Chapter 513: Chapter 513
Zhouyang did not let Jiang Fengxian down, nor did he betray her trust.
After learning of her true identity, not only did Zhouyang not show any strange looks, but he also made a Dao Heart Oath right in front of her, promising that he would never tell a third person about this matter without her consent. Thıs text ıs hosted at Nove1Fire.net
He didn’t even inquire about the mysteries of the Celestial Phoenix Race’s Divine Techniques, nor did he seek any information regarding the Celestial Phoenix Race.
In a way, Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian were of the same kind.
He too harbored a secret that he dared not share with outsiders, which was the secret of his two lives.
From the moment he was born, he decided to keep this secret hidden in his heart, never to share it with anyone.
Compared to this secret, whether it was the Qianyang Treasure Pearl within his body or the origin of the Qianyang Immortal Scripture, these could all be revealed when he became sufficiently powerful.
Precisely because of this similarly unspeakable secret, Zhouyang deeply understood what Jiang Fengxian was worried about.
Therefore, he would never rashly touch upon the things she was most concerned about nor do anything that would damage their relationship.
Zhouyang’s measured actions yielded great results.
During the subsequent journey, he clearly felt Jiang Fengxian’s mental state had changed, and when chatting with him, she would talk about some things she previously found inconvenient to discuss.
When two people can talk about anything without reservation, it means their relationship has become intimate and unbreakable.
Three more days passed, and Zhouyang clearly felt the temperature drop significantly, indicating that they had already passed through the central area of the Red Desert and were not far from crossing the entire desert.
Yet on this day, while hurrying along, Zhouyang suddenly furrowed his brow and stopped.
Jiang Fengxian, following slightly behind, saw this and couldn’t help but stop and ask, "What’s wrong? Did Brother Zhou discover something?"
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang immediately replied, "Just now my Divine Sense clearly sensed a not-so-weak life energy fluctuation, but suddenly it went out of my sensing range, and even after expanding my Divine Sense range, I couldn’t find this energy anymore!"
Jiang Fengxian’s expression immediately grew serious, and then she looked at him meaningfully and said, "If that’s the case, we must be more vigilant; this Kunxu Realm is no peaceful place!"
Zhouyang nodded and said, "Fengxian is right. To be safe, why don’t you get on my back first, so if anything happens, we can advance or retreat together!"
"Then I’ll trouble Brother Zhou."
At this point, Jiang Fengxian didn’t hesitate and casually thanked him, then jumped into the basket he had taken out.
Meanwhile, in the desert about a hundred miles away from Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian, a fire-red Lizard Demon Beast, about one zhang long, suddenly emerged from the sand, approaching two cultivators meditating cross-legged in the Desert Sea.
One of them, a red-faced man wearing a Beast Hide Robe, patted the head of the fire-red Lizard Demon Beast, fed it a red Elixir, then listened closely to its hissing.
After a moment, he lightly tapped his waist Spirit Beast Bag, retracted the fire-red Lizard Demon Beast into it, then smiled at the black-robed horse-faced elder beside him and said, "Fellow Daoist Wu, there’s work to be done again; this time it’s two Early-Stage Golden Core Cultivators, should be easy to handle!"
The horse-faced elder, hearing this, opened his eyes slightly, then looked at him with suspicion and said, "Are you sure it’s two Early-Stage Golden Core Cultivators? Don’t let it be like that guy before, who appeared as Third-Layer Golden Core Cultivation but was actually Seventh-Layer Golden Core, nearly causing us to capsize!"
The red-faced man, hearing this, his face immediately sank, and he said sullenly, "Fellow Daoist Wu, I don’t like hearing that!"
"If we want to gain something, naturally we have to take some risks. That guy before concealed his cultivation, catching us off guard, but after we killed him, weren’t the things we obtained still satisfying?"
"And besides, with the special environment of this Red Desert, with your Puppet Beast and Song’s Spirit Beast assisting, even if they are two Late-Stage Golden Core Cultivators, they can’t take us lightly!"
Horse-faced elder Wu Zidao immediately fell silent.
He was merely inherently suspicious and cautious, not the kind easily scared, otherwise he wouldn’t be scheming with red-faced Song Qingyun in the Red Desert to ambush other cultivators entering the desert.
Each time the Kunxu Realm opens, hundreds to thousands of cultivators from various places in the Spirit Realm come here, most being Golden Core and Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.
Ordinary times in the Spirit Realm, these high-tier cultivators are mostly top figures within certain forces, and without apparent conflicting interests, no peer cultivator would unreasonably hunt other high-tier cultivators.
However, in the Kunxu Realm, even sect cultivators from super sects guarded by Tribulation Crossing True Immortals, as long as they are singled out and killed, no one can trace who the killer is, nor can anyone take revenge on their behalf.
