Chapter 30: Saint-Rank Can Break It
–Fallen Whale Island
Thud!
Some creature passed nearby, its heavy footsteps causing the ground to cave in, leaving a trail of terrifying footprints.
Within the dense forest, a massive, thirty-meter-long fire dragon slowly revealed itself, its savage appearance radiating an unparalleled dominance.
An Illumination Stage, high-rank Hellfire Dragon. Crimson scales, burning with fiery sparks, and a thick, spiked tail that tore through the nearby trees.
–Meanwhile, inside the fire dragon…
“I can’t believe that Shui Qinghou actually has an illegitimate daughter…”
Lost in thought, the red-haired girl sighed and muttered to herself.
With the misunderstanding cleared, Gong Lianyue breathed a sigh of relief.
This beautiful red-haired girl must be the Saintess Candidate Hong Tao. Bai He had provided information about her: red hair and a Hellfire Dragon…
“By the way, Lady Hong Tao, why did you let me in? I was clearly wearing Wind Demon Palace clothes.”
“Hm? Because your hair is blue. And you were being chased by someone from the Wind Demon Palace. I was just wondering if you were playing some kind of trick.”
Having her identity guessed, Hong Tao explained without surprise.
Although she wasn’t a household name in the Sea Concubine Palace, recognizing her added credibility to the story.
After all, possessing a high-rank fire-attribute spirit beast in a water-attribute spirit domain was quite a remarkable thing.
Hair color…?
Gong Lianyue was speechless. At least with the Wind Demon Palace, she had changed her entire outfit. It was somewhat understandable that she had fooled them.
But Hong Tao was ridiculous. She had identified her as a Sea Concubine Palace member based solely on her hair color. Couldn’t she be a little more thorough?
“Lady Hong Tao, what’s going on? What’s the situation on the island? Why did my spirit beast lose control?”
“When I was pretending to be from the Wind Demon Palace, they mentioned something here that could suppress us. What is it?”
Hong Tao didn’t answer any of Gong Lianyue’s questions.
She stood up and traced a square shape on the reddish-amber membrane, creating an opening.
“See for yourself.”
Hong Tao sighed and collapsed back down, her face pale.
Using some kind of spirit technique, the opening in the flesh displayed the scene from the Hellfire Dragon’s perspective.
Gong Lianyue’s breath hitched, her heart heavy, as she watched.
“This is…?”
Through the Hellfire Dragon’s long-range vision, she saw a massive, dark figure floating above the island.
Fierce winds and black mist erupted from the figure, spreading outwards and engulfing the entire island, spreading fear.
Its terrifying, nearly hundred-meter-tall body resembled a demon god. Two massive black wings blotted out the sky, eight crow heads emerging from its swirling, mist-like body.
This was the culprit behind the attack on Fallen Whale Island, the high-rank spirit beast—the Eight-Headed Mist Crow.
Judging by its size, it was at the peak of the Dead Sea Stage. No wonder it hadn’t been detected by the Ice Shield Palace!!!
Gong Lianyue suddenly understood why the Wind Demon Palace girl had seen through her disguise. They hadn’t even considered the Ice Shield Palace. It didn’t matter how vague her questions were.
The Twelve Palaces of Ice were meant to intercept Samsara Stage Spirit Masters. No one could have predicted an attack from someone below that level.
“Wait, the Eight-Headed Mist Crow is only a high-rank spirit beast. Why aren’t the two Samsara Stage instructors doing anything?” Realizing something was wrong, Gong Lianyue quickly asked.
If it were just the Mist Crow, the Sea Concubine Palace wouldn’t be in such dire straits, and the little fox wouldn’t be so terrified.
“This Eight-Headed Mist Crow has the Fear talent,” Hong Tao sighed.
“Fear… talent…?”
After a few seconds of stunned silence, the blue-haired girl’s expression turned strange, a sense of absurdity washing over her.
Although it seemed unreal, it explained the current situation perfectly.
Talents were unique to companion spirit beasts; wild spirit beasts didn’t have them.
The higher the rank of the spirit beast, the greater the probability of obtaining a good talent upon contracting, like the Cloud Dream Flower’s [Cultivation Amplification].
Most low-rank spirit beasts had no talent, mid-rank spirit beasts had a moderate chance, and high-rank spirit beasts always had one.
And this Eight-Headed Mist Crow actually possessed the [Fear] talent, the tenth most powerful talent in the talent compendium…
It projected fear onto surrounding creatures, causing all low, mid, and high-rank spirit beasts within its range to perceive themselves as one rank lower.
This meant that when other high-rank spirit beasts sensed its aura, they felt as if they had suddenly become mid-rank, unable to muster the will to fight.
Not to mention mid and low-rank spirit beasts, who would probably be scared out of their minds.
No wonder the little fox was so terrified…
Saint-rank spirit beasts were rare, but the Sea Region still had a dozen or so. This Fear talent was, in a sense, even more fortunate than having a Saint-rank spirit beast.
“Those two instructors’ pampered spirit beasts probably can’t even stay calm. They’re probably hiding somewhere, waiting for an opportunity. We can’t count on them.”
“I’m different. My Hellfire Dragon crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. It’s not afraid of that thing.”
“Roar!!”
Hong Tao said proudly, and the Hellfire Dragon outside roared in agreement.
For a fire-type Spirit Master to reach this position in a water-type spirit palace, one could only imagine the brutal training she had endured.
“Then why don’t you try fighting it?” Gong Lianyue asked, puzzled.
“Duh, although we’re not afraid, we can’t win! That thing is almost at the Samsara Stage, and I’ve just barely entered Dawn and Dusk!” Hong Tao’s tone was matter-of-fact.
Gong Lianyue sighed worriedly. Even two Samsara Stage senior instructors couldn’t fight it. The other Sea Concubine Palace members must have suffered heavy casualties.
And in such a crisis, she, the Sorrowful Saintess, was pathetically hiding inside a Hellfire Dragon, afraid to even reveal her identity…
“Don’t worry so much. Reinforcements from the Sea Concubine Palace will arrive tomorrow, and the two instructors are definitely eliminating enemies in secret.”
“At least you’ll be safe with me!!”
“So we can’t do anything until reinforcements arrive? Is there no way to counter the Fear talent?” Gong Lianyue asked sadly.
“As for countering Fear, I can only think of two ways, but neither is likely to work. One is for the two senior instructors’ spirit beasts to muster up the courage to fight, but they’ve never experienced a real battle, which is ridiculous.”
“And the other way?”
“Saint-rank can break it,” Hong Tao hesitated for a moment before answering.
“…”
“Saint-rank can break it?” Gong Lianyue repeated, the deep blue tears in her eyes shimmering.
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