Chapter 66: Terrifying Beast, Heart Pounding Wildly!

After sending out the scouting scarecrow, Zhao Xing turned his attention to the newly acquired fairy fungus.

"A lower-grade wondrous item. I wonder if it increases longevity or vital energy."

The spiritual plant radiated a faint fragrance. He took a bite and soon learned the name and utility of the fungus.

[You have consumed the lower-grade wondrous item, 'Purple Lightning Spirit Fungus'. Longevity increased by 2 months, vital energy increased by 100 points, thunder magic proficiency increased by 150 points.]

"Huh? Why does it also grant lightning magic comprehension?" Zhao Xing felt a current of electricity coursing through his body.

With a single bite, he discovered that this Purple Lightning Spirit Fungus granted longevity, vital energy, and insights into thunder magic.

"It seems this fungus was not far from becoming a mid-grade wondrous item. Given a little more time, it probably would have truly entered the mid-grade ranks."

As for why it granted thunder magic comprehension, it was hardly random.

Zhao Xing had observed that the piece of decayed wood it grew on had been split by a lightning strike. Naturally, the Purple Lightning Spirit Fungus growing from the thunder-struck wood would impart insights related to lightning magic.

After consuming the entire fungus, Zhao Xing glanced at his status panel.

[Name: Zhao Xing]
[Realm: Unranked]
[Fortune: Second-tier Derivation]
[Qi Condensation: Sixth Stage (1156/10000)]
[Additional Longevity: 35 years]
[Spells: Basic Cultivation (Max Level)]
[Thunder Strike (Initial Grade): Seventh Turn (7784/9999)]
[Summon Lightning (Intermediate Grade): First Turn (1955/9999)]

After fully consuming the Purple Lightning Spirit Fungus, his longevity increased by two years, his vital energy by nearly a thousand points, and his thunder magic comprehension by over seven hundred points.

Because the gains were in thunder magic comprehension, both the [Thunder Strike] and [Summon Lightning] spells benefited.

Thunder Strike was approaching the eighth turn of mastery, and Summon Lightning was close to the second turn.

"Longevity only increased by two years, but I suppose it's a pleasant surprise."

Since taking down Qin Feng was essentially a free win, any extra years were deeply appreciated.

"Thump~"

His heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Having reached the sixth stage of Qi Condensation, absorbing the spirit fungus had taken only a quarter of an hour.

Zhao Xing noticed that the scouting scarecrow was now approaching the cave entrance.

"It seems there's no anomaly. Could that ferocious beast have gone out?"

Controlling the scarecrow to look left and right without spotting any beast, Zhao Xing grew a bit bolder.

"Whoosh~"

The scarecrow stopped pretending and sprinted straight into the cave mouth.

Because the scouting scarecrow did not inherit Zhao Xing's Bright Vision spell, the field of view darkened abruptly upon rushing into the cavern.

"Using a first-grade East Lake Pearl for eyes is still somewhat insufficient. When encountering such a complex environment, it can't cope."

"Next time, I should consider using a night-glow pearl or other treasures that can enhance dark vision."

Fortunately, the cave was quite large, and the lighting was passable, allowing him to barely see.

The cave was not damp; rather, it was well-ventilated and airy.

Barely five meters into the cave, restricted by the poor visibility, the scarecrow stepped on a dead branch, producing a crisp snap.

Zhao Xing made the scarecrow look down, only to realize that what was underfoot wasn't a dead branch at all, but an arm-thick bone!

"This cave is quite deep."

Zhao Xing continued forward, advancing safely for another ten meters or so. He found that there was still no end in sight; it was pitch black inside, and with a downward slope, the height of the cave was also increasing, surpassing seven or eight meters.

"This cave is way too big. What kind of ferocious beast could live in here?"

Such a massive cave naturally brought to mind a beast of enormous proportions.

Moreover, the bones on the ground were growing larger and larger.

Initially, they appeared to be merely the bones of small rabbits or wild chickens.

Gradually, however, the remains of large beasts began to appear.

By the time the scouting scarecrow had penetrated twenty meters in, it actually spotted a relatively intact skeleton over five meters in height ahead!

