Chapter 790: The Hunt for the Half-Step Ninth-Rank Beast Spirit
As night slowly descended upon the Divine Burial Grounds, the world was engulfed in shadow. Torrents of deathly energy surged through the air, and bone-chilling howls echoed from every direction, shaking the very space.
Dozens of teams sat silently outside the burial grounds, their faces wary as they watched the darkness ripple before them.
Time trickled past amidst the uneasy waiting. When dawn finally arrived, the first light of morning pierced the gloom. At that moment, the oppressive miasma enveloping the Divine Burial Grounds began to shift—its thickness slowly dissipating. It didn't vanish entirely, but the choking density was greatly reduced.
As the change swept through, the elites stationed at the forefront—the apex divine clans gathered on the towering stone platforms—opened their eyes simultaneously, bright light flashing within each gaze.
Blood Ming was the first to stand. Without a word, he waved his hand and shot forward, his figure disappearing into the crimson mists of the Divine Burial Grounds. The warriors of the Blood Sky Jiao Clan followed close behind.
"Let's move."
Qing Ling of the Forest Python Clan inclined her jade-like head slightly, then led her people forward.
One after another, the top clans surged ahead into the burial grounds.
Meanwhile, the other teams hesitated, their faces dark. They all knew just how deadly this place could be. To reach the inner domain, one had to slay a half-step ninth-rank Beast Spirit and claim its spirit heart—a task so difficult that even failure meant certain death.
"Still…" someone muttered after a while, "even the outer domain of the Divine Burial Grounds is filled with opportunity. Countless mighty beings perished here. If we can seize just one chance fortune, it's worth the risk."
Agreement spread quickly among the lesser clans. Even if they couldn't reach the inner sanctum, the remains of gods and divine beasts might yield treasures enough to transform their fates.
Mo Yu quietly watched as wave after wave of teams vanished into the darkness. Then he turned to Han Yue.
Would the Ximo Clan still follow them after offending the Blood Sky Jiao Clan?
Han Yue grinned. "That Blood Ming may be strong, but I've got a feeling you're even more dangerous, Brother Mo."
Having seen Mo Yu's power, his conviction was unshakable. Whatever awaited them, backing down now wasn't an option.
Mo Yu's lips quirked slightly. "In that case, let's go."
Whoosh!
In the next instant, his form blurred into a streak of light and plunged into the crimson fog. Cai Lin, Han Yue, and the others followed without hesitation, speeding toward the depths.
Elsewhere within the dark expanse, another team moved swiftly through the haze—the Blood Sky Jiao Clan.
They advanced boldly, not bothering to conceal their energy. The result: Beast Spirits attacked from all directions. Yet each time one approached, a wave of destructive bloodlight erupted from Blood Ming's palm, annihilating the creatures instantly.
At the front, Blood Ming's gaze was fixed forward, cold and unyielding.
"Blood Ming, that human—Mo Yu—entered too," one of his subordinates said with a harsh smirk. "He defeated Hei Yin Tian and took the Treasure Beast's inheritance. We should be careful not to underestimate him."
Blood Ming narrowed his scarlet eyes slightly. "He's close to the Swallowing Python Clan. I suspect their goal here is the same as ours."
His subordinate frowned. "They dare covet the Ancient Swallowing Python's inheritance?"
"Rumor has it one of their kind recently awakened as a Nine-Colored Swallowing Python," Blood Ming said mockingly. "It's no surprise they'd try their luck at claiming that bloodline's legacy."
He chuckled coldly. "The Ancient Swallowing Python bore traces of Dragon blood within its veins. That power is far beyond what these lesser serpents deserve to touch. If I can claim its legacy, not even the Dragon Clan's heirs will surpass me."
The subordinate's eyes glinted. "Do you want us to eliminate them first?"
"No hurry," Blood Ming replied smoothly. "To reach the inner domain, they'll have to kill a half-step ninth-rank Beast Spirit—something they're barely capable of. Let them fight it first."
A cruel smirk spread across his face. "Once they've exhausted themselves—and after Mo Yu's used up that thunder weapon of his—then I'll take everything, including his life."
The subordinate chuckled darkly. "Then that boy is already doomed."
Blood Ming said nothing more, only smiled faintly as they vanished into the mist, their figures melding with the deathly air.
…
Within another corner of the Burial Grounds, Mo Yu's team advanced carefully, masking their auras entirely. Even the faint sound of breathing was suppressed as they moved through the crimson fog.
