Chapter 281: Beast Holy Sanctuary

"Journey to the Nine Heavens" Find the latest chapter!

“Then why did you run so fast just now?” Winnie couldn’t help but point out, though she thought Old Wang’s last few words in the arena were quite satisfying, his immediate escape was too much of a contrast. At the very least, he should have flipped them off again and then left the city with a grand parade.

“Cough, this is called handling heavy matters with ease!” In reality, Old Wang had let out a huge sigh of relief. He had genuinely feared that the enraged Mangalam disciples would attack them all at once, but now that the magic train had started moving and no one had pursued them, his heart finally settled. He said calmly, “Although I, the captain, am capable of fighting at least ten thousand, there’s no need to involve innocent people!”

“Pah!” Winnie found him amusing; how dare he claim he could fight: “It’s us who can fight, you’re just the lookout!”

“I only act when it’s critical, and…” Old Wang was annoyed: “Winnie, talking like that will make your chest smaller!”

“What the hell!” Winnie, with her short temper, almost released a Banana Bababa: “Wang Feng, do you want to die! What did you say just now!”

“Bear! I meant bear!” Old Wang shouted: “Banana Bababa! Winnie, don’t be so sensitive, only insecure people get sensitive!”

This was clearly a double entendre, but it left Winnie with no outlet for her anger. If she continued to rage, wouldn’t she be admitting that she cared about the size of her chest?

She was so angry that her head almost smoked. She quickly grabbed a cup of water and gulped it down, but drank too hastily and started coughing uncontsciously.

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone burst into laughter. Kela and Wu Di laughed until tears almost streamed down their faces, releasing all the worries, insecurities, and despair they had accumulated over the past days.

What a relief! More importantly, everyone felt more confident!

Next stop, the Beast Holy Sanctuary.

The journey from Mangalam to the Beast Holy Sanctuary was not short, requiring a transfer of the magic train along the way. Over these few days, many things had already begun to ferment throughout the alliance.

Three to zero, the Rose’s overwhelming victory over Mangalam was soon reported in the Holy Sanctuary’s Light. However, strangely enough, the Holy Sanctuary’s Light, known for its detailed descriptions, did not elaborate much on the battle process, merely stating in brief sentences like “XXX defeated XXX.”

This was thought-provoking. Why didn’t they comment on the battle process? This wasn’t the style of the Holy Sanctuary’s Light! Could it be that the Holy Sanctuary’s Light had been paid off by the Rose to create a smokescreen? Or perhaps Mangalam had thrown the match to such an extent that even the reporters from the Holy Sanctuary’s Light felt embarrassed to write about it?

The journalists felt wronged, on the verge of tears. They truly wanted to write vivid and detailed reports, for how could a few meager words compare to a full-page article that would earn them a hefty fee, let alone match the wealth of knowledge they possessed? However, Mangalam was simply too damn frustrating. The journalists present that day hadn't even understood the battle process before it ended. What were they supposed to write about?

The 3-0 score caused the odds for Rose to fluctuate in the underground world, but they quickly stabilized again due to the various true and false rumors circulating within the League.

Curious people are never scarce. When they couldn't find answers from the Holy Sanctuary's Light, they turned to Mangalam. What they heard from Mangalam were the angry rants of its citizens, such as 'Fantasy and their mediocre Tatu from the Holy Sanctuary fought for three hundred rounds to barely win,' 'Winnie Lee bribed Wuri to shamelessly transfer to Mangalam just to trick people,' and 'that beastman despicably used a mind-altering drug during his Magic Fist Burst.' The devout followers of the Holy Light would not acknowledge the victory of those demons; they were all despicable, evil, and shameful cheats!

For Mangalam, the truth was never important. What was terrifying was that the vast majority of Mangalam's people genuinely believed this, while the few who were clear-headed obviously wouldn't say anything.

Rose's outrageous challenge will end in Vern, in that great Spirit Beast city. The Beast Holy Sanctuary is already stronger than Mangalam and has made all necessary preparations, leaving no room for Rose to exploit any loopholes! On the honor of the Beast Holy Sanctuary, this battle will surely crush Rose underfoot!

Those suspicious hearts finally found peace. Whether it was the ranking of the Beast Holy Sanctuary or the sincerity of their declaration, there was no doubt that Rose would be defeated in this battle!

The odds that had just been pulled up a bit were lost again. After all, people didn't believe, nor did they want to believe, that Rose would suddenly turn things around.

On the magic track train, the view outside was filled with dense primeval forests, with towering trees that seemed to touch the sky visible everywhere. From the moment they entered the territory of the Vern Principality, the whispers of the dense forest and the roars of the wild beasts could almost always be heard deep within the lush woods.

The Vern Forest, the Vern Principality, is the most unique principality in the League of Blades.

