Chapter 277

Chapter 277: Disaster Dou Beast’s Awakening

Although violent tremors shook the earth like an earthquake, Xiao Huo, suspended in the air, felt little impact. It opened its mouth once more, spewing out Hellfire.

Everyone was fighting on the ground, so the sudden tremors naturally made them all pause in shock. Their bodies tilted slightly with the shaking.

Xiao Huo’s Hellfire struck another evil weapons master perfectly once again, turning him into a pile of ash. Yet this time, no one paid attention to Xiao Huo, because all eyes turned towards the Ancient Weapon Academy, Lou Yun and Tang Qianqiu included.

First, a beast’s cry—simultaneously like a dog’s bark and a wolf’s howl—sounded from within the Ancient Weapon Academy. The deafening noise was followed by a massive column of water erupting into the sky. Lou Yun knew that location was the pond at the back hill.

As the water column shot upward, the tremors grew increasingly violent. Clear fissures, visible to the eye, snaked across the ground from a distance, reaching right under everyone’s feet.

Unable to maintain balance amid such violent shaking, people had no choice but to summon their magical weapons and take to the air.

Among the Ancient Weapon Academy’s teachers, half had fallen. Yet, with a quick sweep of his gaze, Lou Yun felt relief wash over most of his worry. These teachers weren’t dead. Their internal bodies, however, had been invaded by the evil energy from the evil weapons masters’ evil weapons. Simply put, their magical weapons were polluted by the evil energy, unable to absorb spiritual energy or generate weapon spirit power, rendering them combat ineffective. The remaining six teachers still able to fight each scooped up one fallen comrade and flew into the sky, preventing them from falling into the sudden chasms splitting the earth.

Standing in the air now, no one had the heart to continue battling their enemies. Everyone was dumbstruck, staring at the buildings within the Ancient Weapon Academy that had already begun to collapse.

Under this powerful force of tremors, the grand structures of the Ancient Weapon Academy crumbled and fell like children’s building blocks, rapidly turning into rubble.

What was happening?

A thought suddenly flashed through Lou Yun’s mind. He whirled his head around to look at Xia Guanqiu. Xia Guanqiu’s face was deathly pale, his eyes vacant like everyone else’s, fixed on the area of the Ancient Weapon Academy shaking most violently. He murmured softly, almost to himself, "Heavens, could it be… it’s awakening?"

Though Xia Guanqiu’s voice was extremely soft, Lou Yun heard it clearly—and it perfectly mirrored his own fleeting thought. Lou Yun took a deep breath, thinking inwardly, Do all these legendary ancient demon beasts possess such terrifying power? And this Disaster Dou Beast seems significantly stronger than the six-tailed giant snake! It’s not even fully out yet and already causing this much chaos!

Then, another beastly cry, part bark, part howl, echoed out. This time, however, it was noticeably clearer than the last.

Suddenly, Xia Guanqiu roared, “Run! The Disaster Dou Beast is emerging!”

Yet at that moment, everyone seemed rooted to the spot, transfixed. No one made a move to leave. Tang Qianqiu, in particular, wore a smug, sly grin. He licked his lips, which had become dry with intense excitement.

Lou Yun marked Tang Qianqiu’s expression. He knew Tang’s goal in coming to the Ancient Weapon Academy was precisely for this Disaster Dou Beast. Now that it was finally emerging, Tang was naturally the most thrilled.

Lou Yun couldn’t spare the effort to deal with Tang Qianqiu right now. He flashed forward, appearing directly beside Xia Guanqiu, speaking quickly in a low voice, “Dean Xia, how can the Disaster Dou Beast be awakening now? Haven’t we remained within the Ancient Weapon Academy?”

The true purpose of the Ancient Weapon Academy’s existence was to seal away the Disaster Dou Beast. Xia Guanqiu had also explained that the academy grounds concealed a powerful formation. As long as people remained within the academy, the formation would continue operating, thus preventing the Disaster Dou Beast from awakening.

Lou Yun was perplexed. Including Tang Qianqiu and the other evil weapons masters, there were still over ten people here. None could be considered weak. The formation should still be functioning. So how could the Disaster Dou Beast be waking?

Facing Lou Yun’s question, Xia Guanqiu shook his head with a bitter smile. “I don’t know. Perhaps the formation couldn’t withstand evil energy. These incapacitated teachers have evil energy coursing through their bodies, their spiritual energy effectively nullified. The few of us remaining likely can no longer supply sufficient spiritual energy to power the formation. So, it must have stopped.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. So, what do we do now? Are there any ways to reseal it?” Lou Yun changed his question.

Xia Guanqiu shook his head again. “No. The founder of the Ancient Weapon Academy said that if the Disaster Dou Beast ever awakened again, everyone could only follow their own fates. He simply hoped that by the time it awoke, the Spirit Weapon Star would have powerful enough experts to deal with it.”

