Chapter 101: Chapter 102: In the Dense Forest

"Chu Gong, you play the flute."

"Everyone else, keep your eyes peeled. The moment you see any movement, capture it!"

"Be careful. Don’t startle the other Demon Beasts in the mountain. If things go south, retreat immediately!"

...

Hu Yao was very serious as he arranged everything.

The original plan was to have Chen Che take command, but knowing he was just there to make up the numbers, he wasn’t willing to take the job and flatly refused. To his surprise, Hu Yao had the air of a great general and arranged everything perfectly.

Chen Che watched the group with great interest.

The disciple named Chu Gong held a green Jade Flute. It was a Tier One Middle Grade Sound Law Instrument, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the matching sheet music. When played, it could only startle Demon Beasts within a radius of a mile or two.

The others held large nets, ready to make the capture. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

CLANG!

Just then, the sound of gongs and drums echoed from the distance. Looking up, he saw countless flocks of birds fleeing from the direction of the noise.

’No one’s a fool; everyone has their own methods. If it really were a wild Demon Beast, there’s no way it could escape a commotion like this.’

Chen Che understood.

Great rewards make for brave men. Even though there were many powerful Demon Beasts in this eight-hundred-li mountain range, who wouldn’t be willing to risk it all for the bounty?

Just the three Realm-Breaking Pills were tempting enough.

Not to mention the Spirit Stones, Pills, and other rewards. Even if one couldn’t use them, they could be left for their descendants.

"Begin!"

Hu Yao retracted his gaze.

WOOOOOO~

He activated it with his True Essence, and the sound of the flute rose. The formless sound waves materialized into a visible sonic torrent, rolling out in all directions. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the mountainside. Countless plants swayed gently under the force of the sound waves.

WHOOSH~

Countless birds startled into the air, chirping and squawking as they formed a dark cloud and fled into the distance.

Even the snakes, insects, rats, and ants hidden in the ground scurried from their holes to escape.

Everyone stared at the sky, afraid to miss anything.

"...They’re all gone. Let’s move to the next spot."

After the flocks of birds had flown away, Hu Yao continued to lead the way forward.

Searching the mountain was a tedious process. A mountain this large couldn’t possibly be searched completely in less than a few months.

Chen Che followed behind, feeling a bit bored. He picked up a branch and idly poked at the surrounding grass and trees. But because of the flute’s sound, there was nothing in the undergrowth.

Soon, night fell.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Deep within the dense forest, four Tribulation Cultivators were running at high speed. They moved through the thick woods as if they were antelopes, bounding along as if on flat ground.

Before long, they arrived at a clearing where the view opened up considerably.

Looking up, they saw a middle-aged man with a wide mouth and a square face sitting cross-legged on a moss-covered boulder. A greatsword half the height of a man was strapped to his back.

"Brother Li, I thought that after you became a Jinyun Valley Steward, you’d forgotten about us old brothers!"

One of the Tribulation Cultivators, a man with triangular eyes, said with a laugh:

"What business have you called us here for this time?"

Li Hong said nothing, simply tossing out a painting.

"We can’t take this job!"

The triangle-eyed man caught it and slowly unrolled it. One of the others saw it, his pupils shrinking slightly as he whispered a few words. Hearing this, the triangle-eyed man frowned and said in displeasure, "This man is a Jinyun Valley Steward. If we kill him, I’m afraid we’ll never know a day of peace again!"

With that, he tossed the portrait aside and turned to leave:

"Farewell!"

As Tribulation Cultivators, they had killed countless people, but they weren’t stupid.

Some people, you could kill and be done with it.

But others you couldn’t touch. The risk was too great.

"Before the new year, he took over Ji Xianlong’s Pill Shop."

Seeing them about to leave, Li Hong showed no trace of anger. Instead, he spoke slowly, "Ji Xianlong’s life savings, at least four or five thousand Spirit Stones, were all taken by him."

"That many Spirit Stones?"

The triangle-eyed man’s heart skipped a beat, and his steps slowed.

The other three also perked up their ears, their faces showing they were tempted.

They knew that in the past, from selecting a target to setting up an ambush, it would take them several months at a minimum. Yet, a single job would net them a few hundred Spirit Stones at most.

"He also has a Pill Shop of his own!"