Called a principality, apart from numerous scattered towns within its borders, it has only one major city, which is also the capital of Vern. Beyond that, the entire principality is enveloped by a vast and pristine Spirit Beast forest.

In this primeval Spirit Beast forest, which is the best-preserved on the Nine Heavens Continent, millions of Spirit Beasts live, and there are even complete Spirit Beast communities. Spirit Beasts are intelligent creatures, and their leaders have an agreement with the Vern Principality: every year, they select between one thousand and three thousand Spirit Beasts to participate in a 'matchmaking' process with humans in the Vern Principality. In return, the Vern Principality guarantees the integrity of the Vern Forest, prohibiting any human destruction of the forest and all poaching of Spirit Beasts.

Humans can coexist peacefully with Spirit Beasts as friendly neighbors, a unique feature not found anywhere else on the Nine Heavens Continent, and it is a recognized and protected rule by the entire League of Blades.

The time when the Vern Principality annually pairs with Spirit Beast communities is the most anticipated event for all Spirit Beast Masters in the League of Blades. Those with the means will go to great lengths to secure a spot, either by spending money or through connections. Even those without the means will keep a close eye on the Holy Sanctuary's Light, eager to learn about the latest Ghost-level potential super Spirit Beasts and which lucky individuals will pair with them.

With various protected natural resources and the unique Spirit Beast resources of the entire Nine Heavens Continent, the Vern Principality, though small, is incredibly wealthy, rivaling the Ice Spirit Kingdom in this aspect.

The magic track train had been traveling for nearly four days. They had just crossed the boundary marker inscribed with 'City of Nas,' and the surroundings began to open up as they entered the range of Vern's capital. Winnie, who had been a loyal viewer of the Vern Principality's annual 'Pairing Festival,' enthusiastically shared various customs and conditions of the Vern Principality, recounting them as if reciting a well-known list.

Fantasy's mind was not on the wondrous Spirit Beasts and customs Winnie described; he was almost there and was making one last effort to scrape together as much money as possible...

"Ah Feng, just a bit more, help me out with a bit more!" Xi Ba is now the biggest creditor of the team, the 'debt' kind. Back in Mangalam, he only placed a small bet of five hundred euros, as the assessment of our and the enemy's strength wasn't as clear then, so he didn't dare to risk everything. But this time, he plans to bet his entire fortune on a three-zero win! He said excitedly, "I've calculated it; the current odds from Vern are around several hundred thousand euros. I need at least seventy or eighty thousand euros to empty the betting pool! I don't have enough."

"All the team's money has already been lent to you; how could there be any more? It’s all gone." Old Wang was at a loss between laughter and tears. He had discussed this matter with Ugandan back in Aurora City, but to be honest, Big Ugandan was right. The odds on such betting platforms were entirely based on the size of the betting pool, and it was not uncommon for one gang to rob another. Old Wang didn’t care much for such petty sums.

While it might sound a bit boastful, to Old Wang, who still had five billion waiting to be scooped from the sea and the early benefits of Aurora City’s new trading market to share in, this endeavor, which required so much effort and mental strain, didn’t really seem worth the trouble for any significant fortune.

Axi Ba grumbled, "Don't you have those Sky-Shattering Bombs? Give me one, will you? Even at a low price, they still fetch ten thousand! One would be enough to cover our costs."

"Once you get to Vern, you plan to go out on the streets to sell sky-shaking bombs, and then take the money to find a bookie at the underground casino?" Old Wang gave him a lazy glance. "Do you even have the time for that?"

Fantasy thought about it for a moment, then turned to Winnie with a broad smile: "Winnie... can you lend me some? I'll split the winnings with you!"

"I don't have any cash on me," Winnie said disdainfully. "I always pay by signing the bill, and someone will naturally cover it for me... and even give me half. Do you really think I would look at you for that?"

"Damn..." Fan Tesei felt a headache coming on. It was like a scholar encountering soldiers—facing a pile of cash, they actually refused it? What kind of people were these!

Winnie, standing by the window, was already pointing outside with excitement: "Look, Adinas!"

The cities of the Blade Temple mostly have a prominent landmark.

The landmark of Aurora City is the Burj Al Arab, Mangalam's landmark is the Dawn Goddess, and the landmark of Vern is Adinas, revered as the Ancestor of Spirit Beasts.

It was a gigantic flying dragon with extremely broad wings. It was covered with pitch-black scales and thick special armor. Its limbs were sturdy and its mouth was open. If it was at night, you could see a blazing flame accumulating in its mouth. On the back of the dragon, there was a majestic man standing proudly holding the dragon's reins. He was the owner of the flying dragon Adinas, the former ancestor of soul beast masters - the great sage Wang Meng.

