Chapter 2, both sides suffer losses

Su Mingyan, along with Zisuan, a human and a beast, could roam freely across the Yan Yun wilderness. Seeing that the time was about right, they headed along the old course of the Chubu River towards Yujia.

Su Mingyan has already mastered the fire talisman technique, controlling elemental fire to ignite and roast two pieces of raw meat, with the flames appearing even more vibrant.

Su Mingyan was unaware of the other details, only assuming that the purple beast had already digested the green fruit completely. Unexpectedly, it was still continuously providing the breath of life within her womb to nurture the young beasts. Su Mingyan understood the difficulties of wild beasts in giving birth to offspring, and seeing that the purple beast had not continued to weaken was already a very good sign

The appetite of the purple fox was quite good. Su Mingyan hunted a wild deer, most of which likely ended up in the belly of the purple fox. He took the tender parts of the front legs and sliced them into thin pieces with a sharp flint, first rubbing them with rock salt, then wrapping them in patchouli leaves. Using fire talismans, he ignited the fire to roast them until the juices dripped and sizzled, filling the air with an enticing aroma

Is this how it ends? The thought flashed through Su Mingyan's mind, uncertain of the outcome.

The purple beast, crouched in the soft mud pit, lay limply with its limbs sprawled out, lacking the strength to change to a more comfortable position. It was uncertain whether it had resigned itself to death or simply lacked the energy to roar, as its beastly eyes gazed at Yan without the fierceness they once held.

A thunderous roar that shook the heavens and the earth erupted, and a wave of deep purple radiance surged from the dense forest, causing the ground to tremble incessantly, mingled with the rumbling sound of thunder. Su Mingyan thought that both wild beasts were now exhausted, yet the momentum was still so terrifying.

Two beasts are fighting, a person is watching, and the three of them are unaware that they have long since left their original territory and arrived at the old course of the Chubu River

The injuries on the purple beast have healed, but its abdomen has become even more distended. The breeding of offspring by the kingly wild beast will greatly consume its life energy. Although the purple beast has swallowed the fruit of the Adonai divine flower, the gestation of the young within its body has kept the purple beast in a state of weakness.

The riverside is in disarray, with massive cliffs shattered into countless fragments, towering trees toppled on either side, and traces of lightning strikes and fire everywhere, suggesting the intensity of the battle; both the purple jackal and the gray wolf are nowhere to be found

At this moment, Su Mingyan had already abandoned his initial thoughts, circled around the giant tree, and stood beside the corpse of the gray wolf. As a king among wild beasts, the gray wolf possessed immense strength, and its hide was tougher than that of the giant lizard. It was merely a delusion to think that one could dissect the gray wolf's body with a spearhead crudely made of flint to extract anything useful. The purple beast and the gray wolf were engaged in a struggle, and the wild beast retreated. Before long, some high-level wild beasts that had already attained spiritual awareness would come to observe, so it was better to leave this place early. Turning around, he saw the purple beast laboriously turning its head, its eyes fixed on his chest—the place where the fruit of the Adonai divine flower was hidden; its slightly bulging abdomen was gently rising and falling.

Su Mingge often said that the king of the wild beasts, which has survived for hundreds of years in the wilderness, has already attained spiritual awareness; this purple beast may have never had any malicious intent from the very beginning

Su Mingyan has a long wound under his rib that has not yet healed to this day, occasionally oozing fresh blood. The night before last, he was caught off guard by the gray wolf, which unleashed a wide range of rock spikes, causing a sharp spike that suddenly erupted from the ground to cut into his rib.

The purple beast gently rolled the crystal core a few times on the decaying leaves with its paw, wiping away the bloodstains, and then held it in its mouth

Su Mingyan did not understand why she was following the scent, and turned to face the purple beast. She had never seen any records of spiritual beasts repaying kindness with enmity, yet Su Mingyan still felt a sense of unease in her heart

Su Mingyan fetched clean water to wash the wounds of the purple beast, applying herbs without knowing whether they would be effective against the wild creature. At least, they waited until the deity of the bright moon and stars, Changxi, once again cast her cold light upon this land, at which point the deep wounds on the purple beast, visible to the bone, finally began to close, ceasing the flow of blood.

