Chapter 127: Everyone Knows, Right?

Chapter 127: Everyone Knows, Right?

The next day, everything went on as usual. The matches continued normally, and the selection process wrapped up as expected. Only a few elders were missing from their seats, and it wasn't until all the matches were over that the Giant Tiger Clan elder reappeared.

The internal competition among the demon clans was quite interesting. It wasn’t entirely fair, nor were there many rules. After all the matches, the elders just picked the winner, and that was that. The top three didn’t even need to compete again for ranking.

Hua Guan of the Giant Tiger Clan took first place, Cui Peng of the Black Rock Tiger Clan came second, and Bai Yun of the Fire Armor Tiger Clan was third.

Everyone else could head back home. The three of them, along with the elders of their respective clans, would go to Spirit Rhinoceros Valley together.

Since the Fire Armor Tiger Clan had no elder present, the Deep Forest Tiger Clan elder would look after him.

Shang Yunduo looked left at the quiet elder, then right at his equally quiet two companions, and felt totally hopeless.

Why hadn’t any of his lively, talkative, fun-loving meal buddies and match-watching buddies been selected!

Fengliu and the others said goodbye to him, jealous as hell. They’d gotten along, so many young tiger cultivators invited Shang Yunduo to visit their territories.

When they reached the teleportation point, even Pei Jie could not follow and had to stay in this small city to wait for him. Shang Yunduo felt even more bummed.

Of course, Pei Jie wouldn’t just sit around. As soon as they left, he would be able to catch up.

Shang Yunduo knew that he had Pei Jie’s tracking mark on him, so he wouldn’t lose him. But he couldn’t openly meet him for several days, and he didn’t know if Pei Jie would be in danger traveling alone in the demon realm. He simply couldn’t get himself in the mood.

The entire team of six people were all sitting on the Deep Forest Tiger Clan elder’s giant buzzard. No one spoke.

Since they weren’t talking, Shang Yunduo couldn’t be bothered either. He simply sat in the back and stared blankly.

But then the Giant Tiger elder strolled over and sat down beside Shang Yunduo.

“Why are you so down? Are your wounds not healed, or are you missing that deer of yours?”

Shang Yunduo: “...”

The Giant Tiger elder smacked Shang Yunduo twice with his big paw, almost made the giant buzzard crash. The large bird screeched sharply, and the two elders who had been resting with closed eyes turned their heads.

“Tsk, so noisy, can’t even take a slap.” He smacked Shang Yunduo again before calmly pulled his hand back. “Mm, your wounds are mostly healed, so you must be missing that deer! By the time you come back, he might have already run away on his own.”

Shang Yunduo: “...”

“Hahaha!” Facing his furious glare, the Giant Tiger elder laughed heartily. “If it’s time to eat, just eat heartily. If you can’t bear to take a bite, someone else will end up with it.”

Shang Yunduo: “...”

Can we even have a proper conversation anymore!

He suspected that this old man was getting back at me for his little grandson Hua Jing, who hadn’t been selected and had to return home all by himself.

Shang Yunduo: “He is my cultivation partner!”

“Cultivation partner?” The Giant Tiger elder clicked his tongue. “Listen, I told you not to learn from those two-legged human cultivators, but none of you listen, picking up all this fancy bullshit. You are a tiger, he is a deer—deer are delicious!”

Shang Yunduo: “...”

The Giant Tiger elder: “Enough, let’s talk serious. All of you come over.”

The six of them gathered in a circle. The Giant Tiger elder said, “The hostage from the Spirit Rhinoceros Clan is dead. You all know that, right?”

Shang Yunduo was bewildered.

Huh?

What the hell?

Spirit Rhinoceros Clan?

Aren’t the spirit rhinos almost all caught? There are still hostages?

He shook his head without thinking, then suddenly noticed that Hua Guan and Cui Peng had both nodded.

???

Huh?

His head-shaking motion stopped dead. He looked at the two elders across from him—they obviously knew too.

“...”

Wait, among the six people present, was he the only one who didn’t know?

No one told him!

The Giant Tiger elder continued, “And one got away. You all know that, right?”

Hua Guan and Cui Peng nodded again.

“...” Shang Yunduo hesitated, not moving, listening blankly, looking lost. He made eye contact with the Giant Tiger elder, who was looking down at him.

“...”

They looked at each other in silence. Everyone was staring at him. Not knowing what to say, Shang Yunduo could only mutter, “Uh... I know too.”

“Hahaha!” The Giant Tiger elder smacked his shoulder, nearly sending both him and the bird tumbling again. “Look at this stupid look. To think you all suspected he might be a spy!”

What?!

Shang Yunduo looked up at him in shock, then at the other two elders and his two companions.

Why wasn’t there not one surprised face?! Huh?!

Only the Deep Forest Tiger Clan elder shot the Giant Tiger elder a look but said nothing.

