knew it, countless wild spirit beasts had surrounded them, cutting off every possible route of escape without him noticing.

Some crouched low with their muscles tensed, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Others bared rows of sharp fangs as thick strands of saliva dripped from their jaws. Claws scraped against the earth, tearing shallow grooves into the soil, while deep, rumbling growls echoed through the forest from every direction.

Every pair of eyes was fixed on Sui Sui, as though they had already decided he was today’s prey.

Before Sui Sui could fully process the situation, the bird spoke again, its tone as casual as ever.

"Be careful not to die, weakling. You still have to pay me back."

Sui Sui turned toward it in surprise, momentarily confused by the warning. What was that supposed to mean?

He soon found out.

Soon after, the unassuming bird suddenly spread its wings and shot into the air. It rose above Sui Sui’s head, its few remaining feathers fluttering wildly in the wind, before throwing back its head and letting out a loud—

"Chirp!"

Sui Sui blinked.

He stared up at the bird, momentarily at a loss for words. From the way it had puffed out its chest and taken to the sky, he had expected something far more imposing, perhaps a piercing screech that would send the surrounding beasts cowering in fear.

Instead, what came out sounded more like the chirp of an ordinary little bird.

Perhaps it had intended to let out a mighty roar, but with its current appearance, the result was... somewhat underwhelming.

The corners of Sui Sui’s mouth twitched. He quickly pressed his lips together, desperately suppressing the urge to laugh. Now was hardly the time to offend the very bird, especially when they were surrounded by hungry spirit beasts.

However, the moment that seemingly unimpressive chirp rang out, the atmosphere around them began to change.

A sudden gust swept through the forest, stirring the branches overhead and sending fallen leaves swirling across the ground. The wild spirit beasts that had been closing in on Sui Sui abruptly came to a halt.

Their growls gradually quieted, and several instinctively lowered their bodies, their previously aggressive eyes now filled with wariness. It was as though they had sensed the arrival of something far more dangerous than themselves.

Before Sui Sui could figure out what was happening, the light above them began to fade.

He instinctively raised his head, only to find the sky gradually disappearing beneath a mass of moving silhouettes. Flocks of birds had gathered overhead, their wings beating in unison as they circled above the forest. More and more appeared from the distant treetops, joining the growing mass until their overlapping wings blotted out the sunlight and cast the entire area into shadow.

The sight was so astonishing that Sui Sui couldn’t help staring, momentarily forgetting the beasts surrounding him.

While Sui Sui was still distracted by the astonishing sight overhead, the bald bird suddenly disappeared.

He barely had time to register its absence before a streak of crimson fire plunged from above and struck one of the spirit beasts.

BOOM!

Flames erupted upon impact, swallowing the beast before it could even dodge. Its furious roar barely lasted a moment before the fire spread across its body, forcing the surrounding beasts to scatter. But they had nowhere to run. Another streak of fire descended from the sky, followed by a second and a third, each one striking with terrifying precision.

In the blink of an eye, the forest descended into chaos.

The spirit beasts that had been so eager to tear Sui Sui apart moments ago now scrambled desperately for their lives. Some leaped behind the trees, only for the trunks to catch fire beneath the scorching heat.

Others charged through the undergrowth, their claws tearing up the earth as they tried to escape the encroaching flames. A few even attempted to fight back, releasing bursts of spiritual energy toward the sky, but their attacks vanished into the sea of circling birds without causing the slightest disturbance.

Sui Sui stood frozen for a brief moment, watching the one-sided slaughter unfold.

What kind of terrifying bird was this?!

This was nothing like the little flame it had spat out earlier. The fire now raging through the forest was several times more powerful, its heat so intense that even from a distance, Sui Sui could feel it scorching his skin. The air shimmered above the burning ground, and the moment he took a step back, he realized that the flames were spreading much faster than he had expected.

Only then did he understand the meaning behind the bird’s earlier warning.

Be careful not to die, weakling. You still have to pay me back.

It hadn’t been worried about the spirit beasts killing him. It had been warning him not to get caught in its own attack!

Sui Sui’s expression changed. If he stayed here any longer, he wouldn’t even need the spirit beasts to kill him, he would be roasted alive by the bird’s fire.

Fortunately, when the flames reached the formation’s boundary, the barrier shattered under their intense heat, finally opening a way out. Sui Sui immediately seized the opportunity and hurried away from the burning area.

At first, he had intended to wait for the bald bird, but seeing how thoroughly it seemed to be enjoying itself, he decided to leave it to its own devices. Besides, the fire was spreading far too quickly. Even if he wanted to wait nearby, he couldn’t afford to stay another moment without risking being caught in the flames himself.

