Stellar Transformation-Chapter 86 - 16: A Fine Line Between Life and Death
In the vast grassland, the absence of demon beasts created an oppressive atmosphere; the deeper Qin Yu and Little Black ventured into it, the more cautious they became. Their spiritual senses spread out fully, both sensing an invisible threat.
"Little Black, there’s a hill in the distance," said Qin Yu, staring thousands of meters away, feeling there was something eerie about it.
The grassland was a vast expanse, mostly featuring small lakes or weeds, and so the sudden appearance of a hill was all the more jarring to the already tense Qin Yu, who naturally became alert. Little Black’s eagle eyes also focused sharply, and he communicated through spiritual transmission, "Big Brother, let’s circle around that hill!"
Even the normally proud Little Black was being extra cautious at this moment.
"Okay, let’s go around," Qin Yu agreed.
Unable to help themselves, Qin Yu and Little Black sped up their flight, circling around the distant hill toward the west. The hill was dark red, with its rocks arranged in neat blocks. As Qin Yu and Little Black flew halfway, suddenly—
"Humans, Little Black Hawk."
A voice echoed in Qin Yu and Little Black’s minds through spiritual transmission.
"Little Black, let’s get out of here!"
Without concerning himself with anything else, Qin Yu immediately urged Little Black through spiritual transmission and began to fly away rapidly. He had guessed that this strange grassland must harbor an extremely powerful demon beast, one that even his spiritual sense could not detect.
"You want to leave?"
Suddenly, an overwhelming presence radiated from the distance, fully weighing down on Qin Yu and Little Black. It was much more powerful than the oppressive force of the four-nine Heavenly Tribulations’ thunder, causing Qin Yu and Little Black to hear their own heartbeats relentlessly pounding in their ears.
"Big Brother, what a terrifying presence!" Little Black couldn’t help turning back to look toward the source of the presence.
Qin Yu turned back as well.
All they saw was a gigantic cloud obscuring the sky, and then, in a flash, the cloud descended right in front of Qin Yu and Little Black. Its speed was so incredible that it left them astonished and speechless. Clearly, this creature was faster than both of them.
"Humans, Little Black Hawk, you think you can run away after coming here?"
The voice of the creature before them resounded in the minds of Qin Yu and Little Black.
Looking at the creature in front of him, Qin Yu couldn’t help but inhale sharply. It was dark red all over, over a hundred meters long and dozens of meters tall, with its entire body covered in dark red rock-like armor. Around its neck were six sharp and thick spikes, and on its forehead was a golden horn.
"Divine Beast Dragon Rock Lion!"
Qin Yu felt his throat go dry. He had seen many introductions to demon beasts in the Cultivation Secret Manuals in the library back at Thunder Mountain Residence. The Dragon Rock Lion was gigantic, a legendary offspring of the union between the Divine Dragon and the Fire Rock Lion.
Divine Beasts!
Demon beasts were categorized into many levels, with Divine Beasts being at the highest. Divine Beasts were extremely powerful, their strength impossible to gauge from external appearances. A Nascent Soul stage Divine Beast could even be more formidable than a Cultivator at the Cave Void stage.
Divine Beasts, in the eyes of Cultivators, were synonymous with formidable power.
Even at the Great Success Stage, a Divine Beast that has passed through the Nine-layered Heavenly Tribulation is capable of taking on ten cultivators of the Great Success Stage. The gap is simply too vast.
"Big Brother, such a powerful aura. Even the Nascent Soul Stage Golden Flame Eagle didn’t make me feel this uncomfortable," Little Black also felt immense pressure at this moment.
Little Black and Qin Yu were no longer flying at extreme speeds since they had already seen the speed of the Dragon Rock Lion, which was more than twice as fast as Qin Yu’s fastest state. They had absolutely no hope.
The Dragon Rock Lion, with its eyes fixed on Qin Yu and Little Black, spiritually transmitted a laugh, "You actually dare to enter my forbidden area; it seems you are outsiders who know nothing of the rules here."
Qin Yu knew that Divine Beasts were no less intelligent than humans and respectfully replied, "I am Qin Yu, and my younger brother Hei Yu and I are in a hurry to return to the Hidden Dragon Continent. We’ve never been to this prairie before and did not know the rules here. I hope the elder will allow the two of us to leave."
Qin Yu understood the principle of bowing one’s head under another’s roof.
"Elder, may I ask what realm you’ve reached? I feel that you’re much more fearsome than that Nascent Soul Stage Golden Flame Eagle," Little Black, somehow managing to be inquisitive at such a time, asked the Dragon Rock Lion.
The Dragon Rock Lion gave Little Black a look and actually responded, "A Nascent Soul Stage Golden Flame Eagle? Is that the Yellow Feathered Eagle that’s seventy thousand li to the east? Though I am at the Nascent Soul Stage like it, those types of little birds, even if ten were to come at me, I could easily dispatch them!"
