Chapter 6: Meeting Acquaintances, Traveling Together

Chapter 6: Meeting Old Acquaintances, Traveling Together

All three turned their attention to Ling Xuance, sensing his deep, steady aura, completely free of any sinister or evil energy—clearly not a bad guy.

The other cultivator in black robes chimed in: "The three of us have traveled together for many days and know this terrain well. If you don't mind, you're welcome to travel with us."

Ling Xuance gave a slight nod. His voice, muffled by the mask, had lost its original tone and was impossible to recognize.

"Fine."

The four traveled together, weaving through the miasma-dense forest. Along the way, they encountered low-level demonic beasts and coordinated with unspoken understanding.

Midway through their journey, the female cultivator in the pale green dress struck up casual conversation, breaking the silence of the road.

"May I ask what spiritual herb you seek in the depths of the miasma forest? I'm searching for a heavenly treasure to save someone." Her tone was candid, without the usual secrecy common among secret-realm cultivators.

Ling Xuance did not pause his steps, speaking flatly: "Demon-Breaking Herb."

The three were briefly taken aback by his two-word reply.

Surprise flickered in the female cultivator's eyes.

"What a coincidence. I came into this forest specifically for the Nine-Jade Marrow."

The Nine-Jade Marrow grew in damp, shaded rock crevices, hidden where the miasma was thickest. It was both a life-saving treasure and a great sign that Demon-Breaking Herbs grew nearby. Traveling together would benefit them both.

"Since our goals line up, let's search together along the way." The green-robed man settled it immediately.

Inside the jade pendant's small world, Lin Yu sensed that Ling Xuance had teamed up with others outside, and a wave of worry rose in his heart.

Having lived two lives in solitude, he'd always been wary of strangers.

He stopped cultivating and called out softly, "Brother Che?"

A gentle spiritual sense instantly pierced the pendant's barrier and settled steadily into the small world.

"Don't be afraid." Ling Xuance's spiritual voice was soft and steady. "One of them is an old acquaintance—we fought side by side once. He's upright, honest, and trustworthy."

He knew Lin Yu was shy around strangers and didn't like crowds.

"Traveling together is just to search for the herb more safely—everyone gets what they need. No extra complications."

The clear, reassuring explanation instantly calmed Lin Yu's unease, and he went back to cultivating with peace of mind.

Over the past three years, his innate life ability had long surpassed just healing and nurturing living things, evolving into a whole new combat form.

At that moment, his fingertips twitched, and glowing light poured out wrapped in thick green energy. It took root on contact with the ground, sprouting branches and breaking through the soil.

In an instant, several slender but tough vines shot up from the ground. Without Lin Yu having to control them, the Spirit Plants sensed their surroundings on their own. The vines were flexible yet strong—able to entangle enemies or strike by surprise, equally good for offense and defense.

This ability looked a lot like the standard wood-type spiritual roots in the cultivation world, but its essence was completely different.

Lin Yu looked at the vines he could command at will. From now on, he could not only heal Ling Xuance's wounds but also share his risks.

Outside, the thick fog of the miasma forest churned as the four advanced with steady steps and unspoken coordination.

Time flew by—half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Over those fifteen days, the four scoured every hollow and ravine of the miasma forest, finally picking up the aura of a high-level demonic beast at the entrance to an underground cave.

All four completely suppressed their auras, freezing in place within the dense fog. They exchanged glances, each reading the others' intent.

Following the aura, they crept forward cautiously for over a hundred zhang. Pushing aside the thick, rolling black miasma, they saw a spacious underground stone platform.

At the center of the platform stood a spiritual herb with faint golden light flowing through its veins, its pure, crisp demon-breaking aura spreading in all directions—exactly the Demon-Breaking Herb Ling Xuance had been looking for.

Nestled in the rock crevices where the herb's roots coiled, a crystal formation gave off a faint, cool jade glow, its spiritual energy rich and restrained—exactly the Nine-Jade Marrow Jin Ling needed.

And at one side of the stone platform, a massive beast covered in dark, ink-like scales lay coiled in sleep, eyes shut tight, breathing deep and heavy.

