Refining Ruins Cauldron

"The Ancient Amethyst is located in Falling Wind Ridge of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range."

"At our current speed, it will take at least two days."

Nalan Feixue quickly determined the direction before speaking.

She was besieged near Falling Wind Ridge last time.

However, she made too much noise that time, and by the time she discovered the location of the Ancient Amethyst, she had already alerted the nearby Beast King.

This time, the two must avoid areas where spirit beasts gather as much as possible.

Just as he was about to continue on his way, Gu Qingyun suddenly stopped.

"Watch out, there's movement ahead."

Nalan Feixue was taken aback.

Gu Qingyun discovered something that even she couldn't detect?

She subconsciously held her breath and glanced at the dense forest ahead.

"This visitor is not friendly; it's at least a mid-stage Golden Core spirit beast."

Gu Qingyun's expression was solemn.

This beast has been concealing its presence.

It almost blended into its surroundings by using miasma as cover.

If Gu Qingyun hadn't possessed extraordinary spiritual awareness, he might have truly fallen victim to its tricks.

The aura was extremely faint, yet it carried a chilling killing intent.

It didn't seem like an ordinary spirit beast wandering around; rather, it seemed to be waiting for someone to approach.

"Walk!"

Nalan Feixue decisively chose to take a detour.

This spirit beast was able to evade her senses; it was definitely not simple.

Even if the two manage to break in, it would be a losing proposition.

However, luck did not seem to be on their side this time.

After changing directions several times, Gu Qingyun was able to detect that there were spirit beasts lying in ambush.

Some hid in the tree canopy, some lay prone in the mud, and some simply used the miasma to hide in the shadows, barely revealing their presence.

Even Nalan Feixue could clearly sense it this time.

"We are surrounded."

Gu Qingyun's expression was extremely solemn.

The surrounding area was filled with miasma, with wolves in front and tigers behind, and mythical beasts lying in ambush. They were surrounded by enemies on all sides!

Leaving aside the other spirit beasts, there are four beast kings at the late Golden Core stage alone!

Moreover, these monstrous creatures seemed to be heading straight for the two of them, pressing closer and closer, constantly compressing the space.

This was no ordinary chance encounter.

It seems more like it was premeditated.

Nalan Feixue's expression was extremely grim. A spirit sword had appeared in her hand at some point, and she was poised to strike.

"We lay low all the way without drawing attention, so how did these beasts find out?"

Nalan Feixue stared intently at her surroundings with a grim face.

Just then, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, several dark figures suddenly shot out from the shadows like arrows.

It was fast, but Gu Qingyun was even faster!

His spiritual sense immediately detected the killing intent, and he swept his sword across, wiping out the black shadows.

"A blue-scaled venomous snake?"

Gu Qingyun frowned as several small green snakes, each half a meter long, appeared in front of him, cut in half at the waist.

Not only that, the blood left by the severed green-scaled venomous snake was splattered all over the ground, making a sizzling sound, and it was even poisonous!

The withered leaves on the ground were corroded by the poisonous blood, and a faint wisp of white smoke rose from them.

Gu Qingyun's gaze deepened.

This type of venomous snake isn't particularly strong; it's perfect for testing the waters.

It moves quickly, has a faint scent, and is highly toxic.

If you get bitten, even if you don't die, it will affect your spiritual energy circulation.

"careful."

Gu Qingyun and Nalan Feixue stood back to back, constantly watching their surroundings.

This must be a suicide squad sent by those beasts to scout ahead; the attacks will only get more and more intense later on.

"You beast, come up here and face your death!"

Nalan Feixue snorted coldly, her gaze fixed on the dense forest not far away.

Her voice, filled with powerful energy, shook the surrounding trees, causing them to crackle and birds and beasts to scatter.

Sure enough, four vertical pupils emerged from different directions, their outlines gradually becoming clearer.

Four spirit beasts—bear, wolf, tiger, and leopard—slowly walked out, their auras all indicating the late stage of the Golden Core realm!

The giant bear is the largest of the animals, and with each step it takes, the ground trembles slightly.