The Dragon Rock Lion emitted a fierce pressure and then, looking at Little Black with interest, said, "Little Black Hawk, there seems to be an aura on you that attracts me. I feel that... eating you would be very beneficial for me."
Qin Yu and Little Black’s hearts shook, having felt a glimmer of hope when the Dragon Rock Lion was still seemingly amiable. Now, the Dragon Rock Lion had actually said this.
"Little Black Hawk, it seems you and this human share some emotions. If you agree to let me eat you, I will let this human go. Eating a human wouldn’t benefit me at all; I’d rather not bother. What do you think of my plan? I really dislike forcing other demon beasts... but if you resist, you’ll force me to eat you both together," the Dragon Rock Lion’s voice echoed in the minds of Qin Yu and Little Black.
Feeling the Dragon Rock Lion’s formidable presence, which was ten times more terrifying than the Golden Flame Eagle’s, Little Black knew there was no way to contend. Perhaps even a cultivator at the Cave Void Stage would not be assured of success against this Nascent Soul Stage Divine Beast Dragon Rock Lion, to say nothing of Qin Yu and Little Black.
Little Black looked toward Qin Yu, his eagle eyes reflecting complex human emotions, which Qin Yu could clearly sense.
"Big Brother..."
"Little Black, don’t think foolishly," Qin Yu’s stern voice echoed in Little Black’s mind, "Little Black, if we don’t give it a try and you die for me like this, I would live a life filled with distress and guilt. Besides... we are not without hope of escaping!"
Qin Yu’s mind flashed with what he had read in the cultivation secret books about the Dragon Rock Lion.
"I have read about this Dragon Rock Lion; it’s a Divine Beast with incredible strength and extremely fast speed. The defensive power of the Dragon Rock Armor is reputed to be even stronger than a dragon’s. However, nothing is perfect. Due to its enormous body, its agility is insufficient; it struggles with maneuvers such as turning and dodging. It is only fast in a straight line."
Having said this, Little Black completely understood what Qin Yu meant.
"Big Brother..." Little Black clearly understood that while what Qin Yu said made sense, the Dragon Rock Lion was still a Divine Beast, and just a slight mishap from them, the man and the hawk, would result in death at the hands of the Dragon Rock Lion.
"Enough said, even if we die, let’s die together. Forget what Divine Beast it is," Qin Yu’s heart hardened as well.
Qin Yu, in his bloodline, carried the unique pride of the Qin Family’s descendants, handed down from Emperor Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng. Generations of the Qin Family offspring, whether it be Qin De, or Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, Qin Yu, were all of that proud and aloof nature.
"You two little ones, what are you spiritually communicating about? Little Black Hawk, have you decided yet?" the Dragon Rock Lion looked down upon the little creatures before it with its penetrating eyes, to which Qin Yu and Little Black indeed seemed like tiny beings.
"Elder, I have agreed," Little Black spiritually communicated in response.
Upon hearing this, the Dragon Rock Lion burst into hearty laughter that resonated for hundreds of miles. Qin Yu’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he spiritually communicated, "Little Black, run! Escape to the west and vary your flying trajectory!"
Little Black unfolded the "Fleeting Lightning Nine Flashes," its wings vibrating slightly in succession, and it shot towards the sky like lightning, twisting at an extreme speed.
Meanwhile, beneath Qin Yu’s feet appeared the Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Flame Sword, with the light silvery Star Power completely permeating between his body and the Flame Sword—Qin Yu’s body was like a Spiritual Artifact, achieving Human and Artifact Fusion! Standing on the Flying Sword, Qin Yu soared to the west as well.
One man and one eagle flew out from either side of the Dragon Rock Lion.
As the man and eagle swiftly flew away, the Dragon Rock Lion realized it had been duped and couldn’t help but rage furiously, letting out a thunderous roar. Spiritual Communication resounded in the minds of the man and eagle: "You two little rascals, daring to deceive me. I will eat you both!"
The Dragon Rock Lion moved and broke through space in pursuit, catching up with Qin Yu in no time, its speed outrageously fast.
"Whoosh!"
Qin Yu, like surfing on a board, stepped on the Flying Sword and made a ninety-degree sharp turn at high speed, managing to dodge the attack from the Dragon Rock Lion chasing behind him. The Dragon Rock Lion’s figure swayed and changed direction, pursuing Qin Yu once again.
"Such a large body and yet so agile," Qin Yu inhaled sharply, "Who knows who wrote the stuff about the Dragon Rock Lion in that Cultivation Secret Manual. They just made it up." Qin Yu was furious in his heart, but he was not yet in despair.
Although the Dragon Rock Lion was agile, its large body couldn’t possibly compare to Qin Yu’s nimble movements, achieved through Human and Artifact Fusion.
"This Dragon Rock Lion has even less comprehension of the wind than the ’Black Wind Leopard,’" Qin Yu thought as he stood on the Flying Sword. He was like a leaf in a wild wind, drifting capriciously and effortlessly avoiding the Dragon Rock Lion’s relentless pursuit.
