88: Chapter 88 Spirit Realm Beast King

At this moment, it was as if Cui Yan had been grabbed by the throat; her lips moved slightly, but she could not utter a single word in the end, and she smacked her lips in slight annoyance.

That was true, though; if the person involved did not care about such things, could she really expect others to?

Still, this whole thing just felt a bit bizarre…

Just then, a scout at the very end of the flying formation suddenly let out a sharp cry, the piercing sound instantly tearing through the oppressive air.

"Captain, a large target has been detected near the Spirit Realm rift. It is nearly twenty meters long and is suspected to be a giant crocodile-type Spirit Beast. It is patrolling the rift entrance, and by the looks of it, it has already locked onto us! We expect contact in three minutes; an encounter battle may break out."

This sudden alarm hit Qin Ding and Cui Yan like a heavy hammer against their hearts.

Just as they were about to escape this godforsaken place, they were actually being blocked at the door by a Spirit Realm Beast King?!

Qin Ding's expression was grave; he clearly was not in a good mood.

"Spirit Realm Beast Kings are restricted by rules and cannot leave the Spirit Realm as freely as ordinary Spirit Beasts. Is it doing this because it wants to wipe us all out here?"

His words drew a sidelong glance from Captain Tu Shan.

Unlike Qin Ding, who was treating this as a major threat, Captain Tu Shan's expression was light and breezy, even carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"I have explored five Spirit Realms, and this is the sixth. I have seen a Beast King block the door twice before, and this is the third time."

Captain Tu Shan glanced at Qin Ding, his tone confident, "But relax, young man. My Soaring White Eagle has not sounded an alarm, which means this Beast King cannot pose a fatal threat to it."

Speaking of which, Captain Tu Shan paused, his tone suddenly shifting as a playful glint flashed in his eyes, "Actually, you know quite a lot, do you not? Is knowledge of the Spirit Realm not a university course? Are high school students these days all this fierce? Could it be that you are a top student?"

A top student?

Qin Ding, not daring to claim such a title, looked up and carefully sized up Captain Tu Shan.

This guy looked to be in his early twenties, at most two or three years older than him, yet he kept calling him 'young man'—what was that supposed to mean?

Was he just trying to show off being experienced, or was there a deeper meaning?

Unable to suppress the strange feeling in his heart, Qin Ding stared straight at Captain Tu Shan without blinking.

"You and your team do not look much older than me, so why do you keep calling me 'young man'?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire team, including Captain Tu Shan, burst into laughter. The laughter was not malicious, but it was as if they were looking at a child who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth.

Captain Tu Shan patted Qin Ding on the shoulder with a broad and powerful hand, his tone becoming meaningful.

"You have technically been inside a Spirit Realm now, so let me ask you: how do you think this godforsaken place compares to the wilderness outside the city?"

Qin Ding was stunned. Meeting Captain Tu Shan's deep gaze, he suddenly realized the truth.

The term 'young man' was not him acting superior; it was a statement of fact. He was still too young—so young that he had not yet experienced the truly cruel storms of life.

This was exactly why knowledge of the Spirit Realm was reserved for university studies.

For the weak, knowing more was of no use, because there were only two possible outcomes.

Either die inside, or be lucky enough to run into kind-hearted people, or like now, run into a Federation exploration team and be rescued.

There were no other answers.

For example, right now, being blocked at the door by a Beast King—without rescue, he and Cui Yan would undoubtedly die.

Wait…

Having realized this, Qin Ding spoke up suddenly, his eyes sharp.

"The Beast King is blocking the door because it sensed your Beast Tamer companion."

"A powerful aura has intruded, and it does not want that aura to leave, which is why it is waiting for us."

"Hmm?"

The playful look on Captain Tu Shan's face instantly vanished, replaced by a grave, scrutinizing expression.

"Interesting…" he muttered, scanning the youth in front of him again, his eyes filled with scrutiny and contemplation.

This kid's ability to draw connections was quite impressive.

"You are right. I will not hide it from you—we really are not much older than you. I am a sophomore, and these are all my freshman juniors. We are all executing an academy mission."

Cui Yan, standing to the side, listened silently. She looked at Captain Tu Shan, then at Qin Ding, her heart in turmoil.

She understood now: the Beast King could sense the aura of an outside Beast Tamer entering the Spirit Realm. She also understood that being able to walk out of a Spirit Realm alive was what truly defined a Beast Tamer.

