A silence hung thick in the air as the three girls processed what they had just witnessed. De Sijie rubbed her temples. "That was... quick. Too quick," she murmured.
Xi Lin glanced at Meng Lin, her face conflicted. "I understand they attacked you, but… was it truly necessary to kill all of them?"
Meng Lin met her gaze calmly. “There was nothing else they could offer. We have all the information we need for now, and I don’t intend to waste time with unreliable allies.”
"You should have crippled them," Xi Lin said.
Meng Lin shook her head. “I understand your concerns, but we’re not going to confront the bandits just yet. If you're worried about the information being false, I was going to double-check when we reach our next contact with the bandits.”
Xi Lin had a conflicted expression. "That's not what I meant… Some of them didn’t look as if they wanted to be there. Perhaps they were just following orders...?"
Meng Lin's gaze softened slightly, though her tone remained firm. "It's a hard truth in this world: following orders in such a way carries its own consequences."
She glanced at the crater left by the Crimson Tortoise Dragon's attack, her expression unreadable. "Besides, they are bandits. I have no intention of sparing someone who robs, pillages, and steals. If they had taken me down, you know what would have happened to you."
Xi Lin lowered her head, falling silent at Meng Lin’s words. De Sijie, who had been quietly watching the exchange, broke the silence, a small smile on her face as she spoke. “Speaking of unexpected things… while you were away, Purple went into a deep sleep after eating those red crystals you gave him, and this strange red boulder began forming over him.” She pointed a few meters away where a small red boulder gleamed.
Meng Lin’s eyes sharpened as she examined the red boulder, her spiritual consciousness stretching toward it, feeling the energy pulsing from within. There, curled in the center, she could see Purple, its small form nestled within the crimson glow. She turned to Xi Lan, looking for answers.
Xi Lan, who had been quiet all this time, spoke, studying Meng Lin’s expression. “He went into this state shortly after you left,” she said. “At first, I thought he was simply sleeping, but then… this crystal began forming around him, so I panicked and called the others.”
Meng Lin gently ran her fingers over the boulder's rough surface, thinking back to where she got those red crystals: the Ancient Spirit Beast Pagoda Tower, a small essence of numerous other ancient spirit beasts.
After she had settled down on the island, she released Purple and gave Xi Lan all the spiky crystals, instructing her to feed Purple with them once in a while; it seems something finally happened.
She sensed the concentrated energy sealed within and muttered under her breath, “Purple is undergoing a transformation.”
Xi Lin took a hesitant step forward, the earlier tension fading as worry and curiosity took over. “So he’s… alright?”
“Yes,” Meng Lin replied, her gaze fixed on the boulder. “Certain spirit beasts, especially those with strong potential, will enter this kind of hibernation when they’re ready to break through their bloodline limits. It’s rare, but it’s a good sign.”
Unbeknownst to Meng Lin, the bloodline of the White Crystal Serpent that she exchanged with Purple's rattle serpent bloodline was infinitely close to making this breakthrough, yet the White Crystal Serpent's plan of using the Crystal Lizard as the catalyst to complete that breakthrough was shattered by Meng Lin, and its bloodline was being used for someone else.
De Sijie crossed her arms, watching the glow of the crystal. “So how long will this take?”
Meng Lin exhaled, a slight smile crossing her lips. “It shouldn't be long; once he emerges, we can go."
"Go where?" De Sijie asked.
Meng Lin said, "Once Purple awakens, we’ll head to a high-tier city a few hundred miles away on another island. I need specific ingredients for some pills, ones I can't find here."
Xi Lan tilted her head curiously. "Pills? Are they for you?"
Meng Lin nodded. "Yes, I've gotten somewhat injured."
The girls showed different expressions, concern flickering across their faces. “Injured? You didn’t mention that before. How bad is it?”
Meng Lin waved her hand dismissively, the gesture light but firm. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, but it will slow me down if I don’t treat it. For now, how about you tell me what you guys found in the storage bags of those bandits?"
