276: Chapter 276 The White Crane Searches the West!

On the border of the Liang Kingdom, in the layer of gale winds.

A ten-zhang-long White Crane flapped its wings as it wove through the air, its feathers slicing through the violent winds with immense speed.

Having escaped the enslavement of the Qingfeng Sect, the White Crane felt completely at ease. The pent-up frustration of several hundred years was swept away, and with the rich assets of the Qingfeng Sect's Treasure Pavilion stored in its belly, life finally held some promise.

"That old dog Tongming is probably being beaten until he's looking for his teeth all over the floor by the Haoran Sect right now."

The White Crane sneered, folded its wings, and descended.

Below lay Taizhen Prefecture.

Stretches of scorched earth and ruins met its eyes; the Xuanshui Sect and the Gangyuan Sect, two Golden Core mountain gates, had been razed to the ground.

In the Mortal towns, nine out of ten houses were empty, and the stench of blood soared straight into the sky!

The White Crane transformed into the size of an ordinary wild crane and landed at the remnants of a ruined cultivation Family's residence.

Several corpses lay scattered on the ground, their deaths appearing extremely miserable; it looked as if they had been torn apart alive by some kind of giant beast, with fragments of flesh and blood everywhere.

The White Crane picked up a piece of a corpse and swallowed it.

While tasting it, it actually sensed a peculiar aura.

"This Demonic Qi is quite strange…"

The White Crane's expression shifted slightly. It had long heard of the tragic state of Taizhen Prefecture; rumor had it that it was the work of a Demonic Path faction called the Holy Blood Sect.

Its members could transform into half-Yao forms and possessed immense strength.

"Half-Yao?"

The White Crane pondered for a moment, gathered a wisp of white light, and forcibly refined the Demonic Qi, ultimately condensing a faint trace of purple energy.

"Thunder attribute, Bear Clan essence blood."

The White Crane clicked its tongue in wonder, seemingly having realized something. The Human Race Cultivators thought they had obtained some ancient Demonic Technique, little knowing that this was the Yao Race's most base method of Bloodline erosion.

Using Yao blood to forcibly modify a human Physical Body, draining their potential to trade for temporary combat power, turning them into Yao-humans to be controlled as beast slaves!

This method clearly indicated that a great Yao was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

"To think there are fellow practitioners in this backwater place?"

The White Crane immediately became interested. It had stayed in the Liang Kingdom for several hundred years and knew exactly what was in the surrounding area; the Yao behind this was definitely not native to the Liang Kingdom.

The Yao Beasts in the Liang Kingdom had long since mostly died out.

There were only a few Foundation Establishment Yao Beasts left, entrenched in some muddy waters or Evil Water Marsh, barely surviving. Its own Cloud Crane clan was already the last remaining Transformed Demon King Bloodline within the Liang Kingdom…

Afterward, its figure flickered, turning into a streak of pure white light as it followed the faint remnants of Demonic Qi, tracking all the way to the west.

…

Half a month later, in the southern part of Feng Prefecture, Qingcang Kingdom.

The Fengshui Marsh was vast and misty, with towns scattered across the water like stars in the sky. The Bai and Li families of the Shangqing Sect were operating busily here, and Cultivators traveled back and forth frequently.

Yet beneath the water's surface, undercurrents surged.

The White Crane concealed its aura, transformed into an ordinary white fish, and swam in the deep water. The more it investigated, the more alarmed it became.

The clues regarding the Holy Blood Sect pointed all the way to the Qingcang Kingdom, with a portion ultimately converging here at the Fengshui Marsh.

And here, it detected an even more powerful fluctuation of Yao power.

Deep within the mountain lake abyss in the northern part of the Fengshui Marsh, a Golden Crocodile with a body length of over a hundred zhang was hiding…

Its aura was unmistakably that of a Level 5 Yao Beast!

The Golden Crocodile inhaled and exhaled Spiritual Qi at the bottom of the water, and the aquatic tribes for dozens of miles around all used this as a center, living and residing outward…

The White Crane did not approach; it only took a look from afar before quietly retreating.

Subsequently, it went to the west of northern Feng Prefecture.

In a swamp filled with miasma, it saw a mottled old turtle with a body the size of a mountain. This old turtle's aura was steady, and it was also at the Golden Core realm!

It had reached the Level 6 Yao General realm and was ruling over a group of turtle-type Yao Beasts, living contentedly.

"Golden Scaled Giant Crocodile, Canglan Old Turtle."

"They are both ancient Bloodlines passed down for a long time, but unfortunately, by this generation, the Bloodlines have become so impure…"

"These two are afraid they no longer have the potential to become kings; what a pity."

The White Crane leaped out of the water and landed on a dead tree on the bank, transforming back into its White Crane form. It looked out over this vast land of Feng Prefecture.

Its eyes flashed with a sharp light, deep in thought.

Human Race Cultivators occupied the most fertile resources on the surface, while the Yao Race hid behind the scenes, occupying water systems, swamps, and the northern lands.

They were silently multiplying and even incorporated the Human Race's vassal forces. This layout was truly ingenious.

There was even a Human Race Golden Core Cultivator stationed here…

Even more bizarrely, this Human Race Sword Dao Cultivator was actually intentionally or unintentionally protecting the Yao clans, concealing the auras for that Golden Crocodile and the old turtle. This kind of bizarre scene was something it truly could not fathom.

