Descending the Mountain for Training

Inside the immortal cave.

Crash!

An exquisite teacup carved from thousand-year warm jade was ruthlessly smashed onto the ground, shattering into pieces.

Xia Lengyue's chest heaved violently. Her breathtakingly beautiful face no longer bore its usual coldness and arrogance; instead, it was flushed red with extreme anger.

Her divine sense enveloped the entire outer sect martial arts arena, not wavering for a single moment.

She had seen everything that just happened with absolute clarity.

"Why?"

She let out an uncontrollable shriek, like a cuckoo weeping blood, her voice filled with incomprehension, jealousy, and furious rage!

"Why can you still live so well without me? Why?"

"Aren't you a good-for-nothing? Why did you win?"

"I was clearly prepared to save you!"

"You've changed! It's all because you left me that you've become like this!"

Her original plan was not like this!

She had spent so much effort, finding people to put on an act, to break his bones and destroy his confidence, all just to make him understand that he couldn't leave her!

He had to be like a vine, clinging to her as a great tree in order to survive!

But now?

He used a hearty, bloody victory to declare to everyone, and to her...

I, Ye Xuan, can live perfectly well without you!

This feeling of losing control almost drove her mad!

She felt that the canary she had so meticulously raised had not only broken free from its cage, but had even grown claws sharp enough to tear apart tigers and leopards!

"No! No!"

Xia Lengyue paced back and forth in the cold immortal cave like a trapped beast, muttering nervously to herself.

"It's not like this! He must be putting on a brave face! He killed someone, he must be very scared and helpless right now! He needs me! He definitely needs my comfort!"

A glint of madness flashed in her eyes.

"Yes! He needs me! I'll go find him right now! Bring him back! He will hold me and cry, he will beg me never to leave him again!"

This thought gave her restless, manic heart a trace of sickly comfort.

She had even thought it all through.

This time, she would no longer hide. She would directly reveal her full strength and descend before Ye Xuan with the posture of a ruler dominating the world!

She would make the entire Qingyun Sect tremble under her coercion!

She would make Ye Xuan understand that what he had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg.

His so-called rebellion was so laughable in her eyes!

As long as she wished, let alone a single Qingyun Sect, even in the entire cultivation world, she could turn the clouds with a flip of her hand and bring the rain with a turn of her palm!

He could not leave her!

However, just at the moment she was about to set off.

She abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"No..."

The madness in her eyes was forcefully suppressed by a sliver of reason.

"No... he hasn't awakened the memories of his past life yet. In his eyes, I am only Xia Lengyue, not his former wife."

"If I use absolute power to oppress him now, it will only scare him away and push him further!"

"Before he completely falls in love with the me of this lifetime, I cannot do this."

Xia Lengyue took a deep breath, and the coercion capable of destroying heaven and earth was forcefully retracted back into her body.

Her face returned to its icy coldness.

"You refuse to come back... is that it?"

"You think that by killing a Qi Condensation seventh layer, you can rest easy, is that it?"

The corners of her mouth curled up into an extremely cold and wicked arc.

"Naive."

"Ye Xuan, my husband, I will make you understand."

"This world is ten thousand times more cruel than you imagine."

"You will come back and beg me."

"You definitely will."

Ye Xuan did not know that he had just taken a stroll before the gates of hell.

He returned to his dilapidated little wooden hut, closed the door, and isolated all prying eyes from the outside world.

He let out a long sigh of relief, and an unprecedented sense of relaxation spread through his limbs and bones.

Freedom!

This was true freedom!

He opened Zhang Kuang's storage bag. The items inside were pitifully few, only a dozen or so low-grade spirit stones and a few bottles of the most basic Qi-Recovery Pills.

Yet Ye Xuan did not mind at all.

These were the spoils of war he had seized openly and honorably from his enemy, relying on his own strength!

Although the value was not high, the significance was extraordinary.

For the next few days, Ye Xuan completely vanished from the public eye.

He did not leave the house again, pouring all his time into his cultivation.

Without Xia Lengyue's rewards, he could only rely on himself. The thin spiritual energy in the shantytown made his cultivation speed far slower than the thousands of miles a day he experienced at Purple Cloud Peak.

But he didn't care.

This feeling of being down-to-earth, taking it one step at a time, and personally refining spiritual energy into his own cultivation base made him feel incredibly at ease.

However, the good times did not last long.

Half a month later.

When Ye Xuan woke up from his meditation, he awkwardly discovered that the dozen or so low-grade spirit stones he got from Zhang Kuang had been completely used up.