The three girls set up a small camp near the glowing boulder and began talking, telling Meng Lin all that she had missed.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
After sorting through the storage bags of the bandits, Meng Lin discovered various items typical for a group of cultivators operating in the shadows.
First, she found several vials of potions. Among them were healing potions for minor injuries, stamina replenishing elixirs, and a few mysterious concoctions of poison whose effects were unclear but likely potent.
Next, she took a storage bag containing a selection of talismans. Some were defensive, while others were for offense or temporary boosts to speed and power. Although all the talismans were of good quality, Meng Lin thought they were not as powerful as the golden talismans in her possession.
Among the more interesting finds were a pair of gleaming daggers, well-crafted and surprisingly light. Although only a middle-grade weapon, De Sijie took a liking to it and held the item as if it were a treasure.
A scroll with faded ink caught Meng Lin's attention. It revealed a map marked with various locations that the bandit group had visited, including hidden bandit hideouts and some villages raided by the bandits. It also provided information about groups of people who had interacted with them.
Something that surprised Meng Lin slightly was that among all the spirit stones, which combined to 20,000 low-grade spirit stones and 57 mid-grade spirit stones, there were bags that held coins: a collection of gold and silver coins typically used only by mortals.
With their findings laid out before them, Meng Lin distributed some of the items among the three girls, making sure to even bring out some items from her inventory so that each of the girls was given adequate resources to both protect and help them cultivate.
At noon on the third day, Meng Lin felt a pulse within her heart and opened her eyes before standing up.
Crack!
Suddenly, a loud crack echoed from the boulder. The girls woke from their meditation and turned toward the source of the sound.
The red boulder surrounding Purple began to shatter, revealing the little creature within. Its body trembled as it moved, crimson energy swirling around it like a storm.
As the last of the crystal fell away, Purple emerged, his original crystal scales glimmering in shades of dark crimson.
He stretched his small body, eyes sparkling with newfound strength and vitality as he looked around at his surroundings, his eyes widening in excitement once he laid eyes on Meng Lin.
Meng Lin walked forward and knelt beside him, her voice a mixture of excitement and concern. “Are you alright?"
Purple let out a low, melodious hiss, his body vibrating with energy. The transformation had increased the limit of his bloodline from Rank 4 to Rank 5; furthermore, his aura indicated that his realm had once again increased, reaching the middle stage of Rank 3.
“Wow!” Xi Lan pointed, her eyes wide with awe. “He’s got such beautiful red scales now, and he's much bigger too!”
Meng Lin smiled, pride swelling in her chest. Although Purple had only changed from being 2 meters long to now being 7 meters long, it was still small in comparison to how long he was at Rank 2, which was over 20 meters.
De Sijie clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm contagious. “So now what? What can he do?”
Meng Lin thought for a moment, recalling the potential abilities associated with the White Crystal Serpent bloodline. Purple's bloodline should still be the same; however, the change in his scales might indicate something else.
"The White Crystal Serpent bloodline should allow him to shoot out his tongue, which contains a powerful poison; his fangs are also the same. He should be able to harness the elemental Qi of ice too in the future. However, that's all I know about the White Crystal Serpent bloodline."
“Let’s put him to the test!” De Sijie suggested, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Meng Lin shook her head, though a smile tugged at her lips. “Let’s not waste any more time; we need to head to the high-tier city and secure the ingredients. The sooner we do that, the sooner I can heal and we can prepare for the Golden Fang Bandits.”
The group gathered their belongings and quickly stepped onto the Tortoise Dragon, who soared into the air with a flurry of wind.
As they ascended, the island below transformed into a tiny speck amidst the vast expanse of the ocean. Meng Lin stood at the front, instructing the Tortoise Dragon on the direction to head toward.
De Sijie, now perched on the Tortoise Dragon’s back, peered over the edge to admire the view. “How far is it to this high-tier city?” she asked, her voice barely heard over the rush of wind.
“With the speed that we're traveling, about half an hour,” Meng Lin replied, her gaze scanning the horizon. “But we will have to stop a few miles away from the island to change our form of transportation."
