95: Chapter 95 An Encounter with a Cultivator

Ye Jing continued his journey, aided by the Poisonous Variant Bee swarm and Hei Feng.

The rest of the journey was much smoother; the several waves of Essence Spirits they encountered were either bitten and driven away by Hei Feng or devoured clean by the dense swarm of Poisonous Variant Bees.

There was no need for Ye Jing to take action at all.

In this mysterious area, low-level Essence Spirits were quite numerous; if a Martial Artist were to come here, they would truly be left without even a corpse.

After searching the mountains for a long time, Ye Jing felt that the deeper he went, the more powerful the Yao Beasts became, which couldn't help but remind him of the terrifying roar he had heard when he previously brought his two sons to the mountains for training.

Perhaps there was some terrifying existence within this forbidden zone.

Ye Jing kept directing the Poisonous Variant Bees toward areas rich in spiritual energy; since spirit insects favored the Power of Spiritual Sources within Spiritual Veins, looking for places with abundant spiritual energy was definitely the right move.

He just didn't know if that Spiritual Vein was still there.

"Roar!" Suddenly, a furious roar echoed through the mountain forest, shaking the heavens and causing Hei Feng and the Poisonous Variant Bees to tremble.

Ye Jing was startled, sensing something terrifying ahead. He immediately had Hei Feng transform into an ordinary black dog and released the Poisonous Variant Bee Queen.

Then, he hid to the side and carefully observed what was happening ahead.

"Run! This green snake is catching up!"

Ahead, two Cultivators were sprinting toward him. They appeared to be only at Qi Refining Level 2, possessing no Magical Artifacts and relying entirely on their legs to run.

Behind them was a giant blackish-green snake. Its body was as thick as a water bucket, and there was a black ring pattern around its seven-inch mark, making it look exceptionally eerie.

The giant snake flicked its forked tongue, its crimson eyes locked onto the Cultivators ahead. It glided with a foul wind, crushing the low shrubs into powder and sending withered branches and fallen leaves flying wherever it passed.

"Why can't we shake this beast off! If only I hadn't been so greedy for that green-veined grass in the valley!" The Cultivator on the left was pale and breathing heavily.

Cold sweat dripped down his cheeks, and he stumbled as he spoke, nearly falling.

The Cultivator on the right quickly grabbed him, his voice full of despair: "Stop talking! Run! This is a Yao Beast on the verge of advancing; the two of us at Qi Refining Level 2 aren't even enough to get stuck in its teeth!"

Just as he finished speaking, the green snake suddenly accelerated and whipped its tail fiercely against a nearby large tree.

With a crisp "crack," the trunk snapped and smashed toward the two Cultivators.

The two cried out in alarm and lunged to either side in a panic, barely avoiding the disaster, but their speed slowed by a beat.

Seeing this, the green snake let out a low hiss and opened its mouth wide, shooting out a stream of venom. Just as the two thought they were about to die...

...a long sword flew out, its blade piercing into the snake's mouth. It instantly sliced a large gash, spraying the two Cultivators with jet-black blood.

The green snake didn't expect to be attacked like this. Just as it tried to spit out the blade in its mouth, it saw a black dog snarling and clawing at its eyes.

The sharp claws struck, and the eyeball instantly burst.

The green snake could only let out waves of screams, its body twisting frantically.

The two Cultivators saw an old man appear. He continued to strike the green snake with the large blade, his moves extremely ruthless.

Before long, he pierced the snake's seven-inch mark, killing it completely.

The two Cultivators finally snapped out of it, hurried to the old man, and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Senior, for saving us! We will never forget your great kindness!"

They could feel that the aura emanating from this old man far exceeded their own. Although Ye Jing hadn't revealed his cultivation level, the fact that he had easily killed a green snake on the verge of advancing was enough to fill them with awe.

Ye Jing glanced at them and said indifferently, "It was just a small matter. Why did you provoke this green snake here?"

