What They Hid

Chen Baiqing leaped down from the tree, landing gracefully before the two beasts that had begun to grow docile.

Li Qiyun hadn’t yet grasped what technique Chen Baiqing was employing when he saw her raise her hand slightly. Without a single word, the two Foundation Establishment beasts, which had just been locked in a life-or-death struggle, simultaneously sat down obediently.

Though they were beasts, they had reached Foundation Establishment, and parts of their bodies had taken on human-like forms.

The boar demon’s head remained that of a boar, but its hooves had begun to resemble human hands, capable of grasping objects.

The bear demon, however, still largely retained its original shape, though its body had grown larger, and spiritual energy surged relentlessly around it.

The Azure Sky Treasure Ring hovered before Chen Baiqing, its cyan glow flickering faintly.

Her eyes rested on the boar demon, yet her gaze seemed slightly unfocused, as if she were observing it through an illusion.

"Why have you come here?"

Li Qiyun, sensing the near-total absence of spiritual energy fluctuations from Chen Baiqing, instantly realized that this plainly dressed woman before him was undoubtedly a master of illusion arts.

The boar demon stiffly turned its head.

"Hungry… came to eat."

"Couldn’t you eat where you were before?"

"No… food here is better."

"Why fight this bear demon?"

"That… that’s… good…" The boar demon’s voice grew increasingly slurred, its speech more labored, until it finally roared, "It’s food!"

A faint crimson light flickered in the boar demon’s muddied eyes, its pupils trembling erratically.

Chen Baiqing grew slightly wary. Though the two beasts before her were only at Foundation Establishment, she still took a cautious step back, the glow from the Azure Sky Treasure Ring brightening further.

After answering a few questions, the boar demon’s mind had nearly dissolved into chaos.

The illusion still held, but peering into the beast’s consciousness revealed only a crimson haze.

The situation was unclear, but continuing to interrogate the boar demon was evidently not the best course of action.

Chen Baiqing shifted her gaze to the bear demon, which sat motionless in a daze. After a moment’s thought, she asked,

"Are you hungry?"

"Hungry…"

Her expression turned serious. "When did the hunger start?"

Foundation Establishment cultivators no longer needed to consume mortal food, and while the same might not hold true for demons, they should not have reached the point of starvation.

The onset of hunger was likely when the bear demon’s mind had been ensnared.

Yet this method of mental manipulation was cruel and bizarre—these beasts’ consciousnesses had been nearly obliterated, leaving no chance of recovery.

All that remained were implanted compulsions and objectives, driving them until death.

The technique was meticulous, likely not something that could be mass-produced—at least, not from what Chen Baiqing could discern. Even high-level cultivators would struggle with it.

Who would go to such lengths to control these beasts? Surely not just to watch them mindlessly slaughter each other.

Chen Baiqing speculated this was some kind of test or experiment.

The ultimate goal remained unknown, but given the scale, it was unlikely to be insignificant.

The bear demon froze at her question, offering no reply. Instead, its eyes began rolling wildly, much like the boar demon’s had.

Ignoring the bear demon’s strange state, Chen Baiqing turned slightly, the Azure Sky Treasure Ring transforming into a streak of light as it shot toward her rear.

The boar demon’s eyes were now fully crimson, spiritual energy gushing from its skin alongside blood as it charged at her with desperate force. Its tusks gleamed with a sharp, bloody light.

But someone moved faster.

Li Qiyun had been on guard the moment the boar demon showed signs of instability.

"Be careful!"

His warning came as his figure already interposed itself between Chen Baiqing and the beast. He didn’t draw his sword—since Chen Baiqing had means to interrogate these creatures, keeping them alive might yield more clues.

Though only recently advanced to the Golden Core stage, he was more than a match for Foundation Establishment demons and could afford to hold back.

His fist struck the boar demon’s spine without hesitation, his Golden Core pressure unleashed in full, attempting to intimidate the instinct-driven beast through sheer superiority.

Yet the boar demon showed no fear.

But fearlessness didn’t equate to effectiveness.

Boom!

Dust and debris erupted as spiritual energy rippled outward.

The boar demon’s agonized screech pierced the air.

Along with its cry, a strange energy—mixed with blood and spiritual power—was expelled.

The odd force was nearly imperceptible, something most would overlook.

But Chen Baiqing was different. She sensed a familiarity in that energy.

Not identical, but sharing some fundamental essence.

Without hesitation, she swiftly retrieved an empty treasure vial, using her spiritual energy to capture the strange force.

And then she remembered where she had encountered it before.

North Continent, Zhou Village.

Zhou Village had gathered wish power, but within the ancestral hall’s ritual formations, she had sensed a similar energy.

At the time, Chen Baiqing had been tasked with memorizing the formations, including the peculiar sensation of that power.

A minuscule amount had been enough to manipulate vast quantities of wish energy.

Back then, she hadn’t paid it much mind, assuming it was some specialized technique. But now, with this recurrence, it was clearly no trivial matter.

She swiftly stored the vial in her spatial ring.

Zhou Village had merely been the prelude, leading to the Mist Mystic Temple and Taidao Sect.

What lay behind this incident? Things were far from simple.

Perhaps Tianyan Sect should be notified.

Retrieving the Azure Sky Treasure Ring, Chen Baiqing sent a blade of cyan energy flying, cleanly ending the still-seated bear demon’s life.

Li Qiyun sensed the movement behind him and turned, only to find the bear demon slain in an instant.

Before he could question her, Chen Baiqing’s voice cut in:

"Take your junior sister and retreat. I’ll cover your withdrawal. Move quickly."

Li Qiyun rose, studying Chen Baiqing’s grave expression. After a brief hesitation, he asked,

"Why? Two Golden Core cultivators shouldn’t need to flee from Foundation Establishment beasts."

Chen Baiqing sighed inwardly. Her gaze drifted toward the depths of the forest. Though reluctant, she explained,

"This is some kind of ritual—or observation. I’ve seen something like it before. It’s beyond our ability to resolve. We’ve been noticed, and pursuit is likely imminent."

Li Qiyun’s eyes followed hers into the woods, his tone tinged with doubt.

"I fought here just two days ago… and nothing happened—"

His words cut off abruptly as his expression hardened.

Chen Baiqing raised her hand slightly, the Azure Sky Treasure Ring shooting forth as cyan spiritual energy surged toward the forest depths. Her voice was calm.

"Because I discovered what they thought was well hidden."