130: Chapter 130 Blackthorn Beast

On the fifth day after returning to the deserted island, dawn was just breaking.

The cloud-piercing shuttle, which had been nurtured in his Dantian for three days, had finally recovered.

The cracks had completely disappeared, the formation runes lit up once more, and the entire shuttle body shimmered with a faint silver luster, resembling a silverfish just pulled from the water.

With a thought from Lin Xuan, the cloud-piercing shuttle flew out of his Dantian and hovered in front of him.

He reached out to touch the shuttle body; it felt warm and moist to the touch, smooth as a mirror.

Storing the flying boat away, Lin Xuan walked to the entrance of the cave.

The horizon was already turning white. It wasn't a bright, dazzling white, but a hazy, washed-out pale blue.

A thin layer of mist drifted over the sea. It wasn't high, only about knee-thick, looking like a white veil draped over the ocean.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse was squatting on a rock next to the cave entrance, washing its face with its paws.

Seeing Lin Xuan come out, it let out a squeak, leaped onto his shoulder, and rubbed its head against his cheek.

"We have to go out today," Lin Xuan said, patting its head. "Are you staying in the space, or coming with me?"

The Herb-Seeking Mouse squeaked twice and pointed its paw toward the distant sea, meaning "I'm coming with you."

"Alright."

Lin Xuan stood at the cave entrance, gazing at the few small black dots on the horizon.

Five days ago, he had flown in that direction, only to encounter a Tier 3 Demonic Beast. He had almost lost his life in that mist.

But now, he still had to go in that direction.

Huddling on this desolate island wouldn't solve any of his problems.

He needed more information—where there were Cultivators, where humans gathered, and where there were teleportation arrays.

These things wouldn't just deliver themselves to his doorstep.

He took a deep breath, and the sea breeze filled his lungs, carrying a salty, fishy scent.

"Let's go."

Lin Xuan summoned the cloud-piercing shuttle. The flying boat grew in the wind, turning into a silver flying boat about ten feet long, hovering three feet off the ground.

He leaped onto it and sat cross-legged at the bow. The Herb-Seeking Mouse squatted on his shoulder, while the Pangolin curled up by his leg.

With a thought, the flying boat skimmed the sea surface and flew toward the southeast.

This time, he didn't fly in a straight line.

The lesson from last time was too profound. He didn't want to go anywhere near that misty sea area for the time being.

Who knew if that Tier 3 Demonic Beast was still there? If he ran into it again, he didn't have a second God-Speed Talisman to escape.

Controlling the flying boat, Lin Xuan first made a large detour to the west before turning back toward the southeast.

The sea was very calm, like a giant piece of blue silk, rippled with fine waves by the wind.

Occasionally, a few flying fish would dart out of the water, glide along the surface for a distance, and then plunge back into the sea, splashing a small spray of water.

The sun slowly rose, its light shining straight down. The sea surface shimmered with light, making one's eyes a bit dazzled.

Lin Xuan squinted, discerning his direction.

The detour took a lot of extra time. What would have been a straight-line journey of less than an hour took him nearly three hours of flying, stopping, and weaving around to approach his target.

Ahead, those small black dots were growing larger and larger.

They weren't reefs.

They were islands.

Lin Xuan slowed down and observed carefully.

The foremost island was more than ten times larger than the deserted island he had been staying on.

Looking from afar, there were trees and hills on the island, and he could even see a few faint wisps of smoke rising.

Cooking smoke?

Lin Xuan felt a surge of joy.

If there was cooking smoke, there were people.

If there were people, there were Cultivators.

If there were Cultivators, there would be information.

He didn't rush over. Instead, at a distance from the island, he found a hidden cluster of reefs, landed the flying boat, and put away the cloud-piercing shuttle.

Then, he circulated the Origin Returning Qi Concealment Formula, suppressing his cultivation to Qi Refining Stage 5.

In an unfamiliar place, hiding some of one's cultivation was a prudent approach.

In case of a conflict, he could catch them off guard during the fight.

Lin Xuan checked his equipment—the earth fiend bell was being nurtured in his Dantian, ready to be activated at any time; the startling thunder whip hung at his waist; the Thunder-Striking Thorn was hidden in his sleeve; and the Talismans in his Storage Pouch were neatly stacked.

