Devour

Chapter 457 All Forces Gather

The area in front of Zhumapo was bustling with people.

On the plaza, strangely shaped and varying-sized spirit beasts roamed about under the command of the cultivators, their cries mingling with the chatter of the crowd, creating a unique and bustling symphony.

The sword-like camel, which is over ten meters tall, stopped on the west side of the square. Its thick, pillar-like fleshy armor on its back supported the simple wooden awnings that people had built to shield it from the scorching sun.

A slender, tall, dark-skinned boy in armor leaped out of the wooden shed and stood atop the dragon's head on the sword camel, hands on his hips, his bright eyes scanning the surroundings with curiosity and longing.

"The cultural charm of Taowu Academy is unparalleled, and it has a great many experts. What do you think, Bard?" The boy's slightly immature voice could not hide his nervousness.

Bard, with her slender figure and a pair of pure white wings, gracefully floated down from the back of the sword-camel dragon to the ground, and gently comforted him, "Don't worry, although you have just entered the Fusion Realm, you will definitely not be at the bottom in this competition."

Behind the broad back of the sword-like camel dragon, behind the spine-like fleshy pillar, peeked out an old face with a pointed snout and monkey-like cheeks, its eyes gleaming with sharp light.

The face suddenly grinned and chuckled: "Haha, with me, 'Stuck-in Killing Star,' serving as the protector of the Ink Emperor's son, Your Highness will no longer need to worry about complicated matters."

Bard turned his head and replied calmly, "Senior Diao Jin, are you really determined not to return to the Tu Min Society?"

"The Tumin Society is now defunct in name only, and those with ambition have gone their separate ways. I have high hopes for Prince Mo, who is a descendant of the royal family of the Wolf Clan and carries the destiny of an emperor, so I am willing to follow him."

As Diao Jin walked and talked, he was like a nimble monkey, sliding down the long tail of the sword-like dragon as if on a slide, landing as lightly as a leaf. He said with a grin, "Hehe, I eat little and my wages are low, so you two can rest assured!"

The dark-skinned, armored youth was none other than Mo Ruyu. He didn't respond to the conversation, but instead focused his attention on the north side of the square, staring intently at several masked cultivators leading silver griffins toward the inn in the distance.

"They are from the Wraith Sect of Beilin Ice Continent, and their leader is the young sect master, Hu Hanshang." Mo Ruyu narrowed her eyes, pondering and weighing the pros and cons. "The Hu family is, after all, one of the renowned Nine Sects and Ten Schools. Why would they only be willing to stay at the Zhumapo Inn?"

Bard frowned slightly, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes, and deliberately lowered his voice: "Disgusting fellows who spend all their time with corpses, they bring an eerie atmosphere wherever they go. They're probably not allowed to enter the high-level inns within the Taotie Academy."

Diao Jin scoffed, "It's not that the academy is discriminatory; it's just that the Hu family is known for its stinginess. When Hu Qian Gui, the leader of the Wangliang Sect, was young, he participated in the imperial examination. To save money, he didn't hesitate to travel a million miles, enduring wind and rain, to reach Mount Sumeru. This kind of family tradition has been passed down to Hu Han Shang's generation. It's already quite extravagant that they're willing to rent silver griffins as mounts. They'd rather stay in cheap inns, which is in line with the Hu family tradition."

During the conversation, a tiger's roar suddenly rose.

A dark moon tiger with jet-black fur and a crescent moon mark on its forehead came to a steady stop beside them. A young man in a yellow robe carrying a sword box leaped off the tiger's back and greeted them: "Fellow Daoists, welcome to Chang'an on the Immortal Path."

Mo Ruyu returned the greeting and said, "Young Master Chang Yufeng, I have long admired your name. The Zhenyu Sword Sect is renowned throughout the world, why have you come alone?"

Chang Yufeng gently patted the neck of the Dark Moon Tiger. The mighty beast lay down as docilely as a well-behaved cat, its back still taller than an ordinary person.

"My master instructed me to take good care of his spirit beast, but I don't know where he went!" Chang Yufeng shook his head helplessly, then thought for a moment and smiled to explain himself, "My master has many old friends in the academy, so he must have gone to catch up with them."

Mo Ruyu's eyes flickered slightly as she guessed, "Yesterday, there was a sudden change in the world, and it is said that there was a great commotion at the academy. Senior experts are most attentive and vigilant to sensitive rumors, so they must be trying to find out the details."

These words seemed to make the atmosphere around them much heavier.

Chang Yufeng's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist Mo, have you also noticed the anomaly? Yesterday morning, around the end of the Chou hour (1-3 AM), the stars shifted, and the earth's veins trembled. Although it lasted for less than a quarter of an hour, it shook all living beings. My master once said that the Taotie Academy holds ancient secrets..."

