Beast Taming: My spirit beast bloodline is overloaded

Chapter 445 The Mad Night People

In the following days, Lin Chen was concerned about the safety of the little blue fish and did not let the Night People's incident disrupt his plans.

With the assistance of Shi Zuo and others, he and Li Zhen continued their tireless search for the Xuanbing Dragon Saliva Grass.

Although Longling Island is not large, its environment is complex, making the search for a specific spiritual herb akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

For three days in a row, Lin Chen couldn't find any trace of him, and even with his patience, he was starting to get anxious.

On the evening of the fourth day, Shi Zuo, with barely suppressed excitement, hurriedly found Lin Chen and Li Zhen, who were exploring another area.

"Found him! Brother Chen Lin, Senior Li! Come with me quickly!"

Shi Zuo's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

The two men perked up and immediately followed Shi Zuo through a dense forest of ancient trees, eventually arriving at a secluded cliff on the northwest side of the island.

Parting the layers of hanging dark green vines, a narrow opening, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, is revealed.

Before they even entered, a chilling aura emanated from the cave, causing Lin Chen and Li Zhen's pupils to widen in shock!
The book states that the Mysterious Ice Dragon Saliva Grass is an extremely cold substance, which is why it has this effect.

Stepping into the cave, the interior suddenly opens up to a breathtaking view.

The cave wasn't deep, but the strange scenery surprised even the well-traveled Lin Chen.

The cave walls are not ordinary rocks, but a special kind of stone with dark brown patterns. The patterns are huge, and the stone is cold and hard to the touch, like a huge fossilized shell of some ancient creature.

Even more surprisingly, several luminous pearls emitting a soft white light are embedded in the cave's dome, illuminating the cave as if it were covered with a layer of cool moonlight.

In the very center of the cave, there is a small, milky-white stone mortar, no bigger than a washbasin. What is accumulated in it is not ordinary spring water, but a rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth that is almost liquid.

Right in the center of this spiritual liquid, a spiritual herb, its entire body crystal clear like an ice sculpture, quietly grew.

It is about half a foot tall, with stems as clear as blue crystal, and leaves with mysterious dragon scale-like patterns, the edges of which are covered with a faint mist.

The entire plant exuded a strong dragon's aura and pure, icy power; it was the very plant they had been searching for for many days—the Mystic Ice Dragon Saliva Grass!

"It really is it!" Li Zhen's face lit up with joy.

Shi Zuo could not hide his excitement: "The environment here is so unique. This stone wall, this spiritual liquid... it's as if it was created specifically to nurture this herb."

To be on the safe side, Lin Chen took out the books and compared them one by one, finally confirming that this was indeed the Xuanbing Dragon Saliva Grass.

"Thank you, Brother Shi." Lin Chen cupped his hands in thanks, and then offered to pay the fee.

Unexpectedly, Shi Zuo refused:

"Brother Chen Lin, you're being too polite. We people from the Cangling Ancient Kingdom should help each other when we're abroad."

"Besides, you two saved us a few days ago, so there's no need for us to be so polite."

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

Shi Zuo's personality is indeed worth getting to know better, and Lin Chen also has a good impression of him.

"Shall we pick them now?" Li Zhen asked.

Lin Chen walked up to the Xuanbing Dragon Saliva Grass and examined it carefully. Although the bud had taken shape, it seemed to be a little short of fully blooming.

Harvesting at this time may reduce the medicinal efficacy.

Lin Chen was also worried that problems might arise with the boatman, Old Chen, which could cause delays. So, after a moment's thought, Lin Chen made a decision:
“This herb is not fully mature yet, it would be a pity to pick it now. Li Zhen, let’s set up camp here and wait for the boat to arrive.”

Li Zhen always trusted Lin Chen's judgment, and immediately nodded: "Okay!"

So the two found a place to settle down not far from the peculiar cave and took turns keeping watch, both to guard against any possible spirit beasts and to be wary of the other people on the island, since finding this thing would be difficult.

During this time, Lin Chen also went to observe the cave. He was somewhat surprised by the huge patterned stone slabs on the ground and examined them several times.

"Is there anything unusual?" Li Zhen couldn't tell at all.

"As the saying goes, 'dripping water wears away a stone.'" Lin Chen pointed to a stone not far away and said, "It has penetrated to a depth of half a meter over there, but it stops dripping when it touches the black patterned stone slab on the ground."

"This only proves that this thing is sturdy and has good water resistance," Li Zhen said.

"That's the most surprising part; naturally formed, sturdy materials are extremely rare," Lin Chen said.

Li Zhen said, "We are no longer in the era of cultivators, so we cannot use weapons."

"Can't you use it?" Lin Chen said.

