The second day. Su Xing and the group gathered all together outside the Immortal's Abode.
At nearly the same time, all of the Star Generals' foreheads twinkled with light automatically. At that instant, each of the Star Maidens knew that Evil Smiting Hall had formally opened.
"Have you finished preparations?" Knowledge Star Wu Xinjie asked everyone.
Everyone solemnly nodded their heads.
The one hundred and seventh ranked Shi Yuan took the lead to walk out. She flipped her hand, and a token appeared. She walked to Su Xing's front, the two of them fixing their eyes on one another. Then, they each took in a breath, proceeding to connect their minds, injecting Star Energy into the Evil Smiting Token. The Star Crests of the two simultaneously entered the Evil Smiting Token, and then they saw a blackness in front of them. The scenery changed. They saw the surroundings were a boundless deep mountain, both sides filled with sheer cliffs and precipitous cliff faces. The mountains were covered in clouds and rain, drizzling down. Old pines grew all around, their iron trunks clear and crystalline.
Far into the distance, the mountains were continuous and unending, exceptionally green. Su Xing stood atop his riding sword to look around. At even farther places, he could even see blue oceans, even deserts, the Gobi,1 scorched earth, and every sort of scene actually appeared. Looking at those surroundings, there was no visible limit in the tens of thousands of li.
This was Evil Smiting Hall!
"This is Evil Smiting Hall?" Su Xing exclaimed. Although he already knew that though Evil Smiting Hall had "hall" in its name, it actually was a Void Star World. Inside, there were tens of thousands of large mountains, great rains, and weather marvels too numerous to count. Furthermore, the Star Beasts particular to Star Generals also dwelled in every place in the environment. However, the range really was extensive. To go find a Star General's Star Beast alone was basically impossible. Fortunately, the Star Beasts particular to a Star General could be sensed, otherwise, let alone taking four to five days to capture, they would not necessarily find it in four to five years.
"En." Shi Yuan intimately pulled up against Su Xing's arm, extremely content, nearly forgetting the objective of coming to Evil Smiting Hall.
Seeing Shi Yuan like this, Su Xing stroked her head.
Shi Yuan very pleasurably hummed, looking exactly like a cat. Su Xing was speechless. "Once we got into Evil Smiting Hall, you're different."
"This is the first time This Young Lady is together with you, Su Xing." Shi Yuan giggled.
"The first time?" Su Xing suddenly understood. Ever since the two signed a contract, this indeed was the first time they were alone together. Although they once did so at the Blooming Water Sword Sect, at that time, they were cautious, entering the tiger's den. How was it the same as the current enchanting scenery, this extremely fine landscape of a lovers' rendezvous. "I've actually somewhat wronged you all." Su Xing was disappointed and frustrated. Recalling yesterday night with Yingmei, he sighed regretfully.
Although Su Xing really wanted to be romantic and loving, how could he when the Star Duels would not even invite people for a meal.2 They could not make song and dance, could not paint or embroider, could not be that sort of elegant and refined. That kind of calm and refinement, that type of kind heartedness and gentleness, especially when Maiden Mountain was already baring its fangs, was bound to lead to a battle. They already could not be careless.
"We're not wronged." Shi Yuan shook her head. It was not as if she did not understand the plan. The hearts and minds of Maiden Mountain's one hundred and eight sisters were linked. An increase in the number of sisters would lead only to an increase in joy. "Su Xing, if you're the final victor, what will you wish for?" The Thief Star blinked her eyes, very expectant.
"To destroy the Star Duels." Su Xing said instantly.
"I just knew Su Xing would think as much, hee, hee." Shi Yuan smiled.
"Turning things around, for the past eight generations of Star Duels, what have those victors wished for?" Su Xing recalled. He seemingly had never heard of anything about the whereabouts of the eight generations of Star Duels victors, not even any materials on them.
"You'll probably have to ask Elder Sister Xinjie or that Chai Ling about this." Shi Yuan shook her head.
"En." Su Xing muttered.
