24: Chapter 24: First Entry into the Black Swamp, Counterattack Against the Assassin Cultivator, Obtaining the Demon Core

It had been five days since he left the Qingyun Sect.

Ye Qing had traveled hundreds of miles through the dense forests on the southeastern outskirts of the Cangyun Mountain Range.

He no longer wore the conspicuous gray robes of a servant; instead, he had changed into a set of worn, mud-stained coarse hunting clothes he found in the ruins of a mountain village destroyed by a Yao Beast. He had even used damp forest mud mixed with grass juice to smear a few inconspicuous camouflage marks on his face, masking his overly young and handsome features.

The faint fluctuations of his Early Stage Qi Refining Stage 2 cultivation were completely suppressed, making him almost indistinguishable from an old mountain hunter unless one probed deliberately.

This was something he had read in a miscellaneous book from the Library Pavilion about the survival skills of Loose Cultivators—acting like a pig was the best way to eat the tiger, or at least, to avoid being targeted by tigers.

After days of trekking, he had avoided several dangerous areas marked on his map where low-level Yao Beast groups might appear, and also bypassed two valleys that seemed to have traces of small-scale conflicts between Cultivators.

He drank mountain spring water when thirsty and ate wild fruits when hungry, occasionally using the "Pseudo-Fireball Technique" to precisely hunt a clumsy "Long-Eared Gray Rabbit" or "Iron-Feather Pheasant" to roast for a meal. With the pure energy continuously fed back by his internal space, this consumption was negligible.

His goal was clear—the Black Water Swamp.

Located on the southeastern edge of the Cangyun Mountain Range, it was a famous lawless area in the buffer zone between the Human Race and the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. It was a melting pot of dragons and snakes, with Loose Cultivators, fugitives, small merchant caravans, adventurers, Yao Race spies... all kinds of people were there. Chaos meant opportunity, and it also meant it was easier for a lone traveler like him to hide.

That afternoon, he passed through an ancient forest with exceptionally dense branches and leaves, where the light was dim.

The forest was filled with the faint scent of rotting leaves and damp soil, with occasional strange bird calls that made the surroundings appear exceptionally quiet.

Ye Qing walked lightly, his Divine Sense quietly expanded to maintain a range of three zhang around him, alert to any unusual movements.

More than ten zhang ahead, a dead ancient tree that required several people to embrace lay on the ground, its hollow trunk forming a natural, hidden shelter.

Ye Qing's gaze swept over it, his footsteps not stopping, but his heart stirred slightly.

Within that dead wood, there seemed to be an extremely faint fluctuation of Spiritual Qi that flashed and then disappeared, as if it were just an illusion.

But he trusted his perception, especially with the reinforcement of his internal space; his sensitivity to energy fluctuations was far beyond his peers.

"Is it a passing Cultivator resting? Or... an ambush?"

His expression remained unchanged as he continued forward, though his direction shifted slightly, seemingly to bypass the dead wood.

Just as he was about seven or eight zhang away from the dead wood, the moment his side was facing the hollow of the dead wood—

"Do it!" A low roar erupted from within the dead wood!

Two dark shadows darted out like ghosts, one left and one right, forming a character 'pin' formation as they pounced toward Ye Qing!

The one on the left was short and stocky, holding a rusty but cold-glinting ghost-head saber. The saber wind whistled as it slashed directly at Ye Qing's neck; his cultivation was about Qi Refining Level 4.

The one on the right was thin and tall, wielding a pair of water-splitting stings that gleamed with a ghostly blue luster, clearly coated with poison. The angle was tricky, stabbing toward the vital points of Ye Qing's waist and abdomen; his cultivation was Qi Refining Level 3.

The two collaborated tacitly, clearly accustomed to such murder and robbery. Their faces bore savage grins, and their eyes looked at Ye Qing as if looking at a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

They had been lying in ambush here for a long time, specializing in picking off lone, low-level Loose Cultivators. Ye Qing's weak "Qi Refining Stage 2" aura and young hunter disguise made him the most ideal prey.

However, the savage grins on their faces froze the next moment.

Facing the sudden attack, the young hunter who appeared panicked had no fear in his eyes, only a cold and clear chill.

His feet seemed to stumble backward, but in reality, his footwork shifted strangely. His figure dodged the stocky man's ghost-head saber slash by the narrowest of margins.

At the same time, his left hand waved casually beside him—

A palm-sized, pale gold, translucent diamond-shaped light shield instantly condensed on the outside of his left arm!

Clang!

The thin, tall man's poison sting stabbed fiercely onto the light shield, emitting a crisp sound like metal clashing!

The light shield fluctuated violently, cracks spreading, but it successfully blocked this fatal strike and skillfully deflected most of the force attached to the poison sting.

"What?!"

