Chapter 336 Arrival in Ashtown! Thunder Descends!

Jiang Yun looked at the situation where he was being forced into a role he didn't want, feeling helpless inside, but he maintained his usual calm on the surface.

He set down his teacup and slowly stood up.

His gaze swept across the four people, each with different expressions.

"I appreciate everyone's kind intentions, but I truly have no intention of serving as the leader. This journey is dangerous and requires an experienced commander who can command everyone's respect. I believe this matter should still be..."

Before he could finish his sentence,

Lei Qing hurriedly interrupted him.

His voice was loud and resonant.

"Sacred Student, don't refuse! The three of us think you're the most suitable! Why? Because of your status, you'll naturally act fairly. If one of us took the lead, it's inevitable there would be some bias..."

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Zhao Zhao.

His words were pointed.

"With you as the leader, Sacred Student, everyone will be convinced and at ease!"

These words couldn't have been more blunt.

He aimed the spearhead directly at Zhao Zhao.

He also highlighted the core reason why Liu Qingshuang and Xiao Chen supported Jiang Yun.

Checks and balances, and fairness.

Jiang Yun naturally understood the deeper meaning behind it.

He smiled even more bitterly in his heart.

He didn't want to get involved in this pointless game of power dynamics.

Being so bluntly mocked by Lei Qing,

Zhao Zhao's face instantly turned so dark it looked like it could drip water. His cold eyes scraped over Lei Qing, and his chest heaved slightly, clearly suppressing his rage.

The leadership position he had originally planned for

had been ruined by these three Gold Rank guys joining forces.

They even embarrassed him in public!

But he also knew that turning hostile now would bring no benefit.

Jiang Yun's status as a Heavenly Saint Student was indeed special, and Liu Qingshuang and the other two were clearly determined to support Jiang Yun.

If he forcibly opposed them,

it would only cause the team to split from the very beginning,

which would be detrimental to the upcoming mission.

Taking a deep breath,

Zhao Zhao forced out an extremely strained smile.

His tone was stiff.

"Since... everyone believes the Sacred Student is more suitable, then I... have nothing more to say."

He deliberately paused for a moment

before changing the subject.

"Fine, the matter of the leader is settled. Now, shouldn't we discuss when we're setting out?"

He was eager to leave this place that made him feel humiliated, and he was also anxious to re-establish his actual dominance during the mission.

Seeing Zhao Zhao compromise,

Liu Qingshuang and Xiao Chen felt slightly relieved.

They both looked toward Jiang Yun,

waiting for the decision of this newly appointed leader.

Lei Qing grinned widely.

"I can leave anytime; I've got all my gear ready!"

Seeing that he couldn't refuse,

and that Zhao Zhao had already backed down,

Jiang Yun stopped being overly modest.

He pondered for a moment.

"There's no time like the present. Since everyone is ready, we set out immediately. Arriving a moment earlier might mean saving more people and completing the mission sooner."

"Good!"

Lei Qing was the first to respond.

Liu Qingshuang and Xiao Chen also nodded slightly.

Zhao Zhao gave a snort,

which served as his agreement.

"However,"

Jiang Yun changed the subject,

speaking frankly.

"I only arrived in the provincial capital recently and am not familiar with the surrounding geography. I only know the general locations of the Bone Burial Area and Ash Town, which are likely hundreds of miles from Sky Dome Academy. If we rely entirely on our own Gold-rank Spirit Beasts to fly there, the journey is long and the consumption will be huge, potentially affecting our combat power upon arrival. Does the academy have a more convenient way to travel?"

His question was very practical.

The provincial capital's territory was vast.

Distances between districts were often hundreds or even thousands of miles.

The energy consumption for a Gold-rank Spirit Beast on a long-distance flight was indeed staggering.

Lei Qing laughed and patted his chest.

"Don't worry, Sacred Student, the academy already has arrangements for this! To support students on high-difficulty long-range missions, the academy has a specialized Flying Transport Division. They keep a large number of well-trained, high-endurance flying spirit beasts available for rent. We can just go there and pick a suitable one!"

"That is excellent."

Jiang Yun nodded.

