Chapter Fifty-Five: Treasure Obtained

In the ages that followed, the young beasts gradually multiplied and, diverging from their bestial origins, formed a new and distinct group. These new creatures were named spirit beasts by the mighty ones, their title signifying intelligence and spiritual resonance. Much was hoped for these spirit beasts, yet at their first encounter with the original beasts, they suffered a devastating defeat—utterly and completely routed.

Because these spirit beasts had all originated from the direct bloodline of the beast clans, their transformation incensed the beast race. The beast clans demanded that humanity eradicate these abominations, which they saw as an affront to their lineage, threatening all-out war if their demands were not met.

Naturally, humanity refused. The two sides clashed in a brutal war that raged on for centuries, neither side yielding, neither side victorious.

In the final, fevered stages of this great conflict, a supremely powerful being appeared. With an overwhelming, world-shaking cultivation, this figure easily subdued the greatest champions of both the human and beast races, bringing an end to the war that had scarred the ages.

At the suggestion of this transcendent being, both sides, exhausted and battered, agreed to a truce: for ten thousand years, neither race would provoke the other, and all would focus on recovery and peace. Any who broke this accord, no matter who they were, would be suppressed for eternity.

Under the shadow of such absolute power, both sides retreated to their own territories and quietly nursed their wounds, striving to replenish what the war had consumed.

The spirit beasts, far from being abandoned, were now widely embraced. The great ones began to keep them as pets or mounts, and the warriors below eagerly followed suit. In no time, the spirit beasts flourished throughout the human domain.

But, for reasons unknown, many of the preeminent figures among both beast and human races began to vanish, their whereabouts a mystery. The spirit beasts, meanwhile, were scattered to the far reaches of the continent, left to fend for themselves. Over countless millennia, they evolved and multiplied, spreading throughout every human-inhabited region.

Then came the cataclysm of ten thousand years ago, which all but annihilated the spirit beasts. For some reason, their reproduction has since been exceedingly slow, so that now, few warriors across the land possess spirit beast companions.

Before the cataclysm, nearly every warrior had a beast companion; they could be seen everywhere, dotting the roads and cities across the continent.

The beast clans, for reasons equally mysterious, migrated en masse a thousand years before the cataclysm. No one knows where they went. From that time forth, not a single beast was seen upon the Red Peak Continent, their existence faded from memory, replaced in the collective consciousness by the spirit beasts.

Thus, to encounter genuine beasts in this ancient realm was a deeply unsettling surprise for the strong ones who had entered for the first time.

Leng Tian stood at the cliff’s edge, watching the two beasts below as they faced off, tense as drawn swords. Sensing the power that radiated from them, he judged, “Their strength is likely on par with the dragon Max. But as to which would win in a true contest, that cannot be foretold.”

“It seems these two are both here for that strange lotus,” Leng Tian mused to himself.

“Boss, why don’t we just snatch that big flower ourselves?” Judas rubbed his hands together, drooling as he gazed through Leng Tian’s mind’s eye at the two beasts.

“Wait a bit longer. If I’m not mistaken, the only reason they haven’t attacked each other is that the lotus isn’t fully mature yet. They’re waiting for the right moment, and once it comes, they’ll strike with all their might.”

“Boss, we’d best stay close to the lotus. When those two giants start fighting, it’ll shake the heavens and the earth. If we wait until then to act, it might be too late!”

Judas’s drool pooled on the blood-red rune beneath him as he peered through Leng Tian’s mind’s eye, his gaze fixed greedily on the two beasts.

“Hmm, you have a point,” Leng Tian replied, drifting down the cliff. He landed silently by the lake’s edge, glanced at the two beasts, then strode across the water toward the violet-flamed lotus.

His feet touched the surface without so much as a ripple; he seemed as insubstantial as air. With a few light steps, he drew near the miraculous flower.

Up close, Leng Tian could at last study the legendary treasure in detail. Six large, pale green leaves shimmered with radiant light, and the violet petals exuded an intoxicating fragrance. At first, the warmth that seeped into his heart was soothing, but in the next instant, it turned to searing agony.

Startled, Leng Tian recoiled instantly, escaping the burning heat. “Worthy of a treasure of heaven and earth! Even the power it reveals is enough to make one’s heart race!”

“What dense fire energy! There’s even a trace of the laws at work—a flower of true rarity!” Judas crossed his arms, smacking his lips in awe.

“Are you certain there’s a law at work in it?” Leng Tian’s expression grew grave, his tone incredulous.

“Boss, don’t forget: we Shadowfiends are born sensitive to the power of laws. That’s our nature; aside from the deities themselves, none surpass us in this. I guarantee you, there’s a fire law at play within this violet lotus!”

