Chapter 37 (Part 2)

Song Yuanxi spoke honestly. He did not quite understand why the Song family branch line would remain stationed in a city under Sifang City’s sphere of influence. Canglan Realm was so large. Where could they not go?

Song Miao knew what he said was the truth, but she did not understand either. “Our branch has already put down roots in Jin City for several hundred years. As for why we don’t move, who knows!”

Song Miao did not dislike Song Yuanxi, but his identity as a member of the Song family’s direct line made it naturally difficult for her to like him. In the past few decades, the Jin City Song family had received fewer and fewer resources from the main family. They were like a branch that had been abandoned by default.

“I still have matters to attend to. Farewell.” Song Miao’s emotions rose, and she hurriedly left.

Song Yuanxi did not know what was going on in her heart, but he could vaguely sense that Song Miao did not like him.

Song Dongyou had said that the maintenance of Jin City’s teleportation array could take as little as half a year or as long as several years. With nothing else to do, after sending a Voice Transmission Talisman to the sect, he quietly cultivated in his own small courtyard.

Nine years had passed, and his cultivation had risen by one level, but that did not amount to much. What delighted him was that with the Yin-Yang Art, he seemed to have touched the bottleneck of great completion at the Qi Refining stage.

Although it was not direct, he could subjectively sense this subtle change. When he had first started cultivating, he had been completely unable to do this.

“Re-cultivating the Yin-Yang Art, and the first threshold is actually Qi Refining. After reaching great completion in Qi Refining, once my minor realm rises, what comes next? Will I return to the skin-refining stage again?”

Song Yuanxi cultivated while thinking. Before he knew it, three months had passed.

On this day, two servants entered the small courtyard to clean. Perhaps because they saw that the courtyard’s master had not left his room for several months, they became somewhat negligent and chatted while sweeping.

“Did you hear? The Dragon-Slaughter Tournament that happens once every ten years is about to begin again.”

“Can the Song family take back first place this time?”

“Hard to say. I heard the Xu family is riding high right now. Seems they’ve got someone above them. Do you think the Song family might…”

The door suddenly opened. The servants’ voices came to an abrupt stop, and they looked over with stunned and frightened expressions. Very quickly, the two of them lowered their heads and cried in panic, “Greetings, Young Master Song.”

“What does this Dragon-Slaughter Tournament you mentioned mean?” Song Yuanxi had been drawn over by the words “dragon slaughter.”

Dragons were divine beasts in Canglan Realm, existences higher than demonic beasts. But this kind of divine beast had nearly gone extinct ten thousand years ago. Nowadays, they were legendary existences. Could a tiny place like Jin City actually slaughter dragons?

The two servants were not clear on the details and only vaguely said that it was a competition event.

Song Yuanxi simply walked out of the small courtyard to find someone he could ask. The candidate was naturally Song Miao. In this Jin City Song family, Song Miao was the only person he was even slightly familiar with.

Song Miao said, “The so-called Dragon-Slaughter Tournament is the opening dish in the clan competition. Each clan sends ten Qi Refining cultivators into No-Return Mountain. They stay in the abyss for a full month, and the winner is decided by the number of dragon mimics captured.”

“No-Return Mountain, the abyss?”

“It’s that deep mountain one thousand li from Jin City. No-Return Mountain is an offshoot of the Ten Thousand Beasts Domain. There’s an abyss on the mountain, a place where dragon mimics naturally grow.”

Song Yuanxi’s heart itched as he listened. Dragon mimics, demonic beasts named because they resembled dragons. What kind of demonic beast were they, exactly?

The teleportation array would likely still need a year or so of maintenance. Since he was already here and had nothing to do, he might as well go take a look at those magical demonic beasts.

Song Yuanxi immediately wore a face full of smiles and looked at her eagerly. “Then, well, can I participate in that Dragon-Slaughter Tournament?”

“You?” Song Miao’s expression hesitated. “This is a clan competition. You’re not…”

“How am I not! My surname is also Song.”

“But this is the Song family branch line…”

“One stroke can’t write two different Songs. Why distinguish between the main family and branch families? Right now, we’re facing the Xu family. We can’t start infighting. Or do the rules not allow other Song family members to participate?”

This question stumped Song Miao. She thought and thought, then shook her head and said, “That isn’t the case.”