Xi Lan, her white hair fluttering wildly in the wind, leaned closer to Meng Lin. “A change in transportation? Can't we just fly?”
Meng Lin shook her head, a hint of seriousness in her voice. “to my knowledge, each high-tier city has a Soul Wondering Realm cultivator watching over it, we need to be inconspicuous. Flying directly into the city could attract unwanted attention, especially given my current condition.”
Xi Lin furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? Is your injury that serious?”
Meng Lin said, “My spiritual veins are damaged. Without proper circulation of Qi, I won’t be able to use Qi practically."
De Sijie raised an eyebrow, her expression turning serious. “So we have to find these ingredients quickly, then?”
“Yes,” Meng Lin replied, her resolve solid. “The sooner I recover, the better prepared we’ll be.”
A few more minutes into their journey, the coastline of the island came into view.
"Hmm," Meng Lin furrowed her brows as she looked ahead. Xi Lin, Xi Lan, and De Sijie at the side noticed it and looked to where Meng Lin was looking; however, other than more sea, they couldn't see anything else.
Suddenly, De Sijie perked up, seeing a fleeting ray of light. "What is that? I can't see clearly!"
Meng Lin squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of the flickering light in the distance. "It seems like there’s a fight going on ahead," she said, her voice calm.
As they drew closer, within 15 miles of the island, the flickering light transformed into a chaotic scene. A group of cultivators was locked in combat, their movements swift and powerful as they clashed. The air crackled with energy, and waves of force rippled outward from the center of the battle.
De Sijie leaned forward with excitement. “It really is a fight? Should we help?”
Meng Lin shook her head. “We don’t know who’s involved or what’s happening. It’s best to stay hidden for now and observe.”
As the Tortoise Dragon got closer, they could see that two groups were engaged in fierce combat. One group wore dark robes, their faces concealed, while the other bore distinctive insignias and armor—the city guards.
'Are those rogue cultivators?' Meng Lin wondered. 'No, they are too weird in their fighting; the guards seem to be overwhelmed.'
Meng Lin released her invisible spiritual consciousness, stretching across vast distances and covering over 19 miles of sea ahead, reaching her limit as she caught a clear view of the situation ahead.
It became evident that the dark-robed group were not rogue cultivators but instead a bandit group; their robes held a small mark resembling a skull, the mark of the Veil of Shadows. A small, well-known bandit group that used to operate in the north.
Composed of six Gold Core cultivators, they were pressing hard against the city guards, their movements synchronized and ruthless.
Meng Lin observed carefully, her gaze sharpening. The Veil of Shadows was a small but notorious bandit group known for using fear and ambush tactics.
Seeing them this far from the north was surprising, especially since they rarely initiate fights directly. Whatever had brought them to the city must be significant.
"They’re strong,” Xi Lin noted. “The guards don’t stand a chance.”
Meng Lin nodded. “They must be after something valuable to risk this kind of open confrontation.”
De Sijie clenched her fists, eagerness in her eyes. “Are you going to interfere?"
Meng Lin didn't answer, instead she held up a hand and took a deep breath, releasing a pulse within her invisible spiritual consciousness that settled like a gentle but undeniable pressure over the area.
It wasn’t an attack, but a silent announcement of her presence, unmistakable to any cultivator caught within it.
Instantly the two groups fighting all faltered, their heads turning towards the south of the island, sensing a powerful force approaching at a fast pace.
Realizing what was going on, the Veil of Shadows group exchanged tense glances and quickly took out talismans, retreating in flashes of black light towards the opposite direction.
De Sijie, seeing the bandits’ retreat, said. “Just like that, they’re running away?”
Meng Lin watched the bandits disappear over the horizon, her face expressionless. “We still don't know the situation; it's better to be cautious."
With the threat gone for now, Meng Lin gestured to the Tortoise Dragon to continue its flight. “Let’s keep moving; I sense no Soul Wondering Realm cultivator on the island and since I released my presence, I might as well go in like this..."