Volume 3 Chapter 17

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Volume 3 Chapter 17: The First Night (Part One)

"Awoo…"

With this terrifying roar resounding, the wind surged and clouds gathered, as if heaven and earth changed color because of this cry.

All the cultivators on Huandao Island, no matter where they were, whether searching for the Seven-colored Deer or engaging in battle, whether at the Lingji Stage or Inedia Stage, their faces turned pale upon hearing this frightening roar. Many suffered internal injuries; those with lower skills even turned deathly pale, spat blood, and almost lost their footing, nearly falling to the ground.

The mighty roar lasted for almost the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally subsiding gradually.

After the terrifying roar faded, the cultivators on Huandao Island glanced at each other in shock, hearts filled with fear, uncertain whose mouth such a roar had come from. The mere residual force was so powerful—what if it were directed at them? Would they have any resistance?

The answer in everyone’s hearts was undoubtedly no.

However, once the mighty roar ended, there were no further disturbances on Huandao Island. The cultivators had to suppress their doubts and continue capturing the Seven-colored Deer, as the Newcomer Competition remained the priority.

…

After the roar faded, somewhere on Huandao Island.

In the gentle sea breeze, a childlike figure stood silently, quietly observing the scenery ahead. This person was dressed in tattered clothes with a bare chest, their face a bit dirty, and their limbs adorned with golden rings. This was the mysterious representative from the "Eight Wilderness Hall," here to participate in the Newcomer Competition.

However, at this moment, the person’s face appeared somewhat pale, as if they had just expended a significant amount of Spirit Qi. Despite the paleness, their gaze remained cold and gloomy.

Behind this person, four disciples from the Eight Wilderness Hall sat cross-legged in meditation, shutting off their six senses, using Spirit Qi to protect the vital channels of their hearts. Yet, they still appeared pale, indicating that the recent roar had caused them some harm.

In front of the mysterious figure lay the bodies of four large deer.

Among these deer bodies, one particularly large one stood out. Although it was now lifeless, bleeding from its seven orifices, its majestic presence from when it was alive was still somewhat discernible.

This deer, apart from being much larger than a typical Seven-colored Deer, also had skin that differed significantly from the usual.

Seven-colored Deer are named so because their skin displays a pattern of seven colors, each occupying a different area of the deer’s body.

However, the skin of this majestic creature before them also had seven colors, but they were woven across its entire body, brilliantly intermingling, unlike any ordinary Seven-colored Deer.

If Xu Qingfan, who is well-versed in "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas – Demon Beast Chapter," saw this deer’s corpse, he would be astonished because this very carcass was his greatest concern before coming to Huandao Island. It is the evolved demon beast and king, the Seven-colored Deer, whose power is near the Earth-level demon beast!

This demon beast, which is almost as powerful as a Condensed Core Stage cultivator, was the biggest threat to many disciples participating in the Newcomer Competition. Did it really die on the first day of the competition?

But indeed, it was dead, with blood oozing from its seven orifices, protruding eyes, and no signs of life, as if it died from a terrifying shock. The three Seven-colored Deer by its side had met the same fate.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the four disciples from the Eight Wilderness Hall, who were behind the mysterious person, finally awoke from their sealed Divine Sense. Upon seeing the mysterious person and the four deer corpses in front of him, their faces showed no surprise, as if it was natural for him to have killed the powerful Seven-colored Deer.

When the four approached the mysterious person, one of them cautiously moved beside him and softly asked, "Senior Brother Huang Xie, now that the Seven-colored Deer is dead, according to Penance Valley Xuan Jian, catching a Seven-colored Deer is like capturing seven of them. With these three, we’ve finished the first round of the Newcomer Competition task. Shouldn’t we return to Zhantai now?"

Hearing this, Huang Xie cast a cold glance at him. Seeing the disciple from the Eight Wilderness Hall look anxious, Huang Xie’s eyes showed undisguised disdain, and he coldly replied, "Merely completing the task is far from enough. I want to capture all the Seven-colored Deer on Huandao Island, leaving the other sect’s disciples no chance to advance. This boring competition only needs one round."

His voice was low and raspy, carrying an eerie melody.

Hearing Huang Xie’s words, another disciple cautiously said, "But I’m afraid some of the Seven-colored Deer have already been captured by disciples from other sects."

"Then take them from their hands."

