CBGC - ch169

Chapter 169: Yayu

TL note: In most translations, spirit beasts that cultivate into a human form are called demons. So many things are translated as demons. Human cultivation = Demonic cultivation. Humans lose their humanity = demons. Energies spawning something = demons or demonic creatures. Animals that have human form = also demons. Here, I'll be switching around demon beasts and beasts.

"Jiu Yue, come here!"

Hearing the raspy voice of the Beast Saint, Jiu Yue trembles slightly, her face paling. Her nine tails sway nervously, clearly showing her unease.

Su Tingyun, who's been observing Jiu Yue’s behavior, starts to feel anxious as well. Jiu Yue is the Priestess of the Beast Realm, yet she fears this Beast Saint so much. It’s clear that this leader of the Beasts is not someone to be trifled with.

“What are they saying? Translate it quickly!” Su Tingyun anxiously communicates with Xuanyuan Wentian through her consciousness.

Xuanyuan Wentian’s presence is faint, and his voice barely audible. “That Beast Saint is strange. You should be careful. It’s best to hide as soon as you can. Anyway, Big Bai won’t die.”

After saying this, he falls silent, pretending to be dead.

Su Tingyun is speechless. Not only does Xuanyuan Wentian refuse to control her body, but now he’s also hiding and won’t even translate for her. At this point, she can’t just turn around and run. She’s not sure if hiding inside the ring could even conceal her from the Beast Saint’s spiritual detection.

Xuanyuan Wentian has really put her in a tough spot!

If she can’t understand the Beast language, she might be exposed right away. She can’t just grunt her way through an encounter with the Beast Saint.

Su Tingyun’s eyes flicker as she glances at Little Bai. Noticing the red sap oozing from its leaves, she remembers how Jiu Yue collected the sap earlier. Gritting her teeth, she brings Big Bai close to her mouth and licks one of Little Bai’s leaves, swallowing the red sap.

As the sap enters her throat, she feels a warm current flowing down, spreading warmth throughout her body. It’s surprisingly comfortable.

“Come in.” The raspy voice echoes from within the cavern again. Su Tingyun’s eyes flash with excitement, but she suppresses it quickly.

She really understands it now—she can comprehend the Beast language!

Gently patting Big Bai and squeezing Little Bai’s leaves, she reassures them while also encouraging herself. Following Jiu Yue into the cavern, she notices thick layers of ice surrounding them. Icicles hang from the ceiling, and in the center stands a massive ice sculpture. The sculpture rests on an altar in the middle of the river, where bubbling water rises like a hot spring.

“Your Holiness, the fire poison in your body has worsened.” Jiu Yue, seeing the bubbling river, begins to tremble uncontrollably. Her voice shakes with fear she can’t hide.

“Yes.” Now that they are closer, Su Tingyun realizes the voice is coming from within the ice sculpture. The words are carried by a hot wind, which brings with it a faintly rancid odor.

“That little beast also has a significant amount of flame poison in its body,” the voice within the ice continues.

“Yes, this little beast swallowed a thousand sacred fruits, causing its aura to become uncontrollably violent. Only the ice river can temporarily suppress it,” Jiu Yue answers, trembling as she prostrates herself on the ground.

As soon as she finishes speaking, the ice sculpture suddenly cracks open. A hand reaches out, grabbing Big Bai from Su Tingyun’s grasp. However, the fire poison in Big Bai’s body is so intense that it scorches the hand, forcing a raspy cry from the figure within. The Beast Saint then flings Big Bai away.

Su Tingyun swiftly catches Big Bai in her arms, but the force of the throw is too strong, causing her to lose her balance and plunge into the ice river along with Big Bai.

With a loud splash, water sprays everywhere.

The river isn’t very deep; she stands in the water, which reaches up to her collarbone, leaving her head above the surface. The water below is ice-cold, while the surface is scalding hot, creating a sensation of being caught between ice and fire.

Fortunately, she is neither afraid of the cold nor the heat. Standing in the water doesn’t bother her at all.

Big Bai, now submerged, seems to feel much better, while Little Bai’s two leaves appear to be drinking the water, creating small bubbles around them.

The Beast Saint in the ice glances at his hand, then begins to laugh. His voice, already raspy from the poison that has damaged his throat, becomes even lower and more grating. The sound echoes within the ice cavern, sending an inexplicable chill through the air.

Su Tingyun is nothing but a paper tiger now. She forces herself to maintain a stern expression and coldly stares at the Beast race’s Saint, barely holding onto her composure. In her mind, she’s cursing the Demon Lord who got her into this mess.

However, the ice river is effective for Big Bai, so her trip wasn’t in vain. She just hopes she can leave smoothly when the time comes.

The ice sculpture continues to shatter from the exposed hand, making a sound like rocks exploding. Jiu Yue’s body starts trembling violently with the sound, increasing the pressure on Su Tingyun, as if a taut string in her mind is about to snap.

A man, completely naked, steps out of the ice, and as he walks into the ice river, his body slowly transforms into a creature with a dragon's head and a tiger’s body.

