Sword Spirit
Chapter 122: Golden Lightning Marten

The Missions Tower deacon indeed hadn’t spoken incorrectly. In the back mountain, there was indeed danger everywhere. Who knew when they would encounter an ambush from a ferocious beast.

Also, these ferocious beasts had fought with Wind Sword Sect disciples all the time. Their combat experience was much greater than Lu Xuan and the others. Many of the times they were impossible to guard against.

Not long after the four had gone deeper, they had one by one suffered six or seven rounds of attacks, each enemy stronger than the last. Fortunately, they had learned the lesson from the first time and didn’t encounter that sort of danger again. After all, other than Lin Xin Yi, Xia Ye and Xing Feng were both body refining fifth level strength, and with Lu Xuan to cap it off, taking care of these outer boundary ferocious beasts could still be considered as relatively simple.

After being ambushed by a fifth level ferocious beast shadow fox and killing it, Lu Xuan stopped and said: “Let’s rest here. I’ll guard. You guys hurry and recover your yuan force so we can ensure that our strength is in peak condition. Sixth level ferocious beasts will most likely appear in the next area.”

Lu Xuan had the Tai Yi Yuan Return Tactic to rely on. Even while they were walking, he could still slowly circulate it. Other than a difficult battle, he didn’t have to worry about the question of yuan force, but the other three couldn’t.

Hearing this, the other three also weren’t hypocritical. They sat down cross-legged on the ground and quickly began circulating their cultivation techniques, placing their safety in Lu Xuan’s hands.

His eyes alert and observing the surroundings, a trace of faint sword intent was released from Lu Xuan’s body. As long as it wasn’t an overly stupid ferocious beast, then when they felt Lu Xuan’s sharp qi power, they definitely wouldn’t come over to search for trouble.

After about half an hour, the three of them finished recovering and stood up. The team once again went inwards.

After entering this area, the four people clearly felt the surrounding atmosphere was different. The ferocious beast activity was much lower than before. As the forest went deeper, the active ferocious beasts would be even higher level. Lower level ferocious beasts didn’t dare enter here, otherwise they would just be reduced to food.

After passing by a few large trees, when looking forward, Lu Xuan’s pupils immediately shrank. An enormous bear appeared in front of them. It was originally been eating. Seeing that Lu Xuan and the others had come, it had immediately stopped moving, and raised its two eyes that were the size of copper bells, to stare at Lu Xuan.

The three people tightly following also saw the enormous bear. Xia Ye couldn’t help but exclaim in a low voice: “This is a sixth level ferocious beast, the iron armor bear. It’s close to the top among the sixth level. I’ve seen it before in a book. I hadn’t thought that the real guy would actually be so large!”

Seeing that this iron armor bear didn’t seem to plan to immediately attack, Lu Xuan also didn’t rush to start either. Not moving, he asked: “Its characteristics.”

“Its defense is particularly strong. If it were any other sixth level ferocious beast, I’d still have some confidence, but against this guy, I’m guessing a sword stroke from me wouldn’t be able to break through his defense.” Xia Ye quickly spoke. After he finished speaking, he couldn’t help but add in: “Also, it’s vitality is extremely tenacious. If possible, we should choose to not fight it.”

Hearing this, Lu Xuan’s mind raced, but the qi power he emitted didn’t weaken at all, instead becoming stronger and stronger.

“You and Xing Feng guard Xin Yi and retreat first. I’ll keep it busy.” Lu Xuan’s face was calm as he spoke. Since this iron armor bear was so difficult and wasn’t their mission goal, naturally there was no reason to take risks and waste time on it.

However, from his experiences in Qing Mountain Village, Lu Xuan also knew, if currently the four people all turned to leave, this animal probably wouldn’t let them go. It needed to be deterred to know that these people shouldn’t be bothered.

“Lu Xuan, be careful.” After Xia Ye and Xing Feng moved back, Lin Xin Yi couldn’t help but say.

Lu Xuan didn’t respond. He continued to unreservedly emit small success stage sword intent for the iron armor bear to sense. Currently, Lu Xuan was like an unbreakable edge. The defense it was so proud of, in front of this man before its eyes, could very likely be broken through without too much difficulty. The fear in its eyes became more and more concentrated.

A man and a bear stared each other down for five rests of time before Lu Xuan slowly moved back a step. He was basically done deterring. If they really began to fight, Lu Xuan wasn’t necessarily afraid of it. Even if its defense was even stronger, could it be stronger than his sword intent? However, since there was no need to fight, naturally if it could avoided, then it should be avoided. During combat, who knew if it would attract other ferocious beasts which would then drag on Lin Xin Yi and others also into danger.

Seeing Lu Xuan take a step back, the ferocity of the iron armor bear immediately surged upwards. It subconsciously wanted to charge towards that person and shred him to pieces, however, he felt that the sword intent around Lu Xuan’s body still hadn’t dissipated, so it dispelled that idea. Things that didn’t need doing shouldn’t be done. Anyways, it had already finished eating and drinking. For it, survival was the number one priority.

In this time, Lu Xuan had already taken a few steps back. Seeing that there was no danger, the iron armor bear picked up its meal and put Lu Xuan behind it.

Lin Xin Yi and the others also hadn’t gone far. Seeing that Lu Xuan had retreated back, they relaxed.

Xia Ye exhaled a breath: “It seems like the deacon didn’t speak incorrectly. Seven star missions might still be a bit difficult for us. I hadn’t thought that this sixth level iron armor bear would be so strong.”

