Chapter 125: A Dire Situation

"Uncle-Master, Senior Sister, let's go!" By now, even Ji Jiuxuan could sense that something was unusual in the ancient forest. The atmosphere was incredibly oppressive, and she felt a deep sense of danger.

Nie Xingyuan perceived the situation and flew off into the distance, carrying Ji Jiuxuan once more. This time, their speed was even faster. Before leaving, he still managed to cast a talisman over the corpse of the Xuantian Spirit Ape to erase their tracks.

The entire ancient forest was no longer quiet; beast cries echoed from everywhere, filled with panic as if something powerful and terrifying was threatening them.

"Ah Jiu, shall we continue?" Nie Xingyuan asked, his expression grave as he sensed the surrounding environment. "There are only two more Xuantian Spirit Apes left in the entire forest, but the level of danger has increased significantly."

The stampeding herd of spirit beasts was currently still some distance away, but time was running out for Ah Jiu. The herd was moving at an astonishing speed.

Looking down, Ji Jiuxuan nodded without hesitation. "Let's continue, Uncle-Master. I'm ready."

Nie Xingyuan nodded and, without wasting any time, used his spiritual energy to carry Ji Jiuxuan as they flew downward.

This particular Xuantian Spirit Ape seemed to have even keener senses; it spotted Ji Jiuxuan the moment she touched the ground. Its eyes were blood-red, burning with absolute, murderous intent. Before Ji Jiuxuan could even fully land, the Xuantian Spirit Ape lunged at her with rapid speed.

She wrapped her sword in fiery red spiritual energy, barely managing to parry the beast's attack. Her Yin-Yang Fish sword technique moved fluidly, and a Yin-Yang Taiji diagram even manifested behind her. At that moment, spiritual energy surged toward her wildly. Her sharp and swift sword techniques made the Xuantian Spirit Ape, which usually relied on pure strength, struggle to keep up.

"Junior Sister, the beast tide is almost here!" Meng Jiao watched anxiously from nearby, wishing she could simply step in and finish off the ape with a single strike.

Hearing her Senior Sister’s warning, Ji Jiuxuan quickened the pace of her sword, occasionally using the hidden weapon mechanism in her sleeve to strike at the beast. This device had been a gift from her Uncle-Master; it was her first time using it, and she had never expected it to be so powerful.

Within a few moments, the Xuantian Spirit Ape fell dead to the ground. Ji Jiuxuan quickly extracted the spirit core and dashed toward her Uncle-Master.

The beast tide arrived at that very moment. With their frantic speed, one beast following another, they ignored everything in their path; if there had been a cliff ahead, they would likely have tumbled over it in a mass pile-up. Unlike ordinary animals, spirit beasts of different ranks possess varying levels of intelligence, but since they were currently surging with spiritual energy, they would not stop until the pressure forcing them to flee dissipated.

With the aid of that spiritual energy, the entire tide became incredibly dangerous. Just as Ji Jiuxuan thought it was too late and prepared to use a defensive array disk to hide, Nie Xingyuan’s spiritual energy arrived in an instant.

As she landed on his sword, enveloped in his protective energy, Ji Jiuxuan finally let out a sigh of relief. Looking at the mass of spirit beasts on the ground and in the sky, she patted her chest, still shaken. If it weren't for the ones in the sky, she could have simply escaped on a small skiff. But the situation didn't allow for it; she had nearly become a meat patty.

"There is one more. Judging by the situation, it will be even more difficult." The entire flying sword was shrouded in a protective barrier. The beast tide was now rushing toward the location of the final ape, and the threat of that strange presence grew more intense in that direction. Nie Xingyuan’s expression grew even sterner.

Knowing what her Uncle-Master meant, Ji Jiuxuan understood the level of danger. She looked toward him and her Senior Sister, feeling hesitant. Without her Uncle-Master leading the way, she felt she could already guess where the last one was. That terrifying aura was completely unconcealed, just a short distance away.

Only now did Ji Jiuxuan realize that the positions of the five Xuantian Spirit Apes formed a Five-Elements formation. If supplemented by other elements, this formation would be a lethal trap.

"System, if I don't take the final spirit core, will the effect be the same?" She remembered the system saying that taking the cores would allow Senior Sister Zhaoxi to investigate; surely it wouldn't matter if they didn't collect all of them?

"This isn't a Five-Elements Killing Formation, but a Kui-Extermination Five-Fold Array. You should be well aware of the nature of this formation," the system replied, forced to reveal its trump card since its host was considering giving up again.

Ji Jiuxuan carefully recalled the four locations she had seen, plus the fifth orientation. If the four spots were correct, then the only difference was the fifth. The Kui-Extermination Five-Fold Array meant that even if the puppets within the formation died, it would not affect the formation's function. Unlike the Five-Elements Killing Formation, the formation eye was different.

She frowned as she looked toward the fifth position. If it truly was the Kui-Extermination Five-Fold Array, they would have no way to leave this place unless they destroyed the entire formation.

"Master, are we still going?" Meng Jiao now sensed the unusual nature of the fifth aura as well. She wasn't afraid of danger, but she was worried about the safety of her Junior Sister.

Nie Xingyuan looked at Ji Jiuxuan. "Ah Jiu, do you dare?"

He did not make the decision for her. Ah Jiu was growing up, and there were some things she had to decide for herself.

Ji Jiuxuan nodded without hesitation. "Uncle-Master, let's go. I think I can do it."

She still had the Tianji Chengying technique. After the modifications from last time, even though it was now daytime, its effectiveness was not greatly hindered. This technique had yet to be revealed to the world, and combined with her talisman array skills, she should be safe—or at least, she wouldn't become a burden to her Uncle-Master and Senior Sister.

The image of the Spirit Hurricane Eagle couldn't help but cross her mind. If it had hatched and could already carry her into the sky, she would have an extra combat force. She would have to visit the Spirit Beast Garden to consult Uncle-Master He when she returned.

Since Ji Jiuxuan had made her decision, Nie Xingyuan did not object. He said to Meng Jiao, "Take care of yourself."

The situation was dire. Based on his surroundings, he even feared that he had underestimated the level of danger. He understood formations, and from the layout, he already sensed something was wrong.

The three of them moved toward the fifth location with solemn expressions. Upon arrival, they saw the Xuantian Spirit Ape from afar, but behind it stood a row of stone giants. Looking out into the distance, more stone giants were climbing up from the cliffs, marching toward their position.

The sight was overwhelming, like an army of thousands. Earth Beasts! So many spirit beasts born from such natural conditions! These were the most difficult to deal with; although they were spirit beasts, their true level was impossible to estimate—a very mysterious type of creature. The only way to know their true cultivation was to judge by the color of their spiritual energy when they attacked. But typically, Earth Beasts did not conflict with humans. Why were there so many here this time?

"Uncle-Master, these Earth Beasts seem to be protecting the Xuantian Spirit Ape," Ji Jiuxuan said, her mind racing to find a way to break the deadlock. Facing these Earth Beasts, even her Uncle-Master would likely find it extremely difficult.