Translator: AnubisTL
Autumn Mountain Domain, within a desolate mountain.
After carving out a simple cave, Li Qing began practicing the soul core method deep within the uninhabited mountain's heart.
Through previous attempts, he had come to deeply understand the immense difficulty of cultivating this secret technique passed down by Senior Wu Yuan. It was by no means a task that could be accomplished overnight.
"Hiss!"
In the cold, pitch-black cave, Li Qing gasped sharply.
Immediately afterward, the melodious chime of the Soul Nurturing Bell echoed through the cave. As the bell activated, the waves of agonizing pain in his divine soul rapidly subsided.
"I can't imagine how Senior Wu Yuan endured this. Even with the Soul Nurturing Bell, I can barely withstand this level of soul-searing pain."
Li Qing's face was deathly pale, his eyes flickering with exhaustion.
The pain inflicted upon the divine soul far surpassed the agony of physical wounds in its clarity and intensity. Few could endure such torment.
This was why soul cultivators were exceedingly rare in the cultivation world, even rarer than body cultivators.
To date, Li Qing had never encountered a single soul cultivator.
As the bell's chime faded, Li Qing sighed:
"Ah, let's continue."
He had previously cultivated the Soul Condensing Slash. If one were to rank the pain inflicted on the divine soul, the Soul Condensing Slash would be at most a level three. In contrast, the pain from practicing this soul core secret technique was at least a level six, and possibly even higher!
The essence of the soul core method lies in actively dividing one's own divine soul and then condensing it into a soul core.
However, even the first step is exceedingly difficult. The mere mention of the pain involved in splitting the divine soul sends shivers down one's spine.
Who could possibly withstand such agony?
Li Qing was certain that without the Soul Nurturing Bell, he would never have chosen to cultivate this soul core secret technique.
But since he had already made his decision, there was no reason to retreat.
Deep within the dark cave, Li Qing continued to push his limits of endurance.
Anyone approaching this desolate mountain would have been chilled to the bone.
From the mountain's depths, intermittent, agonized roars echoed, immediately followed by the melodious chime of a bell.
The alternating cries of pain and the bell's soothing tones created an eerie atmosphere, as if some malevolent spirit dwelled within the mountain's core.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Fan Tong returned once, a long-necked, crimson-scaled strange beast dangling from its jaws.
It settled at the foot of the desolate mountain to feed, devouring the beast's flesh and blood, crimson crystal and all.
Roar!
After consuming the entire beast, Fan Tong would rest at the mountain's base for a while, digesting its meal.
Once rested, it would glance back at the mountain peak before resuming its bloody hunt.
Throughout this process, the malevolent energy radiating from Fan Tong grew increasingly intense.
Its massive tiger frame gradually transformed, its fur darkening to black while its original black stripes shifted to crimson.
Black and crimson intertwined!
Fan Tong's appearance now resembled the strange beasts of the World of Eternal Night more than ever.
Autumn Mountain Domain, Precious Lotus City.
Despite its name, this imposing city exuded no sense of preciousness or lotus-like purity. Instead, it emanated a sinister, chilling aura.
The city walls were dilapidated, but there was no need for repairs. This city belonged to the Blood Lotus Sect, the sole hegemon of the Autumn Mountain Domain.
Whether the walls stood or crumbled was merely a symbolic gesture.
Within the city lay the Blood Lotus Sect's main headquarters.
"Heh, Guardian Lin, the quality of the strange beast materials you've brought this time is rather poor. Most are just first-tier beasts, and even second-tier ones are scarce."
"What's this? Has the Black Wind Domain suffered the same fate as our Autumn Mountain Domain, with all the strange beasts hunted to near extinction?"
An elderly man sat casually on a black lotus platform, draped in a black robe embroidered with a crimson lotus seal.
Across from him, a beautiful woman with cat ears replied coldly, "Elder Zhu, capturing strange beasts in the Black Wind Domain isn't easy either. That bizarre demonic tree has grown even more formidable, devouring countless beasts over the years."
Hearing this, Elder Zhu, who had been lounging casually, straightened up slightly, his expression turning serious.
He was well aware of the terrifying willow tree in the southern Black Wind Domain. Its colossal form blotted out the sky, resembling a mountain range stretching across the plains from afar.
Even as an immortal who had survived since the Sunlight Era, he remained deeply shaken by the demon willow's existence.
Even when spiritual energy still permeated the world, he could never have imagined such a terrifying entity could arise.
"While that may be true, the martial alliance's supply of strange beast materials has dwindled further. It's becoming difficult for me to explain this to the sect leader," Elder Zhu said, his face showing his dilemma.
A flicker of coldness crossed Lin Jing's eyes, but she lowered her voice and said humbly, "Then please bear with me, Elder Zhu."
Elder Zhu chuckled darkly. "Bear with you? If the sect leader blames me, how could I possibly bear the consequences?"
As he spoke, Elder Zhu tapped the Lotus Seal beside him, producing a rhythmic, crisp sound.
Sensing the elder's scrutinizing gaze, Lin Jing's face and eyes flashed with inner conflict before she slowly extended her hand, which resembled a cat's paw.
Seeing this, the wrinkles on Elder Zhu's face relaxed slightly.
He leaned forward slowly, and behind him, a bone-white serpent began to emerge.