That’s right, the real soul beast master system was developed and promoted by Wang Meng. Before him, although there were people who controlled soul beasts, because there were no contract runes and no complete summoning system, the beast masters at that time were called beast masters, not the current soul beast masters. And this flying dragon Adinas was the first soul beast in history to sign a summoning contract with humans, and was also the absolute king of the Verne Forest. The peace agreement between the current soul beast leader and the Verne people was also decided by the great sage Wang Meng...

And the name of this progenitor of Spirit Beast masters is also the origin of the name of this Vern capital city—Nas City.

Getting off the train at the station outside the city, several mentors from the Vern Sanctuary were already waiting there. Though their attitude wasn't as cold as that of the mentor in Mangalam, it certainly couldn't be described as overly warm. After politely confirming their identities, the mentor quickly said, "We knew you would arrive today. The disciples of the Beast Holy Sanctuary have been waiting for quite some time. Please follow us."

Is this going to turn into another immediate confrontation?

Fantesi grumbled inwardly, clutching the over thirty thousand euros he had managed to scrape together, realizing they would likely go unused.

The group followed the mentor into the city. Unlike Mangalam's obsession with holy light, this was a city madly infatuated with Spirit Beasts and reverent of nature.

The broad city walls, more like a mountain face than actual walls, were indeed a stone mountain hollowed out, with the entire Aurora City built around it. Thus, the 'city gate' was more like a long tunnel, stretching for hundreds of meters, but always brightly lit by large Spirit Crystal lamps, making it far from dark.

Once inside the city, the buildings were even more peculiar. There were many 'round houses' and 'tree houses.' Round houses were easy to understand; the oval roof design performed excellently in earthquake resistance and better controlled indoor temperature and airflow, providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer. More importantly, from the air, they looked like scattered stones in this 'nature.'

The so-called tree houses weren't actually huts built on trees but extensions from massive cylindrical structures, with elliptical rooms resembling tree canopies, looking like giant 'metal spores.'

Indeed, it was metal. The building materials here were almost entirely pure metal. As the capital of Spirit Beast Masters, Nas City needed to create various equipment for large or unique Spirit Beasts, so it also housed the best foundries of the League of Blades. Due to its location deep within the Vern Forest, rich in mineral resources, the city boasted the richest variety of metals in the League of Blades, sufficient to transform it into a purely metallic metropolis.

Moreover, while Spirit Beast Masters were gradually becoming scarce in the declining League of Blades, they were everywhere in the streets of Nas City.

There were clumsy little Demon Bears stumbling alongside their owners, tiny fairies buzzing around, gentle Lulutos, and various heavy, towering figures that shook the ground with every step.

Everyone finally understood why the city used metal for construction. Without metal, how could it withstand earthquakes? Forget wooden houses; even stone-built ones would crumble within a year or two under the relentless trampling of these beasts.

Kela, Wu Di, and Fantesi stared wide-eyed, and even Old Wang found it quite novel. While Vern revered nature, these unique, robust metal buildings seemed more 'technological' and modern than those in border towns like Aurora City, leaving people marveling.

"Freshly baked Spirit Beast bread, one piece will make your baby feel like flying!"

"Spirit Beast armor, Spirit Beast armor! Wolf shape, bear form, flying types, all sizes from eighty centimeters to eighty meters available! Amir's old family business, absolutely handmade, fake one, ten times compensation!"

"Nas Arena, tonight's championship match at eight o'clock! Cahill, who has maintained sixteen consecutive victories, will face a challenge from a Hell Island Demon Wolf! Don't miss it!"

The bustling street was filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, each trying to catch the attention of passing Spirit Beast Masters and tourists from all over.

But the one group that did not attract much attention was Old Wang and his companions...

On one hand, because the attire here was casual, Old Wang’s group in their rose-themed outfits did not stand out much. On the other hand, people here really didn’t care much about such things, and their interest was even less than the so-called gladiatorial championship announced for eight o'clock on the street earlier.

To be honest, the Vern Sanctuary's provocation towards the Roses was more due to the intentions of the Sanctuary itself. As an independent, self-sufficient small principality protected by the League Covenant, they didn’t really care about what happened in Aurora City or to the Roses. Moreover, there was also a Vern Spirit Beast Master Academy belonging to the principality, which wasn’t the only educational institution in the area. The provocation against the Roses was merely an internal action of the Vern Sanctuary, driven by the current headmaster who was once a disciple of Elder Fu Changkong from the Council, standing up for his master’s school.

Thus, it wasn’t until they arrived at the Vern Sanctuary that this feeling of being overlooked began to diminish slightly.

A group of disciples had been waiting at the entrance of the Sanctuary, led by someone Old Wang had met in Dragon City. He was around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with golden hair and blue eyes, standing with his hands behind his back, exuding a calm and profound aura, somewhat like a true expert.