Li Zhen was taken aback, then thought it made a lot of sense, and said, "What do you think of me practicing swordsmanship? I'll create my own Phoenix Sword technique, combined with my Phoenix Arm."

Li Zhen's eyes shone as he said this.

These past two days, Li Zhen really went to think about it, while Lin Chen had two peaceful days until the early morning of the third day, before dawn, a series of hurried and staggering footsteps broke the silence of the dawn.

"Senior! Senior Li! Brother Chen Lin!"

A woman's voice, trembling with sobs, approached from afar.

Lin Chen and Li Zhen stood up at the same time, alert, and saw the woman who had been following Shi Zuo—Aya.

She came stumbling along, covered in blood and her clothes torn.

When she saw Li Zhen, it was as if she had seen a savior. Her legs went weak, and she knelt down on the ground, tears mixed with blood streaming down her face.

"Senior! Please, I beg you, save Brother Shi Zuo! Save everyone!"

Aya's voice was filled with despair and fear.

Lin Chen's heart sank. He stepped forward to support her and quickly checked her injuries. Most of them were superficial wounds, but she had lost a lot of blood, indicating that she had experienced a fierce battle.

"Don't rush, tell me slowly, what happened?"

Aya choked up, speaking haltingly:

"It's...it's the Night People! They...they haven't given up at all!"

"Last night, they came out in full force, led by Elder Changtian, and launched a surprise attack on our camp's gathering points!"

A deep fear lingered in her eyes:
"They...they arrested anyone they saw, and because they outnumbered us, they gathered everyone together!"

"Chang Tian said... that if we don't hand over the Ancestral Dragon Stone, he will kill one person every incense stick's time, until all the people of the Cangling Ancient Kingdom are wiped out, or until someone confesses!"

"Brother Shi Zuo and several other leaders tried to resist, but there were too many of them, and many of them were experts. They...they were all injured and captured!"

"I barely escaped by the skin of my teeth to deliver the message..."

"They also said that no one could leave the island until this matter was thoroughly investigated, and they planned to ambush and kill all the boatmen who came and went here."

Lin Chen and Li Zhen's expressions instantly became extremely solemn.

The worst still happened!
The Night People have gone mad in their quest to retrieve the Ancestral Dragon Stone, resorting to such extreme and bloody methods.

They're willing to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free, using everyone's lives to force an explanation!

Lin Chen and Li Zhen both understood that this matter needed to be addressed.

Putting aside the fact that the Night Humans have already threatened their escape route, Shi Zuo and his group alone are enough to warrant Lin Chen and Li Zhen's intervention.

Lin Chen gently patted Aya's shoulder and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry."

Li Zhen, who was standing nearby, said, "Shall I go and check the situation first?"

"Okay." Lin Chen nodded.

Li Zhen then left, while Lin Chen stayed behind to help Aya bandage her wounds. About half an hour later, Li Zhen returned, his face grim, and said, "They've basically all been captured." Lin Chen was taken aback and asked, "Are there that many Night People?"

Aya said, "No, they're probably using this time to bring people to the island. Yes, that must be it."

After realizing what had happened, Aya trembled all over, feeling utterly hopeless.

If she had previously thought there was hope for Li Zhen's intervention, given the sheer number of Night People, Li Zhen's intervention wouldn't change anything.

"Maybe... let's just forget about it." Aya's expression darkened as she bowed deeply to Lin Chen and Li Zhen, then said, "Thank you."

After saying that, Aya prepared to leave.

Lin Chen and Li Zhen exchanged glances, and the latter called out to her.

"Don't worry, I won't expose you." Aya's eyes were very sincere.

Li Zhen laughed and said, "We never said we wouldn't save them."

“But,” Aya shook her head and said, “You’re outsiders anyway, and you’re still waiting to take the elixir back to save people. Forget it.”

"After all, the difference in strength is obvious."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhen smiled and said, "I definitely can't do it alone, but he can."

Aya was taken aback when she saw that the person Li Zhen was pointing to was Lin Chen.

In the damp, cold forest clearing, the flickering firelight illuminated faces contorted with agony and pain.

Shi Zuo, Yang Lai, and more than ten other treasure hunters were tightly bound by rough vines and thrown to the ground, all of them injured and covered in blood.

Shi Zuo was in particularly bad shape; one of his arms was twisted unnaturally, his face was a mixture of blue and purple, and blood kept oozing from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes still stubbornly glared at Tokifuji in front of him.

"Tell me! Where are those two newcomers, Li Zhen and Chen Lin, hiding?!"

Tsunetō squatted in front of Ishizusa, his voice as cold as a knife, toying with a sharp-edged stone in his hand.

Shi Zuo spat out a mouthful of blood, sneered, and remained silent.

"You're quite loyal."

