Chapter 41

Chapter 41

A trail of bloody scent swept from behind.

Utilizing her momentum from the sprint, Wen Qiao seized the opportunity to propel Ning Yuzhou out of the White Belly Wolf Spider's territory. At the same time, she grabbed Wen Tuttu and tossed her over as well, urgently exclaiming, "Wen Tuttu, protect your brother."

Then she leaped aside, evading the stench that lashed at her from behind, and swiftly summoned a segment of Stonegold Python Ivy.

The Golden Python Vine surged forth at an astonishing pace. Its golden tendrils began thin but swelled in girth as they grew, spreading rampantly and swiftly filling the area around it, effectively blocking the incoming white spider silk.

A silvery web ensnared a segment of the Stonegold Python Vine, dragging it backward. The vine was pulled out of its position.

Wen Qiao swiftly leaped across the vines growing from the Stonegold Python Vine, evading the approaching spider silk. Wherever she passed, trails of the white silk adhered to the ground.

Upon reaching the other side of the vine, Wen Qiao caught a brief respite. She soon spotted the Whitebelly Wolf Spider on a web ahead. The creature was enormous, resembling a buffalo, yet it rested lightly on its web, its body predominantly grayish-black with a pure white abdomen.

Thick as a thumb, the silk issued from the Whitebelly Wolf Spider's abdomen, attaching to the Stonegold Python Vine each time. Wen Qiao continued her acrobatic leaps on the vine, dodging the incoming silk. Before long, the vine became entangled in webs, immobilized.

Wen Qiao threw out another segment of the Stonegold Python Vine, stimulating its growth once more.

Two consecutive catalyzations had drained more than half of the Spirit Orifices' Primordial Spirit Energy within her body. At most, she could catalyze twice more before her Primordial Spirit Energy was completely depleted.

Wen Qiao swiftly popped a Spirit Nourishing Pill into her mouth, and the spiritual energy within her Spirit Aperture regained nearly eighty percent of its vitality.

Seizing a vine, she gracefully swung mid-air, evading the spider's web assault. With fluid movements, she unknowingly drew closer to the white-bellied wolf spider.

The Whitebelly Wolf Spider glared ominously at the human persistently attempting to approach it. It skittered swiftly among the webs around it, retreating decisively when Wen Qiao drew near, denying her any chance to come closer. Without hesitation, the spider shot its abdomen fibers towards her, aiming to bind and consume her.

Wen Qiao made several attempts, only to find the white-bellied wolf spider exceedingly cunning, denying her any chance to approach it.

Thus, Wen Qiao shifted her strategy. If getting close didn't work, she would confront directly!

This time, when the spider silk attacked again, Wen Qiao didn't simply evade. She seized a length of vine, waiting for the right moment to wrap it around the incoming silk. The spider silk adhered firmly to the vine, and she leaped upward, pulling back with all her might.

Unprepared, the White-bellied Wolf Spider, perched on its web, was pulled down by the human below and violently slammed onto the grasping Stonegold Vines, which swiftly enwrapped it.

The Stone Gold Ivy was no ordinary spirit plant; it was incredibly sturdy. The Whitebelly Wolf Spider, despite its potent venom, possessed minimal strength. Trapped by the Stone Gold Bind Vine, it was unable to break free and began to struggle anxiously, spewing venom in an attempt to corrode the vines binding it.

Yet, before it could free itself from the vines, a delicate fair hand pressed against its head, followed by a fierce punch.

The blow forced the white-bellied wolf spider's head down violently, causing it to thrash in agony.

Then, Wen Qiao held the bound spider with the vines and began to pummel it fiercely.

Meanwhile, Ning Yuzhou, who had been thrown out of the white-bellied wolf spider's territory, nearly crashed to the ground.

Next, a small rabbit gracefully and lightly landed on his shoulder, following the spider's trajectory.

Steadying himself quickly, Ning Yuzhou watched the battle inside, somewhat worried. He addressed the magical rabbit, "Wen Tuzi, go help your sister."

Wen Tuzi's bottom twitched, but it ignored the request.

It had to obey its sister and stay here to protect the alchemist. If anything happened to the alchemist, it wouldn't have any spirit pills to eat.

"Listen up!" the alchemist said, stuffing a spirit pill into its mouth. "Go help your sister."

