"Who is it?"
Scanning his surroundings, Hall Master Han raised his palms warily.
If he was still doubting whether Elder Hu and the others had eaten the Deerhorde Beast a moment ago, he was certain that it wasn't the case now.
But... who could it be? To be able to eat the meat of the Deerhorde Beast right before his eyes without being noticed?
Wasn't this a little too bizarre?
"Hall master, look!" Elder Hu pointed.
Lowering his gaze, Hall Master Han immediately noticed that something was amiss. Unknowingly, the golden Deerhorde Beast was crawling with a layer of faint yellow worms the size of ants. Wherever they went, the meat of the beast would vanish, leaving only bones behind.
Clearly, these worms had devoured the two legs of the Deerhorde Beast.
These worms were small in size, and their color was similar to that of roasted beast meat. If one didn't look carefully, it was impossible to notice them.
"What... are those things?"
Hall Master Han was taken aback.
Despite being a 4-star beast tamer, he had never seen them before.
"Hall master, could it be that..."
Suddenly recalling something, Elder Hu's body stiffened, and fear surfaced in his eyes.
"You mean..." Seeing the other party's expression, Hall Master Han was taken aback for a moment before realization dawned upon him.
"That's right. Otherwise, how could the Deerhorde Beast's meat be consumed so quickly..." Elder Hu swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
"If it's really that thing... we're in trouble!"
Suddenly recalling something, Hall Master Han hurriedly lifted his head to look at the screen of light. Unknowingly, the Demon Cinque Beast had opened its eyes, and they were glowing brightly.
Its massive lips suddenly curled up, as though it was sneering coldly.
...
"Zhang Shi, what is that?"
Upon seeing this bizarre sight, Hall Master Sai couldn't help but exclaim.
As the head of the Appraiser Hall, he possessed vast knowledge, but he had never heard of such a bizarre thing before.
The others also turned their gazes over.
Zhang Shi knew that something would happen, and that was why he brought them here. From the looks of it, this was what he should be worried about.
"It's the Soul Devouring Ants!"
Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression.
"Soul Devouring Ants?"
Everyone was perplexed.
They had never heard of such a thing before, needless to say, what it was.
However, upon hearing this name, Luo Zhu's body stiffened. Disbelief surfaced on his face, "Legend has it that this is the nemesis of soul oracles. It feeds on souls and spiritual energy..."
The Soul Devouring Ant could devour souls and spirit energy. It was extremely strange.
It was the nemesis of soul oracles.
Why would there be such a thing in the vicinity of a soul oracle's tomb?
Instead of answering his question, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Zhang Xuan and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the soul oracle tomb you spoke of should be beneath the lake, right?"
"How … how did you know?"
Luo Zhu was taken aback.
He had only said that the tomb of the soul oracles was in the vicinity, but he hadn't mentioned the exact location. How did the young man manage to see through it with a single glance?
Burial grounds were particular about Fengshui. Being buried under a deep pool was inauspicious in itself. Almost no one would do such a thing.
Therefore, if he were to tell others that there was a tomb underwater, he would definitely be laughed at for being ignorant.
Even though he had found the relevant records and knew the exact location, he still found it hard to believe.
It was precisely because of this that he was so confident that no one could discover him.
Yet … the young man before him was able to say that it was related to the Soul Devouring Ants?
"Soul Devouring Ants devour souls, making them the nemesis of soul oracles. However … they are afraid of water. If one wishes to hide from them, one's soul has to be buried underwater!"
Zhang Xuan.
Even though the books on soul oracles that Master Sai had collected didn't contain much useful information, he was still able to analyze some things after reading through them.
On top of that, the Soul Devouring Ant was a type of spirit beast, and it was recorded in the books of the Beast Tamer Guild. As soon as Zhang Xuan examined the ground with his Eye of Insight, he realized that something was amiss.
With a slight deduction, he was able to understand the situation.
The one who asked wasn't Luo Zhu but Zhao Feiwu. "Isn't it inauspicious for the dead and the living to be buried underwater?"
Upon hearing that the tomb was located beneath the lake, she was astonished as well.
She had noticed the lake as soon as she arrived. The waterfall was several hundred meters wide, and it was hard to tell how deep it was. Wasn't the person who built the tomb beneath the lake afraid of being corroded by the water all year round?
"Soul oracles have the ability to possess another body to reincarnate. Thus, in their eyes, death is just a temporary sleep. There is no such thing as geomancy. Regardless of whether it's in the water or anywhere else, it doesn't matter. "
Zhang Xuan explained.
"Oh!" Everyone came to a realization.
The reason why a tomb was built based on geomancy was so that one could change their fate after death. Soul oracles didn't think of themselves as dead, so it didn't matter where their tomb was located.
"That's not right!"
After a moment of hesitation, Luo Zhu suddenly recalled something and looked at Zhang Xuan once more. "Even though the soul oracle tomb is hidden beneath the lake, it's an underground palace. Even if the Soul Devouring Ants aren't able to enter the water, they should be able to enter the palace. Why …"
If the soul oracle tomb was in the water, it wouldn't have been possessed by the Soul Devouring Ants. Even though it had been sealed for innumerable years, the air was still dry, allowing one to breathe freely.
If even a human could enter, the Soul Devouring Ants should be able to as well! If so, how could the soul be preserved for so many years?
"If I'm not wrong, you were the one who provoked these Soul Devouring Ants!" Zhang Xuan said.