The five of them wasted no more time.

They left the viewing pavilion.

Under Lei Qing's lead,

they headed toward an area in the northeast corner of the academy.

About fifteen minutes later,

they arrived at an extremely open field.

It looked like a massive open-air plaza.

The ground was paved with hard bluestone, and surrounding it were pillars engraved with runes used to soothe and guide flying spirit beasts.

The air was filled with a faint scent of birds and the fragrance of Spiritual Plants.

This was the Flying Transport Division of Sky Dome Academy,

one of the academy's vital transportation hubs to the outside world.

At this moment,

dozens of flying spirit beasts of various shapes and sizes were stationed in an orderly fashion across the field.

Some were extraordinarily majestic with shimmering wings.

Some were massive in size, as steady as mountains.

Others were small and agile, capable of incredible speeds.

Each beast was tended to by specialized Deacon Disciples or Elders, and many students were busy handling rental procedures, making the place quite bustling.

Lei Qing seemed to be a regular here.

He led everyone with familiarity to a relatively spacious docking bay.

There lay a remarkably robust giant bird!

The bird resembled a giant eagle but was far more powerful, with its entire body covered in dark-gold feathers that flowed with a metallic luster under the sunlight.

Its beak was like a curved hook, its eyes were sharp, and even with its wings folded at its sides, one could tell its wingspan would likely exceed twenty meters when fully extended.

A powerful aura of Gold Rank Eight faintly emanated from it, making it look both majestic and reliable.

A capable-looking middle-aged Elder dressed in a brownish-gray deacon robe was standing guard nearby.

Seeing Lei Qing and the others,

and especially noticing Jiang Yun's unpretentious yet extraordinary temperament and the special token partially visible at his waist, the Elder immediately stepped forward and offered a polite introduction.

"Are you students looking to rent a flying spirit beast? This is a Golden-Feathered Iron-Winged Eagle, Gold Rank Eight, with excellent endurance and high load-bearing capacity. It can fly up to three thousand fathoms high and cover five thousand miles in a single day. It has a gentle temperament, is strictly trained, and is familiar with most routes in the provincial capital and surrounding areas. The rental fee is five hundred contribution points, payable in advance, with mileage wear settled upon return."

Five thousand miles a day!

This speed was enough to get them near Ash Town in a short time.

Jiang Yun looked at the other four

and asked,

"What do you all think of this beast?"

Liu Qingshuang's cold gaze swept over the Golden-Feathered Iron-Winged Eagle.

She gave a slight nod.

"Acceptable."

Xiao Chen smiled.

"Very good."

Lei Qing grinned.

"I've ridden this big bird before; it's steady!"

Although Zhao Zhao's face still didn't look great,

he also nodded and raised no objection.

"In that case,"

Jiang Yun turned to the Deacon Elder. "We will rent this beast. For the rental fee of five hundred contribution points, we will split it five ways, one hundred points each. How does that sound?"

"Fine, that's fair and reasonable."

Liu Qingshuang, Xiao Chen, and Lei Qing all nodded.

The corner of Zhao Zhao's mouth twitched slightly.

He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he sullenly took out his identity token and transferred one hundred contribution points.

The others also paid in turn.

Soon, the paperwork was complete.

At the Deacon Elder's command,

the Golden-Feathered Iron-Winged Eagle obediently lowered its body.

The five of them, along with Fox Immortal who had been silently following Jiang Yun, leaped onto the eagle's back one by one.

The eagle's back was broad, and its feathers were as hard as iron.

However, it wasn't uncomfortable; instead, it felt very stable.

"Rise!"

The Deacon Elder gave a soft command.

The Golden-Feathered Iron-Winged Eagle let out a clear and resonant cry. Its massive wings suddenly unfurled, kicking up a gust of wind. Then, its four claws pushed off the ground, and it soared straight up, quickly rising into the high sky and turning into a streak of dark-gold light as it sped off toward the northwest.

Not long after,

once the flight had stabilized,

the extroverted Lei Qing moved closer to Jiang Yun.

He began to chat with a familiar air.

