Teng Qingshan's laughter echoed across the firmament, but his body slammed heavily onto the ground below the mountain, shaking the earth and creating a massive crater. A figure holding a long spear then burst out of the deep pit, swiftly pursuing the direction where the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast had fled. Its speed was just a hair faster than the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
One man, one demon beast—one chasing, one fleeing.
As the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast bolted at full speed, its enormous head glanced backward. It immediately realized... that human's speed was actually a shade faster than its own! It instantly understood that this human's power had completely recovered!
"Roar~~~" The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast roared in fury.
"Roaring won't help you anymore." Teng Qingshan laughed heartily, his steps like shooting stars as he rapidly closed the distance.
The gap between the man and the demon beast was steadily shrinking.
It had decreased from thirty Zhang to twenty Zhang. However, both Teng Qingshan and the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast were moving too fast; in the short time of this chase, they had already covered twenty to thirty Li. Across the vast grassland, a blurred, massive shadow was followed by an almost unnoticeable human shadow.
Hoo! Hoo!
Ordinary grassland inhabitants with weaker cultivation probably couldn't even see the true form of the demon beast.
In fact, while tracking the footprints, Teng Qingshan had already drawn his Samsara Spear. Facing this Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast, Teng Qingshan would have great difficulty dispatching his opponent without a weapon.
After running for dozens of Li in one breath, Teng Qingshan and the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast were already very close.
"Stop right there!"
Teng Qingshan roared, violently stomping his left foot into the earth, which shuddered with a booming sound. Teng Qingshan instantly leveraged this force for an explosive leap. The Samsara Spear in his hand transformed into a silver lightning bolt, aimed straight at the demon beast's rear thigh!
"Whoosh!" The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast's tail whipped out like a steel soft whip, lashing toward Teng Qingshan's Samsara Spear with lightning speed.
Given the tail's length, upon striking the Samsara Spear, it could completely send Teng Qingshan flying!
"This tail is troublesome!" Teng Qingshan spun the Samsara Spear, applying immense force to that thick, long tail. With a "Peng!" sound, a significant amount of the white fur on the tail was stripped off, but the tail, which could be both rigid and flexible, sustained no real damage.
"Tsssk!"
Just as Teng Qingshan parried that tail strike with his spear, he noticed the beast's stout hooves clawing toward him, the sharp rushing wind already hitting his face. With no time to block with his spear, Teng Qingshan let out a low growl, kicking out his right leg like a cannonball fired from its chamber, slamming directly into the hoof-claw.
"Boom~~~" The earth trembled.
Both Teng Qingshan and the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast were thrown back by the recoil. Teng Qingshan staggered back over ten Zhang, while the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast lost its balance on its hind legs, shaking violently before stumbling, only to quickly struggle back up.
The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast immediately turned its head, dug its four hooves into the ground, lowered its head, and fixed its scarlet eyes intently on Teng Qingshan, letting out a series of angry roars. It was truly being driven mad by Teng Qingshan; its speed was inferior to this human. Furthermore, in a close fight, it wasn't certain it could kill Teng Qingshan.
In a true battle, the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast knew it would either die or be severely wounded.
"Going mad?"
Teng Qingshan licked his lips, a trace of excitement flashing in his eyes. In his previous life, he was fond of battle, and on the great plains, he had only sparred with the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast once before. "Going mad? You won't submit to me? I'll beat you until you do! It’s fine; subduing a peak-level Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast would be quite interesting."
Just as Teng Qingshan prepared for a fierce confrontation—
"Whoosh!" The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast actually turned tail and fled!
"That's absolutely deliberate," Teng Qingshan felt a surge of frustration. "It was just baring its teeth at me moments ago, ready to go berserk. But then it turns and runs! Is it playing games with me?"
...
On the grassland, a slightly overweight man with short hair, dressed in a purple robe and wearing a golden mask, sat atop a magnificent warhorse of solid blood-red color. This warhorse was none other than 'Chi Feng Beast,' one of the three Great Dragon Horses. The attire of a purple robe and a golden mask was the standard uniform for Divine Generals of the Heavenly God Mountain when outside.
"Hmm, why hasn't that Arada arrived yet?" the slightly overweight man asked indifferently.
Beside him, a young man leading his own horse spoke with utmost deference, "Divine General, please rest assured. That Arada is traveling steadily northward, and not too quickly. We received word earlier that he was tens of Li to the south. He should reach us soon."
The youth held the legendary Fifth Divine General in deep awe and reverence.
The Fifth Divine General, 'Erzier,' held a particularly unique status within the Heavenly God Mountain.
"But according to the intelligence, he should be here by now," Erzier frowned.
"Roar~~" "Roar~~"
Faint roars drifted from the distance. Due to the great separation, the youth hadn't heard them. However, the stout man, 'Erzier,' had. He glanced toward the east with a hint of confusion in his eyes. But he said nothing.
Just then—
"Giddyup!" A rider galloped rapidly toward them.
"Neigh~~~" The rider leaped from his horse and knelt respectfully on one knee. "My Lord, Arada is currently engaged in a fierce battle with a Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast, about a hundred Li to the east."
"How did he get over there?" The youth exclaimed in surprise, then immediately turned to report to the Fifth Divine General, 'Erzier': "Divine General, since Arada is there, Divine General, allow my subordinates to lead the way. We can soon—"
Erzier spoke coldly, "No need, I know exactly where he is!"
