Chapter 276

Chapter 276

The spiritual light vanished, and the three of them appeared in a desolate wilderness.

"Is this Heavenly Dragon Peak?" Wen Qiao asked, her divine sense quickly spreading outward. Upon finding no other lifeforms nearby, she finally relaxed.

The four major clans were determined to obtain the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four-Image Map and had relentlessly pursued them. Wen Qiao did not want to encounter another ambush from the four major clans right after leaving Pleiades Valley.

Pleiades still floated lazily on Wen Qiao's shoulder, curiously looking around. This was its first time outside Pleiades Valley, and everything seemed new and exciting.

Su Molan responded softly, "Although few people come here, it is not safe. Let's leave quickly to avoid being discovered."

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou had no objections. The three swiftly left Heavenly Dragon Peak and headed toward the nearby cultivation city.

Near Heavenly Dragon Peak was a town called Heavenly Dragon Town, where most inhabitants were ordinary people rather than cultivators.

When the trio entered Heavenly Dragon Town, they had taken Concealment Pills to disguise their cultivation levels, appearing as low-level cultivators. No one noticed anything unusual about them.

They found an inn in town to rest.

After settling in, Wen Qiao said, "Wait for me here. I'll go fetch Wen Guangun first."

Su Molan recalled that Wen Qiao had mentioned once that when they sneaked into Pleiades Valley under the watchful eyes of the four major clans, it was Wen Guangun who helped. Wen Qiao attributed all the credit to Wen Guangun, who was left waiting outside Bloodthirsty Forest.

Now that they had left Pleiades Valley, they naturally needed to bring Wen Guangun back.

"Do you need me to accompany you?" Su Molan asked.

Wen Qiao was about to refuse but heard Ning Yuzhou say, "Let Miss Su accompany you. I'll wait here for your return."

Hearing this, Wen Qiao couldn't help but look at Ning Yuzhou, wanting to say something. He interrupted her, "Don't worry. I'm not alone; there's still Wen Qiuball, right?"

Wen Qiuball?

Su Molan looked at them curiously. She had only seen Wen Guangun and Wen Tuantuan before, never Wen Qiuball.

It seemed these two had quite a few beasts with them.

Wen Qiao then remembered that Wen Qiuball was also a formidable combatant, but because it preferred laying eggs for her, she often forgot its fighting prowess. Besides, Wen Qiuball enjoyed staying in the space to gather honey, so Wen Qiao didn't like troubling it too much.

If there was danger, Ning Yuzhou could hide in the space, so leaving him behind wasn't a problem.

The next day, Wen Qiao took Su Molan and left Heavenly Dragon Town, heading toward Bloodthirsty Forest.

Eager to fetch Wen Guangun, Wen Qiao and Su Molan traveled day and night, reaching Bloodthirsty Forest in just a few days.

Seeing the dense forest, Su Molan felt a chill down her spine.

Bloodthirsty Forest was notorious on the Pleiades Continent. As a descendant of Pleiades Valley, Su Molan had visited Bloodthirsty Forest before. Back then, she and Xiao Minxin hadn't fallen out yet, and Shen Yuanjin was still a caring fiancé. The three young people, roughly the same age, had ventured into Bloodthirsty Forest with a brave spirit, eager to challenge their limits upon hearing of its infamy.

However, they nearly met their end there.

That experience left Su Molan traumatized. If not for the Emperor Yuan realm elder from the Xiao clan arriving in time, they might have perished.

After being saved by the elder, Su Molan realized she was being monitored by someone from the Xiao clan. No matter where she went, she could not escape their control. Otherwise, the elder wouldn't have arrived so promptly to save them.

The Xiao clan feared her death, as she was essential for opening the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four-Image Map, so they protected her.

Now that she knew what the map represented, Su Molan felt a sense of irony.

Even if she could open the map, she was merely a guardian, unable to control it. Those who sought to control her would ultimately fail to obtain the map. If they knew the true purpose of the map, they might regret their actions.

Perhaps not, as the map was a divine artifact, and no mortal could resist its allure. They might even try to control its spirit and make it recognize them as its master.

After confirming no one was nearby, Pleiades revealed itself again.

Among Ning Yuzhou, Su Molan, and Wen Qiao, Pleiades favored Wen Qiao the most. She had a familiar aura that made it feel more secure than any cultivator's presence. This sense of security came only from kinship, which no other creature could provide.

So whenever all three were present, it chose to stay with Wen Qiao.

This time, Wen Qiao was coming to fetch Wen Guangun, so Pleiades naturally followed, unwilling to part from her.

Pleiades glanced at Bloodthirsty Forest and said, "The smell of blood is really strong here!"

