novelODS Chapter 63 The Edge of the Sky, The Battle Against Chiqiong
Chapter 63 The Edge of the Sky, The Battle Against Chiqiong
In a remote corner of the sea, far from Liuzhou city.
On a vast ocean, a solitary island floats.
The island is surrounded by the sea, the water is as black as ink, and the waves are turbulent.
The sea is teeming with enormous, strange creatures: sawtooth sharks.
These saw-tooth sharks are covered in hard scales, have mouths full of sharp serrations, and fierce eyes.
They darted back and forth in the seawater, emitting low growls.
The surging sharks have become a natural barrier for this island.
Anyone who tries to approach the island will be torn to pieces by these saw-toothed sharks.
On the island stands a magnificent and luxurious city.
The city is surrounded by high walls, which are made of black boulders and are dozens of feet high.
The walls were covered with defensive formations, emitting a faint spiritual light.
Within the city walls, pavilions and towers are scattered in a well-organized manner, with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent in gold and green, forming a stark contrast with the desolate sea surrounding it.
This is one of the two major branch altars of the Xuanwu Beast Taming Sect—the Edge of Heaven!
Inside the main hall of the Tianzhiya branch altar, the atmosphere was oppressive and eerie.
In the very center of the main hall, there was a huge chair.
This chair is not made of wood or jade, but rather pieced together from the skeleton of a massive beast.
The skeleton had a faint grayish-white hue, and there was still a lingering murderous aura on it. On the chair, a snow-white animal hide was laid out, which looked both luxurious and eerie.
A man wearing golden soft armor sat listlessly on a giant chair made from the skeleton of a colossal beast.
He was tall and imposing, with a sinister face and slightly narrowed triangular eyes that held a hint of impatience and indifference. He exuded a faint aura of power that sent chills down people's spines.
This person is named Hai Qiu.
After the disappearance of the Sect Master of the Reverse Sea Sect, he seized the opportunity to take control of the Tianzhiya branch, becoming one of the branch leaders, wielding great power and harboring great ambitions.
Below the sea prisoner, there was an enormous dining table.
The dining table is made from a single piece of black jade, as smooth as a mirror.
On the dining table were several large bowls of raw, bloody meat.
The raw meat was still steaming and emitting a strong smell of blood, clearly indicating that it had been slaughtered recently.
The meat was tender, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
On either side of the dining table stood a group of starving refugees.
These refugees were ragged, covered in dust and grime, with sallow complexions, emaciated, vacant eyes, cracked lips, and a foul stench emanating from them.
Their eyes were fixed on the raw meat on the table, their mouths watering uncontrollably, their faces filled with longing, they were practically staring longingly.
These refugees are people displaced by war.
They fled all the way, starving and desperate, before being brought here by the people of the sea prison.
They knew the raw meat before them might not be anything special, but the torment of hunger had driven them to madness; all they wanted was to eat something and survive.
However, due to the imposing presence of the sea prisoner, they dared not make the slightest move.
They could only stand there, staring intently at the raw meat on the table, enduring the torment of hunger.
Near the long table, a blond man stood with his arms crossed, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
His eyes were filled with indifference and disdain, as if he were watching an interesting drama.
This person is named Yan Xiao. He is a capable henchman of the Sea Prisoner. He is powerful and has a cruel personality.
The Commander-in-Chief yawned, a lazy look on his face, and said indifferently, "Let's begin."
Yan Xiao nodded, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers lightly.
A crisp "snap" sounded, as if it were a signal.
The refugees on both sides of the table seemed to have been lit up instantly; their previously empty eyes were filled with madness.
They howled and pounced on the raw meat on the table like a pack of mad dogs.
"Bang bang bang—"
"Click—"
"ah--"
The sounds of fists and feet striking, bones breaking, and agonizing screams instantly filled the hall.
The amount of raw meat was limited and not enough for so many refugees to share. In order to get a bite of raw meat, the refugees tore at each other and beat each other.
A thin man managed to snatch a small piece of raw meat.
Before he could even put it in his mouth, a tall refugee next to him pushed him to the ground.
The tall refugee pounced on him, pinning him down and tearing at the raw flesh in his hands with both hands, even resorting to punching and kicking him.
The thin man let out a piercing scream, but he was powerless to resist and was quickly beaten to death.