Judas lifted his head proudly in assurance.

“Such a marvel must not fall to the beasts. I must claim it for myself!” With Judas’s guarantee, Leng Tian’s mind was made up: no matter what, he would seize this lotus.

The only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves. In this uncanny stillness, man and beasts alike waited in silence for the violet-flamed lotus to reach full maturity.

In the sky, the blazing sun hung overhead, its rays at their fiercest. Sunlight danced across the lake, and the violet petals shone with golden-purple light.

Leng Tian, eyes closed, suddenly sensed a faint warmth in the air. He opened his eyes and gazed at the lotus a dozen meters away.

The tightly closed violet bud showed signs of change. Filaments of golden light, visible to the naked eye, descended from above and poured into the bud.

At first, the golden rays were scattered, but soon they grew dense, torrents of solar essence forcibly absorbed by the lotus.

“What incredible absorption! The heat of this solar essence far surpasses even Max’s dragonflame, yet this small lotus is devouring it with abandon!” Leng Tian marveled at the wonders of creation—what miraculous things heaven and earth could give birth to!

“Boss, pay attention. The lotus is fully mature now; this is the final stage. Don’t try to take it yourself—just send the seeds straight into Purgatory!” Judas’s tone was grave, warning Leng Tian not to risk himself.

“Is it really that dangerous?” Leng Tian thought Judas was exaggerating. If even the two beasts dared to snatch it, why couldn’t he?

“Boss, if my memory serves, this is the famed ‘Violet-Flame Lotus’!”

“You know its origin?” Leng Tian was surprised that Judas recognized the flower.

“Boss, don’t forget: among all the countless races, humanity is by far the most numerous, and naturally draws our attention. But our kind, considered outsiders by you, all possess bloodline inheritances!”

Judas seemed suddenly quite proud.

“Oh? Then tell me of this flower’s origin and effects.”

“Heh, listen closely, Boss!” Judas settled in, legs crossed, saliva flying as he recounted the legends of the Violet-Flame Lotus.

Leng Tian, chin resting on his palm, kept his eyes on the lotus while listening to Judas’s tale. The more he learned, the more determined he became to possess the flower.

“If it is so potent for beasts, then that dull-witted dragon Max can surely withstand the fire’s tempering. My own physique is even sturdier than his. This will greatly aid my ascent to the Platinum Holy Body. Once I achieve that, I’ll be able to fly short distances!”

With this plan, Leng Tian resolved to seize the seeds for himself and Max’s advancement.

“And these two beasts are no ordinary creatures. Both possess top-tier bloodlines. The tiger is a descendant of the White Tiger, one of the four sacred beasts, and is known as Qiongqi. Its strength rivals a human Xuan-level cultivator. The green-horned serpent, though not descended from a sacred beast, is a direct descendant of the Flood Dragon, and its power is likewise formidable.”

Judas spoke with the air of a connoisseur, introducing the two beasts.

“Oh? Could I make them my own?” Leng Tian’s eyes shone at the thought.

Judas considered. “Catching them, perhaps. But taming them would be difficult. Beasts are proud by nature; unless you utterly crush that pride with your own strength, you’ll have no hope.”

Leng Tian clenched his fists and grinned. “That sounds like a challenge I’d enjoy!”

No sooner had he spoken than a beam of golden light shot down from the heavens, pouring into the violet bud. At that moment, the nine outer petals unfolded, violet-gold light swirling and blossoming, while the central bud detached from the flower’s heart and floated above the lotus throne, spinning slowly.

Both beasts fixed their gaze on the scene, tense and ready for any sudden attack from the other.

Bathed in golden light, the spinning violet bud accelerated, and tendrils of deep violet flame seeped out, encircling it. The air itself seemed to sizzle and burn—such was the heat it radiated.

“Boss, get ready!”

“Right.” Leng Tian drifted two meters from the spinning bud—a perfect range for the reach of Purgatory.

The violet flames intensified, the bud’s protective petals falling away, melting into the fire. When the last petal vanished, it revealed three red-and-white lotus seeds, each wrapped in deep violet flame, tongues of fire leaping upward and radiating scorching heat in all directions.

“Roar…” Qiongqi bellowed and leapt for the lotus seeds.

The horned serpent also shrieked, its jaws gaping wide as it lunged for the seeds.

The two beasts moved with lightning speed, reaching the seeds in the blink of an eye. But at that critical moment, a flash of crimson light enveloped the three seeds and, in the blink of an eye, they vanished from sight!

Martial Dao’s Edge, Chapter 55: Treasure Acquired — End of Update.