The Martial Doctor

Roar!

A beastly roar, as if emanating from hell, reverberated through layers of thick rock, causing Lin Miao and his two companions to turn pale.

Especially Mu Yun, whose cultivation level was the lowest and weakest. She was so frightened that she almost fell to the ground, and if it weren’t for Baili Yuyao grabbing her, she really would have collapsed.

"It’s that beast. This sound, our ancestors described it in their notes as having soul-seizing magic..." Mu Yun muttered to herself.

"Don’t be afraid, we don’t have malicious intent, besides, your ancestors did it a favor, otherwise, it wouldn’t have agreed to let your ancestors transplant a Celestial Essence Fruit tree." Lin Miao, the backbone for the two women, calmed their minds.

"Yes, we’re not here to harm it, moreover, the ancestors said it’s a benevolent beast, so it should be one of the gentle varieties." Mu Yun steadied herself and said.

"Alright, let’s head toward the Celestial Essence Fruit tree," Lin Miao said. "We’ll leave as soon as we pick the Celestial Essence Fruit."

The two women nodded in agreement.

The notes didn’t include a map, but there were detailed records. Although hundreds of years have passed and the underground situation might have changed, that’s unknown.

But the basic pathways shouldn’t be wrong.

Even the mountains and rivers above the ground are completely different now compared to hundreds of years ago. Of course, underground, human interference is minimal, but if there were tectonic movements, especially earthquakes, it wouldn’t be unusual for the pathways to change.

However, since they descended through the crack and found their way without much deviation, it at least showed that their luck was quite good.

Previously, when Mu Yun led people from the Heaven-Dominating Tower through the cave entrance, didn’t they successfully pick the Celestial Essence Fruit from the transplanted tree?

Lin Miao also read the notes and memorized their contents, so even without Mu Yun, he could find the Celestial Essence Fruit tree.

Of course, he wasn’t someone who would betray others.

So along the way, he took great care of Mu Yun, waiting for her to walk together, without any intention of abandoning her.

Came together, naturally, they must go back together. He wasn’t like those ungrateful scum from the Heaven-Dominating Tower.

Roar, roar!

The roar seemed to express the beast’s anger and rejection, hoping they would not advance further.

But since they had come, Lin Miao wouldn’t easily retreat. Even if faced with a beast, he now had the confidence to fight.

However, the roar was getting closer and closer. It was unclear whether they were approaching the beast or the beast was approaching them, or perhaps both.

"Hey, why is it not hot anymore?"

Lin Miao also noticed it. It was previously scorching hot, but suddenly it felt cool, and the temperature was quite pleasant.

This was too strange, just a distance of a few meters.

"No, it’s still very hot over here, but the temperature is normal over here..." Lin Miao reached out his hand to sense it.

It felt like there was an invisible, intangible door, separating the heat from them.

A word popped into his mind: barrier.

Could they be in some kind of barrier, yet they could come and go freely, without any signs of restraint?

Indeed, the notes from Mr. Wuhen also recorded something similar, he found it strange too, but couldn’t find an explanation.

However, this also indicated they were close to the area where the Celestial Essence Fruit tree grew, only in such a marvelous place would a precious treasure absorbing heaven and earth’s spiritual qi like the Celestial Essence Fruit grow.

Removing the gas masks, the pungent sulfur smell was gone, and the air seemed to carry a faintly cold, rusty iron scent.

Roar, roar, roar...

The roar grew increasingly urgent, but for some reason, Lin Miao felt uniquely that it wasn’t a warning, but more of a signal.

If what Mr. Wuhen recorded in the notes was true, and the beast he encountered was a benevolent beast, it shouldn’t have malicious intent, but if there were still things here that could harm it, then it was very dangerous.

"You two stay behind me, be careful." Lin Miao instructed Baili Yuyao and Mu Yun to stay on his left and right, trailing one step behind him.

This way, even if danger arose ahead, he could immediately respond.

One hand held a small lamp, while the other held the hilt of his sword at his waist, ready to react at any moment. The two women did the same, cautiously following with vigilance.

After all, it had been hundreds of years since anyone came here, who could guarantee that nothing unknown had changed below?

Even beasts have a lifespan, although some outlive humans by much, most don’t live past a thousand years. Eventually, their life will end; otherwise, this world would have long been dominated by beasts, leaving no room for humanity’s rise as the protagonists between heaven and earth.

The area was very dry, and the stone layers on the walls appeared a bluish-black, but they couldn’t tell what kind of stone it was; all they knew was that it was extremely hard.

Striking it with weapons produced a sound like metal clashing with iron.

But it was dark, and even with the lamp, visibility was only about ten meters...

The three of them proceeded cautiously, still looking for traces that Mr. Wuhen might have left behind.

No idea how long they walked.

Finally, the three arrived at a cavernous space, and to their surprise, they discovered markings left on the cave walls by human hands.

This seemed to tell a story...