The body was carelessly left aside, and blood stained the ground.
Yan Xiao watched these beasts, who were comparable to livestock, with great interest, as if he were watching a drama.
Soon, many refugees managed to get their hands on raw meat.
They wolfed down their food, completely unaware that danger was lurking beneath the surface.
The first few refugees who ate the raw meat suddenly turned black and purple.
They gripped their necks tightly with both hands, making a "hoarse" sound from their throats.
It felt as if something was blocking my breathing, and it became increasingly difficult to breathe.
Immediately afterwards, the skin on their backs began to crack inch by inch, black blood seeping out from the cracks, accompanied by a "crack" sound of bones breaking.
Four jet-black wings slowly grew from their backs!
Its wings were covered with fine scales that shimmered with an eerie luster.
Their bodies were also rapidly changing; their limbs became thicker, their nails became sharp as claws, their faces became distorted, their eyes turned bloodshot, and they exuded a faint demonic aura, making them look no different from wild beasts.
Before long, they had transformed into deformed, strange beasts.
The refugees, who had not yet eaten raw meat, were terrified when they saw this scene!
They never imagined that the raw meat in front of them was actually a poison that could turn people into monsters!
One of them was deathly pale, trembling all over. He no longer cared about his hunger and retreated repeatedly, trying to escape the terrifying hall.
Yan Xiao snapped his fingers again, and a blazing flame instantly appeared out of thin air, sweeping towards the refugees who were trying to escape!
Wherever the flames passed, the air became scorching hot!
The refugees let out heart-wrenching screams as their bodies were rapidly burned by the flames, quickly turning into a pile of ashes that dissipated into the air without leaving a trace!
"Anyone who dares to leave without permission will be killed without mercy!"
Yan Xiao shouted sharply, his voice icy cold and filled with killing intent, echoing throughout the entire hall.
"Come back here, all of you, and finish all the raw meat on the table, or this will be your fate!"
Under such pressure, these starving refugees gave up resisting. One by one, they walked to the dining table, picked up the raw meat, closed their eyes, and wolfed it down.
The moment they ate the raw meat, another strange event occurred.
Some of the refugees grew fangs.
Some of them grew scales.
Some of their limbs have turned into animal claws.
Each person's transformation is different, yet they all become hideous!
The refugees, transformed into monstrous creatures, pounced on their fellow humans, tearing and killing each other.
Inside the main hall, screams, roars, the sound of bones breaking, and the splattering of blood and flesh mingled together.
Blood stained the black jade dining table and the ground, and the stench of blood in the air grew stronger and stronger, making people nauseous.
The scene was horrific.
The territorial prisoner sat on the giant chair, watching the scene before him expressionlessly.
His eyes remained completely expressionless.
For him, this was just a simple trial.
A trial to select the exotic beasts.
Only those powerful beasts that survive the mutation can be chosen by him to become his servants and be used by him.
"Let the one who's still alive join us in the fight against Chiqiong," Hai Qiu said calmly.
"Yes!" Yan Xiao replied, accepting the order.
"How is that kid?" Hai Qiu asked again.
"After his injury healed, he became stronger and stronger."
"Hehe, since that's the case, let him join the fight against Chiqiong. I want to know who will survive."
"yes!"
The main gate of Tianzhiya was wide open, and a small group of people set off, dragging a huge coffin.
This journey is to subdue the strange beast, "Chiqiong".
The woman at the head of the group had a frosty expression; her name was Ao Han.
The carriage left Tianzhiya, and the team traveled day and night for three days and three nights before finally arriving at Chiqiong's location—Black Wind Forest.
Black Wind Forest is perpetually swept by howling winds, with towering trees that block out the sun, making it impossible for sunlight to penetrate the gaps in the leaves.
Therefore, the entire forest was shrouded in darkness, and a strong stench of decay often filled the air, sending chills down one's spine.
Ao Han stepped off the carriage first. She frowned slightly, squatted down, and stretched out her slender fingers to gently touch a huge pit in the ground. Then she brought it to her nose and sniffed it gently, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes.
"Everyone, stay vigilant. We lack intelligence on Chiqiong, so we must be extremely careful."
"In this world, all demons have received the blessings of the Demon God. Once the Demon God descends, if any demon dares to disobey the Demon God's orders, the blessings within their bodies will be immediately taken back by the Demon God, resulting in instant death."