He touched the deflated storage bag and sighed.

The cultivation of the Five Elements Chaos Sutra was a bottomless pit. The immense strength it brought came at the cost of consuming a massive amount of resources.

Without the support of a wealthy woman like Xia Lengyue, relying solely on the pitiful spiritual energy of the shantytown, his cultivation speed was greatly dragged down.

"In the end, I still have to earn it myself."

Ye Xuan stood up and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

It was time to go take a look at the sect's Mission Hall.

He wanted to use his own hands, and the sword in his hand, to carve out a heaven-reaching path for himself.

Qingyun Sect, Mission Hall.

This was one of the liveliest places in the entire sect. Voices boiled over as countless disciples went in and out, either handing in missions or looking for teammates.

When Ye Xuan, wearing an ordinary odd-job uniform with that blood-stained green-edged sword at his waist, walked into the hall, the originally noisy hall experienced a momentary silence.

Countless gazes shot toward him in unison.

In their eyes, there was no longer mockery or disdain, but rather complex emotions—there was dread, curiosity, but mostly fervor.

"It's him, Ye Xuan!"

"The ruthless guy who killed Zhang Kuang with a single sword strike!"

"What is he doing here? Is he going to take on another life-risking mission?"

The disciples subconsciously cleared a path for him, whispering among themselves, but no one dared to step forward and speak to him.

Ye Xuan turned a blind eye to this. He walked straight to the huge mission wall formed by spiritual light in the center of the hall and began to browse carefully.

The missions on the wall were of all kinds, ranging from finding a lost spiritual pet to gathering rare herbs, and even scouting a certain secret realm, with varying degrees of difficulty and rewards.

Ye Xuan's goal was very clear. What he needed was a hunting mission with rich rewards that could hone his practical combat abilities.

Soon, his gaze was drawn to one of the missions.

[Mission: Hunt the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf]

[Location: East of the Sect, Outskirts of the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range]

[Target: A Rank Two Low-Grade Green-Eyed Wind Wolf]

[Description: This demonic wolf is incredibly fast and excels in wind blade attacks. Multiple outer sect disciples have already been injured by its claws.]

Requirement: Form a team of at least three people. Cultivation base must not be lower than the fifth level of Qi Condensation.

Reward: One hundred sect contribution points, thirty low-grade spirit stones.

Thirty low-grade spirit stones!

To the current Ye Xuan, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

Moreover, a Rank Two low-grade demonic beast had a strength roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the sixth to seventh level of Qi Condensation, which was perfect for testing his true combat power now.

However... it required a team.

Ye Xuan frowned slightly. With his current fierce reputation, he feared no one would be willing to team up with him.

Just as he was pondering, a slightly hesitant voice came from the side.

Um... Senior Brother Ye, are... are you also going to take this mission to hunt the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf?

Ye Xuan turned his head to look.

The speaker was a rather mature-looking middle-aged cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, his face bearing traces of weather-beaten hardship.

Behind him followed two young disciples, a man and a woman, both at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. They were sizing him up with a mix of curiosity and fear.

Yes, Ye Xuan nodded.

A hint of joy flashed across the middle-aged cultivator's face, but then he rubbed his hands together somewhat awkwardly. To tell you the truth, Senior Brother, the three of us originally took this mission, but... but our previous captain had a mishap during cultivation a few days ago and is now bedridden. The time limit for this mission is almost up, and we are in need of a strong teammate... I wonder if Senior Brother Ye would be willing to come with us?

When they heard him invite Ye Xuan, a clear trace of resistance and fear flashed across the faces of the young man and woman behind him.

Obviously, Ye Xuan's fierce performance in the martial arts arena had left a massive psychological shadow on them.

Ye Xuan understood perfectly in his heart.

This team probably couldn't find anyone else, so they had no choice but to turn to a notorious fiend like himself.

He didn't really mind. Teaming up was just a requirement for the mission; he didn't expect these temporary teammates to be of much help.

Sure, Ye Xuan agreed concisely.

Excellent! The middle-aged cultivator was overjoyed and quickly introduced himself. I am Wang Hu, and these two are my junior brother and sister, Li Mo and Liu Feiyan. Senior Brother Ye's strength is obvious to all. With your participation, our mission this time will definitely be a success!

Ye Xuan's gaze briefly paused for a moment on the female disciple named Liu Feiyan.

