Seeing my eyes glow with greed, Su Ning immediately poured cold water on my excitement: “Mid-tier demon beasts are much harder to deal with. They have higher cultivation, high intelligence, and they know how to set ambushes, flee, and call their companions for help.”
Yan Chuan added: “Even an Nascent Soul stage cultivator like Senior Brother might not be able to handle them. Escaping is no problem, but capturing them? Extremely difficult.”
Murong Zhuo said: “Not to mention high-tier demon beasts.”
I tilted my head: “How powerful are high-tier ones?”
Su Ning said with a serious expression: “High-tier demon beasts are equivalent to our Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Coupled with their innate divine talents, even Soul Formation elders might not be able to defeat them.”
Yan Chuan: “Only a big shot like the Sect Master could guarantee a win.”
I asked: “So high-tier demon beasts are the strongest?”
Gu Chenguang shook his head: “Above high-tier, there are sacred beasts.”
He paused, lowering his voice: “Like the Phoenix, or the descendants of the Baize. But they only exist in legends.”
I fell silent.
Because I thought of the two stone lions at the entrance of the Demon Palace.
My dad said they were guardian sacred beasts that had lived for eight thousand years.
But from what I saw, all they did every day was sleep under the sun after filling their bellies, and bask in the moon after waking up.
I used to ride on their backs all the time; they never got angry—they just rolled their eyes at me.
Just like little dogs, nothing like the word “legendary.”
Coming back to my senses, I said, “Alright, let’s capture low-tier demon beasts to sell first.”
My senior brothers froze for a second.
Su Ning shook his head: “Too dangerous. Let’s wait until Senior Brother comes back.”
I blinked: “Isn’t Senior Brother right inside?”
Everyone was stunned.
I continued: “We’ll just go in and give him a surprise.”
Yan Chuan scratched his head: “More like a scare…”
Murong Zhuo laughed: “When Senior Brother sees us, his first reaction will definitely be, ‘Why are you guys here?'”
Gu Chenguang chimed in: “And his second reaction will be, ‘Go back immediately.'”
I waved my hand: “Actually, demon beasts are very easy to catch.”
Senior brothers: “…”
I said seriously: “Really, they run away the moment they see me. That’s how I got demon beast meat last time.”
My senior brothers were half-believing and half-doubting.
Su Ning frowned: “Do you have some special aura on you?”
I blinked.
A special aura?
Does the aura of the Demon Lord count?
Does having half Demon bloodline count?
I shook my head: “I don’t know. Anyway, they just run.”
My senior brothers exchanged glances again.
Gu Chenguang closed his notebook: “How about… we give it a try?”
Su Ning glared at him: “Try what! Junior Sister is only three and a half years old!”
Yan Chuan: “Plus, she just reached Foundation Establishment, so her cultivation state is unstable.”
Murong Zhuo: “What if something happens?”
Gu Chenguang shrugged: “It’s just the outer perimeter. Junior Sister is now at Foundation Establishment, and with a few of us Golden Core cultivators around, the outer perimeter should be fine.”
Su Ning still shook his head.
I tugged at his sleeve and looked up at him: “Third Senior Brother.”
Su Ning looked down.
I blinked my eyes.
“We’ll only go to the outer perimeter. No wandering off. Just hunt a few low-tier demon beasts.”
“Once we sell them for money, we can buy Foundation Peiyuan Pills. With Peiyuan Pills, I can keep cultivating.”
“By continuing to cultivate, I can become stronger faster. Becoming stronger means I can help senior brothers make money.”
“When we make money, the sect won’t be poor anymore. When the sect isn’t poor, everyone can live a good life.”
I paused for a moment.
“Besides, Senior Brother is inside. If we really run into danger, we can run to find him.”
Su Ning fell silent.
Yan Chuan scratched his head.
Murong Zhuo looked up at the sky.
Gu Chenguang flipped through his notebook, seemingly calculating the risks.
Finally, Su Ning sighed: “Alright. But on a few conditions.”
“First, only in the outer perimeter.”
“Second, no wandering off.”
“Third, retreat immediately if we encounter danger.”
“Fourth, listen to your senior brothers.”
I raised my hand: “I promise!”
And so, we packed up and prepared to set off.
Su Ning dug out all the pills left behind by the Second Elder and sorted them into categories.
As he organized them, he grumbled to himself: “This one is for healing, this one is for detoxifying, this one is for restoring spiritual energy… This one… Uh, this seems to be a private stash belonging to an elder of the Qingyun Sect. How on earth did the Second Elder swipe this?”
Yan Chuan was in charge of weapons. He wiped and polished his giant door-sized saber again and again.
Murong Zhuo helped out on the side, taking the opportunity to wipe his own golden sword three times: “When a sword cultivator goes out, the sword must shine. Otherwise, your opponent will look down on you.”
I asked: “The opponent is a demon beast, does it really care if the sword is shiny?”
Murong Zhuo was taken aback: “Uh… what if it has sophisticated aesthetics?”
Gu Chenguang was responsible for preparing provisions.
He took out all the vegetarian dishes the Third Elder had swiped, cut them into small pieces, and wrapped them nicely in greaseproof paper.
There was also spiritual beast food gifted by the First Elder, which was said to be useful for luring demon beasts.
