Siyuan turned back to Luo Han, a peeved look on his face.
“Seriously?” he asked, directing a glare at the man sitting at the table behind Luo Han. “He’s going to be part of our hunting group?”
The cultivator he was glaring at was Ling Yan, another disciple in the Qi Manifestation realm like Lin Siyuan and Luo Han. He came from the same batch of disciples as the two, meaning that he had cultivated for around half a year just like Siyuan and Luo Han. Unlike the two, however, he was on the threshold of making a breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment realm. He was easily the second strongest of the Qi Manifestation realm cultivators in the lower reaches and was fairly capable in all the other cultivation fields, if barely. He was seen as a talent in the Mystic River Sect, as there weren’t a lot of battle cultivators who could also do relic smithing, alchemy, and qi manipulation among some other things like he could.
However, it was no secret that he was the son of a rich and powerful family. It was a fact that he liked to flaunt around and use to his advantage, leading to nobody in the lower reaches favoring him. Siyuan himself thought that the only reason for him being so “talented” was because of his access to his family’s extensive resources. However, he was still the second strongest Qi Manifestation realm cultivator, so his presence pretty much required respect no matter how much anybody liked it.
He was, however, unbearably infuriating to work with. If Siyuan was stuck between having to lose his nascent soul and do anything with that young master, the decision would’ve been quite a difficult one.
“Apparently, his family hired the bounty bureau to have me escort him on a trip to find and kill a tier 3 beast,” Luo Han says. “He’ll get all the yields of the beast’s body, including the core, but I’ll be getting a pretty hefty reward in return. Didn’t really matter what element, just any tier 3 beast. My guess is that he’s gonna need it to breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment realm.”
Siyuan just nodded.
The breakthrough from the Qi Manifestation realm to the Foundation Establishment realm was, as expected, could not be called easy. In order to get there, one must absorb enough qi to approach the breakthrough point, but then must absorb another large amount of qi to break through that barrier (hence the term, “breakthrough,” that is used for rising through the different cultivation realms). A lot was needed to pass through the barrier between the Qi Manifestation and Foundation Establishment realms, but there was much more than enough in a beast core to break through that barrier, even one that didn’t compliment one’s elemental affinity. In fact, the more qi past the required amount, the better, as more qi used during the breakthrough would lead to a stronger foundation during cultivation through the Foundation Establishment realm.
There were plenty of options that provided enough qi for a breakthrough outside of a beast core that were very accessible to all cultivators, such as low-level pills, items that radiated qi, etc. Usually, a Qi Manifestation realm cultivator would be unable to acquire a beast core just for a breakthrough, but there were, of course, exceptions. The exceptionally strong who could deal with tier 3 beasts, such as Luo Han, or the exceptionally rich who didn’t need to be so strong, such as Ling Yan.
“Anyways, why’re you coming along anyway?” Luo Han asks. “We’re technically not gonna be getting anything except a load of money if you’re gonna come along, so if you’re looking for relic smithing materials…”
“Oh, I was hoping to find something to help hasten my cultivation,” Siyuan said. “I heard beast meat is a good way to do that.”
“Well, sure, if it was the meat of a tier 2 or 3 beast maybe,” Luo Han replied. “A tier 1 beast’s meat won’t do you much more good than just eating regular meat. The chances that we’ll just incidentally find another tier 2 or 3 beast along the way are pretty slim. Though if you help out, I’ll be willing to split the reward between the two of us.”
Siyuan’s hopes deflated slightly. However, cash could still possibly be adequate. If he bought and refined some qi-rich crops, it would definitely help even if it wouldn’t be enough to reach the breakthrough point.
“Well, that’s fine,” he said.
Luo Han chuckled at Siyuan’s miffed expression.
“Since when did you care so much about cultivation?” he asked. “I reckoned you were the kind of person to never really care all that much.”
“My new sensei in the advanced class pushed me to break through into the Foundation Establishment realm,” Siyuan said with a sigh. “Something about not wanting me to suffer from qi deviation attempting some of her projects.”
“Well yeah, it’s a class expected for Aura Manifestation realm cultivators,” Luo Han said with a scoff. “Alright then. It’s time we get going.”
He stands up from his chair. His expression hardens almost immediately as he walks up to the rich young master sitting at the table behind him. Ling Yan didn’t even look at him until Luo Han was right next to his seat.
“What?” he curtly asked. The other two cultivators at his table just stared at Luo Han before they both shifted their gazes elsewhere, away from the two. As just regular lower reaches disciples in the Qi Manifestation realm, they wisely decided not to get involved by picking a side.
