At the entrance at the foot of the mountain, the suffocating, heavy pressure finally dissipated only after Su Yueli and Han Changqing's figures had completely disappeared into the forest.
The spectating martial artists slumped on the ground, wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads, and the place instantly erupted in chatter.
“Who on earth was that girl just now... Could she be a Seventh Realm Martial Grandmaster?”
“Refined? Are you kidding me! I've seen a Seventh Realm Grandmaster get angry, and their pressure was nowhere near this terrifying! In my opinion, she might even be an Eighth Realm Great Grandmaster!”
“Eighth Realm?! But how old does she look? She looks barely in her early twenties. How is that possible?!”
“Where on earth did the Han family invite such a deity from... No wonder the Grand Elder didn't even dare to breathe heavily in front of her, behaving just like a servant.”
Everyone gossiped animatedly, their amazement and envy intertwined.
Quite a few people also grew interested. It seemed there would be a good show to watch in the conflict between the two great families of Luochuan City this time.
Perhaps, if both sides suffered and a third party benefited, they might even be able to fish in troubled waters and make a small profit when the time came.
...
Meanwhile, in the dense forest on the outskirts of the Cangji Mountain Range.
Su Yueli did not slow her pace. Her eyes scanned the surroundings as she asked casually, “Where is the Earth Meridian Fiend Astral Essence in the Cangji Mountain Range?”
Behind her, Han Changqing paused in his tracks, completely dazed.
He blinked. “Ah? Your Excellency, Earth Meridian... what essence?”
Su Yueli stopped and looked back at him, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. “Earth Meridian Fiend Astral Essence, a medicinal herb.”
Han Changqing looked a bit embarrassed. Scratching his beard, he said, “Your Excellency... This old man has lived around this mountain range for most of my life and has gathered many rare herbs, but I have truly never even heard of this Earth Meridian Fiend Astral Essence...”
Su Yueli raised a hand to cover her forehead.
She had forgotten that this was merely a remote corner with barely any cultivators. To expect a Fourth Realm martial artist to recognize the core material of a Grade Eight elixir was indeed overestimating him.
“Never mind.”
Su Yueli lowered her hand and said flatly, “Just take me to the deepest part of this mountain range.”
“The... the deepest part?!”
Han Changqing's face suddenly stiffened, and the cold sweat that had just dried on his forehead instantly broke out again.
He swallowed hard and advised tremblingly, “Your Excellency, why don't we... reconsider this? The deepest part of that mountain range is no joking matter!”
“Rumor has it that a Second Realm demon beast lives inside, and some even say that a terrifying Third Realm demon beast might be entrenched in the innermost core area!”
In Han Changqing's eyes, no matter how exceptionally talented and amazingly skilled Su Yueli was, she was at most a Seventh or Eighth Realm martial arts expert.
But from a martial artist's perspective, a Third Realm demon beast was a monster comparable to a mighty figure in the cultivation world!
Let alone them, even if a legendary and elusive Tenth Realm Martial God from mortal rumors came, they would only be seeking death if they encountered a Third Realm demon beast.
If they rashly barged in like this, wouldn't they be seeking their own deaths?
Su Yueli turned her head to glance at him, her eyes completely devoid of emotion. “Just lead the way.”
Seeing Su Yueli's calm, emotionless gaze, Han Changqing swallowed his words of persuasion back down.
Wiping his face, he sighed inwardly. He could only grit his teeth and draw the saber at his waist. “Since Your Excellency insists on going, then this old man... this old man will risk my life to accompany you!”
After all, this was a favor the Han family owed Su Yueli, and they also hoped to leverage her strength now.
It seemed they had to make this trip no matter what, even if it meant... a narrow escape from death.
Just like that, one in front of the other, the two of them began to head toward the depths of the Cangji Mountain Range.
As they ventured deeper, the surrounding light gradually dimmed. Towering trees blotted out the sky, and the air was thick with the scent of decaying vegetation and damp soil.
Along the way, many fierce wild beasts and First Realm demon beasts attracted by the commotion emerged one after another, roaring as they lunged at the two.
Without needing Su Yueli to lift a finger, Han Changqing, who was eager to show his worth, could no longer hold back. Brandishing his saber, he charged forward and cut down the beasts blocking their path.
His Fourth Realm cultivation was more than enough to handle these ordinary wild beasts, and his strikes were clean and decisive.
However, when facing First Realm demon beasts, he struggled quite a bit and still needed Su Yueli to casually stamp her foot.
Soon, an hour later.
The two of them passed through a dark forest that never saw the light of day, stopping at the edge of a bottomless canyon.
The temperature here was noticeably much lower than outside. Chilling winds howled, and even the sounds of birds and insects had completely vanished.
Huddling against the rock wall, Han Changqing bent low and with extreme caution pointed toward a highly concealed, collapsed cave on the opposite side.
“Your Excellency, it's right there.”
Han Changqing lowered his voice, his tone a bit weak. “Eight or nine years ago, when this old man got lost while gathering herbs and wandered in here, I saw a strange light flashing inside that cave from a distance.”
“At the time, I felt an extremely powerful, malevolent aura inside. I didn't dare approach and quickly left. If there really is some rare treasure in this mountain, it is probably only there.”
Su Yueli scrutinized the area in the direction he pointed.
The cave was hidden behind vines and crevices of giant boulders halfway up the mountain. Without someone specifically guiding her, even if she scanned with her divine sense, it would be easy to overlook it as a normal rocky crevice.
“It is indeed a remote place.”
Su Yueli nodded slightly.
If not for Han Changqing leading the way, relying solely on herself to blindly search the vast mountains would probably have wasted a lot of time.
She delayed no longer, taking a step forward and walking toward the deep cave.
Behind her, Han Changqing was so frightened that he quickly cried out in a low voice, “Your Excellency, be careful! The thing inside that cave is extremely terrifying...”
However, before his voice could fade—
“Roar—!”
A beast's roar erupted from the depths of the cave, shaking the entire canyon and causing loose rocks to cascade down!
Immediately after, a foul, gusty wind howled out. A black shadow pounced from the cave entrance, crashing onto the ground and creating a half-meter-deep crater!
Su Yueli focused her gaze. Looking at the monster before her—which had the body of a bear, wings on its back, and was covered in jet-black iron scales—her eyes were somewhat speechless.
This aura... was merely a Third Realm mid stage demon beast.
In her eyes, a monster of this level did not even have the qualification to make her throw a serious punch.
But Han Changqing, standing behind her, completely collapsed to the ground at this moment.
Feeling that oncoming demonic power, Han Changqing's face turned deathly pale. His eyes went vacant, and his entire body could not stop trembling.
He muttered to himself:
“A Third Realm demon beast... It really is a Third Realm demon beast... It's... it's over... It's completely over now...”
Just moments ago, he had still harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps his previous experience had been an illusion, or perhaps the rumors were exaggerated.
Perhaps what lay inside was not a demon beast, or at least not that strong.
But now, it was a genuine, undeniable Third Realm demon beast!
The Han family... would probably never recover...
Rate on N.U.