A massive shadow loomed overhead. Suddenly looking up, Su Mingyan was taken aback to see a gaping maw descending from the air. He quickly retreated a yard, swiftly raising a shield of air in front of him. The anticipated attack, however, did not occur. The enormous body of the purple beast was stuck in the branches of a giant tree, presumably caught by the tree's limbs during its final leap, leaving it unable to struggle free.

Su Mingyan felt a great headache; he believed that just because he had shown some favor to Zisuan, he could unleash his anger on this beast. Seeing that the beast was quite insistent, he could only reluctantly prepare a portion of roasted meat, while the rest remained raw.

Beasts of the wilderness such as the Cang Wolf and the Purple Suan may not be found even one within a radius of hundreds of miles

Only a little over a month remains until the agreed time, and this place is still three thousand miles away from Yujia. The female fruit in the belly of the purple beast is gradually showing its miraculous effects. The purple beast, with its swollen belly, is regaining its strength, although it cannot compare to its former power and speed as a kingly wild beast. The chaotic fire spirit cannot be unleashed at will, but even the occasional breath of chaotic fire spirit is not something an ordinary wild beast can withstand

Su Mingyan turned his head to take a glance, feeling an involuntary sense of reluctance in his heart, but he walked away without looking back

The purple flame-like fur pressed against Su Mingyan's feet, smooth and silky. Su Mingyan couldn't help but bend down to grasp her neck fur, which appeared the softest and shiniest. The purple beast slightly turned its head, as if enduring an itch, rubbing its disheveled head against Yan's leg.

The Chubu River here has a very small flow, yet it has not run dry. Over the millennia, dense forests have grown along both banks. The water droplets that condense at dusk have long since turned into white frost. Yan listens to the roars not far away, gazing at the swirling dust and the fallen towering trees under the light of the stars and moon. In the past few days, he has remained dumbfounded, not daring to approach even a step closer.

The purple creature struggled to emerge from the wisteria, walked to Su Mingyan's feet, opened its mouth, and spat the black crystal core at Su Mingyan's feet, then lay down close to his feet

Ultimately, it is for the benefit of Zisuan herself. Zisuan did not show much pride and lay obediently by Su Mingyan's feet. Su Mingyan was not very skilled in fire control, occasionally causing sparks to fly. Concerned that they might land on Zisuan, he attempted to drive her away, but she paid him no mind.

Using fire talismans to control the flames for roasting meat, it took no time at all for Su Mingyan to become utterly exhausted, feeling even more fatigued than after a fierce battle. The purple beast, known as the ancestor of fire manipulation, looked at the orange flames that emerged from Su Mingyan's palm, which were unworthy of comparison to the chaotic flames. The disdain evident in the creature's eyes greatly irritated Su Mingyan, who felt that this purple beast was excessively intelligent, almost akin to a human, except for its inability to speak human language.

Su Mingyan took out the green fruit and glanced at it. Although he found many aspects of the green fruit strange, he could not fathom its significance, ultimately deeming it useless. If Mo Jiebo and Wu Mishing were to discover it, he feared they would resent him for deceiving them. Since you have fought with the Canglang over this green fruit, resulting in mutual destruction, it would be better to leave the green fruit here, allowing you to rest in peace. Perhaps a hundred years from now, a Yinyan flower will bloom in this place. He threw the green fruit far away, and it landed right by the mouth of the purple beast.