"What kind of creature is this? Could the deceased be a ranked exotic beast?"

Lacking a skull and with many ribs missing, Zhao Xing could only deduce that this should be a ranked exotic beast.

It might even be higher than the ninth rank!

"The East Lake Mountains have nurtured powerful ranked exotic beasts, but few people have ever seen them alive. Usually, after the mountains are opened in autumn, they are dealt with by official authorities."

"Could an exotic beast of rank be living right here?"

Growing increasingly cautious, Zhao Xing controlled the scouting scarecrow to carefully step past the skeleton.

At this moment, a flash of light crossed the East Lake Pearl, and the perspective fed back by the scouting scarecrow suddenly brightened somewhat.

Two sources of light appeared ahead.

The moment he saw the light, the intensity of Zhao Xing's premonition surged twofold.

"Could it be an upper-grade wondrous item?"

He immediately commanded the scouting scarecrow to run over, intending to grab it and flee.

Yet those two balls of light flashed and vanished, charging aggressively toward the scouting scarecrow like lightning.

"Hum~"

The next moment, Zhao Xing lost his connection with the scouting scarecrow.

Immediately afterward, a faint roar echoed from deep within the cave.

"Good grief, I mistook a beast's eyes for a wondrous item." Zhao Xing realized belatedly.

What he had seen earlier was no treasure at all; it was very likely the eyes of the exotic beast.

Its speed was too fast, leaving the scouting scarecrow no time to react. Before he could even figure out what was happening, it was destroyed.

"If it's guarded by a ranked exotic beast, this will be tricky to handle."

"What's more, I still don't even know what this beast looks like or what realm it is in," Zhao Xing pondered.

Zhou Gang and Fang Jie had indeed provided him with a pleasant surprise, but this surprise was so massive that he didn't know if he could handle it.

"Scout again!"

This time, Zhao Xing sent in three Mighty Vajras, five Entangling Scarecrows, and one scouting scarecrow into the cave.

The three Mighty Vajras and five Entangling Scarecrows were merely there to provide cover for the scouting scarecrow to observe.

For this second exploration, the goal was to confirm the beast's species and strength, so there was no need for stealth anymore.

He directly had the scarecrows march in boldly.

Zhao Xing leaped onto a high branch directly facing the cave entrance and watched from afar.

As soon as the scarecrow squad entered the cavern,

"Swish, swish, swish, swish~"

A blurry black shadow appeared, almost as fast as lightning.

From Zhao Xing's perspective, the beast's movements were completely imperceptible.

He could only observe the scarecrows taking the vanguard.

The leading seventh-turn Mighty Vajra was cut directly in half in a single exchange.

As for the Entangling Scarecrows, they were utterly pulverized without a second thought.

In the end, the scouting scarecrow caught only a glimpse of a blurry phantom and two eerie lights.

"Hum~"

The field of vision was cut off once again.

A furious roar echoed from within the cave.

Hearing this, Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, who were currently healing their injuries, felt their hearts tremble violently, pounding heavily against their ribs as sweat drenched their entire bodies.

Zhao Xing also felt as if his heart had been tightly gripped, unable to find peace.

"It is definitely a ranked exotic beast—either higher than the ninth rank, or a naturally born mutant with a powerful bloodline."

Even without laying eyes on it, Zhao Xing understood the terrifying nature of the mysterious beast inside the cave.

"It's huge, and yet its speed is that fast?"

"The strength of an ordinary exotic beast is also linked to the treasure it guards. There must be an upper-grade wondrous item inside." Zhao Xing's gaze grew fervent.

Fortune wondrous items were also something he deeply yearned for. The benefits brought by his second-tier fortune were immense: the warnings of the Disaster-Avoiding Almanac were more precise, he held a greater advantage during magical duels, and upon entering the Spirit Mountains to farm at the foot of the peaks, he could even stumble upon scarlet fruits!

"Such a massive exotic beast is bound to come out to forage. It's just dawn now, and after a whole night, it should be coming out to look for food this morning. Perhaps I can use the scarecrows to lure the tiger away from the mountain." Zhao Xing's eyes rolled as he began to plot in his heart.