Erzier immediately mounted the Chi Feng Beast, lightly pressing his calves against its sides. The Chi Feng Beast instantly transformed into a blood-red afterimage, flying toward the east.
The roars from a hundred Li away!
Even though the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast's roars were loud, and the grassland was wide open, it was still a hundred Li away. Even an ordinary Innate expert couldn't hear roars from such a distance. Yet, the Esoteric Sect expert 'Erzier' could.
"Battling the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast? It seems he isn't a Void Realm expert, but an Innate Golden Core." Riding his horse, Erzier gazed ahead. The occasional roars grew clearer. "Let's see this person's background. If I can recruit him, fine. If not, I'll kill him!"
In Erzier's view, very few at the Innate Golden Core level could escape death at his hands.
...
On the grassland.
Tremors capable of shaking the earth sounded one after another. Teng Qingshan, holding the silver Samsara Spear, stood like an unshakeable shield, staunchly enduring the crazed attacks of the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast! Its hooves! Its single horn! Its tail! The cold breath it spewed!
All manner of attacks rained down, yet none could harm Teng Qingshan.
"Yes, it should be like this!"
Teng Qingshan executed the 'Primordial Chaos Qi' Spear Technique. Facing the beast's frenzied assaults, his technique became even more fluid and seamless, each move integrating with the next, constantly absorbing the profound intent of the 'Earth Element Fist' into the spear forms!
Grasping intent did not mean the spear technique would instantly reach perfection.
"This Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast's attacks are fierce enough to rival an Innate Golden Core expert. Using it to refine my spear technique is actually quite brilliant." With every defense, new ideas sparked in Teng Qingshan's mind, and the 'Primordial Chaos Qi' Spear Technique subtly changed.
Just as Teng Qingshan was immersed in this unique form of 'cultivation,' suddenly—
"Yoo~~~" A sharp screech echoed from afar.
"Whoosh!" The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast, which had been attacking madly, suddenly retreated sharply.
"Why did it stop?" Teng Qingshan looked at the beast with a smirk. "Very well, you wicked creature. If I can subdue you, I will. If not, I'll kill you outright!" Teng Qingshan held little affection for demon beasts that enjoyed eating humans. After all, Teng Qingshan was human!
The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast stared at Teng Qingshan but made no move to flee.
Suddenly, Teng Qingshan's expression changed, and he looked up toward the distant sky.
"Yoo~~" A piercing, high-pitched cry rolled down from the heavens.
"Demonic Beasts, 'Gale Divine Eagles'? And two of them?" Teng Qingshan saw the two massive divine eagles from far away; their wingspans stretched four to five Zhang wide. One divine eagle was entirely pitch black, while its crown was fiery red.
The other divine eagle was completely snow-white, its crown also fiery red.
Gale Divine Eagle: Fiercely aggressive, capable of spitting forth blazing flames. An adult Gale Divine Eagle has a cyan crown. Its strength is comparable to an Innate Void Core. When a Gale Divine Eagle finds a mate, the male and female will undergo a transformation; their crowns turn fiery red, and their strength becomes comparable to an Innate Golden Core! These two transformed Gale Divine Eagles remain inseparable; if one perishes, the other will seek vengeance and then commit suicide.
Teng Qingshan had often marveled at the legendary Gale Divine Eagles in the past.
Together, they could transform.
Yet, if one died, the other would not live alone. It was truly astonishing.
"It seems these two Gale Divine Eagles have some connection with this Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast?" Teng Qingshan was secretly startled. While keeping an eye on the two eagles flying down from high above, Teng Qingshan suddenly spotted a figure on the back of the white divine eagle.
Dressed in a purple fur coat, wearing a white fur hat, and with her face veiled by a silk scarf—judging by her figure, she must be a graceful woman!
"Could it be that she subdued both of these Gale Divine Eagles?" Teng Qingshan was greatly astonished.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two Gale Divine Eagles landed quickly. The woman in purple descended from the eagle and carefully observed Teng Qingshan, especially lingering her gaze on the silver Samsara Spear in his hand for a moment.
"Roar~~" The Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast let out a cry, looking toward the masked woman in purple.
"Roar, roar~~" The woman in purple also uttered two soft chirps, and the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast immediately quieted down obediently.
Teng Qingshan watched, even more inwardly shocked: "Heavens, three Innate Golden Core level demon beasts. She can control them? These are three Innate Golden Core demon beasts! Even at Green Lake Island or the Carefree Palace, there are usually only a few Innate Golden Core experts!"
If not for the severe injuries sustained in the Great Yan Mountain battle, Green Lake Island would indeed have seven Innate Golden Core experts. But as it stood, only four remained.
"Moreover, it seems she understands Beast Language, just like the Beast King 'Wu Hou.' Understanding Beast Language doesn't mean one can subdue a beast. Demon beasts possess human-like intelligence; they are not so easily controlled." Teng Qingshan felt a sense of caution regarding the woman before him.
Those three Innate Golden Core level demon beasts alone were not to be trifled with.
"H-hello!" A pleasant voice rang out, and as she spoke, the masked woman in purple lifted the scarf from her face.
When Teng Qingshan saw her features, his heart skipped a beat.