Outside Jiao’s Forest.
Qin Fengqing was truly running out of energy. Running wildly for hundreds of li, getting hunted by countless middle-ranked monsters. A life like this was beyond miserable.
“Fang... Fang Ping, nothing good comes out of... completing missions with you.”
At this moment, Fang Ping’s face was equally pale, and it was getting paler by the minute!
“You will realize that it will get worse!”
Fang Ping was in despair and a state of hopelessness. He asked, “Can’t you sense anything?”
“What?”
“The monsters have stopped!”
Fang Ping roared furiously. ‘F*cker, how wise can you get!
‘Didn’t you realize?
‘We’re dead meat!
‘No, you’re dead meat!’
Fang Ping had decided that Qin Fengqing was a breakfast he had prepared for Jiao... No, there were so many monsters behind him. He was sending Jiao a big breakfast this time.
If Qin Fengqing was lucky, perhaps he could be like him—become Jiao’s chef.
Qin Fengqing had run so hard that his brain was losing oxygen. For a moment, he could not react in time. After turning his head back to take a look, he was wild with joy instead. “They’re not chasing anymore!”
Whereas Fang Ping’s complexion was pale as a ghost, running like a bat out of hell, he growled, “Idiot, Jiao has come out!”
“Holy sh*t!”
Qin Fengqing was instantly awake!
High-ranked being!
It made sense. Otherwise, these middle-ranked beings would not stop in their tracks.
Roar!
A loud roar filled the air. Fang Ping’s face was completely drained of color; Qin Fengqing’s face froze as well.
“I’m so unlucky!”
Fang Ping was the biggest misfortune in his life!
He was used to frequenting the Catacombs like it was his backyard. When he came in with Wang Jinyang last time, the one who sustained critical injuries was Wang Jinyang. He had not encountered any major problems himself.
What about now?
Right now, he was really finished!
“Fang... Fang Ping... should we continue running?”
Both of them had already sensed an intense aura coming their way. One after another, the monsters behind them were pressed down and prostrated to the ground.
Some middle-ranked monsters were prepared to make an escape but were squashed into minced meat.
Fang Ping and Qin Fengqing were not suppressed by Mentality, yet they had also felt the invisible pressure.
Should they run?
If they run now, would they anger Jiao?
In the darkness, Jiao sauntered toward them, the golden armor looked resplendent in the dark.
Qin Fengqing’s legs were jelly. He was slowly coming to a stop because he had sensed the stare and pressure coming from the void.
Fang Ping, who was escaping without a sound, was slowly coming to a halt as well.
“Jiao...”
Qin Fengqing twisted his stiffened neck, responding drily, “Both of us... is this the end?”
They were facing a high-ranked being, it would be strange if they made it out alive.
If they ran, they would never outrun it, period.
Fang Ping wore a solemn expression. In a hushed tone, he said, “Don’t speak. Also, if you live through this, every one of the gains will be mine!”
“I’m about to die now. How are you still concerned about this...”
Qin Fengqing was wailing. Things had already come to this point, yet this was what was on your mind?
This Jiao seemed like it was not merely a Rank-7!
It was not that they had not met a Rank-7 powerhouse before, but the pressure exerted was diametrically different.
Fang Ping felt it too. He had also noticed Jiao’s changes. It had gotten bigger; its armor shinier!
“At least Rank-8!”
Fang Ping deduced. Sure enough, the Jiao had indeed evolved since last time.
Without wasting any more time talking to Qin Fengqing, Fang Ping cried out immediately when he saw Jiao approaching. “King Jiao, this time I’ve traveled much further, bringing you plenty of food. Bon appetit!”
Having said that, Fang Ping pointed hurriedly toward the hundreds of middle-ranked monsters beside him.
‘So many of them. When you’re full, you won’t be thinking of me anymore, right?’
A hint of suspicion flashed across Jiao’s enormous eyes. Fang Ping cried out quickly, “So many. Also, I’ll bring you hundreds more next time. You can fill your tummy for many days...”
Beside him, Qin Fengqing was dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Fang Ping paid no attention to him. Thinking about it, he turned his head and stared at Qin Fengqing, shouting, “Where are the energy stones?”
“Wha?”
“Take it out, quickly. Don’t give me so much bullsh*t if you want to live!”