"Sacred Student, I saw your battle with Feng Qianyuan at the Colosseum before. That Golden Scaled Fire Dragon Fish of yours—man, it was amazing! That Water-Fire Dragon Breath, that Dragon pressure... tsk tsk!"

Lei Qing's eyes were shining with light.

He was full of praise, then he lowered his voice,

asking curiously.

"Everyone's rumored that your beast has a trace of True Dragon Bloodline, or maybe it's even a Rare True Dragon Beast? Is that actually true or false?"

The moment he asked this question,

Liu Qingshuang and Xiao Chen, who seemed to be resting with their eyes closed nearby, also quietly perked up their ears.

Even Zhao Zhao, who was sitting further away with a gloomy expression, couldn't help but cast his gaze over, his eyes filled with scrutiny and inquiry.

A True Dragon Beast!

That was an existence at the very top of the spirit beast pyramid in legend, with infinite potential and heaven-defying combat power, extremely Rare in the entire world of spirit beasts.

If Jiang Yun truly possessed one,

then his future was simply limitless.

It would also better explain how he, at the Gold Rank, could slay an Amethyst.

Faced with their searching gazes,

Jiang Yun's expression remained calm.

He neither admitted nor denied it.

He only responded calmly.

"My beast does indeed possess some Dragon Clan characteristics, but it is not a pure-blood True Dragon. As for the specifics, it involves the secrets of the beast and is not convenient to detail. I hope you understand."

His words were watertight.

He didn't reveal too much information about Little Fire,

while also maintaining an air of mystery.

Hearing this, Lei Qing scratched his head.

He laughed honestly, "Understood, understood! A beast's origins have to be kept secret! My apologies for being forward!"

He didn't press further.

Instead, he excitedly rubbed his hands together.

"Anyway, Sacred Student, I wonder when I might have a chance to experience your beast's skills? My beast is a battle maniac with a violent temper; it's been wanting to clash with real Dragon pressure for a long time!"

Looking at the pure Battle Intent and eagerness in his eyes,

Jiang Yun gave a faint smile.

"If there is a chance, I will certainly accompany you."

"Haha! Excellent! The Sacred Student is truly straightforward!"

Lei Qing laughed loudly,

looking very satisfied.

After this interlude,

silence temporarily returned to the eagle's back.

Only the sound of the wind whistling past their ears remained.

The mountains and rivers below receded rapidly.

The Golden-Feathered Iron-Winged Eagle's speed was indeed extremely fast.

In just over an hour,

the scenery below had changed significantly.

The lush mountain forests gradually decreased,

replaced by a gray, desolate hue, and a faint, unsettling chill and aura of death appeared in the air.

On the distant horizon,

the massive shadow of an area shrouded in a light gray mist loomed. Even from a great distance, one could feel the desolation, ancientness, and sense of danger emanating from it.

The Bone Burial Area!

And their destination,

Ash Town, had already appeared not far below.

Everyone leaned over to look down.

They saw a medium-sized town situated at the junction of the wasteland and sparse woodlands.

At this moment, black smoke was rising from several places in the town, and many buildings were clearly damaged or collapsed.

The city walls were broken in multiple spots.

Vague dark shadows of massive size could be seen weaving through the streets and causing destruction, clashing with scattered points of light.

Shouts, beast roars, and the sounds of collapsing structures drifted up faintly,

making the situation seem chaotic and critical.

"We're here!"

Lei Qing clenched his fists,

Battle Intent rising in his eyes.

Zhao Zhao gave a cold snort.

He stood up and looked down,

his tone disdainful.

"A bunch of beasts that don't know when to die, disturbing the peace."

A faint chill rose around Liu Qingshuang's body.

Xiao Chen's gaze became sharp.

Jiang Yun's gaze fell on a certain spot in the center of the town.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

His Brick Stone Rank Divine Sense keenly captured an extremely subtle yet somewhat familiar aura fluctuation, mixed into the chaotic energy field.

This aura... where had he sensed it before?

Jiang Yun's thoughts raced,

but he couldn't recall the specific source for a moment.

He pushed down his doubts

and nodded to the group. "The situation is urgent. First, clear out the Vicious Beasts within the town and rescue the trapped people and town residents."

