After instructing the shop assistants, Jiang Qihe packed up briefly, called Shi Yu, and set off together toward the defensive line.
The defensive line was about twenty miles from the market. While not overly far, it was not a short distance either. Fortunately, after being nourished by Life Spring water over this period and continuously consuming spiritual grain, Shi Yu's depleted vital essence had been replenished to some extent.
Furthermore, with her cultivation advancing to the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm, her physical constitution and stamina were both much better than before. Supported by spiritual energy, covering these twenty miles took just over an hour.
However...
Looking into the distance, endless seas of trees met the eye. The soaring mountains and rugged peaks of the Fulong Mountain Range stretched uninterrupted for thousands of miles. Only when one reached a level of cultivation where they could ride light beams or command flying swords could they truly come and go as they pleased.
Along the way, Jiang Qihe walked beside Shi Yu, maintaining an alert posture at all times.
Although a defensive line formed by cultivators twenty miles away held back the spirit beasts fleeing from deep within the mountains, the Fulong Mountain Range was vast and the defensive line stretched long. There were bound to be places left unguarded, making it impossible to guarantee that no beasts would slip through the net.
Jiang Qihe kept a sharp eye and ear out in all directions, not forgetting to remind Shi Yu, “Be careful, Young Master Shi.”
Shi Yu nodded, spreading her spiritual consciousness to pay attention to their surroundings.
A moment later, she paused briefly, speaking with hesitation: “Manager Jiang, do you feel that the fire-attribute world spiritual energy here seems somewhat denser than in other places?”
This sensation was not very pronounced. Perhaps because she herself possessed a Fire-attribute Spiritual Meridian, she vaguely picked up on a restless, burning power.
Hearing this, Jiang Qihe sensed carefully for a moment before saying, “It is indeed slightly denser.”
He did not think much of it. Places with an imbalance of the five elements were everywhere in heaven and earth; spiritual energy had never been distributed equally among the five elements. Water spiritual energy was richer near rivers and streams, while metal and earth spiritual energy were more prominent within mineral veins. This was entirely normal, leaving him wondering why Shi Yu asked such a question.
Nevertheless, Jiang Qihe offered an extra word of explanation: “Five hundred miles to the south lies a volcano. It should be related to that.”
Shi Yu nodded silently and glanced toward the south.
Towering ridges and ancient trees blocked her vision, preventing her from seeing the volcano Jiang Qihe mentioned.
If it was merely that the fire spiritual energy was slightly denser, it would be nothing unusual—just an elemental imbalance caused by the presence of a volcano, as Jiang Qihe said.
However, Shi Yu felt with growing clarity that the surrounding fire spiritual energy was far more restless than ordinary fire spiritual energy, its burning intent sharper and more intense, which did not seem to be the effect of a volcano alone.
This subtle difference compared to ordinary fire spiritual energy was hard to describe in words, feeling more like an intuitive hunch that could only be understood inwardly. She did not know whether other fire-attribute cultivators felt this as well, or if she was the only one who picked up on this subtle variance...
Shi Yu recalled carefully that back after the Immortal Destiny Gathering, when she had just been brought here by the Yuxu Sect disciples, she had not felt this way.
She thought to herself, I wonder if it has always been like this and I only felt it now because my cultivation advanced recently, or if it only became like this lately.
If it was the former, so be it; if it was the latter... She cast another glance to the south, intuitively linking it to the recent spirit beast unrest.
These were all merely speculations with no way to verify. Having no other fire-attribute cultivators nearby to consult, Shi Yu could only suppress her doubts for the time being.
Continuing toward the defensive line, just as the two reached a bend in the path, a sharp screech rang out. A dark shadow burst out from the woods, pouncing toward them.
Jiang Qihe reacted swiftly, his footwork swift as the wind as he dodged the spirit beast's attack. Immediately after, he pulled out a palm-sized artifact shaped like a bronze mirror and aimed it at Shi Yu. Instantly, a spiritual energy shield shimmering with light appeared, covering Shi Yu tightly.
Seeing Shi Yu safely enclosed within the shield, Jiang Qihe turned his gaze toward the screeching spirit beast and gasped, “A Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino!”
The Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino before them possessed cultivation equivalent to between the sixth and seventh layers of the Qi Refining Realm for human cultivators. Its body was tall, broad, and heavy, covered in thick brownish-black fur, with two razor-sharp horns growing from its head.
Right now, it opened its bloody maw toward them, revealing teeth stained with bits of flesh and bone, its eyes flashing with ferocious light.
The hide of the Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino was extremely hard and thick, offering high defense. The horns on its head gleamed with cold light and radiated murderous intent, capable of easily piercing through giant boulders, making it troublesome to deal with.
“Be careful, Young Master Shi.” Jiang Qihe's expression grew heavy. Although he had cultivation at the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Realm, he dared not act carelessly against this Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino. Furthermore, with Shi Yu nearby—who had only recently reached the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm—to protect, he became even more cautious.
