Chapter 47: The Young Cultivators on the Outskirts of Skycloud Valley

Huang Yipeng’s pursuit of Chu Xiner was not merely because of her talent and beauty, but also for the sake of his reputation as one of the outstanding young talents of the Greenleaf Sect. With the backing of an elder uncle in the sect and the aura of having reached the peak of the Qi Refinement Stage at only eighteen, which among the female disciples had not secretly harbored affection for him before Chu Xiner appeared? Take, for example, Junior Sister Zhou and Junior Sister Lian—had he but spoken a word, they would have eagerly drawn near without hesitation. Yet no matter how he tried to please her, that stubborn girl never gave him so much as a glance.

Huang Yipeng had even boasted before his close friends that he would surely win Chu Xiner’s heart, but each attempt ended in failure, leaving him feeling deeply humiliated. Secretly, he vowed that, no matter the means, he would claim Chu Xiner’s body and heart, and then cast her aside, letting her taste the bitterness of abandonment.

Xiao Wenzi was unaware of these hidden motives, nor did he care to investigate. Though, after being taken as Chu Xiner’s spirit pet, she treated him fairly well, in truth, he had been forced to recognize her as his master. Their relationship was not so close as to share every thought.

Since receiving the transmission talisman and decisively rejecting Senior Brother Huang, Chu Xiner’s sense of crisis had only grown. She locked herself in her room every day to cultivate with even greater diligence.

Finally, after more than half a month, as Chu Xiner grew from a fifteen-year-old maiden into a more enchanting sixteen-year-old beauty, a surge of spiritual power rippled through the attic. She successfully broke through to the pinnacle of the tenth level of the Qi Refinement Stage.

“Let’s go, Little Wen. I’ll take you to find some low-level itinerant cultivators for you to feed on.”

Breaking through from the tenth to the eleventh level could not be accomplished in a day or two. Sensing that Xiao Wenzi’s cultivation had not improved during this period, Chu Xiner ended her seclusion and, after a trip outside, returned to say this.

Xiao Wenzi had no objection. With a beckoning gesture, she summoned him into the spirit beast pouch at her waist.

This time, things were different. The master-servant contract allowed Xiao Wenzi’s demon sense to extend beyond the limited space of the pouch, enabling him to follow the girl’s footsteps and observe the beautiful scenery of Greenleaf Sect at close range.

Mist curled around the rainbow bridge, waterfalls cascaded from the clouds, green bamboo reached toward the sky, and butterflies danced among countless flowers. The beauty of Greenleaf Island was truly boundless.

Along the way, as Chu Xiner conversed with her fellow disciples, Xiao Wenzi gained some understanding of the Greenleaf Sect. Its strength seemed to surpass even that of the Falling Feather Sect, which possessed a city of cultivators. If only he were a male disciple here, surrounded by so many beautiful young women, cultivation would hardly be a lonely path.

After crossing the vast lake where sky and water met, they flew further, soon arriving at forests and swamps shrouded in mist and miasma—these formed the outermost protection and natural barrier of Greenleaf Sect.

Chu Xiner took out her command talisman, formed hand seals, and infused it with spiritual power. The mist parted, revealing a passage just over a yard wide. After she flew through on her sword, the rolling mist closed in behind, restoring the barrier to its original state.

What the young girl did not know was that, not long after she left, the illusory formation within the mist was activated again, and the figures of Huang Yipeng and two other men slowly emerged. Though they did not know why she had left on a mission alone, the ever-calculating Huang Yipeng would not miss such an opportunity. Upon receiving word, he immediately brought his companions to follow her in secret...

As Xiao Wenzi had surmised, he knew little of the cultivators and their divisions in Tiannan County, but Chu Xiner was well-versed in such matters.

Several hundred miles southwest of the Misty Swamp lay Skycloud Valley, home to a marketplace open to all cultivators—there would surely be some newly initiated low-level cultivators there.

Thus, Chu Xiner set her sights on Skycloud Valley. As for her sect mission, she could attend to it after finding someone for Little Wen to feed upon; after all, disciples only accepted missions to earn sect contribution points, and even if she failed, the elders would not scold her.

Xiao Wenzi’s cultivation was limited; he could not keep his demon sense extended outside the spirit beast pouch indefinitely. So, as Chu Xiner concentrated on flying at top speed, he withdrew his sense and began practicing the Blood Spirit Art within.

Wu Kun was an ordinary itinerant cultivator of mediocre talent. After more than ten years of effort, he had barely reached the late third level of Qi Refinement. For someone with such poor, mixed spiritual roots, and without the aid of pills or spirit stones, reaching such a stage was no small feat.

Fortunately, fate was not completely unkind. By sheer luck, Wu Kun had acquired a rare high-grade spiritual herb. Lacking knowledge of its medicinal properties, he dared not consume it, nor did he wish to attract trouble by keeping it. He hoped to trade it for some pills, but in the ruthless world of cultivation, murder for treasure was all too common, so he was careful not to reveal the herb.

Having roamed the cultivation world for years, Wu Kun knew of Skycloud Valley. Thus, he feigned nonchalance and joined two other itinerant cultivators heading for the valley, and now found himself on the mountain outskirts.

“Fellow Daoist Xie, I heard that the marketplace outside Skycloud Valley is protected by an array. Is it true that one must pay a spirit stone to enter?”

Though itinerant cultivators at the early Qi Refinement stage could fly, their spiritual power was insufficient for prolonged flight. Seated cross-legged on a stone slab along the mountain path to rest, Wu Kun could not help but ask the elderly man beside him.

The burly man in blue, also at the late third level, was making his first trip to Skycloud Valley and looked equally curious at Wu Kun’s question.

“Of course. But Fellow Daoists Wu and Ning, you needn’t worry. The Skycloud Valley marketplace only charges a fee for first-time visitors, and it’s just a single low-grade spirit stone. If funds are tight, I can…”

The gray-robed elder’s cultivation was somewhat higher, having reached the late fourth level, but not by much; otherwise, they would not have traveled together. He smiled and explained, clearly familiar with Skycloud Valley.

But at that moment, a brilliant streak of light approached from afar. Sensing the arrival of a powerful cultivator, the elder surnamed Xie immediately fell silent.

After half a day’s journey, Chu Xiner finally arrived at the outskirts of the valley, delighted to spot two or three low-level cultivators ahead.

Of course, releasing a spirit pet to feed on others’ blood was not a glorious act, especially as there was no enmity between them, and she had no intention of silencing them afterward.

With a wave, Chu Xiner produced a mask artifact to cover her face, then quickened her pace, descending toward the hillside where Wu Kun and the others were resting.

“Senior, greetings, Senior!”

Though Chu Xiner’s face was hidden, her shapely figure still caught the three men’s eyes. Yet the pressure of her spiritual aura made them shiver and bow their heads in reverence.

Swish, swish, swish—

Her response was to flick her fingers, sending streams of spiritual power toward the three men’s dantians—not to destroy them, but merely to seal their cultivation.