Meanwhile, Lie Yangfeng was overjoyed to receive the Sky Blue Silver Spot Grass, and he didn't delay any longer.
After tucking the spiritual herb into his robes, he cupped his hands to Su Yueli once more in farewell. He then grabbed the heavily injured Junior Brother Wu with one hand and led the red-clothed female cultivator as they soared into the sky on a crimson streak of light, quickly vanishing into the horizon.
They had only flown dozens of miles when the pale-faced Junior Brother Wu could no longer hold back. Clutching his chest, his face filled with resentment, he asked, “Senior Brother Lie! Why didn't we just kill that woman back there?”
“If we had killed her, not only would the two venomous stingers be ours, but that spiritual herb would be ours too! And looking at her, she definitely had other good things in her storage bag!”
The female cultivator also gritted her teeth and chimed in:
“Exactly, Senior Brother! She's just a brainless mortal martial artist, and she was even injured just now. If you hadn't stopped us, we could have teamed up and killed her easily. Why did we have to give her three hundred mid-grade spirit stones for nothing? Those are mid-grade spirit stones!”
“Fools! Shut up!”
Lie Yangfeng abruptly halted his flying light and turned to glare at the two.
His face was livid, and blue veins bulged on his forehead. “Have you two not embarrassed yourselves enough? One in the late stage of the Second Realm, the other in the mid stage of the Third Realm, and yet you let someone else snatch a beast that was already internally injured!”
“Teaming up against a mortal martial artist with no spiritual energy, only to have your spiritual shield shattered by a single punch and almost lose your life! If this matter gets blown out of proportion and reaches the sect, the Enforcement Hall will be the first to punish you!”
The two flushed red under his scolding. They gritted their teeth hard, and though they were filled with resentment, they had no way to refute him.
Lie Yangfeng snorted coldly, casting a deep glance back at the wasteland behind them, and continued:
“Furthermore, this woman is roaming the depths of Black Wind Valley all by herself. Not only is her strength bizarrely formidable, but she also seems to have some connection with the Blue Moon Sect.”
“Avoid provoking martial artists of unknown origins like her. If you can make friends with them, that's best; if not, you must never form a deadly grudge for no reason. Once we return, both of you will go into seclusion and reflect on your actions!”
“Yes, Senior Brother...”
...
The wind and sand gradually settled.
Among the piles of jagged rocks, Su Yueli withdrew her gaze and looked down to weigh the heavy blue qiankun bag in her hand.
She reached inside and pulled out a stone that emitted a faint, crystalline glow.
This was what cultivators called a spirit stone.
The stone was translucent and light blue, about the size of a pigeon's egg, and felt very warm and smooth to the touch.
Sensing it carefully, she could clearly detect a very pure stream of spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowing inside.
This thing was not just the currency of the cultivation world, but also an indispensable, all-purpose immortal item for cultivators.
It could be used to set up various profound formations, serve as the energy source for drawing talismans, and was even essential for refining immortal weapons and replenishing one's own spiritual power.
Most importantly, cultivators could directly absorb the spiritual energy within to increase their cultivation. It was truly miraculous.
“Three hundred mid-grade spirit stones...”
Su Yueli stared at these light blue stones, momentarily dazed.
Looking at the spirit stones in her hand that represented immortal resources, she couldn't help but think of Shen Qing'an from back then.
Shen Qing'an had spent his entire life striving with all his might to touch that illusory immortal path, only to end up being deceived and framed, dying a tragic death without ever even reaching the threshold of immortal items.
Until his death, he had never truly touched these genuine immortal spiritual treasures.
Thinking of this, Su Yueli couldn't help but look up at the sky. “And yet your younger brother, Shen Huai'an, has now become the high-and-mighty Young Sect Master of the Blue Moon Sect... enjoying an endless supply of miraculous elixirs.”
The divide between mortals and immortals.
These words were truly as heavy as a mountain, splitting open two completely different paths.
However, on second thought, Su Yueli realized that even if one truly entered the cultivation world, life might not be much better without stunning talent.
Just like the two Chiyang Sect disciples earlier—on paper, they were high-and-mighty immortals. But because their talent was lacking, in the eyes of the true core disciple, Lie Yangfeng, their compensation and dignity were merely chips that could be casually traded away for herbs.
Without strength, one would always be at the bottom, left at the mercy of others no matter where they were.
Su Yueli let out a self-deprecating laugh and put away the qiankun bag.
Whether cultivating to become an immortal or practicing martial arts, in the end, only having strong fists of one's own was the ultimate truth.
She tugged at the somewhat tattered clothes on her shoulders, found a secluded corner at random, and sat down cross-legged.
Over the next two days, Su Yueli was in no hurry to leave. She quietly recovered from her injuries while practicing her punches and cultivating alone in the wasteland.
Although the path ahead was still shrouded in mist and she could not yet touch the threshold of the Eleventh Realm, after two days of hard cultivation, she could very clearly feel that her basic blood qi had grown stronger, and her control had become more complete.
Two days later.
The agreed deadline arrived.
In the ruined stone hall of Black Wind Valley, a moon-white sword light descended from the sky. A moment later, Qi Feng emerged, his face filled with anxiety.
As soon as he landed, he looked eagerly at Su Yueli. “Miss Su, are you alright? Over the past two days, I heard in the sect that Lie Yangfeng of the Chiyang Sect had a clash with someone in the Rocky Wasteland. It frightened me to death. I was truly worried that something might have happened to you...”
Su Yueli's expression was calm. Instead of addressing the topic of Lie Yangfeng, she pulled two heavy bundles from her storage bag and tossed them over.
“You worry too much, Fellow Daoist Qi. I have already obtained the items you wanted. Two venomous stingers from early stage Third Realm Red-Tailed Venomous Scorpions, not a single one missing.”
Qi Feng instinctively caught the bundles and untied them to take a look.
Two massive, pitch-black scorpion stingers gleaming with a faint green venomous light lay inside. Although the demonic qi on them had begun to dissipate, the ferocious aura belonging to Third Realm great demons was still clearly palpable.
Qi Feng froze on the spot, utterly astonished.
“This... you really pulled it off?!”
He stared at the two venomous stingers, his mind going completely blank.
Those were two living, early stage Third Realm demon beasts!
Even for a late stage Third Realm cultivator like him, dealing with them would require a great deal of effort.
Yet Su Yueli, a mortal martial artist without a shred of spiritual energy, had not only completed the task but didn't even show any signs of serious injury.
Could a mortal Martial God truly be this terrifying...
Qi Feng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and cupped his hands to Su Yueli. “Miss Su is truly an extraordinary person. Since the materials are in hand, I will immediately rush back to the sect to turn in the mission.”
“Once I exchange them for the rewarded cultivation resources, I will hand them all over to you without keeping a single bit!”
Su Yueli nodded slightly and said politely, “In that case, I will trouble Fellow Daoist Qi.”
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