The wolf-beast had a slender body, its fur was as thick as needles, its eyes were sinister, and its footsteps were silent.

The tiger-like beast had a black vertical stripe on its forehead, indicating its intense bloodlust; when it opened its mouth, a foul stench wafted out.

The leopard beast, hidden among the shadows of the trees, moved with ever-changing light and shadow, its speed clearly the most terrifying.

The four beasts seemed to have planned this all along, targeting Gu Qingyun and his companion.

"Humans, now that you've come, stay forever."

The tiger-like beast spoke in a human voice, its vertical pupils blood-red, exuding a strong murderous aura.

Before the words were even finished, the wolf beast set off.

It was closest to Nalan Feixue, leaping dozens of meters in a single bound, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air as it charged towards the latter.

A spirit beast in the late Golden Core stage can withstand a Golden Core cultivator with its physical body alone, not to mention the added power of its violent spiritual energy.

Although Nalan Feixue's injuries had not yet healed, her reactions were still extremely quick.

He held the spirit sword horizontally in front of him, and the sword energy instantly spread out, forcibly deflecting the wolf beast's attack by half an inch.

But even that half-inch tear created a deep crack in the ground.

Gu Qingyun was not left behind either.

The giant bear raised its paw and slapped down, creating a gust of wind!

Before the bear's paw had even truly landed, the terrifying force of the wind had already bent the surrounding trees, and withered leaves were flying everywhere.

Gu Qingyun's pupils contracted slightly, and he retreated rapidly, his hand already tightly gripping the talisman.

The other two are watching closely, ready to pounce from the sides at any moment.

In an instant, Gu Qingyun and his companion were both in grave danger!

The giant bear slammed down with its paw like a whirlwind sweeping away fallen leaves.

The whistling wind alone is enough to rupture your eardrums!

Before the enormous bear paw had even truly landed, the withered leaves, pebbles, and broken branches on the ground were already being swept up and sent flying everywhere.

Gu Qingyun's expression was solemn. Facing a powerful demon in the late stage of the Golden Core realm, his current cultivation level was simply insufficient.

A head-on collision?

That's no different from sticking your head out and letting the other person smash it.

What else can we do besides wait to die?

The only thing he possessed that could withstand powerful enemies below the Nascent Soul stage was the protective talisman given to him by Master Qinggu.

But there's only one protective talisman. Even if we destroy the giant bear, what then?

Two more spirit beasts were eyeing them menacingly from behind!

Not to mention, Nalan Feixue was also tied down and couldn't spare any time to save him.

Moreover, how can we obtain the Gulei Amethyst?

The vast Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range definitely has more than just these four Golden Core spirit beasts!

Gu Qingyun's mind raced, but his movements showed no hesitation.

He stepped on the "Free and Unfettered Steps" and retreated rapidly, quickly throwing out the talisman from his pocket.

Although they are all low-level talismans, these talismans have been deduced by the Refining Cauldron, so their quality is not low.

With enough numbers, a single swarm can be quite powerful.

Instantly, explosions erupted everywhere.

Fire, lightning, wind blades, and ice spikes exploded one after another, creating a chaotic mass of spiritual energy in front of the giant bear.

Only by forcibly stopping the giant bear for a moment could Gu Qingyun barely escape.

Even so, Gu Qingyun did not dare to let his guard down, and still tightly gripped a handful of talismans in his hand.

He knew very well that he had not stopped the giant bear.

It was just a matter of creating a breathing space by using talismans.

On the other side, Nalan Feixue handled the situation calmly, but was constantly worried about Gu Qingyun's situation.

Foundation Establishment cultivators facing Golden Core cultivators, let alone opponents who are spirit beasts.

The fact that Gu Qingyun has managed to hold out until now is enough to show that he is quite capable!

"roar!"

Enraged by the explosion of the talisman, the giant bear roared, shaking the mountains and forests. Its domineering spiritual power instantly cleared the surrounding vegetation, creating a clearing.

Its eyes locked onto Gu Qingyun, and it chased after him.

Its body, as large as a mountain, moved with remarkable speed.

The soles of his feet slammed into the ground, making a series of dull thuds that sent shivers down everyone's spines!