I picked up a piece of the spiritual beast food and smelled it; it was quite fragrant: “Senior Brother, is this edible?”
Gu Chenguang didn’t even raise his head: “If spiritual beasts can eat it, humans can eat it too.”
I asked: “Does it taste good?”
Gu Chenguang thought for a moment: “Haven’t tried it.”
I asked: “Then how do you know it’s edible?”
Gu Chenguang: “It’s written in the instructions.”
I said: “Oh.”
In the end, I didn’t eat it.
Really didn’t eat it.
The night before departure.
My senior brothers sat around together for a pep rally.
Su Ning had a serious expression: “Tomorrow we go to the Phantom Beast Ruins. Everyone remember these points.”
Yan Chuan listened attentively.
Murong Zhuo listened attentively.
Gu Chenguang took out his notebook, ready to take notes.
I listened attentively.
Su Ning: “First, safety first. Junior Sister’s safety comes above all else.”
Everyone nodded.
“Second, act within your capability. If you can’t win, run; if you can’t run, call Senior Brother.”
Everyone nodded.
“Third, stay united. Do not run around blindly in danger, look out for each other.”
Everyone nodded.
“Fourth…”
Su Ning paused and looked at me.
“Junior Sister, remember: if we face danger, your senior brothers will hold the line—you run.”
I froze.
Yan Chuan nodded: “Right, you run.”
Murong Zhuo nodded: “As long as you run fast enough, it’s fine.”
Gu Chenguang nodded: “Your life is the most valuable.”
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something.
But I couldn’t say it.
Because my nose felt a bit sour.
The next day, before setting off:
Gu Chenguang brought over a pill and had me swallow it.
I asked curiously: “What is this?”
He explained: “A Breath-Concealing Pill. After taking it, your true cultivation level will be hidden, making you look like you’re just at the beginner stage of Qi Refining.”
I asked in confusion: “Why conceal it?”
He explained: “There are many people at the Phantom Beast Ruins. If people see a three-and-a-half-year-old at the Foundation Establishment stage, they’ll inevitably suspect something.”
Su Ning added: “If someone recognizes that you have Chaos Spiritual Roots, the threshold of our Heavenly Sword Sect will be broken down by visitors.”
Yan Chuan had a serious expression: “They’d either come to snatch you away or to kill you.”
Murong Zhuo nodded: “So, keep a low profile.”
I understood.
I obediently swallowed the pill.
And then, we set off.
My senior brothers flew on their swords.
I lay flat on Su Ning’s back.
Beneath our feet was a vast sea of clouds, and above our heads was the gradually brightening sky.
The wind blowing past was a bit chilly.
But Su Ning’s back was very warm.
…
Soon, a misty, fog-shrouded mountain forest appeared ahead.
Su Ning slowed down: “We’re here.”
The Phantom Beast Ruins.
One of the largest habitats for demon beasts in the cultivation world.
It was said to house countless demon beasts and be carpeted with spiritual herbs.
It was a gold mine for countless cultivators—and also their burial ground.
We landed.
There were already a lot of people here.
Sect disciples wearing uniform robes, solitary rogue cultivators, vendors setting up stalls to buy demon beasts, and guides specialized in leading the way.
It was as bustling as a marketplace.
Some were setting up stalls, some were forming teams, and some were hawking their wares.
—— “High-grade talismans! Essential for saving your life!”
—— “Healing pills! Buy two, get one free!”
—— “Need one more to complete a party! Looking for a body cultivator to take damage!”
—— “Latest map! Marking the safe routes!”
…
Su Ning held my hand, afraid I would get lost.
Yan Chuan cleared the path ahead, carrying his giant door-sized saber on his shoulder, looking formidable.
Murong Zhuo guarded the other side, his peach-blossom eyes scanning all directions, vigilant of their surroundings.
Gu Chenguang followed at the back, holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, ready to keep accounts at any time.
We passed through the marketplace and arrived at the entrance.
Su Ning pointed at the stone tablet by the entrance: “See that? It says ‘No entry for those above the mid-stage of Soul Formation.’ It’s said that if anyone above the mid-stage of Soul Formation enters, they’ll be bounced straight back out.”
I asked curiously: “Why?”
Yan Chuan: “Supposedly, it’s an enchantment set by an ancient almighty power to prevent high-stage cultivators from going in to slaughter low-tier demon beasts and disrupting the ecological balance.”
Murong Zhuo added: “It can also be considered a form of protection, leaving some resources for low-tier cultivators.”
Gu Chenguang had already started taking notes:
—— Entering the Phantom Beast Ruins
—— Ticket: 0 (Free)
—— Expected Profit: Unknown
—— Risk Level: ★★★☆☆
—— Note: Protect Junior Sister well
We stepped into the light gate at the entrance.
My vision blurred.
When I opened my eyes again, the world before me had changed.
Outside was bright daylight, but inside was a dim forest.
The trees were so tall you couldn’t see their tops, entwined with vines and choked with weeds.
A damp, sweet-and-coppery scent lingered in the air.
Su Ning lowered his voice: “Junior Sister, stay close to us. Don’t wander off.”
I nodded.
We tiptoed around the outer edges cautiously.
And then, we finally ran into a demon beast.