No wonder so many Beast Tamers died every year, and no wonder the Federation did not immediately move to control the Spirit Realms. As long as the Spirit Realm Beast King could not get out, only a few low-Rank Spirit Beasts from the Spirit Realm would rush out, which was meaningless.

However… if that was the case, why did the Federation want to destroy every Spirit Realm?

Cui Yan did not understand right now, but she did not really want to understand either. Some secrets were not meant for everyone to know, and knowing them did not necessarily mean it was a good thing.

"Alright, I will hold that beast back."

Captain Tu Shan composed himself and gave a decisive order, "Dullard, take these two newcomers and leave first. After passing through the rift, come back immediately to support me. I cannot stop the beast tide summoned by the Beast King on my own."

At the end of the formation, the team member responsible for recording signaled and steered their beast closer.

Qin Ding and Cui Yan felt their bodies lighten as they were lifted by a gentle breeze, landing on the back of a slightly smaller eagle.

"Sit tight. My partner's back is narrow, so just make do. We will be out of the realm immediately."

Qin Ding did not pay attention; instead, he lowered his head and stared intently at the Beast King, which stood atop the mudflats and looked up at them.

[Spirit Beast: Marsh Sub-Dragon]

[Aptitude: Excellent]

[Element: Earth]

[Rank: 35 (Commander Rank)]

[Abilities: Earth Element Mastery (Proficient), Sub-Dragon, Swamp Devour, Spirit Realm Blessing, Spirit Realm Beast King]

[Bloodline: Crocodile-type (90%), Dragon-type (10%)]

[Evolution Direction (Dragon): Dragon-type Bloodline purity must reach 30%]

[Evolution Direction (Crocodile): Must reach Level 51]

[Aptitude Enhancement: …]

[Log Entry: As an Elementary Spirit Realm Beast King, it cannot reach the Overlord Rank in this lifetime, nor can it leave the Spirit Realm.]

Qin Ding's pupils contracted sharply.

Wait! Why was this log description different from what he usually saw?

[Ability - Spirit Realm Blessing: While within the Spirit Realm, all attributes, including elemental attributes, are automatically increased by 50%.]

[Ability - Spirit Realm Beast King: Can use a roar that spreads throughout the entire Spirit Realm to assemble Spirit Beasts within the Spirit Realm for battle, and while acting within the Spirit Realm, it emits no aura.]

[Ability - Sub-Dragon: 10% Elemental Resistance]

"Gulp."

Qin Ding swallowed hard.

In the past, online sources only said that Beast Kings were extremely powerful, difficult to rival at the same Rank, and required team cooperation.

But who could tell him that this thing came with built-in cheats while inside the Spirit Realm?!

"Captain Tu Shan." Qin Ding's voice was a bit dry, his tone slightly unnatural—or perhaps it was that he did not have much confidence in Captain Tu Shan.

"Are you really confident you can slaughter this Dragon-type?"

Captain Tu Shan's brows were locked tight as he stared fixedly at the giant beast below. The relaxed look from before was gone, replaced by a grave expression.

"This seems to be a Sub-Dragon. A Sub-Dragon… that really is a bit tricky. But it is not a major issue; even if I cannot kill it, I can definitely hold it off to cover your retreat."

"See, its attention is entirely on me right now. You guys just go straight through."

Everything seemed to be going exactly as Captain Tu Shan had anticipated.

When the team carrying Qin Ding and the other person flew toward the spatial rift, the Marsh Sub-Dragon below remained indifferent, its cold, yellow-brown slit pupils locked firmly onto Captain Tu Shan and his Soaring White Eagle.

"Hmm? It is not even looking at them? Even when I am hovering still, it is not calling out a beast roar to assemble a beast tide?"

Captain Tu Shan frowned, an uneasy feeling rising within him.

The way things were developing only partially matched his expectations. For instance, right now, it was clearly posturing to charge up and focus its fire solely on him, yet it still had not issued a beast roar to assemble a horde.

This was not right, unless…

The next second, the originally mottled and uniform light of the Spirit Realm above them darkened without warning.

A shadow so massive it was suffocating instantly swallowed the Soaring White Eagle and Captain Tu Shan.

In that instant, all the color drained from Captain Tu Shan's face.

Having realized and understood everything, the color on Captain Tu Shan's face vanished completely as he used all his strength to let out a warning roar.

"Run!! Do not look back!!!"

The desperate, hoarse roar echoed throughout the Spirit Realm, yet under that shadow that blotted out the sky, it seemed so pale and powerless.