"Who said I didnât bring it with me? Iâve always had it with me." As Xia Youchen spoke, he performed a few hand formations, and the long-missed figure of the Qiongqi Divine Beast appeared before them.
However, at this moment, the Qiongqi Divine Beast was gazing at Xia Youchen with a tearful look in its eyes, trembling all over, looking so aggrieved that it left everyone stunned.
Is this really the Qiongqi Divine Beast they saw last time? Is it truly one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts from legend? Mu Hanyan was deeply suspicious.
"How would I know whatâs wrong with it? Ever since I brought it out of the Exotic Beast Valley, it hasnât had a single good day. You guys have no idea how hard it is to cater to it, how picky it is. It eats nothing but elixirs, strange flowers, and herbs, and its appetite is enormous. One meal can consume hundreds of elixirs and thousands of medicinal herbs.
Poor me, hiding in the Exotic Beast Valley for years, I didnât have much savings. Within just over a month, everything I had saved up was eaten away, and it had to starve after that. Youâd think starving is fine, but the problem is, Iâve already signed a Lifebound Contract with it. If it starves too much, it will consume my qi.
I was originally hoping to quickly regain my Sword Saint Realm strength, but now, my strength has been declining day by day, even worse than when I was in the Exotic Beast Valley." Xia Youchen complained, tears in his eyes, his face full of bitterness and helplessness.
"Uh..." Mu Hanyan sympathized with Xia Youchen.
Actually, her Little Auspicious Beast was similar. To grow quickly, ordinary food wouldnât do; it had to be elixirs or strange flowers and herbs. Fortunately, she hadnât established a Lifebound Contract with the Little Auspicious Beast, so even though the little guy often starved until it was drowsy and napping, it didnât affect her much.
But Xia Youchen, obviously, wasnât as fortunate.
"Awoo... awoo..." The Qiongqi howled twice and suddenly lunged at Xia Youchen.
It looked like it wanted to rush into his arms for comfort and caresses, but it was slightly too big, and accidentally knocked Xia Youchen to the ground.
"Look, look, I guess itâs hungry again. If things keep going like this, not to mention my cultivation, my very life will be eaten away by it." Xia Youchen got up with a dusty face, on the verge of tears, and said pathetically.
"Awooo awuuu..." The Qiongqi squatted pitifully by Xia Youchenâs side, whimpering with an aggrieved appearance.
"Alright, alright, Iâll find you something to eat. Iâll figure out a way to get you some food." Xia Youchen patted the Qiongqiâs head with a bitter expression and said.
"Wait, I think I know what itâs saying." Mu Hanyanâs heart was stirred.
Humans have their own language, and beasts have theirs. At least, legendary Divine Beasts like Qiongqi do have their own language, though most people canât understand it.
In theory, Mu Hanyan shouldnât have this ability either, but whatâs astonishing is that she really understood it.
Could it be that this is the Divine Beast Memory gained from the Nine-Turned Soul Pill? In fact, those memories were blurry and vague, more illusory than the images seen in the Mysterious Star Plate, so even Mu Hanyan herself didnât know what they actually contained; theyâve just been deeply imprinted in her heart.
Mu Hanyan even mistakenly thought that at least for a long time, those memories left by the Divine Beast would be of no use to her.
Until this moment, she realized that those memories were actually useful, just that they couldnât usually be utilized nor did she know how to use them. At the right moment, perhaps they would naturally play their role, just like now.
"What did it say?" Xia Youchen, thinking along similar lines, asked eagerly.
Although he had long suspected that Mu Hanyan understood Spirit Summoning Beast Language, and even surpassed him, he knew that Spirit Summoning Beast Language and true beast language were different, much less the Divine Beastâs language. It was typically used for performing the Beast Taming Technique but does not enable true understanding of the language. Since Mu Hanyan could understand Qiongqiâs language, it must be due to the inheritance from the Divine Beast Memory.
"It said, itâs not picky; itâs just a vegetarian." Mu Hanyan said with an odd expression.
After hearing her words, everyone else had an equally strange expression.
Vegetarian! One of the legendary Four Great Fierce Beasts, itâs actually vegetarian, would anyone believe it if this spread?
Even Mu Hanyan herself thought she must have misheard, but as soon as she spoke, the Little Qiongqi became very excited, howling and nodding vigorously, clearly affirming Mu Hanyanâs words.
"A vegetarian, how could it be a vegetarian, why didnât I think of that?" Xia Youchen suddenly slapped his forehead, said dejectedly.
Zirong and the others, seeing Xia Youâs dejected look, were quite at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Although they hadnât met Xia Youchen before, they had heard a bit about the happenings at the Exotic Beast Valley, and combining Mu Hanyan and Xia Youchenâs words, they more or less guessed the reason behind the matter.
Xia Youchen had been hunted down by the Anyun Royal Family and various aristocratic families for over a thousand years. After leaving the Exotic Beast Valley this time, without regaining his strength, he wouldnât easily show himself, most likely hiding in remote mountain ranges, and the food heâd find for Qiongqi were likely to be mainly birds and beasts.
This made sense, as almost all powerful Exotic Beasts on the Holy Court Continent were carnivorous, much less one of the legendary Four Great Fierce Beasts.
Who could have thought, itâs vegetarian, this proud Fierce Beast, one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts, is actually vegetarian.
You can imagine how many â...â are rushing through Xia Youchenâs mind at this moment.
"Then ask it again, just now I was nearly on my last breath, why didnât it come out to help when I kept summoning it?" Xia Youchen struggled to suppress the urge to hit his head against the wall and continued.
Turns out, it wasnât that he didnât want to summon the Qiongqi, but that the creature simply wouldnât obey him.
The Little Qiongqi, upon hearing this, stood up suddenly and howled a few more times.
"It said, that was the legendary Aolai Divine Beast, the emperor among beasts in the Primordial times; how could it dare offend. As soon as it sensed its presence, its legs turned to jelly." Mu Hanyan translated.
The Aolai Divine Beast, the emperor among beasts in the Primordial times! Listening to Mu Hanyanâs explanation, everyone gasped.
The Qiongqi, as one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts, wasnât considered weak even among a plethora of Divine Beasts, yet it didnât even have the courage to offend, indicating how formidable the Aolai Divine Beast was at its peak.
Luckily, Zhao Lingxian didnât manage to seize it; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"The Aolai Divine Beast, why have I never heard of it?" After translating for the Little Qiongqi, Mu Hanyan looked at it with confusion.
Others were equally curious; like Mu Hanyan, theyâd never heard of a Divine Beast by the name of Aolai.
The Little Qiongqi didnât have the bad habit of being deliberately mysterious and immediately began howling again, a look of pride on its face.
Upon hearing its answer, Mu Hanyanâs expression became even more surprised.