Chapter 71: Battle's Aftermath
Liu Erlong felt as though she had been reborn as she stepped out of the Sunset Forest. Her trial application had actually landed her a teaching position at Tianxing Academy a dream come true for many commoner spirit masters. The image of Ye Wen stayed vivid in her mind, etched with a sense of awe and respect.
In a way, it felt like a return to her youth, to that innocent age of eleven or twelve when her heart had first begun to flutter.
With a resolute shake of her head, she dispelled the dreamy haze. Ah Yin's gentle face appeared in her mind, grounding her. "Master Ye Wen no, I should call him 'Principal' now is a good man. It's a shame I wasn't the one to meet him first. But I have no right to disrupt their happiness. I'm already deeply grateful for his help; wishing for anything more would be selfish."
Thinking thus, she returned to her residence, packed up her things, and made her way to Tianxing Advanced Spirit Master Academy.
Meanwhile, Ye Wen and Ah Yin were still roaming the Sunset Forest, investigating hundreds of possible locations for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well but with no luck. Both were beginning to feel a bit fatigued, though the trip hadn't been a total waste; they had collected a good number of rare medicinal herbs along the way. Just as they were moving on to their next search site, a deafening crash sounded nearby, and a massive boulder came hurtling toward them.
The pair's relaxed expressions instantly grew serious, and they reflexively activated their spirit abilities.
"Fifth Spirit Skill: Void Barrier!"
"Fifth Spirit Skill: Blue Silver Tyrant Spear!"
A black spatial barrier manifested just as the boulder closed in, catching it midair. However, the sheer force behind the stone was immense. In barely a second, the Void Barrier shattered with a sharp crack. Though Ye Wen and Ah Yin hadn't rehearsed their synergy, Ah Yin stepped in seamlessly, unleashing her Blue Silver Tyrant Spear in a powerful thrust. With a resonant boom, her spear struck the boulder, shattering it into a spray of jagged rubble that scattered harmlessly across the forest floor some fifty meters away.
It was only then that they could take stock of their attacker. They were supposed to be in stealth mode midair, so who could have noticed them?
Around a kilometer away, two massive beasts were locked in a fierce struggle: one a blazing lion wreathed in flames, the other a hulking, muscle bound gorilla.
Ye Wen's expression turned grim as he recognized them. "A King Kong Gorilla over sixty thousand years old. And the other one it must be a spirit master's Martial Spirit True Body. Looks like we've stumbled into someone else's battlefield. Let's make ourselves scarce."
Without delay, Ye Wen guided their floating platform away from the clash. While they had managed to defeat the eighty thousand year old Drumsong Toad King, that had involved a lot of careful planning and an element of surprise. The King Kong Gorilla was on an entirely different level, closer to the supreme Titan Giant Ape among spirit beasts. This wasn't a battle worth risking.
Fortunately, neither combatant seemed aware of them, allowing Ye Wen and Ah Yin to make a swift exit without incident.
"Thank heavens," Ah Yin breathed, still visibly shaken. "I didn't expect a beast that strong here in Sunset Forest."
Ye Wen nodded in agreement. "That gorilla could rival an ordinary Titled Douluo. Its opponent, that flaming lion, doesn't seem to be a pushover either."
Based on his intelligence gathering, Ye Wen speculated that the lion was Chen Gang, also known as the Lion King, and likely the husband of the previous Nine Star Begonia. An eighty fifth ranked Spirit Douluo with formidable combat power, Chen Gang seemed slightly weaker than the gorilla, but he should still be able to escape. The King Kong Gorilla, though powerful, was not known for agility, giving Chen Gang a reasonable chance.
Reviewing what he had observed of their fight, Ye Wen deduced, "It seems Chen Gang was defending someone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to engage the King Kong Gorilla when he knew he was outmatched. He was likely buying time for someone to flee."
But this speculation didn't concern Ye Wen, who pushed the thought aside as he continued the search for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
As Ye Wen had surmised, Lion King Chen Gang managed to break free from the King Kong Gorilla after half an hour of skirmishing. "Damned beast! Why leave the depths of Sunset Forest just to come to the outskirts?"
He spat the words in frustration, his fine robe now torn and blood stained, revealing his muscular build. However, his physique bore several swollen purple bruises, a testament to the severity of his injuries.
"I have to find Yingying and Xiaoxi quickly. Even with Lier protecting them, the forest is too dangerous."
With no time to tend to his wounds, Chen Gang followed the traces left by his wife and their companions, hoping to reunite as quickly as possible.
Elsewhere, Ye Wen was becoming increasingly frustrated with their search. If life was a gamble, then finding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was proving to be a losing streak. In the original story, the Golden Iron Triangle stumbled upon it almost immediately. Here, despite spending weeks searching with Ah Yin's Blue Silver Grass to aid in locating it, he had yet to find the elusive landmark.
As night fell, they set up camp in a secluded spot. Ye Wen's spirit space provided ample supplies, so they didn't lack for essentials. Oddly, despite the impressive title of a Titled Douluo, no spirit master seemed able to practice total fasting, leading Ye Wen to suspect that Titled Douluos in this world were merely equivalent to some lower tier cultivators from classic martial arts novels.
Just as they sat down to a satisfying meal of hearty broth and warm flatbread, a peculiar rumbling sound echoed from the forest nearby. Ye Wen tensed, though he had already checked the area before setting up camp, ensuring it was free of spirit beasts. Clearly, someone or something had approached since then.
"Come out," Ye Wen called, his tone firm. "Otherwise, we'll have to act."
"Please don't! I I'm just an auxiliary spirit master who got separated from her group."
A soft voice stammered in response, tinged with both fear and embarrassment. Moments later, a petite, delicate looking girl emerged from the trees, glancing around nervously.
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