Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil in the Cultivation World Chapter 1003 - 488: Manipulating Fate, Reaping the Fisherman’s Profit (Part 2)

"Looks like after that conflict in Demon Flame City last time, these human cultivators have started belittling us. Do they assume exotic beasts like us are totally feeble, prompting them to cross lines they shouldn't?"

"That's right, we need to eliminate every one of these human cultivators, otherwise they'll never grasp who truly owns this land."

"Slaughter them, wipe out any human bold enough to enter our Ice Crystal Mountain Range."

Fury burned fiercely in every Void Refining Beast.

Human cultivators had left them feeling deeply scorned.

What started as revenge for fallen kin had now ballooned into an interspecies showdown, a desperate fight for existence.

Without teaching these insolent human cultivators a harsh lesson, they'd surely invade the Ice Crystal Mountain Range freely—and that was utterly intolerable.

Rumble~~

Following the order, beasts from the depths of the Ice Crystal Mountain Range surged forth, overwhelming the peaks and creating a horrifying tide of creatures that charged outward in every direction.

Instructions reached them to slay any human cultivator in sight and purge all life forms they met, all to uphold the exotic beasts' honor.

Driving every human cultivator out of this range was essential.

Whoever sets foot in the Ice Crystal Mountain Range becomes an arch-enemy to the exotic beasts.

Yet another day slipped by.

Without any prior signs, the beast tide across the entire Ice Crystal Mountain Range exploded into action.

This sudden onslaught stunned the many Noble Descendants who'd ventured into the Ice Crystal Mountain Range, since their earlier estimates suggested the exotic beasts had taken severe hits in the last fight and couldn't muster another tide so quickly.

With just some care, they figured they'd stay out of trouble.

Yet no one anticipated this fearsome beast tide bursting out abruptly, with exotic beasts overwhelming every corner.

Fear gripped these Noble Descendants tightly.

Most of their lives had passed in safe cities, so they'd never faced a situation this dire before.

"Curse it, have these exotic beasts lost their minds entirely? Why are they attacking us out of nowhere?"

"No clue, but these exotic beasts are slaughtering indiscriminately, looking utterly enraged—something must have set them off."

"Didn't these exotic beasts get badly wounded earlier, supposedly too weak for more? How are there so many beasts pouring out endlessly?"

"We've misjudged the sheer count of exotic beasts in the Ice Crystal Mountain Range. Apparently, the ones that hit Demon Flame City were merely a tiny portion, far from their full might."

The Noble Descendants buzzed with intense chatter, faces darkened to the utmost.

They'd just noticed the swarm of exotic beasts encircling them.

Far worse, the beasts closing in weren't limited to Divinity Transformation Level; Void Refining Level ones lurked among them too.

At this rate, total destruction awaited them right here.

Their initial intent was a thorough sweep to track down Guan Tianqi.

But every scheme had crumbled now.

Unless they broke free from here, death seemed inevitable for all.

"What do we do next? Confront these exotic beasts head-on?"

"Confront? With their endless hordes, fighting is impossible."

"Exactly, our smartest move is flight—the faster we get away, the safer we'll be."

"Trouble is, Void Refining beasts have us in their sights, so breaking out won't be simple."

"Our sole option is alerting the family patriarch, praying he hears about this and rushes to our aid."

"Without the patriarch saving us, we're finished for good."

"I warned ages ago against entering the Ice Crystal Mountain Range—it's exotic beast domain."

"Sigh, blame that wretched Guan Tianqi. Without his arrival, we'd avoid this mess. Spot his trail, and I'll rip him apart."

"Truth be told, I think Guan Tianqi sparked this beast tide to do us in indirectly; why else the perfect timing?"

"For real? Can loose cultivator Guan Tianqi pull off something like that?"

"Ha, this loose cultivator hides deep mysteries; impossible to say what tricks he holds."

"Even if so, it changes nothing. Surviving and escaping comes first."

Indignation boiled among the Noble Descendants toward Guan Tianqi, viewing him as their ultimate foe. Spotting him would mean they'd shred him without mercy.

Regrettably, mere words were all they could muster now.

Guan Tianqi had vanished long ago, beyond their reach.

Suddenly, Family Cultivators scattered in desperate flight.

Yet escape proved tough, surrounded as they were by countless exotic beasts.

.....

Right then, within Hunyuan Valley.

Jiang Fan made his way back to Hunyuan Valley.

Simultaneously, he triggered the Celestial Cicada Spirit Leaf upon himself, swiftly wrapping the whole Hunyuan Valley in a massive, unseen shield.

At once, Hunyuan Valley's energy faded into oblivion, blending seamlessly with the Ice Crystal Mountain Range.

The valley appeared no different from the surrounding terrain.

Hunyuan Valley's very existence got wiped clean.

Human cultivators and passing exotic beasts nearby would instinctively ignore Hunyuan Valley, treating it like a commonplace stone by the path.

Clearly, reaching the Eighth-Layer Divinity Transformation let Jiang Fan draw greater might from the Celestial Cicada Spirit Leaf.

This treasure's potency hid not just the user's own presence but also masked sections of the land's essence, rendering those spots invisible to all, a flawless haven.

Still, should Jiang Fan depart, the hiding effect would vanish completely.

This spared Hunyuan Valley from the ongoing conflict.

No one from the exotic beast side or Family Cultivators could detect Hunyuan Valley anymore.

It resembled a hidden paradise like Peach Blossom Spring.

"Using others to fight your battles truly proves a brilliant, inexhaustible tactic."

"Effortless execution, all while draining two powerful sides."

Jiang Fan extended his divine sense across tens of thousands of kilometers.

He effortlessly detected the clashes dotting the Ice Crystal Mountain Range.

Family Cultivators clashed against hordes of exotic beasts.

Void Refining cultivators, alerted to the trap, raced toward the Ice Crystal Mountain Range.

Fierce battles erupted between the factions, savagely intense.

Innumerable Family Cultivators and exotic beasts faced certain death in this strife.

Unaware, a hidden third force had engineered this clash to ensure mutual defeat for both.

Truthfully, sparking a proxy conflict demands careful orchestration.

Timing and location must align precisely for ignition.

Lacking fate's guiding visions, pinpointing such ideal moments would elude him.

All lives' destinies seemed firmly in his command.

Not even Void Refining or Integration Cultivators' fates slipped his influence.

Mere marionettes dancing to his tune.

"Once this war concludes, Family Cultivators ought to calm completely."

"Short-term ventures into the Ice Crystal Mountain Range will likely scare them off."

"City-ruling Integration Great Powers probably won't risk entering here either."

Here, Jiang Fan started grasping the Ice Crystal Mountain Range's daunting power.

Legends spoke of multiple Integration Realm exotic beasts dwelling in its core, their strength immeasurable, serving as guardians ensuring every exotic beast's security.

Void Refining Cultivators venturing in wouldn't rouse much reaction.

But an Integration Great Power's entry would ignite fierce opposition from them.

That would inevitably spark clashes among Integration Great Powers.

No great power could endure such fallout.

For Hunyuan Valley, though, it brought immense advantages.

Both sides' losses promised Hunyuan Valley enduring tranquility.

Outside powers would hesitate to eye the Ice Crystal Mountain Range covetously.

"In this war, I'm the ultimate winner."

"Surviving this turmoil should bring me substantial rewards."

With these thoughts, anticipation filled Jiang Fan.