The First Summoner - Chapter 35

When Nangong Ying’s lackeys finally caught up, they found the princess sprawled on the ground, barely conscious. Their faces changed at once.

They hurried forward to help her up—only to catch a sharp, unpleasant smell.

Their pupils contracted.

The princess had… wet herself in terror.

“Princess!” Her lackeys were both shocked and afraid.

…

Shen Yan raced deeper into the right side of Lingyan Forest.

Along the way, she encountered more than a dozen spirit beasts of different shapes and sizes.

She had no interest in fighting them. Whenever possible, she passed without disturbing them.

Some, however, were too savage and bloodthirsty to avoid. Once those stronger beasts attacked, even Shen Yan found it difficult to disengage quickly.

She was wounded in several of the battles.

Spirit beasts were divided into three ranks—Spirit, Saint, and Divine—with ten levels in each.

Most of the beasts Shen Yan encountered were at or below the third level of the Spirit rank.

She could deal with those easily.

Against a fourth-level Spirit-rank beast or stronger, she had to reveal some of her true ability.

Nearly two hours later, Shen Yan used her movement skills and fire ability to bring down a fifth-level Spirit-rank beast.

She stood over the corpse, drawing several exhausted breaths. Blood stained her exquisite face, while her purple dress was soaked with both her own blood and the beast’s.

Shen Yan tightened her grip on the Crimson Flame Dagger. She stepped forward, split open the beast’s skull, and removed the crystal inside.

Spirit beasts at the fifth level or above formed beast crystals within their heads. The crystal embodied both their strength and their powerful mental energy.

It was a valuable prize.

Once she could cultivate, she would be able to refine the crystal and use it to increase both her mental power and her strength.

Shen Yan placed it inside her spatial domain.

“Ninefold, keep this safe for me.”

Ninefold answered eagerly.

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Shen Yan had a bad feeling.

But she was still trying to establish trust with Ninefold, so for now, she let it go.

She put away the Crimson Flame Dagger, took out wound powder and bandages, and dressed her injuries as simply as possible.

Then she continued deeper into Lingyan Forest.

She passed many flags along the way. Some had been planted in conspicuous places, while others waited in exceptionally dangerous locations.

She also saw contestants from different kingdoms fighting viciously over them.

People were dying everywhere for those flags.

Perhaps because everyone considered her useless, most contestants from the other kingdoms simply ignored her.

The deeper she went, the fewer cultivators she saw.

Then the bewitching man inside her spatial domain finally spoke.

“Three hundred meters ahead.”

Shen Yan’s heart pounded.

She forced down the surge of emotion and said, “Thanks.”

The man did not answer again.

Feng Xingyao held the Ninefold Demon-Suppressing Pagoda in his hand, reduced to its smaller form, and idly turned it between his fingers.

A dark, unreadable light crossed his cold and untamed eyes.

That sect…

It seemed to be up to something.

Outside, Shen Yan sped toward the Blood-Devouring Pearl’s location.

The closer she drew, however, the louder the commotion ahead became.

A large group had already gathered there.

Her heart sank.

She decided to investigate from hiding before revealing herself.

Using the forest’s dense foliage to conceal her body, she approached as quickly as she could.

There.

Shen Yan sprang onto the branch of a towering tree.

The movement disturbed the leaves.

Her expression shifted. Someone ahead immediately looked toward the sound.

Shen Yan steadied her breathing.

“What is it, Weiran?”

“I must have heard wrong.”

Zhuge Weiran’s clear, pleasant voice carried through the trees. He gave Shen Yan’s tree a thoughtful glance, then looked away.

His reaction drew the attention of the others.

Besides Zhuge Weiran, Shen Xue, Nangong Yu, Nangong Jin, and Lu Shaohuai were present. Five other geniuses from the remaining kingdoms stood with them.

They had not gathered here without reason.

The Soul-Severing Spirit Vine grew before them.

It was a combat-type spirit plant—and this one was Earth rank. Its strength rivaled that of a human cultivator in the Earth-rank realm.

Across the Pingze Western Region, anyone who reached that realm would be a major power in their own right.

The vine was not an opponent to take lightly.

Yet the geniuses had not gathered for the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine itself.

Hundreds of flags stood throughout its territory.

The number was staggering.

As the young master of a family specializing in spirit plants, Lu Shaohuai felt both fear and yearning the moment he saw it. He stared at the vine, desperate to form a contract with it.

Reality proved merciless.

No matter how strongly he released his affinity toward the spirit plant or tried to establish a connection, the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine gave him no response.

It simply had no interest in him.

Shen Xue’s delicate brows drew together.

“With the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine guarding this place, obtaining those flags will be far too difficult.”

“What if we join forces?” Nangong Yu asked.

He turned to Zhuge Weiran, whose cultivation was the highest among them, and spoke with unusual courtesy.

“Zhuge Weiran, should we work together?”

Zhuge Weiran smiled but did not answer at once.

Ouyang Hong, Crown Prince of Lianhua Kingdom, possessed the second-highest cultivation among them. His gaze swept over the hundreds of flags, thoughts shifting behind his eyes.

He frowned.

“For the sake of those flags, every one of us may die here. The Qiutian Sect has made this competition far more dangerous than anyone expected.”

Nangong Jin disagreed.

“The Qiutian Sect set this trial because they think highly of the nine kingdoms’ young geniuses. As the best among them, we ought to accept the challenge.”

The five geniuses from the other kingdoms nodded.

Ouyang Hong looked at Zhuge Weiran.

He remained silent.

Nangong Jin sneered.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid, Zhuge Weiran.”

Zhuge Weiran shook his head.

“Of course not.”

He looked around the group.

“We can cooperate, but I have one condition. If the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine attacks, we defend and counterattack together. If necessary, we retreat together. No one may sacrifice another person to save themselves.”

His smile faded.

“If anyone does, they will become my enemy.”

The others stared at him.

They had all heard that Zhuge Weiran was honorable, upright, and loyal to his companions.

Now that they had met him, the rumors appeared to be true.