18: Chapter 18 Re-exploring the Black Cloud Mountains

Ye Tian stood by the window, gazing at the grand courtyard of the Ye Family, his fists clenched tightly.

Peak Qi Gathering Level 3 was not enough.

Far from enough.

Ye Long was at the Peak of the fifth level, his strength unfathomable; it was said he had already begun to touch the threshold of the sixth level.

With his current cultivation, combined with Body Refinement Level 2 and the Overlapping Wave Fist, he might be able to contend with an ordinary Peak fourth-level practitioner, but against Ye Long, his chances of winning were slim to none.

Only ten days remained.

His Spirit Stones were gone, and his Medicinal Pills were all used up.

Relying solely on the thin Spiritual Qi absorbed from the Ancestral Hall every day and the slow feedback from the stone bead, in nine days, let alone breaking through to the fourth level, it would be good enough just to stabilize his current Realm.

What should he do?

He paced back and forth in the small room, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

His mother's worried gaze, the schadenfreude of Ye Hao and the others, Ye Long's cold and disdainful eyes, and the potential threat from the Lin Family—all this pressure weighed heavily on his heart.

He had to increase his strength as quickly as possible!

But where was the path?

Beg the Family?

Impossible.

It would be a blessing if those Elders and managers didn't kick him while he was down.

Borrow?

Who would lend anything to a "troublemaker" like him?

After thinking it over, only one path remained.

The Black Cloud Mountains.

There was danger there, but also opportunity.

red sun grass, yin sha grass, and various valuable beast materials—wealth is sought amidst danger.

For someone like him with no background or resources, if he wanted to get ahead, he had to risk his life.

"If I die, I die!" Ye Tian suddenly stopped in his tracks, a look of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

Rather than being crippled by Ye Long at the Grand Competition and letting his mother suffer humiliation, it was better to take a gamble now!

He no longer hesitated and began packing his things.

A short blade, rope, a water skin, and dry rations.

He also carefully wrapped the last bit of salt and a fire starter from the house.

Finally, he glanced at the corner of the wall, hesitated for a moment, then walked over and pulled out a ring wrapped in layers of thick cloth from deep within a crack in the wall.

This thing felt eerie, but last time at the Yin Wind Ravine, the stone bead had reacted strangely because of it.

Bringing it along might have unexpected effects.

He tucked it into his innermost pocket.

Pushing open the door, he saw his mother sitting in the courtyard mending clothes. Seeing him dressed for a long journey, her hand jerked, and the needle pricked her finger.

"Tian'er, you... are you going into the mountains again?" His mother's voice trembled.

"Yes, Mother. I'm going to get some things for my cultivation. I'll be back in a few days," Ye Tian said, trying his best to sound calm.

His mother stood up and walked to him. Her eyes were red and her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only reached out to straighten his messy collar and whispered, "Be careful. Mother... will wait for you to come back."

Ye Tian felt a pang in his heart and nodded heavily. "Don't worry, Mother."

He didn't dare look at his mother's worried eyes again, turning away and striding off with a determined silhouette.

Stepping into the Black Cloud Mountains again, Ye Tian was even more cautious than before.

He avoided the direction of the Yin Wind Ravine where he had been before, choosing a more remote but potentially more dangerous path, heading deeper into the mountains.

The further in he went, the taller and denser the trees became, and the light grew dim.

The air was thick with the smell of rotting leaves, and the surroundings were terrifyingly silent; even the sounds of birds were scarce.

He knew that this kind of silence often meant there were powerful predators nearby.

He gripped his short blade, his mind highly focused. Every step he took was very light, his ears catching even the slightest sound.

On the first day, he gained nothing except for encountering a few blind Level 1 low-grade Vicious Beasts, which he quickly dealt with.

The few common herbs he found were of little value.

On the second day, he discovered a small patch of "blood-congealing grass" near a cliff. This was a supplementary material for refining healing medicines and was worth some money, so he carefully harvested it.

On the third day, he encountered a pack of "Poison-Fang Wolves," numbering seven or eight, all of which were Level 1 Intermediate grade.

Relying on his tough body after Body Refining and the explosive power of the Overlapping Wave Fist, he fought a hard battle and suffered some minor injuries before driving them off. He harvested several wolf pelts and fangs, but the exertion was significant.

That night, he hid in a narrow cave, chewing on tough jerky and tending to the wounds on his arm carved by wolf claws.

The stone bead grew slightly warm, dulling the pain.

Progress was too slow.

Even if he exchanged these gains for Spirit Stones, it would at most be enough to buy one or two bottles of the most common qi condensing pills, which would be of limited help in breaking through his Bottleneck.