The thin, tall man's expression changed, filled with disbelief. This seemingly fragile Spiritual Qi shield could actually block the full-force stab of his poison-coated water-splitting sting?

Just in the split second when his old strength was spent, his new strength had not yet arisen, and he was slightly stunned by shock—

Ye Qing's right hand had already reached out like a viper spitting its tongue.

His index and middle fingers were pressed together, and a crimson light suddenly lit up at his fingertips, scorching, violent, and extremely unstable!

"Pseudo-Fireball Technique", instant cast!

The distance was too close, the speed too fast!

The thin, tall man only felt a flash of crimson light before his eyes, and an indescribable burning pain and immense force hit his chest!

Boom!

A low explosion resounded in the forest.

A bowl-sized charred hole exploded in the thin, tall man's chest. His whole body flew backward like a broken sack, hitting a large tree and sliding down limply, his eyes wide open, his breath already cut off. The water-splitting sting in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

"Second Brother!"

The stocky man's eyes were about to split with rage, both shocked and angry. He never expected that this seemingly weak prey would have such strange and swift offensive and defensive means!

But he was also a ruthless bandit who licked blood from the edge of a blade. In his shock and anger, his ferocity erupted. He danced his ghost-head saber like the wind, pouncing viciously at Ye Qing again, the saber light covering all of Ye Qing's vital points, carrying a bit of the ruthlessness of risking his life.

Ye Qing's eyes were cold. He channeled his Light Body Technique, his figure like willow catkins in the wind, fluttering and dodging between the gaps of the saber light, always avoiding the slashes by a hair's breadth.

He did not engage in a hard fight but kept moving, widening the distance. At the same time, red light flickered at his fingertips, and "Pseudo-Fireballs" with reduced power but faster speed shot toward the stocky man's vital points like a string of cannonballs.

Boom, boom, boom!

The stocky man roared repeatedly, waving his saber to parry. Although his saber technique was fierce, his Spiritual Qi was mixed, and his movement technique was far less agile than Ye Qing's. One fireball grazed his shoulder, taking away a piece of flesh and skin, filling the air with a burnt stench. Another hit his left leg, causing him to stagger.

"This guy is tough! Retreat!"

The stocky man finally felt fear and, harboring thoughts of retreat, feinted with his saber and turned to flee into the depths of the dense forest.

"Want to leave?"

How could Ye Qing let him go? Being kind to the enemy was being cruel to oneself. This was a principle he understood in both his past and present lives.

He took a deep breath, and the thick, pure Spiritual Qi of his Level 5 Qi Refining cultivation surged toward his fingertips in a large amount.

This time, he did not instantly cast a chain of small fireballs but quickly and steadily outlined a "Pseudo-Fireball" model with a more complete structure and greater power.

The crimson light condensed at his fingertips, compressing until it turned scorching white!

"Go!"

He gave a low shout, and the red-white light fireball shot out from his fingertips. It was several times faster than before, drawing a straight red line in the air and accurately hitting the back of the stocky man who had already fled five or six zhang away!

Rumble!

A much louder explosion than before.

A large hole exploded in the stocky man's back, blood mixed with charred organ fragments spraying out. He screamed, fell to the ground, twitched twice, and then went silent.

The forest returned to silence.

Only a faint smell of blood and burnt material lingered.

Ye Qing stood in place, his breathing slightly rapid. Continuously casting the "Triangular Spirit Shield" and multiple "Pseudo-Fireball Techniques", especially the last strike, consumed quite a bit of energy. But his eyes remained calm, quickly scanning the surroundings to confirm no other ambushes.

Then, he walked quickly to the two corpses.

His movements were skillful; he first scanned them roughly with his Divine Sense to confirm there were no hidden traps or self-destruction devices.

Then, he began to loot the corpses.

The stocky man's Storage Pouch was of poor quality, with a space only half a foot square. Inside were a few Low-Grade Spirit Stones, a few bottles of inferior healing and Qi-replenishing Medicinal Pills, some dry rations and water, a few sets of spare clothes, and dozens of Low-Grade Spirit Stone fragments. There was also a token, neither gold nor wood, engraved with the characters "Black Tooth", which seemed to be a token of some small gang.

The thin, tall man's Storage Pouch was even worse, and the items were fewer. Besides a small amount of Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills, there was a sloppily written "Water-Splitting Sting Technique (Fragmented)" and a few bags of different colored poison powders.

Ye Qing collected all the Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, poison powders, dry rations, water, and clothes. He also roughly scanned the "Water-Splitting Sting Technique"; although shallow, its concepts of poisoning, concealment, and sneak attacks might have some reference value.

Then, his gaze fell on the stocky man's waist, where a palm-sized pouch made of rough animal skin was hanging.