Seeing the Beast Saint directly enter the ice river, Jiu Yue’s body calms slightly. She kneels on the ground, not daring to make a sound.

Su Tingyun, seeing the Beast Saint's full form, is shocked to her core—she never expected the Beast Saint to be a Yayu!

Barely maintaining her composure, Su Tingyun places Big Bai in front of her. “May I ask, Beast Saint, how long must my sister soak in this ice river before she awakens?”

The Yayu chuckles hoarsely. “Your sister? You’re clearly a lowly human. How could you have a Beast sister?” After saying this, he glances at the nine-tailed fox. “Priestess, a human managed to outwit you? Where’s your cunning now?”

Though Jiu Yue harbors doubts, she doesn’t dare to argue. She immediately kowtows, begging for forgiveness. “Jiu Yue acknowledges her mistake and is willing to accept punishment!”

The Yayu sneers, “Bringing this person here can be considered atonement. Leave now, and remember to prepare three thousand fresh offerings.”

Jiu Yue trembles, then kowtows again. “I will take care of it immediately!” As she leaves, she glances at Su Tingyun in the water, her eyes darkening before she walks out of the ice cave without looking back.

At this moment, Su Tingyun’s entire body is stiff, encased in a thick layer of ice that has spread up to her neck, leaving only her head exposed.

The Yayu hooks a claw under Su Tingyun’s chin. “A human, speaking the Beast language, with such low cultivation—how did you manage to deceive Jiu Yue and those Six Beast Kings?” It murmurs, “I’ve never tasted a human woman before. I wonder what you’ll taste like?”

Su Tingyun’s body is immobilized, her soul seemingly frozen, though not completely helpless. However, if she uses her power now, she will reveal her true strength.

After a moment of thought, Su Tingyun sneers, “You blame me for your ignorance?” Instantly, she ignites her Heavenly Fire, melting the ice around her. Then she sternly declares, “Beast Saint? If my sister didn’t need this ice river to detoxify, I’d make you regret this!”

She’s determined to use every bit of her spiritual power to create an overwhelming aura. With this thought, Su Tingyun channels the five elements within her ring, merging them together. But the effort weakens her soul.

As the five elements rotate within the ring, her spiritual energy overflows, giving her an air of profound mystery. The Yayu retracts its claw, taking a step back to scrutinize Su Tingyun. “How strange.”

It ponders briefly, “The little beast you carry has stolen our sacred fruits. It seems I’ll have to eat it.”

Su Tingyun smirks coldly, “Then go ahead and eat it.”

The Yayu, suffering from fire poison, hides in the ice cave to cultivate. If it eats Big Bai, it’ll likely explode on the spot. If it could eat Big Bai, it would have done so already!

The Yayu laughs coldly but says nothing more. It lies back in the water, which soon begins to boil as if the entire ice river is about to evaporate.

Seeing this, Su Tingyun guesses that the Yayu’s fire poison is more severe than Big Bai’s. She wonders if the ice river’s effectiveness will be lost after the two soak in it.

Suddenly, the Yayu thrusts its head forward, its eyes gleaming with a chilling light. “You’re not afraid of fire poison, nor of the icy water. If I eat you, will I be free of this torment?”

Though aware of the potential danger, the Yayu doesn't care anymore.

The Yayu opens its massive jaws, but at that moment, a red shadow floats to the surface of the water, letting out a loud burp. With the sound, Big Bai exhales a wave of heat, too sudden for the Yayu to dodge. The Yayu’s entire dragon head turns red, like a cooked shrimp.

Big Bai flips over and remains still, still unconscious.

But the commotion causes the Yayu to howl in pain. It retreats to the shore, standing at the center of the formation as its body is once again encased in ice. Its eyes, filled with murderous intent, remain fixed on Su Tingyun until they too are sealed by the ice.

The Yayu's aura vanishes from the cave, clearly wounded by Big Bai’s exhale, which worsened its poison.

Su Tingyun is utterly astonished by this turn of events. Just then, Xuanyuan Wentian finally sneaks out.

“There was once a Yayu, originally a docile and kind creature, but it was mistakenly killed by the god race. Before its soul dissipated, the god race realized their error and resurrected it. But upon rebirth, it became a fierce beast with greatly enhanced power, serving as a vanguard for the Demon Realm, killing countless enemies.”

This Yayu is definitely a descendant of the original. It has two lives—if the first was as a benevolent beast, its death will turn it into a ferocious one.

Now, is this Yayu on its first life, or has it already died once?

"Judging by its current level of cultivation, I’d say it’s already died once," Xuanyuan Wentian says after a moment of silence.

So, this Yayu is a vicious Demonic Beast! Is that why Jiu Yue is so terrified of it?

"It probably hasn't died for very long," Xuanyuan Wentian adds. "Otherwise, there’s no way you’d be standing here unharmed."

So, what now?

Should they escape while it’s injured and can’t move? Maybe take the ice river water to cut off the beast's retreat?

But then Xuanyuan Wentian says, "Don’t even think about it. The cave entrance is already sealed."

Su Tingyun: "..."

She really wants to beat this Demon to death!