A smile touched Li Hong’s lips as he continued:

"On top of that, he seems to have obtained the Alchemy Dao inheritance of a Foundation Establishment Major Cultivator. It only took him three years to surpass my elder brother! You do the deed, and I’ll clean up. Once it’s done, you can disappear. With so many Demon Beasts in these mountains, no one will ever suspect you!"

THWAP!

The triangle-eyed man stopped. He glanced at the other three, and seeing them all nod slightly, he made a grasping motion with his hand. The portrait he had thrown on the ground flew back into his grasp.

"We’ll take the job."

With that said, the four of them hurried away.

Li Hong chuckled softly and closed his eyes, perfectly composed.

He truly had nothing to worry about.

Four Qi Refining Seventh Layer Cultivators ganging up on a single Qi Refining Sixth Layer? There was no possibility of failure.

...

「More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」

Not only was the search fruitless, but they hadn’t found a single clue. Hu Yao and the others no longer had their initial enthusiasm.

Chen Che, however, breathed a sigh of relief. A few days prior, he had passed by his Cave Mansion with the group. He noticed another party of Cultivators who saw the waterfall and the pool, and even deliberately went behind the cascade, but they hadn’t been able to see through the Array.

’The fourth Leopard Embryo Elixir!’

That night, in a ruined temple, Hu Yao and the others started a bonfire. While they were preparing food, Chen Che popped a pill and began to stretch his body.

The others glanced over, but it was a common sight, so they continued discussing their search plan for the next day.

There were countless Cultivation Techniques in this world. And while Chen Che’s movements seemed novel at first glance, they were too ordinary. Even a child who had never practiced Cultivation could perform them easily. They didn’t look like any profound Martial Arts.

A moment later, the pill’s effects began to wane.

Chen Che exhaled a breath of turbid air and placed his hand on the Micro Crystal Brain.

Immediately, a yellow pop-up window appeared:

[WARNING: User’s True Essence reserves detected to be 71% above the standard for Cultivators of the same tier. Please confirm the cause.]

Ignoring the suggestion below to go to a hospital for a check-up, Chen Che pressed the mirrored surface a few more times.

Then, new text appeared:

Converting data...

Please wait...

...User’s True Essence reserves have surpassed the average for a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Cultivator.

’This means that based on my True Essence reserves alone, I could already defeat most Qi Refining Seventh Layer students back on Earth Element Star!’

Chen Che glanced at the data:

[Realm: Qi Refining Sixth Layer (82.6%)]

[Qi and Blood: Qi Refining Seventh Layer (32.7%)]

[Divine Sense: Foundation Establishment Third Layer (12.3%)]

’However, that’s just compared to the students on Earth Element Star. If I compare myself to the Cultivators of this world...’

At this thought, his gaze swept over Hu Yao and the others in the ruined temple. Although they were all Cultivators, the True Essence in their bodies couldn’t compare to his in either quantity or quality. The difference was like that between pig iron and refined steel.

Although both could be forged into weapons, the gulf between them was enormous.

"Brother, finished with your cultivation? Have a couple of drinks, get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll patrol the mountain again tomorrow!"

Seeing Chen Che stop, Hu Yao called out in a hearty voice.

"Have you all finished your discussion? Where are we going tomorrow?" Chen Che put away the Micro Crystal Brain and stepped into the ruined temple.

"Yeah, we’ve finished searching this peak. We’ll head to the next one tomorrow."

As Hu Yao spoke, he uncorked a jug with a POP and poured Chen Che a bowl of wine:

"It’s called Wild Pigeon Mountain. They say there are a lot of birds there. Someone said yesterday they spotted the Demon Beast on Wild Pigeon Mountain, so a lot of people are rushing over now..."

SWOOSH~

Chen Che’s brows shot up, and he was just about to speak.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle interrupted him. A signal arrow with a long, feathery tail shot rapidly into the night sky.

BANG!

A muffled explosion echoed.

"That location is..."

Chen Che’s gaze sharpened. It was Wild Pigeon Mountain.

WHOOSH!

"They found it?"

In an instant, everyone in the ruined temple shot to their feet.

From further away, they could hear the whistling of the wind, excited roars, and the sound of running footsteps...

The whole scene descended into chaos.

"How is that possible?"

Chen Che was stunned.