Shen Yanzhou’s eyes flickered slightly, not forgetting to maintain his aloof yet kind-hearted persona. He spoke in a low voice, “It sounds like he’s calling for help.”
Chi Yu paused for a moment. It really did seem that way.
A life was at stake. She put down the roasted chicken and looked up at the towering tree.
“It’s so high. How did this person even climb up here?”
If he wanted to hang himself, couldn’t he have picked a shorter spot?
Now, she wanted to save him, but the tree was too tall—she couldn’t even reach him.
But she couldn’t just leave him there. The roasted chicken they were eating likely belonged to this person.
A kindness, even as small as a chicken, should be repaid generously. She had to think of a way.
After a moment of thought, Chi Yu pulled out the firewood chopper she had used to slay the Great Demon from her Storage Bag.
She climbed onto the main trunk of the tree and began chopping at the branch where the hanging person was.
Half a quarter of an hour passed, and she had only managed to scrape off a piece of bark.
System: “Host, at this rate, that person will be long dead. Why don’t you circulate your Spiritual Power?”
Couldn’t she see that the struggling movements were growing weaker and weaker?
Chi Yu suddenly realized: “Oh, right.”
She was a Cultivator, after all.
Even if she was only at the First Stage of Qi Refining, chopping down a tree shouldn’t be a problem.
Below the tree, Shen Yanzhou’s expression was complicated: “…”
Was it because of the previous failures that the so-called Time Management Bureau had given up and sent such a thing here?
Chi Yu circulated her Spiritual Power, then raised the blade and swung it down: “Hey!”
The tree trunk remained unmoved, expressing its contempt for her.
“This damn tree, looking down on me, huh?”
Chi Yu grumbled, pulling out a handful of Elixirs and stuffing them into her mouth, swallowing them whole. Once again, she sank her Qi to the Dantian: “I’ll chop you down!!”
Unbeknownst to her, Spiritual Power swirled around her body. The Spiritual Elixirs she had taken quickly transformed into Spiritual Power, filling her meridians.
With a furious roar, she swung the blade three times in a row. Finally, the tree trunk snapped and crashed to the ground with a thud.
Chi Yu felt her entire body grow warm and froze: “Holy crap.”
She had actually advanced to the Second Stage of Qi Refining just from chopping down a tree!
Jiang Jiuming trembled all over, in pain: “Holy crap.”
His leg was probably broken by the falling tree trunk!
Sensing that the Spiritual Power within her body was indeed more abundant than before, Chi Yu was overjoyed.
System: “Host, don’t celebrate too soon. The original host’s body has average aptitude. The only reason you advanced so quickly was because of the Elixirs. From now on, you must diligently cultivate, or your foundation will be unstable, and you could suffer from Qi Deviation.”
Chi Yu nodded.
She hadn’t planned on taking shortcuts by relying on pills, either.
When she slew the Great Demon, she had already understood this point.
To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. From now on, she would cultivate diligently and not always rely on the System to provide golden opportunities.
Especially since it was stingy as hell and didn’t allow credit.
System: “…”
She leaped down from the tree. Shen Yanzhou hadn’t expected her to have such a stroke of luck and feigned concern: “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.”
“I’m not fine!”
As soon as she finished speaking, a mournful cry sounded from nearby.
“Help! My leg is broken.”
Only then did Chi Yu notice the young man pinned under the tree. He had a baby face, bright eyes, and gleaming teeth, looking quite handsome.
Tsk, another handsome guy.
He just didn’t seem very bright.
Out of appreciation for beauty, she dragged him out from under the tree and even gave him a Spiritual Herb to heal his injuries.
For low-level Cultivators, Spiritual Herbs were precious and not easily given away.
Jiang Jiuming’s eyes welled up with tears, instantly thinking she was actually quite kind.
He took the Spiritual Herb, circulated his Spiritual Power to heal his injuries, and finally regained full mobility in his legs.
He stood up: “My name is Jiang Jiuming. What are your names?”
The System quickly provided his information.
【Jiang Jiuming: Sixteen years old, born into a humble background, possesses exceptional talent in crafting Spirit Talismans, destined to become a top-tier Talisman Cultivator in the Cultivation World. In the original story, after Shen Yanzhou fell into demonic corruption and slaughtered the Cultivation World, Jiang Jiuming sacrificed himself to create the strongest Qingxiao Talisman, forming a Barrier that protected all living beings for several years before ultimately perishing.】
In short, he would become a formidable figure in the future.
Chi Yu and Shen Yanzhou introduced themselves.
Jiang Jiuming said, “Thank you both for your assistance. In my next life, I will repay this kindness by tying grass and carrying rings.”
