Chapter 34 (Part 1)

At daybreak the next morning, Song Yuanxi followed Ji Wuyi out of the city and headed for a nearby village that had suffered attacks.

Along the way, he kept fiddling with his storage bangle, neatly arranging all the defensive artifacts and escape talismans he had so that he knew exactly what he had and could grab them at any moment.

Ji Wuyi could not bear to watch. “Junior Brother Song, are you that afraid of dying?”

“This is called cherishing my life.” Song Yuanxi shook his head as he spoke. “Senior Brother Ji, geniuses like you wouldn’t understand.”

Ji Wuyi truly did not understand. Song Yuanxi was different from every cultivator he had ever met. Whether it was his temperament or his behavior, he always managed to make people feel, well… refreshed.

The two entered the village. Song Yuanxi asked the villagers about the cause and course of events, and what they said was almost the same as what the fellow disciple who had escaped back had reported.

Ji Wuyi said, “Then we will wait here for the rabbit to run into the stump. At midnight, we will see just how capable that monster is.”

Song Yuanxi felt his scalp prickle. Only after demonic beasts cultivated to a certain point could they take human form and evolve into monsters. Generally speaking, a monster’s combat strength was at least late Foundation Establishment, and the vast majority were Golden Core or above.

“Senior Brother Ji, can we really beat a Golden Core monster?” His family’s little yellow chicken was even the fierce beast Dàfeng, but when it had first been born, hadn’t it been as weak as a helpless chick? Taking human form?

A demonic beast taking human form was seriously terrifying!

Ji Wuyi disagreed. “Demonic beasts that take human form can indeed become monsters, but some are born as monsters. Their cultivation is low, no different from ordinary demonic beasts.”

“Hm?”

“If it were truly a Golden Core monster, Uncle-Master Liao would likely have asked the sect for help long ago.”

Ji Wuyi turned to look at him. “I heard Uncle-Master Liao is a genius cultivator from Qingtian Peak. Many Golden Core elders think highly of him, and the peak master praises him without end. With talent like his, how could he not have life-saving trump cards on him?”

Song Yuanxi understood as well, but he was more worried that Liao Xilin would be stubborn.

“Senior Brother Ji, you don’t know my Uncle-Master Liao. He’s a one-track-minded person, very stubborn. I’m just afraid he’ll be in danger and still force himself to hold on.”

“Then there is even less to worry about. Unless Sword Cultivation practitioners encounter opponents evenly matched with them, how could they fight to the death?”

“…”

Song Yuanxi decisively shut his mouth. The thought processes of geniuses and trash would never connect.

They waited from sunrise until sunset. Song Yuanxi was starving. He turned to look beside him. “Senior Brother Ji, shall we go to a villager’s home and eat something?”

Ji Wuyi silently took out a bottle of fasting pills. “You can eat this. One pill keeps you full for three days. Your whole body feels light, with no burden.”

Song Yuanxi did not understand. The cultivation world had so many delicious spirit beasts, spirit fish, and spirit rice. Even the seasonings were abundant. Why did anyone have to invent fasting pills that tasted like chewing wax?

Was it really just to save that little bit of time so they could cultivate more?

But he had not seen those cultivators forgetting food and sleep, cultivating desperately day and night. Those who liked gossip still gossiped, and those who liked causing trouble still caused trouble.

Ji Wuyi glanced at him faintly and replied, “That is why they have always remained in the outer sect. If they were truly diligent, even if they did not enter the inner sect, they should at least have been selected by one of the seven great peaks.”

Song Yuanxi opened his mouth, but in the end he did not refute. From Ji Wuyi’s perspective, understanding it that way made sense. Still, he was not used to eating pills. Since there was still a long while before midnight, Song Yuanxi entered the village alone to beg for a meal.

Because the villagers had just met him that morning, and because he was a cultivator, Song Yuanxi was quite welcome.

He chose a household that looked fairly well-off, gave them one low-grade spirit stone as payment for the meal, and sat down at ease to eat dinner.

“Immortal, can you really catch the monster?” After the meal, a little girl suddenly ran over and tugged on Song Yuanxi’s Daoist robe.

“Yin’er, do not be rude to the immortal!” The couple of the household were instantly terrified, afraid that offending a cultivator would invite great disaster.