“Get up,” Luo han simply says. “It’s time to go.”
Ling Yan’s face scrunches up slightly. His , however, remained mostly impassive.
“I’m still eating,” he says. “Wait for me to finish.”
“I’m not going to wait for you to finish,” Luo Han says, scowling. It was apparent to both parties and everyone that the two didn’t like each other. Thus, neither found any excuse to disguise that fact. “Be reminded that the quest your family had me take is entirely optional on my part. And since I already know the location of the tier 3 beast, I can just go over there and take it myself. So if you still want it, then get up.”
Ling Yan’s impassive face shifts into a scowl.
“Fine,” he finally says. He gets up from his chair, his sword clinking in its sheath.
“Oh, one more thing, we’ll be bringing along a third person with us,” Luo Han says.
“I thought you said it’d only be the two of us,” Ling Yan replied. “Isn’t that why you were so opposed to me bringing some of my fellow disciples along?”
“Well, as the hunting leader, I have the power to choose who goes and doesn’t go,” Luo Han sternly says. “And I’ve chosen someone to come with us. If you are dissatisfied, you can find another hunting leader.”
Lin Yang tsk’d, but he grit his teeth and stayed silent. He cursed Luo Han in his heart. The cultivator was usually pompous and despised being controlled and bound by the rules of others, but Luo Han’s participation in this hunt was imperative. Without him, he didn’t have the ability to take down a tier 3 beast. There also weren’t any other Qi Manifestation cultivators in the lower reaches who could fight against tier 3 beasts, much less kill them. What made things even worse for him was that it had to be a Qi Manifestation cultivator, as it was highly unlikely he would find a Foundation Establishment cultivator who would be willing to go along with him, even with his family’s wealth and status. Most of them just didn’t want to bother with babysitting cultivators one whole realm under them.
Luo Han was his only choice and he knew it. Ling Yan grit his teeth when the thought emerged once again.
Just you wait, he thought. You may be able to boss me around now, but once I reach the Foundation Establishment realm, let’s see just who will be able to boss around who!
Without waiting for him, Luo Han turned around and walked back to his table, Ling Yan following close behind him. Ling Yan’s eyes fell onto Lin Siyuan, who stood up from his chair. The young master’s eyes widened slightly before he looked back at Luo Han.
“Hah?” he asked. “That is…Lin Siyuan? Why is a relic smith coming with us?”
“That’s none of your business,” Luo Han curtly says, not even acknowledging him as he starts on the way to the courtyard.
Ling Yan examined Siyuan for a few seconds. Siyuan just stared back, not quite sure what to think. Finally, the young master scoffed before following after Luo Han.
Siyuan quietly scoffed back before also following behind.
Neither of the trio noticed that the dining hall had gone silent as all eyes were on them, silently watching as the strongest battle cultivator, the second strongest battle cultivator, and most accomplished relic smith in the lower reaches walked in line out of the dining hall.
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It didn’t take them long to reach the Mystic River sect’s lower reaches transportation array.
It was fairly early in the morning, yet there were already a great number of disciples out and about. The courtyard was rich with activity, loud and bustling with chatter and the sound of disciples being teleported from the array.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Alright everyone, check one last time to make sure we have everything,” Luo Han says as he, Lin Siyuan, and Ling Yan stop in front of the array. “Check your swords, it’s better to be a bit late with a blade in good condition than on time with a blade in bad condition. Make sure you have a sufficient amount of healing items. Lastly, make sure you’ve fastened your jade pendant in a secure place. You won’t be able to return to the transportation array without it, so make sure it doesn’t drop anywhere.”
Lin Siyuan brought a hand down to his side, where his sword lay in its sheath.
Being a relic smith, it was only expected that his sword wasn’t simply just a sword. It was a three-fold enhanced sword relic that had a simple purpose: to enhance the flow of qi within his body. It was a simple “purpose,” but it could be effectively utilized no matter the situation he was in. As his hand made contact with the hilt, he felt the thrum of energy that it produced. A reassurance that it was in good form.
It was simple, but he still felt pride in its creation. At the moment, it could be called his life’s work. The number of other Qi Manifestation cultivators with a 3-fold enhanced relic could be counted with the fingers on one hand. Only one of whom actually made the relic himself.
As for healing items, he didn’t really have any. The closest he had to such were several pills for replenishing qi, but that was still far better than nothing. He knew his jade pendant was in its usual place in his robe, but he checked again just in case. Now that he was actually right in front of the transportation array, he started feeling anxious. Even though Luo Han was the most dependable cultivator in the lower reaches to go on a hunt with, at least to him, things went wrong on hunts all the time. Somebody losing their life on one of these was a common occurrence.
