I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 238: The Spiritual Pet Exploration Begins, Encountering Obstacles at the Mountain of Ten Tho

Ren Xiaoyao took one last look at the familiar town behind him, took a deep breath, turned around resolutely, and stepped into the vast Ten Thousand Beasts Mountains in front of him.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what did that old man mean? What are we doing here?" Xia Lin followed Ren Xiaoyao closely and asked curiously.

"I'm not too sure, but since he mentioned the King of Spirit Pets, let's try our luck." Ren Xiaoyao said with a hint of determination in his eyes. Ever since he obtained the inheritance of the ancient animal tamer, he vaguely felt that he was closely related to the fate of this continent.

The Myriad Beasts Mountains, as its name suggests, are home to a wide variety of spirit beasts. As soon as we set foot on the outskirts of the mountains, all sorts of bizarre low-level spirit beasts appeared one after another.

"Roar!" A huge armored bear took the lead and waved its thick paws towards Ren Xiaoyao.

"Be careful!" Charlene exclaimed.

Ren Xiaoyao was well prepared, and with a quick flash of his body, he nimbly dodged the armored bear's attack. He quickly pulled out a jade flute from his waist, placed it to his lips, and began to play softly.

The melodious sound of the flute echoed through the forest, and the restless low-level spirit beasts gradually calmed down as if under a spell. Ren Xiaoyao took the opportunity to perform the beast taming technique, taming several less aggressive spirit beasts and letting them clear the way for him.

However, as they went deeper, the spirit beasts they encountered became more and more powerful, and the effect of the flute sound on them became less and less.

"Roar!" A fiery tiger covered in flames leaped out of the dense forest and pounced fiercely on Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao did not dare to be careless and immediately summoned his contracted spirit beast - a nimble lightning leopard, and started a fierce battle with the flame tiger.

For a moment, the roars of beasts, the clash of weapons, and the surging of spiritual energy intertwined and echoed through the mountains and forests. Although Ren Xiaoyao was quite powerful, he felt a little exhausted in the face of the continuous attacks.

"Brother Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin shouted anxiously from the side. Although she could not fight, she tried her best to help Ren Xiaoyao, such as using some simple herbs to heal his wounds.

After a hard fight, Ren Xiaoyao finally repelled the several spirit beasts before him. However, he knew this was only the beginning. At this moment, his voice stone suddenly lit up, and an old voice rang out from it: "Little friend Xiaoyao, I am Elder Feng. I heard that you are also looking for the King of Spirit Pets..."

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled, and his hand holding the sound stone unconsciously tightened a little...

On the other end of the sound transmission stone, Elder Feng's voice was solemn. "Little friend Xiaoyao, I want to remind you that several other beast trainers have also received news and are searching for the King of Spirit Pets in the Myriad Beasts Mountains. There are many ruthless and cruel people among them, so you must be careful."

Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly upon hearing this. It looked like the search for the King of Spirit Pets wouldn't be easy this time. After thanking Elder Feng, he told Xia Lin the news.

"Looks like we have to hurry up," Xia Lin looked at Ren Xiaoyao worriedly, "Those people will do anything to fight for the title of King of Spirit Pets."

Ren Xiaoyao nodded, placed the jade flute across his lips, and played a more rapid melody, driving away the restless spirit beasts around him. They quickened their pace, weaving through the dense jungle.

However, the more anxious you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

"Be careful!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly grabbed Xia Lin and led her away from where they were standing. The ground suddenly collapsed where they had just stood, revealing a bottomless quagmire.

"Is this... a swamp?" Charlene's face turned pale as she looked at the scene in front of her in shock.

Ren Xiaoyao looked around and found that they had arrived at a swamp filled with miasma. There were strange plants growing all around and the air was filled with a rotten smell.

"We have to leave here as soon as possible," Ren Xiaoyao said in a deep voice, "This swamp is very dangerous, and..."

Before he could finish his words, a huge tentacle suddenly stretched out from the mud and rolled towards them.