Wen Tuzi promptly stashed the spirit pill into its cheek pouch but remained still, calmly squatting on Ning Yuzhou's shoulder.

Ning Yuzhou was almost amused by the little rabbit's antics. He plucked Wen Tuzi from his shoulder, ready to throw it into the fray, when he suddenly noticed that the tide of the battle had turned. Wen Qiao had finally managed to bind the spider with the vines and was now mercilessly pounding its head.

Ning Yuzhou composed himself and refrained from urging Wen Tuzi further, instead focusing on observing the ongoing battle.

Wen Tuzi leaped onto his shoulder, clutching a spirit pill in its paws. It licked the pill while attentively watching the fight unfold. It had unwavering faith in its sister; she would surely defeat that wicked spider.

Wen Qiao relentlessly pounded the white-bellied wolf spider, stopping only after breaking three of its legs.

The spider lay belly up, utterly drained. Its gaze toward Wen Qiao held a hint of fear, neglecting even its broken limbs.

Wen Qiao jumped down from the stone golden python's creeper. Glancing at the two clusters of webs-infested vines, she realized they were irretrievable. Sighing, she addressed the spider, "That's it for today. I'll come back to challenge you next time."

The white-bellied wolf spider: "............"

Its legs trembled slightly, but it continued to feign death, pretending not to hear her words.

Avoiding the spider webs on the ground, Wen Qiao made a few agile leaps, leaving the spider's territory. Ning Yuzhou, who was waiting, approached and took her hand, examining it as he asked, "Are you hurt?"

"Not yet," the young girl replied with a smile, her small canines peeking through. Her sweet voice was gentle as she continued, "Although this White-bellied Wolf Spider is at the fifth stage, its only notable assets are the toxicity and stickiness of its silk. As long as one can resist these qualities, it's not much of a threat."

Speaking until the end, she felt a little disappointed, realizing that she had overestimated the spider.

Ning Yuzhou, having just observed the battle, had also noticed the White-bellied Wolf Spider's weaknesses.

Despite being at the fifth stage, its combat strength was inferior to other creatures at the same level. Its venom and silk were its main strengths, making it more suitable for long-range attacks. If someone could get close to it and overcome its venom, it would be easily defeated.

Wen Qiao had previously consumed an antidote, rendering her unafraid of the spider's venom. As for its silk, she had skillfully utilized the Stone Gold Python's vines to restrain it, allowing her to approach and overpower it effortlessly. Most cultivators, when encountering the White-bellied Wolf Spider, preferred fire-based or long-range attacks, seldom adopting her unique tactics.

One could say that her method was unprecedented. Wen Qiao was the first cultivator to subdue a fifth-stage White-bellied Wolf Spider using brute force.

Ning Yuzhou gently brushed away some disheveled strands of hair from her face and asked with a smile, "Why didn't you kill it?"

The demon core of a fifth-stage wolf spider held considerable value. Its toxic core was suitable for refining poison pills or neutralizing the toxicity of certain other poisons.

Wen Qiao replied, "It didn't do anything heinous. Defeating it was enough. I want to keep it alive so I can challenge it again next time."

Ning Yuzhou: "............"

He glanced at the Whitebelly Wolf Spider lying on the ground with broken limbs and gently stroked his young wife's head, a mild smile playing on his lips. "Mm, then we'll come back to challenge it again next time."

The two of them made this decision happily without consulting the defeated spider.

There was no need to consider the opinion of a defeated foe.

On their way back, when they passed through the territory of the spirit monkeys, Wen Qiao stopped.

After circling around, they didn't find the Monkey King; there were barely any adult spirit monkeys either, only a few young ones hiding in the trees, curiously observing them.

Wen Qiao caught a young monkey that had thrown her a spirit fruit. Her cold expression softened slightly as she asked, "Where is your King?"

It was rare for the young girl to be so amiable towards outsiders. Unfortunately, the monkeys didn't appreciate it and merely chattered at her incessantly.

Wen Qiao's face lit up as if she understood something. She turned to her husband and said, "Yuzhou, the little monkey says that the Monkey King is afraid we'll ask for more wine, so it's hiding. Should we go find it?"