Wen Qiao replied, "There's a Bloodthirsty Demon Vine in Bloodthirsty Forest. This entire forest is its territory. It feeds on blood, so the smell is indeed intense."

"Really?" Pleiades showed surprise. "Isn't it against the natural order? Can it never take human form?"

"Exactly. This Bloodthirsty Demon Vine has been growing here since ancient times and remains a low-intelligence vine, despite its long lifespan. It can never take human form."

Pleiades sighed, "No wonder demonic cultivators rarely survive the lightning tribulation to transform. Heaven's Dao won't allow such creatures of bloodshed and slaughter to ascend. Even if they manage to deceive temporarily, they cannot deceive forever."

Wen Qiao remained silent, gently stroking its head.

Hearing the conversation between Wen Qiao and the artifact, Su Molan gained insight. She now understood the truth behind Bloodthirsty Forest. She also realized that Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were truly extraordinary, able to reveal secrets unknown to many.

After finishing the conversation with Pleiades, Wen Qiao said, "Let's go in."

Su Molan was startled. Seeing Wen Qiao fly into Bloodthirsty Forest without any preparation, she was stunned. But since Wen Qiao had already gone in, she had no choice but to follow, gritting her teeth.

Flying over Bloodthirsty Forest for a while, they saw movement below.

The thick dark green vines hanging from the trees slithered like snakes, converging towards them as if possessed by intelligence.

Recognizing the scene, Su Molan tensed and summoned her sword.

Wen Qiao said, "Don't be nervous. They're just here to greet us."

Su Molan: "..."

Greeting them? Was it really a friendly greeting rather than an immediate attack?

Although Su Molan didn't quite believe it, she didn't act rashly and chose to continue observing.

Soon, the forest echoed with rustling sounds, like those of a cold-blooded creature slithering through the trees. Then, a massive dark green thorny vine, resembling a giant python, emerged, weaving its way through the forest towards them.

Bloodthirsty Demon Vine!

Su Molan tensed up, her eyes fixed on the scene below, ready to flee with Wen Qiao at any moment.

However, instead of fleeing, Wen Qiao descended on her flying sword, landing on the treetops where the vine was moving. She smiled and greeted the thorny vine that emerged from the forest: "Hey, long time no see. How have you been?"

The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine swayed its spiky body, causing all the vines in the Bloodthirsty Forest to stir, creating a rustling sound that was quite spectacular.

Su Molan watched this scene, feeling bewildered.

Wen Qiao placed her hand on the vine as it slid over, secretly channeling some elemental spirit energy to calm its bloodthirsty instincts. When she sensed the vine's joyful mood, she felt slightly embarrassed.

The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine was delighted to see her and assumed she had brought food again.

Last time they came, it thought Ning Yuzhou was food brought by Wen Qiao; this time, it still thought Su Molan was food brought by Wen Qiao. In the simple mind of the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, everyone except Wen Qiao was food, and anyone who appeared with Wen Qiao was food for it.

Wen Qao couldn't help but laugh and cry inwardly, conveying her message to the vine: "This isn't food; this is my friend. You can't eat her."

The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine suddenly seemed disappointed, having found a cultivator who couldn't be eaten.

After greeting the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, Wen Qiao and Su Molan continued forward.

Su Molan followed her, glancing down at the Bloodthirsty Forest, noticing that the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine was following them. If not for seeing Wen Qiao's friendly interaction earlier, she might have thought the vine was still trying to attack them.

If Wen Qiao knew what Su Molan was thinking, she would tell her that the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine considered her food and wanted to eat her.

It took them a few days to pass through the Bloodthirsty Forest and reach its edge.

As soon as Wen Qiao and Su Molan landed from the sky, they heard a series of grunts. Looking up, they saw a small hill at the edge of the Bloodthirsty Forest, which opened up, revealing a black-and-white little panda-like creature.

Upon seeing Wen Qiao, Wen Guangun quickly crawled over, climbing onto her shoulder and clinging tightly, grunting repeatedly.

Hearing its cries, Wen Qiao felt a twinge of guilt.

Ever since they entered the Pleiades Valley, Wen Guangun had waited here for over a year. Although a year wasn't too long, for a young creature like Wen Guangun, being away from familiar people made it very anxious, almost believing that Wen Qiao and Brother Ning had abandoned it.

Wen Qiao comforted it: "How could we abandon you? The situation in the Pleiades Valley was bad, so we couldn't come back for you. But now we're here, aren't we?"

Wen Guangun, being a young and easily appeased creature, quickly forgave her with just a few words and some spirit pills and fruits. It immediately became best friends with Wen Jie again.

After picking up Wen Guangun, they turned back, heading through the Bloodthirsty Forest again.

Along the way, Wen Qiao introduced Wen Guangun to Su Xing, allowing the artifact and the beast to formally meet.

