Spirit Cultivation

"So you are telling me this is the entrance? Why would you ever jump down to check what is underneath?" 

Xuefeng commented dumbfounded as they approached a narrow hole with spiked walls, filled with thick white fog. He couldn't imagine himself just casually jumping inside out of curiosity. 

"Hehe, the question is, why wouldn't you want to check what's underneath?" Drakos asked back with a giggle and jumped down first, falling down in the middle. "Let's go! We are already late." 

His body disappeared into the mist and his presence vanished right after as if his body was never there. 

They departed quite late as Xuefeng decided to let Lisa sleep until she was satisfied. He didn't expect she felt so good in his arms that she didn't want to leave at all. After saying their goodbyes to everyone, they departed all together. 

"How about we all jump together?" Yiren suggested as she peeked into the hole and immediately rushed back, hugging onto Xuefeng. "I'm scared to jump alone…" 

"We can do it all together," Xuefeng agreed, wanting to make sure no one was left behind. "Is everyone ready?" 

"Yes," everyone nodded in sync. 

Xuefeng could see the excitement in everyone's eyes, especially Lisa who would soon experience her first adventure. 

"Be prepared to fight right after we cross the portal. We don't know what's on the other side. 

They hovered above the hole and on Xuefeng's signal, they all lowered down, slipping into the mist. About five meters in, they heard a subtle vibration in the air, coming from the space right below him. They all grabbed each other's hands and passed right through it. 

Darkness consumed them completely but thankfully, they were still together which assured Xuefeng. Their bodies wrapped with Tianshi's shields when a sudden bright light blinded them, filling their whole surroundings. 

Roaaaaaar!!!

Before they even saw the Hidden Realm, they already heard a reverberating outcry of a beast and then they saw the world around them. 

Jungle.

Thick trees the size of a tall apartment buildings and leaves bigger than their bodies. 

"Whoa…"

Xuefeng couldn't help but open his mouth in amazement. They were so tiny compared to the greenery around them.

Naturally, he knew it wasn't time to admire the scenery. He searched around for the beast that just let out a cry and quickly found it. He didn't need to look around much as it was right above them!

Two tall legs that he earlier mistook for the trees suddenly moved as the beast stepped forward. They saw the beast's back and the tail the almost hit them. 

A giant lizard, looking like a dinosaur on steroids!

Xuefeng pulled out his Dragon Edge, ready to battle when he heard Tianshi's voice in his mind, 'We need to run! Now!' 

At the same time, Drakos screamed while flying up in the air, battling the lizard on his own. 

"Hayaaaaaaaa! Take this!"

Bang!

Drakos smashed at the lizard's torso with a flying kick which sent a shock-wave that pushed the lizard away, knocking it back. 

The only problem, they were right behind the lizard.

Thanks to Tianshi's prediction, they were already prepared but Xuefeng still cried out in warning while grabbing both Yiren and Lisa into his arms. 

"RUN!���

They all flew to the side, away from the lizard's body only to see the ground shake as it finally dropped. 

Roaaaaar!!!

The lizard wasn't hurt in the slightest but it was definitely pissed off as it roared once again, glaring at the small enemy above it. Although it looked intimidated by his strength, there was no running away from battle in the jungle. Either fight or die!

"Hahaha! Weakling! You wish you could have such nice wings as I do yet you will forever stay on the ground!" Drakos bust out laughing, provoking the lizard while shaking his butt and wings at its face. "How about you fly and catch me? Ha! You can't!" 

It seemed like his banter worked as the lizard immediately tried to lift itself from the ground, showing its sharp teeth. 

Too bad, Drakos wasn't its only enemy. 

Swoosh!

Wuying launched herself forward, disappearing from the spot and jumped at the lizards' head. 

"Hey! This one is mine!" Drakos immediately protested yet Wuxing didn't care, slashing at the lizard eye with her Blood Daggers. 

They easily pierced through the lizard's skin, leaving two bloody wounds in the shape of an 'X'.

It wasn't enough to kill it and the lizard fought back, snapping its teeth at Wuying's direction yet she vanished yet again, re-appearing on the other side where she cut the second eye, completely blinding it. 

"Roaaarr—" The beast cried out madly for the last time before Wuying executed it in one move, cutting its head off. 

Thud.

The battle ended just as soon as Wuying joined it. 

"What did you say?" Wuying asked calmly as she looked at Drakos. "I couldn't hear you. I was busy not being a little baby and waving my ass it the enemy's face. Sorry." 

"Haha!" Xuefeng couldn't help but laugh at that, searching for water to apply on Drakos' burn. 

Drakos puffed his cheeks, clearly angry at her but Wuying broke him with one word, "Yiren."

"Okay! Okay! You win!" Drakos admitted defeat but he still snapped back at the rest, "What took you so long to follow me? What I spawned surrounded by Spirit Beasts? I would be dead long time ago!"

Xuefeng felt like bantering but he stopped himself, seeing a giant blue orb forming above the lizard's body. 

"A Spirit Artefact is forming!" 

He almost never took part in hunting after hunting the Nightmare, so it was exciting to see another Artefact being born. 

Eventually, a sharp spear was formed. Wuying jumped and seized it before flying back to the group. 

"Rank 8 Spirit Artefact after just first Spirit Beast. How much money can we earn just by hunting the Spirit Beasts here?" Wu commented as she gazed at the spear and proposed, "We should collect all of them and sell them in my Trading Union after we are back." 

"Do you think we will have time to gather Spirit Artefacts as we run from hundreds of beasts?" Drakos countered. "We are just lucky this Rank 8 lizard doesn't like to live in a group else we would have a hard time dealing with them. We should move swiftly through the Realm and get the Elemental Stone as soon as we can. If we focus on hunting, we will never be able to leave from here." 

"What do you mean?" Xuefeng questioned. 

"The portal we used to get inside the Realm is unstable. It changes its location every few days. Because of that, we can only go back using the main portal, right there." Drakos pointed at the distant mountain. "The elemental Stone is located at that place. Don't forget time is flowing faster in this Realm. The more we stall, the more time passes in the outside world." 

Looking at the body behind them, Drakos added, "We were lucky this time. We should leave this place before Spirit Beasts gather to eat the body."

Rumble!

Just as he said it, they heard loud footsteps of a beast coming in their direction. 

"That's what I'm talking about! Follow me!"