The four held their breath, moving in perfect sync as they slowly backed away, turning silently to retreat.

They hurried back, barely breathing, until they were more than ten li away, then stopped to discuss their plan in low voices.

The first to speak was the black-robed cultivator Yuan Shao, his expression grim.

"That was a sixth-rank Scale-Miasma Demonic Beast—real Peak Golden Core strength."

He paused, then raised the biggest problem: "Plus, its aura is restless and unstable, and the glow around it is getting denser by the second—clearly a sign it's about to break through."

"This is bad." The green-robed female cultivator Jin Ling frowned.

"A sixth-rank peak demonic beast already outclasses cultivators of the same level, and now that it's on the verge of breaking through, its combat power will only be more terrifying."

Qing Yi, the cultivator with a calm expression, spoke next.

"Among the four of us, this friend has the highest cultivation at Peak Golden Core, with Brother Yuan Shao close behind at mid Golden Core. Sister Jin Ling and I are weaker, barely at late Foundation Establishment."

He came from the Buddhist sect and had never liked conflict.

"In a normal fight against an equal-rank opponent, I can still coordinate and maneuver. But demonic beasts have naturally superior bodies—their margin for error is way higher than a cultivator's. If we really go head-on, the four of us might not come out on top."

One by one, they weighed the pros and cons, laying out the full picture of the dangerous situation. The mood grew heavier and heavier.

Ling Xuance stood quietly to the side, the cold jade mask hiding his brows and eyes, leaving only the sharp lines of his jaw visible. His voice was low and cold.

"A frontal assault would cost too much—our odds of winning are less than three in ten. We can't fight head-on."

He looked at the three. "Yuan Shao and I will hold the front, hitting the beast with everything we've got to draw its full attention to the battlefield."

Then he looked at the other two. "Jin Ling, you're agile. Qing Yi, you're calm. You two will circle around and grab the Demon-Breaking Herb and Nine-Jade Marrow from the stone platform."

"Once you have them, don't linger—pull out immediately. We'll regroup at the outer edge, far from this area."

The plan was clear, perfectly matching each person's strengths and weaknesses, avoiding a head-on clash while maximizing their chances of success.

The three nodded in unison, no one objecting.

"Let's do it exactly like that!" Yuan Shao's expression sharpened as spiritual energy began to circulate through him, battle intent rising.

Jin Ling's eyes gleamed with sharp resolve: "My stealth is solid. I'll circle around and snatch the herb—no problem."

Qing Yi clasped his hands slightly: "I'll steady my breath and take the marrow precisely. I won't waste time."

A chill wind rustled through the miasma forest as thick fog churned—a battle of wits to steal treasure from a high-level demonic beast was already brewing.

The four hid in the shadows of the fog, holding their breath, patiently waiting for the right moment.

Though the sixth-rank Scale-Miasma Demonic Beast was resting, it was extremely vigilant. Its oppressive aura locked firmly onto the entire stone platform, heavy eyelids drooping lazily—but in that moment, its breath flickered with a brief lapse in focus.

That fleeting moment of opportunity was all it took.

Ling Xuance's form shot forth like an arrow from a bow, white robes tearing through the mist, his fierce presence exploding outward in an instant.

Yuan Shao followed close behind, spiritual energy erupting with a thunderous roar as he charged head-on into the battlefield.

A long sword materialized in the air, its blade gleaming frost-white, radiating a frigid, murderous aura and carrying a boundless Dao resonance that suppressed all evil—the renowned Dark Moon Sword.

Beside him, Yuan Shao, Jin Ling, and Qing Yi all sucked in sharp breaths, their hearts churning with shockwaves.

The Dark Moon Sword—the third-ranked divine sword on the weapon registry!

The world knew its previous owner had perished in a treacherous demonic cavern, and the treasure had vanished into obscurity ever since, with no one knowing its whereabouts.

None had ever expected this legendary sword, lost for years, to end up in the hands of this masked cultivator before them.

The three secretly wondered when the cultivation world had produced such a hidden prodigy.

