The cave beneath the crevice, roughly fifty meters deep, would certainly cause an ordinary person falling into it to be smashed to pieces.
Fortunately, A’Ling was now a Core Formation cultivator, so this height wasn’t too much for her. After landing steadily, A’Ling immediately gathered spiritual energy in her palm, entering a state of alert.
It was just a cave; no matter how deep, it wasn’t terrifying. What was terrifying was not knowing what might be inside.
A’Ling had already activated a spell and lit an illumination talisman in mid-air. She hadn’t seen anything special on her way down.
Even the bottom of the cave, which she had initially feared the most, appeared unremarkable.
From the outside, the crevice in the ground seemed only wide enough for one person. It was only after A’Ling jumped in that she realized the cave grew wider the further down she went.
At the bottom, it was wide enough for ten or so people to stand and move around comfortably. A’Ling illuminated the cave bottom, holding an illumination talisman in one hand and covering the dog’s mouth in the cloth bag with the other. Although the dog had never barked, A’Ling worried it might cry out if startled, accidentally summoning some hidden ‘thing’.
A’Ling held her breath, vigilantly inspecting her surroundings, checking every nook and cranny.
Aside from a dog-hole-sized opening on one side of the cave wall, everything else appeared normal.
While A’Ling was examining her surroundings, shouts came from above.
“A’Ling, are you alright? Are there any demonic beasts down there?”
It was Zhao Diqing’s voice, which sounded tearful. A’Ling sighed, Why does she cry even more easily than before?
Just as A’Ling was about to respond, she felt a sharp pain in her palm. Looking down, she saw her ugly dog gently biting her hand.
“Oh, oh, I’m sorry, I forgot I was still covering your mouth.” A’Ling said with a laugh, releasing her hand. She had covered its mouth earlier, fearing it might make a sound.
Unexpectedly, the dog hadn’t made a sound, but the voices from above were quite loud.
A’Ling glanced around. Fortunately, the sound hadn’t caused any disturbance.
Relieved, she raised her head and shouted upwards, “I’m fine, there’s nothing down here.”
As A’Ling’s words likely reached the top, the people above began jumping down one after another.
A’Ling raised an eyebrow. They’re certainly eager now, as if worried I might find something good down here.
After Zhou Li landed, he first looked at A’Ling, seeing her holding an illumination talisman in one hand and stroking the dog with the other, seemingly holding nothing else.
However, he didn’t fully trust A’Ling. Generally, powerful demonic beasts’ lairs always contained many treasures they had collected.
He quickly looked around, meticulously checking not only beneath everyone’s feet but also the rock walls. After confirming there was nothing, he felt a wave of disappointment.
“When you landed, did you see anything?” Zhou Li’s scrutinizing gaze fell on A’Ling.
The others who had been searching around also collectively looked at A’Ling.
A’Ling nodded, and everyone’s eyes lit up simultaneously.
But upon hearing A’Ling say she had only found another hole, they were all disappointed.
Zhou Li walked to the hole A’Ling had found, crouched down, and peered inside.
It was pitch black inside, completely obscuring anything. He lit a charm and threw it in. Soon, the light gradually receded, soundlessly. It seemed to be a very long tunnel.
Doubt filled Zhou Li’s mind. When he cultivated at the Soaring Rainbow Tower, he hadn’t been very interested in the knowledge about various demonic beasts’ habits that the cultivation masters taught.
So now, he couldn’t determine what kind of demonic beast would dig a tunnel within a cave, whether it was for its own residence or to store something.
If it was for storing things, then crawling along this tunnel would likely lead to many good treasures.
If it wasn’t for storing things, but rather the beast’s habit to live in such a deep place, then entering the tunnel would be dangerous.
Zhou Li looked at the bottom of the cave. It was clean, with no remnants of corpses or shattered bodies, making it seem unlikely that a demonic beast regularly resided there.
Therefore, it could largely be determined that this hole was merely the demonic beast’s exit path, and its true dwelling should be at the end of this tunnel.
Judging by the size of the tunnel, the demonic beast should be an animal the size of a jackal or wolf. Zhou Li’s tension eased slightly; it was good that it wasn’t some colossal demonic beast.
“That powerful demonic beast’s lair should be at the end of this tunnel, A’Ling, you go in first and take a look.”
