Bai Li had been in seclusion for a full two months and still failed to break through to peak Aperture Opening. It was a bit of a pity, but the path of cultivation was never something that could be forced. Her Dao heart remained steady and calm.
There were only six months left until the once-every-three-years sect grand tournament. As the senior sister of Shui Ling Sect, Bai Li naturally bore a heavy responsibility. This time, Shui Ling Sect really was a bit lacking in overall strength.
Even so, no matter what, she wanted her sect to achieve a good result.
She was also the strongest among the younger generation, so the pressure on her shoulders was heavy. Although Bai Li possessed a Pure Yin constitution, a once-in-a-millennium talent that made cultivation twice the result for half the effort, things were far from simple.
So, after leaving seclusion, Bai Li went down the mountain, planning to temper herself in the Red-Black Mountain Range.
The Red-Black Mountain Range lay to the east. Once she made up her mind, Bai Li simply flew there on her sword. On the way, she happened to run into an outer sect disciple of her own sect, but she did not pay the girl much attention.
Upon arriving at the Red-Black Mountain Range, Bai Li headed straight toward the deepest part of the forest. There was a high chance of encountering second-rank demonic beasts there, which would be perfect for sharpening herself.
On this continent, aside from ordinary mortals and cultivators of all kinds, powerful demonic beasts roamed everywhere. A first-rank demonic beast was roughly equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. For Bai Li as she was now, they posed no challenge at all.
Second-rank demonic beasts, however, were equivalent to cultivators of the Aperture Opening realm. Some stronger ones could even rival those at the peak of Aperture Opening. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
After entering the depths of the Red-Black Mountain Range, Bai Li encountered several ordinary second-rank beasts and killed them one after another.
It was not until the next day that she finally ran into a Scarlet Blood Python in a cave. An adult Scarlet Blood Python’s strength could match a cultivator at the late-stage Aperture Opening peak. Bai Li did not dare to be careless in the slightest. Man and serpent fought for over a hundred exchanges before she finally slew the python.
Places where powerful demonic beasts appeared often harbored rare treasures of heaven and earth. After killing the Scarlet Blood Python, Bai Li methodically searched the cave from top to bottom.
Sure enough, she soon discovered a single-stalked Star Spirit Grass. It counted as a rather rare medicinal herb. Back at the sect, it could probably be exchanged for some low-grade spirit stones. Naturally, Bai Li wasn’t about to let it go. She easily put the Star Spirit Grass into her storage ring.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, she suddenly sensed that something was off. Star Spirit Grass was good, but it was not enough to make a Scarlet Blood Python guard this place to the death.
With that thought, Bai Li spun back around and searched the cave once more. Very quickly, she discovered the abnormality.
There was something wrong with the rock wall directly ahead.
Realizing this, Bai Li slashed out with her sword. With a deafening boom, the rock wall collapsed, revealing another hidden space within the cave.
Once she saw what was inside, Bai Li finally showed a look of sudden understanding.
So this cave actually contained a small Refinement Pool. This was the sort of great treasure that might not appear even once in a hundred years.
A so-called Refinement Pool could help cleanse the impurities from a cultivator’s body and thus improve their innate aptitude. It was a treasure that one could only stumble upon, never seek out.
But as she looked at the pool in front of her, Bai Li couldn’t help sighing.
Unfortunately, the Refinement Pool was only effective for those at the Foundation Establishment realm. For someone like her, who had already opened her qi sea, it was completely useless.
Strictly speaking, Bai Li’s Pure Yin constitution already gave her outstanding talent in cultivation. The Refinement Pool really would have had limited effect on her.
“So that Scarlet Blood Python was planning to enter the pool to temper itself. It might really have had a chance to break through to a third-rank demonic beast.”
She spoke to herself lightly.
“But once a Refinement Pool appears, it naturally dissipates within a day. What a waste.”
Bai Li took one last look at the pool in the cave and shook her head helplessly.
Regretful as it was, the pool could not be taken away. Bai Li could only turn and leave the cave.
During the battle with the Scarlet Blood Python, she had already felt the true qi in her body becoming somewhat restless. It seemed that her own breakthrough to peak Aperture Opening was only a matter of time.
Her trip to the Red-Black Mountain Range had actually yielded quite a lot.
Not lingering, Bai Li left the deep forest, planning to find a place to rest for the night and return to the sect at dawn tomorrow.
After coming out of the Red-Black Mountain Range, she decided to stay the night in nearby Black Spring Town to recuperate. But on the way, she ran into a life-and-death chase.
What she did not expect was that the target of the pursuit was the same junior sister she had briefly crossed paths with on the way down the mountain two days ago.
The very same Fu Yan who had been dancing that strange dance in the ruined temple.
Bai Li had followed behind the pair ever since they left Black Spring Town, silently observing from the side. She had personally seen someone only at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment manage to severely wound an Aperture Opening opponent.