They were intimate for a moment, even flirting with honeyed words. Shi Yuan really had a sort of impulse to continue this. Despite her satisfaction, despite her happiness, the Thief Star Flea on a Drum did not forget the goal of this trip to Evil Smiting Hall. To be able to be sweet and intimate this one time was enough. With regards to the vast majority of participating Star Generals, they would hesitate only when dead or dying. Who would be like Su Xing, treating Star Masters as nothing, targeting Maiden Mountain directly.
"Yuan'er, where do we go to find your Star Beast?" Su Xing asked.
"Let this Young Lady see…" Shi Yuan looked around her surroundings for a moment. The Thief Star changed her previous romanticness, returning to a serious manner. Suddenly, her forehead's Star Crest lightly twinkled: "Su Xing, let's go capture the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit!"3
"Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit?" When Su Xing heard this name, he broke into laughter. What sort of weird name was this.
"En, This Young Lady's Star Beast." Shi Yuan giggled. A Star General's Star Beast was not at all fixed. Some were weak, some were strong, some fierce and others docile. Some could be easily captured, and others would need a bitter battle, and the Star General could even be killed on the contrary. However, Evil Smiting Hall was extremely large, and Star Beasts all had to be encountered and could not be requested. They could only depend on luck. Encountering an easily captured one meant they had good luck. If they encountered a thorny one, besides finding one anew, they could only engage in a life and death struggle. They might as well have taken the three months' time of Evil Smiting Hall, which was more than sufficient to let Star Generals to go find one. Thus, after Evil Smiting Hall, nearly all Star Generals would have a Star Beast.
Shi Yuan's Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit was classified as the meek type. From its name, the characteristics of this beast could be seen. It was like the Thief Star, a Star Beast that possessed superb concealment arts.
"How do we find it?"
Su Xing asked.
"This Young Lady's way, Su Xing, you better watch, don't let it run off."
Shi Yuan patted her chest, jumped off the Flying Sword and used Wind Chasing Shadow Hiding. Her figure became an indistinct darkness that scattered, and all traces of her disappeared. Su Xing on the Flying Sword only saw a shadow quickly flit by in midair. With Su Xing's superb Seeing Clearly, he was unable to see the slightest gap. He knew this was her excellent concealment Star Magic, not an ordinary hiding magic. It was a pity that Shi Yuan could not exert killing intent when in Wind Chasing Shadow Hiding, otherwise she actually could be even with Investigative Star Mu Hong.
Su Xing put away his thoughts and concentrated on staring at Shi Yuan's each and every moment. Because Star Generals and Star Beasts had a psychic reaction, he could not interfere at all. He could only help a bit when the time came to capture the Star Beast.
Evil Smiting Hall lacked time, lacked the feeling of time, and ages afterwards.
Shi Yuan finally stopped, beckoned with her hand, and Su Xing flew before her. He saw a cave covered with Spirit Grass.
"The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's den?" Su Xing looked at this nondescript rabbit hole. He honestly was unable to connect a rabbit and a Star Beast.
"Yes." Shi Yuan nodded her head, expressionlessly confirming his guess.
"The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit has three dens. To capture This Young Lady's Star Beast is very simple. We just need to destroy these three burrows, and it will obediently go with This Young Lady." Shi Yuan laughed into her sleeve.
Su Xing laughed. This truly was much simpler than he imagined.
From her Astral Bag, Shi Yuan felt out a box. The instant she opened it, a confusing smell wafted out. Inside were several particular Beast Feeding Pills. She used these to attract the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit, otherwise the rabbit would not come out and destroying the Star Beast's burrows would be unachievable.
Then, Shi Yuan drew a magic circle the Thief Star specially used around the Beast Feeding Pills.
Su Xing carefully covered his figure.
He entered Oneness of Heaven And Man state and sized it up from nearby. His face moved, and Su Xing's Divine Sense perceived there was a small object that dug out of the rabbit hole. This made Shi Yuan delighted, and suddenly, her whole body's presence thoroughly hid. Her eyes stared without blinking at the place the Beast Feeding Pills were at.