This kind of layout was definitely not something that stupid giant crocodile and that old turtle could come up with, nor did they have the ability to achieve this.

Afterward, the White Crane spread its wings and flew high, hiding within the vastness of the Cloud Dao.

After inquiring in many places, a name surfaced.

White Cloud Temple, Shi Jian.

He was a Level 6 Yao General, under the command of the Shangqing Sect, ordered to pioneer the Evil Water Marsh, and later forcibly tore apart the Level 7 Yao General, Poison Flood Dragon King.

After occupying this place, sixty percent of the territory was taken away by the Shangqing Sect.

And this Shi Jian, while at any time subject to the Human Race's orders to exterminate various Yao clans, still occupied forty percent of the territory, using this land to support the remaining crocodile-type and turtle-type clans.

"That is indeed a good method."

After understanding the general cause and effect, the White Crane sighed in sincere admiration.

On this Xuanling Continent, the Yao Race had always been the Human Race's prey, mounts, and Materials; to be able to play the Human Race in the palm of one's hand and openly establish a paradise for the Yao Race… This bear was indeed the first!

The White Crane pondered for a moment. It was now at the Golden Core Perfection, only one step away from the Nascent Soul, but this step was too difficult to cross.

When a Yao Race member breaks through to the Nascent Soul, the commotion is massive and will inevitably attract the Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation.

If there is no protector, it will inevitably be interfered with and coveted by others.

Moreover, Human Race Nascent Soul Cultivators would never sit by and watch a wild great Yao break through; they would inevitably come to take advantage of the situation.

Its original plan was to flee to the Boundless Sea and find a deserted island overseas to break through.

But it understood the rules of the Boundless Sea; those Sea Beast royal clans were very xenophobic.

As a land-based avian, if it ran to the sea to seize territory, it would likely be swallowed alive by those dragons and sea Yao before it could even attract the Lightning Tribulation.

It could not go overseas, and the land was too dangerous.

"If I could join forces with this Shi Jian…"

The White Crane's mind immediately became active. This bear not only had fierce combat power, but it also had the White Cloud Temple as a shell for cover.

If it could break through on his territory and borrow his influence to block the Human Race Cultivators, its chances of success would increase by at least thirty percent.

Having made up its mind, the White Crane set off for Ming Prefecture.

…

Yunjian Mountain Range, White Cloud Temple.

The White Crane stood on a fruit tree, tilted its head, and looked toward Zixiao Peak.

In recent days, it had already infiltrated the White Cloud Temple, becoming an ordinary crane Yao in the Northern Mountain Range within this temple.

It had not encountered any obstacles when it came to seek refuge.

The Sun Clan Cultivators saw that it was just an ordinary crane Yao and let it into the Beast Forest; the various Yao Beast clans were long accustomed to this.

The White Crane, however, had indeed seen a lot.

It never expected that within this White Cloud Temple, besides the Thunder Bear Shi Jian it had inquired about, there was actually another hidden Golden Core bear Yao!

Later, it learned that this bear Yao was named Shi Pan, who was the current managing great Yao.

Besides this, it also saw many types of Yao Beasts with miraculous Bloodlines, such as the Wind Mouse Clan, whose Bloodline was quite powerful.

Although it was not yet pure enough, as long as it was optimized and improved generation after generation, it might not be impossible to give birth to Golden Core realm Yao Generals!

There was also the Black Dog Clan, whose Bloodline was even more mutated.

Especially the dog Yao named Kuang Dou; it indeed had the potential for Core Formation, and its Bloodline was quite extraordinary. It seemed to be a Bloodline mutation that strengthened its molten fire ability.

In addition—

The White Crane also saw Mushou Mountain under the jurisdiction of the White Cloud Temple, where there were actually thirty-six Foundation Establishment clans, large and small.

Among them was a Green Ape, named: Qingling!

It was the current ruler of the Green Ape Clan, and its innate talent and bone structure were also not bad; it looked like it had some connection with the ancient Green Wood Ape lineage.

It was also a future Yao Race Prodigy with the potential for Core Formation.

Having seen so much, the White Crane was truly stirred in its heart.

It did not expect that on this Xuanling Continent, there were still various Yao Race lineages, and the Bear Clan, Turtle Clan, and Crocodile Clan had the most comprehensive lineages.

It was evident that this Shi Jian's plot was truly not small!

At this moment, on Zixiao Peak.

It was shrouded in thick thunderclouds all year round, with purple-gold electric arcs rolling in the clouds, emitting waves of destructive aura, making even it, a Golden Core Perfection, feel waves of palpitations.

"This thunder technique… is domineering to the point of being a bit evil."

The White Crane was truly surprised; it could feel that the energy on Zixiao Peak was constantly rising, yet it was being strangely suppressed, with the aura fluctuating unsteadily.

"It's almost time; it looks like it's about to break through to Level 7…"

The White Crane was not in a hurry; it had plenty of patience.

It had eaten prison food for hundreds of years, so it did not mind waiting a few more years; when Shi Jian came out of seclusion, it would then have a good, detailed discussion.

It would also take advantage of this time to prepare for the Nascent Soul Formation.