Suddenly—
A stream of flames burst forth from the mouth of the Dragon Rock Lion, shooting directly at Qin Yu.
"It’s over!"
"Big Brother!" Little Black, at a distance, also began to worry.
A wave of panic surged through Qin Yu’s heart as his attention fixated fully on that stream of flames. The deep green flames were clearly immensely powerful, shooting out even faster than the speed of the Dragon Rock Lion.
In that life-or-death moment, the pale silver Star Power on Qin Yu’s body surged violently.
Star Domain!
In an instant, a vast Star Nebula formed around Qin Yu’s body. The Star Nebula inside him also vibrated rapidly, and in a flash, Qin Yu’s body seemed to split in two, which, of course, was an illusion caused by reaching extreme speed.
In the nick of time, Qin Yu finally managed to dodge; he even felt the terrifying heat emitted as the flames grazed past him.
The range of the Star Domain was only the extent of the Star Nebula around his body. Qin Yu couldn’t move over large distances, and the Star Domain required the use of all the energy in his internal Star Nebula. Fortunately, Qin Yu had already reached the Star Nebula Middle Stage, so using it for just an instant didn’t affect him much.
Instantly stopping the Star Domain, Qin Yu frantically dashed westward, his flight path utterly erratic.
"Big Brother," Little Black’s voice was filled with excitement.
"Don’t waste time, speed up!" Qin Yu was already flying high, weaving through clouds and mist. The Dragon Rock Lion seemed to be enraged by now, at one moment chasing after Qin Yu, then going after Little Black. But compared to it, Qin Yu and Little Black were like tiny, supremely agile ants.
Suddenly—
"Little Black, quick, to the southwest!"
Qin Yu’s spiritual sense suddenly detected a strong presence from the southwest, rivaling that of the Dragon Rock Lion. At this point, Qin Yu couldn’t care less about anything else; if they continued to be chased like this, they could be killed at any moment.
In an instant, Qin Yu and Little Black flew hundreds of miles towards the southwest.
A crisp and piercing cry resounded above.
"Dragon Rock Lion, this is my territory, get back to your lair." A vast spiritual sense enveloped Qin Yu and Little Black; even their minds received the sonorous spiritual voice. Qin Yu was immediately overjoyed.
In front of them was a colossal red bird, tens of meters long, its entire body ablaze with fire, its beautiful, captivating red feathers radiating a noble aura. Qin Yu recognized it immediately.
"Divine Beast Red Bird!"
Qin Yu was stunned; he couldn’t have imagined encountering two divine beasts in a row. But in a flash, he was overwhelmed with joy and hurriedly communicated to Little Black, "Little Black, quick, weave through from below, don’t provoke the Red Bird!"
"Haha, got it, let the two of them fight it out!" Little Black also cried out weirdly and immediately dived towards the ground. Qin Yu also rushed downward at high speed.
However, the Dragon Rock Lion ignored Qin Yu and Little Black completely, just as the Red Bird ignored them. In the eyes of these two great divine beasts, a man and an eagle were merely trivialities. To the Dragon Rock Lion, Qin Yu and Little Black were mere diversions, dispensable. But the Divine Beast Red Bird was a long-standing rival of the Dragon Rock Lion.
"You dare tell me to roll?" The Dragon Rock Lion was furious.
The Red Bird spread its wings, which were nearly as long as its body. As a naturally noble creature, its regal aura spread naturally. The Red Bird said, "Dragon Rock Lion, this is my domain. You have the gall to be defiant in my territory. Are you seeking a battle?"
The Dragon Rock Lion was enraged and without further ado, it let out a roar that shook the very air.
...
"Boom—"
A series of thunderous roars followed, far more powerful than the Four-nine Heavenly Tribulations, shaking the air briskly. Qin Yu and Little Black couldn’t help but be alarmed by the terrifying might of the divine beasts’ battle.
"Forget it, Little Black, run faster."
Qin Yu fused with his artifact and sped off toward the west at high speed. Little Black also used the Fleeting Lightning Nine Flashes repeatedly. The man and the eagle, risking their lives, continued to race westward at utmost speed. They did not dare to slow down, for who knew if the Dragon Rock Lion might pursue them after the fight.
With the power of the Dragon Rock Lion, a single hit would spell certain death for them.
This flight lasted three hours, a full three hours of flying at their fastest. Never before had Qin Yu flown so desperately. In just three short hours, Qin Yu and Little Black suddenly saw—
Buildings in the distance and a sharp decline in the dense spiritual energy of Primordial Wilderness.
"Haha, Little Black, we’re finally back!" Qin Yu suddenly snapped out of his frenzied flight, clearly having escaped directly from the Primordial Wilderness to the Hidden Dragon Continent during their mad dash. After months of traversing the wilderness, Qin Yu and Little Black had finally returned alive!