Although they lived in the Canglan Realm, they had no spiritual roots at all and could not cultivate. Yet every few days they would see cultivators flying on swords and had witnessed their overwhelming power, enough to move mountains and seas. In their hearts, they feared them greatly.

But there was spiritual energy everywhere in the Canglan Realm. Living here, among three or four generations there would always be one or two children with spiritual roots. Even mixed spiritual roots could still have a chance at an immortal path.

This was why many mortals still lived in the Canglan Realm. The flame in their hearts had never been extinguished.

Song Yuanxi did not look down on mortals. On the contrary, he felt a different sort of closeness toward them. He picked up the little girl and placed her on his lap, smiling as he said, “It’s fine. I’ll sit here awhile to enjoy the cool air. This child is bold, so let her chat with me.”

“Yin’er, hurry and thank the immortal!”

Seeing the farming couple about to perform a grand bow again, Song Yuanxi quickly carried the child out the door and sat down on a large stone in a secluded corner of the courtyard.

“Little one, you’re called Yin’er, right? Have you always lived in this village?”

“Immortal, Yin’er lives here. Daddy and Mommy, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa… lots and lots of people live here.”

“Oh? Then do you know about the monster? When did monsters start appearing in your village?”

“Monster! A really, really big mouth. It wanted to eat Yin’er. Grandpa hit…”

Song Yuanxi had originally only meant to tease her and chat idly, but he had not expected a three-year-old child to be so honest and direct, telling him everything she had seen and heard. As he listened, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and he finally realized that something was wrong.

Returning to the village entrance, Song Yuanxi told Ji Wuyi what he had found out. “Senior Brother Ji, I’m afraid that village chief hid something from us. That child is only three years old, so the chances of her lying are extremely low. If what Yin’er said is true, the monster didn’t appear only half a month ago. It has been entrenched in the village all along.”

“That child said the first time she encountered the monster was in the village ancestral hall?”

“Yes. Yin’er’s elder brother was punished and locked in the ancestral hall. She secretly went to visit him, and the two children accidentally ran into the monster. But Yin’er’s grandfather suddenly appeared. I don’t know what method he used, but he actually drove the monster away by brute force. Afterward, the boy fell seriously ill. When he woke up, he didn’t remember the incident. The family thought Yin’er was too young to remember anything either, so the matter passed…”

Ji Wuyi looked toward the center of the village, and Song Yuanxi looked over with him.

Night fell, and the sky went completely dark. The two silently headed to the village ancestral hall. But just before they entered, Ji Wuyi suddenly turned and went to the village chief’s home instead.

Song Yuanxi stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall. The night wind blew gently, and he suddenly felt a chill down his back.

“Senior Brother Ji, seriously. If the plan changes, couldn’t you at least say something? I’m so timid. How can I do this without a tank protecting me?”

Song Yuanxi never forced himself to be brave, and he had excellent self-awareness. With Ji Wuyi absent, he would not rashly barge into the ancestral hall. Instead, he slapped three Aura-Concealing Talismans and Invisibility Talismans onto himself, then circulated the Yin-Yang Art to hold his breath. He stood guard there as a qualified doorman.

When Ji Wuyi returned, he did not see Song Yuanxi and assumed the other had already gone inside. Unexpectedly, the instant he pushed open the door, someone lightly patted him on the back.

“Senior Brother Ji, I’m here.” Song Yuanxi appeared, his expression somewhat proud. “I guarded the door very securely for you.”

Ji Wuyi: “…”

At midnight, wild winds rose. An infant’s cries sounded. The village was utterly silent, without a single candle lit.

Song Yuanxi was currently hiding beneath the ancestral hall’s memorial tablet table. He only felt gloomy wind swirling above his head and wanted to come out, but Ji Wuyi stopped him.

“Senior Brother Ji, I’m freezing.” Song Yuanxi rubbed both arms, goosebumps falling all over him.

Ji Wuyi stuffed a storage pouch underneath and said, “There are many warming talismans inside. If you’re cold, chant the spell and use one. If you’re still cold, use another.”

Holding a pouch full of talismans, Song Yuanxi felt like he had become the little match girl.

But what could he do? He had been entrusted with an important task. He had to remain in this allegedly crucial position and deliver the final fatal blow to the monster.

