When I thought of cultivators traveling, the first thing that came to mind was flying swords. They were iconic and incredibly convenient—like having a personal jet, but better. So, it came as a surprise when the Core Elders from all the Sects decided not to have us travel on flying swords.
We streaked across open fields like bolts of lightning, each step a blur as the wind barely managed to keep up. We flew between ancient trees; our bodies defied gravity, leaping from branch to branch as though the ground had ceased to exist. The air was cool and crisp, but I hardly felt it. As we ascended the rocky mountains, our pace never slowed. The jagged cliffs became nothing more than stepping stones, our feet barely brushing the crumbling edges as we leaped from one peak to the next. The wind whipped at our robes, but it could do nothing to stop us.
After all that running, we found ourselves in a dense, swampy forest. The air was thick and heavy. Yet, even then, we moved like the wind, barely touching the squelchy ground as we traveled through the jungle-like trees.
Occasionally, I would grab some vines and swing around like Tarzan. My cousins gave me weird looks when I did that. Liu Bo didn’t even bother hiding his thoughts and outright told me I looked strange.
If I didn’t have to constantly always be a bit on edge in case the monstrous beasts attacked. I would have called this a rather enjoyful experience.
“Why do they even make us run through these things?” Song Song asked, frowning as a crimson-red spider the size of a fist almost landed on her hair. Her hand blurred as she grabbed the spider, crushing it like a bloody balloon. She tried to wipe her bloody hand against the leaves, vines, and trees, but she still ended up with a bloodied hand.
“If I were to guess, I’d say it’s for the same reason it’s not a good idea to use flying swords during Beast Waves. Flying monstrous beasts can be dangerous and fight well above their cultivation level compared to a cultivator in the sky,” I offered my theory.
“We have twenty Core Elders, five from every Sect. They can kill any flying monstrous beast before we even see them,” Song Song grumbled. Still, she seemed more understanding and less annoyed about running such long distances.
It was frustrating how the Core Elders told us nothing. But by now, I had grown used to and expected incompetent leadership from cultivators. After all, they spent their whole lives thinking that they just had to reach a higher cultivation level to defeat someone or something. Strategies were nonexistent and next to useless when it came to fighting cultivators at a higher level.
If my guess was correct and I were in their place, I would have explained every monstrous beast along the way before we even set off. That way, the disciples wouldn’t be annoyed and would know what to do in case of an attack.
But my thoughts were cut short as the Core Elders abruptly stopped. Instantly, everyone tensed, senses sharpening. Before we could fully react, small figures with faces smeared in green paint emerged silently from the trees. Their movements were eerie, almost inhuman. Some were so close—barely ten feet away—I saw them but couldn't feel their presence.
Even as I looked at them, they felt like the same Qi in the trees, swamps, and mud. Their presence was in tune with nature.
An old man from a small, green-faced group revealed his presence and showed his cultivation of the Foundation Establishment. He was hunched and looked smaller than even his own people.
"I never thought that people from the four great sects would one day come upon our lands," said the old man with a very thick accent. It was clear that this was not his native language. "I hope our people haven't offended you somehow."
Some newcomers tightened their grips around flute-like instruments, clearly expecting a fight.
As I studied the weapons in their hands, I noted the stark contrast in their designs. A few wielded dark swords, their blades gleaming with an ominous sheen; it looked like they were carved from solid obsidian. The rest carried slender, elongated weapons resembling blowpipes. These pipes were intricately crafted, with multiple small holes drilled along their length, giving them the appearance of ornate flutes. The surface of these weapons was smooth and polished, each hole meticulously aligned.
"We apologize if we disturbed your grounds," one of the Core Elders from the Void Piercing Sect stepped forward. His dark robe billowed in the wind, and he wore a friendly smile. "We were just traveling through here. I hope you don't take offense."
"Offense? No, of course not," the short old man smiled, revealing rows of dark, yellow, rotting, and missing teeth. "I would welcome you to feast at our homes if you feel tired. Wherever you're going or whatever you're doing, a tired mind and body will only make the task harder."
The Core Elders exchanged glances for a split second before the elder from the Void Piercing Sect nodded. "Sure, we could use a place to rest our weary heads."
"Good, very good," the old man said with a strange glint in his eyes. "Follow us."
We were just going to follow these strange people who appeared out of nowhere?
I looked toward the Core Elders, and for a split second, I saw something dangerous flash through their eyes as they stared at the old man.
Oh… Don't tell me…
I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and followed the Core Elders like any other disciple.
As we followed the old man, he led us through the swamps' more watery part. The ground was no longer mud but more like water, with strange creatures swimming through it. Occasionally, I could even sense the odd monstrous beast under the water.