“Then that’s fine. Where do I sign up for the Dragon-Slaughter Tournament? Take me there?”

Song Yuanxi wanted to participate in the Dragon-Slaughter Tournament, and no one from the Song family came forward to stop him. Nor was anyone angry that a spot had been seized. In truth, this Dragon-Slaughter Tournament was strenuous and unrewarding. Most people saved their cultivation and stamina for the proper competition stage.

Some people even privately mocked Song Yuanxi for being a fool.

“How can the Song family’s direct line have no brains at all? What is there to participate in with this Dragon-Slaughter Tournament!”

“When you’re used to delicacies from mountains and seas, wild greens and radishes look fresh. Gnawing on them can be a kind of amusement too.”

“Let him go. If he takes one spot, that saves one of us from having to go. We can save ourselves for the competition stage to better deal with the Xu family…”

Song Yuanxi knew nothing of the other Song family members’ discussions. He happily signed up. When he noticed that Song Miao would also participate in this Dragon-Slaughter Tournament, he made an agreement to go with her when the time came.

Song Miao looked at his cheerful appearance. She wanted to say something, but swallowed it back down. She only reminded him to prepare more external objects for self-defense.

Song Yuanxi had always liked being fully prepared in all things. After returning, he began sorting out his belongings: pills, talismans, defensive items, complete array disks…

“Fortunately, Ji Wuxing was generous. Everything I used up in the Trial Tower was replenished for me. When I invite him to the sect to play later, I’ll definitely entertain him properly.”

The more Song Yuanxi sorted, the happier he became. He also spent some spirit stones to replenish his healing pills, then waited to set out with his heart full of joy.

Five days later, the Dragon-Slaughter Tournament officially began. The disciples sent by each Jin City clan gathered, then rode a flying boat toward No-Return Mountain, one thousand li away.

The flying boat was only responsible for transportation. After several hundred people arrived at the designated location and were dropped off, the person piloting the boat said, “Gather here in one month,” then turned around and left.

Ten people formed a team. With clans as the unit, small camps naturally divided themselves.

In the Song family group where Song Yuanxi was, apart from him, there were nine other people, but aside from Song Miao, he knew none of them.

“We’ll enter the mountain first and make plans after reaching the abyss.” The one who spoke was another young man. Song Yuanxi heard others call him Song Qian.

Song Qian was the captain of this team. Before setting out, he had already collected detailed information on his team members, but there was only one person he did not know much about.

“Song Yuanxi?” Song Qian walked over and politely asked, “What spiritual root are you? What do you mainly cultivate? How is your cultivation?”

Song Yuanxi did not answer. He glanced at Song Miao beside him, and only after seeing her nod slightly did he speak. “Five spiritual roots. Body Cultivation. Fourth level of Qi Refining.”

“Body Cultivation?” Song Qian looked surprised, but he did not say much. He handed over a spirit beast pouch. “This is for capturing dragon mimics. It’s your first time participating, so be careful.”

Song Yuanxi accepted the spirit beast pouch, nodded his thanks, and followed the team into the mountain.

Along the way, he tugged Song Miao aside and asked about the specific situation with dragon mimics. Yet Song Miao’s words were vague. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she was not very clear either.

“Dragon mimics are cunning and fickle. They hide in the natural world. Their tempers are also unpredictable, and they enjoy teasing people. I’ve never seen what their true bodies look like. As for the forms they transform into…”

Song Miao thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, “It could be a chicken, or a dog, or perhaps a fish.”

Song Yuanxi’s heart itched even more. What bizarre and interesting demonic beast was this? Was it some kind of shapeshifting blob?

The abyss was near the entrance of No-Return Mountain. The team traveled for only half a day before arriving. Song Qian had the ten people form pairs, allowing them to cooperate with each other while speeding up their actions.

“In past competitions, the number of dragon mimics we captured always ranked in the top three. This time, as usual, we’ll protect third place, stabilize second, and fight for first. Therefore, each group must capture at least one hundred dragon mimics.”

Song Qian gave a few more reminders, then divided the groups. After that, they scattered.

Song Yuanxi was grouped with Song Miao. However, when faced with a valley covered in lush green grass, Song Yuanxi did not act immediately. He really could not understand why such a beautiful place was called the abyss.

