Chapter 1299: Breakout

Chapter 1299: Chapter 1299: Breakout

"Rats! It’s Firelight Beasts! A swarm of Firelight Beasts!" A disciple shouted in alarm after recognizing the incoming threat. Firelight Beasts, also known as Fire Rats, are technically rats, but adult Fire Rats weigh around two to three hundred pounds, comparable to a small calf. These creatures live in volcanic regions year-round, dislike water, and have fur that measures nearly a meter long, fine like silk. Their fur can be crafted into fireproof cloth, which self-cleans when dirty and exposed to fire, offering certain immunity against fire-related magic. Cultivators often use fireproof cloth as a material. Typically, only a dozen or so Firelight Beasts cluster together, but seeing the endless flow illuminating half the night sky, there must be over a thousand Firelight Beasts attacking them!

These Firelight Beasts are much stronger than Zhongshan Wolves. Not only has their general strength elevated a stage, reaching the Reincarnation Mirror, their rugged bodies offer significant resistance against attacks. More crucially, they naturally perform fire-based magic, turning everything in their path into scorched earth. Their sole weakness is an extreme aversion to water, with water-based attacks being highly effective.

Being aware of this trait, disciples from the Beast Taming Institute, under the direction of their masters, released their water-based Spirit Beasts to defend against the enemy.

A single-legged bird named Shangyang ascended into the sky, summoning a beneficial torrential rain. Further forward, the humanoid, jackal-bodied Huashe, known for its appetite for Firelight Beasts, stretched across the front lines, emitting a jarring hiss as torrents of water emerged from beneath it, extinguishing the flames on advancing Firelight Beasts, only to gobble them down one by one.

This scenario repeatedly played out around the devastated perimeter of the Spirit Beast Institute. Though the onslaught seemed momentarily contained, even ordinary disciples of the Beast Taming Institute could no longer casually laugh as before. Firelight Beasts, aware of their natural enemy, launched desperate assaults irrespective of the disparity. The Huashe, having swollen several times its size from consumption, could eat no more. It solely focused on biting and discarding dead Firelight Rats aside, yet it was overwhelmed by the relentless tide of attackers. Ultimately, a single Huashe, unable to withstand a severe mauling, was dragged, bleeding, into the swarm.

Watching a massive Huashe reduced to bones without uttering so much as a cry, the disciples of the Beast Taming Institute panicked. At that moment, a rumbling sound echoed from the distant sky.

"More...more! What have we provoked?" A disciple gazed at the distant horizon, despairing as something unknown, dark and dense, filled the sky, obscuring the moonlight.

"Elder Han, Elder Xiu, Elder Qiao! The enemies don’t mean well today! Staying here means certain death, are we still unable to send a distress signal to the sect?" Leng Shuyi realized that prolonging the battle would only increase enemy numbers; waiting for the main institute’s support was futile. He turned to his fellow disciples behind him for counsel.

Elder Han, hearing this, shook his head with a bitter smile: "There’s no way, all communication methods fail to transmit. However, I just killed Senior Brother Cao’s beloved Golden Rat left in the sect, which he adored and shared a bond with. Its death would certainly alert Senior Brother Cao to the calamity within the institute. Alas, we probably won’t hold out until reinforcements arrive."

"What about spatial transmission? The array is malfunctioning! I tried using Spatial Magic, but it seems affected!" Elder Xiu queried.

"I don’t know if it’s a flaw or a trap set by the enemy, yet the valley’s right side leaves a gap. If we break through there, we can use Space Technique. Whether we escape to safety is uncertain, but it’s better than sitting here waiting for death! Senior Brother Leng, with Senior Brother Cao absent from the Beast Taming Institute, it’s all up to you!" Elder Qiao urged.

"Yes! Senior Brother Leng, please make the decision!"

"Whether we live or die, I follow your lead!"

Amid the crowd of junior disciples, Leng Shuyi found himself in a dilemma at the crossroads. Just then, a disciple’s exclamation pulled him back to reality: "Profound Bees! It’s the Profound Bees! Ahhh~~~!"

The unknown objects emitting the rumble from afar finally revealed themselves as Profound Bees. Each Profound Bee was the size of a falcon, with a talisman-inscribed belly as big as a jug. A single Profound Bee posed little threat, a Three Corpses Realm disciple could easily dispatch it. The bees had fragile bodies, with their only danger being their chopstick-thick stinger. Once stung, venom would seep into the body, causing lumps the size of buns, while the venom confused its target, plunging them into unconsciousness. Even a Reincarnation Mirror cultivator, stung by several bees, may face peril. However, Profound Bees perish after stinging, avoiding a fight unless their territory is disturbed.

Yet the Profound Bees before them behaved preternaturally, disregarding their safety, much like the Zhongshan Wolves and Firelight Beasts. Airborne, the unfortunate Shangyang suffered as clusters of Profound Bees initially fell to its pecks but quickly overwhelmed it. A swarm pierced Shangyang’s frail body with their stingers, resulting in their simultaneous demise with it as they fell from the sky.

"Breakthrough!" Urgency allowed Leng Shuyi no room for hesitance. He shouted the order for a breakout: "Elder Han, Elder Xiu, deal with the bee swarm; don’t let them breach the ranks. Everyone else, lead your Spirit Beasts and follow me to break through!"

At Leng Shuyi’s command, Elders Han and Xiu surged forth. Rather than unleashing Spirit Beasts, they pulled long flutes from their sleeves. As internal energy slowly infused the flutes with air, their fingers deftly moved across it, producing elegant music that reverberated throughout the valley. Influenced by the melody, the organized attack of the Profound Bees faltered; they seemed aimless, like flies without heads, flying erratically.

With the Profound Bees no longer attacking, the pressure below dissipated. Led by Leng Shuyi, Beast Taming Institute disciples fitted their Spirit Beasts with specialized sleeves to cover their mouths and noses. Then each disciple reached into their Qiankun Bag, drawing a handful of powder, throwing it generously at the attacking vicious beasts.

The dark red powder showed no immediate effect, as Firelight Rats and remnants of Zhongshan Wolves intensified their frenzied attacks. But soon, as the red gleam in these creatures’ eyes grew, so did their madness. At this point, disciples revealed a porcelain bottle, applying its liquid upon themselves and their Spirit Beasts.

"The Beast Taming Institute truly has some skill!" Pei Yan, observing the scene below the mountain, admired sincerely.