Monstrous beasts had the power to hide in their natural habitat, so it was only a question of how many monstrous beasts were in those waters that I wasn't sensing.
Ultimately, we stumbled upon a unique village unlike any we had seen before. Suspended above the swamp, the homes were connected by a network of ropes and wooden walkways, stretching from one structure to the next. But calling them "houses" seemed a bit of a stretch; they were more like hut-sized swimming platforms kept afloat by an intricate system of submerged logs and barrels. These structures bobbed gently on the water, swaying slightly with each ripple. The village itself was a collection of these floating dwellings, creating a dynamic, shifting landscape that could drift and change positions across the murky waters.
A village that could move around…
The village was too small to accommodate everyone, so some of the disciples found makeshift spots on the wooden rooftops. Others clung to the branches of the surrounding trees or used strange techniques to walk across the swamp's surface, their movements graceful.
Meanwhile, the swamp dwellers navigated their murky domain with unsettling ease. They glided silently through the dark, silt-laden waters, their bodies partially submerged and barely visible. Despite their proximity, they seemed to vanish from my senses, blending seamlessly with the swamp's Qi. It was as if they were part of the environment itself. These beings were like shadowy predators, their forms shifting and merging with the gloom, evading detection with practiced skill.
As far as I knew, monstrous beasts had this skill instinctually. It was enhanced after they became monstrous beasts, from when they needed to hide in their habitats. Their Qi was like a chameleon, blending into the background. These people likely developed their strange technique by observing animals.
"The place is a bit small. But please, enjoy yourselves," said the old man.
"Yes, we will rest for six hours," said the Void Piercing Sect Core Elder, who had taken a temporary leadership role.
The old man nodded, but now that I looked closer, it was clear he was cautious. He might have invited us here in good faith to show they had nothing to hide.
Only time will tell whether this will end up being a disaster or a good decision. I would have just had the people hide if I were in the old man's place. But he had no idea why we were around these parts, and might assume the worst.
I glanced at the swamp people swimming through the waters.
Though they had an almost absolute territorial advantage, we had twenty Core Elders. They could wipe out the whole swamp area, so our "friends" here had no chance of winning. However, even if the Core Formation Cultivators got involved, these stealthy tribal people would probably slaughter us disciples. They had an extreme territorial advantage, and we knew nothing about their techniques.
Suddenly, Song Song nudged me, asking, "Do you think you can copy that technique they're using to hide?"
"No," I answered.
What did she think I was? Some copy-paste machine?
These techniques were likely created through generations of study. Though I could approximately guess how they worked, executing them was an entirely different matter.
Theoretically, anyone using Qi could copy any Earth Grade Technique just by looking at it. But theoretically, every average person could also become a doctor if they studied hard. However, only some were doctors.
"I bet you could do it if you had the right motivation," she whispered. "Add a silencing array, I want to tell you something."
She asked me to put up a silencing array, meaning she had something to say that must be kept secret.
Judging by the look in her eyes and knowing how Song Song's mind worked, she was probably going to suggest killing a couple of swamp people, starting a battle, and forcing me to figure out how their stealth technique worked—otherwise, the Qi Gathering disciples would get massacred.
"No, putting up an array now would just draw attention to us," I whispered.
The leaders of each group were acting politely, but there was already an invisible tension in the air. If I suddenly created an array, it could be the needle that pops that balloon.
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Song Song gave a nonchalant shrug, her shoulders lifting slightly in reluctant agreement. Her eyes met mine with a knowing glint, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. The subtle shift in her posture and the quiet, almost imperceptible nod conveyed that she understood and accepted my point, even if she wasn't entirely pleased about it.
It was weird how well I could read her. I always thought that people talking without saying anything was a myth. But when it came to Song Song, I understood her perfectly. Often, there was no need for words between us to understand what the other wanted to say.
Anyway, I was here to dispel her reckless thoughts before she could act on them.
My cousins stared at us. Liu Qian, the closest thing Song Song had to a female friend, was mainly focused on me. I also knew my cousins were terrified of Song Song. They barely spoke during this journey.
Did they even talk to Song Song when I wasn't around?
Everyone settled down after some talks between the Core Elders and the old man. The disciples sat wherever they could while the swamp people continued swimming in the waters and conversing among themselves in a strange language.
“Quem são essas pessoas estranhas?” one of the swamp people asked. They were all so small and thin, almost like children.
"Estranhos," replied another, thin and lanky with pointy ears. “Eles serão levados como sacrifício para o ancião.”
From what I could tell, these guys weren't entirely human. They seemed like mixed breeds. Human and monstrous beasts could interbreed if the monstrous beast had a human form. Usually, that meant a Nascent Soul monstrous beast, so they were rare.
