32: Chapter 32 Preparations for the Demon Hunt

After returning to his secret room, Li Changqing calmed his excited mood and looked at the Spirit-Seeking Mouse, which was hopping about, his expression flickering uncertainly.

After discovering the Spirit Eye Spring and the purple lingzhi, Li Changqing's first reaction was not to report it to the Li Family, but to keep it hidden and monopolize these treasures.

To be honest, everyone has selfish desires, and when faced with significant interests, Li Changqing was certainly no exception. After considering it for an entire night, he still decided not to report it to the Li Family for the time being. This was safer, and it was also his own selfishness at work.

This was a critical juncture with the beast tide approaching. If he reported it to the Li Family, the Li Family would certainly send a large number of Cultivators to guard this place, carrying the risk of news leaking out. Secondly, if he reported it to the Li Family, even after he reached Foundation Establishment, it would be impossible to exchange for Xuanling Lake using a Profound Rank Spell, which would affect his subsequent cultivation plans.

If he monopolized this place, whether for his own Cultivate or to rely on it to earn cultivation resources, it would be a major asset for his path of cultivation.

After he reached Foundation Establishment, he planned to take a few two-leaf purple lingzhi and the Profound Rank archery Spell to hand over to the Li Family in exchange for ownership of Xuanling Lake. When his cultivation improved in the future, he would give more other spiritual cultivation items back to the Li Family to enhance the Li Family's foundation.

...

The next day, at the Li Family's ancestral grounds at Qingfeng Mountain, the Family Affairs Hall posted a new recruitment notice for a multi-person team mission, which attracted many clansmen to watch.

"The Li Family is organizing the second Yao Beast hunting team of the year to enter the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range to hunt Yao Beasts. The minimum requirement is Qi Refining 6th Layer cultivation. Fifty percent of the proceeds from hunting Yao Beasts must be handed over to the Li Family, and the remaining fifty percent will be distributed by the hunting team itself. The leader for this time is the Xuan-generation elder and Qi Refining 10th Layer Cultivator, Li Xuanzhou. Those interested should sign up quickly."

At this moment, the crowd of Li Family members watching was quite lively, and many clansmen were discussing the Yao Beast hunting mission.

"Fifteenth brother, the risk of going to the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range to hunt Yao Beasts is very high. Last time, I almost didn't make it back. Your cultivation has just broken through to the Qi Refining 6th Layer, and you haven't been out for training yet. Without some real skills, you'd better take other Li Family missions; it's just a bit less profit, but at least it's safe."

The person speaking was named Li Changge, ranked fourth in the Chang generation. He was forty-one years old this year, had a three-inch Spiritual Root, and his cultivation was at the Qi Refining 6th Layer.

The fifteenth brother he was dissuading was Li Changle, the third Cultivator with a four-inch Spiritual Root in the Chang generation of the Li Family. Li Changle was twenty-nine years old this year and had never entered the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range before, so he was full of curiosity about the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range.

"Sixth brother, isn't Great-Uncle Thirteen leading the team? I heard that Great-Uncle Thirteen has already Cultivate the top-grade Spell, Xuanzhen Sword Art, to the Perfection Realm. His sword technique is supernatural, and even ordinary Peak 1st-tier Yao Beasts are no match for him. There shouldn't be much risk, right?"

"That may be so, but even in the outer regions of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, there is a probability of encountering 2nd-tier Yao Beasts. Moreover, there are many risks within the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range—not just Yao Beasts, but also humans and various unpredictable risks. You should still think it over carefully."

"Sixth brother is right, but the returns from other missions are too low, and I have no talent for Talisman Making. Relying solely on the stipend from the Li Family, I'm afraid I won't be able to break through the Qi Refining 7th Layer Bottleneck until I'm forty. I'll think about it some more."

Time flew by, and more than ten days passed. Today was the day the Li Family organized clansmen to enter the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range to hunt Yao Beasts, so the Li Family members participating in this hunt were all gathered on a valley platform at Qingfeng Mountain.