She was a delicate-looking young girl with a ponytail, appearing quite neat and agile. At this moment, she kept her head down, not daring to meet Ye Xuan's eyes. Her cheeks were slightly red, whether from nervousness or fear, it was hard to tell.

Ye Xuan didn't think much of it and just nodded as a greeting.

After the four registered together with the mission deacon, they immediately set off, heading in the direction of the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range.

In the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, ancient trees towered into the sky.

The area was shrouded year-round in a layer of pale green miasma, which not only obstructed vision but also slowly eroded the spiritual energy within a cultivator's body.

Everyone, make sure your Breath-Concealing Talismans are properly attached. The demonic aura here is much denser than on the outskirts.

Walking at the very front, Wang Hu held a Golden-Backed Heavy Earth Saber in his hand. A faint, earthy-yellow spiritual light flowed across the blade.

His expression was solemn as he extended his divine sense, vigilantly perceiving the fluctuations of spiritual energy around them.

Li Mo clutched a palm-sized bronze round shield. It was a low-grade defensive magical artifact, and he was ready to inject spiritual energy to activate it at any moment. He nervously stood guard by Liu Feiyan's side.

As for Liu Feiyan, she held two crimson Explosive Flame Talismans between her fingers. Spiritual energy danced at her fingertips, ready to ignite the talismans at a moment's notice.

Only Ye Xuan maintained a calm and placid demeanor.

He carried a low-grade flying sword on his back and hadn't even activated his protective spiritual shield.

Buzz...

Suddenly, the surrounding air froze for a second. Immediately after, the spiritual energy fluctuations in the bushes to their left became violently chaotic!

Demonic aura! Be careful!

Wang Hu shouted sternly. The Heavy Earth Saber in his hand instantly burst with brilliant light, an earthy-yellow blade aura ready to strike.

Before his voice even faded!

A green afterimage enveloped in violent wind spiritual energy shot out from the forest like teleportation!

It's the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf! An early-stage Rank Two demonic beast, scatter quickly!

Wang Hu roared furiously. He slashed down fiercely with his large saber, sending a heavy, earth-attribute blade aura blasting toward the green shadow.

However, the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf was a wind-attribute demonic beast, excelling in speed above all else. Its body twisted bizarrely in mid-air, actually stepping on the wind to borrow momentum and dodge Wang Hu's heavy and powerful strike. It then transformed into a streak of green light, lunging straight toward Li Mo, the one with the lowest cultivation base in the team!

Damn it!

Li Mo's face turned deathly pale, but his reaction was not slow. With a wild roar, he frantically poured the spiritual energy from his body into the bronze round shield in his hand.

Buzz!

The round shield instantly expanded to the size of a millstone, transforming into a thick green curtain of light that blocked his front.

Block it!!

However, how could the full-force strike of a Rank Two demonic beast be easily blocked by a Qi Condensation cultivator relying on a low-grade magical artifact?

The Green-Eyed Wind Wolf opened its mouth and spat out a wind blade compressed to the extreme. Like a tangible green crescent moon, it carried a piercing sonic boom as it viciously slammed into the light curtain!

Crack!

After a stalemate of merely half a breath, the green light curtain shattered like glass. The wind blade's remaining momentum was undiminished as it instantly slashed across Li Mo's neck.

His protective spiritual energy was torn apart as easily as paper.

Gurgle...

Li Mo clutched his throat as blood, mixed with dissipating spiritual energy, gushed out.

The light in his eyes quickly faded, and his body collapsed limply to the ground.

Only then did the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf reveal its true form. Green whirlwinds coiled around its four paws as it hovered three inches above the ground, its emerald demonic eyes filled with mockery and cruelty.

Li Mo!!

Liu Feiyan let out a shrill, mournful scream.

Vile beast! Die!

Wang Hu's eyes were bloodshot. The spiritual energy around his body surged violently as he held nothing back. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the blade of his saber, shouting loudly, Heavy Earth Heaven-Rending Slash!

Boom!

A yellow blade aura over ten feet long, carrying the momentum to split mountains and crack stones, slashed toward the Wind Wolf.

At the same time, Liu Feiyan also struck out in hatred. She threw the two Explosive Flame Talismans in her hands, which transformed into two massive fireballs that sealed off the Wind Wolf's retreat.

However, a trace of human-like disdain flashed through the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf's eyes.

Green light flared brilliantly around its body as it activated its innate demonic spell, Wind Shadow Step!

Its already extreme speed actually soared once again. It seemed to transform into a wisp of clear breeze, weaving freely through the dense gaps between the blade aura and the fireballs.

