"ROAR!!"
A savage roar, mixed with boundless Primordial Power, erupted from the Golden Giant Beast’s mouth. The massive sound wave, carrying a terrifying ripple, swept across the entire Demon Beast Forest and even pierced through space itself!
"Did you guys hear that?"
Within a pitch-black Spatial Rift, a giant, snow-white Magical Beast was soaring rapidly through a spatial tunnel. A blue-haired youth stood on its head, and behind him, more than a dozen people of various ages. That’s right, this group of over a dozen was none other than Mu Chen and his companions, rushing back to the Xuanling Empire from the Yu Ying Empire!
"A sound? Brother Mu Chen, now that you mention it, I think I heard a beast’s roar just now." Ye Shuangshuang was the most perceptive, speaking up as soon as she heard Mu Chen’s question.
"A beast’s roar?" Qing Lei lowered his head in thought. "It was indeed a beast’s roar. But this is a spatial tunnel. How could there be a beast’s roar here?"
"Father, that was definitely a beast’s roar. The message it carried was ’Attack!’ It means to advance. But it didn’t come from within this spatial tunnel. If my senses are correct, that roar came from the Outer Realm."
"Hm? From the Outer Realm?" Mu Chen was stunned. He turned to look down at Di Cang. As a mere First-Ring Martial Sect, he didn’t understand much about space. But seeing Di Cang’s blank expression, Mu Chen knew that even he had probably never encountered something so strange.
"When something like this happens, it’s usually because the one who made the sound possesses terrifying strength—so terrifying that even their voice can penetrate space!" Seeming to know that no one could answer the question, Xiaobai spoke with a grave tone.
"A voice that can penetrate space! Someone can actually do that?" Di Cang was astonished. From his perspective, for a human to break through space, they would need the power and control of the Martial Venerable Realm. The power to break space came from immense Primordial Power and one’s comprehension of space. Without these, it was incredibly difficult for a human to shatter space with their physical body alone, let alone with something as ethereal as sound! A voice might not even be heard from a short distance away, much less penetrate space, which was a barrier far greater than mere distance! Just how powerful would one have to be to achieve that?!
Mu Chen took a deep breath. "Since that was a beast’s roar, it couldn’t have been a human. Xiaobai, can you sense how far we are from the Xuanling Empire?"
He wasn’t worried about that, but about the roar’s origin. Based on their travel distance and time, their current position should be extremely close to the Xuanling Empire! He was terrified. ’If the one who made that sound is truly part of the Beast Tide that Dilaka said the academy’s headmaster predicted, what can the Xuanling Empire possibly use to defend itself? Does my family still have any hope of survival?!’
"Father, if my calculations are correct, then the Xuanling Empire should be right around the corner. It’s possible that if I break through space now, we will arrive within the territory of the Xuanling Empire!"
"You mean, that roar just now most likely came from somewhere near the Xuanling Empire?!" Qin Garden was the first to react after Mu Chen. The moment she spoke, everyone else’s expression changed drastically. Just as Xiaobai had said, if that were true, was there even any point in returning now?
Seeing the look on everyone’s faces, Di Cang shouted, "Don’t be afraid! If a Magical Beast that terrifying really has appeared in the Beast Tide, then Headmaster Sword Heart will absolutely not stand by and do nothing! What we need to do now is hurry back and do everything in our power to defend the Xuanling Empire! That is our home!!"
!!
Di Cang’s words instantly calmed everyone’s panicked hearts. ’That’s right! That’s our home, the place where our families live. Did I really just consider retreating because I heard of some terrifying Magical Beast?’
’I’m ashamed of myself for even thinking that a moment ago!’
The six members of the Holy Hall all gritted their teeth, their expressions hardening with resolve!
"Xiaobai! In that case, we’re not going back to the Imperial Capital! Teleport us toward Luofeng City immediately! That will definitely be the first place the Magical Beasts attack!"
At that moment, Mu Chen was truly anxious. Upon hearing his command, Xiaobai let out a furious roar. Its body abruptly transformed into a streak of white light within the Spatial Rift and, with a *POP*, plunged into a spatial vortex that resembled a black hole, disappearing from sight...
Tens of thousands of feet above Luofeng City, in the Xuanling Empire, a white-haired old man in a white robe curled his lip. He flickered and vanished, reappearing an instant later right next to the Golden Giant Beast from before.
"Tch! This she-bear either stays hidden or acts this arrogant the moment she appears! Does she really think we humans have no one to stand up to her?" the white-haired old man said, his beard bristling, as he shot a sideways glance at the Golden Giant Beast.
Hearing this, the Golden Giant Beast turned its head to look at the sky, its pupils suddenly shrinking. Its expression quickly returned to normal. "Old freak Sword Heart? Heh, what are you talking about?! This Empress feels like being arrogant! If you humans have the guts, then withstand this Empress’s attack! This Empress doesn’t give a damn about a mere town."