He needed a greater opportunity or something more valuable.

On the fourth day, he ventured deep into a valley filled with a faint purple miasma.

It was said that rare "purple monkey mushrooms" might be found here, which had a slight effect on increasing Mental Energy and were quite valuable.

He searched cautiously along the edge of the miasma and indeed found several mushrooms with pale purple caps at the base of a dead ancient tree.

He was delighted and was about to step forward to pick them.

Suddenly—

"Hiss, hiss!"

A spine-chilling hissing sound rang out from the nearby dense bushes!

The hair on Ye Tian's body stood on end. Without thinking, he violently retreated!

Almost simultaneously, a long, thin black shadow shot out from the bushes, grazing past the tip of his nose!

Looking closely, it was a venomous snake with a pitch-black body, a triangular head, and blood-red eyes!

The snake's body was as thick as a bucket and over three meters long. The aura it emitted had reached Level 1 Peak, even approaching Level 2!

"Black-Line Viper!" Ye Tian's expression changed drastically.

This kind of venomous snake was incredibly fast, highly toxic, and extremely difficult to deal with!

Failing its first strike, the Black-Line Viper coiled its body, its blood-red tongue flickering as it locked onto Ye Tian.

Ye Tian gripped his short blade, his muscles tensed, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

He knew he couldn't outrun this snake; he could only fight for his life!

Just then, the stone bead in his bosom suddenly began to throb violently, more intensely than ever before!

At the same time, a strong urge to approach a certain direction deep within the valley surged inexplicably into his heart!

What was going on?

Was the stone bead's reaction related to this snake?

Or was there something deep in the valley?

There was no time for deep thought as the Black-Line Viper attacked again!

Its body launched forward, its venomous fangs glinting with a cold light!

Ye Tian's gaze sharpened, he channeled his Overlapping Wave Fist energy into his right arm, and his short blade drew a cold flash as he met the attack!

A life-and-death struggle suddenly erupted!

The Black-Line Viper's attack was as fast as lightning!

Ye Tian's pupils constricted as he pushed his speed to the limit, ducking violently to the right while his short blade slashed upward toward the snake's belly!

The blade scraped against the hard scales with a screeching sound, leaving only a white mark; it actually failed to break through the defense!

Stung by the pain, the Black-Line Viper grew even more enraged, its thick tail sweeping across with a whistling sound!

Ye Tian didn't dare take the hit directly. He pushed off with his feet and retreated rapidly!

The snake's tail slammed into the ground where he had just been standing, sending stones flying and leaving a deep furrow.

Missing its target, the Black-Line Viper's massive body twisted strangely and launched again, its bloody maw opening wide as its fangs lunged for Ye Tian's throat!

Too fast!

And the beast's scale armor defense far exceeded expectations!

Ye Tian knew he couldn't drag this out. The valley was filled with miasma, and staying too long would be disadvantageous for him.

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he advanced instead of retreating. At the moment the snake's mouth was about to bite him, his body slid downward, practically gliding across the ground beneath the snake's belly!

Simultaneously, he clenched his left fist, and the Overlapping Wave Fist energy exploded instantly. A surge of power slammed into the Black-Line Viper's relatively soft vital spot!

Boom!

Amidst the muffled sound, the Black-Line Viper let out a pained hiss, its forward momentum interrupted as its massive body twisted and rolled.

But Ye Tian's arm was also numbed by the counter-shock force.

This snake's defense and strength were too formidable!

Just as his old strength was spent and new strength had yet to rise, the Black-Line Viper's tail swept in silently from the side once more!

"Not good!"

Ye Tian barely managed to turn his body, taking the blow squarely with his back!

Bang!

A massive force struck him. He felt a sweetness in his throat as he was sent flying, crashing heavily against a mountain wall and rolling to the ground, his back stinging with burning pain.

The Black-Line Viper pressed its advantage, hissing as it lunged again, intending to completely tear apart the prey that had injured it!

In this moment of crisis, the stone bead in Ye Tian's bosom throbbed even more violently, and the urge pointing toward the depths of the valley almost burst from his body!

He no longer entangled himself with the vicious snake. Enduring the sharp pain, he scrambled to his feet and sprinted desperately toward the direction he sensed!

The Black-Line Viper pursued closely behind at high speed.

Ye Tian rushed recklessly toward the depths of the valley. The miasma grew thicker, obscuring his vision, but guided by the stone bead, he dodged left and right.

Strangely, when the Black-Line Viper reached an area filled with jagged, bizarre rocks, its speed slowed down significantly. It let out anxious hisses, seemingly wary of this area. Finally, it lingered unwillingly for a moment before turning and leaving.