Plunder

Plunder...

Yao Sheng hesitated to attack Qin Wentian, not when a top-ten-ranked demonic beast stood before him. The prospect of absorbing the spirit of such a beast and condensing an Astral Soul from a constellation in the 5th Heavenly Layer filled him with wild ambition and excitement. Unlike the others, he lacked fear and trepidation.

In these testing grounds, death was different. If he perished, only his spiritual body would dissipate, losing the chance to return here. True death wouldn't be his fate.

For disciples of the Sky Demon Sect, the allure of a top-ten-ranked demonic beast was irresistible. They were willing to stake their lives for this opportunity.

"Everyone, how about we cooperate?" Yao Sheng proposed, eyeing Yue Qingfeng, Qian Mengyu, and the others.

The crowd's gazes wavered. Cooperation was possible, but who would ultimately claim the spoils? If one of them successfully absorbed the warbeast spirit, the others might unite against the fortunate one.

This scenario had recently played out against Qin Wentian.

"Ye Yue, what's your opinion?" Yue Qingfeng turned to a youth beside him for input. This youth wore robes adorned with the image of a river of constellations.

He hailed from the Venerate Heaven Sect, which held the utmost authority in the Grand Xia Empire. They controlled the rankings of cultivators, impacting entire nations. In Chu, for instance, they used a ranking system known as the Ten Prodigies.

"Let's cooperate," Ye Yue asserted, a glint of determination in his eyes as he focused on the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon.

The group spread out, forming a perimeter around the enraged beast, each summoning their Astral Souls.

The flood dragon roared furiously and lunged toward Yao Sheng, but Yao Sheng's beast blood surged with immense Demonic Qi. His Roc-like wings glimmered as he transformed into a streak of light, darting toward the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon.

Puchi! The dragon's razor-sharp claws missed Yao Sheng as he hovered in mid-air. Finding the perfect angle, he dashed forward, closing the gap between him and the dragon's head in an instant. His agility left Qin Wentian astounded.

Yet, the flood dragon reacted with remarkable speed. It opened its massive maw, attempting to devour Yao Sheng in one gulp.

Brnnn! A brilliant sword light exploded forth as Qian Mengyu ascended into the sky. Columns of undying sword rays relentlessly pierced the dragon's mouth, forcing it to close its maw to fend off the assault. During this brief respite, Yao Sheng's palm strikes transformed into a gigantic bear's paw, targeting the dragon's brain.

Yao Sheng and Qian Mengyu, despite being from opposing factions, displayed exquisite cooperation. Their timing and rhythm of attack complemented each other perfectly.

The dragon's head recoiled as Yao Sheng's terrifying combat prowess and his vibration effect rattled its brain. For a moment, the flood dragon was dazed. When it regained its senses, it swung its massive tail like a whip, its spiked scales resembling razor-sharp swords.

Yue Qingfeng also sprinted forward, employing the Garuda Movement Technique to dodge the dragon's colossal body. His target, too, was the dragon's brain.

Ye Yue followed suit, mirroring their movements.

Their coordinated attacks formed a remarkable synergy, each blow meticulously timed to complement the others. Their collective goal was to target the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon's brain, relentlessly striking until they achieved their aim.

"Every one of them is undoubtedly an elite, but in a one-on-one scenario, not a single person could contend with the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon. Yet, their cooperation has an effect beyond mere addition. It's as if one plus one equals more than two," observed Qin Wentian, fascinated by the spectacle of these exceptional warriors battling the dragon. Their synchronization rendered the flood dragon's formidable onslaught almost ineffective.

Qin Wentian watched in awe as the dragon roared furiously, twisting and turning through the air. Its serpentine neck elongated, and it lunged toward Qian Mengyu, ignoring the assaults on its body from the other elites.

"DIE!" Qian Mengyu's voice rang out as she channeled Astral Light into her palms, transforming it into a flurry of sword rays. Countless sharp blades formed a continuous, luminous stream, slashing relentlessly at the dragon's gaping maw.

The dragon lowered its head and continued its relentless charge toward her. Qian Mengyu's swords did draw blood, but they were still insufficient to inflict significant harm on the dragon.

Qian Mengyu attempted to retreat, but the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon had become consumed by rage, its rationality lost. It pursued her relentlessly, disregarding the attacks of the others. It was determined to eliminate one of the elites first, and this troublesome human proficient in sword arts was its primary target.

Qian Mengyu's face contorted with frustration as the relentless flood dragon closed in on her. Her evasive maneuvers could only last for so long, and she realized that she had no choice but to muster all her strength for defense.

Qin Wentian stood nearby, his gaze growing frigid as he observed the dire situation. "Over here," he called out to Qian Mengyu.

Without hesitation, Qian Mengyu dashed towards Qin Wentian, the determined flood dragon hot on her heels. The dragon lunged forward, its maw gaping wide, eager to sink its teeth into her.

In a swift and daring move, Qin Wentian executed the Garuda Movement Technique to the fullest extent. He dashed straight into the approaching jaws of the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon.

The dragon's eyes gleamed with cruelty as it snapped its massive jaws shut, intending to tear Qin Wentian apart with its razor-sharp teeth.

