Yu Gongquan, perched mid-air on his sword, was somewhat puzzled.

Judging by his attire, the young man below him was dressed like a savage, but his skin was fair, and his manners were orderly. It was impossible to take him lightly.

Now, Yu Gongquan had identified the source of the disturbance.

A large, grey-black bird was crouching with its wings folded on a rock about half a man's height behind the young man. It looked feeble but was still craning its long neck to nuzzle against the young man's back. It was clear to anyone who saw this that the bird belonged to someone.

He cast a cold glance to the side, where a figure lay motionless. This must be the one who had sent the signal. Further away, the Zhao Brothers had managed to stand up. They appeared uninjured, but their faces were pale as if they had been greatly frightened.

Upon seeing Yu Gongquan hovering above them, they were overjoyed. One of them exclaimed, "Master Yu, this man's swordsmanship is formidable!"

The other chimed in, "He has some bewitching technique that can scare souls!"

Yu Gongquan nodded, his sword's glow dimmed as he landed on the ground, not in a hurry to make a move. He didn't belong to any sect and had achieved his Golden Elixir status through nearly two hundred years of relentless perseverance, evolving from a lowly creature to a small legend. Because of his life experiences, he was cautious and never fought battles he wasn't sure of winning.

Seeing the current situation, he had an idea. It seemed that the hunting party was in the wrong, and it would be best not to make a big fuss unless necessary.

He was about to speak when the young man beat him to it, "Judging by your demeanor, you seem to be the leader. Could you tell me where we are? How far are we from the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock and Cliff City?"

The young man's cultivation level was definitely not at the Golden Elixir Stage, but he remained calm and composed in front of Yu Gongquan, who was a level above him. His courage and knowledge were impressive.

Seeing this, Yu Gongquan felt more reluctant to create unnecessary trouble. After a brief thought, he replied, "We are in a branch of the Broken Realm Mountain. Cliff City is closer, about fourteen thousand li to the northeast. The Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock is even further..."

With his response, the tension seemed to ease. The young man nodded, "I see, I took a wrong turn. Thank you for your guidance."

The young man was none other than Yu Ci. Two days ago, he had flown over a thousand li on his large bird to the eastern bank of the Sky Rift Valley. After tirelessly flying for such a long distance, the bird was utterly exhausted. Yu Ci had no choice but to continue on foot, while also taking care of his sick companion.

Ever since she forcefully mobilized her energy to kill the fat Demon, Gan Shi Zhen had been unwell. She was often unconscious, and even when awake, she was mostly delirious. Most of the time, Yu Ci had to carry her on his back.

At this point, he was lost. He knew the cardinal directions but couldn't determine the location of the dock or Cliff City. After aimlessly wandering in the mountains for two days, he finally encountered this group of people. After a couple of minor skirmishes caused by his bird, he finally got some information.

At that moment, the other members of the hunting party who had received the signal hurried over. The sound of clothing rustling against the wind echoed in the forest, as one figure after another appeared, subtly forming a circle of encirclement and sealing off this patch of woodland. The newcomers, upon witnessing such a scene, reacted with a mix of surprise, curiosity, and in some cases, a secret delight, sharing the same sentiment as the one who had sent the signal.

In the hunting party, Fish-Dragons and humans mingled, their hearts in turmoil. Yu Ci furrowed his brows slightly. At this point, the "jumbled mess" of a creature that had been lying down lethargically let out a weak cry, extending its slender neck to nuzzle its round head against his back. Yu Ci couldn't help but chuckle, gathering a pure cluster of Primordial Qi and gently stroking it down the creature's head and neck, finally reviving its spirit as it let out a joyous squawk.

The surrounding cultivators, seeing him surrounded yet still acting so nonchalantly, felt a mix of irritation and admiration.

Yu Ci was also considering his situation. Surrounded by twenty or thirty people, if it came to a fight, he would be outnumbered and his only option would be to flee. This was manageable, but protecting the unconscious Gan Shi Zhen would indeed be a challenge.

At this moment, Yu Gongquan made a decision: "Fellow Daoist, are you heading to Cliff City? We just happen to be returning from Sky Rift Valley and are heading to Cliff City to sell our goods. Why not join us? If we encounter any Demonic Beasts on the way, we can look out for each other. What do you say?"

With these words, he was clearly trying to recruit new members, and the hostility of the surrounding cultivators significantly decreased.

A hunting party is not a band of robbers. Although there are many so-called "hunting parties" that occasionally dabble in unscrupulous dealings, these are side jobs, and not everyone participates. Moreover, having just returned from the Sky Rift Valley after risking their lives for many days, they were already returning with full loads. Catching the Golden-Eyed Poisonous Ape was just a bonus, and their interest in ill-gotten gains had waned. After all, no matter how valuable an item is, one needs to be alive to enjoy it.

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Yu Ci turned over these thoughts in his mind and, remembering something, nodded: "I appreciate your offer, but I have a patient here..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Gongquan glanced over and indeed saw a figure partially hidden under the feathers of the large bird by the side of the green stone. He was indifferent to this, and the fact that Yu Ci was caring for a patient only served to lower his perceived threat level, making him feel more secure about recruiting him:

"Is your companion seriously ill? We have someone here who is skilled in medicine. If the patient is unable to travel, we have a Cloud Floating Carriage specially made by the 'Self-Improvement Hall' that can carry patients. However, it does consume a fair amount of energy to operate, and you will need to cover some of the costs."