Fearing that the shield covering Shi Yu would not last long, he decided to strike first. With a flash of his body, he thrust his sword toward the bear-rhino, spiritual energy gathering at the tip as he aimed straight for the weak spot at its belly.
In an instant, the Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino let out a roar, its fur standing on end like needles to block Jiang Qihe's assault.
Sensing that Jiang Qihe's cultivation was slightly higher than its own, the beast proved clever enough to twist its body and dodge, charging straight toward Shi Yu instead.
Jiang Qihe cursed under his breath and sped up, attempting to intercept it. “Young Master Shi, dodge out of the way quickly!”
Shi Yu had little combat experience in this world. In the Xian Yuan game, dying allowed one to respawn at a point, but in this world, death meant dying for good.
Yet precisely because of this, she could not shrink from battle, but had to hone herself and gain experience. In the cultivation world where the strong devoured the weak, if one did not wish to die, one had to grow stronger as early as possible.
She took a few steps back to avoid interfering with the fight between Jiang Qihe and the Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the man and beast, Shi Yu quickly noticed that only after roaring could the bear-rhino gather strength to bristle its fur into sharp needles and defuse Jiang Qihe's attacks.
An idea formed in her mind. Her spiritual consciousness closely tracked the Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino, and the moment it opened its mouth to roar again, she whipped out a stack of Blaze Talismans and flicked them with quick hands.
The spirit talismans turned into a streak of golden light in midair and shot straight toward the Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino. Guided by her spiritual consciousness, they dropped directly into the beast's mouth.
The Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino sensed danger and tried to spit them out, but it was already too late.
Firelight exploded inside its mouth, blasting its head to pieces in an instant as blood and flesh scattered everywhere. The Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino tumbled across the ground before finally ceasing to move.
The battle concluded with extreme swiftness and efficiency.
Jiang Qihe was still holding his sword stance. At the sight, his mouth twitched, his heart aching with distress.
What a spendthrift! How could spirit talismans be used like that!
Seeing his odd expression, Shi Yu asked curiously, “Manager Jiang, what's wrong?”
“...” Jiang Qihe pressed his forehead and shook his head. “Nothing.”
Shi Yu's motion of throwing out that stack of spirit talismans had been utterly smooth and natural, as if she were well accustomed to it, without a trace of regret. It was so lavishly extravagant that it left him speechless.
“These horns aren't bad.” Shi Yu stepped forward, pulling out the scimitar tucked into her boot to saw off the horns.
The pelt was also remarkably tough. Without pausing her hands, her expression did not even flicker as she proceeded to skin the fur right after removing the horns.
Her cuts were precise. Despite her slender frame that did not look particularly strong, she skinned the beast with practiced ease, her movements so fluid they possessed a strange sense of beauty.
Watching her, Jiang Qihe's brow twitched again, a phantom ache mysteriously throbbing across his body.
Aside from the horns and pelt, which were fine spiritual materials for weapon refining, the remaining parts were of little use.
Shi Yu wiped her hands and asked Jiang Qihe, “Between the two items, which one would you like, Manager Jiang?”
Had Jiang Qihe not held off the Reverse-Backed Bear-Rhino earlier, she would have struggled to find such a perfect opportunity to finish it off on her own. Naturally, the spoils had to be shared.
Jiang Qihe was still aching inside over Shi Yu's stack of spirit talismans. Hearing her question, he shook his head. “I contributed very little. Keep them for yourself, Young Master. The pelt and horns aren't of much use to me.”
Seeing that he put it that way, Shi Yu did not decline further, storing the two spiritual materials inside the Yin-Yang Fate-Tapping Bell.
After this interlude, they encountered no further danger along the rest of the journey, quickly arriving at the defensive line.
The sky was overcast, and a dense stench of blood hung heavy in the air.
In the distance, spirit beasts gathered in groups of three to five, as though driven by some terrifying existence, rampaging from the far mountains all the way toward the outer perimeter of the Yuxu Sect and the market.
Deafening roars echoed as overlapping scales, claws, and fangs shook the skies, every scale radiating endless malevolence.
Shi Yu saw over a thousand Yuxu Sect disciples and rogue cultivators, organized and led by several Yuxu Sect elders, working together to form a long defensive line.
Whenever a spirit beast approached, various artifacts and spells immediately lit up, forming dazzling beams of light that collided with the beasts' claws and horns with booming rumbles.
Fortunately, the spirit beasts were not yet organized on a massive scale—far from reaching the level of a beast tide. With several Yuxu Sect Foundation Establishment Realm Masters overseeing the defense, the resistance operated in an orderly fashion.
Many people even had the leisure to chat or set up stalls to sell the spirit beast materials they had just hunted.
For a time, the defensive line was bustling with activity.
Rate on N.U.
