Phew!
Consort Dan below let out a long, relieved breath. That had been way too close. Just a hair's breadth more and that Spirit Beast could have leaped down to attack her again.
In such a narrow space, she didn't think she could withstand the enraged strike of that Spirit Beast.
"Thank goodness — the old man's Mishenxiang really is something. But that was partly luck too. If it hadn't happened to pounce at me just then, if I hadn't used a double dose, the drug might not have been strong enough and it wouldn't have gone down so fast. Even a little delay and I'd have been the one in trouble."
Still shaken, she vaulted back up and considered finishing the Spirit Beast off while she was at it. But she knew full well that this creature had tough hide and thick flesh — killing it would take more effort than she could afford right now.
"Forget it. Grab the cubs first, then figure out the rest."
Consort Dan glided into the cave and found four cubs with their heads raised, chirping and gurgling. The little ones were covered in downy fur — clearly not long born.
She didn't bother identifying what kind of Spirit Beast they were. Scooping all four cubs into the bamboo basket on her back and snapping the lid shut, she shot outward without a moment's hesitation.
She didn't spare a single glance at the spiritual herbs, spirit grasses, and spirit fruits growing alongside them in the cave.
"Hmph. If it were that cheapskate Jiang Chen, he'd never let any of this go. That just goes to show — my self-control is far superior to his."
As she flew past the unconscious Spirit Beast, the thought of turning back to finish it off crossed her mind — put an end to it once and for all.
But she had a clear-eyed assessment of her own martial strength. Her true cultivation was only at the first level of the Spirit Realm. Even with this Spirit Beast lying there letting her hack away at it, it would take quite some time.
And what if the beast had companions? What if they happened to show up at just this moment? That would be a disaster.
Consort Dan decided not to be greedy and to get out while she could.
Bursting out of the cave, she gulped down the open air and felt a wave of relief wash over her. Successfully obtaining the Spirit Beast cubs filled her with elation.
She just wanted to rush back to Jiang Chen and show off, make that arrogant fellow admit his judgment had been wrong!
But the instant that thought finished forming, her expression changed drastically. From inside the cave came a mournful howl that twisted into a long, drawn-out roar.
The sound shattered the sky with its fury, enough to bring the entire cave crashing down.
"No — the Mishenxiang wore off that quickly? This Spirit Beast is even stronger than I imagined."
Sweat broke out across her forehead. She'd barely gotten a short distance from the cave. If the beast was fast, it could close the gap in just a few breaths.
Consort Dan, who had never understood fear in her life, now felt her heart trembling and her face go pale. Her legs pumped at full speed, drawing on every last ounce of strength she had.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From the direction of the cave, thunderous tremors like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting apart came hurtling toward her at terrifying speed. The force of it felt as though it could flatten the entire valley.
"Oh no — it's here!" Consort Dan froze for an instant.
She hadn't expected the beast to wake up this fast, or to chase this quickly.
Her speed was nothing to scoff at, but the Spirit Beast was clearly faster.
In just a few breaths it had closed to within a thousand meters.
"Am I — Consort Dan — going to die here today? Jiang Chen… Jiang Chen, wake up! Run!" In that moment, she felt a pang of regret.
Why hadn't she listened to Jiang Chen's warning? Why had she insisted on going it alone?
But now it seemed the regret had come too late. She felt the aura of a Spirit Realm third or fourth level bearing down on her from behind — violent, overwhelming pressure that made her legs nearly give out.
"Stupid woman, get down!"
At that razor's edge moment, a sharp voice cut through the darkness.
Then — whoosh, whoosh, whoosh — three arrows tore through the air in rapid succession, streaking across the night sky like meteors, blazing brilliant, aimed straight at the pursuing Spirit Beast.
The massive creature turned out to be a colossal ape, its entire body sheathed in silvery fur that gleamed luminous and sleek beneath the moonlight.
The great ape saw the arrows coming and let out a piercing howl.
Its twin fists swung left and right — one punch, another punch, a third — each arrow swatted aside with raw, brute force!
"Awoooo!" The ape deflected the arrows and roared again, surging forward once more.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three more arrows, fired without a shred of mercy.
The ape followed the same pattern — its fists trailing devastating force, swatting down each arrow with a single blow.
Though these two volleys hadn't wounded the beast, they had clearly bought time, stalling its advance.
"Stupid woman, are you still not running!"
The voice, of course, was Jiang Chen's. The Mishenxiang had only knocked him out for a moment before he recovered his senses. Using the Seven Apertures Spiritual Resonance to purge the lingering toxins, he had immediately guessed that Consort Dan might be doing something reckless.
Mishenxiang couldn't keep even a first-level Spirit Realm martial artist down for long. Against a fully grown Spirit Beast, its effect would be even weaker.