Ren Xiaoyao reacted quickly, picked up Xia Lin, and used his Qinggong skills to narrowly avoid the tentacles' attack. However, the tentacles didn't seem to intend to let them go, and continued to emerge from the mire, attacking them frantically.

Ren Xiaoyao dodged the tentacles' attacks while searching for a way out of the swamp. However, the swamp was like a maze, and no matter how they walked, they could not find the exit.

"Damn it!" Ren Xiaoyao cursed in a low voice. The long period of fighting and dodging had already consumed a lot of his physical strength.

"Brother Xiaoyao, don't worry, we will definitely be able to get out." Although Xia Lin was afraid, she still held Ren Xiaoyao's sleeve tightly to encourage him.

Finally, after escaping death, they found a relatively dry land and successfully escaped from the terrible swamp.

"Huh..." Ren Xiaoyao let out a long sigh and sat down on the ground, his clothes soaked with sweat.

Charlene also leaned weakly against a tree trunk beside her, breathing heavily.

Just as they were taking a short break and preparing to move on, a light sound of footsteps came from not far away...

Ren Xiaoyao suddenly opened his eyes, clenched the jade flute in his hand, looked sharply in the direction of the sound, and spat out a word coldly: "Who?"

"Hey, who was that? Turns out to be Master Beast Tamer Ren." With a scornful laugh, a tall figure emerged from behind the bushes. It was none other than Ren Xiaoyao's rival, Thunder Tiger. He was dressed in black, and trailed by a massive red-flame leopard, staring intently at Ren Xiaoyao.

"Lei Hu, what do you want to do?" Xia Lin asked cautiously, standing in front of Ren Xiaoyao. They had just escaped from the swamp, and their physical and spiritual energy had been greatly depleted. However, Lei Hu seemed energetic, clearly well prepared.

Lei Hu ignored Xia Lin, staring greedily at the map in Ren Xiaoyao's hand. It was given to him by Elder Feng, and it marked the places where the King of Spirit Pets might appear. "Ren Xiaoyao, hand over the map, and I'll consider giving you a chance to live."

"You're dreaming!" Ren Xiaoyao put the map into his arms and sneered, "If you want the map, come and get it with your own ability!"

"If you don't accept my toast, you'll be punished!" Lei Hu's face darkened, and he ordered the Red Flame Leopard behind him, "Go, tear them apart!"

The Red Flame Leopard roared, transformed into a streak of red lightning, and pounced towards Ren Xiaoyao. Ren Xiaoyao was already prepared, pulling Xia Lin back quickly, while blowing the jade flute and summoning his spiritual pet, the Golden-winged Eagle.

The golden-winged eagle swooped down, its sharp claws clawing at the red-flame leopard. The two spirit beasts engaged in a fierce mid-air battle. For a moment, the roars of the beasts and the clash of spirit energy resounded throughout the forest.

Lei Hu did not rush to attack. He hugged his shoulders and watched the battle with a sneer. He knew that Ren Xiaoyao and the Golden-winged Eagle had just experienced a fierce battle and now was their weakest.

As expected, in the fight with the Red Flame Leopard, the Golden-Winged Eagle gradually lost the upper hand, and several shocking scars appeared on its body. Ren Xiaoyao also began to move more slowly due to exhaustion.

"Now!" Lei Hu seized the opportunity, his figure flashed, and he appeared in front of Ren Xiaoyao like a ghost, his five fingers forming claws and grabbing his chest.

"Brother Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin exclaimed, but it was too late to stop him.

"Hmph!" Ren Xiaoyao reacted extremely quickly, dodging the vital parts by leaning sideways, but Lei Hu's sharp claws still left a bloody wound on his left shoulder.

"You are overestimating yourself!" Lei Hu sneered and was about to pursue the victory when suddenly, a deafening roar of a beast came from afar, shaking the entire valley.

This roar was full of majesty and power, as if it came from an ancient king, making people feel awe.

