Chapter 506 - 498: Kunpeng?

Chapter 506: Chapter 498: Kunpeng?

SWOOSH!

Before it could finish speaking, Chu Aoqing panicked and opened her Summoning Array Map, immediately sucking the Shadow Demon Lion into her Magic Beast Space. Only after the Shadow Demon Lion had completely vanished into the Array Map did Chu Aoqing let out a long sigh of relief.

Her face slightly flushed, Chu Aoqing said, "This is my Magical Beast partner. It might look similar, but it’s not the Ancient Fierce Beast you mentioned. At least, it’s nowhere near that level yet. I have other things to do, so I’ll be heading up. You all can take some time to digest what I just said."

After speaking, to hide her panic and confusion, Chu Aoqing turned and stepped onto the stairs, leaving only her perfect silhouette behind for the stunned group.

"That Magical Beast from before... what did it say? Something about an aura on Mu Chen?" Long Xiaotian rubbed his tense face, trying desperately to recall.

"That’s not important. But there is one thing I need to say." Mu Chen cleared his throat and continued, "If we really are about to enter Holy Beast Mountain as she said, then you must pass on her words to everyone else."

"Okay."

Little Tiger, Ye Shuangshuang, Mo Qing, and Long Xiaotian all nodded in unison. Just then, a massive spatial fluctuation appeared outside Mu Chen and the others’ dormitory...

The immense spatial fluctuation was clearly a signal, its meaning self-evident. Mu Chen and the others exchanged a glance and a smile, then nodded. "Let’s go."

Opening the dormitory door, they were greeted by a shocking scene that struck them to the core. Before them stood a gigantic, eagle-like Magical Beast. It was so outrageously large that even by craning their necks, they could barely see its towering body.

"So... so big!!" Little Tiger gasped, his eyes filled with nothing but shock, a look that lingered for a long time.

As Mu Chen’s group emerged, Shi Mu Hua, Liu Feiyuan, Ta Shan, and the couple Jilal and his wife all came out of their rooms. Unsurprisingly, every single one of them was left speechless, their mouths agape at the sight.

"Old bird! What the hell are you showing off for?! Shrink down for me, right now! You gonna take responsibility if you scare these cute little ones?! Huh?!"

Suddenly, a crisp SMACK echoed from the sky, followed by a familiar roar. Who else in the Inner Mountain could produce such a heaven-shaking sound but Zhu Jiuqian?

As if slapped by Zhu Jiuqian, the gigantic, mountain-like eagle beast reluctantly shrank to the size of a dormitory. Even so, the profound impression it had left on Mu Chen and the others could not be erased.

"Hey! Little ones, long time no see. Actually, scratch that. You, the kid over there named Mu Chen, just pretend you didn’t hear that. We see each other almost every day." Zhu Jiuqian’s words were always so outrageous; every sentence he spoke made Mu Chen’s face darken.

’What nonsense. Who sees you every day?’ Mu Chen grumbled internally.

However, while Mu Chen paid Zhu Jiuqian’s words no mind, to everyone else, it was undoubtedly a signal. During the few days they had been unconscious, Mu Chen must have been up to a lot! Otherwise, how could an Elder at the peak of the Inner Mountain see him every day?

"One, two, three... four, four, four... ah, screw the headcount. It’s not like you don’t know my math teacher was the gym coach. It’s just you lot. Hurry up and get on here for this old man."

As Zhu Jiuqian finished speaking, the giant eagle beast slanted its eyes, extended a wing, and angled it down to the ground. Its feathers curled up slightly, forming a natural staircase.

Seeing this, the group of twelve was momentarily at a loss. Zhu Jiuqian, clearly used to this, chuckled. "What are you staring for? Hurry up and get on. You’d better think fast—Holy Beast Mountain is only open for one day. Your window to find your opportunity lasts from now until sunset. Every minute you waste here is a minute less you have on Holy Beast Mountain. As long as you’re not idiots, you should understand this trade-off. You... huh?"

While Zhu Jiuqian was in the middle of his speech, he suddenly saw twelve figures appear on the eagle’s previously empty back. They had moved so fast that even he hadn’t had time to react.

’So the potential of humanity truly is limitless!’ Zhu Jiuqian thought to himself.

"Teacher! What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and take us to Holy Beast Mountain!" Seeing Zhu Jiuqian spacing out, Little Tiger yelled anxiously.

Zhu Jiuqian was taken aback by the shout. His gaze fell completely on Little Tiger, his eyes filled with astonishment. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he boomed, "Alright, alright, alright! Let’s go!! Old bird, let’s move! Back to your mother-in-law’s place!"

This remark stunned everyone. The giant eagle, finally unable to take it anymore, cursed, "You old bastard! I’m a male! What damn mother-in-law’s place are you talking about?!"

With that, it flapped its wings violently, stirring up a gale. Mu Chen and the others felt their surroundings suddenly plunge into darkness, as if they had traveled through time and space in the blink of an eye.

"Ugh..."

It was the first time any of them had ridden a Flying Magical Beast of such terrifying speed. They grew tense and subconsciously gripped the feathers on the giant eagle’s back.

The scenery below shrank rapidly as the giant eagle carried them up into the sky.

A layer of earthy-yellow Earth Attribute Elemental Power emanated from the giant eagle, enveloping Mu Chen, Little Tiger, and the others, shielding them from the fierce winds. With continuous flaps of its wings, it was already heading into the distance.

