Midnight

Once out of the swamp, Xie Cheng distributed the spirit stones to everyone as agreed, then said, “It's getting late. Let's find a safe spot to rest and discuss other matters tomorrow.”

Though somewhat exhausted after the battle, the crowd summoned their remaining energy at his words and pointed to the severed limbs and remains of the venomous insects and snakes scattered across the ground. “Could we wait until we finish processing these?”

These snakes and insects that had crawled out of the toxic swamp were fairly low in age and cultivation, but their sheer numbers made up for it. Harvesting useful parts like snake galls could still be exchanged for a decent amount of mundane silver.

Xie Cheng had no interest in such trifles, but he did not object, merely nodding slightly.

The rogue cultivators immediately set to work, stooping down to handle the mound of snake and insect carcasses.

Shi Yu had little interest in snake galls or poison glands, so she found a rock to sit on while waiting. Her eyes casually drifted toward the swamp as she pondered how to harvest the Dragon Bamboo Grass as quickly and discreetly as possible.

Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed the three Wu brothers busying themselves around the mountain-like body of the toxic toad.

Turning her head to look, Shi Yu saw them channel spiritual energy into their artifacts and strenuously slice open the toxic toad's belly. After first removing its poison sac, they began reaching inside to search around.

Before long, they actually dragged out a gory, mangled corpse. The three men beamed with joy as they pulled hard on the body. As it separated from the toad's stomach with a wet pop, accompanied by the squelching sound of corroded flesh sloughing off, a chilling shudder ran down the spines of those watching.

Shi Yu frowned slightly, unaccustomed to such a stomach-churning sight, yet she still focused her gaze on the body to identify it.

Corroded by the toad's stomach acid, the corpse was nearly unrecognizable as human. However, from the tattered spirit robe that had not been entirely destroyed, she could tell it belonged to the fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator who had previously tried to monopolize the Dragon Bamboo Fruits using his movement technique.

Among the three Wu brothers, two searched the corpse while the remaining one continued rummaging through the toad's belly.

When cultivators traveled together, looting a fallen companion's belongings after death was normal enough; no one would complain about having too many cultivation resources. Yet the trio's actions were far too crude, flipping the body this way and that without a shred of respect for the deceased, leaving many onlookers feeling uncomfortable and chilled.

Quite a few people felt disgruntled by this, their brows furrowed in disgust.

Completely indifferent to the glares of others, the three Wu brothers searched for a long while before scoffing, “What a pauper. Didn't even find a mustard-seed bag or a hundred-treasure pouch.”

Mustard-seed bags and hundred-treasure pouches were both types of storage bags. Though palm-sized and weightless in hand, they contained spaces of varying dimensions within, making them highly portable storage items essential for traveling cultivators.

However, their prices were far from cheap. The cheapest cost at least a hundred spirit stones, so not everyone could afford or bring themselves to buy one.

The Yin-Yang Fate-Tapping Bell came with its own internal space, making storage extremely convenient. However, the sight of the trio searching the corpse reminded Shi Yu that since the Fate-Tapping Bell resided within her Purple Mansion and could not be produced as a physical object for now, she should take time to refine a few storage bags to keep on her person as a cover.

“His artifacts have all been corroded beyond use too. Shame, the spirit robe on him was actually decent.”

The three Wu brothers continued searching. Finally, one of them discovered something hidden inside the lining of the corpse's waist and pulled out a long, thin scroll. His face lit up with joy. “Found it!”

The other two leaned in to check, both exclaiming happily, “That's right, this is it!”

Wu Hao wiped off the bits of flesh clinging to it and triumphantly stowed it into his mustard-seed bag. “Not a bad harvest for this trip.”

The other cultivators had been watching them closely. Upon seeing this, one of them could not help asking, “Fellow Daoist Wu, is that scroll... the movement technique he used earlier?”

The rogue cultivators kept busy with their hands, but every single one of them picked up their ears to listen.

When it came to cultivation resources, techniques were undoubtedly the hardest for rogue cultivators to obtain. Other items could eventually be bought as long as one earned enough spirit stones, but techniques were rare commodities money often could not buy—they were among the most vital assets allowing clans and sects to establish their footing.

Wu Hao gave no answer. Leading his two brothers out of the swamp, he sat down on the ground to meditate and recover his spiritual energy.

The cultivator who asked laughed sheepishly and refrained from saying more, but everyone felt seven to eight tenths confident in his guess.