His words carried a hint of mercantile shrewdness, yet they were straightforward. Yu Ci felt somewhat relieved and nodded again, going behind the rock to carry out Gan Shi Zhen.

The female cultivator remained in a deep slumber, her cheeks pale, half-hidden under a veil of drooping hair. Yet, even the small portion revealed was enough to demonstrate her delicate beauty.

At this moment, many around her drew in a soft breath, the collective sound surprisingly loud.

Having spent months in the mountains, witnessing the grotesque demons and bloody fights, when had they ever seen such a fragile, pitiful beauty?

Witnessing this scene, Yu Gongquan felt a slight headache.

Yu Ci had a dream.

He dreamt of a dense fog in the Sky Rift Valley, where a shadow grew against the wind, from minuscule to massive, until it filled the sky and earth, majestic and grand, nestled among the mountains, merging seamlessly with them, indistinguishable.

What left a deep impression on him was a crown-like object on top of this entity?

Just as he was about to take a closer look, the mountainous entity crumbled and collapsed, pressing down on him, and Yu Ci awoke with a start.

Yu Ci was in the carriage, the curtain fluttering in the wind, the outside still dark.

He had been meditating, but suddenly fell asleep. However, he felt energetic upon waking. His cultivation level of Nature-Connecting Upper Stage had stabilized, and he felt like he had an endless supply of energy. In the depths of the carriage, the frail female cultivator breathed lightly, still deep in sleep.

Although the female cultivator would occasionally wake up, this time she had been asleep for an unusually long time. Yu Ci didn't know what was wrong with her, nor did he dare to disturb her. He took care of her carefully, thinking of returning to the sect as soon as possible, where the elders could diagnose her.

The day was still young, and Yu Ci knew that his mind had been disturbed by the "Iceberg" in his memory section, causing a slight headache. After some thought, he once again immersed himself in his thoughts. The Inner Void of the Heart unfolded, with the Fish-Dragon swimming within, forming a harmonious unity with the moon in the sky and the small lake on the ground, akin to a masterful painting.

However, there were two additional elements in the Inner Void of the Heart.

One was a majestic mountain, seemingly transformed from the "Iceberg" in his memory section, merging with the unknown void in the distance, vague and elusive. Only the faint outlines of the mountain ranges could be seen, the rest was shrouded in shadows. If one looked at it for too long, it seemed to float in the air, like a fairy mountain.

The other was a light smoke, close enough to be wrapped around the Fish-Dragon Mental Image, appearing and disappearing intermittently. At a casual glance, it seemed like the Fish-Dragon was breathing in clouds and exhaling fog, a rather appealing sight. Regarding this, Yu Ci was certain that it was undoubtedly the Illusion Power of Rakshasa!

This must have been absorbed unintentionally in the spatial rift. As for why it was absorbed, Yu Ci had some guesses.

This is the ability to introduce energy...

This "Primordial Root Qi Method" had unknowingly reached the second stage, drawing external qi into the Inner Void of the Heart. The path ahead exceeded the Primordial Qi Method, becoming self-taught. How should he proceed? Just as he was about to further consolidate his thoughts, someone outside the carriage called for him.

"Immortal Yu, Immortal Yu, are you there?"

Yu Ci drew back the curtain, immediately greeted by the sight of a middle-aged man hunched over, standing in front of him. Seeing him emerge, the man bent even lower, speaking with utmost caution, "Immortal Yu, I hope I'm not intruding..."

The man was of average stature, trembling slightly in his nervousness. Yu Ci recognized him.

His name was Elder Fan, and most of the members of the hunting group referred to him as "Old Fan". Perhaps due to the traces of hardship and worry etched deep into his features, he appeared older than everyone else in the group, including Yu Gongquan. In reality, he was just in his forties, relatively young among the group. The moniker "Old Fan" carried more of a teasing tone than anything else.

Elder Fan held an awkward position within the group. Although he was a cultivator at the Nature-Connecting Initial Stage, his combat abilities were quite weak and he wasn't of much help in daily affairs. The reason he was able to stay in the hunting group was because he served as a sort of merchant, purchasing odds and ends at favorable prices, which saved the group a lot of effort.

Yu Ci nodded at him, closed the curtain, and sat on the carriage shaft, "So it's Brother Fan, what brings you to me?"

His voice startled the "muddleheaded" bird resting on the carriage. The large bird rubbed its head against him and Yu Ci, laughing, pushed it away. To his surprise, he saw Elder Fan stealthily reaching out to touch the bird's hanging wing. The "muddleheaded" bird didn't react at all, curling up and squinting its eyes to sleep.

Noticing Yu Ci's gaze, Old Fan's face reddened. Gathering his courage, he moved a little closer, "Immortal Yu, could you bear to part with this bird?"

Yu Ci shook his head with a smile. Elder Fan wasn't the first to make such a proposal. Over the past few days, including Yu Gongquan, many had expressed their desire to purchase the bird. Initially, Yu Ci had only considered the bird as a temporary means of transportation, and didn't mind whether it was sold. However, during their journey across the Sky Rift Valley, they had heavily relied on it. Yu Ci wasn't the type to forget past favors, so he planned to bring the bird back to the Still Heart Temple, nurse it back to health, and then consider other matters.

Elder Fan seemed a bit disappointed, but he bit his lip and spoke again:

"Immortal Yu, if you're willing to reconsider, I'd like to offer a ring in exchange! You're currently in need of a Storage Ring, aren't you?"

...