Wiggins, the Magic Clam, ranked forty-third in Dragon City, even higher than Winnie’s ranking at the time. He was the captain of the Vern Sanctuary’s squad and one of the elite disciples who had managed to enter the second level of the Dragon City Illusion, only being persuaded to retreat by Naga Luo at the last moment. He was undoubtedly a powerhouse.

Back then, Old Wang’s squad had made quite a name for themselves at the Sharpness Fortress, and Wiggins was quite familiar with these few faces. Now, he took a step forward and extended his hand to Wang Feng: "Captain Wang Feng, we’ve been waiting for you."

In return, Old Wang shook his hand, but this guy didn’t let go after the handshake.

"Long journey, need a rest?" His words were polite, but his expression was far from friendly, tinged with a faint coldness. The next sentence was clearly unfriendly: "So you don’t say we bullied you when you lose later!"

They thought he was a decent person... Fantasi and the others raised their eyebrows.

"Thank you, thank you! No need, no need!" Old Wang waved his hands in gratitude, saying enthusiastically, "I’ve already bought my tickets. We need to finish this in half an hour and rush to the next place."

When it came to showing off, Old Wang had never been outdone by anyone.

Wiggins was taken aback, and the few Beast Holy Sanctuary members behind him also raised their eyebrows. Did this guy mean to resolve things with the Beast Holy Sanctuary within half an hour?

Wiggins sneered, "I think you won’t be using those tickets. Better start thinking about buying new ones."

"That's such a waste!" Old Wang said with righteous indignation: "Don't worry, it won't take long to beat you guys; I won't be delayed! By the way, brother, which way is the arena?"

When it came to verbal sparring, how could a disciple of the Holy Sanctuary like Wiggins match Old Wang? Initially intending to throw in a few light jibes, he ended up being thoroughly riled up by just a few words from the other side. Knowing that this guy was sharp-tongued, Wiggins gave a cold laugh and stopped talking, turning to lead the way, saying only: "When you go home, I'll consider sending you a few stretchers!"

Reflecting the style of this city, inside the vast Beast Holy Sanctuary, there were metal houses with oval roofs everywhere. The arena also had an oval roof, with the lights of Spirit Crystal lamps flickering above. The stands were already filled with disciples of the Beast Holy Sanctuary, waiting to cheer for their teams. There weren't many people, only a few hundred, as the members of the Beast Holy Sanctuary were not numerous. However, what mattered was that there were so many Spirit Beasts... Every person on the stands held one Spirit Beast, with smaller ones sitting at the front with their owners, and larger ones curling up at the back, filling the spacious arena that could hold two or three thousand people.

As the wide iron gate was pushed open, and the crowd saw the star captain Wiggins leading Wang Feng and his Rose Team, who were dressed in their team uniforms, enter the arena, the previously quiet stands suddenly erupted into a unified roar.

"Victory for the Beast! Defeat for the Rose!"

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The sudden synchronized shouts of hundreds of people, coupled with the intimidating roars of hundreds of Spirit Beasts, shook the roof, making the metal house hum! If one wasn't prepared, even an elephant might have been startled. A hint of a cold smile appeared on Wiggins' face as he glanced at Wang Feng beside him.

He had expected to see panic and surprise on Wang Feng's face, but instead, the guy remained completely calm, as if he hadn't heard the deafening roars. Not just Wang Feng, but even Winnie Lee and the big-chested girl who followed Wang Feng like a shadow showed no reaction, which made Wiggins secretly take them more seriously.

After all, they were the team that returned from Dragon City, the team that managed to win three to zero against Mangalam under the watchful eyes of thousands of mad saints. Using these small tricks to try to affect their state of mind was indeed a bit too naive.

He led the Old Wang Squad into the arena, then pressed his hands down slightly, and the noisy arena instantly fell silent, including the chaotic howls of the Spirit Beasts.

Good discipline, absolute unity, and the unique status of Spirit Beast Masters in the entire Nine Heavens world—this was the pride of the Beast Holy Sanctuary. The orderly shouting and simultaneous cessation added a touch of solemnity to this forty-ninth-ranked sanctuary.

There were some mentors present, but they were all watching from the sidelines, with no intention of coming down to officiate or act as referees, leaving everything to Wiggins below, clearly placing absolute trust in him.

"No need for pretenses, we'll follow the traditional challenge rules, best of five." In the now quiet arena, Wiggins glanced at Wang Feng and said coolly: "Aren't you in a hurry? Send out your first teammate."

Old Wang laughed heartily: "Winnie!" For convenience in reading next time, you can click the "Favorite" button below to record your reading progress (Chapter 381: Beast Holy Sanctuary), and you will see it when you open your bookshelf!

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