Song Yuanxi had imagined it very well. Senior Brother Ji and the monster would battle for three hundred rounds. That monster would surely be exhausted by then. Once Song Yuanxi appeared again, it would be much safer.

However! Things were different from what he imagined.

“Senior Brother Ji, you said you’d take the lead. Why is this monster’s combat strength so high?” Song Yuanxi jumped out at the agreed time to provide support, only to discover that the healer had become the jungler, and he was now the main character.

Not far away, Ji Wuyi continued placing array discs. Each time he placed one point, he lifted his head and offered encouragement. “Junior Brother Song, you can do it.”

“No, I can’t!”

“Junior Brother Song, hold on for one more incense stick’s time.”

“Senior Brother Ji, you liar! One incense stick’s time passed ages ago!”

“Junior Brother Song, open the storage pouch I gave you and scatter everything at the monster.”

Song Yuanxi opened the storage pouch, threw it behind him, then plastered himself all over with Evasion Talismans and fled. When he came back, the village ancestral hall was quiet, with no trace of battle at all.

“Senior Brother Ji?” Song Yuanxi saw no one and felt his scalp prickle. “Senior Brother got captured by the monster too?”

“Junior Brother Song.”

“Holy crap!” Song Yuanxi was so frightened that national essence burst out of him.

Ji Wuyi was all smiles. “Junior Brother Song, you’ve made a contribution.”

“Huh?”

“That monster has escaped, but the Immortal-Tracking Trace you scattered on it took effect. It will not disperse within a month. We can follow the traces all the way and find the monster’s lair.”

“Senior Brother Ji, why didn’t you fight that monster head-on? Did you not fight at all just now?” Song Yuanxi saw that the other man’s breathing was long and steady, and only belatedly discovered the problem.

“That monster is at perfect Foundation Establishment cultivation. How could I beat it openly and honorably?”

“But…” Before Song Yuanxi could finish, Ji Wuyi said again, “I knew Junior Brother Song’s escape methods were first-rate. With you delaying that monster, while I set up the array, then with the Immortal-Tracking Trace added on, everything was just right within my grasp.”

Song Yuanxi was completely speechless. This was the first time he learned that his escape methods could be used like this.

Inwardly, he sighed with feeling. Master, back then you made me wear little gold bangles while running around the mountain, and you even demanded that I run faster and faster. You never imagined your disciple would have a day like this, did you?

The two delayed no further and followed the Immortal-Tracking Trace into the mountains. Although the route wound around with many twists and turns, they finally still found the monster’s lair.

“Here?” Ji Wuyi looked around and said, “This place should be very close to the Ten Thousand Beasts Domain.”

The Ten Thousand Beasts Domain was the largest demonic beast forest in the Canglan Realm. Its territory was vast beyond knowing, stretching for tens of millions of li, continuous and unbroken, almost covering the entire continent.

The outermost ring alone had all sorts of demonic beasts roaming about, and their cultivation was not weak. Generally, only late Qi Refining cultivators dared to enter the outer perimeter.

Song Yuanxi had heard of the Ten Thousand Beasts Domain. The Mishou Forest sandwiched between Xuantian Sect and Tianyi Sect was known as the small Ten Thousand Beasts Domain. Qin Worms appeared there even before reaching the central area. If even the small Ten Thousand Beasts Domain was like that, the true Ten Thousand Beasts Domain was simply terrifying!

“Senior Brother Ji, is this a monster that came out of the Ten Thousand Beasts Domain? How does a monster here have ties to humans? And why would it travel so far to a small village outside Wan’an City?”

Song Yuanxi asked three questions in a row, but Ji Wuyi merely shook his head. “I do not know. Once we find that monster and defeat it, you can ask it yourself.”

The three words “defeat it” instantly gave Song Yuanxi a full sense of security.

“Senior Brother Ji is mighty. Senior Brother Ji is amazing. I swear I’ll follow behind Senior Brother Ji to the death and absolutely won’t take the lead or steal Senior Brother’s credit.”

Ji Wuyi was immediately caught between laughter and tears.

At this moment, on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Beasts Domain, inside a hidden cave, Liao Xilin was meditating and cultivating, gathering all his spiritual energy to strike the barrier and break through his cultivation.

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