Chapter 101 “The Phoenix Nest”
Jumped with fright, An Ming Xia never expected to encounter an empress ghost spider like this.
Most are only at the third rank within the Dream Cloud Marsh, also known as the female ghost spiders, but on occasion, there would appear a fourth rank spirit beast known as the empress ghost spider. Normally this would be a joyous occasion because this variant often tends to drop a spider core when killed.
But at this moment with the foggy mess around her, plus the escorts she brought along are not around, An Ming Xia honestly didn’t have the confidence to take this arachnid down by herself.
Like her, this foraging ghost spider also got lost just now due to the fog, but with the stimulation of the human scent next to it, the markings on its belly lit up to showcase its excitement. Spewing out a web of sticky substance from its back, this spider wanted to feast dearly on the prey in front.
Although An Ming Xia can be outrageous at times, one mustn’t underestimate her ability because as a lady of a noble house, her cultivation can’t be trivial.
“Raging White Tiger Chop!” Out of urgency, she resorted to using her family’s hereditary technique.
From both her hands, a pair of twin blades comprised entirely of Yuan energy were formed.
Using this energy blade, An Ming Xia didn’t bring shame to her family’s name and made minx meat out of the sticky web coming down over her head.
Seeing how she was able to repel the empress ghost spider with her move, An Ming Xia took the opportunity to press forward and released another raging white tiger chop at the spider.
Like searing white knives, one of the blades managed to slice an entire leg off from her foe, sending the empress ghost spider shrieking in pain.
“KIAAAAHHHHH~~” Infuriated by the injury, the marking on the spider’s belly started to emit a red glow. Taking a step back, the empress ghost spider started to emit a sharp hiss by vibrating its mouth pincers.
Like a call for help, numerous little marsh spiders began crawling out from all over the place.
“You blasted thing just won’t give up.” Seeing how the foe was calling for reinforcements, An Ming Xia resentfully mouthed off at the creature.
What a surprise, didn’t expect this An Ming Xia to have some abilities of her own.
The technique she used just now should be an eighth or seventh rank technique, just that because of her lack of proficiency, she couldn’t bring out the technique’s full capability.
If a simple daughter of a concubine can do this much, then that supposed genius daughter Hong Ming Yue….
(Note and new character: Hong Ming Yue, the youngest step sister of Ling Yue’s and supposed genius of the Hong House. Another thing, her name means brightly shining moon while Ling Yue means standing above the moon. Their names actually mean something in Chinese and is one of the charms to the story. Sadly, the translation mangles everything and loses that fairytale/Disney charm that made me like this story so much.)
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While An Ming Xia and the empress ghost spider fought it out to the death, Ling Yue on the other hand was sitting leisurely atop of a tree as she overlooked the entire battle.
Back when An Ming Xia ambushed her and Lan Caier, Ling Yue already noticed the strange fluctuation of Yuan energy nearby. Speculating there must be an exceptionally strong wild animal in that direction, she intentionally lured the despicable woman here for this trap.
Just that even Ling Yue never expected the source of that energy was in fact a fourth rank spirit beast, the empress ghost spider.
Shrinking her pupils in as she focused on the spider’s belly, Ling Yue can clearly see a powerful fluctuation of water particles circulating around that area, this must be the spider’s core.
Calculating her chances, Ling Yue attempts to figure out her best timing to strike.
While Ling Yue takes her sweet time, An Ming Xia on the other hand was already out of air. Since the first injury she inflicted on this blasted spider, there’s been a limitless number of spiders crawling over to aid this empress ghost spider. At the rate she’s going, An Ming Xia figured she wouldn’t be able to finish off the thing even when dawn arrives.
Just when she wanted to make a retreat to gather more help, two figures were rushing over from the direction behind her.
“Is it Lady An ahead?” Hearing the familiar voices of her guards, An Ming Xia became ecstatic because she knew help has arrived for her.
“Quick, there’s a fourth rank empress ghost spider here. I want its core now hurry and help me kill!”
As long as I manage to secure this spider core then it would mean I’ve won the bet!