With a crisp "crack," the branch could not withstand the weight of the purple beast, and it fell along with the broken branch, creating a large pit in the soft mud formed by the accumulated decaying leaves

Su Mingyan saw the purple beast seemingly seeking refuge with him, and he couldn't help but chuckle silently, thinking: When did these kingly wild beasts ever have confidence in the food in their mouths? Since you trust me so much, I cannot let you down. The gray wolf has perished, and other creatures may come; they are not without their chances. At that time, you will at least be able to contribute in some way.

In this world, the light is vibrant and colorful, yet there is no black light. The crystal core seems to possess the ability to absorb light, creating a dark and shadowy space around it, as if it were flickering with black light

A person and a beast have lingered by the shallow waters of the Chubu River for nearly a month

The fruit that Su Mingge plucked is the female fruit of the Adonai divine flower, which contains the breath of life. However, apart from the secret techniques of the Vedic Pure Land sect that can independently stimulate the female fruit to grow into the Adonai divine flower, no other uses have been discovered. Its allure to the world is far less than that of the male fruit, which can be directly consumed to enhance cultivation or to directly extract and utilize the celestial holy power within.

When hunting wild beasts again, Zisan placed the raw meat she had divided in front of Yan, seemingly intending for Yan to roast it until it was fragrant and well-cooked

Su Mingyan's fire talisman technique has also made significant progress, enabling him to continuously throw dozens of fireballs without interruption

While Su Mingyan was cautious, there were also moments of carelessness; however, the sparks from the fire splashed onto Zisan, extinguishing themselves among the purple fur.

The purple beast, with its four legs, was unable to learn to gather dry branches, thinking they were materials for kindling. It opened its massive mouth and expelled a ball of chaotic fire essence towards the fresh meat, startling Yan with a flash of purple lightning. When he turned his head, he found that where the fresh meat had been, there was only a charred remnant.

Su Mingyan traveled east along the ancient course of the Chubu River, where lush aquatic plants thrived in the shallow waters. The fierce battle between the purple monkey and the gray wolf was so intense that wild beasts, sensing danger from dozens of miles away, kept their distance.

The purple hyena consumes no less than one hundred pounds of raw meat daily. If all of it were sliced thin, rubbed with salt rock to bring out the alkaline flavor, and wrapped in fragrant leaves for smoking, it is likely that Su Mingyan would hardly have time to go hunting, let alone time for cultivation

Su Mingyan laughed heartily. The Chaotic Fire Spirit is a unique skill of the Purple Suan, which directly condenses the power of the void's chaotic elements into a tangible form in the material realm. It can be said to be the purest fire in the world, with a temperature so high that not only a piece of raw meat but even refined gold and dark iron would melt.

Su Mingyan observed that although the purple beast was still quite weak, it no longer exhibited the desolation of a dying struggle. Its eyes had gained a bit of vitality, likely due to the green fruit it had consumed along with the books.

After a long while, the purple beast opened its eyes, and the brilliance within them was no longer as dim as before. It struggled a few times with its four hooves and managed to stand up with difficulty. Gazing at the crescent moon hanging above the treetops, it let out a low growl, lowered its head, and picked up a colorless, dull green fruit in its mouth, swallowing it whole. Glancing back at the nearby corpse of the gray wolf, it walked over, extended its sharp claws, and after several prods, extracted a perfectly angular black crystal core from the half-exploded head of the gray wolf.

Beyond the dense forest, the brilliance gradually dims, the sounds of gnashing teeth are no longer heard, and the earth-shattering roars also fade away. The dust that filled the sky gradually settles, and the two beasts can no longer be seen leaping over the treetops

The dense forest opened a path in the middle for two wild beasts, leading all the way to the water's edge

A rustling sound came from behind, as if a wild beast was passing through the forest

Su Mingyan did not dare to be careless, cautiously scanning the surroundings. He channeled his energy into his left arm, always ready to deploy a protective shield against an unknown attack that could come from anywhere. Yan had witnessed the scene of the purple beast spitting out chaotic fire spirits, a creature of immense strength, with muscles as robust as cast iron. Even when heavily injured, he was not entirely confident in his ability to confront it; the stealthy skills of the gray wolf were even more chilling.