However, [mythical beasts] are different from [demons].
These strange beasts are ownerless creatures, not controlled by the demon god, nor have they received any favors from him.
They are ownerless and survive entirely by their own talents and instincts, which is one of the reasons why the Beast Taming Sect can control exotic beasts and utilize their power.
"This pit has the smell of the Red Qiong, and the smell is very strong. It was obviously left here not long ago."
Ao Han raised his head and looked into the deep forest in front of him.
"In other words, the Red Qiong's lair is located within this Black Wind Forest!"
After saying that, Ao Han took the lead and walked into the depths of the Black Wind Forest.
The team members followed closely behind her, carefully keeping up.
The roadside is lined with ancient trees that are thousands of years old, with huge trunks so thick that it takes more than a dozen people holding hands to hug them.
The ancient tree was covered with caves of all sizes, dark and deep, and no one knew what dangers were hidden inside.
Perhaps in some cave, there is a giant python or other strange beast resting, ready to launch an attack at any moment.
"This is it." Ao Han's voice was deep and serious. "Chi Qiong is in the cave of this ancient tree. Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Before me stood an ancient tree, as large as a mountain, covered with countless caves.
Ao Han could clearly smell the scent emanating from Chi Qiong.
"Let's do it."
At Ao Han's command, a young man behind her stepped forward.
The young man, named Zuo Er, was Ao Han's capable assistant, and the beast he rode was called the Ear Monkey.
The eared monkey is small in size and has a keen sense of hearing. Its greatest skill is turning music into power, which can both confuse enemies and launch attacks with considerable force.
The second person from the left took out a bone flute made from the remains of a monkey.
The bone flute is pure white, with intricate patterns engraved on it, and exudes a faint spiritual aura.
He placed the bone flute to his lips, his fingers deftly pressing the holes, and a strange and somber melody quietly began to play.
The piece had no melody, yet it carried a powerful force that spread throughout the entire mountain forest, echoing endlessly in the vast Black Wind Forest for a long time.
Ao Han said seriously, "Be careful, Chi Qiong is about to appear!"
Before he could finish speaking...
The horses ridden by the team members suddenly became restless, pawing the ground and neighing, as if they sensed a deadly threat.
Immediately afterwards, "Boom!"
With a series of loud bangs, the ground beneath Ao Han's feet suddenly began to tremble violently, the earth shook, and the branches and leaves of the ancient trees fell one after another.
A deafening roar echoed from within the cave.
The roar was filled with ferocity and anger, as if it could shake the entire Black Wind Forest to its core.
A huge figure suddenly burst out from a huge hole in the ancient tree, kicking up dust and scattering rocks everywhere!
The figure was entirely black, resembling a giant lizard, and over ten zhang long. Its body was covered with hard scales, which were covered with dark red patterns.
Its head was enormous, its eyes were blood-red, its mouth was open, revealing a dense array of sharp fangs, and thick saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth.
It has strong, powerful limbs, sharp claws like knives, and a long tail trailing behind it.
With a flick of its tail, it easily snapped a thick tree in half.
It was the strange beast—Chiqiong—that was attracted by the music!
As soon as Chi Qiong appeared, he pounced on the team members.
The enormous claw carried a powerful gust of wind, as if it would tear everyone apart instantly.
Ao Han's eyes narrowed, and he dodged Chi Qiong's attack in a flash.
The second person from the left continued playing the bone flute, and the eerie melody began again.
Chi Qiong's movements slowed down, clearly because he was captivated by the music.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the squad members launched an attack, their weapons whistling through the air as they slashed at Chi Qiong.
However, Chiqiong's scales are exceptionally hard.
When the weapon struck it, it only made a crisp "clanging" sound and left shallow marks, but it couldn't hurt it at all!
"Scatter, all of you!" Ao Han ordered.
Everyone quickly evacuated, leaving only the huge coffin placed in front of Chi Qiong.
Chi Qiong easily crushed it with a single claw.
The coffin shattered, revealing not a dead person or a strange beast inside, but a white-haired boy!
"Night Rain, if you don't want to die at the hands of Chi Qiong, try to subdue it!" Ao Han shouted.
The white-haired boy raised his head, his eyes icy: "It's you? Where's my sister?"
"The chief has ordered that unless you successfully control Chiqiong, you will never see your sister again!"
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