After that, time passed quickly. While everyone was settling in and resting, I tried my best to listen to the Core Elders and the old man talking. Since the place was a little small, it was easier than usual.
"Thank you all for being friendly," the old man said. "So, since we all started on a good foot, I want to warn you about the Four-Eyed Crimson Crow. It was regarded as a deity in ancient times. They say a man from another world trained it. Legends don't matter either way, but the creature is very dangerous."
"Four-Eyed Crimson Crow? Never heard of a monstrous beast like that," one of the Core Elders from the Blazing Sun Sect frowned and turned toward me. "Liu Feng, you're our monstrous beast specialist. What can you say about this monster?"
"I doubt I can tell you more than the elder," I stood up and bowed my head slightly. "We should listen to what he has to say first. Perhaps this might be a monstrous beast we know by a different name."
"Many legends were lost to time," the old man said. "Though, for some reason, the Four-Eyed Crimson Crow doesn't attack people from our tribe. Many say it's because we're related to the man who raised it… But those are just tales. One can never know for sure."
I looked at the old man with a discerning eye, trying to read him. Was he hiding something from us? That would be very dangerous, especially now that we knew where they lived and had twenty Core Formation Cultivators with us. I doubt they could move the village before we acted.
"Are you sure it's still the same monstrous beast as mentioned in the legend?" I inquired.
"I'm not sure," the old man answered.
While humans extended their lifespan at about the same rate as they advanced in cultivation—with a year or two of variation—a Foundation Establishment cultivator would live roughly 150 years, consistently across the board. Of course, some techniques could extend lifespan, but that was a whole different matter.
But for monstrous beasts, it was a different story. Some species naturally lived longer, and that longevity carried over when they became monstrous beasts. For example, Speedy, who was only at the Qi Gathering stage, had a natural lifespan of around five hundred years.
"What does the monstrous beast look like?" I asked.
"Nobody has ever gotten a good look at it and lived to tell the tale. But some who caught a glimpse say it has four large red wings that cast a shadow over the swamp and many regions close to it," he shuddered. "And it has four malicious eyes as if it were evil and monstrosity incarnate!"
The old man had just contradicted himself. He previously said that the monstrous beast wouldn't kill them since they were from the tribe or bloodline of the man who raised it. Now, he claimed that barely anyone who saw it lived to tell the tale.
Also, they said it was raised by an otherworldly man? Did they perhaps mean an otherworldly devil?
The Core Elders and the old man no longer paid attention to me because I wasn't necessarily helpful in this case.
If this was a Core Formation monstrous beast or above, I didn't know much about it. When I had assembled the Monstrous Beast Encyclopedia, it was from the second floor of the outer library. They didn't have books on Core Formation or Nascent Soul monstrous beasts, except for some meager mentions or legends.
Despite the heavy thoughts about how we might soon encounter something we couldn't handle, I was calmer than ever.
Instead of worrying about something I couldn't control, I observed the surroundings and saw a sorry sight. It was the browless guy from the inn, and his fellow Titanic Blade Sect members were making him carry their things. Though they were in the minority here, some people still didn't have storage rings.
Why was the browless guy putting up with this? He was letting even people who probably didn't have the background to get storage rings bully him.
I looked at the oversized backpack bigger than him, and he looked down, never daring to meet anyone's gaze.
"Do you want to help him?" Song Song asked, noticing my gaze.
"No," I shook my head. "Doing anything now and creating needless enemies is dangerous. We already have our own problems to handle."
Though Ye An wasn't looking at us and seemed not to care, I doubted she would let losing an eye go unpunished so easily.
On the other hand, there was Song San. Kong Lijuan, the previous winner of the tournament, was glancing at him every now and then. It was hard to read what she was thinking. Either she now had a crush on him—though that was the less likely scenario—or she was looking for an opportunity to murder him on this trip.
There were a lot of enemies within the group, but due to the presence of the Core Elders, no one was acting on their thoughts of revenge. However, if anything happened to the Elders, those thoughts would quickly come to the forefront.
"Wow, where did your heart go, mister heartless?" Song Song nudged me. "I always took you for an emotional weakling."
"And I always took you for an insane woman. But that doesn't mean we must let our instincts rule our actions," I responded, knowing that Song Song was joking.
I placed a hand on the roof we were sitting on, created a silencing array with a timer, and tried to make it as unnoticeable as possible. But even if they noticed, the Core Elders had already called on me once, and I could easily make an excuse, saying I was testing something. I doubted the swamp people knew the specifics of the array I was using. They had no arrays around their homes, so it didn't look like Array Conjuring was practiced around these parts.
