"Ribbit!!!"
Just as Lin Feng scrambled over the edge and hadn't fled fifty meters yet, a bizarre, guttural croak pierced the air. A massive dark red shadow flashed up from the cliff face behind him, landing with a heavy thud – a mountain toad the size of a small car!
Its body was covered in rough, dark red, rock-like bumps, somewhat resembling a monstrous toad. The most striking feature was the patch of skin on its back, directly in the center, which burned a furious, fiery red. The heat radiating from it was so intense that the air above seemed to shimmer and distort.
This demonic beast was known as the Fireback Toad, and this specimen was Grade 3, Rank 6!
"Ribbit!!!" The Fireback Toad let out another guttural cry the moment it landed. Its cavernous mouth gaped open, and a thick pillar of fire blasted forth, aimed squarely at Lin Feng, who was barely twenty meters ahead!
"Bloody hell!!" Lin Feng risked a glance over his shoulder and his face paled. Without a second thought, he activated the Luminous Jade Bracelet on his left wrist. A shimmering golden barrier materialized instantly behind him.
THUMP!! Almost simultaneously, a heavy impact slammed against the barrier right at Lin Feng's back. The incoming 'pillar of fire' struck the golden shield, momentarily arrested, before recoiling violently. Only then, as it snapped back, was its true nature revealed: it wasn't a pillar of fire at all, but the Fireback Toad's own blisteringly hot tongue!
The golden barrier protecting Lin Feng warped violently under the impact, flickered once, and vanished. A flicker of pain crossed Lin Feng's eyes – that single blow had depleted the last vestiges of energy in the low-grade spirit artifact. One more use would shatter it completely.
But regret was a luxury he couldn't afford. Lin Feng poured every ounce of his true essence into his legs, sprinting forward with desperate abandon.
He knew, however, that outrunning a Grade 3, Rank 6 beast was impossible. He'd be caught in moments. A ferocious glint sharpened his gaze; he was ready to unleash the White Tiger Soulburn Talisman.
"Scre-eee!!!"
Just as Lin Feng flipped his hand, summoning the talisman, a piercing, resonant crane cry erupted from the left and slightly behind him. Relief washed over him instantly. He aborted the talisman activation, turning his head with hope blooming in his eyes.
A streak of purple light shot upwards from the cliff base over two hundred meters away to the left rear. It arced gracefully in mid-air before diving towards him like a violet thunderbolt – the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane.
Lin Feng didn't hesitate. Planting his foot hard, he launched himself nearly ten meters into the air. Just as gravity began to reclaim him, the Thunder Crane arrived. His hand shot out, clamping onto the crane's left talon, and he was instantly yanked forward with tremendous speed.
Whoosh… The instant Lin Feng was snatched away, a fireball the size of a large water barrel blasted through the spot he had just occupied. It flew nearly a hundred meters before crashing into the ground, exploding into a scorched crater over ten meters wide.
Simultaneously, another Fireback Toad leapt up from the same cliff edge the Thunder Crane had ascended. This one crackled faintly with residual arcs of lightning, and deep, charred gashes marred its back, making it look quite battered. Yet, its fury was undiminished. "RIBBIT! RIBBIT!" it bellowed, opening its maw to spew a rapid volley of fireballs like cannon shot towards the fleeing figures in the sky.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!…
Lin Feng felt the heat and rush of air as fireballs screamed past his ears. He clung desperately as the Thunder Crane banked, dipped, and swerved like a roller coaster, narrowly evading projectile after projectile. Finally, with a clear, triumphant cry, the crane beat its powerful wings, surging upwards hundreds of meters, finally escaping the range of the enraged toads below.
The two Fireback Toads pursued frantically, clawing at the earth, but flight was beyond them. They couldn't hope to catch the airborne crane. Soon, Lin Feng lost sight of them entirely, though he could still see occasional bursts of flame erupting from the distant forest canopy, accompanied by faint, furious croaks.
"Whew…" Lin Feng used his free hand to wipe cold sweat from his forehead, letting out a huge sigh of relief. Then, with a grunt of effort, he swung himself up onto the Thunder Crane's broad back.