"Me?" Luo Zhu was taken aback.
Even though he had heard of these ants, he had never seen them before. How could he be the one who provoked them?
"The soul oracle tomb is well-sealed. For the past thousands of years, no one has entered, and the aura within has never leaked out. You brought a soul out with you, and the aura that leaked out … Thus, it attracted these fellows who specialize in eating souls. It's just that they haven't been here for long, so they haven't found the entrance yet. If we were to delay for another month, we might not be able to find the soul even if we were to enter again! "
Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression.
The Soul Devouring Ants were the nemesis of soul oracles. Soul oracles knew how to prevent the aura of their souls from leaking out.
However, Luo Zhu wasn't aware of this. If he wasn't mistaken, these Soul Devouring Ants should have just arrived here not too long ago. Otherwise, they would have already dived into the depths of the lake. It was impossible for them to remain here and be attracted by the aroma of the Deerhorde Beast.
"This …" Luo Zhu's face paled.
To think that he was the one who attracted these fearsome beings … Just the thought of it left him shuddering in fear.
"Even if the Soul Devouring Ants are fond of eating the flesh of the Deerhorde Beast, there's no need for us to hide so far away. Under normal circumstances, aren't they harmless to humans?
Recovering from his shock, Luo Zhu was perplexed once more.
The Soul Devouring Ants were the nemesis of soul oracles. However, they were completely helpless against humans. Even though they looked bizarre, they were only disgusting.
Why were they retreating several hundred meters away?
"They aren't harmful to us, but … don't forget that on top of devouring souls, they consume spiritual energy as well. And … the energy consumed by the formation is … spiritual energy!"
Zhang Xuan continued.
"Formation?"
Taken aback, everyone narrowed their eyes and hurriedly turned their gazes to the front.
…
"This is bad!"
Seeing the Demon Cinque Beast open its eyes, Hall Master Han also realized that something was amiss. His eyes narrowed and his body tensed up.
Even as a beast tamer, he was unable to detect the presence of the Soul Devouring Ants underground. However, the Demon Cinque Beast was different.
Spirit beasts were born sensitive to their surroundings. Not to mention, this was its nest, so how could it be unaware of the presence of the Soul Devouring Ants?
It seemed like the Demon Cinque Beast knew that the Soul Devouring Ants would be attracted by the Deerhorde Beast. That was why it didn't struggle or wreak havoc. Instead, it closed its eyes and waited patiently.
If the spiritual energy of the formation were to be devoured by the Soul Devouring Ants, it would be equivalent to a carriage losing its steed. Without a driving force, how could it continue operating?
Upon thinking of this, Hall Master Han hurriedly instructed, "Hurry up and reinforce the formation..."
Before he could finish his words, a furious roar sounded. The Demon Cinque Beast's trapped wings suddenly flapped violently.
Huala!
The spiritual shackles binding it seemed to have been bitten off by something, causing them to break apart. Following that, an extremely powerful aura burst forth from the spirit beast. It flapped its wings and flew out in a straight line.
Hu!
The formation was completely destroyed, and the mist before everyone disappeared. Following which, the massive silhouette of the Demon Cinque Beast appeared right before Elder Hu and the others.
Roar!
An infuriated roar.
Flapping its wings, a strong gust of wind blew.
"What?"
Before Elder Hu and the others could even retaliate, they were already struck by the Demon Cinque Beast and were sent flying. Fresh blood spurted from their mouths.
As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast, it was much stronger than humans of the same cultivation realm. On top of that, it had just been captured and forced to submit. The rage in its heart had accumulated, and it was currently in a frenzied state. How could they possibly withstand its might?
In just a single move, all of them were injured simultaneously.
"Damn it!"
Not expecting this fellow to be so ferocious, disregarding their three years of friendship, Hall Master Han's face turned livid. Raising his arm, a spear appeared in his hands.
Even though he was a beast tamer, his cultivation was extremely powerful as well. He had already reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. As soon as the spear appeared, it morphed into a long dragon that pierced straight toward the Demon Cinque Beast.
Facing the attack, the Demon Cinque Beast didn't even bother dodging.
Ding ding!
The incomparably sharp spear struck the chest of the Demon Cinque Beast, but it didn't even pierce through its skin, needless to say, hurt it.
"What a powerful defense..."
Zhang Xuan, Master Sai, and the others stared at one another with widened eyes.
They knew that this fellow possessed the Dragon Bloodline, granting it an invincible defense. Yet, Hall Master Han's full-powered strike didn't even leave a mark on it. This was truly shocking.
It was no wonder why the Demon Cinque Beast was so famous throughout the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance. The royal family had tried to hunt it down multiple times, but to no avail.
Roar!
Blocking the spear with its chest, the Demon Cinque Beast roared furiously. As though a furious storm, the roar reverberated through the air.
Hall Master Han was the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Even though he was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, he still felt his head spinning, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.
Hula!
After roaring, the Demon Cinque Beast flapped its massive wings.
Dust flew into the air, and a huge crack appeared on the ground. Hall Master Han hurriedly pulled his spear back to defend himself. However, how could he possibly withstand the might of the Demon Cinque Beast with his current strength? He felt his arms going numb, and as though a rubber ball, he was sent flying.
Pu!
In midair, fresh blood spurted from his mouth, and his face turned pale.
"Could it be that... the 2-star beast tamer knew that such a thing would happen?"
Hall Master Han felt so uncomfortable that he felt as though he was going to explode. However, for some reason, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
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