Sword light tore through the air as Ling Xuance held nothing back, unleashing the full force of his Peak Golden Core cultivation. The Dark Moon Sword, wielding the demon-slaying, killing force, slashed straight at the weak point in the beast's scales—its shoulder and neck.

Yuan Shao moved in tandem, his palm strikes dense and heavy, earth-element spiritual power spreading out in layered waves, precisely aiding in suppression and firmly locking down the beast's side-escape routes.

The sudden fierce attack startled the miasma-scaled beast from its rest.

The beast's eyes snapped open, blazing blood-red. A colossal surge of force slammed down with a boom, invisible shockwaves slamming into both their bodies.

Ling Xuance and Yuan Shao grunted, their forms driven back uncontrollably, their blood and qi seething violently.

Yet neither flinched or hesitated in the slightest—they knew the two behind them were grabbing the spiritual materials, and every extra second bought meant a higher chance of victory.

Gritting their teeth to calm their churning blood and qi, they gathered their power and charged forward again, keeping the beast's full attention locked on them, buying Jin Ling and Qing Yi a window of opportunity.

On the other side, Jin Ling and Qing Yi seized the instant when the beast was fully occupied by the frontal assault, its rear unguarded. With swift, decisive movements, one grabbed the Demon-Breaking Herb, the other pocketed the Nine-Jade Spirit Marrow.

"Got it! Pull back!"

Jin Ling's low shout rang out, and without a second thought, the two turned and bolted.

But the instant the materials left the stone platform, the spiritual balance maintained by the stone platform shattered.

The enraged, battling beast sensed its life-bound treasures stolen, its blood-red eyes blazing with towering fury, knowing it had been duped.

Its massive body whirled around with a violent turn, carrying a world-destroying momentum, and it chased the four fleeing figures with reckless abandon.

A peak sixth-tier beast in a furious pursuit was utterly terrifying. The four dared not engage, turning to flee in disarray, spiritual power running at full blast, desperate to shake off the chase.

Ling Xuance gripped the Dark Moon Sword, his fingertips tightening slightly.

This was the opportunity he had sought for three years—the only way to completely purge the demonic affliction in his body. He could not afford the slightest mistake, nor could he let the beast take it back.

His mind made up, he raised his sword and charged head-on into the beast's frenzied attack, buying the other three a precious moment to escape.

After one strike, Ling Xuance fell, gravely wounded.

"Daoist brother!" Yuan Shao shouted in shock.

The beast's furious strike had slammed into him with devastating force, savage demonic power piercing his protective barrier and flooding every meridian and muscle fiber.

Ling Xuance's white robes stained crimson with blood, a coppery taste rising in his throat. The backlash of his severe wounds and demonic energy swept through his body in an instant.

Yuan Shao, Jin Ling, and Qing Yi tried to turn back to help him, but the beast's raging aura blocked them off completely.

The life force of one gravely wounded and near death pierced through the jade pendant's inner world without missing a trace, reaching Lin Yu's senses in an instant.

It made Lin Yu disregard the terror of the unfamiliar outside world, disregard his instinctive fear of the battlefield.

With a flicker of thought, he appeared in the miasma-filled, perilous secret realm. The next moment, spirit light erupted with dense green vitality, pouring out madly.

The ground trembled. Greenery exploded with growth.

Countless spirit-plant vines burst out of the ground, sprouting branches and leaves, crisscrossing in all directions, building a thick, airtight wall of green vegetation in front of Ling Xuance.

At that moment, the beast finished charging up, and a second, even more savage wave of attack slammed down, smashing hard into the green barrier.

The beast had assumed that with its peak sixth-tier brute strength, it could shred this layer of vines in an instant.

But the instant its claws hit the vines, a dense burst of pale green venom erupted, soaking into its rock-hard dark demonic armor.

At that time, when Ling Xuance and Yuan Shao had attacked with all their strength, their blades and spiritual power had only left shallow white marks on the beast's demonic armor—of no consequence, let alone inflicting any real damage.

But now, the green venom latched onto the demonic armor, rapidly seeping in and corroding. The hard scales cracked at a visibly rapid pace, and bone-piercing agony swept through the beast's entire body and meridians.