"This is Su Xing, the spirit of the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map. He will leave the Pleiades Continent with us. You two should get along well. Su Xing, this is Wen Guangun, a soil-elemental iron-eating beast."

Wen Guangun glanced at Su Xing and slowly offered a spirit pill as a greeting gift.

Su Xing was very pleased, thinking that Wen Qiao's beast was indeed good, just like her! He also rummaged through his storage space and pulled out a lump of exotic metal.

Seeing the exotic metal, Wen Guangun happily accepted it and bit into it.

The sound of its tiny white teeth clashing against the metal made Wen Qiao and Su Molan feel a slight ache in their own teeth. Watching Wen Guangun munch on the exotic metal with great relish, they were both amazed.

"Truly an iron-eating beast..." Su Molan swallowed nervously.

Wen Qiao couldn't help but ask: "Wen Guangun, why are you eating that metal? Won't it upset your stomach?" While iron-eating beasts were omnivores, they weren't supposed to eat metal, right?

She was worried about Wen Guangun's health.

Before Wen Guangun could answer, Su Xing said: "Don't worry, Wen Jie. This exotic metal is beneficial to iron-eating beasts. After consuming it, they can refine it, and the earth they control will gain the hardness of metal, enhancing its defensive capabilities."

Hearing this, Wen Qiao finally understood why Su Xing gave Wen Guangun the exotic metal as a greeting gift. Despite appearing like a naive child, he was an ancient artifact spirit with much knowledge.

"Then I'll thank you on Wen Guangun's behalf for your generosity," Wen Qiao said.

Su Xing shyly smiled and said: "Brother Ning gave me many spirit pills to replenish my spirit energy. I haven't thanked you yet..."

On their way back, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine still followed them closely.

Knowing it wouldn't attack them, Su Molan no longer worried.

Just as they were making their way, a thunderous boom echoed across the sky, shaking the entire continent and jolting them down into the Bloodthirsty Forest, where they were caught by the vines.

They both turned to see a towering black mist piercing the sky, connecting heaven and earth.

Su Xing's pupils constricted as he murmured: "It's demonic energy..."

Recognizing the source of the black mist, Su Molan's face paled, her slender figure trembling, "That direction is toward the Pleiades Valley."

Wen Qiao quickly realized what the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map had been suppressing.

It was related to demons.

With Su Xing leaving, the Pleiades Valley, without the divine artifact Su Xing Tu, the entity suppressed there finally emerged.

Though they couldn't determine the exact situation, seeing the demonic energy rising, they knew the entity suppressed by Su Xing must be extremely powerful, perhaps not inferior to the monster sealed in the Blood Fog Mire by the Divine Sound Tree in Tianzhiyuan.

"They finally broke through the protective barrier of the Pleiades Valley," Su Molan said sadly. "If the protective barrier were still intact, even with Su Xing gone, it would have held for a while."

But now that the protective barrier was broken, the entity suppressed within the Pleiades Valley was released.

***

When the protective array of the Host Star Valley began to falter, all the cultivators outside were elated.

A vast number of cultivators had gathered here, numbering in the tens of thousands, including both righteous spirit cultivators and demonic cultivators from the Demon Sect. Although the two factions had always been at odds, even as they gathered together now, sparks still flew. However, for the sake of obtaining the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map, they maintained a delicate balance, with no one daring to break it.

They all eagerly awaited the collapse of the protective array of the Host Star Valley under the attacks of five Emperor Yuan Realm cultivators, hoping to enter the valley and find the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map.

Obtaining the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map meant obtaining an ancient inheritance!

This was an ancient legend that had spread across the Pleiades Continent, deeply buried in the hearts of those who knew about it, plotting to obtain this inheritance. Especially these Emperor Yuan Realm cultivators, who had been trapped in this realm for far too long, resorting to any means necessary to extend their lifespans and become supreme powerhouses.

They aimed to break through the Emperor Yuan Realm in one fell swoop, achieve the Saint Yuan Realm, and even ascend to the higher realms.

Finally, the protective array of the Host Star Valley shattered with a loud bang under the combined attack of the five cultivators.

Everyone couldn't help but let out a joyful cheer.

The five Emperor Yuan Realm cultivators also smiled, watching the fragments of the crumbling array's spiritual light, as if they could already see the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map becoming theirs.

However, before their joyous smiles faded, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth.

Immediately following, a terrifying and evil demonic aura surged out from within the Host Star Valley, rising into the sky, piercing through the thick clouds surrounding the valley. The terrifying might almost split the heavens and the earth apart.

The five Emperor Yuan Realm cultivators hovering at the entrance of the Host Star Valley were the first to be hit by the sweeping, terrifying demonic aura and were sent flying.