Chapter 146 Teasing

Stepping out of the cave, Shen Qingyun immediately felt a scorching gaze fixated upon him. He raised his brows slightly and swept his gaze around the surroundings, yet detected no trace of anyone's presence.

"Strange."

Shen Qingyun murmured softly. The sensation of being watched was real—how could no one be found?

"What is it?"

Seeing Shen Qingyun's unusual reaction, Feng Chuxun could not help but ask.

"Someone is staring at us." Shen Qingyun answered truthfully, causing Feng Chuxun to startle abruptly and immediately enter a state of high alert, scanning the surroundings.

"There's no need for that. I didn't find anyone." Shen Qingyun shook his head and said.

Hearing this, Feng Chuxun's vigilance lessened significantly, though his gaze still drifted toward the surroundings from time to time. After all, they were now carrying a "fortune," so they had to be careful.

"Where is the big black wolf?"

Shen Qingyun asked.

Feng Chuxun was momentarily stunned, realizing he truly could not see its figure anywhere.

Could it have been killed by the sheer potency of the medicinal power?

"Boss..."

A faint breath of a voice drifted into Shen Qingyun's ears, sounding extremely weak. Yet, Shen Qingyun recognized whose voice it was at the very first instant—the big black wolf!

Shen Qingyun blinked and asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm right here..." The weak voice continued to travel over, and a figure slowly, bit by bit, crawled out from behind the carcass of the Ice-Soaring Serpent.

"Pfft..."

Feng Chuxun failed to hold back.

"Are you the big black wolf?" Shen Qingyun asked, suppressing a smile.

"It's me," the big black wolf replied.

"Where did your mane go?" Having received confirmation, Shen Qingyun widened his eyes and asked, though a closer look would reveal a trace of not-so-well-hidden amusement in his eyes.

The big black wolf's current appearance was simply too comical. Its entire coat of black mane was gone, leaving behind only sparse patches of fur that had yet to fully grow back. It looked just like a bird whose wings had not yet filled out—truly an unsightly sight. Coupled with the fact that it was slowly crawling along the ground, the scene was undeniably hilarious.

"And whose fault do you think that is?" The big black wolf shot him a resentful look.

"You blame me?" Shen Qingyun raised an eyebrow. "What did I do?"

"You were the one who told me that the snake gallbladder of the Ice-Soaring Serpent was immensely nourishing," the big black wolf complained bitterly. "Now all my mane has fallen out. What am I supposed to do?"

Shen Qingyun sized up the big black wolf with a serious gaze, before ultimately giving up. Having verified through eye contact that this was beyond his ability to fix, he chose to let it go.

Still, Shen Qingyun walked over to the big black wolf, squatted down, and patted its head to help channel away the excess vital essence. As for the fur that had all fallen out, there was simply no helping that.

The big black wolf instantly felt its entire body lighten considerably, brimming with renewed strength. It stood up, raised its head, and let out a long howl, as if releasing all the pent-up frustration in its heart. In the forest outside the valley, several startled birds fluttered their wings and flew away.

"Oh!"

Shen Qingyun shook his head and prepared to retract his spiritual sense, when he suddenly noticed the absence of the big black wolf's presence within his spiritual perception, prompting a surprised exclamation.

Gazing intently at the big black wolf, Shen Qingyun suddenly discovered that two small fleshy bumps had sprouted on its back, somewhat resembling underdeveloped wings.

"What?"

The big black wolf wore a guarded expression.

Shen Qingyun smiled faintly. That look was just like someone guarding against a thief.

"Swallowing that snake gallbladder wasn't entirely without benefits," Shen Qingyun remarked. "At the very least, you are now only a step away from the late stage of the Spirit Manifestation Realm."

"Oh, really?!"

The big black wolf's face filled with pleasant surprise, before it immediately drooped in dejection. Was an increase in cultivation really more important than having a handsome mane?

A person cares about face and a tree about bark, but a wolf needs its fur!

Seeing it like this, Shen Qingyun could only offer words of comfort: "It'll grow back sooner or later. Don't worry."

The big black wolf looked up and glared at him. Was that something a human would say? It'll grow back sooner or later—why don't you try losing all your hair and see how you feel!