That small beast dug at the rabbit hole for a long time, then extended out its head. A sneaky hare appeared. This rabbit was wholly snow white, a pair of jadeite eyes spinning round and round incessantly, even looking left and right from time to time, a timid to the extreme appearance. If it was not for this white rabbit's head having another thin eye, seemingly a third eye, Su Xing honestly would have thought it was unmistakably a normal rabbit.
The Star Beast was psychic, that appeared unmistakable. The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit twitched its nose, still sniffing in the direction of the Beast Feeding Pills. The human-like completely engrossed expression that appeared on its face from time to time made Su Xing not know whether to laugh or cry.
That Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit climbed out from the hole. Standing outside the magic circle and sniffing for a moment, its jadeite eyes spun several circles in the surroundings of those Beast Feeding Pills. Nevertheless, it was very cautious, as expected of the Star Beast worthy of being called the Thief Star's.
Shi Yuan stuck out her tongue.
The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit somewhat unsatisfactorily sniffed from where it was, and it seemed to be planning something sinister. The materials inside the Beast Feeding Pill were personally mixed by the Thief Star herself. This completely was done according to the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit, so she did not fear it would be unmoved.
Seeing that Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit so sensitive, Shi Yuan was increasingly cautious, her expression glimpsing nervousness, after all, the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit was the most adept at fleeing and hiding arts. They only need not be careful, and they could possibly waste all of their effort. Furthermore, they basically had no hope of drawing it out of the rabbit hole the second time.
After the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit circled around the array, its two long ears swayed endlessly, as if it sensed abnormalities in the nearby Spirit Qi, slowly without walking into the array.
Su Xing and Shi Yuan both stayed calm, not even breathing, their whole bodies completely blending into one with their surroundings.
The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit then ran back inside its rabbit hole, then it climbed out again a moment later. Going back and forth several times like this, seeing that the Beast Feeding Pill was still there, the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit in the end only had a bit of intelligence. It could not bear the lure, and its figure flashed. Unexpectedly, after several vertical hops, it disappeared into the nearby underbrush.
Su Xing froze, somewhat not returning to his senses. Just during the time Su Xing was staring blankly, on the other side of the underbrush, a white figure flashed. That white rabbit unexpectedly had a speed that brought afterimages. Instantly, it flew from the grass right in front of the Beast Feeding Pills. The moment it lowered its head and stuffed the Beast Feeding Pill into its mouth, it wanted to run. Shi Yuan had already prepared for this. She was but the Thief Star, and how could she allow it to use this small trick.
Striking a hand seal, the surroundings suddenly raised a square yellow barrier, firmly sealing this place off.
The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit screeched.
Shi Yuan did not hesitate at all to launch a Star Crest. At the same time, Su Xing moved his Flying Sword to break the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's den.
The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's figure flashed, and its whole body's snow white fur became pitch-black.
"Su Xing, it's about to flee." Shi Yuan shouted, throwing out a golden net that was in her hands.
The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit transformed into a shadow, immediately breaking through the magic circle. Then, it moved about at high speed along the ground, the speed unexpectedly swift to beyond reasonable limits. "Don't let it back inside the burrow." Shi Yuan yelled.
Su Xing already knew about the next matter. Immediately afterwards, he urged the Flying Swords to go forth. However, they were not for the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit, rather he extended his Divine Sense and searched the entire area. He searched for the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's dens. Only by destroying its burrows would it be possible for it to follow Shi Yuan. Otherwise, everything was for naught.
"Found it." Su Xing very quickly spotted one hole, delight upon his face.
But that Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's speed unexpectedly was incredibly fast. The afterimages dazzled, the real and fakes indistinguishable. Seeing that it was about to enter the hole, the Flying Swords were too late. Su Xing grit his teeth, stabbing one sword into his heart. With such a heavy injury, he used the Chaotic Tail Escape to finally rush right in front of the entrance to the Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's den, slashing apart the entrance.
The Three Burrows Crafty Rabbit's figure twisted in midair from fright when it saw Su Xing, unexpectedly drawing an arc as it shot towards another direction.
When Su Xing saw this, he pursued with the Chaotic Tail Escape.
This time was very easy.