A cruel glint flashed in Tsuneto's eyes. He suddenly stood up, walked to a less injured companion of Ishizusa, and without warning, plunged the stone in his hand into the man's thigh!
"Ugh—!"

A piercing scream instantly shattered the silence of the night, echoing through the forest and sending chills down one's spine.

"You beast! I'll kill you!!"

Shi Zuo's eyes were bloodshot, and a surge of power welled up from within him. He dragged his bound body and sprang up from the ground, crashing into Tokito like a wounded tiger!

But his injuries were too severe, and he was bound, so Chang Teng simply kicked him back to the ground with a contemptuous kick.

"You really don't want to tell me?"

Tsunefuji stopped looking at Ishizusa and instead moved the blood-dripping stone to the carotid artery of his groaning companion. The cold touch made the man stiffen.

"Then I'll see whether your loyalty is more important, or his life."

Before he could finish speaking, Chang Teng flicked his wrist, and the sharp stone shard instantly sliced ​​through the skin on the man's neck, causing blood to gush out and stain his clothes red.

The companion's body convulsed violently, then collapsed to the ground, his consciousness beginning to blur due to blood loss and excruciating pain.

"no, do not want!!"

Upon witnessing this scene, tears mingled with blood streamed down Shi Zuo's face, and he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, brother! But I really can't say it! Senior Li and the others saved us, we can't be ungrateful!!"

Hearing Shi Zuo's cries, the fallen companion's unfocused gaze showed no resentment, but rather a hint of understanding and resolve.

He understood Shi Zuo and knew that even to save him, Shi Zuo would never betray his benefactor, just as Shi Zuo would sacrifice himself for any one of them.

This is precisely why they willingly followed Shi Zuo.

"Such a touching brotherhood!"

A perverse, satisfied smile spread across Tsuneto's face. He raised his hand, aiming the rock at his companion's other vital spot, preparing to continue this cruel torture. "Then let's see how long you can last!"

Just as his arm was about to fall—

"唳——!!!"

A clear and stirring phoenix cry suddenly rang out from the sky!
Immediately afterwards, a crimson-gold light, like the breaking of dawn, suddenly illuminated half the night sky, turning this forest clearing into daylight!

A vast aura swept over like a tide, pressing down on all the Night People members, making them gasp for breath and tremble in their souls!

Tsunefuji's pupils contracted sharply, and his movements froze. He looked up at the sky with a look of horror on his face for the first time.

"finally come!"

Tsunefuji reacted extremely quickly, retreating rapidly to create distance from the center area while shouting loudly.

All the Night People members seemed to awaken from a dream, and they all formed hand seals or summoned directly.

In an instant, light flashed wildly, and a variety of spirit beasts, each with a different shape but exuding a chilling aura, appeared on the open ground. Poisonous pythons, shadow bats, ghost-faced spiders... there were many kinds, and they instantly surrounded the area. The intense killing intent mixed with the roars of the beasts pointed directly at the source of the light.

As the light gradually cleared, three more people appeared on the ground: Lin Chen, Li Zhen, and Aya.

"Ah Ya, Senior Li, you guys..." Shi Zuo started to get anxious from the bottom of his heart.

He looked at Aya reproachfully, implying that the two of them shouldn't have been there.

As Aya lowered her head, hesitating whether to explain, Lin Chen glanced around and saw a pile of corpses in the distance, which made Lin Chen's pupils blaze with anger.

"Haha, you've come at the perfect time."

Tsunedo glared maliciously at Li Zhen, a smile spreading across his face.

He was almost killed by Li Zhen that day, and naturally he held a grudge against him.

"Tokito, it seems you haven't learned your lesson yet."

Li Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an invisible pressure.

Chang Teng's face was grim, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Hmph! As expected, you're all involved! If you know what's good for you, hand over the Ancestral Dragon Stone obediently, or I'll bury you and these pieces of trash together today!"

"Enough with the nonsense." Li Zhen was too lazy to argue. He glanced around, a fierce glint in his eyes.

He raised his phoenix arm, this time not intending to hold back, and killed the Dongying man right there.

He moved.

There was no earth-shattering fanfare; he simply leaped off the ground.

Shi Zuo shouted loudly, "Senior, hurry! There are experts among the Night People!"

At this moment, Aya took the opportunity to help Shi Zuo untie the restraints, but even after untying them, Shi Zuo was now unable to fight.

He said desperately, "Aya, you're so foolish! How could you send someone to their death?"

Aya lowered her head, but her gaze drifted toward Lin Chen.
Li Zhen had previously said that with him around, that was enough.

But Lin Chen is still observing and has no intention of making a move.

And
He's so young, and his rank is far lower than Li Zhen's. What kind of fighting power could he possibly have?

(End of this chapter)