“Song Yuanxi, hurry up. Finding dragon mimics matters!” Song Miao had already walked quite far. When she turned her head and saw him still standing foolishly in place, she could not help shouting.

Song Yuanxi answered and ran forward quickly. Song Miao only felt her vision blur. The person who had originally been a hundred meters away suddenly stood right in front of her.

“You…”

“Body Cultivation. What I train is speed and endurance. Not only do I run fast, my attacks in a fight are fast too. Of course, I’m even faster when fleeing for my life.”

Song Miao suddenly smiled and nodded. “That’s pretty good. Dragon mimics flee at exceptional speeds. Since you’re this fast, you’ll definitely be able to catch them.”

Song Yuanxi nodded cheerfully. “I think so too.”

Several hours later, Song Miao discovered a dragon mimic. She called out softly, “Quick, flank it from the opposite side. Catch it before it transforms!”

Song Yuanxi was filled with excitement. Holding the spirit beast pouch, he crept closer on tiptoe. Then—

In a patch of wildflowers, he discovered a fair, tender little white pig with wings.

Perhaps because it had eaten too much and gotten sleepy, the little piglet was fast asleep. It did not even notice a human approaching. The little curled tail on its rear was still swaying back and forth.

“This is… a dragon mimic?”

“Yes. The initial form of a dragon mimic. Its transformation ability is weakest right now, so it’s the easiest to catch.”

Song Yuanxi found it hard to believe and stared, dumbfounded.

Seeing that he had not moved for a long time, Song Miao simply stepped forward herself and pounced at the dragon mimic. Before it could react, she stuffed it into the spirit beast pouch.

When the pouch was closed, Song Yuanxi even heard a crisp pig squeal.

He was silent for a long while, then raised his thumb, his eyes full of utter admiration. “You people of Jin City really know how to play.”

Song Miao, however, reminded him seriously, “The initial form of a dragon mimic is easy to recognize, but this kind of creature grows extremely fast, changing day by day. If we can’t catch more of them while they’re still in their initial form, then once they start transforming later, the difficulty will increase.”

Song Yuanxi could only follow Song Miao and speed up their actions. In a mere three days, the two of them caught fifteen dragon mimics shaped like flying piglets. After three days, there were no more fair, tender little pigs with wings.

Song Miao could not help sighing. “We still didn’t catch them quickly enough. Next, we’ll have to carefully identify everything in nature.”

Song Yuanxi, however, was staring at a lump not far from himself. He gazed at it for a good while, then pulled Song Miao.

“What’s wrong?” Song Miao did not understand.

Song Yuanxi asked uncertainly, “Besides transforming into the shapes of other demonic beasts, what else can dragon mimics transform into?”

“What?”

“I mean, can they turn into other objects with no life? For example, trees, grass, fresh flowers… or maybe a lump of poop?”

Song Miao did not understand what “poop” meant, but Song Yuanxi pointed ahead, landing on a pile of demonic beast excrement. She instantly understood.

After understanding, she firmly denied it. “Impossible. Song Yuanxi, don’t be so absurd!”

Song Yuanxi also felt that perhaps his eyes had gone bad. So he followed Song Miao to other places to search for dragon mimics.

Not long after the two of them left, the lump on the ground began to wriggle. Then it changed from a puddle into a chunk, and finally formed itself, turning into the shape of a small chubby pig.

The fair, tender little dumpling flapped its wings, a crafty expression showing in its eyes. Smelling the human scent that had not yet dispersed, it made “huff, huff” sounds.

At night, Song Yuanxi and Song Miao lit a fire to rest. Song Yuanxi deliberately set up a Defensive Array, then arranged with Song Miao to take the first and second watch in shifts.

However, in the latter half of the night, when Song Yuanxi took over the watch from Song Miao, something unexpected happened.

Song Yuanxi could not sit still during night watch and always liked to think about something to pass the time. In the brief moment when his mind wandered, a shadow suddenly appeared beside him. Cold fingers pressed against his neck just like that.

He jolted awake and reflexively leaped forward, quickly turning around. Yet he did not see anyone.

The next second, his back grew heavy. A pair of wet hands once again climbed up around his neck.

A very, very soft voice, almost pressed against his ear, spoke. “Why don’t you turn around and look? Heeheehee…”

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