A gigantic meteor fell from the sky, half engulfed in flames, the other half frozen in ice, crashing into the world and embedding itself hundreds of meters underground.

Within the meteor, there are actually two beast eggs, one sealed in flames while the other nurtured in ice.

Hundreds of years later, the beast egg in the ice broke free, transforming into a creature with wings on its ribs and a canine body.

Such a creature’s appearance resembles the ancient mythical beast "Hou" that Lin Miao knew, but whether it’s Hou is uncertain, as mythical creatures and beasts differ by a single word.

Soon after, the beast egg in the flames also hatched, initially resembling a puppy, but gradually growing into a deer-bodied, dragon-headed creature, identical to the qilin of Lin Miao’s memory.

These two creatures are clearly not native to this world; they are beings from another realm, similar yet different from Lin Miao, whose physical body belongs to this world, but whose soul originates from another world or universe.

But seeing the qilin makes Lin Miao feel a closeness, as it hails from her homeland, though not human but beast, it’s still different.

Roar!

A sudden sense of warning arose.

Lin Miao swiftly drew her saber, slicing outward, only to see the air ripple and a white creature with wings on its ribs appear out of thin air in front of the three of them.

Lin Miao’s slash dispelled its invisibility skill, revealing its true form.

"Kid, you can actually detect my presence?" The white beast, to their shock, spoke with human words, even identifying as female.

This startled the three of them greatly; they had never heard of a beast speaking before—is it even a beast?

"Are you Hou?" Lin Miao recognized it, this white, dog-like creature with wings was indeed the ancient mythical beast Hou.

"Oh? Kid, you actually recognize me?"

"I remember Hou as a fierce beast wreathed in flames, fond of eating humans, why are you different?" Lin Miao guarded the two women behind her, asking with vigilance in her eyes.

"I also wish to know, but I was born this way by my parents. Wait, why am I answering your question, and how did you find this place?" Hou hovered in the air, glaring fiercely at Lin Miao as she questioned him.

"We accidentally fell through a fissure above, looking for a way out." Faced with such a dangerous beast like Hou, how could he tell the truth?

"Liar! That young lady behind you has the bloodline of that entity within her; you are here for the Celestial Essence Fruit, aren’t you?" Hou easily uncovered their true intentions.

"There’s indeed such a thing."

"Those who dare covet the Celestial Essence Fruit deserve to die!" Hou roared furiously, her mouth opened, unleashing a frigid current that could freeze one’s soul toward the three.

Lin Miao circulated her internal energy, pushing Baili Yuyao and Mu Yun away: "Run, don’t worry about me."

"Mr. Lin, Mr. Lin..."

"Oh? Pure Yang Qi, able to absorb moonlight—are you human or demon..." Lin Miao actually blocked Hou’s attack, astonishing the beast.

After all, Lin Miao was just entering the Meridian Passage Realm; though he managed to withstand the blow, he couldn’t help but feel a sweet sensation in his chest, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

This was the first time he’d been injured since coming to this world.

"Hurry up and leave, I can only hold it off for a while..." Seeing Baili Yuyao and Mu Yun standing motionless, Lin Miao became anxious. Didn’t they understand that with them here, he was hesitant to fight freely?

"Miss Yuyao, we’re not helping Mr. Lin by staying here; we’re a burden to him!" Mu Yun, with a clear mind, grabbed Baili Yuyao and began running in the direction they came from.

Trying to escape!

Hou sneered coldly, intending to chase after them.

But Lin Miao wouldn’t give it the chance; he swung his saber once more, this time prepared, using the "Azure Heaven Saber" technique.

Though not driven by the heart method of the Azure Heaven Saber Skill, the Minor Formless Skill fueling the Azure Heaven Saber’s moves proved no weaker than the "Azure Heaven Saber," even stronger by threefold in similar realms.

"Kid, were it not for my being trapped here, dealing with a mere human like you would be a cinch!" Hou was enraged, stalled by Lin Miao, and Baili Yuyao and Mu Yun’s figures had long vanished.

"Then try it and see." Lin Miao swung his saber again, sealing all Hou’s paths, as if saying, who can’t boast?

"Courting death!"

A chilly current surged towards Lin Miao once more, and the temperature in the cavern plummeted dozens of degrees instantly.

Lin Miao’s saber was instantly frozen into an icicle, his eyebrows and hair covered with frost. Fortunately, a strand of Pure Yang Qi circulated throughout his body, otherwise, he would have been frozen into an ice sculpture instantly. Nevertheless, his movements were delayed by at least two breaths’ time.

Hou brushed past him, aiming to chase the two women, but Lin Miao shook off the ice shards on his body, reached out to grab Hou’s tail, pulling it back and flinging it away.

The fierce beast Hou had never suffered such a loss before; caught off guard, she assumed Lin Miao was frozen, only to find he still had the strength to resist.

In pain, her eyes emitted blue fierce light as she rose from the ground, leaping into the air, pouncing toward Lin Miao.