"Good!"

Everyone responded... At the same time,

inside Ash Town,

the South Street defensive line was on the verge of collapse.

A guard squad consisting of over a dozen Beast Tamers was currently surrounded by seven or eight Vicious Beasts. They were covered in wounds, and their spirit beasts were mostly injured, their auras flagging.

Several bodies of squad members and spirit beasts already lay on the ground.

The captain was a middle-aged man with a blood-stained face and a left arm hanging unnaturally. His spirit beast was a Peak Gold Rank Six Rock-Armored Rhino, which currently had most of its stone armor shattered as it panted heavily while shielding its master.

A young squad member cried out in terror

to the captain: "Captain Wang! South Street can't be held! There are more and more Vicious Beasts! The surviving residents have mostly been evacuated. We... we should retreat too! If we don't leave now, we'll all be finished here!"

Captain Wang's eyes were bloodshot.

"Retreat? Retreat to where?! This is their home! We wear this uniform to protect this place! We cannot retreat a single step! I've already requested reinforcements from above! Reinforcements will surely arrive soon..."

Before he could finish his sentence,

a Gold Rank Five Vicious Beast, a Bone-Piercing Shadow Leopard covered in bone spikes and shaped like a cheetah, suddenly lunged from the shadows on the flank. Its speed was incredible, and its target was that young squad member!

The young member's spirit beast was only a bronze Grass-Vine Turtle.

It simply didn't have time to react.

"Xiao Zhang! Watch out!"

Captain Wang's eyes nearly split with rage,

but he was too late to save him.

Puchi!

The dull sound of claws piercing flesh.

The young member along with his Grass-Vine Turtle

were instantly killed!

"No!!!!"

Captain Wang let out a grief-stricken and indignant roar.

However,

even more Vicious Beasts emerged from the ruins and dust, completely surrounding the few of them who remained.

The one leading them

was a One-Horned Savage Ape over three meters tall, with muscles as knotted as rock and a single horn on its head. It beat its chest and let out a deafening roar, its aura reaching Peak Gold Rank 9!

The other Vicious Beasts closing in

were also mostly at Gold Rank Five and Six!

While Captain Wang himself was only Gold Rank Six, and his members were only at Rank Three and Four, with most of their spirit beasts injured.

The disparity in strength was massive!

Despair,

like a cold tide,

instantly submerged the remaining guards.

"It's over... it's completely over..."

One squad member's face was ashen.

The hand holding his blade was trembling.

"We can't hold it... we're dead..."

"Reinforcements... where are the reinforcements..."

As Captain Wang watched the One-Horned Savage Ape closing in,

a look of dead gray also appeared in his eyes.

The One-Horned Savage Ape seemed to enjoy the prey's despair. It split its massive mouth to reveal hideous fangs, and its enormous foot rose, about to stomp down hard on Captain Wang!

At this critical moment,

Boom!!!

A bolt of deep blue lightning, as thick as a bucket and incredibly blazing, tore through the sky without warning. Like a spear of judgment cast by an angry Heavenly God, it struck with absolute precision right on the One-Horned Savage Ape's high-held head!

Bang!!!

Terrifying thunderlight exploded, and lightning snakes danced wildly!

That Peak Gold Rank 9 One-Horned Savage Ape, with its thick hide and terrifying might, didn't even have time to let out a scream before its massive head burst like a watermelon struck by a giant hammer!

Its charred, massive body stiffened for a second

before crashing to the ground like a falling pillar.

Splashing up clouds of dust!

This sudden and shocking turn of events

left all the Vicious Beasts and surviving guards stunned!

Then,

five figures, bathed in the lingering thunderlight and flying dust, landed steadily in the center of the encirclement like divine soldiers descending from the heavens!

They were Jiang Yun, Liu Qingshuang, Lei Qing, Xiao Chen, and Zhao Zhao!

Lei Qing slowly withdrew his fist, which was still flickering with lightning.

He grinned.

His voice was like a booming bell.

"Sky Dome Academy, ordered to reinforce! Everyone, you've worked hard!"