Ignoring the big black wolf any further, Shen Qingyun turned to Feng Chuxun. "Shall we go?"

Feng Chuxun was staring fixedly at the carcass of the Ice-Soaring Serpent. Hearing Shen Qingyun's words, he blurted out an astonishing statement: "I wonder how the meat of the Ice-Soaring Serpent tastes?"

Shen Qingyun was taken aback for a moment before he understood what Feng Chuxun meant. His gaze also shifted to the Ice-Soaring Serpent. Snake meat was tender and quite delicious. Coupled with the natural environment here, the serpent's carcass was guaranteed not to spoil. Thinking of this, Shen Qingyun's mind naturally became active as well.

...

The big black wolf stared intently at Shen Qingyun's flipping hands. Over the campfire, a large chunk of snake meat was sizzling and roasting.

Gulp...

The big black wolf could not help swallowing a mouthful of saliva. It smelled so fragrant—the aroma was simply intoxicating.

Finally, unable to restrain itself any longer, the big black wolf asked, "Boss, how do you manage to cook so well?"

Shen Qingyun glanced at it and said with a calm smile, "Is it good? Barely edible, that's all."

The big black wolf fell silent. If something this fragrant was considered merely barely edible, his standards were simply too high. Shen Qingyun paid no further attention to them, his gaze drifting dreamily toward the campfire as familiar voices and smiles seemed to surface before his eyes.

"Not tasty, barely edible... However, so that you can hone your culinary skills, this young lady will grievance herself and permit you to cook for me every day."

Reflected in the flickering firelight, a gentle smile slowly tugged at the corner of Shen Qingyun's mouth.

A strange glint flashed through Feng Chuxun's eyes. Was Shen Qingyun remembering something?

"Let's spend the night right here today."

"...Alright." Feng Chuxun offered no argument; tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.

It was simply too cold...

...

The paths in the forest were winding and torturous, and Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun pressed forward toward the center. As for the big black wolf, it now willingly followed behind Shen Qingyun. Ever since it tasted Shen Qingyun's roasted meat, it had become completely addicted to the flavor. Yet, whenever Shen Qingyun refused to cook, there was nothing it could do except trail along and wait for the day he was in a good enough mood to make another meal.

"Big black wolf, do you know what is actually located at the center of this place?"

With the native big black wolf accompanying them, this forest held virtually no secrets from Shen Qingyun anymore.

The big black wolf curled its lip. "Boss, can you stop calling me the big black wolf? Just whistle if you need something. I feel like I barely live up to the name of a big black wolf..."

Glancing sideways at the hairless wolf, Shen Qingyun nodded. "Fine."

Feng Chuxun looked at it and asked indifferently, "So what kind of fierce beast are you anyway?"

"You might not believe it if I told you," the big black wolf said, lifting its head proudly. "My bloodline contains the lineage of the Qiongqi!"

Feng Chuxun asked, "What is a Qiongqi?"

Seeing Feng Chuxun's ignorant expression, the big black wolf rolled its eyes repeatedly. At this moment, Shen Qingyun spoke up: "The Qiongqi is an ancient bloodline, extremely powerful. It only exists in ancient texts, and even then, only in fleeting mentions. No one actually knows whether it truly exists or not."

Upon hearing this, Feng Chuxun cast a disdainful look at the big black wolf.

The big black wolf protested excitedly, "I really do have it! Believe me!"

"Yes, yes, I believe you."

Despite saying that, Feng Chuxun's face still bore a look of utter contempt. Could a creature this cowardly and talkative possibly possess an ancient bloodline in its body?

Still, putting that aside, what kind of fierce beast was the big black wolf really?

Unwilling to waste energy explaining things to Feng Chuxun, the big black wolf went back to answering Shen Qingyun's question. "The center of the Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Valley is a spirit spring. However, to activate the spring's effects, a large amount of items rich in spiritual energy are required, and Beast Soul Pills happen to fit the bill."

