Despite a few consecutive crashes, the Mingxue Beast King still failed to break loose from the Ghost Capturing Banner, as several hideous wounds were added to its body. The intense pain and frustration drove it into a frenzy.
Roar!
A moment later, the Mingxue Beast King let out a sudden, deafening roar, and its pitch-black body instantly turned blood-red! Streams of crimson light continuously swirled over its surface, while its aura drastically grew far more fearsome.
As it swung its sharp claws, strands of black smoke broke up and dissipated away one after another.
Finally, with a sudden pounce, it broke through the blockade of the Ghost Capturing Banner, its eyes glaring fiercely as it lunged straight at the two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Not good! This beast has awakened with its bloodline demonic skill! Junior Sister Chu, let's go all out now!"
Elder Lin's expression contorted as he urgently barked.
Elder Chu's face went through a series of expressions before she finally gritted her teeth, answering, "After this is over, Senior Brother must pay me double compensation!"
With that, she slapped her storage bag, from which an olive-sized pearl flew out, hovering above the two of them.
Elder Chu rapidly formed hand seals, channeling her spiritual power like a bursting flood into the pearl.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
Countless electric currents suddenly emerged over the pearl, coiling like raging electric snakes. The next moment, the pearl exploded with a roar, and a pitch-black lightning bolt as thick as an arm tore through the sky, shooting straight at the Mingxue Beast King's head at a speed almost impossible to follow with the naked eye!
The lightning was too fast; the Mingxue Beast King had no time to dodge and got struck head-on!
Boom!
The massive body of the Mingxue Beast King was sent flying backward, as a terrifying wound gaped in its head. Inside, the flesh and blood had been melted away, and even the skull showed a fine crack.
How could Elder Lin miss such an opportunity?
He immediately exerted himself to control the Ghost Capturing Banner, which emitted a boundless ferocity as it swept toward the injured Mingxue Beast King.
However, empowered by its bloodline demonic skill, the Mingxue Beast King was astonishingly powerful. Even though severely injured, its strength had not diminished much. Each swipe of its claws plowed horrifying meters-long streaks of gleam through the air.
At the time, it actually entered into a stalemate with the Ghost Capturing Banner!
Even though they had joined forces, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators were unable to bring down this injured beast king after all.
Elder Lin grew increasingly anxious.
With such a commotion, if someone spying from the side were to seize the opportunity and reap the benefits, all their efforts would be wasted.
"The Mingxue Beast King has already been entangled by us! All of you, immediately enter the mountain, find its lair, and bring the 'Skeleton Nether Flower' to me! Those who succeed will be handsomely rewarded!"
Elder Lin's stern shout reached every Qi Refining cultivator below, his tone carrying an undefinable authority.
"Yes!"
No one dared to disobey the order of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Dozens of Qi Refining cultivators activated their magical weapons, riding on streaks of light as they rushed toward the depths of the Siming Mountain.
Roar!!
Although entangled, the Mingxue Beast King still had a free hand. Its massive body gave a sudden shake, before countless drops of venom beat down like a fierce rain.
Each drop was faster than a bullet!
The cultivators frantically dodged, but two of them failed to evade in time and were struck by the venom.
Black smoke immediately billowed from their bodies as their flesh visibly melted away. Even the magical robes they wore were powerless to save them.
"Elders! Save me! Save me!"
The two let out agonized screams, but they were soon reduced to skeletons that plummeted to the ground.
The other Qi Refining cultivators all turned pale, their hearts icy with fear.
"A bunch of fools! Don't cross the sky. Enter the forest and advance separately!" Elder Lin's furious shout rang out once again.
The surviving cultivators, as if awakening from a dream, immediately rushed into the forest below, stowed away their magical tools, and, using the cover of the trees, scattered as they charged into the depths of the mountain range.
Sure enough, this way, the Mingxue Beast King found it difficult to lock onto targets. Although it furiously poured venom downward, it failed to hit anyone again.
Soon, the dozens of cultivators made it through the area beneath the sky battlefield and entered the depths of the mountain range.
But at that moment, the ground violently shook as a large number of Mingxue Beasts surged out from underground, pouncing toward these Qi Refining cultivators. Both sides instantly engaged in a fierce battle!
…
Deep within the Siming Mountain.