Zhou Li said to A’Ling after standing up, his tone not consultative at all, but a direct order.
A’Ling furrowed her brow, feeling displeased. “I was already the first one down, scouting the path for you sect disciples. What, now this task completely falls on me?”
“I’m a sectless newcomer, my cultivation and abilities are inferior to yours. If you make me go first into something this dangerous, aren’t you sending me to my death?”
A’Ling’s tone was sarcastic and mocking, her words blunt, directly tearing open the hypocritical masks of Zhou Li and the other sect disciples.
Zhou Li sneered and directly summoned his White Rainbow Short Sword. Its sharp blade appeared dangerously arrogant under the illumination talisman’s light, stopping less than a millimeter from A’Ling’s temple.
“Ah!” Zhao Diqing cried out in alarm, anxiously looking at Zhou Li. “Elder Zhou, let’s talk this through properly. Please put the sword down, this is too dangerous.”
It was so dangerous that with just a tremor of his hand, A’Ling would bleed.
A’Ling’s face tensed. She hadn’t expected Zhou Li to drop all pretense of civility, directly tearing off his mask with her.
But it’s understandable. She’s just a sectless newcomer. Even if she dies here, who would care?
No one would even come to uphold justice for her.
Zhou Li would only need to go back and say she was injured by a powerful demonic beast, and everyone would believe him.
“What, are you going to kill me?”
A’Ling tried her best to appear calm, but the hand holding the dog’s head trembled slightly.
Shi Qingqian clearly felt this slight tremor. Her gaze towards Zhou Li suddenly lost all warmth.
Zhou Li felt a sudden chill, but looking at A’Ling opposite him, he didn’t perceive anything formidable that could threaten him.
He kept his face stern and continued, “The principle of sword cultivators is to sacrifice minor details for the greater good. If we can eliminate this demonic beast today, even sacrificing one of us would be worth it.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone in the cave, and he suddenly raised his voice, “All those on the righteous path should have this realization.”
After speaking, he looked at A’Ling: “You are the same. Since you’ve entered Mystic Crane Mountain and gained cultivation, you must learn to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. You have the lowest cultivation here, so you are most suitable to scout the path. If something happens to you, we can easily rescue you. If one of us goes to scout and encounters danger, do you have the ability to save us?”
A’Ling endured the disgusting sophistry. This means they want me to die first, so they can then judge the demonic beast’s abilities based on how I die.
If they can defeat it, they’ll fight; if not, they’ll run. Either way, only I will die.
“What if I say no?” A’Ling thought to herself, How stupid would I have to be to agree to such a request?
Zhou Li scoffed and signaled to the person beside him.
The person who A’Ling had previously provoked and the one who had initially mocked her for being the last newcomer to arrive stepped forward together, pressing A’Ling and shoving her towards the cave opening.
A’Ling struggled forcefully but to no avail, so she simply gave up.
Over there, Zhao Diqing cried out, asking them to let go and offering to go herself, but Zhou Li stopped her.
“Don’t always be so soft-hearted. If something happens to you, can your friend here save you? I’m considering the bigger picture. Don’t worry, if something happens to her, I will definitely save her.”
A’Ling was shoved into the cave opening, and she crawled a few steps on her hands and knees. She heard Zhao Diqing crying out from behind, asking her to come back.
A’Ling sighed, not looking back. Gazing at the seemingly endless tunnel ahead, she spoke, “Ah Qing, if something happens to me, remember to save my dog.”
As she spoke, she unfastened the cloth bag from her body. Since she was crawling on her hands and knees, the bag dangling to the ground. If she insisted on carrying it on her back, the dog would essentially be dragged.
She heard Zhao Diqing’s voice from behind: “A’Ling, you’ll be fine. If you encounter anything, remember to shout, and we’ll come to save you immediately.”
A’Ling felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. By then, she’d probably be dead before she could even scream.
She was now filled with deep regret. She glanced at the ugly dog beside her. “I’m sorry. I originally wanted to bring you out to relax and see the world, but now, you might end up seeing my death instead. If there’s danger later, don’t look back and just run, understand?!”
“After you run out, find my friend from just now and have her take you out. Once you’re out, find a deep mountain where there are fewer Mutated Beasts and demonic beasts, and hide there. Don’t let anyone discover you again.”
