Chapter 594 - 409: Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast (2)

Flying too high wasn’t an option either. A type of creature called the Lion Body Thunder Beast would appear in the Gangfeng Layer. Its body was composed almost entirely of incomparably pure Thunder Power, and once it spotted prey in the air, it would arrive in an instant.

Even someone as capable as Qiqi was unwilling to face a Lion Body Thunder Beast’s pounce in mid-air. Within the Golden Core Realm, this kind of attack was incredibly difficult to deal with.

With the Lion Body Thunder Beast harassing them from above and the immense suction force from the black clay below, ordinary Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment cultivators from the outside world would have no way of entering the valley without a special path.

According to the intelligence Tu Wuzhao had previously acquired, the Ghost Cultivator who had escaped from that small world during the Reclamation War had fled deep into the Barbaric Land. While seriously injured, he was sucked into this Land of Heavy Earth and had been trapped here for a full sixty years.

It seemed he had recently recovered some of his strength and sent a message to the outside world. Someone received it, and just like that, he revealed his location, allowing Tu Wuzhao to make the first move.

BOOM!

Within the Sea of Black Earth, earthen tornadoes that resembled octopus tentacles or a frog’s tongue would occasionally erupt. They shot up to extreme heights in an instant and, as if alive, would deliberately sweep toward any source of life force.

"Those are earthen tornadoes controlled by the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast. It drags living creatures underground, buries them in this heavy earth, and then slowly eats them as food." Qiqi squatted on Jinbao’s shoulder, her little paws tucked together. Tilting her head, she patiently explained to Fang Qingyuan. As an old neighbor of the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast, Qiqi knew it very well.

"How deep is it beneath the heavy earth? A thousand zhang?"

Fang Qingyuan asked Qiqi, his attention split as he stared at the raging earthen tornadoes before him. This Land of Heavy Earth was boundless, like a vast ocean. The place where the Ghost Cultivator was trapped was just one small corner of it. ’Without a special method, this will truly be like finding a needle in a haystack.’

"I’m not sure about the specifics. I heard from the Old Ancestor that the deepest part of this Land of Heavy Earth is probably ten thousand zhang deep. The Geomagnetic Power at that depth is sometimes too much for even the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast to bear, so it doesn’t dare to dive that far down. And the most troublesome part is that the subterranean portion of this Land of Heavy Earth flows about freely, like a dark current. After all this time, the location where the Ghost Cultivator sent his message has probably shifted."

After following Fang Qingyuan for some time, Qiqi’s intellect was now in no way inferior to that of an ordinary person. Her ability to analyze the situation so thoroughly was a clear testament to her wisdom.

At this, Fang Qingyuan’s expression turned grim. ’It would be one thing if this Land of Heavy Earth was only the area outside Awakening Lion Valley. But if its subterranean portion also connects to the ground beneath the valley, then this is going to be a disaster.’

’My greatest fear is that this deep subterranean earth acts like a dark river, connecting this entire region with the land beneath the front and middle sections of Awakening Lion Valley. An area of several hundred thousand square kilometers... that would give me plenty to search.’

’No wonder Tu Wuzhao was so generous. So this is where the real difficulty was waiting for me.’

As they ventured deeper, the earthen tornadoes grew larger and more frequent.

"The Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast must be close," Qiqi asked Fang Qingyuan, who was positioned ahead of her. "Should we avoid it, or go and say hello?"

After pondering for a few moments, Fang Qingyuan replied:

"Let’s say hello first. We can also ask if it’s noticed any unusual auras beneath the heavy earth. I imagine the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast would be quite annoyed by the Ghost Cultivator’s presence."

"Alright, let’s go talk to the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast. But it’s used to being a loner and isn’t very mentally mature, so communication might be difficult. Besides, as a human Cultivator, you won’t have its trust by default. So, let me handle the initial approach."

Qiqi leaped off Jinbao’s shoulder and stopped a dozen or so zhang above the Land of Heavy Earth. In the next instant, her body suddenly expanded. When Qiqi revealed her true form, she had become a ferocious, five-zhang-long behemoth.

"You and Jinbao, get on my back. I’ll take you to find it."

Qiqi tilted her head, extending the invitation to Fang Qingyuan. He didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately brought Jinbao onto her back.

It felt like stepping onto the most luxurious carpet. The soft sensation under his feet was quite pleasant for Fang Qingyuan.

"Let’s go! This vast land of heavy earth is mine to roam! Right now, I, Qiqi, am queen!"

Having left the human world, returned to the familiar Barbaric Wilderness, and escaped from Bear Wind’s supervision, Qiqi seemed to have awakened her true nature. She became chatty and unrestrained.

In her true form, Qiqi sped through the Sea of Heavy Earth, where earthen tornadoes periodically erupted. She sang at the top of her lungs, plunging straight into whatever area had the densest cluster of tornadoes.

When earthen tornadoes were rising from all directions, a delighted look appeared on Qiqi’s face. The entire Sea of Black Earth seemed to awaken, churning with massive waves of soil. A series of dull roars echoed from beneath the waves, and the oppressive might of the Nascent Soul Stage surged up from below.

"It’s here! The Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast! A super-sized dummy!"

Fang Qingyuan was left a little speechless by Qiqi’s excited description. Meanwhile, Jinbao, influenced by her, had also become uncontrollably excited.

"AWOO! AWOO!"

’Thankfully, Jinbao can’t speak and can only express himself with howls,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’Otherwise, my ears would be suffering a dual assault of noise pollution.’

The Land of Black Soil was now churning with giant waves, just like an ocean. Before long, a massive whirlpool formed in the black earth ahead. A colossal beast, forty to fifty zhang long, leaped out from the center of the whirlpool, only to plunge back into another one moments later.