On the other hand, Luo Han and Ling Yan didn’t seem the least bit tepid. Thus, Siyuan decided to just swallow his anxiety.
“So here’s our mission objective,” Luo Han says, reaching into his robe to pull out a scroll. He opens it. “The location is an obscure, unnamed town not far outside of sect boundaries. Some unknown time ago, a fox that had become infamous for taking the villager’s chickens had broken through, though it had managed to do so without being noticed. It continued living as it did before the villagers hired a couple of cultivators to help them catch it. By the time it finally fell within the Mystic River sect’s sights, it had become a tier 3 beast of the wood affinity.”
One of Ling Yan’s eyebrows rose at that. He was willing to take any tier 3 beast core for his breakthrough. It was just his fortune that this hunt’s beast was of the wood affinity, which complemented his fire affinity. Its core would be almost twice as beneficial to him compared to if he just used any random beast core.
“A surveillance team of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a few Qi Manifestation cultivators were sent out,” Luo Han says, closing the scroll and putting it back into his robes. “It was with their notice that this bounty was posted, but strangely, they have yet to return. Their whereabouts are currently unknown at the moment. However, we need not be concerned about this as another team will be tasked with finding them. Our priority is to kill the beast.”
Siyuan and Ling Yan both nodded. The anxiousness that Siyuan had suppressed began to reemerge. Tier 3 beasts were usually on the level of Foundation Establishment cultivators. He didn’t know what had happened to the surveillance team, but a tier 3 beast that could make a whole team with a Foundation Establishment cultivator in it go missing definitely wasn't a weak one.
“That should be everything,” Luo Han says. “Remember. Follow what I say, always. Never stray from the group. Your first priority is the survival of the group, but only if it doesn’t endanger your own survival.”
Ling Yan just sighed while Siyuan nodded. He nervously tapped the hilt of his sword.
“Let’s get going then.”
The three stepped onto the transportation array. Luo Han crouched and muttered something. Shortly after, a bright light surrounded the group of three. In the next instant, the light disappeared, taking the three cultivators with it.
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As the light surrounded Siyuan’s body, he flinched, his eyes closing for an instant when the light suddenly flooded his vision. When he opened his eyes again, he found that he was no longer in the sect’s central courtyard.
He was now in a large, open field. The grass under his shoes was a bright, healthy green and stretched past his ankles. Above, the sun was peeking over the horizon, dying the sky a pleasant dark blue. When he turned around, he saw a few mountains stretching up into the sky a far distance behind him, the mountain peaks that housed the main school of the Mystic River Sect.
The transportation array really is amazing, he thought. In the blink of an eye, it brought three of us so far away from the school.
“Guess that’s where our beast is,” he hears Luo Han say, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Siyuan turns his head away from the mountain.
In front of them, a distance away, was a village. Well, less of a collection of small, hastily built huts made of wood. And Siyuan thought the village that he was born from was small. The size of this one almost didn’t qualify it to be even a village.
What really caught his eye, however, was the smoke rising from somewhere within it.
“Let’s just get this done with,” Ling Yan says.
Luo Han ignores him, but starts on his way towards the small village. Ling Yan follows close beside him with Siyuan behind the two. He pitted it to his inexperience, but he couldn’t help but wonder why the village seemed so empty. It was quite far away, but with his enhanced cultivator eyesight, he should’ve picked up at least a few people moving about even from this distance. Even in the case of a beast attack, there should at least be some people running around. Luo Han and Ling Yan didn’t seem perturbed by it, however. Thus, he never brought it up.
The party of three took only several steps forward before Luo Han suddenly stopped. One of his hands shot up as the other immediately went to his sword at his hip. Ling Yan’s eyes widened as he too stopped and immediately brought his hand to the hilt of his sword. Lin Siyuan was not much slower, his whole body tense as he also brought a hand to his sword. Anxiousness immediately shot through his whole body.
What the-, why did he stop? Siyuan’s eyes darted side to side. Although the grassy plains seemed empty except for the three of them, he was on high alert.
It wasn’t until then that he finally sensed what had caused Luo Han to stop.
He felt the qi of…something rushing right towards them from the direction of the village. He whipped his head from side to side, yet he saw nothing. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t at the same altitude as them.
It was rushing towards them from below.
The ground?! Could it be the beast?! But shouldn’t the beast be a wood affinity one?!