Everything was in order.

He walked toward the island on foot.

The vegetation on the island was dense. Along the shore was a row of coconut trees, their trunks twisting up toward the sky, with clusters of green coconuts hanging from their tops.

Walking further in, there were some broad-leaved trees whose names he didn't know. Their trunks were thick and their canopies blotted out the sun, completely blocking the sunlight.

Lin Xuan stepped on the thick layer of fallen leaves, making a rustling sound.

The air was filled with a damp, vegetation-scented smell, mixed with a faint fishy odor, which wasn't too unpleasant.

Within less than fifteen minutes of walking, he heard the sound of fighting ahead.

It wasn't an evenly matched fight, but rather one where one side was struggling to hold on while the other was pressing hard step by step.

There were also people shouting.

"Xiaohu! Left! It's heading to the left!"

"Sister! I can't block it! It's too fierce!"

"Don't panic! Hold your ground! Wait for me to cast a Spell!"

Lin Xuan lightened his steps and drew closer to take a look—

In a clearing, three Cultivators wearing grayish-brown robes were fiercely attacking a Yao Beast the size of a wild boar.

The Yao Beast was pitch-black all over, its back covered in sharp thorns, looking like a hedgehog magnified countless times, but far more ferocious.

Black mist spewed from its mouth, causing the surrounding vegetation to wither and turn black with every breath.

Tier 1 Medium Grade.

Black Thorn Beast.

Lin Xuan had seen this creature in Deacon Wu's notes.

It had thick skin and tough flesh, with strong defense. The thorns on its back could be shot out like hidden weapons, and the black mist it spewed was corrosive, making it quite difficult to deal with.

The three Cultivators all seemed to be at Qi Refining Stage 3 or 4, and their coordination was clumsy, clearly lacking any chemistry.

The leader was a Middle-aged Cultivator in his forties. His face was dark and his hands were rough, showing at a glance that he made a living on the sea all year round.

In his hand, he held a black iron broadsword with crude runes carved on the blade. Every slash left only a shallow wound on the Black Thorn Beast's skin, none of them fatal.

The other two were younger.

The male was in his early twenties, a Thin Tall Man, holding a longsword in his hand. His swordplay was mediocre; he thrust a dozen times, but not a single strike hit a vital spot.

The female was even younger, looking under twenty, with a round face and a ponytail. Holding a staff in her hand, she was chanting an incantation, but after a long while, she hadn't managed to cast a single Spell—likely due to being too nervous, causing her spiritual energy to flow poorly.

"Sister! Cast it already!" the Thin Tall Man shouted anxiously.

"I'm chanting! Don't rush me!" The round-faced girl's forehead was beaded with sweat, her voice trembling.

The Black Thorn Beast didn't care whether they were ready or not.

With a kick of its hind legs, it lunged fiercely at the Thin Tall Man!

Startled, the Thin Tall Man instinctively backed away, but tripped and fell flat on his back.

The Black Thorn Beast opened its wide mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and bit down toward his head!

"Xiaohu!"

The Middle-aged Cultivator's expression changed drastically. He swung his broadsword toward the Black Thorn Beast's head, but he was too far away to make it in time.

The round-faced girl screamed and waved her staff, sending a fireball flying—but her aim was too poor. It flew over the Black Thorn Beast's head and hit a tree behind it, exploding into a shower of sparks.

Just as the Thin Tall Man was about to be bitten—

Lin Xuan made his move.

With a flick of his right hand, the startling thunder whip flew out from his waist, its tip carrying fine sparks of electricity, wrapping precisely around the Black Thorn Beast's hind leg.

The Thunder Spiritual Energy erupted.

It wasn't a violent eruption that would char the Yao Beast, but rather controlled to a degree that just stiffened its body.

The Black Thorn Beast let out a miserable howl, its body stiffening as it fell to the ground, its limbs twitching.

The three Cultivators froze for a moment.

The Middle-aged Cultivator was the quickest to react. Taking advantage of the Black Thorn Beast's inability to move, he slashed his blade across its neck!

The blade sliced into the flesh, spraying black blood.

The Black Thorn Beast struggled a few times and stopped moving.

It was dead.