Shang Yunduo was totally confused and a little angry. So nobody told him about the “spy” game, and they all treated him like one, right?

He felt like jumping off the bird.

“Alright.” The Giant Tiger elder whacked him again, this time on his back, nearly sending him flying. Fortunately, Hua Guan grabbed him and pulled him back.

But Hua Guan was in on it too!

After all these days together, he had thought Hua Guan was a good person and someone worth being friends with!

He glared at Hua Guan.

Hua Guan: “...”

The Giant Tiger elder: “Since we’re all on the same side, let’s talk serious. Two hostages—one dead, one escaped. Reliable information says that the Spirit Rhinoceros King has also disappeared. Not sure if he wants revenge or something, but he’s heading this way. Don’t worry, Spirit Rhinoceros Valley has restrictions; Transformation stage beings can’t get in. If he does come, the old ancestors will deal with it. Anyway, keep your eyes open when you get to Spirit Rhinoceros Valley. The outer valley competition is supervised by us three, so nothing big will go down. The inner valley can only be entered by Spirit Accumulation stage cultivators. If the three of you can get in, each of you watch your backs.”

He glanced at Cui Peng, then at Shang Yunduo. "If you really get lucky and go in, catch the Spirit Rhino as soon as you see it, and while doing so, find Hua Guan to regroup. Aguan, take care of them."

Hua Guan: "Understood."

Elder Juhu: "You two... hmm... treat this as training! Fight well in the competition—it's a rare opportunity. As for the Spirit Rhino, catch it if you can. If you really can't... and things go wrong, forget it. Your own life matters, got it?"

Cui Peng and Shang Yunduo both nod.

Only then does Shang Yunduo feel a shock belatedly. The Spirit Rhino—isn't it just a spirit beast?

He knows that there is some similarity between spirit beasts and demon cultivators, akin to ordinary mortals and human cultivators. But mortals and cultivators differ only in whether they have spiritual roots and the ability to cultivate. The distinction between spirit beasts and demon cultivators, however, is not drawn that way.

To make a rough analogy, the difference between spirit beasts, demon cultivators, and wild animals is whether they have spiritual roots and spiritual power. Meanwhile, the difference between spirit beasts and demon cultivators, broadly speaking, is whether they can cultivate.

Spirit beasts often rely solely on their innate talents, instinctively hunting and surviving like wild animals. They naturally use their inherent bodies and spiritual power, merely adding the ability to wield spiritual power compared to ordinary beasts.

Demon cultivators, on the other hand, surpass spirit beasts of the same kind in intelligence, physical strength, and spiritual power. Like human cultivators, they aspire to cultivate and achieve enlightenment. Although their thinking is generally straightforward and simple, their intellect and reasoning are not inferior to humans. They have their own civilization. Many demon cultivator clans are increasingly converging with human cultivators.

Just as among mortals, some have spiritual roots and talent suited for cultivation, so too can demon cultivators emerge from spirit beasts. However, the probability is even lower than that of mortals becoming cultivators. But originally, demon cultivators arose from spirit beasts.

Similarly, just as not all descendants of human cultivators have spiritual roots, the offspring of demon cultivators may also experience atavism. If their cultivation regresses or they suffer irreversible injuries preventing further cultivation, they might even degenerate back into spirit beasts. Thus, demon cultivators naturally protect their own kind of spirit beasts, usually treating them like pets. For instance, Tiger cultivators use beast tigers to pull carts.

Therefore, any demon cultivator who successfully reaches the Spirit Accumulation stage can, with a bit of practice, control their own clan's spirit beasts, comparable to human cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage who tame beasts.

But what about the Spirit Rhino?

What about the hostages?

Since the Spirit Rhinoceros Clan also has Transformation stage demon cultivators, how could their clan be trapped in a valley and hunted by humans?

Shang Yunduo really wants to talk to Pei Jie and ask if he knows, but Pei Jie isn't here. He can only fly high in the sky accompanied by five Tiger cultivators, enduring a lonely journey. Afraid of saying the wrong thing and arousing suspicion, he dares not ask or speak carelessly. The time feels like years.

With absolutely nothing to do, he soon feels drowsy. Shang Yunduo stifles a yawn, holding it back until his eyes tear up. Sitting upright for a while, he notices Cui Peng yawning too.

Cui Peng finishes yawning, and as if contagious, Hua Guan also yawns.

Shang Yunduo: "..."

Elder Juhu says directly, "If you're sleepy, sleep. You won't have a chance to sleep once we reach the Spirit Rhinoceros Valley."

Huh?

The Tiger Clan is so free?

While the elders are on duty, they can sleep?

Shang Yunduo is stunned for a moment, then sees Cui Peng lying down right there.

"..."

Hua Guan is too large, so he finds a sturdy spot to avoid tilting the Giant Buzzard they're riding.

Elder Juhu points at Shang Yunduo, "Hey, aren't you sleepy? With such nice sun, go sleep next to that kid from the Yan Clan."