Settling himself on the crane's back, Lin Feng was just retrieving a Recovery Pill to swallow when his robe front wriggled. Xiaoqiu's fuzzy little head popped out, large amber eyes darting around nervously. Confirming safety, the little creature visibly relaxed. It wriggled further out, proudly presenting a fiery red Ganoderma mushroom almost twice its size to Lin Feng.
Lin Feng grinned broadly, taking the precious herb gently. He ruffled Xiaoqiu's fur affectionately. "Heh, good job, Xiaoqiu. Really well done."
"Qiu!!" Xiaoqiu chirped smugly, puffing its chest out before climbing onto Lin Feng's left shoulder to meticulously groom its slightly ruffled fur.
"The Cloudfire Ganoderma… finally got it. Heh heh… perfect… absolutely perfect…"
Lin Feng examined the fiery-red, cloud-shaped Ganoderma, roughly the size of a large bowl, pure delight gleaming in his eyes. He had gone through such trouble to acquire this spirit herb because it was the primary ingredient for refining or repairing the Grade 3 Cloudfire Pill. The Cloudfire Pill offered immense benefits for cultivating Fire Spirit Root cultivators even at the Golden Core Stage, and it was also considered one of the best auxiliary aids for Fire Spirit Root cultivators attempting to form their Golden Core.
Such a treasure was incredibly rare, even in Lingyue City. Lin Feng couldn't bear to miss this chance. Though he had only recently reached Foundation Establishment Stage 4, he needed to start preparing earnestly for his future Golden Core formation; he couldn't afford to be caught unprepared.
Earlier, Lin Feng had employed a dual decoy maneuver to successfully snatch the Cloudfire Ganoderma without engaging the two Fireback Toads head-on. First, the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane lured the toads away from the prized herb. Then, Lin Feng stealthily approached from a different direction. Of course, escaping the toads' heightened senses was impossible. One toad broke off chasing the crane and turned its wrath on Lin Feng. As Lin Feng led his pursuer on a chase, Xiaoqiu, whose minuscule aura was even weaker than a Grade 1 beast, deftly dug up the Cloudfire Ganoderma unnoticed.
The Fireback Toads, preoccupied by their respective quarries, failed to detect the tiny thief. Only when Lin Feng, circling back after shaking off his pursuer momentarily, retrieved Xiaoqiu, did the toad pursuing him realize the herb was stolen. It immediately launched into a frenzied pursuit.
Fortunately, the Thunder Crane's incredible speed and the decisive advantage of flight allowed them to escape unscathed.
Though it sounded simple, the danger had been extreme. In the brief minute or so he spent being chased by a single Grade 3, Rank 6 beast, Lin Feng had exhausted almost every tool at his disposal except the White Tiger Soulburn Talisman. His flying sword, strange fire, the Luminous Jade Bracelet spirit artifact, and even a precious top-grade Grade 3 talisman had all been expended just to survive.
A mere Foundation Establishment Stage 4 cultivator daring to confront a Grade 3, Rank 6 demonic beast? Perhaps not unique in the vast Cultivation World, but within the borders of Xia Kingdom, such audacity was surely exceedingly rare.
…
After savoring his victory over the Cloudfire Ganoderma for a while, Lin Feng carefully stored it away. He patted the Thunder Crane's neck gratefully.
"Old Crane, well done. Truly. Let's head back now."
"Shreee!" The Thunder Crane let out a soft cry, tilting its head forward as if to indicate it was already flying homeward.
"Hmm?!"
Just as Lin Feng closed his eyes to begin meditating and restoring his energy, a movement caught his eye far to the right. His expression tightened abruptly.
"Old Crane! Wait!!"
The Thunder Crane immediately stalled mid-air, hovering as it turned its long neck, fixing Lin Feng with a questioning gaze.
Lin Feng stood up on the crane's back, frowning as he peered into the distance. About a kilometer away, atop a small hill barely a hundred meters high, several figures could be seen scrambling in evident panic. Chasing relentlessly behind them was a massive, dark silhouette.
Clearly, a group of cultivators had encountered a powerful demonic beast and were now desperately fleeing for their lives.