Chapter 198 : Chapter 198
Chapter 198: The Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer, Lu Qingyun Steps In
Inside the Azure Heaven Secret Realm.
After dealing with Li Chuntian, Lu Xiaoyao set off once more, leaving only the spectating cultivators exchanging bewildered glances.
They too soon dispersed.
The Immortal-Slaying Sect had sent no small number of disciples into the secret realm. If any of those disciples witnessed this scene and mistakenly believed they had been involved in killing Li Chuntian, things could get very troublesome.
Elsewhere, because everyone's realm had been suppressed upon entering the Azure Heaven Secret Realm, virtually all cultivators were reduced to the Saint King Realm.
And within the Azure Heaven Secret Realm, there existed many powerful demon beasts at the Saint Monarch or even Saint Emperor level.
A considerable number of cultivators had encountered those beasts the moment they entered, perishing on the spot.
Though the Azure Heaven Secret Realm's mortality rate was high, the sheer abundance of opportunities within kept cultivators flooding in wave after wave every time it opened.
On Lu Qingyun's end.
After entering the Azure Heaven Secret Realm, she pulled out a map. After studying her surroundings, she quickly identified her current location.
Though the Azure Heaven Secret Realm was enormous, it had existed for an extraordinarily long time, and the number of times it had opened was approaching ten thousand.
As a result, certain forces had mapped the interior of the Azure Heaven Secret Realm and sold the maps for a tidy profit.
"This is... Jade Rampart Mountain."
Lu Qingyun mused silently. Closing her eyes, she carefully assessed her own condition and quickly sensed that her realm had been suppressed to the Peak of the Saint King Realm.
She didn't pay it much mind. Just as she was about to begin exploring, she sensed something and frowned, gazing northward.
An aura there was drawing her in.
After some deliberation, Lu Qingyun decided to go take a look.
She wasn't the only one drawn to it. Many cultivators had also sensed the aura and were rushing toward it.
At the center of the pull lay an azure lake.
In the middle of the lake, curled up on the water's surface, was a deer with a pair of seven-colored antlers atop its head and a coat of pure snowy white. Its belly was distended, and its expression was one of agony.
When Lu Qingyun laid eyes on it, her pupils contracted involuntarily.
"That's a Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer!"
During her time in Seclusion at the Ancient Wood Sect, Lu Qingyun had frequently visited the library to study the history of the Immortal Realm, including its various immortal beasts and the like.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer was an extraordinarily rare immortal beast.
Its rarity lay not in any formidable combat prowess, but in a unique property.
If one could earn the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer's acknowledgment as its master, the master would receive its blessing — all attributes doubled, including cultivation speed, comprehension, and more.
So when she spotted it, the first thought in Lu Qingyun's mind was to tame it on the spot.
But before she could act, several cultivators arrived from the distance, landing beside the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer and surrounding it.
Sensing the threat, the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer struggled to its feet and glared at the cultivators before it.
The moment it stood, Lu Qingyun saw its lower half clearly.
This was a Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer in the middle of giving birth.
The surrounding cultivators, however, were not about to show mercy just because it was in labor. On the contrary, they grew even more excited.
One cultivator leveled his spear at the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer and laughed loudly. "Hahaha, the heavens are smiling on me! Everyone, I am Ning Tianrong, Holy Son of the Liuli Sect. I ask that you give me face and let me have the fawn. As for the mother — do with her as you please."
But in the face of the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer's allure, none of them were about to grant Ning Tianrong this courtesy.
So before long, a cultivator struck first, trying to seize the fawn ahead of everyone else.
A newborn fawn would have an undeveloped mind, still immature — the easiest possible target to tame.
Seeing someone dare to lay a hand on her offspring, the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer could endure no longer. The pair of seven-colored antlers atop her head flashed with a pulse of light.
The next instant, a beam of light shot out, obliterating the cultivator who had attempted the sneak attack.
The surrounding cultivators shrank back at the sight.
Under the Azure Heaven Secret Realm's suppression, everyone was at the Peak of the Saint King Realm.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer, meanwhile, had also been limited by the secret realm. Its realm wasn't particularly high — merely the Peak of the Saint Monarch Realm.
But even so, killing a Peak Saint King while at the Peak of the Saint Monarch Realm was a trivial matter.
Seeing the crowd's wavering resolve, Ning Tianrong's expression darkened. He spoke up again.
"Don't be afraid! This Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer is in the middle of giving birth. Its strength has plummeted. If we all attack together, we can bring it down — and we'll discuss the rest afterward."
With that, Ning Tianrong attacked first. The cultivators around him mulled it over briefly, then followed his lead without objection.
In an instant, dozens of Saint King cultivators launched a joint assault on the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer.
The deer bellowed in fury, its antlers ceaselessly firing beams of light. Each beam claimed the life of a cultivator.
But this was only temporary.
Once the cultivators closed to melee range, the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer's situation became dire.
Because of the birthing, she couldn't draw on too much of her strength, let alone move from her position.
Wounds accumulated across her body.
Yet even so, to protect her child, she curled her body into a tight ball.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer's offensive abilities weren't particularly formidable, but her defense was terrifying. Once she curled herself into a ball, some cultivators couldn't even breach her defenses.
Though a few could.
Ning Tianrong extended his right hand, and a small tower materialized from his palm.
This was a replica of the Liuli Tower, the supreme treasure of the Liuli Sect.
Though only a replica, it was not to be underestimated.
"Go!"
As Ning Tianrong directed the Liuli Tower, it floated above the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer in moments.
As the supreme treasure of the Liuli Sect, the Liuli Tower naturally possessed many functions, including the ability to refine and imprison.
All he needed to do was draw the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer inside, and both mother and fawn would belong to the Liuli Sect.
The surrounding cultivators, seeing Ning Tianrong trying to hog the prize for himself, were instantly furious.
But before they could confront him, a figure shot out and appeared before the Liuli Tower, cleaving it in half with a single sword strike — it was Lu Qingyun.
Seeing how much pain the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer was in, and having lacked a mother's love since her own childhood, Lu Qingyun felt compelled to do something.
When she saw Ning Tianrong about to carry off the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer, Lu Qingyun knew she couldn't stand idly by. She struck without hesitation, splitting the Liuli Tower in two with a single slash.