Red-faced Song Qingyun and horse-faced Wu Zidao, long-time acquaintances, upon meeting again in the Kunxu Realm this time, planned to take advantage of this point, utilizing the special environment of the Red Desert for one cost-free trade.
Knowing that cultivators who dare to venture into the Kunxu Realm undoubtedly carry various valuable items, the special conditions in Red Desert limit many formidable techniques and constrain many cultivators’ escape methods.
The skills of Song and Wu, however, are barely affected in the Red Desert, meaning their prowess wouldn’t diminish, while others will be suppressed.
They had already verified this feasibility with the life of one Late-Stage Golden Core Cultivator.
And what they gained from the Golden Core Stage Cultivator they slew has strengthened their resolve to continue such cost-free trades.
At this moment, after the two unified their opinions, they immediately hurried towards the location of Zhouyang and the others.
Song Qingyun gently touched the Spirit Beast Ring worn on his wrist, releasing a crimson centipede spirit beast over thirty zhang in length. The aura emanating from the centipede spirit beast reached Tier Five Lower Grade.
Wu Zidao and he jumped onto the carapace of the crimson centipede, and the centipede’s dozens of legs exerted force, swiftly transforming into a crimson phantom, rapidly traversing through the desert.
On the other side, upon sensing the unusual life aura earlier, Zhouyang had been maintaining his Divine Sense exploration range within fifty li.
After his cultivation breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, his Divine Sense exploration range could reach over eighty li if he exerted himself fully, but this would consume a lot of Divine Sense.
Maintaining an exploration range within fifty li also consumed considerable Divine Sense, but it wouldn’t overly affect his combat abilities.
Therefore, when the crimson centipede intruded into his Divine Sense exploration range, he immediately halted, set down Jiang Fengxian from his back, and prepared for battle.
A moment later, the silhouette of the crimson centipede appeared over ten li away from Zhouyang and the others, then halted.
"Such a beautiful woman!"
"How could there be such beauty in the world!"
On the back of the crimson centipede, Song Qingyun and Wu Zidao both became captivated by the sight of Jiang Fengxian, clad in flowing colorful garments, standing ready alongside Zhouyang.
Though Zhouyang had traveled across three Cultivation Realms, he had never seen a woman more beautiful than Jiang Fengxian.
It was no wonder that Song and Wu, upon first laying eyes on such beauty, were naturally drawn to her.
Nevertheless, Golden Core Stage cultivators were accomplished practitioners; after a moment of stunned admiration, the two quickly regained their senses, their eyes flickering as they evaluated Zhouyang and his companion.
They couldn’t help but exclaim once more.
"You’re the demon Zhouyang wanted on the Demon Slaying List!"
The exclamations, one after another, rang out from the mouths of Song and Wu, causing their expressions to change dramatically.
"Hahaha, what luck indeed!"
"Who would have thought that merely on a whim of waiting here like sitting by a tree for a rabbit, we’d encounter a fat pig coming right to us!"
"What does Fellow Daoist Wu think?"
The red-faced burly man Song Qingyun laughed loudly, first casting a fierce glance at Zhouyang, then smilingly looking at his companion nearby, his words filled with mockery.
The elder Wu Zidao, hearing this, nodded repeatedly with joy, smiling, "Brother Song is right; indeed, it’s a stroke of fortune, destined for us to prosper this time!"
Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian, already prepared for battle, exchanged a glance upon hearing their words, each understanding the other’s intent.
It was just one word: Kill!
In a narrow path meeting, the brave win!
In the peculiar environment of the Red Desert, even if they wanted to flee, they couldn’t outrun that centipede spirit beast of the opponents.
Moreover, in the special environment here, with cultivation at the Early Stage of the Golden Core, the two might still contend with the two Middle Stage Golden Core cultivators opposite them.
Due to the unique Anti-Air Power in the Red Desert, neither the Flying Sword nor artifacts like the Profound Turtle Shield suspended in the air can ascend; only pure energy Magical Techniques are unrestricted to fly.
Therefore, Zhouyang could only employ the Qianyang Celestial Fire Shield Divine Technique, which had never been used before, within the Qianyang Treasure Pearl for defense.
With a flash of golden flame from his body, a fire shield burning with blazing golden flames enveloped him entirely.
Then, bearing the flame shield, he charged directly at Song and Wu.
Compared to releasing Magical Techniques from afar in a place like the Red Desert where enemies can’t fly, Zhouyang felt that using fists to solve the opponent would be quicker.
Having cultivated Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique to the second layer, his close combat abilities might not be inferior to some Tier Five Lower Grade Demon Beasts.
But just as his charge reached halfway, Zhouyang’s expression changed.
During his charge, Wu Zidao had already waved his hand, taking out five puppet beasts from the Storage Ring.
These five puppet beasts were all high-tier puppet beasts, among which one human-body, tiger-head puppet beast was even a Tier Five Lower Grade puppet beast!