A’Ling spoke to the dog as she crawled inwards, thoroughly planning how it should survive as a dog.
After all, this dog was truly ugly, and she feared no one would want to keep it. Its temper wasn’t good either; it wasn’t affectionate, and after raising it for so long, she hadn’t heard it bark or wag its tail once.
The more A’Ling spoke, the more she felt concerned about the ugly dog’s remaining life.
Shi Qingqian leaped forward and moved ahead of A’Ling. She truly had nothing to say to this idiot. She didn’t want to hear her call her ‘ugly dog’ every other word, nor did she want to hear her arrangements for after she died.
She should have returned to her true form sooner. Shi Qingqian was now starting to suspect that stupidity might be contagious. If she had returned to her true form by now, she could easily deal with those despicable sword cultivators outside.
And now, she wouldn’t have to listen to an idiot worrying about her remaining life.
Shi Qingqian moved faster and faster, putting some distance between herself and A’Ling. She couldn’t stay too close to this idiot anymore; she was afraid this stupidity would be contagious.
A’Ling saw the ugly dog dart past her and ahead, oblivious to the danger, and she broke out in a cold sweat from nervousness.
“Come back quickly! It’s dangerous ahead, you stupid dog! We’re not playing; there’s a demonic beast ahead that will eat you!”
A’Ling forcefully lowered her voice, anxiously calling out to the ugly dog in front. She was afraid that shouting too loudly would attract something formidable.
But the ugly dog acted as if it couldn’t hear, moving faster and faster. She used her hands and feet, accelerating her crawl, but still couldn’t catch up.
A’Ling shouted and chased, crawling so hard her knees felt like they were sparking. Finally, she bumped head-first into the dog’s backside.
A’Ling clutched her head, panting heavily. She was about to scold the ugly dog, wondering why it was running so fast as if its tail were on fire.
Suddenly, a rough yet somewhat furry paw covered her mouth.
A’Ling raised an eyebrow, swallowing the words she was about to say. What does this ugly dog mean by this?
Looking at the ugly dog, which suddenly seemed like a different creature, A’Ling surprisingly saw a kind of composure, an unperturbed calmness, and an aura that put her at ease.
Was she hallucinating from crawling? A’Ling pulled the dog’s paw from her mouth. After crawling this whole way, how dirty must that paw be? She really wanted to “pah” a couple of times to spit out the dog hair she had accidentally gotten in her mouth.
But she had understood the ugly dog’s meaning just now: it wanted her to be silent. Although she didn’t know why, A’Ling forced herself to endure the discomfort of the dog hair in her mouth and closed it.
Shi Qingqian was satisfied that the human wasn’t stupid enough to make a sound. She withdrew her paw from A’Ling’s hand and tilted her chin, gesturing for A’Ling to move a little further forward.
At this moment, the human and dog communicated silently.
A’Ling understood the ugly dog’s meaning and nodded. She quietly crawled a few steps forward, pressing close to the ugly dog’s body.
It turned out that, without realizing it, they had already crawled to the end of the tunnel. It was just dim at the very end, and she hadn’t noticed earlier.
Shi Qingqian was pushed by A’Ling and leaned as much as possible against the wall, not wanting to cling to this idiot.
A’Ling saw the ugly dog squirming and, noticing it was pressed against the wall, quickly reached out and scooped it into her embrace.
A’Ling’s chin gently rested on the dog’s head as she held her breath and looked downwards.
Shi Qingqian awkwardly tried to push away the chin on her forehead, but her body was held tightly, and her struggles seemed negligible.
Forget it. Shi Qingqian gave up trying, took a deep breath, and half-closed her eyes, looking towards the center of the massive demonic beast cave below.
In this somewhat spacious demonic beast cave, only the center emitted light.
A’Ling also looked towards the center of the demonic beast cave, at what appeared to be a sleeping demonic beast.
Its sleeping spot was somewhat special. The ‘bed’ beneath it was a somewhat irregular large circular disc, slightly raised about an arm’s length from the ground.
The disc itself emitted a soft, radiant glow, like a luminous pearl, making it particularly eye-catching in the dim cave.
A’Ling also noticed some green fluorescent objects drifting upwards from the edge of the glowing circular bed.
They looked like the fireflies common in the human world during summer.
A’Ling followed the green luminescence upwards and saw that they all ultimately converged on a cluster of ice crystals at the top, which looked like water condensed by cold.
