Blue-hued dessert,
blue colored sand, stretched for hundreds of miles in every direction, the emptiness of the surrounding was disturbed by two powerful forces fighting for a treasure.
"Screech!"
ear-piercing cry reverberated on top of a massive desert plateau, as the entire structure shook with every explosion.
A Four-Star Gold Rank demon beast, Blue Sand Armored Mantis, was locked in a fierce battle against a white-furred, ancient-looking Wind Dragon Blood Buffalo.
The latter was an invader that had appeared out of nowhere, trying to snatch the Blue Sand Armored Mantis's most protected treasure,
The Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus.
Woosh!
BOOM!
The wind dragon blood buffalo, Dodge as the Blue Sand armored mantis swung down its six-foot-long sickle.
Chen Zhenlong in his demon spirit form, let out a furious roar, unleashing a Wind Slash toward the Blue Sand Armored Mantis's exposed left side.
The attack struck directly at the Demon beast's unprotected joints, tearing it open.
Splash!
Sizzle!
Green, corrosive blood splattered across the battlefield, the ground beneath them sizzles from the its sheer acidity.
"Xiao Hui?!"
Chen Zhenlong's complexion turned pale. Watching the boy narrowly escaping the sudden rain of corrosive blood, instinctively calling for the boy, with his communication soul technique.
Xue Hui flashed him with an "okay" sign, before returning to his task of removing the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus from the demon beast's nest.
Hanging at Xue Hui's waist was the Demon Concealing Lamp, using its thin veil of smoke to hide his presence from the Blue Sand Armored Mantis's perception, allowing him to sneak closer to the nest and steal its treasured fungus unnoticed.
The fight had been going on for nearly a three minutes. The Blue Sand Armored Mantis's hardened carapace proved to be a serious challenge for Chen Zhenlong, despite his cultivation.
Fortunately for them, the mantis had not yet broken through to Black Gold Rank and shed its old shell for a far stronger carapace.
If that had been the case, Chen Zhenlong alone would not have been its match.
They also arrived at the perfect time, as the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus had shown the signs of ripening.
All they needed was for Chen Zhenlong to keep its attention focused on him, while Xue Hui snuck in to steal the treasure.
"I GOT IT!"
Before the Blue Sand Armored Mantis could turn toward the source of the voice, Chen Zhenlong unleashed a condensed whte wind blast from his maw.
Hitting the Blue Sand armored mantis right straight of its head.
Dazed from the attack, the Blue Sand Armored Mantis staggered, as it shook its head, struggling from a momentary loss of its sight.
Once the haziness disappeared, the blue sand armored mantis searched its surroundings, looking for signs of its enemy and its small companion.
They were gone, moreover, the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus, which the blue sand armored mantis had been guarding for twenty-five years was also stolen.
Rage surged from the depths of its core as the Blue Sand Armored Mantis released a heaven-shaking screech. Its grievance-filled howl echoed across the vast expanse of the Blue Hue Desert. With bloodshot eyes, the Blue Sand Armored Mantis beat its wings at a ridiculous speed, creating a sharp, ear-piercing sound with every flap of its wings followed by violent gusts of wind that tore across the plateau.
The massive mantis leapt from the desert plateau and shot into the sky, flying toward the direction where it believed the human and his companion had fled.
Abandoning its nest for the first time in many years.
Meanwhile,
On the hidden side of the desert plateau, a small face was protruding cautiously from the rock face surface, watching as the giant Blue Sand Armored Mantis disappeared into the horizon.
"It flew away. It will probably take a month or two before that demon beast returns from its search."
Pulling his head back inside the Sacred Jade Room, Xue Hui saw Chen Linlin, glass in hand, slowly but steadily approach her father, offering him a glass of water.
Thanking his daughter, Chen Zhenlong bottoms up the glass, a bit of water trailing down his jaw. "I can't believe how sturdy that giant mantis was. Even my head-on white Wind Blast attack didn't finish it off." he blurted out, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
This journey had proven to be an eye-opener for Chen Zhenlong.
As someone whose strength was only second to Lord Ye Mo, the only Legend Rank Demon Spiritualist expert in glory city.
He had always believed himself to be nearly unparalleled, unless he was facing a Legend Rank demon beast, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage against any demon beast in a one-on-one battle.
And yet, time and time again, in every encounter against demon beasts, even when the enemy was weaker by rank, Chen Zhenlong was forced to unleash his full strength just to defeat them.
Even the giant mantis they fought, hadn't died after taking his ultimate move head-on.
Letting out a defeated sigh, Chen Zhenlong's pride had suffered quite a hit, the feeling of uselessness was crawling on him.
From the beginning, Chen Zhenlong had done nothing but follow the Xue Hui's lead.
From the very beginning, it had been the boy who had been guiding them on this journey, obtaining treasures and refining pills to keep them safe.
The boy even fought an entire army of demon beasts by himself within Wu Zhen Yi's ruins. emerging victorious, with the very treasures they sought in hand.
Thanks to Xue Hui his daughter was free from the poison.
Through it all, Chen Zhenlong had mostly stood on the sidelines, watching and waiting while the boy did the heavy lifting.
""Forget it, Lord Patriarch," Xue Hui said, seeing through Chen Zhenlong's thoughts.
"That giant mantis has one of the highest defenses among all demon beasts." Xue Hui said, making Chen Zhenlong look at him "We're lucky it's only Gold Rank. If it were one rank higher, even a Legend Rank expert would struggle to fight it."
Whether they had defeated the blue sand armored mantis or not mattered little to Xue Hui.
the most important thing was that they had successfully stolen its treasure.