After finishing his commanding words, Huang Xie ignored the reactions of the other four and walked directly to the other side of Huandao Island, beginning his search for his next target, which could either be the Seven-colored Deer or another cultivator from a different sect.

The other four disciples from the Eight Wilderness Hall were momentarily dazed by Huang Xie’s words. It wasn’t until he was far away that they reacted. They hurriedly used their Sleeve Space technique to collect the Seven-colored Deer and its body into their sleeves, and then followed behind Huang Xie toward the other side of Huandao Island.

…

Success or failure, plotting or being plotted against – this was the theme on the first day on Huandao Island during the Newcomer Comparison.

This time, there were about two hundred cultivators participating in the Newcomer Competition, representing nearly thirty sects, all the elite of their generation. Yet on the first day at Huandao Island, over a hundred cultivators from more than twenty sects failed to capture the Seven-colored Deer and were actually defeated by it. Although overseen by elders from Penance Valley who ensured no injuries occurred, these participants lost their qualifications to continue the competition, highlighting the formidable nature of Huandao Island.

However, the remaining nearly one hundred disciples were all exceptionally skilled, possessing advanced techniques and extraordinary artifacts. Many had unique abilities, indicating that on the second day of their arrival at Huandao Island, the real competition was just beginning.

Amidst the monotony of searching and battling, time flew by swiftly without notice. The first day on Huandao Island ended in a blink, and the previously bright and clear sky became dark and dull.

As night was approaching, the remaining disciples, nearly a hundred in number, ceased their search and attempts to capture the Seven-colored Deer. They each found secluded places to meditate and recuperate, restoring the Spirit Qi depleted in the day’s battles.

There was a reason everyone stopped their actions during the night. Firstly, the Seven-colored Deer, being a demon beast, loved sunlight and loathed darkness, retreating to its lair at night, thus becoming difficult to find. Secondly, another human-level advanced demon beast on Huandao Island, the "Green Snake Dragon," was active at night, posing a much greater threat than the Seven-colored Deer. Hence, searching for the Seven-colored Deer at night would be unproductive and could potentially lead to significant trouble.

Even though the cultivators had successfully caught some Seven-colored Deer during the day, these deer were ultimately advanced demon beasts of human level. After a series of battles throughout the day, their internal Spirit Qi was severely depleted. So, despite knowing time was tight, they chose to use the night for meditation and recovery.

Xu Qingfan and the others from Jiuhua Gate were no exception.

It was said that the East Sea had thick clouds at night due to heavy moisture, making it impossible to see the light of stars or the moon. Huandao Island, being deep in the East Sea, was naturally no exception.

As Xu Qingfan looked at the pitch-black darkness before him, if not for the constant sound of waves in his ears, he might have mistakenly thought he was back in the Southern Wasteland.

The place Xu Qingfan and his group chose for quiet cultivation at night was behind a pile of rocks in the southeast of Huandao Island. Although the surrounding area was flat and not a dangerous terrain, it was secluded and quiet.

On the first day at Huandao Island, Xu Qingfan and the four others caught seven Seven-colored Deer. This was a good achievement and lifted Xu Qingfan’s spirits, making him optimistic about the Newcomer Competition.

It must be said that the reason the five from Jiuhua Mountain had such a fruitful day was largely thanks to Xu Qingfan.

Firstly, Xu Qingfan’s floating willow flowers allowed the group to locate the Seven-colored Deer faster than disciples from other sects. Secondly, under Xu Qingfan’s command, he and Lv Qingshang, who was skilled in formations and spells, were responsible for immobilizing the deers, while the powerful Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian made the deers lose their ability to move. Wang Qingjun was on standby for unexpected events. With such leadership, despite the strength of the Seven-colored Deer, they had no chance to resist, making it easier for Xu Qingfan and his group to capture them compared to other cultivators.

After a day of activity, the most noticeable change, aside from Xu Qingfan, was that even the proudest Feng Qingtian began to actively follow Xu Qingfan’s instructions.

Although Xu Qingfan and the other four had a successful day capturing the Seven-colored Deer, now as they sat cross-legged behind a pile of stones, each one of them frowned deeply, showing no sign of happiness.

Looking at the expressions of the four people beside him, Xu Qingfan immediately knew what they were thinking, because he had been pondering the same thing all afternoon. So, Xu Qingfan slowly asked, "Are you thinking about that roar we heard during the day?"