Le Mengting

Although she didn't know why they were here, it was certainly nothing good.

Recalling how she had entered her space on a whim earlier, Jiang Lu once again felt grateful for her strong sixth sense.

A green figure darted continuously through the forest, the friction against the air rustling as she moved.

Swish—

A wind blade shot out, and a demon beast not far away instantly collapsed, unable to get back up.

Jiang Lu grabbed it by its two ears and swallowed hard.

A Dazed Rabbit. Its meat was delicious, making it an anomaly among demon beasts. With its gentle temperament, both humans and demon beasts loved to feed on it.

Fortunately, they reproduced rapidly; otherwise, there wouldn't be enough to go around.

The three little beasts in her pouch immediately poked their heads out. Their paws clung to the edge of the pouch, and they stared unblinkingly at the rabbit in Jiang Lu's hand, drooling.

They were going to have delicious food again!

Cang Chen had woken up a few days ago. Unsurprisingly, he had successfully advanced to a Tier Two spirit beast, and his scales shone much brighter than before.

Hearing that Chi Li and Mengbao had eaten so much delicious food with their master made him incredibly envious. Today, he could finally satisfy his cravings.

Mengbao was the Treasure-Hunting Mouse. Since it was so cute and well-behaved, Jiang Lu had given it this name.

Although Jiang Lu had rarely stepped into the kitchen in her previous life, her culinary skills were undeniable. While she couldn't compare to Master Wen, she was still quite the chef.

“Mmm, this is so delicious!”

“Exactly! Exactly!”

“You smelly dragon, don't steal from me!”

“You've eaten so many times already! What's wrong with me eating a bit more this time?”

“Who told you to sleep for so long!”

“I don't care, I want to eat.”

“...”

Mengbao held a piece of rabbit meat in its paws, its cheeks puffed out completely. Its round eyes darted back and forth between Chi Li and Cang Chen. Why are they fighting over it? Isn't there still plenty left in the bowl? It then shook its head. It really had a lot to learn. As expected of Boss Chi Li, she knew so much.

Seeing this, Jiang Lu shook her head helplessly. These two were as rowdy as ever.

After cleaning up the scene, Jiang Lu headed south under the moonlight.

There was Black Mystic Iron there, a top-tier material for forging magic treasures.

Although she had quite a few magic treasures, her spiritual sword was rather ordinary.

She planned to forge a lifebound spiritual sword. Nourishing it with her current spiritual energy would eventually birth a sword spirit that could connect with her mind.

Looking at the Numbing Spikes in front of her, Jiang Lu swung her sword, slashing down a patch of them. As she stared into the deep forest, the corners of her mouth curled up.

Numbing Spikes were non-toxic, but they liked to wrap around living creatures until they died. Their leaves were large and covered in barbs.

If scratched by the barbs, the droplets on the leaves would absorb the spiritual energy from the wound. If the creature couldn't heal quickly and escape, it would remain trapped inside until it died.

As a result, neither cultivators nor demon beasts liked to go near them.

However, they happened to love growing on top of Black Mystic Iron. Therefore, there was bound to be Black Mystic Iron beneath their roots.

It was just that the vines spread everywhere. At first glance, there was nothing but vines, making the roots difficult to find.

As she continued forward, she suddenly noticed something unusual around her and stopped in her tracks.

The Numbing Spikes she had just cut down fell to the ground, instantly forming new plants that rapidly spread outward.

She raised an eyebrow. Something was wrong.

She was certain there was no Black Mystic Iron here, yet the new plants were able to grow so quickly. There was only one possibility: either there was a massive supply of spiritual energy here, or countless living beings had fallen, their bodies turning into nutrients that nourished this soil.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, leaving only the rustling sound of the vines moving.

Interspersed within the sound was a faint, weak call.

“Help... help me...”

Jiang Lu stopped to listen carefully. Someone was indeed calling for help.

She looked around. How could there be someone here? She had specifically come this way because she hadn't seen anyone around.

Standing a short distance away, she swept her divine sense over the area. She spotted a cultivator whose lower half was tightly wrapped in vines. Her face was deathly pale, her body covered in wounds, and her breath was as thin as silk. Jiang Lu frowned slightly, hesitating. She didn't know if this person was good or evil. If she rushed to help... She was somewhat conflicted.