Previous when he had read about those ferocious beasts, Xia Ye hadn’t felt like they were that scary. He had assumed that killing beasts of that level wouldn’t be a problem. Now he had personally seen it, and now knew that his thinking was a bit naive. He had indeed benefited a lot by going on this trip through the back mountain.

It was the same for true combat. There was a difference of heaven and earth between it and rushing the Sword Forest. In the Sword Forest, as long as a transferral jade medallion was in hand, there wasn’t too much pressure. When it was too much, you could retreat. Just now, if Lu Xuan hadn’t been there, most likely, they would have been escape in the end, but they would have had to pay a price.

“Let’s not talk too much about it for now, and put the seven star mission aside. Let’s finish the six star before talking about it again. Let’s continue to search for the lightning marten.” Lu Xuan said.

Just as the four people were preparing to leave, there was suddenly the sound of an explosion. Next there was an angry roar. Xing Feng was the first to react and quickly said: “It’s the sound of the iron armor bear!”

“Could it be that someone made a move against the iron armor bear?” Xia Ye said in shock. Them not daring to make a move against the iron armor bear didn’t mean that others didn’t. The Wind Sword Sect had so many disciples. If there was a group of about fix or six body refining sixth levels, taking on an iron armor bear wouldn’t be a problem.

“Let’s go over and take a look. Don’t reveal ourselves.” Lu Xuan took the lead to go back. Speaking truthfully, he really wanted to fight a round with that iron armor bear, however, for the sake of Lin Xin Yi and the others’ safety he had refrained. Now since there were other people already fighting, going back and watching also wasn’t too bad.

The four went back, getting there with ease and moved to a side where they looked towards the location where the iron armor bear had just been.

They could hear the continuous roars of the iron armor bear, and they could see the prey that hadn’t been fully consumed had long since been tossed to the side. Its large body was in the field continuously pouncing forward, jumping back, rolling to the sides… Its seemingly bulky body was actually incredibly flexible.

What amazed Lu Xuan and the others more was that there was a golden colored small figure that was even faster than the iron armor bear, spinning circles around the iron armor bear, getting in an attack every now and then.

One large, one small, the attack rhythm of the two ferocious beasts was quite fast. Lu Xuan could barely keep up with the golden colored ferocious beasts attack speed while Xia Ye and the other two were completely spinny-eyed, however, even though they couldn’t see clearly, they could tell that in this fight, the golden colored ferocious beast had the advantage.

Even though the iron armor bear’s attacks seemed scary, but none of them hit. As for the golden colored ferocious beast, although its attack weren’t many, each each one hit dead on, and each time it hit, the iron armor bear would cry out in pain. Obviously, the iron armor bear’s powerful defense didn’t have much of a blocking effect against this golden colored ferocious beast’s attack.

Xia Ye couldn’t help but gulp. It was actually stronger than an iron armor bear. Could it be that this golden colored ferocious beast was a seventh level ferocious beast?

Continuously counter attacking, the iron armor bear finally found an opportunity. It’s large bear claws fiercely swiped at the golden colored figure, immediately sending it flying, causing the battlefield to finally come to a stop. That golden colored figure flexibly rotated its body in midair, stably landing on the ground. However, it seemed like its color was a bit off. Obviously, the iron armor bear’s attack wasn’t so easy to withstand.

However, the iron armor bear was more miserable than it. Its entire body was flowing with blood. The so-called iron armor skin had been scratched in countless locations.

As the two beasts were in a stalemate with each other, Lu Xuan and the three others could finally carefully see what that smaller sized ferocious beast was. Without a doubt, it was a marten-type ferocious beast. Its small eyes revealed a gloomy expression. Its golden fur should have been very pretty, however, after receiving the iron armor bear’s attack just now, it had been cut open. It seemed embarrassed.

“Xia Ye, what kind of ferocious beast is that?” Lu Xuan stared at the golden colored figure without turning his eyes away as he asked.

“This, this seems like… a lightning marten? But the color isn’t right ah…” Xia Ye said with uncertainty.

Lu Xuan was startled. A lightning marten? Could it be this was their goal’s lightning marten? However, if a lightning marten was this strong, comparable to a seventh level ferocious beast, then that deacon should have warned them.

“It’s a lightning marten!” Lin Xin Yi said with some excitement, “Xia Ye, you didn’t read carefully. Ordinary lightning martens do indeed have dark gray fur, but there is a variation of the species called a golden lightning marten. Its strength is comparable to seventh level ferocious beasts!”

“Such a strong ferocious beast. Why would it be here?” Xing Feng couldn’t help but ask.

Lin Xin Yi continued to explain: “The golden lightning marten evolved from the common lightning marten. Its speed and attack force are both stronger. I’m seeing that there are some mixed colors on the fur of this golden lightning marten. It should have evolved not too long ago. I’m guessing that it wants to kill some prey here, and only after it stabilizes its strength will it go to the higher level areas.

Hearing this, Lu Xuan’s eyes flashed an expression of joy, “It is indeed a case of wearing out iron shoes in hunting around and finding it without even searching for it! Currently this golden lightning marten and this iron armor bear have fought with each other. We’re just in time to reap the rewards. Not only can we complete the mission, we can also get a bonus of the top sixth level strength iron armor bear.”

(TN: Spending a long time searching for it but don’t, but then when you’re not looking for it, you find it.)