Chapter 2242 - 2201: Immortal Beast

Immortal beasts also have a hierarchy, divided into ten levels based on their strength: First-Level Immortal Beast, Second-Level Immortal Beast, Third-Level Immortal Beast... up to Tenth-Level Immortal Beast.

First-Level Immortal Beasts are the weakest, while Tenth-Level Immortal Beasts are the strongest.

This time, Jiangh Churan brought three immortal beasts for the hunt. The dragon-shaped immortal beast Jiangh Churan rode was a First-Level Immortal Beast, equivalent in strength to the First Decline of Heavenly Beings stage. Additionally, there were two other immortal beasts ridden by her two personal guards.

As Jiangh Churan's dessert chef, Wang Xiaoqiang held the lowest rank and was considered a servant, placed at the back of the line, walking alongside the woman responsible for Jiangh Churan's meals.

The spectacle of the Sect Leader's daughter traveling was grand. Twenty Inner Sect Disciples led the way, followed by Jiangh Churan riding a white dragon-shaped immortal beast. Jiangh Churan wore a floral hat and had her face covered with red gauze. Her two personal guards rode lion-shaped and tiger-shaped immortal beasts, respectively, flanking her like stars surrounding the moon,

Behind them were six elite disciples, and further back were Wang Xiaoqiang and other servants and miscellaneous attendants, all responsible for Jiangh Churan's daily needs.

The procession majestically exited the Five Elements Sect, passing through the bustling market in front of the sect, instantly attracting the attention of everyone around,

People halted their commercial activities, gathered, and lined the streets to watch. Although Jiangh Churan's face was obscured by red gauze, concealing her breathtaking beauty, her tall, graceful figure and proud, noble demeanor were unmistakable. Furthermore, the dragon-shaped immortal beast amplified her majestic elegance. People widened their eyes, admiring and exclaiming in awe. Discussions were lively and bustling.

To the common people, Jiangh Churan was like a mirage, unattainable. Not even the men dared to harbor any ill thoughts about her. Naturally, none dared to use their Divine Sense to probe the cultivation base of anyone in her entourage.

Walking in the rear, Wang Xiaoqiang was completely overlooked; no one spared him a glance or knew that he was scheming about the Sect Leader's daughter, Jiangh Churan.

In people's minds, Jiangh Churan belonged to a completely different world. Even though Wang Xiaoqiang was part of the hunting party, and proximity might afford him some advantage, people generally believed that someone like him, a servant, was completely unrelated to Jiangh Churan's life.

Wang Xiaoqiang continually assessed the people ahead, using his Divine Sense to probe their cultivation base, attempting to ascertain the strength of this group, especially Jiangh Churan's two personal guards.

To his shock, upon probing, Jiangh Churan's two guards were at the cultivation stage of the First Decline of Heavenly Beings. Even more astonishing was that these two guards were women, both of whom had bodies starting to decay from the arms, each with a disabled arm,

Moreover, the twenty Inner Sect Disciples in the front were all at the Heavenly Soul Realm, and the six elite disciples behind Jiangh Churan also possessed notable strength. Five were at the First Decline of Heavenly Beings, and one older, white-haired disciple was at the Second Decline. Their bodies showed signs of decline, with either arms or legs disabled.

These people were all there to protect Jiangh Churan. If Wang Xiaoqiang wanted to move against her, he would need to either distract or eliminate them all. Although Wang Xiaoqiang was a half-step away from the First Decline of Heavenly Beings in cultivation, his overall strength enhanced by two Dead Spirit Puppets could kill even those in the Second Decline,

However, facing so many strong opponents posed immense pressure—not just from their combined forces but also their numbers and the potential to use a Communication Talisman to alert Sect Leader Jiangh Zifang during any fighting.

If that happened, Wang Xiaoqiang would become the public enemy of the Five Elements Sect, and once the entire sect emerged to annihilate him, no matter how strong he was, escape would be nearly impossible.

Thus, should he act against Jiangh Churan, it must be with utmost caution, devising a foolproof plan.

Throughout the journey, Wang Xiaoqiang could not come up with a solid idea, and the party reached their hunting destination... the Five Elements Mountain.

The Five Elements Mountain wasn't far from the Five Elements Sect, but the mountain range was vast, with peaks rising and falling, stretching for tens of thousands of miles. The deeper into the mountains, the more perilous it became,

because the Five Elements Mountain was teeming with immortal beasts. Here, what were termed immortal beasts were untamed, fierce, and brutal creatures,

Moreover, deeper within the mountain range, even stronger and higher-level immortal beasts could be found, including Third, Fourth, and even Fifth-Level Immortal Beasts.

In comparison to the Decline Realm of Heavenly Beings, the hierarchy of immortal beasts was slightly higher; for instance, a Third-Level Immortal Beast was stronger than a cultivator at the Third Decline of Heavenly Beings.

However, immortal beasts were priceless treasure troves,

for example, the marrow of an immortal beast was excellent for delaying aging. It could be crafted into pills for use by cultivators in the Decline Realm, to slow down bodily decline.

At noon, the hunting party reached the foot of the Five Elements Mountain. After a brief rest, they set off again, slowly entering the edge of the mountain range.

The edge of the Five Elements Mountain range was home to First-Level Immortal Beasts, which were not exceedingly powerful, so the party was unafraid. They moved quickly and unimpeded.

While progressing...

Suddenly, a terrifying roar was heard, followed by a gust of foul wind as a wolf-shaped immortal beast lunged from an angle, attacking the twenty Inner Sect Disciples,

The twenty Inner Sect Disciples, unaccustomed to field exercises and having never encountered such a scene, panicked and retreated in haste when the immortal beast charged,

Though weak in cultivation, Jiangh Churan exhibited great poise, drawing a golden bow and shooting an arrow at the wolf-shaped immortal beast with a whoosh, the arrow imbued with Three Divine Souls, piercing its neck,

The immortal beast let out a mournful wail, and as it attempted to escape, the six elite disciples simultaneously shot arrows, each imbued with Divine Sense.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh...

Arrows continuously penetrated the beast's body, and its cries grew increasingly weak until it lay silent, deceased beneath a sky-reaching ancient wood.

The twenty Inner Sect Disciples rejoiced at the sight, rushing to lift the immortal beast when the ancient tree suddenly shattered with a thunderous crack,

Then, the entire tree splintered into pieces, and from within emerged a serpent-like immortal beast.

This immortal beast had been hidden inside the tree trunk, and by some unknown Dharma Sect had concealed itself so deeply that no one had detected it,

Though this serpent-like beast and the wolf-shaped beast were both First-Level Immortal Beasts, its sudden appearance at such close range caught the Inner Sect Disciples completely off guard; none reacted in time as,

the python-like immortal beast opened its enormous mouth wide, swallowing two Inner Sect Disciples at the Heavenly Soul Realm in one gulp, then coiling around three disciples, before unfurling a pair of bone wings, and flying toward the distant sky,

"Everyone, be alert, don't let that beast escape. Shoot." The elderly figure at the Second Decline of Heavenly Beings behind Jiangh Churan was the first to react, pointing at the fleeing serpent-like immortal beast and calling out in warning.

Instinctively, Jiangh Churan, her two guards, and the six elite disciples all drew their bows, firing arrows imbued with Divine Sense at the serpent-like immortal beast.