Suddenly, Xia Guanqiu raised his voice sharply. “Now! You must leave immediately! Once it’s truly out, escape might be impossible! As you leave, alert the citizens of Tianrang City! Tell them to flee far from here as well! From now on, this land will become parched, barren earth stretching for thousands of miles, not even a blade of grass growing!”

Xia Guanqiu’s voice boomed like thunder this time, finally jolting everyone from their stupor. The evil weapons masters looked to Tang Qianqiu; the Ancient Weapon Academy teachers looked to Xia Guanqiu.

Tang Qianqiu seemed oblivious, his eyes still transfixed on the direction of the beast’s cries. He was clearly their leader; he didn’t order retreat, so none of his followers dared move.

Xia Guanqiu shouted at his teachers. “You! Go! Now!”

"Dean, what about you?”

“Me?” Determination hardened Xia Guanqiu’s face. “I am the Dean of this generation of the Ancient Weapon Academy. I exist alongside it. I fall alongside it.”

“We are teachers of the Ancient Weapon Academy! We live and die with the academy!”

“Yes! We won’t leave!”

The remaining five teachers matched his resolve.

Though moved, Xia Guanqiu made one final effort to persuade them to flee.

Lou Yun, however, ignored this exchange. He looked inward, addressing Chang Xiang directly, “Brother Chang, any knowledge about this Disaster Dou Beast? Know any way to defeat it?”

Chang Xiang answered swiftly, “None. I’ve never heard of any ‘Disaster Dou Beast’. I, too, have been wondering what kind of demon beast possesses such immense power. However, concerning its origin, two possibilities exist. One, it is a creature native to the Spirit Weapon Star. Two, it originally belonged to that world, but was somehow brought here. If it’s the first possibility, I can offer no help. If it’s the second… well, once I see its actual appearance, I might still have a chance to think of something!”

“Understood!” Lou Yun naturally had no intention of leaving now. He resolved to confront this Disaster Dou Beast. Besides, Tang Qianqiu showed no sign of departing. Lou Yun wanted to see exactly how Tang planned to handle the beast.

A third earth-shattering beast roar erupted. Its sheer intensity made it feel like it bellowed right beside their ears. The distant water column showered back down, only to be replaced by eruptions of countless massive rocks and clods of earth.

Simultaneously, Xia Guanqiu let out a long sigh tinged with resignation. “It’s out.”

True enough. As the rocks and earth exploded skyward, a massive silhouette followed, soaring into the air. It faced the bright moon suspended high in the sky and roared once more—a cry that sounded both like a celebration of its deliverance and a declaration of its arrival to the world!

To everyone’s shock, this colossal silhouette hovered in the air unsupported, needing no external aid.

Lou Yun instinctively glanced at Xiao Huo perched on him, recalling that Xiao Huo now also seemed capable of riding the wind. His eyes widened in surprise. At this moment, Xiao Huo’s dark, glittering eyes radiated greedy excitement. Its fur stood completely on end.

This specific kind of excitement, Lou Yun realized, only emerged when Xiao Huo encountered Heavenly Flames. It made him wonder intensely: Did that distant Disaster Dou Beast harbor Heavenly Flames within its body?

Regardless, Lou Yun urgently warned Xiao Huo, “Xiao Huo! Even if it does have Heavenly Flames inside it, you absolutely must not go near it! You’re no match for it! Be careful you don’t get the Heavenly Flames and instead become its meal! It hasn’t eaten for ages; it’s probably starving right now! Do you hear me!?”

The excitement on Xiao Huo’s face dimmed slightly. It nodded obediently, indicating it understood. Satisfied, Lou Yun turned his attention back to the Disaster Dou Beast. Therefore, he missed the fleeting glint of craftiness—startlingly human-like—that flashed in Xiao Huo’s eyes the instant his gaze shifted.

Now, bathed in the moon’s bright light, everyone finally gained a clear view of the Disaster Dou Beast’s true form!

No wonder its earlier cries mixed a barking yip and a mournful howl. Its actual appearance was remarkably similar to both dog and wolf. The only significant difference was its immense size. Including its tail, it stretched nearly three meters long. Its eyes were pools of blood red. And extending from the top of its head, reminiscent of a rhinoceros, was a single, gleaming silver horn.

As everyone stared at it, the beast ceased its roaring. It slowly turned its massive head. Those blood-red eyes locked onto the distant figures hovering in the air. Deep within those inhuman eyes, one could see unmistakable human-like emotions: profound hatred and burning fury.

So this is the Disaster Dou Beast! Lou Yun thought just as Chang Xiang’s unmistakably startled voice erupted in his mind,

“Where on earth is this a ‘Disaster Dou Beast’?! That’s clearly a Fire Phantom Wolf!”

Hearing this, Lou Yun knew Chang Xiang had recognized the beast. He pressed urgently, “Fire Phantom Wolf? You know it? Does it come from your world?”