Cultivation Through Artifacts

With quiet steps and presence that was hardly detectable, the four walked before the mountain wall and raised their heads.

"Climbing up at the same time should alert the Beast even if it's sleeping so we should go separately," whispered Asur and grabbed a thick vine before him ready to go first.

However, just as he put his feet against the wall, a hand grabbed his shoulder and stopped him; surprisingly, it was Khal.

"What?" Asur and the two on the side were confused by Khal, but not for too long.

"I should be the one going up first. Out of the four of us only I have the ability to defend myself if something happens. So let me go first."

Asur knew what Khal meant and understood he had a logical point so with a nod handed the vine over to him, "We will follow you, but if you notice anything strange instantly descend. Once you do we will do the same and retreat from this place as soon as possible."

"Sure." Khal grabbed the vine firmly and pushing his feet against the steep wall as he began to climb.

He ascended quite slowly but surprisingly steadily and when he reached the halfway point after 5 minutes, Asur below him grabbed the vine too and started to climb.

With one firm hold with his right arm and a solid push with his right feet, while extending his left arm and leg upward, Khal approached the nest from below with a steady pace.

Thanks to the fact that he had no Cultivation Talent his body was not giving out even the slightest of presence so even if there was a creature above him, the only way it would notice his approach would be if it peeked down right at him. But the chance for that to happen would be lower than winning the lottery!

"My arms became even stronger too. After forging for 2 days straight without rest, the muscles in my hands became stronger! I was never capable of climbing a rope in my past life, so this could be counted as an improvement right?" exclaimed Khal with awe as he glanced at his arms that held greater vitality than a week ago.

After climbing for 5 more minutes, Khal finally reached the bottom of the nest, but the smell that waited for him almost made him throw up; it was so rancid that it smelled almost like hundreds of dead people's corpses in one place.

The scent was simply unbearable and it almost made Khal release his grip from the vine, sending him right into his death.

"The hell... It stinks way too much! Did the beast died up there or what?" was what Khal thought but the moment he looked at the nest, that idea instantly vanished from his head.

"This..."

Rotten blood, flesh, bones, and organs... All of them turned rock solid with a shade akin to ruby while spreading out a suffocating scent that not even in a chaotic blood-filled battlefield could be smelled.

"Damn... This is disgusting..."

Climbing a bit further just to barely get a glance at what was inside the nest, when Khal's head was above the bird's nest his eyes widened in pure shock.

"This can't be true..." was what Khal could let out and without hesitation climbed into the nest.

"It seems it's fine," exclaimed Asur and quickened his ascension with Merlyn and Marx following him closely from behind.

When they reached the nest, their face distorted into a grimace, while their complexion showed great struggle not to throw up. Even for them, the smell was way too strong!

"Let climb up..." said Asur, but the very moment he did and his eyes fell on the sight inside the nest, his jaw dropped down almost to his knees.

The same went for Marx and Merlyn too, when Asur climbed into the nest and it was their time, the instant they noticed the huge carcass in the middle of the nest, they became dumbfounded.

"Is that the Ruby Beast Alpha's corpse?" asked Merlyn, but still feeling a bit unsafe there she glanced around her. Luckily, except for the carcass, she didn't see a single thing in her proximity.

"Who would have thought the Alpha would be this massively huge." Asur was stupified by the size of the carcass.

Even though the sole thing that remained from the real Beast was its skeleton, which in fact looked half-transparent crimson jade akin to ruby, the size of it occupied more than half of the nest itself! With its flesh and fur, it would have definitely been bigger too!

"Considering from its shape, it looks quite like an eagle, but not sure." Merlyn walked around the beast, no longer keeping her voice down.

Asur did the same, but suddenly his face stiffened and glanced at the sky, "Get here, now!"

The three upon hearing Asur's sudden and unexpected shout turned their gazes toward the sky only to see an approaching crimson flash toward their direction with a rapid speed.

"The Blood Reaper!" shouted Merlyn and without hesitation appeared before Asur together with Marx and Kahl before her.

"Use the Sea Dust Orb when I say it and make sure you don't breath it in. Khal, use your Diamond Skin to defend us and once it has been slowed down kill it with Marx!"

"Understood!" said the three in unison, while each of them exploded with different powers.

Merlyn's Fourth Cultivation Stage together with Marx came forth, while an enormous battle-axe appeared in Marx's firm hold. At the same time, Khal's skin turned rigid and crystal black, while a presence similar to a Beast erupted from his body; right now, even though it was just a disguise, he was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage too!

However, what neither he nor the three behind him expected, that this Beast Presence enveloped his body would attract the Ruby Beast's attention and target him right away!

Although surprised, Khal knew sooner or later he will have to face this creature so readied himself. And even before he had the chance to think about anything else, the Ruby Beast has already appeared right before him, its claws inches away from his chest ready to tear his heart out.

"Now!" shouted Asur from behind, making Merlyn throw the blue orb at the Beast, while at the same time a sharp 'clang' sound filled the air.

*BOOM!*

"Screech!!!"

With a deafening cry that almost shook even the skies above, the Ruby Beast flapped his wings powerfully in the hope to blast the blue dust away from it that filled the air, but strangely, the dust instead of getting blown away it stuck onto its crimson feather, shading its body with a bit of a blue shade!

"SCREECH!!!"

While the Beast was struggling to get that strange substance off its body, Khal glanced at his chest where the Ruby Beast hit him. But surprisingly, except for a small white scratch mark, Khal was safe and sound.

"It worked! Not even a powerful Beast can scratch me!" rejoiced Khal merrily, but the next second Marx's figure appeared on his side with his massive axe above his head.

"Don't doze off now! Attack!" shouted Marx as he swung his axe with his bulging arms and roared, "MOUNTAIN DIVIDER!!!!"

*BOOM!!*