Weixi Mushroom 2/80.
Lin Xiangqing also leaned over to look, explaining as he did:
“There is another type of mushroom, similar to the Weixi Mushroom, called the Wood Weixi Mushroom. The ‘Baopuzi Immortal Herbs’ records: As for the Wood Mushroom, when pine and cypress resin sinks into the earth for a thousand years, it transforms into poria cocos. After ten thousand years, a small plant grows upon it, shaped like a lotus flower, called the Wood Weixi Mushroom. It glows when viewed at night, feels very smooth to the touch, and does not burn when set on fire.”
“This is the Wood Weixi Mushroom. However, it doesn’t grow here, nor is it suitable as an ingredient.”
Su Tangxing nodded to show she was listening.
Another Weixi Mushroom.
But this one had a small shelled insect crawling on it. From a certain angle, its shell appeared iridescent and colorful.
She pinched it with two fingers, held it up, and asked Lin Xiangqing, “What kind of insect is this?”
Lin Xiangqing leaned in to examine it, gave a name, and said it was edible.
Su Tangxing uttered an “oh,” studied it for a while, decided not to eat it, and released the insect.
Weixi Mushroom 3/80.
This pace of completing tasks was slow, not at all Su Tangxing’s usual style when playing games.
Under the influence of her upbringing in her previous life, although she wanted to relax both body and mind, she was the type of “life player who must reach max level to truly live a pure life.”
The ever-changing social environment had made it impossible for her to truly slow down.
It wasn’t until she came here that she learned mountains were green and the sky was blue.
But mountains were not just green. In the early morning, shrouded in mist, they were white; in the evening, under moonlight and starlight, they were ink-black.
And the sky was not just blue. At dawn, golden, crimson, and orange lights spread across it, like a perfectly round sunny-side-up egg.
While cultivating at the mountaintop, she would occasionally slack off. Lost in thought, she watched clouds hurry past, looking exceptionally busy even in the sky.
Lin Xiangqing’s voice came from beside her. He said there should be bamboo shoots available at this time and asked if she wanted to eat some.
The summer bamboo shoots here were horse-hoof shoots, short and plump, indeed resembling the hooves of a Heavenly Horse.
They dug up a few to take back, planning to ask the master chefs at the dining hall to help prepare them into dishes.
After gathering enough Weixi Mushrooms for the task, they headed deeper into the bamboo forest to find that clear spring.
It was a very small spring hidden in a mountain stream. As Su Tangxing bent to scoop water, she paused and asked Lin Xiangqing, “Do you hear the sound of water? Not the spring’s sound.”
“Water sound?” Lin Xiangqing, having lost all his cultivation base, had dulled senses. He tilted his head to listen for a moment.
But the sound of water grew louder and louder, like a waterfall’s turbulent rush surging toward them. He heard it too.
Accompanying the water sound was a sudden, sharp bird cry erupting in the distance, vibrating painfully against their eardrums.
The bird-like cry was filled with pain and killing intent, mixed with the tremendous sounds of bamboo groves collapsing and mountain rocks crumbling.
It was a Spirit Beast.
But Spirit Beasts usually weren’t this aggressive.
Either it was injured, or it had been tainted by Demonic Qi.
Judging by the commotion alone, the likelihood of injury wasn’t very high.
Su Tangxing’s thoughts raced. She straightened up and exchanged a glance with Lin Xiangqing.
Quickly scooping water, she released the Puppet from her Storage Ring and called to Lin Xiangqing, “Let’s go.”
The player’s initial combat encounter occurred on the way to deliver a letter, where they encountered a demonized Spirit Beast.
After the seal on the Demonic Abyss Ravine loosened, the leaking Demonic Qi would erode the sanity of nearby Spirit Beasts, turning them into bloodthirsty, murderous deformed monsters.
The Leisurely Immortal Abode sect, in terms of individual combat prowess, wasn’t particularly formidable. Only by learning the Gate of Ten Thousand Beasts in the later stages could one summon powerful Spirit Beasts for battle.
In the early stages, she was just a weak and fragile character.
When she played the game and encountered this forced checkpoint, she died several times before barely managing to pass and continue. In reality, there weren’t so many lives to try with.