The corners of Ning Yuzhou's lips lifted. "If you like drinking, then go ahead."

"Wine brewed by the spirit monkeys tastes great." Wen Qiao nodded, a look of delight on her face. "Wen Tuzi likes it too."

Wen Tuzi whimpered in agreement, fully convinced by its sister's words.

"Then let's go find the Monkey King!"

With a sweeping gesture, Wen Qiao combined persuasion with intimidation, eventually convincing the young spirit monkey to lead the way.

The little spirit monkey, clutching the tempting spiritual pill, mimicked Wen Tuzi's actions, licking it contentedly and emitting satisfied sounds. It betrayed the location of the Monkey King without hesitation.

Wen Qiao swiftly discovered the Monkey King in a tree hollow.

The Monkey King's face expressed utter despair as it chattered at its offspring, scolding the disobedient son for betraying his father for a mere spiritual pill. This kind of son was born to be a burden to his parent.

The young spirit monkey, holding onto the pill, remained unmoved.

After all, that was the way of monkey society – no two kings could coexist in one den, not even a male and female. When the young spirit monkey matured, it would contend with its parents for the title of Monkey King. Since the position would inevitably be its own, why not seize the opportunity now?

Unable to defeat Wen Qiao, the Monkey King reluctantly led them to where the wine was stored.

The spirit monkeys' dwelling was nestled in the branches of a colossal spirit tree. Its lush green foliage formed a canopy, appearing from above like a verdant slope. The tree leaned against a mountainside, with half its trunk seemingly merging with the cliff. A spring flowed down from within the mountain, creating a small pond on one of the tree's branches. The water was crystal clear, imbued with abundant spiritual energy – no wonder the spirit monkeys could brew such exquisite spiritual wine.

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou stood beneath the tree, gazing upward.

Stars and the moon had already ascended, illuminating the sky with their brilliance. The starlight filtered through the tree branches, casting a mesmerizing pattern on the ground.

The spirit tree towered several dozen yards high, its trunk twisting like a dragon's coil. A rich aroma of wine wafted down from its branches. Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou found a lush grassy spot beneath the tree to rest, sipping the wine delivered by the Monkey King. They both felt relaxed and languid.

The spirit monkeys were familiar with Wen Qiao. After all, she was the human who had driven them near the territory of the White Belly Wolf Spiders, defeated their Monkey King, and taken their hundred-year-aged spirit wine. They would recognize her even in ashes.

Initially, they had been somewhat wary of Wen Qiao, but soon, led by a small spirit monkey, they gathered around the pair, one by one.

The Little Spirit Monkey was the same monkey who had led them to a spirit pill earlier. It was the youngest offspring of the Monkey King, not very old but with an astonishing cultivation speed. Given time, it would surely surpass the Monkey King and become the ruler of this troop of spiritual monkeys, leaving the old king with no choice but to be driven away.

Wen Qiao finished her drink and pulled out a handful of spirit pills, distributing them to the spirit monkeys gathered around her.

Upon receiving the spirit pills, the spiritual monkeys chirped with joy and excitement. They eagerly offered them their self-made wines and harvested spirit fruits as gifts.

A single elixir was enough to win over the group of spiritual monkeys; they no longer found Wen Qiao detestable but instead hoped she would visit them in her spare time.

Wen Qiao received so many gifts that her hands ached from holding them. She used a storage bag to gather all the presents bestowed by the spirit monkeys.

"In truth, I prefer spirit herbs more," Wen Qiao sat cross-legged, enjoying the spirit fruits offered by the spirit monkeys. Her eyes shimmered like shattered stars, radiating with brilliance.

Ning Yuzhou leaned against the tree trunk, cradling a jar of wine as he watched the young girl beneath the tree, chatting and eating with the spirit monkeys.

The night breeze blew gently, and the stars sparkled brightly. It felt as if time was serene, and some vague memories seemed to have drifted far away...

After resting under the spirit monkeys' tree for the night, Ning Yuzhou and his companions left refreshed in the morning.

As they were about to depart, the chattering spirit monkeys leaped down from the trees, piling up mud-covered spirit herbs in front of Wen Qiao.

Wen Qiao said delightedly, "You found these during the night? That's great. Thank you."

