Chapter 33: The Qinglian Lantern

"This is a mid-grade spirit weapon I obtained, the Qinglian Lantern," Mu Qingcheng explained, noticing Chu Xiaotian's gaze. "It can disperse the white fog in the core area, allowing spiritual power to be effective. However, its light has a limited range, up to a hundred meters."

"That's sufficient," Chu Xiaotian nodded, then fully extended his spiritual power. He discovered that the lantern indeed allowed him to use his spiritual power effectively, penetrating the surrounding fog. It was indeed a valuable item.

"Your spiritual power is stronger than mine, so you will take the lead in scouting. I will guide the direction," Mu Qingcheng instructed after sensing Chu Xiaotian's spiritual power spreading out.

"Alright," Chu Xiaotian agreed. With his spiritual power, he could navigate the darkness as if he had a pair of bright eyes, allowing him to see clearly even in the pitch-black environment.

"Go this way, yes, right here," Mu Qingcheng directed, and Chu Xiaotian led the way. Their cooperation was seamless as they moved closer to their intended destination.

"Stop!" Chu Xiaotian suddenly shouted when they were only a few dozen meters away from their goal, swallowing hard.

"What happened?" Mu Qingcheng asked, her brow furrowed in concern as she hadn't deployed her spiritual power and was unaware of any danger.

"See for yourself." Following Chu Xiaotian's suggestion, Mu Qingcheng extended her spiritual power and instantly stiffened, her face turning pale. In front of them was a Yao King, a massive beast the size of a small hill blocking their path. Under the detection of spiritual power, its appearance was even more distinct than what could be seen with the naked eye.

It had brown fur, each strand standing up like a sharp sword. Its muscular limbs exuded explosive power, and its face was terrifying and ferocious. Its pitch-black eyes, devoid of whites, sat on an ugly face covered in brown fur. Its enormous mouth, filled with sharp, foul-smelling teeth, was intimidating.

"A Jackal Tiger Beast." Both Chu Xiaotian and Mu Qingcheng recognized the Yao King and screamed in unison, their faces turning extremely pale. The Jackal Tiger Beast was a hybrid of a jackal and a fiery tiger. Jackals were agile and ruthless, never relenting in their pursuit of prey, while fiery tigers were immensely powerful, with few rivals within the realm of Lingyuan.

This Jackal Tiger Beast combined the traits of both, making it one of the strongest Yao creatures within the Lingyuan realm. The one before them had reached the ninth level of Lingyuan, a level where even human warriors who had just stepped into the Xuanling realm would struggle to defeat.

"Fight or flee?" Chu Xiaotian asked Mu Qingcheng, relieved they hadn't encountered the worst-case scenario of a Yao King in the Xuanling realm.

"We're close to our destination, and we haven't faced much danger on our way here. Let's take a gamble and see if we can reach our goal," Mu Qingcheng decided after a moment of hesitation.

Mu Qingcheng drew her Ice Snow Sword, and instantly the temperature around them plummeted, making even Chu Xiaotian shiver. Sighing, Chu Xiaotian drew his Zhan Tian Sword. The sword rang crisply, echoing like thunder, even making the Jackal Tiger Beast's pitch-black eyes narrow slightly.

"Roar!" Sensing the fighting and killing intent of the two humans, the Jackal Tiger Beast roared skyward. The roar was terrifying, exploding the air around it and reducing nearby trees to dust.

"Strong!" Chu Xiaotian and Mu Qingcheng's faces turned solemn as they braced themselves.

"Quick!" The Jackal Tiger Beast saw them as prey. Those targeted by it faced only two outcomes: kill or be killed.

The Jackal Tiger Beast closed the hundred-meter distance in a breath, its sharp claws cutting through the air towards them. "Clang!" The two barely had time to defend themselves. The impact of the beast's attack penetrated their spirit weapons, striking their bodies.

"Spit!" Both spat blood, staggering back several steps, their faces turning pale.

"Attack together, don't give it a chance to strike," Chu Xiaotian instructed, stabilizing his surging qi and blood.

"Okay," Mu Qingcheng agreed without hesitation.

"Kill!" They launched a coordinated attack, their swords shining brightly and striking with extreme speed. The coldness of their attacks even made the powerful Jackal Tiger Beast shiver.

"Sword Draw Technique!" "Ice Snow Sword!" They both unleashed their attacks simultaneously. Their swords reached the beast almost instantly, striking its body mercilessly.

The Jackal Tiger Beast, sensing the threat, bristled its brown fur, forming a shield that withstood their attacks. "Clang!" The two-meter-long sword lights exploded with brightness

, but the beast remained unharmed.

"Bad," both thought simultaneously, seeing the beast's face twist into a cold, mocking smile.

"Heavy Sword Technique!" Chu Xiaotian reacted quickly, his sword striking down like a thousand-pound mountain, then swiftly moved in front of Mu Qingcheng to shield her from the beast's fierce attack.

"Spurt!"