111: Go to the fairy city

“The strongest Cultivation in the Southern Wasteland Cultivation World is only at the Peak Foundation Establishment, and there are no Golden Core powerhouses yet. For our Wu Family to develop and grow, we must first have our own Foundation Establishment Cultivator.”

Wu Guohua stood before the Wu Family ancestral hall, his gaze fixed on his grandfather, Wu Jiulong. The morning light illuminated his face, reflecting the determination in his brows.

Ever since he learned the true situation of the Southern Wasteland Cultivation World, a fire had ignited in his heart—the Wu Family could not be forever trapped in this Spiritual Qi-scarce land; they had to go out and seek the Opportunity to Breakthrough Foundation Establishment!

Wu Wenbin, standing beside him, clenched his fists, Battle Intent rising in his eyes: “Guohua is right. If we don’t go to Qingyun Immortal City to try our luck, I’m afraid we’ll never find a chance to Breakthrough Foundation Establishment.”

Wu Jiulong stroked his grizzled beard, a thoughtful gleam in his cloudy old eyes. He slowly nodded and said in a deep voice, “Then go!”

Wu Zhang also chimed in: “Guohua is right, we can’t always be cooped up in this Qinghe Prefecture.”

Wu Jiulong pondered for a moment, then finally made a decision: “Good! Wenbin, Wenzhang, you two go with Guohua, and bring Golden Tiger along. Four Peak Qi Cultivators as a fighting force, as long as you don’t encounter a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, your safety should be assured.”

Wu Guohua was overjoyed at these words and respectfully clasped his hands: “Grandpa, then the family will be left to you and Grandma!”

Three days later, just as dawn was breaking, a crowd of well-wishers had already gathered in front of the Wu Family residence.

Wu Guohua tied two bulging Storage Pouches to his waist, filled with various spiritual items the Wu Family had carefully cultivated over the years.

Most of them were first-order spiritual items: spiritual rice, spiritual wheat, ling potatoes, and medicinal herbs, with some Medium Grade, High Grade, and top-grade ones.

Additionally, Wu Guohua specifically carried a small number of second-order Low Grade and Medium Grade spiritual items for contingencies, as he didn’t know how many Spirit Stones would be needed to bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

“Be careful on the road, and don’t be reckless if you encounter danger.” Wu Jiulong patted his grandson’s shoulder, the rough touch of the old man’s hand conveying warmth.

The morning dew dampened his clothes, glistening in the rising sun.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa, we will return safely.” Wu Guohua nodded solemnly, then turned to look at his father and second uncle, who were already ready to depart.

Wu Wenbin had a crimson magic sword hanging at his waist, its scabbard engraved with flame patterns; Wu Zhang carried a bulging leather bag on his back, filled with various Talismans and Formation Plates.

Golden Tiger lay lazily on Wu Guohua’s shoulder, its golden fur shimmering in the morning light.

It seemed to sense the atmosphere of departure and, uncharacteristically, didn’t cause a fuss, only gently rubbed its head against Wu Guohua’s cheek.

After bidding farewell to their family, the three men and one tiger quickly left Qinghe Prefecture. After passing through the last patch of farmland, the rolling Ten Thousand Mountains lay ahead.

Looking at the mountains from afar, the verdant forests undulated like waves, with the highest Peaks hidden in the clouds, resembling an Immortal Realm.

“We’ll take a straight path and try to cross the mountain range within twenty days.” Wu Wenbin unfolded a yellowed map and pointed to the route marked with cinnabar.

The map also marked several dangerous areas, all lessons learned with the blood of past merchant caravans.

Upon entering the forest, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, with only sporadic patches of light filtering through the dense canopy onto the ground.

The air was filled with the scent of earth and decaying leaves, and occasional bird calls only made the silence feel deeper and more profound. Golden Tiger’s ears twitched constantly, vigilantly catching every sound in the forest.