One of the Cultivators quickly explained, "Senior, we are wandering Loose Cultivators. My name is Su Dadan, and his is Liu Qing."

"We heard that green-veined grass grows here in the Qinling Mountains, so we wanted to pick a few to refine Medicinal Pills and improve our cultivation. Who knew we would accidentally disturb this green snake while harvesting? If it weren't for Senior's rescue, we would surely have died today."

Hearing this, Ye Jing's heart stirred. So, they were here to harvest an Immortal Plant?

He had heard of green-veined grass; it wasn't a rare Spirit Medicine, but it often grew near places with abundant spiritual energy.

Perhaps he could gather some news about the Spiritual Vein from these two Cultivators.

He then asked, "How long have you been here? Have you noticed any place nearby where the spiritual energy is particularly abundant?"

At these words, both Cultivators looked a bit confused. Su Dadan stepped forward respectfully and asked, "Senior, did you also come here to harvest Spirit Medicine?"

Hearing this, Ye Jing nodded for the time being, concealing the fact that he was looking for a Spiritual Vein.

Seeing this, Su Dadan's eyes darted around as if he were calculating something. He then emboldened himself and said, "Senior, if you are looking for a place with abundant spiritual energy, this Junior might be able to lead the way for you."

Seeing that the old man's strength was not weak, he already had the intention of attaching himself to him. If they could have him travel with them, they might be able to obtain many Spiritual Plants from the forest.

How could Ye Jing not see through their little schemes? But it didn't matter; they might actually lead him to the location of the Spiritual Vein.

So Ye Jing nodded and said, "In that case, I shall accompany you for a trip."

Along the way, Ye Jing conversed with the two. Su Dadan and Liu Qing had set foot on the immortal path by chance, but their talent was not strong, and their cultivation hadn't progressed even after five or six years.

They had no wealth or Magic Treasures, relying only on a few ordinary Broadswords to harvest Spiritual Plants in the forests, which they would then trade at a Cultivator market for some Spirit Stones to Cultivate.

Hearing about a market for Cultivators, Ye Jing became interested: "Is there a Cultivator market nearby?"

"Senior, are you new to this region?" Su Dadan asked in surprise.

Ye Jing acted mysterious, stroking his beard and saying, "I wander far and wide, and my movements are uncertain. My visit to the Qinling Mountains this time is merely for a few Spiritual Plants; I haven't paid attention to the markets here."

Hearing this, Su Dadan's face broke into a familiar smile: "I see! Senior may not know, but the Yan State and the Qingyun Sect are closely connected. At their border, there is the Tiangong Market, a gathering place for hundreds of nearby Cultivators to trade. The market is managed jointly by several Foundation Establishment Seniors, and the order is quite stable."

"Usually, many Loose Cultivators bring the Spiritual Plants they've gathered and the Yao Beast Materials they've hunted there to exchange for Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, or Cultivation Techniques and equipment."

Liu Qing added from the side, "Senior, most of the green-veined grass we pick is sent to the Tiangong Market for sale."

"However, the market rules are quite strict; fighting is prohibited inside, and one must pay one Low-Grade Spirit Stone as an Entry Fee."

Ye Jing nodded slightly, making a mental note of the Tiangong Market.

He had come looking for a Spiritual Vein, but he hadn't expected such an unexpected windfall. If he could go to this market to buy some Cultivation Techniques or Spiritual Artifacts, it would be very beneficial for the Family's development.

Perhaps he could even open a shop in the Tiangong Market to sell the Spiritual Qi-rich meat he raised.

Martial Artists could achieve twice the result with half the effort by eating it, and Cultivators might also like it. After all, Qi Refining Cultivators haven't achieved Grain Avoidance yet and still need such meat for nourishment.

"Is the Tiangong Market far from here?" he asked calmly.

"It's a bit far, about several hundred kilometers." Su Dadan pointed toward the northwest.