Unexpected Change

Shi Yu moved with light, nimble steps, her form like a swift swallow weaving through the dense forest, stepping on air itself.

In the mountain range, many spirit beasts rested by day and hunted by night, making the dark far more dangerous than the daytime.

Feeling the vague gaze of several beastly eyes locked onto her from all directions, she reined in her breath, focused her mind, and quickened her pace.

Holding the Hidden Hatred Flute firmly in hand, Shi Yu stood prepared for battle at a moment's notice. Still, unless absolutely necessary, she preferred to avoid conflict with beasts lurking in the dark to prevent drawing too much attention.

Fortunately, the journey remained surprisingly peaceful. Not a single spirit beast attacked her all the way to the edge of the toxic swamp.

Gazing at the bubbling toxic swamp before her, which exuded a pungent stench of decay, Shi Yu pulled out a high-grade Dew-Condensing Pill and swallowed it to steady her slightly unsettled internal breath. “I need to hurry.”

Though she had rushed here at full speed using 《Lesser Swallow Steps》, it had still taken her nearly ten minutes. Returning would take just as long, and staying away too long would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Two or three ghostly pale birds darted between withered branches. Decayed, yellowing trunks floated atop the murky, sludge-filled mud, while strange, deep surges echoed from beneath the rock and silt spanning the entire swamp.

The insects and snakes summoned by the toxic toad during the day had likely been only a fraction of what lurked within the entire swamp.

Shi Yu dared not lower her guard. She channeled spiritual energy into her Fire Feather Brocade Robe. Beneath her outer garment, a subtle crimson light gleamed across the inner robe, forming a light protective barrier around her skin.

Raising the Hidden Hatred Flute and remaining vigilant for toxic creatures that might spring from the mud at any second, she activated 《Lesser Swallow Steps》 once more and skimmed across toward the Dragon Bamboo Grass.

Under the cover of night, the foul swamp lost some of its ugliness. Bathed in moonlight, her speeding figure and the withered grass swaying in the gentle breeze composed a picture that was eerie yet strangely mesmerizing.

When she closed half the distance to the Dragon Bamboo Grass, the venomous creatures lurking in the shadows could no longer hold back. Some hissed and flicked their tongues, while others buzzed their wings, launching attacks at Shi Yu one after another.

Lightly tapping her toes on withered trees and dead grass to maneuver, Shi Yu dodged their strikes. Flipping her wrist, she brought the Hidden Hatred Flute to her lips and began playing 《No Thought of Return》.

Her divine sense spread outward as silent soundwaves rippled across the area, instantly freezing the surging swarm of snakes, insects, and venomous beasts in their tracks.

These venomous creatures possessed meager cultivation, posing a threat only through sheer numbers. Yet Shi Yu's divine sense far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators of her realm, allowing her to overpower them with ease. Using 《No Thought of Return》 proved even more effective at area control than hurling spirit talismans.

Seeing the tiny creatures squirming in agony, Shi Yu refrained from getting bogged down. Without slowing her pace, she kept the venomous creatures at bay with 《No Thought of Return》 while rapidly approaching the Dragon Bamboo Grass.

With a swift flicker of her body, she finally landed atop the boulder where the Dragon Bamboo Grass grew.

Eroded by the toxic swamp, the boulder's structure had grown loose and brittle. The moment Shi Yu set foot on it, grit and sand crumbled downward, accompanied by faint cracking sounds beneath her feet.

“I've used up quite a bit of spiritual energy.” Driving 《Lesser Swallow Steps》 at full tilt strained her limited reserves, leaving a hollow sensation in her meridians.

Steadied atop the boulder, her chest heaved as she breathed heavily, doing her best to accelerate the refinement of the Dew-Condensing Pill within her body.

Feeling wisps of spiritual energy from the Dew-Condensing Pill replenish her meridians, Shi Yu composed herself and fixed her gaze on the spiritual plant emitting a faint green glow atop the rock.

With its fruits harvested, it looked even more like a stem of emerald bamboo, its nodes marked with patterns resembling dragons and snakes.

At the end of these markings were faint red terminal buds from which new fruits would eventually grow.

Wasting no time, she pulled out a jade shovel. Sensing the faint pathways of the Dragon Bamboo Grass's root system within the boulder, she carefully dug it out whole, taking care not to damage its roots.

With a few quick, clean scoops of her jade shovel, the vibrant green Dragon Bamboo Grass rested intact in her palm.

Finally, it was hers.

Shi Yu let out a sigh of relief, a smile brightening her eyes.