With the two of them being weak and injured, if they didn’t hurry and leave, were they just waiting for the Demonized Spirit Beast to attack?
At her level 2, she could be sent flying with a single slap.
Lin Xiangqing had her get on the Heavenly Horse first.
The two Heavenly Horses sensed the aura in the distance and grew restless as well.
Their wings flapped as they turned to fly out of the bamboo forest.
The Puppet had the ability to fly and followed closely behind Su Tangxing.
As her line of sight rose above the bamboo tips, amidst the roaring sound of the floodwaters, faint barks and whimpers could be heard.
Su Tangxing suddenly turned her head.
Just in time to see the Demonized Spirit Beast leaping out from the bamboo forest. Its cry sounded like a bird’s call, with bird-like wings on both sides, though its body resembled a fish. At this moment, its fish eyes were dull and crimson, staring straight at her as it let out a sharp, bird-like shriek.
A Luoyu.
A fish body with bird wings, its cry like that of mandarin ducks. Wherever it appears, floods follow.
This demonized Luoyu was chasing after its prey, and its prey was floating up and down in the water, knocked about by floating logs and rocks, whimpering continuously. Its light yellow fur flickered in and out of sight.
—It was her dog!
Her Da Huang!
Su Tangxing slapped the Heavenly Horse beside her and said to Lin Xiangqing on its back, “You go ahead first.”
Then she turned around and commanded the Puppet, “Capture that fish alive!”
The Puppet turned and raised its spear, hurling it with precision into the Luoyu’s forehead. The spearhead struck its scales with a dull clang.
The scales shattered, and the spearhead firmly pierced into its flesh. The Demonized Spirit Beast let out a pained howl, its ferocity erupting.
It temporarily abandoned its prey and chased after the Puppet.
Su Tangxing steered the Heavenly Horse downward, hovering above the water’s surface.
Da Huang was nowhere to be seen. She channeled her Spiritual Power, attempting to stir and part the water.
The commotion here attracted the patrolling disciples of Xianju.
Several disciples in green robes swiftly rode their Heavenly Horses over. Upon seeing the two, they asked, “Great-Grandmaster, Senior Brother. What happened here?”
Only then did Su Tangxing notice that Lin Xiangqing hadn’t left but had instead turned back and followed her.
In the water, she finally caught sight of that familiar figure. Briefly parting the water, she saw her dog lying motionless on a rock below, its condition unknown.
“What’s this?”
A disciple exclaimed in surprise, raising a hand to levitate the dog from the rock and handing it over to Su Tangxing.
She took it and cradled it in her arms.
Da Huang was still Xiao Huang at this point—a puppy in its early stages, about the size of an arm, curled up in her embrace.
The parted water suddenly converged, the currents surging.
Without time for further questions, the disciples hurried forward to contain the situation, preventing it from spreading further.
Su Tangxing pressed on Xiao Huang’s swollen belly, squeezing the water out. Lin Xiangqing handed her a Medicinal Pill, which dissolved as soon as it entered the dog’s mouth. Before long, its wounds began to heal, though traces of blood still clung to its fur.
She asked softly, “How did you get here, and how did you end up encountering this thing?”
The puppy opened its eyes.
Dark, watery eyes looked up at her, and upon recognizing her, it let out a pitiful whimper, burying its head in Su Tangxing’s chest.
Its soft, milky voice melted her heart.
As she cradled the plump little puppy and patted it gently, the disciples who had stopped the floodwaters returned. They landed on the wind-swept ground, and Lin Xiangqing explained the situation to them.
“That Luoyu’s condition is off,” Lin Xiangqing pondered. “Great-Grandmaster’s Puppet has already lured it away. Once it’s captured, we’ll bring it back to the sect for a thorough examination.”
The disciples replied, “Understood.”
He then asked, “What grade is the puppet? Do you need our help?”
Su Tangxing replied, “Celestial grade.”
The disciples immediately showed envy on their faces.
As they spoke, the puppet returned with the Ying fish.
The Ying fish was brought back with its wings folded and held, its body twitching and tail flapping.
Whenever it struggled, the puppet would stop and beat it up.
This continued until the Ying fish rolled its eyes and fainted.