webnovelfull Chapter 303 Stealing the Ship
Chapter 303 Stealing the Ship
During this sweeping operation, the demons and monsters hidden on Wangxian Mountain Island were gradually discovered and captured.
To conceal their actions, the Spirit Guards left the trees and spirit beasts around the island untouched, so that, at least from the outside, Wangxian Island still appeared to be that overseas spiritual mountain shrouded in celestial energy.
The Qing Shen Grass and Jing Ling Flower she was looking for had temporarily escaped being transplanted and removed because they grew in sunny spots on mountain peaks. The map had correctly located her on Wangxian Mountain Island, which led her there.
A thick, almost viscous, aura of resentment enveloped Wangxian Mountain Island. Ning Xiaoxi appeared atop the mountain, gazing at the refreshing grass and spirit-purifying flowers growing towards the sun, their delicate fragrance invigorating her senses. She had initially thought they were separate plants, but they were actually growing together, with grass at the base and flowers blooming on top, using the grass as leaves.
I gently touched the five-petaled yellow flower with my finger. It looked quite ordinary. The grass had five slender, tender green shoots, and it smelled just like ordinary grass. Apart from the fact that the smell made me feel unusually refreshed, it was nothing special.
With a flick of the finger, the two Cleansing Grasses and Pure Spirit Flowers were moved into the cave, appearing by the small pool beneath the two giant rocks. The floating water in the pool looked quite eerie.
When the two plants landed by the small pond, the black water seemed drawn to them, surging forward and burying their roots. The roots, originally covered in soil, were exposed by the black water, revealing clear, slightly whitish rootlets. Strands of black liquid began to slowly seep into the roots, traveling along the roots to the leaves, and then into the five-petaled flowers. After a complete cycle, clear water flowed out from the other side.
Black water goes in, white water comes out; the contrast between black and white is so stark that the effect is obvious without even asking.
Seeing that the flowers and plants were effective, Ning Xiaoxi continued to collect all the nearby flowers and plants and placed them around the perimeter of the small pool. She noticed that the black water and white water were changing even faster.
After carefully looking around and confirming that all the flowers and plants had been taken into the cave, Ning Xiaoxi looked at the other trees, flowers, and birds scattered on the sunny side of the mountain. The birds and butterflies flying around were completely unaffected by the situation inside the mountain, which showed that the Spirit Guards were quite capable.
These Imperial Guards dispatched overseas clearly suffered far fewer losses than those sent to fight inland, yet their faces bore an even more pronounced ferocity and ruthlessness. They were all engaged in acts of plundering and exterminating entire clans; after years of such brutality, how many could still retain their initial aspirations of slaying demons and establishing themselves in the world? Or perhaps, in truth, they didn't possess the same initial aspirations as the Celestial Masters of the Celestial Masters Pavilion, but were merely a killing squad trained by the royal family.
When Ning Xiaoxi came down from the mountaintop, she saw that the three cages that had been placed in the east field were already being loaded onto the ship. Apart from the group of Spirit Guards who were moving the cages, the others had begun to pack up inside and out, and it seemed that they were preparing to evacuate from Wangxian Mountain Island.
Ning Xiaoxi frowned and released her senses to perceive the interior of Wangxian Mountain Island. She saw one large hole after another piercing through the entire island, with only a thin layer of mountain and intersecting stone beams supporting the island's structure to prevent it from collapsing immediately. But with such a structure, even a small storm would cause the entire island to collapse and eventually be swallowed by the sea.
This is going to sink the island!
The large ship in the distance was fully loaded, and the boatman was taking in the anchor, preparing to set sail.
Ning Xiaoxi quickly approached, concealed her figure, leaped onto the deck, and swiftly entered the cargo hold before the doors below closed.
Although the cargo hold was dimly lit, the shapes of the three cages were still clearly visible.
The flying phoenix demon beast slumped listlessly in the corner of the cage, its head buried under its wings, seemingly shutting itself off.
The Qilin-like beast was very sensitive. When Ning Xiaoxi entered the cargo hold, it almost instinctively looked up in her direction.
[The Radiant Illusionary Qilin, a descendant of the Qilin and the Illusionary Light Beast, is the last recorded Illusionary Qilin. The halo at the very tip of its horn records all the events of its life, with each subsequent record going further back in time, documenting its bloodline and ancient secrets. Whoever obtains it is a saint!]
Ning Xiaoxi stealthily approached the cage of the Qilin demon beast, whose gaze followed her every move. It's no wonder that such a powerfully perceptive beast was captured so late.
Ning Xiaoxi found the description absurd. "Those who obtain it become saints?" she thought. "Forcibly seized by the royal family, that counts as obtaining it, right? Does that make one a saint? A robber becomes a saint?"
The innermost one was the cage wrapped in a silver sealing curtain. She was genuinely curious about what kind of demonic beast was inside. Even the Radiant Scale Beast in front of her didn't receive this treatment!
Instead of using sensors to touch the silver screen, they directly used their hands. Because they were still invisible, to outsiders, all they could see was the silver screen trembling slightly.
Without using spiritual power, the magic array on the curtain wouldn't be activated, and it wouldn't resist her touch. Seemingly having figured out the trick, Ning Xiaoxi's hand slowly slid down, searching for gaps.
I don't know what material this silver curtain is made of; it even feels warm to the touch. I stretched my fingers as far as I could under the cage, but I still couldn't touch the edge. Is this some kind of bullying? Does it mean there's no connection?
"Yo!"
A distant deer call came from inside the silver curtain. Ning Xiaoxi was stunned. Was it a deer?
Undeterred, they searched again and finally found a not-so-obvious gap at the back of the cage.
Ning Xiaoxi couldn't help but laugh. She reached her hands through the gap and finally lifted the silver curtain covering the cage!
The cage held a Celestial Feathered Deer Demon. It was tall and imposing, with long, powerful limbs and hooves like polished jade, radiating a cold, sharp luster. Its fur was a rare silver-grey, each hair shimmering with tiny starlight, like the Milky Way cascading over its body. A pair of enormous wings extended from its back, their feathers covered in strange runes that emitted a golden light, as if chanting ancient, magical incantations. The Celestial Feathered Deer Demon's antlers were exceptionally beautiful, branching numerous times and winding their way through the air.
Now imprisoned in a cage, its antlers are too high, pressing against the cage, preventing it from standing upright. Even kneeling in the cage, its eyes still reveal nobility and unyielding spirit. Occasionally, it lets out a low cry, the powerful spiritual energy contained in the sound causing the entire cell to tremble, as if it is making a silent protest against those who imprison it.