Chi Yu waved her hand dismissively, “No need for such formalities. Why were you hanging from a tree? That’s dangerous.”
He paused for a moment before explaining, “I was testing my Spirit Talisman.”
Remembering he was a Talisman Cultivator prodigy, Chi Yu couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What kind of Spirit Talisman?”
When it came to Spirit Talismans, Jiang Jiuming became animated.
He took out the Spirit Talisman and said, “I saw many Spirit Fruits in these mountains, but they all grow at the very tops of the trees, making them difficult to pick. However, with this talisman, it’s different.”
“You just need to channel Spiritual Power into it, and it will take you to pick the Spirit Fruits, like this.”
Jiang Jiuming enthusiastically demonstrated for her, injecting Spiritual Power into the talisman paper.
Suddenly, the patterns on the talisman paper turned golden.
Then, the Spirit Talisman seemed to come alive, gradually fading in color and transforming into a white silk ribbon.
The next moment, with a whoosh, the ribbon instantly extended, wrapping around Jiang Jiuming’s body and lifting him into the air.
It deftly climbed the tallest tree, winding several times around the trunk, leaving him half-hanging in mid-air, swinging back and forth.
“Ahhh!!”
“Help!”
Shen Yanzhou: “…”
This scene felt strangely familiar.
Chi Yu exclaimed, “Holy shit, Tarzan.”
“Bro, you’re awesome.”
Now she understood why he had been hanging there earlier.
“System, are you sure he’ll be a top-tier Talisman Cultivator?”
Why did he seem more like a top-tier idiot to her?
The System replied, “Of course. Cultivators who can freely create Spirit Talismans usually have a Cultivation Base above the Golden Core stage. Only he can do it at the Qi Refining Stage.”
If this isn’t a prodigy, what is?
Chi Yu nodded, that made sense.
Shen Yanzhou’s lips twitched as he reminded her, “Are you going to save him?”
Only then did she snap back to reality, picking up the large cleaver to chop through the branch once more.
Jiang Jiuming crashed to the ground with a thud, groaning in pain.
Even so, he resiliently stood up and asked her, “How about it, fellow Cultivator? Am I impressive?”
Chi Yu looked at him sincerely and said, “Very impressive.”
To be hung up by his own Spirit Talisman twice—in a certain sense, he was indeed impressive.
Jiang Jiuming’s eyes lit up as he looked at her.
Although he could create Spirit Talismans on his own, most of them were useless and didn’t guarantee the user’s safety, so they couldn’t be sold.
Everyone said he had good talent but wasn’t suited to be a Talisman Cultivator.
This was the first time someone had praised him so sincerely.
Jiang Jiuming was deeply moved, “You’re the first person to praise me like this. From now on, we’re friends.”
Considering he was a future top-tier Talisman Cultivator, Chi Yu happily agreed.
The world of cultivation was treacherous; having more friends meant more paths.
Seeing Jiang Jiuming in a good mood, Chi Yu finally mentioned the roasted chicken incident, expressing her apologies and promising to compensate him.
He didn’t mind at all.
During their casual conversation, Jiang Jiuming learned about Chi Yu and Shen Yanzhou’s destination.
He also planned to go to Canglang City to participate in the sect disciple selection, coincidentally sharing the same route.
Upon learning that Chi Yu had no means of transportation and intended to walk there, Jiang Jiuming was utterly astonished.
“You don’t know about hiring a ride?”
Chi Yu widened her eyes: “A ride?”
“Yeah.” Jiang Jiuming pulled out a round jade from his pocket. “This is called the Qiankun Order, a tool Cultivators use for communication. It’s very convenient.”
The voice-transmission technique consumes too much Spiritual Power.
Once, a Cultivator had a cultivation partner in a distant relationship. They chatted using the voice-transmission technique, but as they talked, their Spiritual Power depleted, and both ended up incapacitated.
To prevent such tragedies from recurring, Cultivators brainstormed and created the Qiankun Order.
It uses minimal Spiritual Power to achieve the fastest voice transmission.
Moreover, Cultivators can input fake names as aliases to accept tasks, ensuring they don’t expose their identities if trouble arises.
Gradually, Cultivators began using it for messaging, team formation, and gossiping among themselves.
Aside from being expensive, it has no other flaws.
System: “Host, this item’s setting in the original text is similar to a modern mobile phone. I suggest you buy one in the future to facilitate completing tasks.”
Chi Yu silently noted this.
Jiang Jiuming: “If you post a paid ride task in the Qiankun Order, Cultivators who see it will contact you and take you to your destination.”
Learning that Chi Yu hadn’t yet bought a Qiankun Order, Jiang Jiuming kindly lent her his own.
She opened the Qiankun Order, and messages popped up one by one.