“Strange, why can’t we even see a single wild beast?” Wu Zhang frowned, already holding a Talisman in his hand.

Wu Guohua gently stroked Golden Tiger on his shoulder and smiled: “With this little fellow around, ordinary wild beasts wouldn’t dare to approach.”

Indeed, as a Peak first-order Spirit Beast, the aura Golden Tiger unintentionally emitted was enough to make wild beasts within a hundred feet flee in terror.

At noon, the three found a stream to rest. Clear stream water gurgled, and the bottom was covered with smooth pebbles.

Wu Guohua squatted down, cupped a handful of clear water, and washed his face; the icy stream water invigorated him. Golden Tiger excitedly plunged into the water, splashing large amounts of water and startling several small fish, which scattered.

“Stop messing around.” Wu Guohua gently chided, and Golden Tiger immediately drooped its ears and swam back to the shore, its wet fur clinging to its body, looking both comical and pitiful.

Wu Wenbin couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He took out a piece of dried Yao Beast meat from his Storage Pouch and threw it to Golden Tiger, who immediately began to feast happily.

However, the good times did not last. As they delved deeper into the mountain range, the surrounding atmosphere gradually became more oppressive.

The trees grew taller and thicker; some ancient trees had trunks that five or six people could not embrace.

Vines coiled like giant pythons among the branches, and the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground crunched with a “creak, creak” sound when stepped upon.

“Roar—”

A low growl suddenly came from deep within the dense forest, startling a flock of birds.

Wu Guohua immediately raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. His pupils contracted slightly, and his spiritual sense spread out like ripples in all directions.

In the bush thirty paces to his right, he detected a fierce aura.

“Something is watching us.” Wu Guohua lowered his voice, his right hand already on his sword hilt.

Golden Tiger also pricked up its ears, its fur bristling slightly, and a low whimper escaped its throat.

The bush suddenly rustled, and a dark shadow slowly emerged. It was a large Yao Wolf, twice the size of an ordinary wild wolf.

Its entire body was grayish-black, its back covered with iron-gray hard armor that gleamed with a metallic luster in the sunlight. Its bone-white fangs were as sharp as daggers, and its scarlet tongue occasionally licked its lips, its eyes glinting with bloodlust.

“Iron-backed Azure Wolf, a first-order Middle Stage Yao Beast.” Wu Wenbin said in a deep voice, having already drawn his magic sword. The runes on the sword body lit up one by one, emitting a scorching aura.

Wu Zhang was about to form a hand seal but was stopped by Wu Guohua: “Father, Second Uncle, don’t make a move yet, let me try my hand.” He wanted to test the results of his Cultivation during this period.

Spiritual Qi condensed at his fingertips, and a green wind blade instantly formed. The wind blade spun at high speed, emitting a “buzzing” sound, and the surrounding fallen leaves were swept up, swirling in the air.

“Go!” Wu Guohua flicked his wrist, and the wind blade tore through the air, drawing a graceful arc.

“Swish!”

The wind blade grazed the Yao Wolf’s back, slicing off a piece of its iron-gray hard armor. The Yao Wolf roared in pain, dark red blood seeping from the wound.

It kicked off its hind legs and transformed into a gray blur, charging straight forward with astonishing speed!

“Good!” Wu Guohua did not dodge, his figure moving like a phantom as he met the charge.

The moment the Yao Wolf was about to pounce, he suddenly sidestepped, his right hand transforming Spiritual Qi into a giant claw, precisely clamping onto the Yao Wolf’s throat.

Spiritual Qi erupted in his palm, and with a crisp “crack,” the Yao Wolf’s throat bone shattered.

The massive wolf body crashed to the ground, twitching a few times before becoming still. Dark red blood overflowed from the corner of its mouth, staining the withered leaves with a striking patch of red.

“Not bad, that Qi Manipulation technique was executed beautifully.” Wu Wenbin nodded in approval, sheathed his magic sword, and stepped forward.