Suddenly, she noticed the clothes the person was wearing, which resembled those of a Hermit Clan.

She took two steps back, intending to withdraw. What a joke. If even someone from a Hermit Clan couldn't beat this thing, how could a mere Qi Condensation weakling like her handle it?

Suddenly, the surrounding vines closed in and surrounded her.

Oh no! The vines had left a survivor as bait!

She swore that if she managed to escape this time, she would never be curious again! Curiosity killed the cat!

Chi Li and Cang Chen leaped out of her pouch, and three streams of magical power continuously struck out in all directions.

After a good while, the entire mass of vines finally shrank back, revealing the figure not far away.

Jiang Lu waved her hand, using her spiritual energy to wrap around the cultivator and place her to the side. Not knowing if she was dead or alive, Jiang Lu shook her head. The woman's fate was up to her own luck now.

She surveyed the area. There was no exposed Black Mystic Iron around; if she wanted some, she would have to mine it herself.

But she didn't have the strength for that right now.

The cultivator groaned softly and slowly opened her eyes. She was still alive?! She had been saved?!

Seeing a blurry figure not far away, she blinked. She then sat up from the ground, and feeling her numb limbs, she used every ounce of her strength to take out an elixir and swallow it. Within a few breaths, a healthy flush returned to her face.

“Th... Thank you,” she said to Jiang Lu with utmost sincerity.

Jiang Lu turned around, only then realizing she had woken up. She nodded, scanning her a few times. The woman didn't seem like a bad person, but Jiang Lu still maintained her guard as she asked, “Who are you? How did you get injured here? If you hadn't run into me, you probably would have perished here.”

The cultivator let out a sigh. “My name is Le Mengting, a branch disciple of the Le Clan. I came here with other clan members for training, but we encountered danger and fled. Who knew I would accidentally wander into this place and get injured by it due to a moment of carelessness.”

“The Hermit Clan, Le Clan?”

Le Mengting was taken aback. After a brief hesitation, she nodded.

“Rumor has it that you rarely leave your clan territory. Why did you come here this time? This place is quite far from your clan, and your strength is only...”

Le Mengting smiled awkwardly. Sensing Jiang Lu's friendly demeanor, she sighed and said, “Benefactor, do you know what divine abilities our clan is most famous for in the outside world?”

Jiang Lu thought for a moment and replied, “First is poison techniques, and second is divination.”

Le Mengting nodded. “Exactly. Our Grand Elder divined that the cultivation world is about to fall into great chaos, so he sent us out to investigate the cause.”

“What kind of chaos? Is a turbulent era beginning?”

At this point, Jiang Lu grew even more curious. Chaos in the cultivation world wasn't just a simple struggle for supremacy among various factions; it meant devastating wars.

Le Mengting shook her head. “No. The Grand Elder divined that a great era is arriving, geniuses are emerging in multitudes, and fate is in complete disarray. If left unguided, the cultivation world will collapse because of it.”

Jiang Lu's eyes widened. Wait... You call this "great chaos"? This is literally the destruction of the world, okay?

“Is there a sliver of hope?” Jiang Lu was slightly stunned, but then she immediately asked as a thought occurred to her.

“Benefactor, how did you know?” Le Mengting was quite surprised. She hadn't even mentioned it yet, and this matter was only known to clan disciples.

Jiang Lu felt a bit embarrassed. Wasn't this just based on her years of experience?

“There is. The Grand Elder divined that there is a trace of anomaly within the mass of fate. A trace of Chaos Qi will stir up the winds and clouds, returning those fates to their proper places.”

“So your purpose in coming out this time is to find the owner of that Chaos Qi?” Jiang Lu asked.

Le Mengting nodded, her expression turning somewhat dejected. “It's just that we've been out for several months now without any harvest, and today I almost lost my life.”

As for that sliver of hope, she was only a branch member. She figured only the main lineage would have the fortune to find it.

She then rummaged through her storage bag, took out a large chunk of Black Mystic Iron, and handed it to Jiang Lu. “This is for you. You must have come here looking for this.”