［Peach Blossom: There’s Bodhisattva Grass in the Thousand Buddha Cave. Anyone willing to join me to collect it?］
［Deer Person A: A spirit beast escaped to Floating Mountain. Heavy reward offered for capture.］
［Blazing Sun: Harmonious Union Sect’s junior disciple seeks a cultivation partner, only Path of Emotionlessness female Cultivators.］
［Cold Frost: Currently at Returning Spirit Mountain, surrounded by Grudge Spirits. Seeking a master to save my life, price negotiable.］
…
Under Jiang Jiuming’s guidance, Chi Yu infused Spiritual Power into it. The round jade instantly turned transparent, displaying the words “Post Task.”
She clicked in, intending to find a sword-riding ride as Jiang Jiuming suggested to take them to Canglang City, but then she noticed the pricing rules beside it.
“Two Low-Grade Spirit Stones per mile?!”
From here to Canglang City is six hundred miles, which would cost over a thousand Spirit Stones—half of her wealth.
This ride service is outrageously expensive.
Why not just rob people?
“Cultivators expend a lot of Spiritual Power when riding swords, so the high fee is quite normal.”
Jiang Jiuming said this, but Chi Yu shook her head and returned the Qiankun Order to him: “I’ll walk myself.”
“Just six hundred miles, a trivial matter, nothing to worry about.”
Shen Yanzhou couldn’t help but cover his forehead.
She boasted so grandly, as if she weren’t the one who had been exhausted and unwilling to move earlier.
Jiang Jiuming: “If you don’t mind, Chi Yu, I can take you there for free.”
“How?”
Jiang Jiuming pulled out a Spirit Talisman from his pocket: “Using my Cloud-Riding Talisman.”
The talisman instantly transformed into a misty cloud, hovering at their feet.
He jumped onto it, signaling them to follow.
Shen Yanzhou remained motionless.
The image of Jiang Jiuming hanging from a tree was still fresh in his mind. Could talismans he made really be usable?
Currently, both he and Chi Yu’s Cultivation Base weren’t very high. They shouldn’t start this lifetime by falling and killing themselves.
While he was pondering, he saw Chi Yu step up without hesitation.
Shen Yanzhou quickly grabbed her, whispering: “Are you really going up?”
Chi Yu understood his concern and said: “Free rides shouldn’t be wasted.”
Besides, Shen Yanzhou is the Child of Destiny in this world, so he won’t die so easily.
She bet on his safety.
Thinking this, she pulled him down to sit together on the mist cloud.
“Sit tight.”
As Jiang Jiuming gave the command, the mist cloud instantly accelerated, soaring into the sky and carrying them toward Canglang City.
Above the clouds, Chi Yu looked at the scenery swiftly passing beneath her feet, feeling exhilarated: “Woo-hoo~”
She was about to praise Jiang Jiuming when suddenly the mist cloud began swaying left and right, shaking Chi Yu so much she nearly fell off: “What’s going on?”
Jiang Jiuming panicked a bit, quickly channeling Spiritual Power to try to keep the mist cloud steady for flight.
Instead, the mist cloud sped forward, shaking even more violently, nearly flipping over.
Chi Yu grew anxious, instantly grabbing Jiang Jiuming, who had stood up to maintain the mist cloud’s balance, and Shen Yanzhou beside her: “What should we do now?”
Jiang Jiuming was even more panicked than she was: “Don’t pull my pants ahhhhh…”
The mist cloud suddenly plunged downward, completely flipping over just before hitting the ground.
Chi Yu: “Holy crap!”
A thunderous crash.
A sudden shock in the city.
The ground was smashed into a pit.
As the dust cleared, curious bystanders gathered around.
In the pit, three young people lay together.
A young girl, holding half a pants leg in her left hand and tugging on half a coarse cloth garment in her right, slowly rose from the ground, looking bewildered.
Beside her, two young boys—one with his upper garment torn, exposing half his shoulder, covering his face with his hand.
Shen Yanzhou: So embarrassing.
Not even in five lifetimes combined had he ever been so humiliated.
The other lay face-down on the ground, his thigh and a small part of his buttocks exposed to the public.
A gentle breeze passed, and Jiang Jiuming felt the chill on his buttocks, panicking: “Holy crap.”
He could die from the fall, but not from social embarrassment!
Chi Yu snapped back to reality, quick to cover his face.
The bystanders chattered among themselves.
An elderly woman in the innermost circle pointed at them: “Oh, these youngsters, so indecent and shameless, doing disgraceful things, can’t bear to look, can’t bear to look.”
Chi Yu stood up: “If you can’t bear to look, why are you standing in the front row without blinking? Shameless and disgraceful!”
“Everyone, move aside!”