Chapter 4534 — So You Know Each Other?

Yet even though the Vermilion Bird had seen clean through its designs, it could not possibly defy the order in public over so trifling a matter. After all, this was in full view of everyone, and the other was the nominal absolute sovereign of the spirit beast clan; the Vermilion Bird could not afford to risk the great for the small and hand others a handle against itself.

In truth, if one thought about it deeply enough, one would realize that this move by the puppet king looked utterly meaningless, a bafflingly wasted gesture, yet in fact it was the antelope's horn hung in the air—there was another design hidden within.

If the Vermilion Bird chose to yield before all present, that would give the other room to press its advantage, or rather, the capital to bargain with the Vermilion Bird. To keep the other from thrusting a foot in at some critical juncture later on, the Vermilion Bird must make a concession of a certain degree; it had no other choice.

If the Vermilion Bird chose to defy the order openly, the problem would be all the graver. Even if it and the Azure Dragon together controlled most of the spirit beast clan's power, one must not forget that two other top-tier elders were watching like tigers. These were all formidable figures possessed of both ambition and strength; for now they dared not act rashly, but once they seized a handle, they would without the slightest hesitation raise the banner of clearing the sovereign's side—and then there would be real hell to pay.

At this thought, even the Vermilion Bird could not help but feel a secret alarm, breaking out in a cold sweat. It had plainly been no more than a meaningless improvisation, yet behind it lurked such deep cunning—truly, it was somewhat frightening.

The Vermilion Bird could not help but cast a long look at the King of Spirit Beasts shrouded beneath the seven-colored fighting hat, thinking to itself that it hoped it was overthinking things. Otherwise, there would likely be no end of trouble in the days to come.

The Vermilion Bird and the Azure Dragon kept their guard up in secret, yet this King of Spirit Beasts remained calm as still water, just as before. It showed not the least inclination to interfere with their next appointment of the lord of Demon Cold City, merely sitting there quietly, its mask turned in the direction Wei Zhao had departed, and no one could tell what it was thinking.

After leaving the spirit beast assembly's grounds with composure, Wei Zhao immediately, without the slightest hesitation, opened the throttle wide, recklessly employing the transcendent-limit Butterfly Microstep he had not yet mastered, his form turning into a spectral apparition that flitted through the dense forest, swiftly putting distance between himself and that vast horde of terrifying spirit beasts.

Though he had the King of Spirit Beasts' pardon, Wei Zhao knew full well he had not a moment to dawdle. His excuse for leaving had been to find somewhere to relieve himself, and naturally he could not stretch that time too long. If too long passed, those spirit beasts would certainly notice something amiss, and then he truly would not escape.

Even so, what Wei Zhao was doing was in truth extremely risky, for the Vermilion Bird had been monitoring the whole scene all along with its divine sense. Once it detected that Wei Zhao was fleeing at full speed, the consequences would likewise be unthinkable.

Fortunately, the Vermilion Bird's mind was now wholly bent on pondering how to deal with the King of Spirit Beasts, and for the short term it would not continue sweeping the whole field with its divine sense. Moreover, a trivial figure like Wei Zhao was not within its scope of attention; it would never go out of its way to search for Wei Zhao's position.

Even if he had fled, it would at most assume he was too frightened to dare return.

So it went for a full stick of incense's time, until he was at least a hundred li from the spirit beast assembly's grounds. Only then did Wei Zhao's suspended heart steady somewhat, and he let out a long breath of turbid air with lingering dread. This time he had truly escaped death; it was sheer luck.

Yet even so, Wei Zhao did not dare come to a full stop. He kept racing onward with the Super Butterfly Microstep. He had no idea whether the Vermilion Bird had fixed its eye on him, still less how far the Vermilion Bird's divine sense could reach. To be safe, of course, the farther he fled the better.

As for not continuing with the transcendent-limit Butterfly Microstep, that was simply out of necessity. That hyper-stimulated state was doomed to exact a tremendous price; let it last a little too long, and a great mass of cells within his body would promptly "die of overwork"—that would be an act of self-mutilation.

Even with his self-healing ability, Wei Zhao did not dare play so recklessly with his life. Good steel must be spent on the blade's edge; a trump card like the transcendent-limit Butterfly Microstep could only be used when necessary. Ordinarily it was wiser to stay with the Super Butterfly Microstep—after all, that speed was already very fast.

And as he fled, Wei Zhao exclaimed in glad relief within his heart, "I never would have guessed—this new King of Spirit Beasts is really a good man! Oh no, a good spirit beast!"

When those few spirit beast guards had earlier crushed him with the awe of their pressure, it might have looked as though he stood there unshaken, his face unmoved as if Mount Tai were collapsing before him—but how could that truly have been so?

His heart had nearly burst with fright just now. A single second's delay and he would have died with no place for burial. It had been far, far too damned close!

"That new King of Spirit Beasts feels a bit strange... Could it be, you brat, that you know each other?" Ghost Thing was likewise full of puzzlement at this moment. Even he had thought this time death was certain, yet against all odds they had survived the calamity—and in such a fashion, no less. It truly left one baffled.

"Pfft!" Wei Zhao nearly spat. His face odd, he said, "Senior, you were the former Azure Dragon elder and even you don't know it—how would I, a human cultivator who came up from the mundane world, have any way of knowing the King of Spirit Beasts?"

"That's true enough." Ghost Thing also thought it unlikely, yet that little doubt still coiled in his heart and would not disperse. "But if it doesn't know you at all, then what did those words of its mean? And the Great Fire Lion clan of the Rufeng Forest too—was that pure guesswork? That makes no sense. And from where it stands, there'd be no reason to step forward and save you..."

"Then I don't know. Maybe it really was a blind guess. I was the one who mentioned the Rufeng Forest, and there really aren't many spirit beasts left there now—likely the only ones of any whole clan still living there are the Great Fire Lions and the Great Spiders. So it's not as if it's completely impossible it guessed." Wei Zhao was thoughtful, then added, "Besides, even if it did know of me, it could never recognize me looking like this—I'm still wearing the Thousand-Silk Mask!"

"That you're wearing a mask is true enough, but it only changes your looks. Your build and your voice haven't changed at all. Fooling a stranger is one thing, but to truly deceive someone with a mind to see through you—that's impossible." Ghost Thing rejected the notion.

"That still makes no sense. I've had no dealings whatsoever with this new King of Spirit Beasts. It had never seen me before, and I had never seen it—I don't even know what kind of spirit beast it actually is." Wei Zhao shook his head, then suddenly his eyes lit up. "If we're really talking about some connection, then it's actually more likely to be you, Senior. Could it have sensed your aura?"

"That... well, it's not out of the question..." Ghost Thing was briefly taken aback. R1152