In her momentary fuse of happiness, An Ming Xia’s consciousness was suddenly dragged back to reality by the sharp sound of something metallic slicing through the air.
Not even getting the chance to get a clearer picture of the shadow that has just jumped down from a nearby tree, the figure had already stepped in front of the lone empress ghost spider ahead and started to attack it.
When summoning companions for help, the empress ghost spider was most definitely at its weakest in terms of guard. Moreover, it could never have expected another foe lying in wait on a nearby tree.
Using this period to see through to the fatal point of the spider, Ling Yue used her dragon saliva needle to paralyze the thing during its opening and then stab her dagger right into the heart, gushing it, killing it, and ending all life from the arachnid creature.
Then pulling the dagger back out, she made quick work of the stomach innards and dug out the blue crystal ball, also known as the core, out of the spider’s abdomen area.
“Thank you very much Lady An. If you hadn’t helped me deplete the empress ghost spider’s stamina then I couldn’t have killed it so easily. Farewell and I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.”
At that, she stores the spider core away and then flings the entire corpse over to An Ming Xia and her guards.
Taking this opportunity while the three were busy getting out of the way, Ling Yue evaporates into thin air after a green puff of smoke surfaced from under her feat.
Now An Ming Xia finally understands everything, she just got duped again by that country bumpkin!
She deliberately lured herself to this spot to face off against the spider, she also deliberately had herself face off against the spider to drain its stamina. Once they were both exhausted, she will then collect the benefit while other’s do all the work!
“What are you still doing here? Quit dealing with those spiders and go find that bitch! Ye Ling Yue! Don’t let me find you, otherwise I will shred you to pieces!”
Never in her life did An Ming Xia hate a person this much. Flaming down to her very core, she rushed forward with her guards in toe.
But then it was at this moment something else was taking place.
From above the Dream Cloud Marsh, a melodious call of a bird echoed out across this entire region. Ancient and beyond this world, that sound had a power that gave off a sensation like it could penetrate the very soul of a being.
After the occurrence of that call, countless wild animals rushed out of their dens and started running out of the marsh like they’re escaping from something very terrifying.
In the midst of this chaos, countless animals were either trampled to death or ended up crashing into some huge trunk. Either way, their dying image were exceptionally terrifying.
In merely half an hour of this commotion, the entire marsh suddenly went silent like a dead zone. No movements, nothing, it’s as if the entire region just became devoid of life in this instant.
Then suddenly without indication, the entire night sky was lit ablaze with a rainbow color from the very depths of the marsh.
“The auspicious light of the Phoenix!” Like Lan Caier, An Ming Xia had done her research prior to entering the marsh. In her investigation, it’s only natural that she would also hear about the legend pertaining to this place.
Just that, she never expected the legend to be true and that she would run into the occasion first hand!
“A phoenix must be roosting in the marsh. Hurry, we must get a phoenix egg while the parents are away from the nest.” From her eyes, the anger that had entrenched itself into her pupils were suddenly replaced with a greed never before seen.
A sacred beast like the phoenix was a being that can’t be caught just because one wanted one.
As long as she can obtain a Phoenix egg and hatch it then it would be equivalent to her having a sacred beast as a pet.
By then, even a princess of Da Xia can’t be compared to herself!
In order to get a phoenix egg, An Ming Xia no longer had the patience to chase after Ye Ling Yue; instead, she orders her guards to rush ahead for the light while she herself chases from behind.
Her plan was good, but what she didn’t put into consideration was the fact that not just anybody can enter the area where a phoenix was roosting.
Randomly running around in the mist, the results were all the same For An Ming Xia. Eventually, she would return to the very same spot where the spider corpse lay.
And naturally, the changes occurring in the marsh didn’t go unnoticed by Ling Yue herself..
“Squeak~”
After Ling Yue snatched the spider core away, she had planned to meet up with Lan Caier when the sudden change in the sky occurred. Seeing the rainbow beams of light overshadowing the very darkness of the night, her eyes pricked in astonishment.
Like An Ming Xia, she had also ran around in the mist with no luck of finding the exit.
Then it was at this time the little fox on her shoulder started to act up restlessly.