Opening the pouch, inside were three round beads, each the size of a longan, dark red in color, with uneven surfaces, emitting a faint but pure Yao power and blood scent.

Yao Beast Cores! And they were Yao Beast Cores from a Tier 1 Early Stage Yao Beast! Judging by the attributes, they seemed to be from common low-level Yao Beasts like "Iron-Skinned Wild Boar" or "Fire-Tailed Fox".

"So they were robbers who also dealt in Yao Beast hunting? Or did they snatch them by killing other robbers?"

Ye Qing picked up a Yao Beast Core; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, and he could clearly feel the energy contained within it, which was much more violent than Spirit Stones.

His internal space sent a clear and strong craving! It was several times stronger than when facing Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

"Good stuff! The space can indeed absorb Yao Beast Cores!"

Ye Qing's eyes lit up. Yao Beast Cores were far more valuable than Spirit Stones of the same level; they were important Materials for refining Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts, and could also assist in the cultivation of certain special Cultivation Techniques. For him, they were excellent "nutrients" for his space.

He carefully put away the three Yao Beast Cores, then dragged the two corpses deep into the dead wood, sprinkled them with Corpse-Dissolving Powder (obtained from the thin, tall man's Storage Pouch), and watched as the corpses quickly turned into two pools of yellow water and seeped into the soil.

Then, he cleaned up the surrounding battle traces, masking the bloodstains and scorch marks as much as possible.

The whole process was calm, rapid, and thorough.

After doing all this, he changed direction and quickly left this place of trouble.

He ran for dozens of miles in one breath, found a secret cliff crevice, and only after confirming it was safe did he stop.

Taking out the three Tier 1 Yao Beast Cores, Ye Qing did not hesitate; he held them in his palm and communicated with his internal space.

The space sent a joyful throb, and the suction force increased sharply!

The three Yao Beast Cores lost their luster at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming gray-white, brittle, and finally turning into powder.

Three streams of pure, vast energy, yet carrying the unique fierce aura of Yao Beasts, were quickly absorbed, transformed, and purified by the space!

The gray mist at the edge of the ten-zhang space churned violently and suddenly expanded outward!

Eleven zhang... twelve zhang... thirteen zhang!

It continued to expand until it was close to fifteen zhang in circumference before the speed slowed down!

The central black soil also expanded accordingly, now five zhang square! The soil was more fertile, Spiritual Qi mist rolled, and there was even a faint sound of wind and thunder; the space as a whole was more stable and solid.

The energy fed back was even more vast, not only quickly replenishing his consumption from the recent battle but also pushing his Level 5 Qi Refining cultivation toward the Middle Stage!

"Three Tier 1 Early Stage Yao Beast Cores can actually expand the space by nearly five zhang, comparable to several months of hard work! Sure enough, high-quality energy items are the shortcut for the space to grow rapidly!"

Ye Qing was excited.

The first battle on the path of a Loose Cultivator, although dangerous, had rewards far exceeding expectations.

His strength had been tested, resources replenished, and more importantly, the effect of the space absorbing Yao Beast Cores had been verified, pointing out an important direction for future "resource acquisition".

He cleaned up the Yao Beast Core powder and sat cross-legged to regulate his breath.

In his mind, he replayed every detail of the battle just now.

"The Triangular Spirit Shield defense is okay, but it is a bit strained against the full-force attack of a Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator. I need to continue optimizing the structure to improve the instantaneous defensive strength."

"'Pseudo-Fireball Technique' power is sufficient, but there is still room for improvement in casting speed, Spiritual Qi consumption, and flight trajectory stability. To deal with faster enemies, I might need to combine it with other means."

"Light Body Technique is the foundation for survival and needs continued hard practice. Perhaps I can try to deduce a footwork technique for short-distance explosive bursts?"

"Cleaning the battlefield must be more thorough. Corpse-Dissolving Powder is good stuff; I must stock up on more. The Storage Pouches and tokens of the robber Cultivators cannot be kept; they are easy to cause trouble. Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Materials, and knowledge are the hard currency."

Experience and lessons were clearly listed in his heart.

The life of a Loose Cultivator had just begun.

The road ahead would surely be filled with blood and wind, and every step would be a deadly trap.

But in his heart, there was no fear, only a cold and clear stillness, and... a faint sense of anticipation.

His internal space, fifteen zhang in circumference, was full of vitality.

The moonlight flower seedlings had already formed flower buds the size of rice grains. The iron wire vine seeds had finally broken through the soil, probing out a bit of dark red, tough shoots. The night firefly grass was growing well, its tender leaves unfurling.

Everything was full of hope.

Ye Qing opened his eyes and looked at the deepening twilight outside the crevice.

A faint, cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

Black Water Swamp, I am coming.

In this world of Loose Cultivators, I, Ye Qing, have officially entered the game.