Though the girl had relied on external aid and the man had only just broken through, that kind of boldness was rare.
In the end, it still came down to Fu Yan’s weak innate aptitude. Bai Li could easily imagine that if Fu Yan could also break through to Aperture Opening, she would have been able to kill that man with ease.
But Fu Yan was still only at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment.
So this life-and-death chase ended with Fu Yan collapsing to the ground.
Seeing that Fu Yan’s life was in danger—she was, after all, a disciple of Shui Ling Sect—Bai Li naturally would not stand idly by. She finally moved at full speed. With a single stroke of her sword, she killed the man in black.
Landing lightly, Bai Li took the man’s storage pouch. She glanced inside. It held only some common herbs and the most basic martial techniques—nothing of value.
Still, they could be exchanged for a few low-grade spirit stones.
On the cultivation path, spirit stones were indispensable. For cultivators, they were also the most widely used currency.
After handling everything, Bai Li prepared to turn and leave. As for the unconscious Fu Yan on the ground, she had no further thoughts. Saving her at the critical moment was already the greatest help she intended to give.
The cultivation path was naturally fraught with danger. Life or death, everything depended on one’s own fate.
With that in mind, Bai Li mounted her sword again, ready to fly off. But just as she was about to rise into the sky, the image of the Refinement Pool in the cave flashed through her mind.
Her gaze dropped once more to the unconscious Fu Yan.
After a moment of hesitation, Bai Li finally let out a soft sigh. Looking at Fu Yan on the ground, she muttered to herself,
“Forget it. You and I can be considered to share a bit of fate, and we’re both disciples of Shui Ling Sect. As your senior sister, I’ll grant you an opportunity. As for the road ahead, that’s up to you.”
With that, Bai Li grabbed the unconscious Fu Yan with one hand, then turned and headed back toward the deep forest of the Red-Black Mountain Range.
—
Softbone Powder was not highly toxic. Those who were poisoned merely fell unconscious for a while, their bodies going limp and unable to exert any strength.
So before long, Fu Yan groggily woke up.
She stared blankly at the trees whipping past her vision. For a moment, she didn’t quite process what was happening. Only when the constant jolting left her dizzy and her head throbbing did she realize she was being carried.
No need to guess—it had to be that beastly molester.
Fu Yan felt utterly aggrieved. Two lifetimes of wise decisions, yet she had ended up falling into the hands of a damned flower-picking pervert.
Her entire body was limp and powerless. Even though she’d woken up, she couldn’t move at all. So she kept pretending to be unconscious, waiting for a chance to escape.
Soon, Bai Li carried Fu Yan back into the cave where the Scarlet Blood Python had been.
Seeing that the Refinement Pool was still there, Bai Li allowed herself a small smile. She tossed Fu Yan to the side, then went to carefully inspect the pool.
After confirming that there was nothing wrong with it, she turned toward Fu Yan, who was still pretending to be unconscious. With Bai Li’s level of cultivation, she had long since noticed that Fu Yan had woken up, but she could not be bothered to expose such a petty ruse.
Eyes tightly shut, Fu Yan was still frantically thinking about how to escape when she felt the “molester” walk back over to her.
No, she couldn’t keep pretending!
In the next instant, Fu Yan snapped her eyes open.
Bai Li habitually used true essence to veil her real appearance, so in Fu Yan’s eyes, though the clothes were different, the person before her was still that same beastly flower thief.
After all, she had just torn that bastard’s clothes into tatters herself.
“What do you want?”
Fu Yan stared coldly at Bai Li. If looks could kill, Bai Li would have died thousands of times over.
Bai Li remained silent.
In a situation like this, threats were useless, but Fu Yan truly had no other options.
“If you dare to touch a single hair on my head today, I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!”
Hearing that, Bai Li let out a quiet, involuntary laugh. This little junior sister of hers was rather amusing.
But she had no intention of explaining anything. She simply drew her sword in one smooth motion and leveled the tip at Fu Yan.
Facing the sharp blade pointed at her, Fu Yan did not feel particularly afraid. As long as this degenerate did not intend to humiliate her, perhaps death would send her back to her original world.
“Kill me if you want.”
Fu Yan gave up. This time, she truly had no chance of escaping. Before dying, she at least wanted to show some backbone.
Yet the next moment—
She watched, dumbfounded, as the other party flicked her sword and hooked it under her belt, slicing it apart.
“…”
Fu Yan felt as though her head exploded. She was just about to start cursing when Bai Li’s sword flashed again, cutting open her outer robe. The very next second, someone grabbed her and tossed her straight into the water.
With a splash, water sprayed everywhere.
“You—”
Fu Yan barely got a single word out before she felt herself sinking rapidly. All she could hear in her ears was the bubbling rush of water.
She couldn’t swim!