Although Qin Fengqing did not have the slightest clue what was going on, he could only listen to Fang Ping right now. He was afraid of dying too.
From his waist pack, he took out some energy stones reluctantly...
Fang Ping snatched them away and tossed them to Jiao whilst grinning.
Jiao swallowed them in a gulp. Fang Ping saw what happened, turning his head again, he ordered, “Hand over some herbs!”
“Oh... What about you...”
“Quickly!”
Qin Fengqing was helpless. ‘You have your own f*cking stuff, why do you keep taking mine.’
Again, beggars can’t be choosers.
He fished out some herbs. Fang Ping took them from him, raised them up, and smiled. “King Jiao, do you eat this?”
It was obvious that Jiao could not speak. However, it darted a look at the herbs, looking uninterested. Instead, it turned his attention to Fang Ping, its expression exhilarated.
Fang Ping cursed in his heart. ‘Motherf*cker. There are hundreds of monsters beside you, so why are you staring at me!’
Nevertheless, Fang Ping clearly understood what Jiao wanted at this moment. Condensing a streak of Vitality in his hands, without needing Jiao to swallow it this time, Fang Ping tossed it over directly.
Jiao gulped it down. With a satisfied look, it continued staring holes at Fang Ping.
Fang Ping was helpless. He condensed another streak of Vitality, casting it over.
Jiao swallowed it again.
Watching this, Qin Fengqing was stupefied!
What was going on?
How was this possible!
Did this mean that... next time he encountered a high-ranked being, he could also cheat death this way?
Qin Fengqing’s eyes were darting wildly. Fang Ping did not see this as his back was facing Qin Fengqing.
If he had seen it, Fang Ping would tell him—rest in peace!
If it was not because he, Fang Ping, could replenish Vitality ceaselessly, he would have been swallowed alive by Jiao last time. How could he have survived up until now?
After feeding repeatedly for about seven to eight times, Fang Ping grew anxious.
‘Motherf*cker. How much are you going to eat?’
Jiao was truly famished.
Recently, it had been expanding Jiao’s Forest continuously. Its energy consumption was intense.
As for why it did not munch on the monsters... Was it not obvious? With a chef around, who would prepare their own meal?
Fang Ping’s spoonfeeding pure Vitality directly into its mouth was much more pleasant than devouring them forcibly on its own.
When he entered the Catacombs, Fang Ping’s Wealth was sitting at 85 million.
Less than a day after entering the Catacombs, though, Fang Ping’s Wealth consumption right now was jaw-dropping.
Before this, he had consumed about a million from fighting the Rank-5 martial artist. After that, he consumed more than two million from running wildly across the land. Right now, he had consumed nearly a million from feeding Jiao. Moreover, it was still being consumed at a rate that was visible to the naked eye.
80 million, 79 million...
When it dropped to about 75 million, Jiao finally looked like it was satiated, closing its mouth happily.
How pleasant!
Jiao did not speak, but from its eyes and body language, Fang Ping perceived its thoughts.
Qin Fengqing felt much more relieved now. In a hushed tone, he asked, “Can we leave now?”
Fang Ping rolled his eyes at him. ‘You will die sooner or later. Leave? Where can you go!’
Motherf*cker. Coming here this time, he had intentionally taken a detour, going around Jiao’s Forest, yet this fellow still brought him here... Fang Ping had already forgotten. He was actually the one who had run here himself.
Along the way, Qin Fengqing had actually taken plenty of pills as well. Right now, his Vitality was gradually replenishing.
Seeing this, Fang Ping took a look at Jiao, whispering, “Maybe it allows me to leave, but wants you to stay. Qin Fengqing, why don’t you try staying back? It might be fine for me to leave...”
Qin Fengqing’s face had turned green.
“I’ll go to Hope City, what’s that called. Feed it some Vitality Force will do. It’s really easy to negotiate with King Jiao...”
Through gritted teeth, Qin Fengqing said, “I’m leaving.”
“Why don’t you try leaving?”
Fang Ping scoffed, speaking with contempt, “I’ve satiated King Jiao’s hunger, that’s why it’s not eating you. If you leave now, it’ll gobble you up instantly!”
“Then... then we’ll only be spending without being able to do anything about it?”
“Yes. Wait. When it’s hungry, I’ll feed it again... We’ll feed until we run out of Vitality before finally getting swallowed whole.”