The purple beast, which is nurturing its young within, has heightened this instinctual sensitivity to the utmost. As Mo Jie Bo Chen utilizes the celestial power contained within the male fruit to unleash the Thunderfall's strike, the female fruit responds, and the purple beast swiftly and accurately senses the location of this female fruit

The purple beast let out a low growl of frustration twice, but the wounds on its body prevented it from going out to hunt

Su Mingyan turned his head to look, and the purple beast was just emerging from the tangled branches of the wisteria, its wounds still not fully healed, continuously dripping fresh blood

The once chaotic riverside forest has regained its tranquility, bathed in moonlight like water. The green fruits are enveloped in a misty, milky glow, as if the moonlight has condensed around them. The purple beast's mouth slightly ajar, it gently inhales, drawing the green fruit into its mouth. The green fruit spins in mid-air within the purple beast's mouth, the milky glow intensifying, and the life essence contained within the green fruit is released through the milky light.

It is indeed not in vain to send you the green fruit. Su Mingyan laughed heartily, saying that the purple wolf, as a king among wild beasts, retains the dignity of a ruler even in death. Typically, when approaching the end of its life, it walks alone to the deepest part of Yanyun Mountain, distancing itself from other wild beasts and books. This purple beast likely cannot venture elsewhere.

After giving birth, the wild beast's body can become extremely weak. This is not only true for ordinary wild beasts but even more so for king-level wild beasts, which brings great danger to solitary wild beasts. Seeking remote places to give birth is merely a self-deceptive method. However, as an instinct of king-level wild beasts, the purple wolf can swallow the green fruit, from which it can extract the life energy needed for reproduction, thereby avoiding its own depletion.

The dawn is about to break, and the surroundings are filled with a hazy blue light, while the light in the forest remains quite dim

The battle for supremacy among the wild beasts is about to commence, with the Purple Lynx injured and the Azure Wolf dead. Even if the severely wounded Purple Lynx manages to return to its territory, it will still face challenges from other wild beasts

Perhaps for the sake of the young beast within, the purple beast set aside the dignity of being a king among wild beasts; although the purple beast had regained some vitality, the severe injuries it had sustained would require a long period of recuperation.

Su Mingyan believed that the fire talisman technique was meant to control the chaotic elemental forces of heaven and earth to generate elemental fire. Using dry wood to ignite a fire was less effective than directly employing the fire talisman technique. In this way, one could also refine their mental power and hone their fire control skills

It seems that the Purple Beast has achieved the final victory, yet the situation is not much better. Nevertheless, it has not abandoned its pride as the king of wild beasts. The charred and flesh-splattered head leans down, its eyes fixed on Yan, the purple light within them already dimmed. The gaping mouth, split at the roots of its ears, is agape, with long, deep lacerations on its lips, from which blood continues to drip.

It seemed like an illusion; Su Mingyan saw a look of gratitude reflected in the eyes of the purple beast.

The injuries of the purple beast have not healed, and Su Mingyan is concerned that she might follow him into the territory of other royal wild beasts, provoking their hostility. Thus, the man and the beast remain in place, with Su Mingyan diligently practicing the fire talisman technique as described in the method, while the purple beast contentedly enjoys the carefully roasted meat that Su Mingyan prepares for her each day

The gray wolf lay on the grass behind the giant tree, unable to evade the final strike of the chaotic fire spirit unleashed by the purple beast. Only a charred half of its skull remained, its blood completely burned away, its limbs limp, having died long ago

The scripture only mentions a wild beast called the fire weasel that is unafraid of fierce flames, yet it does not acknowledge that the purple scorpion is also immune to fire; upon reflection, it makes sense, for the purple scorpion expels balls of chaotic fire essence from its mouth, and if it were not immune to fire, it would have burned itself long ago