Bang! Bang!

The blade aura slashed into the earth, blasting out a deep pit; the fireballs struck the trees, igniting a raging inferno.

Yet, they didn't even touch a single hair on the Wind Wolf!

On the contrary, while dodging, the Wind Wolf continuously spat out a dense barrage of wind blades from its mouth.

Clang, clang, clang!

Wang Hu relied on his profound earth-attribute spiritual energy to take the hits head-on. Although he wasn't injured, the impact caused his qi and blood to churn, forcing him to retreat again and again.

But Liu Feiyan, who majored in fire spells, was in a miserable state. Her body was weak, and she was not skilled in defense.

Pfft!

A wind blade sliced through her protective spiritual light at a tricky angle, leaving a wound deep to the bone on her left shoulder. Spiritual energy leaked out, and blood instantly dyed her Dharma robes red.

Feiyan!

Wang Hu's eyes were splitting with rage. He wanted to rescue her but was firmly entangled by the Wind Wolf.

This demonic beast was too cunning. It had seen through the weakness of this human squad and was using its speed advantage to pick them off one by one!

Seizing the moment Liu Feiyan's spiritual energy dissipated, the Green-Eyed Wind Wolf flashed like a phantom, instantly appearing above her head. Its sharp claws, wrapped in a demonic power capable of tearing through metal and stone, slammed down mercilessly!

The shadow of death enveloped Liu Feiyan.

She closed her eyes in despair, the unactivated talisman slipping powerlessly from her hand.

Right at this hair-raising moment.

The young man, who had been ignored by everyone and lacked the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy, made his move.

A clear and resonant sword cry suddenly rang out.

Clang!

Ye Xuan's sword had already left its sheath, slashing forward in a single strike.

As the sword struck out, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a ten-zhang radius was subjected to some supreme suppression, instantly stopping its flow.

Even the cruelty in the eyes of that Tier 2 Wind Wolf instantly turned into extreme terror.

It felt as if it were being stared down by an ancient, primordial beast; the demonic power throughout its entire body was trembling!

Daluo Limitless Sword Qi!

Go.

Ye Xuan lightly spat out a single word.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor were there any dazzling visual effects.

A transparent stream of sword qi ignored the distance of space and the protective demonic wind coiling around the Wind Wolf.

Pfft!

A soft sound.

The sword qi pierced into the Wind Wolf's left hind leg with unparalleled precision, and then—

Boom!

An absolutely tyrannical and destructive power instantly rushed into the Wind Wolf's body through that node, instantly shredding its internal organs, along with its hard demonic core, into powder!

The Green-Eyed Wind Wolf, which had been lunging for the kill in mid-air, suddenly stiffened.

The next moment, like a kite with a broken string, it fell heavily from the sky, crashing less than a foot away from Liu Feiyan.

Bleeding from its seven orifices, its life force was completely severed.

It didn't even have time to let out a miserable shriek.

The battle came to an abrupt end.

The Thick Earth Blade in Wang Hu's hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

He looked in disbelief at the Tier 2 demonic beast whose defense he couldn't even break, which was now lying there like a dead dog.

This... this is...

Wang Hu turned his stiff neck and looked at the young man who was slowly retracting his finger.

Ye Xuan's expression remained calm, as if what he had just crushed to death wasn't a Tier 2 demonic beast, but an annoying fly.

He walked to the Wind Wolf's corpse, lightly hooked his finger, and guided by an invisible force, a shattered cyan demonic core flew into his hand.

What a pity. I used too much force and the demonic core shattered.

Ye Xuan frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with his own control.

He casually tossed the shattered demonic core to the dumbstruck Liu Feiyan and said indifferently, Can you still walk?

Ah... yes! I can! Liu Feiyan woke up as if from a dream. Her pretty face flushed, and with Wang Hu's support, she hurriedly struggled to stand up.

Th-thank you, Senior Brother Ye, for saving my life! She walked up to Ye Xuan and bowed deeply, her voice full of gratitude and admiration.

It's just a mission. Ye Xuan's answer was as concise as ever.

He glanced at Li Mo's already cold corpse nearby, then looked at the still-shaken Wang Hu and Liu Feiyan. There was no ripple of emotion in his heart, only a faint sigh.

This world of immortal cultivation was truly cruel.

Life here was as cheap as grass.

Companions who were laughing and talking together one moment could turn into cold corpses the next.

If one wanted to survive, if one wanted to avoid becoming dry bones under someone else's feet, the only way was... to become stronger.