A pitiful whimper escaped Qin Wentian's lips as he seemed to retreat from the dragon's maw with the speed of the wind. An ancient halberd materialized in the space where he had been standing, its tip piercing the dragon's upper jaw and forcing its maw wide open.

"Success," Qin Wentian declared as he watched the dragon's enormous tail thrash about, tormented by pain. In a flash, he reappeared on the dragon's snout, his Falling Mountain Palms raining down with each strike, driving the ancient halberd deeper into the dragon's flesh, intensifying its agony.

The observers marveled at Qin Wentian's incredible luck and skill. He had managed to lodge the ancient halberd inside the dragon's maw just as it was about to clamp shut, creating an opportunity for them to unleash a barrage of attacks.

Gradually, the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon's form began to waver and lose substance, transitioning into a beast spirit.

Qin Wentian withdrew his ancient halberd, his palms poised to absorb the beast spirit. The others followed suit, eager to claim the spirit of one of the top-ten ranked beasts in the Warbeast Index.

The spirit of the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon roared menacingly as it lunged toward Qin Wentian. He felt his consciousness tremble violently as he too began to turn ethereal.

With an explosive retreat, Qin Wentian finally returned to his normal state, but his expression was grave and uneasy.

The flood dragon's spiritual consciousness had already transitioned into a beast spirit, yet it remained incredibly tyrannical. It invaded Qin Wentian's mental realm and launched a fierce assault on his consciousness. In this realm, everyone existed as spiritual consciousness, and any injury to one's consciousness meant fading away into oblivion.

Deafening roars shook the very fabric of the heavens and earth. Qian Mengyu, Yao Sheng, and the others were forced to retreat, their faces etched with unease. They had never faced a beast spirit this formidable.

Yao Sheng's body surged with his beast blood as he attempted to devour the beast spirit himself.

But the spirit of the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon had other plans. It dashed away, its cold, disdainful eyes locking onto the group. Even though it was now in spirit form, it made clear that no one could hope to absorb it.

The spirit of the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon was simply too dominant.

With dangerous narrowed eyes, it fixed its gaze on Qin Wentian, the very human who had destroyed its physical form.

The beast spirit howled and charged once more toward Qin Wentian.

Qin Wentian felt his consciousness trembling as spirals appeared on his palms. He channeled all his might into absorbing the spirit.

Those cold, bestial eyes glared cruelly at him, and it tried to shatter Qin Wentian's consciousness, causing his body to flicker in and out of existence.

Seeing this, Yao Sheng and the others stood by, unable to assist Qin Wentian. Qian Mengyu's eyes betrayed her anxiety, but she had no idea how to handle such a ferocious beast spirit.

"You dare to be so savage even in your spirit form," Qin Wentian sneered, his eyes ice-cold. He unleashed his Great Dream Astral Soul, creating an ethereal dreamscape. In this dream, he was an unrivaled figure, the Monarch of all beneath the Heavens, staring down at the pitiful beast spirit with utter contempt.

"Submit to me, you vile creature!" Qin Wentian's roar reverberated, thunder and lightning crashing down from the heavens to strike the spirit form of the flood dragon, inflicting intense pain upon it.

In its current spirit form, the flood dragon had no means to defend against Qin Wentian's dream-will assault. The power of dreams was a form of consciousness and will, capable of making opponents believe their experiences were real. How could a mere spirit body withstand such an onslaught?

Outside the dreamscape, the flood dragon's spirit became increasingly indistinct, fading in and out of existence as though it were slowly being absorbed by Qin Wentian. The once-tyrannical beast spirit seemed to have lost its will to fight and obediently prepared to submit.

"What's happening?" Their eyes were fixed on the wavering warbeast spirit, which seemed on the brink of dissipation. A sense of foreboding crept over them.

Could it be that Qin Wentian had already absorbed the spirit of the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon?

With a hiss, the beast spirit transformed into a column of bluish smoke that entered Qin Wentian's body. The demonic Qi radiating from him was even more potent than Yao Sheng's.

"No, he's trying to exit the testing grounds," Yue Qingfeng exclaimed in a panic. He remembered that during a previous conversation with Qin Wentian, he had casually explained how to exit the Spirit Beast Testing Grounds. One simply needed to become aware and gradually awaken their consciousness, peeling away the false layers of reality created by the testing grounds. However, this process required some time.

Qin Wentian had evidently utilized the time gap during the absorption of the beast spirit to prepare for his exit.

Yao Sheng and the others lunged forward upon realizing this, but to their astonishment, they found Qian Mengyu wielding her sword, blocking their path to Qin Wentian.

"Qian Mengyu, what the hell are you doing?" Yue Qingfeng shouted with cold intensity.

"He deserves the most credit for killing the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon. There's nothing wrong if he absorbs the beast spirit," Meng Qianyu replied icily.

"Get out of the way," Yao Sheng demanded, striding forward.

"There's no more time," Ye Yue muttered under his breath. They watched as Qin Wentian's body flickered and turned illusory, completely vanishing from the Spirit Beast Testing Grounds.

The realization struck them like a heavy blow – Qin Wentian had left with the spirit of the Blue-scaled Flood Dragon, the ninth-ranked demonic beast!