Before the words were finished, a sharp whooshing sound rang out from the sky, and several streaks of light tore through the air waves, rushing past. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be long, wingless flying armors of the Radiant Dragon, with both men and women on them.

Chang Yufeng focused his attention and discerned, “The Dongsang Sword Sect, the Beiling Sword Sect, the Jingtao Sect, and other forces have gathered, and even the King of the Dingling Clan from the distant outer realms has appeared. That half-demon woman is named Lu Xiaoxi, and it is said that she has successfully passed the imperial examination and has become famous.”

Diao Jin stroked his sparse beard and laughed, "In previous years, the candidates from other regions who came to the Five Continents to participate in the imperial examinations were far inferior to the local experts. In the end, they all became stepping stones for the Eight Great Kings to hone their skills. At best, they were only at the level of the Lu family women, the early stage of the Wuwei Realm. In some continents of the other regions, they would be considered unparalleled talents, but in the Taotie Academy... hehe, they are only of average or below-average talent."

Chang Yufeng solemnly said, "Senior, please do not underestimate the geniuses from other regions. Just now, I saw another young expert riding a flying armor outside. She is definitely not from the Five Continents. Her cultivation is almost approaching that of the Slaughtering King. She is also a woman!"

Mo Ruyu said in a deep voice: "Times have changed. Above all the holy sons and in addition to the eight bright kings, there are now the sons of the heavenly emperors, which can be described as an unprecedented phenomenon! After the examination, the Heavenly Ladder Ranking will be re-arranged, and the rankings of all the sages will be re-determined."

Chang Yufeng laughed and said, "Heroes emerge in great numbers, and dark horses often appear unexpectedly. Perhaps we can bet on the right horse in the imperial examination!"

A deafening roar came from high above, and the clouds that had been as serene as cotton instantly surged like waves.

Three ships from different directions sailed in from afar, each with a different appearance: some ancient and majestic, some dignified and otherworldly, and some magnificent and solemn. They all cruised with an air of superiority, their presence swallowing the vast sky.

Bard identified the origins of each vessel: "The closest one, the Sky-Patrolling Spirit Ship, comes from outer realms, and its owner's identity is a mystery. The smaller one is the Huian Spirit Ship under the World Honored One Sect. The furthest and smallest one... hey! It's not an ordinary spirit ship, but the Hidden Sky Flying Armor of the Longevity Society!"

Chang Yufeng enthusiastically took over the conversation: "Only the Longevity Society in the Five Continents possesses the Hidden Sky Flying Armor. It looks small on the outside, but it actually contains a universe within it, concealing unfathomable power!"

Looking at the flying magical artifact soaring through the sky, Mo Ruyu chuckled and said, "While others are flying freely in the sky, we can only run wildly on the ground. That's the difference in wealth."

"Those who walk on the ground are not necessarily inferior." Badnu nodded and pointed into the distance. "Look, those spirit beasts over there are quite rare!"

A giant lion, over a hundred meters long, was slowly approaching from the west. Its fur was like solidified ice crystals, gleaming with a cold light.

This colossal monster actually has two heads! The left lion head is covered with thick frost and snow, its icy blue eyes are as cold and clear as an abyss, and cold mist spreads with its breath; the right lion head flickers with firelight, its pupils are piercing like molten gold, and sparks fly from its mouth and nose.

The giant lion's broad back was adorned with an exquisitely built pavilion, from which shadowy figures occasionally swayed. Wherever it moved, cold mist and embers swirled around it, as if a blizzard were carrying a dying ember.

Mo Ruyu, standing high and seeing far, had already noticed: "The two-headed Snow Ember Lions, unique to the Western Mang Tuo Continent, are only tamed by the Ten Thousand Beasts Palace. They are very difficult to control; their wild nature is ferocious, and the slightest carelessness can easily lead to their backlash!"

Bard continued, "Looking fierce doesn't necessarily mean being powerful. The spirit beasts from the south are smaller, but their rank is a level higher."

The other end is a giant beast that is nearly a hundred meters long. Its body is as exquisite as jade. Its four hooves are in the air, riding on the rising water vapor. Ripples spread out under its feet, making it look like it is floating on the water.

Chang Yufeng gasped and blurted out, "This is an extremely rare Water-Controlling Golden-Eyed Beast, born with the ability to control water. It is said that only the Feitian Sect in Nanli Mingzhou keeps one, and it has not been heard of anywhere else."

On the back of the water-splitting golden-eyed beast, several exquisite pavilions stand amidst the hazy mist and shimmering lights. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, graceful human figures occasionally appear.

Mo Ruyu rested her chin on her hand and murmured, "The Feitian Sect has mobilized a large force and brought its sect's guardian spirit beast here. It seems they attach great importance to this year's Immortal Affinity Gathering."

“There are even more imposing and domineering guys! Look behind them.” Diao Jin looked up and gazed into the distance, his playful smile turning serious.