Leading the group, Mo Yu scanned the surroundings with focused perception.
Along their path, they had already encountered traces of half-step ninth-rank Beast Spirits—massive beings hidden among throngs of lesser undead beasts. But attacking one directly would draw an entire horde upon them.
They had seen the consequence firsthand: one unfortunate team engulfed by a tidal wave of shrieking spirits, torn apart until nothing was left but bones.
No one wanted to share their fate.
"Found our target," Mo Yu whispered suddenly.
The entire group stiffened, spiritual power coiling within them like storm clouds.
Perched atop a gray-black tree, Mo Yu pointed toward a massive forest ahead. Its trees were pale and barren, devoid of leaves—sharp like spears, piercing the scarlet haze.
At the forest's center was a region completely shrouded in death energy, where hundreds of ghostly shadows drifted like wandering souls—thousands, perhaps.
"This entire area…" Han Yue muttered, eyes narrowing.
Through the heavy fog, Mo Yu's keen senses locked onto what lay deeper within. Beneath a huge blackened tree sat a monstrous figure clad in ancient armor, wreathed in gray-white mists. Even at a distance, its aura pressed down like a mountain.
"That's the half-step ninth-rank Beast Spirit," Mo Yu said gravely.
Cai Lin frowned. "There are too many lesser spirits around it, many as strong as seventh-rank Supremes. If we trigger them all at once, we'll be overrun before we reach it."
Their current lineup might hold its own against a single apex foe—but a horde of thousands would devour them alive.
Han Yue turned toward Mo Yu again, anxiety flickering beneath the surface.
Mo Yu only smiled calmly. "Those seventh-rank spirits are no concern. The half-step ninth-rank one belongs to me."
Mang Yu blinked in disbelief. "There are over fifty seventh-rank Beast Spirits here!"
Mo Yu chuckled. "And yet none of you remember—you're carrying quasi-sacred artifacts. Don't tell me you plan on admiring them rather than using them."
He was right. Each of them now wielded a relic of immense power, and fully unleashed, even a seventh-rank horde would crumble beneath them.
Cai Lin's eyes brightened at once. "Then let's begin."
"Move," Mo Yu commanded softly.
In an instant, the group leapt from their perch into the forest below.
Roar!
The moment their presence rippled, a chorus of shrieks erupted. Countless beasts surged toward them, shrouded in ghostly light.
Cai Lin's group didn't flee; instead, they split formation, shuttling around the forest's outer rim to draw attention away from Mo Yu.
In mere moments, Cai Lin glanced back—and her expression hardened. Behind them roared a beast tide, hundreds strong, stretching like a black wave through the trees.
She took a deep breath, locking eyes with her companions. Together, they turned—and charged straight at the horde.
Roar!
A storm of death energy exploded forward. Over thirty seventh-rank spirits, along with hundreds of weaker ones, unleashed their fury in unison.
But Cai Lin did not flinch. With a flick of her slender wrist, a black ruler appeared in her grasp. She swept it forward—
A wall of darkness tore through the battlefield, swallowing the very light from the world.
The death wave shattered instantly.
Then, a sweet chime rang out—ding!—and flames fell from the sky like rain.
Mang Yu's red bell blazed to life, releasing torrents of fire that drowned entire ranks of the enemy.
From another flank, Han Yue brandished his huge black axe, cleaving the ground open, sending shockwaves that crushed even the air.
And alongside him, the Ximo warriors charged, their united power hammering through enemy ranks.
Though the Beast Spirits were many, under the assault of four wielders of quasi-sacred relics, they were quickly broken apart like dry grass before a wildfire.
Within minutes, thirty of the seventh-rank beasts lay shattered, their remnants dissolving into smoky ash.
Cai Lin's group glanced at one another, exhilaration and disbelief flooding their expressions.
"With these relics… our strength has tripled," Cai Lin said softly. "So this is the power of a quasi-sacred artifact."
Emboldened, they dove back into the fray, determined to finish what they started.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest's heart—
Mo Yu stood silently on a high branch, hands clasped behind his back, eyes locked on the armored giant below.
Its black armor gleamed faintly in the dim red glow, the air around it thick with suffocating power.
The Beast Spirit stirred slightly, its hollow gaze burning with pale flame.
Mo Yu's lips curved faintly.
"Let's see," he whispered, "just how strong a half-step ninth-rank Beast Spirit truly is."
(END CHAPTER)
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