"The two Foundation Establishment old farts sacrificed eight hundred martial artists just for that 'Skeleton Nether Flower'?"
Lu Lin had clearly heard Elder Lin's words earlier, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
A treasure that Foundation Establishment cultivators were determined to obtain must be extremely precious.
He thought of the "Xueyan Deer Antler"—just a single piece could be exchanged for sixty years of arduous training.
And this "Skeleton Nether Flower," which required sacrificing eight hundred martial artists and prompted Foundation Establishment cultivators to fight fiercely for it—how valuable must it be?
The spiritual energy it contained was likely beyond imagination!
Lu Lin's gaze involuntarily turned toward the pitch-black mountain from which the Mingxue Beast King had emerged.
"Should I… take the gamble?"
His thoughts raced, and there was inevitable hesitation in him.
What if there were other formidable Mingxue Beasts in the mountain?
But upon careful consideration, there must be only one Mingxue Beast King.
Otherwise, if there were others of its kind, wouldn't they have come to its aid while it was locked in a bitter battle?
Moreover, since the two Foundation Establishment cultivators dared to act, they must have investigated thoroughly beforehand.
Without the presence of a beast king, with his movement skills and the Self-Concealment Technique, escaping shouldn't be too difficult.
"I'll go check it out. If there's danger, I cannot be too greedy and will retreat right away!"
Lu Lin decided in an instant.
Whoosh!
He leaped out like an agile cat, silently racing toward the mountain peak.
Before long, he had already approached the foot of the mountain.
Having not sensed the same creepy feeling of danger as before, Lu Lin felt slightly relieved.
Upon closer examination, there was a crack several meters wide in the middle of the rocky mountain, large enough for ordinary Mingxue Beasts to pass through. Earlier, the Mingxue Beast King had flown out from the mountaintop, indicating that the crest was likely hollow.
However, he couldn't enter from the top—the cliff was too steep to climb and would easily expose him.
Without hesitation, Lu Lin quickened his pace and, in a flash, rushed into the crack.
After advancing about a hundred meters, the view suddenly opened up…
The interior of the mountain was a wide, open space, with a large opening above that let in faint daylight.
The first thing Lu Lin noticed was a small pool in the center of the clearing.
Growing in the pool was a bizarre plant. Nine palm-sized, pitch-black leaves supported what looked like… a skull?
No!
Lu Lin focused his gaze. It was clearly a fruit, yet it looked exactly like a skull—two hollow eye sockets, distinct nostrils, a gaping mouth… and there was even black smoke continuously spewing from the "mouth," only to be drawn back in through the eye sockets ----- an eerie cycle.
"Is this… the Skeleton Nether Flower?"
Lu Lin's heart stirred as he gingerly approached.
The Martial Dao Furnace within him suddenly began to tremble violently!
Lu Lin immediately mobilized his Qi and Blood to spread over his palm and slowly reached toward the eccentric plant…
[Discovered: Medium-grade spiritual energy. Exchange for three hundred years of arduous training? Y/N]
Three hundred years!
Lu Lin's heart gave a fierce leap!
A full three hundred years of arduous training!
"Exchange! Exchange immediately!"
An unprecedentedly vast torrent of energy instantly flowed along his arm into his mind, where the Martial Dao Furnace absorbed it greedily.
He checked his Training Time and found it at 347 years and 2 months.
The Skeleton Nether Flower in the pool quietly turned into a handful of powder, dissolving into the water and vanishing without a trace.
"Three hundred years… Got!"
Lu Lin's breathing grew noticeably heavier as intense excitement washed over his mind.
"I must leave immediately!"
Containing himself, he took a deep breath to calm himself, then turned and rushed toward the crack exit at the fastest speed possible.
He needed a safe place to convert this immense amount of Training Time into his strength!
Lu Lin soon rushed out of the mountain, plunging into the dense forest as he ran with all his might in a direction away from the battlefield. In a while, he had already covered several miles…
But at that very moment—
All of a sudden, Lu Lin felt his scalp tingle. A sense of deadly crisis made his hair stand on end!
Without time to think, he instinctively threw himself forward in a rolling dive.
Swoosh!
A dark, ghostly light shot out from a large tree behind him, precisely striking the spot where he had just stood, carving a terrifying, bottomless crack in the ground!