"Throwing a single Beast Soul Pill in there wouldn't even cause a ripple, and the fierce beasts of the Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Valley are all selfish. How could any of them possibly give their own Beast Soul Pills for other beasts to use?" The big black wolf curled its lip. "Over time, this spirit spring simply became an ordinary spring and a drinking spot."

"Is that so?" Hearing this, Shen Qingyun narrowed his eyes slightly. No wonder Ye Zhong and the others had set the rules to determine rankings based on the quantity and quality of the Beast Soul Pills, with a final gathering at the center of the forest. The real objective all along was the spirit spring at the heart of the Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Valley.

Thinking of the spirit spring, Shen Qingyun's mind inevitably began to race.

Thirty-two Spirit Manifestation Realm Beast Soul Pills and one Overlord Realm Beast Soul Pill—to what extent would they stimulate the spirit spring? A flicker of anticipation arose in Shen Qingyun's heart.

"Let's move. We need to reach the center ahead of everyone else and secure the spot for the first arrival."

As soon as his voice fell, Shen Qingyun shot forward like an arrow, darting toward the center of the forest. Immediately afterward, Feng Chuxun and the big black wolf closely followed behind.

...

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Valley."

The Northern Nether Demon King had transformed into a hawk, flapping its massive wings as it circled in the air, refusing to descend for a long time. It knew very well what the Purple Firmament Academy represented.

While the dense foliage could obstruct vision, it could not block the Northern Nether Demon King's perception. Aside from the aura of fierce beasts, it could sense many human auras within the forest. These human auras varied in strength, but most of them had formed groups ranging from a few individuals to over a dozen.

The Northern Nether Demon King had no interest in these auras. If it were possible, it would much rather command the fierce beasts of the forest to help it search. Yet, if it did that, and accidentally alerted the people of the Purple Firmament Academy, then even if it managed to find Shen Qingyun, what of it? With the powerhouses of the Purple Firmament Academy watching closely, any action would be restricted. After all, this was already considered a cross-boundary intervention.

"Found you."

After hovering in the sky for a long time, a cold voice rang out from the Northern Nether Demon King, and its massive body instantly plunged straight down toward the center of the forest.

"Hmm?"

Shen Qingyun, who was rapidly making his way forward, sensed the anomaly. He looked up, his pupils contracting slightly, and shouted back to Feng Chuxun, "You two, head straight for the center!" With that, Shen Qingyun abruptly changed direction and veered off to the left, giving Feng Chuxun no time to react.

By the time Feng Chuxun snapped out of it and instinctively wanted to give chase, the big black wolf blocked his path.

"Don't go. I sense a terrifyingly powerful aura approaching. It's likely coming for the boss," the big black wolf said with unprecedented solemnity.

"Then are we just going to stand here and watch?!" Feng Chuxun asked, consumed by anxiety.

"Second Master!" the big black wolf shouted. "I know you care about the boss, but if you go over there now, you'll only be a distraction. Listen to the boss—let's head to the center first and wait for him there."

Seeing Feng Chuxun fall silent, the big black wolf continued, "You know the boss's capabilities better than I do. He'll be fine."

Feng Chuxun cast a deep look at the big black wolf, then tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, his body turning into a dark blur as he continued onward toward the center.

"You should really just talk the way you used to; this makes people feel so unaccustomed to it."

The big black wolf was briefly stunned before it scrambled to catch up. "It's not easy for Lord Wolf to be serious for once!"

...

"Keep running if you can. This king would like to see just how long you can escape." High in the sky, the Northern Nether Demon King flew low, skimming just above the treetops as it closely tailed Shen Qingyun.

Seeing that Shen Qingyun was still fleeing, the Northern Nether Demon King developed the mindset of a cat toying with a mouse; it wanted Shen Qingyun to experience true despair. No matter how he ran, he would never escape the palm of its hand.

"Trying to toy with me, are you?"

Detecting through his spiritual sense that the Northern Nether Demon King was deliberately maintaining a distance rather than closing in all at once, Shen Qingyun instantly grasped its intentions.

"Fighting a Demon King head-on is still far too strenuous," Shen Qingyun thought with internal resignation. He had no choice but to lure it a bit further away, enter the center from another direction, and pray that someone from the Purple Firmament Academy was waiting for him there.