"I think something here is weird," I told Song Song and my cousins who were within the range of my silencing array. "These people could have just hidden themselves and let us pass. The old man seems to know something about the outside world, and it's not like the four great sects haven't taken part in massacres before. Yet, he still showed us where their homes are. Why?"
Even Liu Bo's gaze sharpened when he heard that.
Yeah, the old man's decision made no sense… Unless this was a trap, and he knew the secret of their little village would never get out, we would all die.
I looked at the Core Elders talking with the old man.
Had they noticed the same oddities I had? Or were they viewing this as a typical event, assuming that many people welcomed them because they wanted to earn some favor with the four great sects?
However, there was very little the four great sects could do for an enclosed place like this.
Perhaps the Elders had noticed it too, but they were confident in their power. Twenty Core Formation Cultivators could take out any sect or organization except for superpowers like the four great sects and Goldwatch City, which had a Nascent Soul Cultivator as governor.
This village didn't seem to have abundant cultivation resources, and the old man might be the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
I could understand how they might consider this place insignificant, but the old man didn't seem like someone who would make a mistake like this!
…
Six hours passed in the blink of an eye. While most had used this time to rest, with some even catching some sleep, I, on the other hand, had only become more on edge.
Song Song was one of the few who had relaxed the whole time. Her excuse was that I was paranoid enough for both of us, and she trusted me to notice anything strange.
As we set off, Song Song and my cousins stayed close to me as we swiftly jumped from tree to tree. It was a strange but hypnotic sight to see so many cultivators moving about, covering the woods with their graceful dances and unnatural agility.
“We probably could have used flying swords to travel if we just flew close to the ground,” I said.
“Bad idea,” Song Song refuted. “Unless you’re flying high, it’s better not to use them. If you’re suddenly ambushed, reacting to an attack you might sense will take a second too long. You need to concentrate on controlling the sword, and many say that moving the Qi from the sword to defend yourself in a split second is difficult. Also, there’s no momentum if you try to use a movement technique.”
While I was about to agree with Song Song, I caught sight of something strange in the distance. The old man from the village had volunteered to show us the way out of the swamps.
Suddenly, the old man took out a black dagger made of obsidian. Even though I was so far away, I involuntarily tensed up. Song Song put a hand on my shoulder and dragged me back, and my cousins followed us a second later. With so many people around us, we had to be careful not to bump into anyone.
I trusted Song Song to guide me as I kept my eyes on the old man, concentrating on any small details. The Core Elders didn’t look troubled that the old man had suddenly drawn an obsidian dagger with a bone handle covered in rough leather.
But instead of attacking them, the old man moved to stab his own throat! Yet, before the knife could touch his neck, his hand stopped. A cold-eyed woman from the Azure Frost Sect had grabbed his wrist. Before the old man could say anything, she delivered three precise strikes, breaking his arm in three different places. The obsidian dagger slipped from his grasp and fell into the swampy waters below.
“What do you think you’re doing, old man?” she asked, her voice cold. “Your cheap tricks won’t work on us.”
The other Core Elders didn’t seem surprised either; one of them even chuckled and nudged another Core Elder, likely a friend.
“I told you, it’s always the same tricks with these barbarian people. They develop perverse ways of cultivating. Also, I won the bet; you said they were going to be peaceful nomads, and I said they were probably crazy.”
He seemed more concerned with his bet than with what had just happened.
“You two should stop bickering; we have a duty, and we must take it seriously,” said a male Core Elder from the Void Piercing Sect. But despite his words, his half-lidded eyes and bored expression betrayed his lack of concern.
“It doesn’t look like those nymphomaniac demons… What a shame,” commented a Core Elder from the Titanic Blade Sect. “Those beauties almost caused me to fall when I was young.”
It was strange seeing them talk so nonchalantly. When one thought of Core Formation Cultivators, the first image that came to mind was strict, elderly people. But these guys and gals were like anyone else, except perhaps older and clearly experienced in handling situations like this.
The Core Elder restraining the old man tightened her grip, and a crack like thunder rang out as her palm crushed his wrist as if it were made of squash. Then, with brutal efficiency, she struck the old man on his other arm, legs, and stomach. The final blow caused the old man’s eyes to widen as he coughed out a mouthful of blood, his Qi rapidly diminishing.
She had just broken his cultivation…
“Make sure he doesn’t bite his tongue, and check his teeth for any small poison vials,” added a Core Elder from the Titanic Sword Sect.
“I’m not incompetent,” the Core Elder from the Azure Frost Sect, who was restraining the old man, frowned, clearly offended. “When I hit him in the stomach and broke his cultivation, I also used a technique to freeze his nerves. He won’t be able to move for a while.”
These people… they were kind of scary.