Lei Hu's face changed, and he turned and left without paying any more attention to Ren Xiaoyao. He knew what this roar meant.

Ren Xiaoyao covered his wound and looked up in the direction of the roar, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes. He endured the pain and said to Xia Lin, "Let's go!"

The two of them and the beast ran quickly towards the direction of the roar. Along the way, they saw all kinds of spirit beasts, but they were all fleeing in panic, as if they had encountered some terrifying existence.

Finally, they stopped in front of a cave. The roar came from this cave.

However, a faint golden light permeated the entrance of the cave, forming a powerful barrier that blocked any creature that wanted to enter.

"Is this... the lair of the King of Spirit Pets?" Xia Lin muttered to herself as she looked at the cave entrance that was shining with golden light.

Ren Xiaoyao didn't say anything, but stared at the restriction closely, his eyes flashing with complex light. He knew that if he wanted to gain the recognition of the King of Spirit Pets, he had to pass this test.

"It seems we must join forces..." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, looked at Xia Lin beside him, and said slowly. A golden halo swirled around the cave entrance, as soft as a veil, yet emitting a heart-pounding power. Ren Xiaoyao tentatively extended his hand, but as his fingertips touched the golden light, they were repelled by a powerful force, and a burning pain spread through his palm.

"This restriction..." Ren Xiaoyao withdrew his hand, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with solemnity. The power of this restriction far exceeded his imagination, and it was definitely not something that could be broken by brute force.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do?" Xia Lin asked worriedly. She could feel the terrifying power contained in the restriction, as if it could devour them at any time.

Ren Xiaoyao said nothing, simply pacing slowly around the cave, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings, trying to find a clue to break the restriction. The cave was surrounded by towering ancient trees and entwined with vines, yet not a single movement could be felt, as if time had stood still here.

"This restriction seems to be integrated with the surrounding environment. To break it, I'm afraid I have to find the key." Ren Xiaoyao pondered, his eyes falling on a huge rock above the cave. The rock was of a strange shape, with some ancient runes carved on its surface. It emitted a faint glow, echoing the golden restriction at the cave entrance.

"Could it be..." Ren Xiaoyao's mind stirred, and he leaped onto the boulder. He carefully examined the ancient runes, trying to find clues to breaking the restriction. The runes were ancient and obscure, like some long-lost script. Ren Xiaoyao racked his brains, but could only barely decipher a few simple symbols.

"How is it, Brother Xiaoyao, have you found anything?" Xia Lin asked anxiously from below.

"These runes are very ancient, and I can only recognize a small part of them..." Ren Xiaoyao said as he told Xia Lin the few symbols he had recognized.

Upon hearing this, Xia Lin frowned slightly and began to think hard. Although she wasn't proficient in formations and restrictions, she had been well-read since childhood and knew a thing or two about various strange stories.

"I think I've seen similar runes in a book..." Xia Lin tried to recall. "Oh, now I remember. It was a book about ancient spirit beasts!"

"Ancient spiritual beast?" Ren Xiaoyao's heart moved. Could it be that this restriction was related to the ancient spiritual beast?

Xia Lin continued, "The book records that in ancient times, there was a spirit beast called the 'Golden-Eyed Spirit Ape'. It was born with the talent to control golden spiritual energy. It would set up powerful restrictions around its territory to resist foreign invasion..."

"Golden-eyed spirit ape...controlling golden spiritual energy..." Ren Xiaoyao muttered to himself, his eyes fell on those ancient runes again, and a bold guess gradually came to his mind.

"If my guess is correct, this restriction should be composed of golden spiritual energy, and these runes are the key to controlling the restriction..." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, slowly raised his right hand, and a ball of red flame gradually appeared in the palm of his hand.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what are you doing?" Xia Lin exclaimed. The restriction was so powerful that trying to break it by force would only backfire.

However, Ren Xiaoyao ignored Xia Lin's concerns. He stared firmly at the rune before him and slowly pressed his right hand on it...