The source of qi got closer and closer. Luo Han and Ling Yan both slightly drew their swords, the metal sliding out of their sheaths before…
Earth exploded into the air as a figure suddenly erupted from the ground in front of Ling Yan and Luo Han. The figure of a young, adult man with long, crow black hair tied into a ponytail and a young, slightly boyish face. He was dressed in the student robes of the Mystic River Sect. Based on what Siyuan could sense, he was in the Qi Manifestation realm.
Siyuan’s panic was quelled slightly upon seeing that it was another fellow lower reaches disciple. It was now obvious to see that the source of qi that was burrowing towards them under the ground was not a beast, but this cultivator. He hadn’t taken account for the fact that the source of qi coming from the ground could’ve just been another disciple using the Earth Burrowing Technique, a very basic technique that all Earth-affinity cultivators could learn and even perfect very early into cultivation. As the name suggested, it allowed the user to burrow into the ground and remain there or move around as he pleased, the speed of which was relative to the speed that the cultivator himself could manage.
However, the cultivator himself was in a miserable state. The moment he popped out of the ground and landed onto his own two feet, he nearly fell and would have had Luo Han not rushed forward to catch him. He was breathing hard, fresh blood pouring out from open wounds and out of his mouth. His robes in tatters and his blade was nowhere in sight.
A look of happiness descended upon the cultivator’s face for a moment. It was only a moment later that that look of happiness dropped away.
“Qi Manifestation cultivators?!” he gasped. He sounded almost manic. “The bounty hunting office dispatched Qi Manifestation cultivators?! No, the emergency message I sent requested for disciples from the upper reaches!”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Luo Han says reassuringly. He puts both hands on the panicked disciple’s shoulders. “I am Luo Han. Me and my fellow disciples have responded to a bounty out for a tier 3 beast in this area. Are you from the recon team?”
“The situation has changed!” he says frantically. He grabs onto Luo Han’s forearms and begins shaking him. “The threat isn’t just a tier 3 beast anymore. It’s a-!”
The ground began to rumble underneath the four cultivators’ feet. Luo Han’s eyes widened as he suddenly gripped the scared cultivator’s forearm and threw him behind him, sending him tumbling behind the group past Siyuan.
Had Luo Han been even an instant slower, that poor cultivator would have lost his life right then and there.
To the jaws of the large snake that suddenly erupted from under the ground and shot into the air.
The snake’s mouth closed around nothing as it remained airborne before it dropped back to the ground with a loud boom. It couldn’t exactly be called massive, but it was still large nonetheless. Its scales were gray like stone and its massive eyes were a bright yellow-orange. As its whole weight slammed onto the ground, heavy gusts of wind shot out from it in every direction, forcing Siyuan, Luo Han, and Ling Yan slightly backwards.
Just as it reached the ground, a heavy, oppressive feeling of qi suddenly flooded the air. Lin Siyuan’s eyes widened when he felt it suddenly envelop his whole body.
The aura itself was completely foreign to Siyuan. But the oppressive sensation it gave was anything but. In fact, it was just the previous day that he had felt something like it. He had just been in a classroom full of people with these just the previous day.
This is…a physical aura?! Then that means this beast is…
“A tier 5 beast?!” Ling Yan exclaimed.
The snake reared its large head, its large, glowing golden eyes looking right down at the four cultivators. As if observing the four, it just watched them for a moment. The cultivators just watched back, their attention raptly kept on the large beast right in front of them.
Siyuan felt as if his heart was about to pound out of his chest. He faintly registered the sword in his hand buzzing, followed by a surge of energy as the flow of qi within his body quickened. However, that was all nothing compared to the utter dread that he felt at that moment. All of his instincts were screaming at him to run, to pull out the jade pendant and teleport back to the sect, anything to get away. However, his body was completely frozen, still as a statue out of fear.
Luo Han and LingYan didn’t seem any better. Even Luo Han, who could confidently go up against Foundation Establishment cultivators and come out victorious, had a somber look on his face.
After all, a tier 5 beast wasn’t just as strong as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was stronger.
Strong enough to match against Aura Manifestation cultivators.
Finally, the snake hissed, breaking the tense silence, its tongue strangely not poking out from its mouth. It raised its head ever so slightly before…
Luo Han suddenly whipped his whole body around.
“Dodge!” he shouted.
That snapped Siyuan and Ling Yan out of their dazes. They immediately dove out of the way in two different directions just in time to dodge the snake’s head that shot right through the ground where both of them were just an instant before.