Chapter 4525 — The Grand Gathering of Spirit Beasts

"No! It's too late to retreat now—the Vermilion Bird has already discovered you," Gui Dongxi said in a low voice, stopping him.

"What?" Wei Zhao was badly startled. With his current meager strength, being noticed by the Vermilion Bird surely meant certain death.

"Since its divine sense swept past just now, with the Vermilion Bird's power there's no way it doesn't know you're here." Gui Dongxi's words plunged Wei Zhao straight into an ice cellar, but the next sentence brought him some relief: "Still, you needn't panic too much. When its divine sense swept by, I deliberately faked a trace of spirit-beast aura over you. So you must conceal your own aura as best you can—that way, to outsiders you'll appear to be a spirit beast in human form, and barring accidents you ought to be able to bluff your way through."

"Oh, that's not so bad then..." Wei Zhao nodded, still shaken. Other things he might not vouch for, but when it came to merely hiding one's own aura, he would call himself second in the world—and probably no one could claim first.

"But don't celebrate too soon. Even if the Vermilion Bird didn't notice anything amiss just now, retreating at this point is impossible," Gui Dongxi said with a sigh.

"Why?" Wei Zhao's heart clenched again.

"So many spirit beasts have gathered ahead—it looks like every spirit beast from all directions has been summoned here. My guess is the Vermilion Bird is convening a Grand Gathering of Spirit Beasts. In principle, every spirit beast in the core heartland must attend. If you hadn't been discovered just now, fine, but retreating at this point would be far too suspicious," Gui Dongxi said with a bitter smile.

"Uh... so I can only grit my teeth and push forward. Senior, are you sure this really won't be a problem?" Wei Zhao was immediately at a loss. Knowing full well that the Vermilion Bird was convening a Grand Gathering of Spirit Beasts ahead, a mere human cultivator at the peak of the mid Golden Core stage dared to walk right in—wasn't that just the old man of longevity hanging himself, tired of living?

Wei Zhao had always been bold, but he wasn't stupid. To knowingly leap into a mountain of blades and a cauldron of boiling oil—only a brainless fool would do that.

"It should be fine." Gui Dongxi couldn't speak too certainly either—after all, no matter how you looked at it, this was extremely risky—but he still comforted Wei Zhao: "With your ability to conceal your aura, plus the spirit-beast aura I've faked over you, as long as no one deliberately scrutinizes you, even face to face with the Vermilion Bird you won't show anything amiss."

"All right." Wei Zhao nodded with a bitter smile. He knew Gui Dongxi's subtext: as long as no one deliberately fixed their eyes on him, everything would be fine—but once some sharp-eyed spirit-beast expert took notice, and especially if the Vermilion Bird sensed anything off, then it was truly all over.

But matters had come to this point, and there was no other way out. He could only grit his teeth and do as Gui Dongxi said.

"Young man, you actually needn't worry too much. Apart from certain races with peculiar innate talents, or spirit beasts who dislike human form, many spirit beasts with even a bit of spiritual awareness can take human shape once they reach the Heavenly Dao stage. So even if you go over now, you probably won't draw much attention," Gui Dongxi continued to reassure him.

"Rest easy, Senior. It's a bit hair-raising, but I can bear it," Wei Zhao said, exhaling a long breath of stale air. He had never been the sort to fear trouble—and besides, fear was useless now that things had come to a head. The more flustered he was, the more likely he'd give himself away; only by responding calmly would he have a chance to bluff through.

"Mm, good. But to be safe, you'd best put on the Thousand-Silk Mask. That rugged martial-artist look better suits spirit-beast aesthetics—the vast majority of spirit beasts take on a similar air after assuming human form. Your current appearance is too refined and delicate, which is apt to draw attention," Gui Dongxi added.

"Fine." Wei Zhao nodded and took out the Thousand-Silk Mask to put it on, while inwardly grumbling about the bizarre aesthetics of the spirit-beast race. In all his time out in the world, this was the first time anyone had called him refined and delicate.

With everything in readiness, Wei Zhao composed his mind and held his breath, then stepped forward. Gui Dongxi released the spirit-beast aura at just the right moment—not his own aura, but one he had deliberately faked, of a strength equivalent only to a Golden Core stage spirit beast.

Better safe than sorry. If Gui Dongxi released his own aura directly, even if he deliberately suppressed its intensity it would still be dangerous. Other spirit beasts might not recognize it at once, but the Vermilion Bird, his old nemesis, would sense it in an instant—and that would be a true disaster.

Onward he went. After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Wei Zhao finally sensed the auras of a great host of powerful spirit beasts, judging by their position to be not far ahead. From afar he could already hear all manner of strange whoops and cheers—now "hoo-hoo-ha," now "hoo-hoo-hei." No normal person could make out what any of it meant; it merely sounded tremendously lively.

Drawing a deep breath, Wei Zhao kept gritting his teeth and pressing forward. In but a short moment, the once-dense primeval forest suddenly opened up before him.

What met his eyes was an exceedingly spacious clearing—no thick shrubs, no towering ancient trees, no swampy pools, just a stretch of verdant green grassland.

And just as Wei Zhao and Gui Dongxi had expected, a vast multitude of spirit beasts was indeed gathered here, layer upon layer, ring within ring. Many had taken human form, and many kept their original shapes; all were speaking in human tongues, chatting and cheering. Had Wei Zhao suddenly witnessed such a scene in the mortal world, he would surely have blurted out in shock: this was a veritable carnival of demons!

Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing so many spirit beasts at once—each with an aura of extraordinary power—Wei Zhao still couldn't help but gape. All the spirit beasts he had seen in his entire life, added together, probably couldn't match even a hundredth of those present!

At this moment, in the very center of the clearing, a troupe of human-formed spirit beasts was singing and dancing, as if performing some sort of act. All the other spirit beasts watched with relish, breaking into thunderous applause from time to time—though to Wei Zhao it looked exactly like a primitive tribe, and he truly couldn't see what was so graceful or pleasing about those bizarre dance movements...

By contrast, a grand high platform had been erected near the center of the clearing, and it was the several figures seated upon it that interested Wei Zhao more. These spirit beasts had all assumed human form, each with an imposing, majestic air—far more terrifying than the Xishan Old Sect that had hounded Wei Zhao to the brink of desperation. Clearly these were the top experts of the spirit-beast race... R1152