As Sui Sui hurried away from the burning forest, he couldn’t help glancing back every so often to check whether the flames were still spreading in his direction. He was so preoccupied with the inferno behind him that he failed to notice the person standing ahead.

By the time he realized someone was in his way, it was already too late.

Thump!

Sui Sui crashed straight into a broad chest, and the unexpected impact sent both of them tumbling to the ground. By the time they came to a stop, Sui Sui had landed right on top of the unfortunate person he’d run into.

Dazed, he hurriedly lifted his head to see whom he’d collided with, only to meet a familiar pair of dark eyes.

It was Yizhou.

"Senior Brother!" Sui Sui exclaimed in surprise.

—

Meanwhile, Chu Ran and her companions, having left Sui Sui to fend for himself, Left to take care of their business, specifically, they were headed in the direction where they had last seen Yizhou go.

Chu Ran’s plan was simple. She knew that if Yizhou learned what had happened to Sui Sui, he would likely rush to his junior brother’s rescue. To prevent that, she intended to find a way to delay him, giving the spirit beasts enough time to deal with Sui Sui. That way, even if Yizhou eventually discovered what had happened, it would already be too late.

Of course, this also meant she would have more time to spend with her beloved Senior Brother Yizhou without that annoying junior brother getting in the way.

She was practically killing two birds with one stone!

What a brilliant plan!

Chu Ran couldn’t help feeling rather proud of her own cleverness, completely convinced that everything would go exactly as she had imagined.

However, after walking for several minutes in the direction where they had last seen Yizhou, Chu Ran and her companions still hadn’t caught sight of him.

Chu Ran’s expression gradually soured. She glanced around the forest before turning to the disciple who had claimed to see Yizhou leave.

"Are you sure Senior Brother went this way?"

"Yes, I’m certain! I saw him heading in this direction," the disciple answered, though his confidence had begun to waver under her questioning.

"Then why haven’t we come across him yet?" Chu Ran frowned.

"Perhaps Senior Brother simply went farther ahead?" another disciple suggested hesitantly.

Even he wasn’t entirely convinced by his own explanation. After all, they had only seen Yizhou heading in this direction once, and none of them knew where he had intended to go. He might have continued deeper into the forest, taken a different path along the way, or changed direction altogether.

As they continued walking, Chu Ran and her companions remained so focused on finding Yizhou that none of them paid much attention to their surroundings.

What they didn’t realize is that slowly the trees grew unfamiliar, and the path beneath their feet seemed to stretch on endlessly. Every time they thought they were getting closer to their destination, the forest ahead appeared to deepen, leading them farther away from where they had started. This was a type of demonic spell, used to lure people.

It wasn’t until the forest gradually fell silent that something finally caught their attention.

The rustling of leaves faded, and even the occasional chirping of birds seemed to have vanished. Chu Ran slowed her steps, glancing around at the trees. For some reason, the sudden quiet made her uneasy.

"Did you hear that?" one of the disciples whispered.

"Hear what?"

"Exactly. I can’t hear anything."

Before anyone could respond, a faint rustle came from the bushes to their left. Everyone turned toward the sound, a moment later, another rustle came from the opposite direction, followed by the faint snapping of a twig somewhere behind them. The disciples exchanged uneasy glances.

Chu Ran’s expression tightened. "Stay alert. Something is nearby."

As if in response to her words, a pair of glowing eyes appeared between the trees.

Then another.

And another.

One by one, the wolves emerged from the shadows, their lean bodies moving silently through the undergrowth. Their dark fur blended into the forest, making it difficult to tell how many had already gathered. Some stood between the trees, while others crept out from behind the rocks, gradually surrounding the group without leaving a clear path of escape.

A low growl rumbled through the silence.

Chu Ran’s face paled as she finally sensed their auras.

"Level Three spirit beasts?!" one of the disciples cried out. "How can there be Level Three beasts here? Didn’t they say that only beasts up to Level Two would be allowed in this trial?"

"That’s bad! We’re surrounded!" Panic spread through the group.

Chu Ran’s heart pounded, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Don’t panic! Don’t we still have our teleportation talismans? Just activate them, and we can leave!"

Her words immediately brought relief to the others. Right! They still had their talismans. No matter how dangerous the situation became, they could always retreat.

Everyone hurriedly reached for their spirit pouches.

Then their expressions changed.

One disciple patted his waist, then checked the other side, his movements growing increasingly frantic. Another rummaged through his robes, searching every pocket before turning pale. Around them, the others were doing the same, their initial relief quickly giving way to disbelief.

Their spirit pouches were gone.

For a moment, no one spoke. They simply stared at one another, unable to comprehend how something so important could have disappeared without them noticing.

"No... No, this can’t be!"

A wolf took a step forward, its claws scraping against the ground.

The sound seemed to snap the group out of their stupor.

"Ahhh!"