Fang Ping put on a bitter expression. He tried shifting his feet earlier. As a result, Jiao’s enormous eyes instantly glared at him, making him slightly afraid.
Last time, he left and never returned. Since then, three months had passed.
Three months. He had not returned for so long. If Jiao had wisdom, it would have guessed that he had escaped.
“What should I do?”
Fang Ping weighed his options in his heart. It might be quite impossible to get away this time.
“Will our Rank-9 powerhouses come here?” Fang Ping asked in a whisper.
Qin Fengqing looked completely dejected. He replied in a low voice, “Who would come here with nothing better to do? To pick a fight?”
“Then... then we’re really finished.”
Right now, over here at Jiao’s, the items that Fang Ping carried that had him hunted earlier were not converted into Wealth yet.
That was all the Wealth he had. At most, he could sustain himself for three to five days before he would be swallowed alive.
Jiao’s appetite was getting bigger.
Last time, he did not need to be fed that much. Right now, he had actually fed it six to seven million Wealth. How long had it been? It had consumed six to seven thousand cal of Vitality now.
It would be horrifying if it needed three meals a day.
While Fang Ping was panicking inside, Jiao suddenly turned its head sideways and stared into the distance.
It was at this moment that the sky lit up!
In an instant, night turned into day.
As soon as it happened, Fang Ping and Qin Fengqing could see much clearer. In the distance, there seemed to be a human shadow in the sky!
No, someone was really there.
In the next moment, both of them sensed intense energy waves.
Maybe Jiao had sapped its aura, maybe the other party was too exasperated that he did not care for these things. At this moment, the energy waves that were released seemed to be somewhat unrestrained.
“A Grandmaster?”
Fang Ping was uncertain. Qin Fengqing frowned. “Doesn’t look like it... Catacombs high rank?”
The aura between Grandmasters and high ranks were really difficult to differentiate.
They were all high-ranked powerhouses. Grandmaster was only an honorific given by humans.
In the Catacombs, however, human powerhouses would not show off excessively.
To release sheer unrestrained Vitality like this, unless during a great war, human powerhouses still kept a really low profile.
Jiao looked like it was distinguishing something. Then, a hint of rage seemed to flash through Jiao’s eyes.
It had wisdom!
Other than recognizing Fang Ping’s aura, it also recognized the intruder’s aura.
In those days when it was still a Rank-7, a war broke out between Sky Gate City and Hope City. Sky Gate City thought Jiao’s Forest was in the way. When the great army passed by, they also had to go around it. It also made it easier for human powerhouses to ambush them.
Hence, Sky Gate City prepared to clean up Jiao’s Forest, including flushing Jiao out.
Sky Gate City had Rank-7, 8, and 9. They were not afraid of Jiao at all.
The one responsible for this incident then was none other than the chieftain of the Wolf Battalion, a Rank-8 powerhouse.
Although Chieftain Sky Wolf was his elder brother, his ability was weaker in comparison.
When Jiao’s Forest was being cleaned up, the Wolf Battalion’s chieftain invited his own elder brother to hold the line. Both of them would come to Jiao’s Forest together.
As for the result... Although Jiao was only Rank-7, its ability was tremendously powerful. The Wolf Battalion’s chieftain was only an equal match for it.
Afterward, both brothers besieged Jiao, yet could not eliminate Jiao completely. Chieftain Sky Wolf was almost killed.
At that time, Hope City powerhouses had also felt the great war’s aura. There were powerhouses who came to investigate. Worried that human powerhouses would launch a sneak attack, they finally gave up on the clean-up operation.
However, this did not mean that Jiao would not bear any grudge against them.
Beasts were the most vengeful.
During the great war between both cities, out of the three chieftains of Sky Gate City, the Tiger Battalion’s chieftain died in battle. In an initial plan to kill the Leopard Battalion’s chieftain, they realized afterward that the Leopard Battalion’s chieftain was in charge of staying behind for duty. It was Wolf Battalion’s chieftain who came.
Of course, the Wolf Battalion’s chieftain was the one who ended up dying.
Jiao had broken through Rank-8. It already had the intention to take revenge. However, after taking a stroll around Sky Gate City, it did not sense any aura. Not only that, Sky Gate City’s city lord was currently in a state of rage, and had almost left the city to declare a great war with it. Jiao could only retreat.