At the end of the Yin hour (about 5:00 AM), the sky was slightly bright, and the stars and moon were gradually fading. The Li Family members, fully prepared and ready to set off, had already gathered in the valley. There were a total of nine clansmen participating in this hunt.

Li Changqing had also just arrived a moment ago. After greeting the many clansmen beside him, he was pulled aside by Li Changle to chat.

"Ninth brother, I heard from the elders in the Li Family that your cultivation has already broken through to the Qi Refining 9th Layer? You are truly amazing. I only just broke through to the Qi Refining 6th Layer a month ago. You must look after me during this trip into the mountains to hunt Yao Beasts."

Looking at Li Changle, who wore a hint of flattery, Li Changqing couldn't help but sigh. In the past few years, due to his successive Breakthroughs in cultivation, his status in the hearts of the Li Family members had unknowingly improved by more than one level.

This fifteenth brother of his had decent talent, and his efforts in Cultivate were average. He was quite flexible-minded, knew etiquette, and understood when to advance or retreat. Li Changqing didn't mind giving him a helping hand.

"Then you must follow the team closely, do not act alone, and stay a little closer to me."

"Don't worry, Ninth brother, I know to act according to my capabilities."

At the beginning of the Mao hour (about 6:00 AM), everyone had changed into attire suitable for mountain travel, mostly wear-resistant magical robes or leather clothing, with dark colors conducive to concealment.

Everyone's Magical Artifacts were different: long swords, short spears, thick-backed knives, bows and arrows, and some even carried specially made Magical Artifact capture nets. Most had a Storage Pouch hanging from their waist or back, containing dry rations, water skins, healing Medicinal Pill, insect repellent powder, Talismans, as well as simple maps and signal jade Talismans distributed by the Li Family, among other things.

Among the hunting team members who signed up, apart from the two Chang-generation clansmen, Li Changqing and Li Changle, the remaining six clansmen were of the Hua generation.

The cultivation of the six Hua-generation uncles was uneven. The one with the highest cultivation was Second Uncle Li Huahang, with Qi Refining 9th Layer cultivation. The remaining five included two at Qi Refining 7th Layer and three at Qi Refining 6th Layer, plus Li Changqing at Qi Refining 9th Layer, Li Changle at Qi Refining 6th Layer, and the team leader, the Qi Refining 10th Layer Cultivator, Li Xuanzhou.

This lineup was almost comparable to the entire strength of a Qi Refining Family. As long as no 2nd-tier Yao Beasts appeared, even encountering dozens of 1st-tier Yao Beasts would not be a major problem, because everyone present also carried quite a few Talismans. In particular, the Cultivator responsible for leading the team each time could apply for three 2nd-tier Talismans from the Li Family treasury for self-defense, to be returned after the mission ended.

After half a cup of tea's time, Li Xuanzhou also appeared in the valley, and everyone bowed in salute.

Li Xuanzhou took out a notebook, swept his sharp gaze over everyone, and after confirming that the clansmen participating in the mission were correct, he nodded and said:

"Since everyone is here, I will say a few words. This time entering the mountains to hunt Yao Beasts will take between half a month and a month. According to intelligence gathered by the Li Family, we have two fixed target missions this time. After completing the two target missions first, we will then decide on subsequent plans."

"The first target, according to the latest Li Family intelligence, is that a pack of Azure Spirit Wolves has been discovered on the outskirts of Black Wind Ridge in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. Azure Spirit Wolves are pack-dwelling Yao Beasts, with an estimated size of thirty to fifty. Their main area of activity is located in 'Wolf Howl Valley' on the southeast side of Black Wind Ridge."

"The mission is to exterminate the wolf pack and bring back the complete wolf bones, wolf fangs, and wolf pelts as much as possible. These Materials can be used to refine low-tier Magical Artifacts, Talismans, or to make protective leather armor. It would be best if we could obtain a group of wolf cubs to bring back to the Li Family. The mission rewards will be distributed in Spirit Stones based on individual contributions."

"The second mission is: to hunt the Green-scaled Snake in the Poisonous Miasma Forest area of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range and bring back the Green-scaled Snake corpses."