The cultivator who had tried to monopolize the Dragon Bamboo Fruits had possessed no valuable belongings. What else could have caught the eye of the Wu brothers and made them go through such trouble, if not that remarkably fast movement technique?

In an instant, envy burned in everyone's eyes.

However, among the cultivators present, aside from the poisoned and injured Xie Cheng who possessed the highest cultivation, the Wu brothers were the strongest. Even if the others harbored thoughts in their minds, none dared express them before the three brothers.

Furthermore, the toxic toad had been killed mainly through the efforts of Xie Cheng and the Wu brothers. Since the trio had retrieved this spoil of war from the corpse inside the toad's belly, it was awkward for anyone else to openly demand a share.

Xie Cheng had little interest in techniques. Having already obtained the Dragon Bamboo Fruits, he was injured and mentally exhausted, so he naturally did not care to meddle.

After meditating to regulate his chaotic internal Qi, Xie Cheng stepped forward to Shi Yu and said gratefully, “Little fellow Daoist, it's thanks to you.”

Xie Zhixun stood beside him, nodding earnestly in agreement.

Though Shi Yu only had a cultivation of the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm, she had upheld her spirit of contract, protecting Xie Zhixun several times along the way. Xie Cheng had seen it all.

“Just doing my duty,” Shi Yu replied casually, not taking it to heart while keeping an eye on the three brothers out of the corner of her eye.

She thought to herself, The technique on that fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator is indeed remarkable in terms of speed. 《Lesser Swallow Steps》 has plenty of agility but lacks speed. While useful when engaging and maneuvering against an opponent, it falls short for escaping or traveling long distances due to a lack of explosive force... It would be great if I could obtain that manual to complement it.

Meanwhile, Xie Cheng had decided not to venture deeper into the mountain range. He planned to head back tomorrow, believing the return journey would be much safer.

He carefully pondered the “generous reward” he had promised Shi Yu during the fight against the toxic toad. After a moment, he drew an exquisitely patterned jade token from his mustard-seed bag and handed it to her.

Shi Yu looked at it in confusion as she took it. It felt smooth and warm to the touch—clearly a piece of high-quality jade. Carved upon it in gold powder was a delicate temperature-maintaining restriction that emitted a faint golden glow.

“This is...” Shi Yu toyed with it a few times and looked at Xie Cheng quizzically.

Xie Cheng smiled faintly. “You are young yet already at the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and you haven't joined the Yuxu Sect. I take it you plan to venture out to the main city?”

Perceiving that Xie Cheng had no ill intent to pry into her background and maintained a gentle, friendly demeanor, Shi Yu deliberated for a moment before saying, “Indeed, I do.”

“Then that settles it.” Xie Cheng nodded with a smile. “Once you arrive at the main city, you will understand its purpose.”

Hearing this, Shi Yu pressed no further and stowed the token away with a flip of her hand. “Then I shall thank you in advance, Brother Xie.”

By then, the rogue cultivators had finally finished processing the snake and insect remains scattered across the ground, all looking somewhat weary.

As night gradually fell, everyone moved away from the stench-filled swamp to find a more open area, lighting a campfire to rest.

...

At midnight, while the rogue cultivators were sound asleep, Shi Yu slowly opened her eyes. They were clear and bright as stars.

Blinking, her expression instantly turned groggy. She let out a heavy yawn, fumbled as she pushed herself up, and muttered to the cultivator keeping watch nearby, “Relieving myself. Want to come?”

The cultivator's eyes were half-shut as his head nodded repeatedly. Clearly exhausted, he waved his hand and mumbled incoherently, “No, no...”

Shi Yu let out a few more yawns in succession and walked outward.

She had deliberately chosen a spot on the outermost edge to rest. As she departed now, only the few cultivators on night watch cast nonchalant glances in her direction without disturbing anyone else.

In the Qi Refining Realm, cultivators were still mortal flesh and blood, not much different from ordinary mortals; they needed food to satisfy hunger and sleep to restore energy. Since they consumed grains and mundane food, relieving themselves was naturally necessary as well, so it was completely normal for Shi Yu to use this as an excuse to step away.

In truth, however, she had long been consuming spiritual rice and spiritual vegetables. Upon entering her body, these foods transformed into spiritual energy and pure vital Qi, dispersing into her limbs and bones to nourish her physique, leaving her with no need for such bodily functions.

Staying away for too long will inevitably arouse suspicion. I'll return immediately after digging up the Dragon Bamboo Grass. Once out of everyone's line of sight, Shi Yu instantly activated 《Lesser Swallow Steps》 and bolted back toward the swamp.