Dazed, Shang Yunduo shuffles over and lies down. After digesting this, he simply closes his eyes, turns his back to the sun, and sleeps. If they say sleep, then sleep!

On the third day at noon, Shang Yunduo is woken by the blazing sun. In a daze, he thinks he's lying on a down blanket. Sitting up and changing direction, he finds that apart from him, only Elder Juhu, too large to lie down, is still sitting. Everyone else is asleep.

Sure enough, big cats... no matter the breed, they all love to sleep!

Shang Yunduo squints drowsily for less than two minutes before lying down again.

By evening, he vaguely hears someone talking and quickly sits up. He sees Elder Juhu stretching and yawning. The other two elders and Hua Guan are also awake. Only Cui Peng is still sleeping soundly, snoring.

"We're finally almost there." Elder Juhu stands up, crossing his arms and gazing at the dense clouds ahead.

Is this the place?

Why can't he sense any spiritual energy?

Shang Yunduo pats Cui Peng. Before he can say "Wake up," Cui Peng startles like a cat, jumping up and scaring him.

The Giant Buzzard seems startled by his sudden jump and tilts sideways, nearly tumbling everyone off its back.

"Hahaha!"

"Why are you Tigers still like this?"

Suddenly a voice comes, startling Shang Yunduo. He quickly steadies himself. On either side of the Giant Buzzard, a giant gourd and a long-tailed large bird appear.

On the gourd and the bird, people sit or stand, like theirs, five or six in number.

When did they get so close?

Was the Buzzard startled not by Cui Peng, but by their sudden approach?

Elder Yanhu glances at the giant gourd, curling his lip. "What a nuisance."

"Nuisance?! I don't want to see you either!" The demon cultivator standing on the high point of the gourd, wearing an animal skin around his waist and baring one shoulder, raises an eyebrow at them. "Why is it you again this year? Does your Tiger Clan have no one else? Tsk tsk, you two are new faces. That big one, could you be from the Giant Tiger Clan? Doesn't the Giant Tiger Clan never leave home?"

Shang Yunduo thinks to himself, this statement is quite contradictory. First complaining about seeing the same people, then complaining about not seeing new faces. He's saying both things himself.

Elder Juhu glances at the other. "Which clan are you from?"

The giant gourd: "Blood Qilin Clan, Sha Feng!"

Shang Yunduo inwardly grumbles again, such a confident tone. Is he famous?

Then he hears Elder Juhu say, "Never heard of it."

Shang Yunduo almost laughs.

The giant gourd: "Ignorant. Little ones, have you heard of it?"

Shang Yunduo: "..."

He imitates Hua Guan and Cui Peng, keeping a blank expression, acting tough.

The giant gourd: "Ah, all of you. If you meet them in the arena, beat those three up hard."

The three Spirit Accumulation stage members of the Blood Qilin Clan reply in unison, "We'll beat them bloody!" "Elder, is Tiger Clan good to eat?"

Everyone on the Giant Buzzard turns to look at them.

Elder Yanhu laughs, "Heh, curious, huh? I'm also wondering how Blood Qilin meat tastes."

The two glare at each other with forced smiles, their killing intent colliding silently in the air.

"Hee hee hee..."

"Hee hee hee hee hee..."

Elder Yanhu: "If we run into each other, we'll settle it as a fight to the death."

The Great Gourd: "Just what I wanted."

Shang Yunduo: "..."

So it didn't have to be a fight to the death after all...

"We're here." On the long-tailed bird, which had been silent since approaching, the leading Core Formation demon cultivator muttered to himself, "I'm heading on ahead."

Elder Yanhu and the Great Gourd both stopped laughing, and their mounts suddenly accelerated. The two birds and the gourd raced to dive into the thick fog first, as if they were racing.

The cool night mist brushed against their faces, and Shang Yunduo felt a faint ripple of spiritual energy.

It was a formation.

In the thick fog, the racing gourd and long-tailed bird had already disappeared from sight. Elder Yanhu pulled out something, and the mist parted to form a small opening. The Giant Buzzard shot through like an arrow, and nearby, two flashes of spiritual light flashed—presumably the gourd and the bird entering as well.

Within moments, the fog gathered again behind them, and the formation closed back up.

So it required a key.

He wondered if his Senior could get in, and where he was now.

The fog gradually thinned, and moonlight poured down. The two birds and the gourd burst out of the mist almost simultaneously, appearing above the small mountain peak that stood like a pillar.

Shang Yunduo suddenly saw a cluster of small hilltops, like plum-blossom-shaped stakes, sandwiched between two cliffs below. He thought, *Is this where the match will be?*

Before he could get a clear look, the Giant Buzzard carried them toward a cave carved into the cliff wall.

Author's note:

Yunduo: "What?! You suspect I'm a spy? You... I... Fine, I'll just be mad and get over it (sits down sadly) (starts thinking about Senior)."