The ice crystals seemed to have some kind of suction, as those small green objects adhered to them, and then, like melting snowflakes, disappeared into the crystals.
What is that thing?
A’Ling had never seen it before, but her intuition told her it was something good.
It’s actually Moonlit Ice Crystal. Shi Qingqian recognized it immediately as she gazed at the ice crystal, which became even clearer after absorbing the green luminescence.
She hadn’t expected to find something like this in such a demonic beast cave.
This Moonlit Ice Crystal is a sacred treasure that can help cultivators break through from the Core Formation to the Nascent Soul stage. Isn’t this idiot beside her stuck at Core Formation, unable to break through?
She forcefully lifted her head and bumped against the tip of A’Ling’s chin.
A’Ling felt a sharp pain in her chin and almost cried out. She looked down at the ugly dog in her arms, her eyes filled with a questioning gaze, as if asking what was wrong.
Shi Qingqian extended her paw, pointed at the ice crystal above, and then made a scooping gesture.
A’Ling watched in surprise as the ugly dog raised its paw and then pawed at the ground, thinking for a moment before whispering, “You want me to get that thing?”
Shi Qingqian felt greatly relieved. She had been very worried that this idiot wouldn’t understand her meaning, but unexpectedly, when it came to this, she was quite intelligent.
She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
A’Ling felt slightly conflicted. Although she knew this stupid dog probably just found the thing novel in appearance, this was the first time the ugly dog had asked her for anything. If she couldn’t get it, how disappointed would the dog be?
She looked up at the ice crystal. How should I get this thing?
If I take it, will it wake the sleeping demonic beast below?
The demonic beast was curled up in a ball, and the cave was dim, so she couldn’t clearly see what it was.
What if it’s fierce?
A’Ling lowered her head again and looked at the ugly dog in her arms.
Shi Qingqian saw A’Ling hesitate and frowned in displeasure. If those people behind see this, this idiot can forget about getting this good thing.
She unhappily slapped A’Ling’s hand, which was resting on the ground.
A’Ling saw that the ugly dog seemed angry and made up her mind: if her dog wanted it, even if there was danger, she had to get it.
She supported herself with one hand, freeing the other. She lit a charm and activated a remote retrieval spell. The charm transformed into the shape of a human hand and rapidly flew towards the ice crystal.
With a ‘crack,’ the ice crystal split in response.
A’Ling still couldn’t quite believe it even after she had the item in her hand; it was too easy to obtain.
It was so smooth that she felt a lack of accomplishment, and it didn’t even show how good she was to the dog, as if she had just casually broken off a piece of ice for it to play with.
A’Ling looked at the item in her hand. Without the glowing substances surrounding it, it really did look like an ordinary piece of ice. The only difference was that it was warm.
What is this thing for?
Before she could figure it out, a sudden noise came from behind.
A wet sensation also came from her hand. A’Ling looked down and saw that her ugly dog had actually swallowed the ice crystal!
Is this edible?
A’Ling was greatly startled. Just as she was about to tell the ugly dog to spit it out, the voices from behind were clearly audible, not far away.
“What are you doing? Why haven’t you sent a message back after all this time?!”
A’Ling frowned and looked back. It turned out that Zhou Li and his group, unable to wait for her, had already crawled over.
Shi Qingqian watched the people arriving one after another. Feeling the warmth beneath her tongue, her heart slightly relaxed. She was glad she had been quick enough to retrieve the ice crystal; otherwise, this idiot probably wouldn’t have been able to keep it.
A’Ling looked at the long line of people behind her and placed a finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet and not make a sound.
The tunnel entrance was narrow. If A’Ling didn’t move, the people behind wouldn’t be able to see the situation inside.
But these people inherently didn’t trust A’Ling and wouldn’t listen to her, especially after crawling all the way with their hearts in their throats, only to find A’Ling simply staying still in the tunnel.
The sword cultivator at the very front ignored everything and directly gave A’Ling a palm strike.
A’Ling couldn’t dodge in time, and her body was sent flying directly out of the tunnel entrance by the palm strike.
Enduring the pain, she quickly stabilized herself in mid-air. In a flash, she saw her ugly dog leap towards her. She scooped it up, performed a roll, and landed steadily.