Speaking, she grabbed a handful of spirit pills and distributed them to the spirit monkeys as a token of appreciation for their spirit herbs.

In reality, the assortment of spirit herbs was mixed, with some even consisting of ordinary weeds randomly plucked. Considering it was the spirit monkeys' first time doing this, Wen Qiao didn't mind. She picked out the spirit herbs that her space lacked, leaving the rest behind. The weeds were deliberately selected and pointed out to them, informing them that she already had these. If they could find spirit herbs she didn't possess, she would exchange them for spirit pills in the future.

The spirit monkeys were thrilled. One by one, they stepped forward to examine the spirit herbs that Wen Qiao had rejected, ensuring they wouldn't bring those again.

In the days that followed, while Wen Qiao stayed on Cangwu Mountain, the spirit monkeys developed a daily routine of delivering spirit herbs to her and receiving spirit pills in return.

After leaving the territory of the spirit monkeys, they returned to the valley.

Despite their absence overnight, the Covert Scale Guards were not worried. They had a contract with Ning Yuzhou, and if he hadn't summoned them, it meant there was no danger. Thus, they didn't go out of their way to search for them. This allowed Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao to have some private time together, and their relationship progressed steadily.

***

In the following days, Wen Qiao continued her search for battles with monsters to hone her whip martial art. After the White-bellied Wolf Spider recovered, she engaged it in several more fights, always snapping off a few of its legs each time.

Ironically, before leaving, Wen Qiao would feed it a healing spirit pill, allowing its legs to regenerate quickly only to be broken again.

Damn it, when will this end?!

To avoid being beaten up, the White-bellied Wolf Spider decided to mimic the spirit monkeys and started gifting Wen Qiao with spirit herbs.

The spirit herbs that the White-bellied Wolf Spider offered were of a much higher grade than those from the spirit monkeys, and there was a wider variety. Being incredibly venomous, many monsters were no match for it. It could easily snatch away the spirit herbs guarded by other monsters by simply poisoning them, making the ones it obtained naturally superior to what the spirit monkeys found.

Wen Qiao treated the White-bellied Wolf Spider the same as the spirit monkeys, exchanging spirit pills for the spirit herbs.

The White-Bellied Wolf Spider, having tasted the sweetness of its success, grew even more zealous in searching for spirit herbs. The nearby demonic beasts were struck with great misfortune as their territory's spirit herbs were plundered by the interloping spider, causing them immense frustration.

One day, the White-Bellied Wolf Spider stole a Crimson Star Flower from the territory of a Crimson Flame Leopard and left triumphantly.

No sooner had it departed when a group of cultivators arrived at the Crimson Flame Leopard's domain.

Leading the group was a young cultivator dressed in luxurious silk robes. His features were handsome, and his affectionate gaze added an alluring charm to his presence. He was accompanied by a pair of identical, charming twin sisters who leaned on him affectionately. Surrounding them were several guards, closely protecting the trio.

"One of the twins cooed, "Young Master, we've heard that there's a sixth-rank Crimson Star Flower here, guarded by the Crimson Flame Leopard."

"Be careful, Young Master," the other twin warned. "That Crimson Flame Leopard is not to be trifled with. Jiaojiao would be heartbroken if you were hurt."

The silk-robed young man smiled, waving a fan in his hand. "It's nothing to worry about. The Crimson Flame Leopard's flames are indeed formidable, but I possess a purifying water that can suppress fire. Dealing with it won't be a problem, so Jiaojiao and Qianqian, there's no need to be concerned."

Upon hearing this, the twins were delighted. Jiaojiao chuckled, "If we could refine the Crimson Sun Pill using the Crimson Star Flower, the Shang family would be nothing compared to our Wang family's alchemists."

"Indeed," the woman named Qianqian giggled, covering her mouth. "I've heard that during this Five Cities Alchemy Gathering, the Shang family plans to showcase a Ground Level Soul Calming Pill, trying to outshine our Wang family. That's why they sent the Shang Honglang siblings to Cangwu Mountain in search of the Seven-Leaf Tongue Spirit Mushroom. Little did they know..."

The elegant young noble listened with a smile as the two sisters conversed back and forth, not interjecting a single word.

It was only when the scout in front returned that he finally spoke, "Well? Did you find any trace of the Crimson Flame Leopard?"