Taking out the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus, Xue Hui admired its glassy surface and almost heart-shaped form.
Gasping in wonder, Chen Linlin stepped closer to get a better look.
Raising her small finger, she cautiously poked the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus.
Her eyes shimmered in amazement when she realized that, despite resembling a delicate glass sculpture, it was as soft and tender as an ordinary plant.
"What is this for, anyway?" she asked curiously.
Earlier, after entering the Blue Hue Desert, Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong had decided to call it a day and look for a safe place to camp.
Taking out the Sacred Jade Room, Xue Hui activated its concealment ability and burrowed it deep inside a giant hill rock, completely hiding it from outside threats.
Mainly from the prying eyes of demon beasts that lurked at night.
After the three of them settled inside the Sacred Jade Room, Xue Hui as always, headed back outside.
Ever since they got their hands on the Sacred Jade Room, Xue Hui would go out alone to survey the surrounding area.
At first, Chen Linlin and her father were strongly against it. The outside world was far too dangerous for a casual stroll. But remembering that it was Xue Hui, the same person who had been guiding them safely, they both relented and allowed him to look around.
And he never returned empty-handed. Whether it was a rare plant, a mysterious stone, or even a remnant of a demon beast, he would bring it home with him, storing everything in his interspatial ring, with the excuse of possible uses in the future.
Chen Linlin had once burst into laughter when her father called Xue Hui a "treasure gremlin," since Xue Hui would always search for something valuable with every chance he had.
They were especially surprised when he told them he had climbed to the top of a desert plateau and found something extraordinary.
They had no idea how Xue Hui had managed to scale the towering desert plateau and return in such a short time.
But this time, the treasure that caught his interest was guarded by a Gold Rank demon beast. So he sought Chen Zhenlong's help to obtain it.
After extensive planning and a night of rest, the trio set out for their target's nest.
They climbed the desert plateau, searching for the perfect spot to burrow the Sacred Jade Room.
Once they had settled Chen Linlin inside and assured her that everything would be fine, Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong climbed to the top challenging the beast residing there.
The plan was simple, Chen Zhenlong would confront the Blue Sand Armored Mantis while Xue Hui would sneakily approach the nest, using the Demon Concealment Lamp, and steal its treasure.
the plan worked, and the treasure in their hands was the trophy.
Chen Linlin held the treasure in her small hands, careful not to drop it.
Beside her is Xue Hui, looking at the crystal like treasure "This is called the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus. Using this as the primary ingredient, I can concoct a pill that will help Lord Patriarch to breakthrough to Legend Rank."
Hearing those words, Chen Zhenlong, who had been wallowing in self-deprecating thoughts, suddenly shot up from his seat. His face, usually stern and composed, twisted into an expression neither of the children had ever seen before, his eyes bulging, jaw dropping, while his hair stood in shock.
The profound meaning behind Xue Hui's words struck him like thunder.
If he could breakthrough to Legend Rank, it would mean undergoing a fate-changing transformation.
Stepping into Legend Rank would not only mean that his strength would rise by the entire realm.
It would also mean that he could step onto a path capable of drastically altering the outcome of the catastrophic event destined to befall Glory City in the future.
Given all that, no one could truly blame Chen Zhenlong for losing his composure after hearing Xue Hui's words.
"I–Is that really possible, Xiao Hui?" Chen Zhenlong asked, his tone trembling.
Ignoring Chen Zhenlong's current appearance, Xue Hui nodded without any trace of doubt in his words "Yup! I'll just need to seclude myself. This kind of Heaven-Defying Pill requires my full concentration to refine."
After saying those words, Xue Hui excused himself and headed to a vacant room inside the Sacred Jade Room, leaving Chen Linlin and Chen Zhenlong by themselves.
Since they could not watch him concoct the pill, as the boy had asked for privacy, both father and daughter decided they might as well get some rest for the night.
But it was easier said than done at least to Chen Zhenlong, his heart simply refused to calm after everything that had happened.
Xue Hui's words kept echoing in his mind.
Him? a Legend Rank Demon Spiritualist? It sounded impossible.
Chen Zhenlong let out a quiet sigh. Overthinking about it wouldn't do him any good, Pushing those thoughts aside, he closes his eyes and forces himself to sleep.
Three days passed, and Xue Hui remained in seclusion.
Chen Zhenlong used the free time to cultivate. It had been a long time since he'd had the chance to properly consolidate his cultivation.
Like her father, Chen Linlin also made use of her free time. She moved around the Sacred Jade Room, enjoying the bigger space.
Although her Fuzhuang Box was layered with enchantments that prevented her from feeling discomfort while she was lying inside, she still preferred a wide, open space where she could move around freely.
She even learned how to make a simple meal. It wasn't nearly as delicious as Xue Hui's cooking, but she was still happy that she could now make something on her own.
Click.
Woosh!
Like a sudden breeze, the entire room was filled with a rich, earthy, leafy aroma, laced with a faint aura of lightning.
The small open gap where the source came from, opened widely flooding the room with a rich medicinal aura.
Xue Hui stepped out, looking exhausted, but the satisfied smirk resting on his face was enough evidence of the outcome of his pill refining.
"I've done it."
Within his small hand was a small bottle containing a single yellowish, almost translucent pill. It's emitting a faint golden glow.
"Realm Breaker Soul Ascendant Pill."
Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin eyed the pill in awe, their eyes filled with anticipation. Though none of them spoke, both were thinking the same question in their minds.
Could that pill truly help someone break through to the Legend Rank?
End of Chapter 22.