The White Serpent slithered over Elder Zhu's shoulder, stretched across the ground, and coiled itself before Lin Jing.
The serpent seemed endless; it crawled forward without revealing its tail, the end still hidden within Elder Zhu's robes.
The White Serpent flicked its tongue and bit down hard on Lin Jing's outstretched hand.
"Hmph!"
Lin Jing let out a muffled groan of pain, her tiger tooth biting down on her lower lip as the color drained from her face.
At that moment, a look of perverse pleasure spread across Elder Zhu's face.
After a long moment, the White Serpent slowly released its grip, its fangs still stained with streaks of crimson blood.
As the serpent retracted, Elder Zhu licked his lips, his expression one of contentment. "Ah, the blood of you vital energy martial artists with your profound martial arts is truly delicious," he chuckled. "Guardian Lin, you may return now. This matter will be my responsibility."
Pale-faced Lin Jing turned and staggered toward the Blood Lotus Sect's main headquarters.
Once Lin Jing's figure disappeared, Elder Zhu's face lit up with lingering satisfaction. "I truly wish we could raise a batch of blood slaves specifically trained in the vital energy martial dao," he sighed. "I'll never understand why the sect leader is so rigid. What exactly is he so worried about?"
"He forbids conflict with the martial alliance, yet also prohibits the city's residents from practicing the vital energy martial dao!"
"Ah! It's truly baffling."
Elder Zhu shook his head slowly, his face tinged with regret as he gently stroked the White Serpent coiled around his body.
"Lord Lin, are you alright? Did Elder Zhu of the Blood Lotus Sect say anything?"
"Did the Blood Lotus Sect give you any trouble?"
Merchant martial artists stationed in Precious Lotus City quickly surrounded Lin Jing as soon as they spotted her.
Lin Jing, her face hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat, shook her head gently. "No, everything's fine. Let's head back."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"That's good! That's good!"
"Let's just grab a few supplies and head back. The Blood Lotus Sect seems quite reasonable after all!"
"Exactly! Maybe by the time we return, Alliance Leader Miao and Guardian Xi Shan will have pioneered a new path in the vital energy martial dao!"
As these relieved voices swirled around her, the delicate features hidden beneath Lin Jing's hat softened.
She unconsciously rubbed the wound on her furry wrist, thinking, It was all worth it.
For vital energy martial artists, vital energy is paramount. Cultivating and nurturing one's vital energy forms the foundation of their martial dao.
Her recent ordeal had nearly undone half a year of arduous training.
If she were to endure such trials repeatedly, even a vital energy martial artist's body would crumble, suffering severe damage to their vital energy and collapsing immediately.
Alliance Leader Miao, Senior Brother Xi Shan, you must succeed.
Lin Jing kept her ordeal to herself, burying it deep within her heart.
She knew that if the martial alliance learned of this incident, chaos would inevitably erupt.
In the biting wind, Lin Jing's figure seemed to grow even more frail.
Outside Precious Lotus City, a merchant caravan from the martial alliance once again set out toward the Black Wind Domain.
The journey was long, but fortunately, the strange beasts of the Autumn Mountain Domain had been nearly exterminated by the Blood Lotus Sect, so there was little concern for safety along the way.
As the group chatted and laughed, a sharp-eyed Martial Artist suddenly shouted in alarm:
"Look! There's a strange beast ahead!"
The words ignited a spark in countless eyes, all turning toward the direction he pointed.
Strange beasts meant wealth. For the martial alliance, each year they had to deliver a massive quantity of strange beast materials to the Blood Lotus Sect—a crushing burden.
Encountering a beast they could hunt was the best possible outcome.
After all, both crimson crystals and the beasts' materials were highly valuable resources.
But in the next moment, Lin Jing abruptly stood up, her voice ringing with urgency:
"Move! Get out of here! This beast is beyond our capabilities!"
Ahead, perched atop a massive boulder, a magnificent tiger with fur stained crimson turned its head coldly.
Sensing the beast's gaze, Lin Jing's breath caught in her throat. The fur on her cat ears bristled, each strand standing on end as if she had encountered her natural predator.
It wasn't just her; even the Unicorn Bulls pulling the merchant caravan's carts trembled violently.
Every Martial Artist present was utterly stunned. They understood the implications: this seemingly ferocious strange beast was far beyond their ability to provoke.
"How is this possible? What exactly is the Blood Lotus Sect doing? How could such a powerful creature still exist in the Black Wind Domain?"
"Stop wasting time! Let's move!"
"Damn it! The Unicorn Bulls won't obey! They're frozen in terror!"
A wave of icy dread washed over the crowd, their hearts sinking into despair.
Being targeted by such a formidable beast meant their fates were likely to be grim.
Lin Jing bit her lower lip, forcing herself to take a shaky first step under the gaze of the massive, mottled tiger.
"Damn it... My vital energy is too depleted. I can't possibly withstand this beast," Lin Jing thought, her expression turning bleak as if she were already witnessing her own demise.
Just as she was about to shout for everyone to scatter and flee, something utterly incomprehensible occurred.
The peerlessly powerful strange beast didn't pounce on them. Instead, it turned and walked away without so much as a second glance!
"It's... leaving? How is that possible?"
(End of the Chapter)
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