Unexpectedly, one of its enemies had actually delivered himself straight to its doorstep today!
In the next moment, Jiao’s force amplified. Letting out an infuriated roar, it shot up into the sky, heading straight for Chieftain Sky Wolf who had chased all the way here.
“Golden Horned Beast King!”
Midair, Chieftain Sky Wolf had noticed Jiao as well. Likewise, he let out a raging roar, absolutely fuming.
He had seen the two humans on the ground!
“Golden Horned Beast King joined forces with Land of Hope’s martial artists to kill my lady?”
In his heart, Chieftain Sky Wolf could only come to this conclusion. In no time, he thought of it the other way. “It intentionally infuriates me to lead me here?”
He had no choice but to raise suspicion!
What was Golden Horned Beast King’s ability?
Rank-8 Venerable!
A powerful great beast king like this could not even kill two middle-ranked human martial artists?
Beneath him, he could clearly see two people who were alive and well.
As it happened, Golden Horned Beast King had turned up at this place... Although this place had already been enveloped by Golden Horn Forest. Golden Horn Forest was massive, so why did it turn up here coincidentally?
Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind, but he had no choice but to fight now!
With an intimidating force, Golden Horned Beast King was launching an attack toward him. Things would go haywire if he ran now.
Sky Gate City was not too far off from here. If they fought, the Sky Gate City lord would come to his aid in no time.
Boom!
Midair. A loud explosion filled the air suddenly. A human and a beast had officially started fighting now!
...
Underneath.
Fang Ping was stunned. Then he gulped, turning his head, he asked, “Do you think that he is here to kill us?”
Qin Fengqing’s face was pale. Speaking under his breath, he replied, “It seems like it... the way he looks at us... it’s so terrifying!”
“So that means...”
“The valley is his home.”
Their eyes met. A split second later, Fang Ping turned around and ran for dear life.
‘Motherf*cker. I don’t think I can survive this.’
Not only had Jiao set its eyes on a puny Rank-4 like himself, he had also raided a high-ranked powerhouse’s lair, killing his lover, though they were not sure whether she was his wife or concubine. If he did not kill him, then something must have gone terribly wrong.
Qin Fengqing did not need any more encouragement. Similarly, as if his life depends on it, he stuffed pill after pill into his mouth like nobody’s business.
Run!
Of all the time he entered the Catacombs, this time was the most eventful yet.
In such a short period of time, he had encountered two high ranks, including a non-human at that. Of the two of them, one had his house raided and his family exterminated, while the other was even a high-ranked monster. Yet, he was still alive. He could boast about it for his entire life!
Fang Ping had something similar on his mind.
“If I return alive this time, I can even blow my trumpet all the way up to Grandmaster!”
How many martial artists out there could survive after encountering Rank-8 Jiao and a high-ranked Catacombs martial artist?
“Qin Fengqing... If I return alive, don’t go on missions with me in the next life!”
“Same to you!”
Qin Fengqing panted and growled.
‘I’ve made so many trips into the Catacombs, but none of them was anything like this.’
It had been a day since they entered, half of it was spent running.
Running from night into day. How miserable.
“Magic City’s Catacombs... I don’t think I will ever return!”
This thought emerged in both their minds. The danger level in Magic City’s Catacombs had hit a terrifying state.
If both of them went out, they might become a target.
“King Jiao, kill him. I’ll set up a monument for you after you kill him!”
Fang Ping turned his head to the side and cried. Qin Fengqing’s face turned purple.
Motherf*cker. Why were you still shouting now? What were they supposed to do if Jiao gave up on its opponent and came after them?
Fang Ping cared nothing for this. He yelled again, “I’ll go get you some more food. I’ll catch you a Rank-9 meal next time!”
“Would you just shut up!”
Qin Fengqing chided. Was this bastard trying to get him killed?
Fang Ping paid no attention to him at all. ‘No sh*t. If I did not inform it, and bumped into it again next time when I was unlucky, I would not even have an excuse. At least right now I properly said my farewell before running.’
...
Half an hour later.
Fang Ping and Qin Fengqing were crying tears of joy. In front, Hope City was already visible.
“I once outran a Rank-7... No, a Rank-8!”