Though it spoke arrogantly, a deeply unsettling premonition rose in the Golden Giant Beast’s heart. ’This old man’s strength was only on par with this Empress’s a thousand years ago. Now, a millennium has passed, and this Empress’s strength has risen by an entire realm thanks to an Eight-curved Immortal Spirit! I should be stronger than this old coot! So why didn’t I even notice when he appeared behind me?! Was I being careless? Yes, that must be it. It seems I’ve slept for too long, and my Spirit isn’t focused enough.’
After this internal monologue, the Golden Giant Beast shifted its gaze to the distance and murmured, "Old freak Sword Heart, how many years has it been since we last fought?"
Indeed, this white-haired, white-robed old man was none other than the administrator of the Imperial Academy’s Library Pavilion in the Xuanling Empire—Elder Mu, also known as Shen Jianxin.
"The time since we last fought, hmm... it must be nearly a thousand years. This old man remembers that after our last battle, I received a mission from the Nine Heavens. They said a new and very evil power had emerged on the continent, so I left the Xuanling Empire to investigate."
As soon as Elder Mu finished speaking, the Golden Giant Beast stood up from the rocky mountain, its eyes now level with his. It looked at Elder Mu with a very human-like, puzzled expression and asked, "The Divine Hall of Light? So there’s actually a faction on the Extreme Martial Continent that even the Nine Heavens is wary of? Speaking of which, you humans are truly a pitiful lot, always killing each other."
"Tch! What right do you, an old she-bear, have to talk about us humans?" Elder Mu’s eyes widened as he snorted, "You Magical Beasts spend all day eating each other. You’re even more pitiful than we are. And don’t you dare underestimate this Divine Hall of Light. This old man can tell you clearly, the Divine Hall of Light isn’t just eyeing humanity... but the Magical Beasts as well."
"Heh... This Empress isn’t afraid of them. If they want to come, they’d better hurry. This Empress hasn’t fought in a thousand years! If it weren’t for Lord Snow Qilin and the pact he signed with you humans—that those at the Saint Realm and above may not interfere in the wars between Magical Beasts and humans—this old mother would have wiped you all out long ago!"
"Heh, Golden Behemoth, those are big words. The Snow Qilin is indeed formidable! It has transcended the limits of this world and is a worthy Beast God! But there is a fundamental difference between it and you ignorant Magical Beasts. This human-beast war pact was signed after thorough negotiations with humanity! It was done to prevent both humans and Magical Beasts from growing complacent. It’s a form of mutual tempering! If you’re really itching for a fight, this old man will be happy to indulge you after the pact ends!"
That’s right. This Golden Giant Beast was one of the most powerful species besides the Beast God Qilin—a Power Type Giant Beast, the Golden Behemoth! Moreover, it was a pure-blooded Golden Behemoth with an Emperor’s bloodline! Unfortunately, it was a female, what the Magical Beasts commonly referred to as the Empress!
"You said it yourself! When the time comes, if you don’t fight, this old mother will drag you out even if I have to suffer the Beast God’s punishment!" the Golden Behemoth snorted, her eyes filled with anticipation and even a trace of a more complex emotion.
"Your true form is really ugly, not even one-ten-thousandth as good-looking as your human form. Why don’t you transform?" Elder Mu suddenly changed the subject, which was rather odd.
His words made the Golden Behemoth freeze for a moment. A complicated emotion then surfaced in her eyes—an emotion that, in human terms, would be called tenderness.
"A human body is so small and powerless, this old mother couldn’t care less for it. But since you mentioned it, I’ll transform into my human form. It’ll feel less strange that way." With that, the massive Golden Behemoth suddenly closed its eyes. A soft, yellow halo descended upon its body, enveloping it completely! Immediately after, pillars of yellow light shot up from around the Golden Behemoth, forming a single golden column that completely concealed it.
The next moment, as the golden column of light continued to rise, the Golden Behemoth’s body shrank rapidly. Once the golden figure had become a slender silhouette the same size as Elder Mu, the pillars of light finally dissipated, revealing the Golden Behemoth wrapped in a soft golden glow.
"Heh... A human body may be small, but it’s certainly better looking."
The voice was identical to the Golden Behemoth’s, but its owner had undergone a heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation. It was a stunningly beautiful and alluring woman. She had a head of pure golden hair, golden eyebrows, and even her eyes and eyelashes were a dazzling gold! Her nose was high and elegant, her gaze sharp, and her small lips, which revealed a mischievous smile, twitched slightly. Her entire face was flawless!
But when these perfect features were combined with the aura of an Emperor, a true Empress had arrived! An Empress in human form!