With the Dragon Bamboo Grass in her possession, once new fruits grew and matured, her cultivation would advance by at least one layer.

Although Xie Cheng had praised her for reaching the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm at such a young age, Shi Yu knew his words were mostly polite flattery.

At the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm, her age might be considered decent among the rogue cultivators in this small Yuxu Sect market.

But what about in Lingtai Prefecture's main city?

Changyuan Prefecture had seventy-nine prefectural cities in total, and Lingtai Prefecture was hardly extraordinary among them.

Looking further, Changyuan Prefecture was merely a tiny corner of the East Continent.

Shi Yu sighed softly. Here, reaching Foundation Establishment earned one the title of Master, allowing them to become a sect elder or clan patriarch with prominent status.

Yet she remembered that when Xuanqing Immortal Venerable accepted her as a disciple and brought her back to the sect, her senior brothers and sisters were all Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, and her Eldest Senior Sister, Yan Xiao, was even...

Shi Yu tightened her grip on the Hidden Hatred Flute and looked back at the path she had come from.

The venomous creatures affected by 《No Thought of Return》 were gradually coming to, growing restless once more.

The five continents of the Origin Realm were vast beyond measure, teeming with countless geniuses. She was still far, far behind and had to push forward relentlessly without a moment's pause.

“It's getting late. I'll plant it in the medicinal field when I get back.”

Stowing the Dragon Bamboo Grass inside the Fate-Tapping Bell, Shi Yu played 《No Thought of Return》 again, activating 《Lesser Swallow Steps》 as she headed out of the toxic swamp.

Once clear of the swamp, she formed a hand seal and channeled spiritual energy to dispel the foul stench clinging to her before making her way back without delay.

She was still unaware that Xie Cheng planned to leave the mountain range tomorrow.

They were still over two hundred miles from the volcano, and danger increased the deeper they went. Shi Yu had hoped to leverage the group's presence to travel as far inward as possible.

The journey back went smoothly enough, but as she drew near the camp where everyone was resting, she suddenly halted.

Knitting her brows, Shi Yu twitched her nose slightly. Something's wrong.

A faint metallic stench of blood hung in the air, drifting right from the resting area.

Concealing herself behind the dense foliage of the forest, she thought cautiously, Did Xie Cheng's group get ambushed by spirit beasts?

Listening closely, however, she heard no distinct beast noises.

After a moment's thought, Shi Yu used the dark cover of night and heavy tree shadows to creep closer.

The moment a loud, boisterous laugh reached her ears, she instantly froze, pressing herself against an ancient, thick tree trunk.

“Spirit-Sealing Bees might be useful little trinkets, but they only work against early-stage Qi Refining Realm cultivators. With your cultivation as high as the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, this stuff naturally has no effect on you.”

Shi Yu recognized the voice as Wu Hao's.

Spirit-Sealing Bees—she had never heard of them, but judging by the name, it wasn't hard to guess that they were meant to seal a cultivator's spiritual energy and cultivation.

Eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm... Xie Cheng was the only person in the party with such high cultivation.

She frowned, realizing that something unexpected must have happened during the time she was gone.

Peering out from behind the trunk, she saw that apart from the three Wu brothers, everyone else was sitting or lying down with grim expressions. They were trying in vain to channel spiritual energy, clearly affected by the Spirit-Sealing Bees.

Xie Cheng was in an even worse state, lying on the ground with a purplish-blue face and bulging veins beneath his skin—a terrifying sight. Xie Zhixun sat beside him, clutching his arm with tear-glistening eyelashes.

According to Wu Hao, Spirit-Sealing Bees were ineffective against Xie Cheng, so his current state meant he must have fallen victim to some other trick.

Sure enough, Wu Hao continued:

“You master and servant put on such grand airs, splashing spirit stones around like water without a second thought! You eat spiritual rice and spiritual vegetables, use top-quality pills and artifacts, and hire us as bodyguards for this trip just to accompany this idiot on an outing! Hmph! It's an insult to us, so how could we not hold a grudge?”

Xie Cheng clutched his chest, spat out a mouthful of black blood, and sneered, “You're just greedy for the valuables on me. Why spout such nonsense?”

Wu Hao burst into laughter, his sinister eyes filled with smug satisfaction. “That's right, the three of us did set our eyes on your valuables. But with your cultivation at the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, how could we dare make a move normally?”

“Except this little burden beside you led everyone to that toxic swamp, causing you to get poisoned by that toxic toad!”

“We just so happened to have a poison pill on us. On its own, its toxicity is weak, but when combined with the poison of that toxic toad... Hahaha!”