Mu Chen knew that by following the giant eagle’s path, their destination lay somewhere in the unknown distance ahead: Holy Beast Mountain!

Soon, the first level, and even the Inner Mountain’s Suspended City, shrank beneath their feet. The giant eagle continued to climb several thousand meters into the sky before leveling off. Riding on its broad back was surprisingly stable.

Mu Chen’s expression remained relatively calm, but the look in Little Tiger’s eyes had completely changed. Seeing this, Mu Chen easily guessed what he was feeling. Little Tiger was, after all, not yet seventeen and was undoubtedly the youngest of the six from the Xuanling Empire. He was also extremely innocent, and this was his first time experiencing such a wondrous sight. This giant eagle was clearly a fully evolved Magical Beast, because Mu Chen could feel a tangible Barbaric Aura emanating from its entire body. For most people, this aura would be oppressive, but for him and Little Tiger, it was utterly comforting.

His Guardian Magical Beast was the Land Beast God, the Snow Qilin; from the moment he formed the contract, his body had become well-adapted to this Barbaric Aura. As for Little Tiger, it went without saying. As the Son of Taotie, he was an Ancient Barbaric Beast himself. This aura wasn’t just harmless to him; it was beneficial.

Besides Mu Chen, one other person on the giant eagle noticed Little Tiger’s expression: Zhu Jiuqian, who had taken Little Tiger on as his student.

Zhu Jiuqian smiled and said, "Little Tiger, are you envious?"

Little Tiger heard him and nodded without any attempt to hide his feelings.

Zhu Jiuqian said, "You’ll have your chance, too. Now, I’m going to tell you a few things to keep in mind when searching for a Magical Beast partner on Holy Beast Mountain. You need to remember this. By the way, previous students who went to Holy Beast Mountain to find partners never got this kind of treatment; they had to figure everything out for themselves. It’s only because you all are so special that this old man is giving you some extra guidance."

In truth, despite how grand Zhu Jiuqian’s words sounded, if it weren’t for Mu Chen, Little Tiger, Ta Shan, and Mo Qing, he really wouldn’t have bothered wasting his breath. After all, his own student, Murong Yan’s student, and Dilaka’s sole precious treasure were all in the group, so it was only natural to give them some extra care. As for the others, they could just enjoy the tangential benefits.

Hearing that Zhu Jiuqian was going to give them special guidance, the group, who had just been looking at the scenery, all focused their attention on him, letting Zhu Jiuqian thoroughly enjoy his moment in the spotlight.

"Holy Beast Mountain is a magical place created by our Saint Beast Mountain’s ancestors. It was built upon a mountain range foundation through the efforts of several generations. To be precise, Holy Beast Mountain is itself a gigantic array. Within its boundaries, Magical Beasts of any tier will not feel hostile toward humans. However, you must note one thing: no hostility doesn’t mean they all like you. If you go too far, they might do things that won’t hurt you, but will certainly disgust you. For example, this guy here!"

Saying this, Zhu Jiuqian pointed at the giant eagle in front of him and said irritably, "This fellow certainly disgusted this old man plenty when I first entered Holy Beast Mountain."

The giant eagle heard this and was not pleased. Its ancient voice carried a trace of annoyance as it said, "What do you mean, ’disgust you’? Wasn’t it just that I laughed at you a few times when I saw you being driven off by other Magical Beasts with their piss and crap?"

"You call that ’laughing a few times’? You nearly laughed your feathers off! Whatever, let’s not talk about the past. To continue about Holy Beast Mountain: the longer a Magical Beast lives there, the more spiritually aware and intelligent it becomes. When humans under twenty with decent talent enter Holy Beast Mountain, they all have a chance to be acknowledged by a Magical Beast. Clearly, you terrifying little monsters are fully qualified to be favored by High-Tier Magical Beasts!"

"What you must remember is that you are there to find a partner who will accompany you for the rest of your life, not a simple slave or servant. It will be your most loyal friend. Unless you die, it will surely stay with you for life—even more reliably than your future spouse!"

"Finding a Magical Beast partner on Holy Beast Mountain is all about fate. If fate wills it, you might find a suitable partner with your very first step onto the mountain. If it’s not meant to be, you could stay there for years and not a single Magical Beast would give you the time of day."

"And this friend of mine, I found him after searching for more than half a day on Holy Beast Mountain. Back then, he was shorter than me, and for some reason, he was lying in a patch of grass, covered in blood. The first time I saw him, I didn’t think much of it, because in my heart, the kind of Magical Beast I most hoped for was a strong Land Magical Beast, not a bird."

At this point, Zhu Jiuqian’s gaze softened as he stroked the giant eagle’s feathers, saying with a hint of nostalgia, "It was only because I couldn’t bear to see it like that. I fed it a Sixth Grade Healing Elixir that I had happened to obtain in the Outer Realm before entering the mountain. That’s what allowed it to escape the Death God and survive."

"From that moment on, he started following me around, mockingly watching me get rejected by other Magical Beasts time and time again. Haha... thinking back, this guy must have been angry then. Angry that I was so blind, failing to recognize the treasure right in front of me. I had such a powerful Magical Beast following me, but I was still out there chasing small fry with a mountain of gold in my arms, right!"

"Elder Zhu... can I ask you a question?" Mu Chen suddenly asked, his expression grave. "Is it... a Kunpeng?"