“Are you alright?” After landing, A’Ling meticulously checked her ugly dog. Only after seeing no wounds on its body did she feel relieved.
Shi Qingqian had jumped down herself. The moment A’Ling was sent flying, her heart suddenly stopped. Without thinking, she chased after A’Ling, forgetting her current form; even if she caught the person, she could only serve as a useless cushion.
She coldly looked up at the person emerging from the tunnel entrance, several meters above the ground. That person, upon clearly seeing the situation inside the cave, immediately shouted.
“Demonic beast! I found a demonic beast!”
Shi Qingqian sharply turned her head to look. The previous disturbance, combined with this person’s shouts, caused the sleeping demonic beast at the center of the disc to suddenly stir. The head it had kept tucked beneath its body gradually lifted.
Oh no, it’s been woken up.
A’Ling was horrified. The exit was still blocked by that group of people. Even if she flew up, she couldn’t break through them. Having no other choice, she scooped up the ugly dog and moved along the edges of the large demonic beast cave, circling to the beast’s back, where there was an extremely dark recess.
After the people above discovered the demonic beast, they became increasingly excited, flying down one by one from above and stopping in front of the awakening beast.
Zhou Li was the last to descend. As he landed, the demonic beast in front of him just stood up.
Its body wasn’t large, about the size of an adult leopard. It was dark grey all over, with only a few occasional tufts of white fur.
The sword cultivators who had descended felt somewhat relieved after seeing its size; this seemed like a demonic beast that wouldn’t be too difficult to deal with.
But to everyone’s surprise, when the demonic beast lifted its previously lowered head, its mouth suddenly thrust forward, startling them all into jumping back. This directly caused Zhou Li, who had just landed and hadn’t had time to stand up, to be knocked backward, falling onto the ground.
“What in the world is that thing?!” Some timid ones immediately retreated to the very back, pressing tightly against the cave wall.
When they all dispersed, Zhou Li, with a dark expression, got up and clearly saw the demonic beast before him.
Leopard body, cormorant beak. Zhou Li hadn’t expected to encounter a Leopard Cormorant Beast, a species that was supposed to be extinct.
No wonder the disciple who found his fellow disciple missing said he immediately followed him into the cave, but the person simply vanished into thin air.
Zhou Li now understood completely. The fallen fellow disciple had happened upon the Leopard Cormorant Beast as it went out to forage. The person who fell was directly swallowed by the Leopard Cormorant Beast.
Just like a cormorant swallows an entire fish, there would naturally be no traces in the cave.
“Don’t panic everyone, it’s a Leopard Cormorant Beast! Form a formation!”
A’Ling was behind the standing demonic beast, only vaguely seeing something sharp at the beast’s front. It wasn’t until Zhou Li ignited a spellfire and the sword cultivators formed a sword formation, engaging the beast in battle, that she finally saw the beast’s full appearance.
“What an ugly thing, ugh—” A’Ling said with a look of disgust, instinctively stroking the dog in her arms. “I won’t call you an ugly dog anymore. Compared to this thing, you’re quite handsome.”
After Shi Qingqian saw the beast’s mouth, she thought to herself that her guess was correct; it truly was a Leopard Cormorant Beast. This type of demonic beast had gone extinct on Mystic Crane Mountain centuries ago.
The reason she knew was because of Dao Rong Sage Venerable. Among the things she had inquired about, there was one related to this Leopard Cormorant Beast: due to its habit of devouring people, yet being difficult to discover because of its hidden dwelling, it greatly troubled the cultivators of Mystic Crane Mountain.
The last time Dao Rong Sage Venerable emerged from seclusion, upon hearing of this matter, he directly set up a formation to search and exterminated all Leopard Cormorant Beasts within Mystic Crane Mountain in one fell swoop.
Shi Qingqian looked at the Leopard Cormorant Beast before her. Was this one that escaped the net back then?
After Zhou Li’s third attempt to form a formation also failed to kill the Leopard Cormorant Beast, his heart began to pound. This Leopard Cormorant Beast might be somewhat unusual.
Shi Qingqian also noticed that this Leopard Cormorant Beast was much stronger than those recorded.
She slightly parted her lips. The warmth beneath her tongue was still there. It was probably nourished by the Moonlit Ice Crystal.
This item could not only help low-level cultivators break through but also had the effect of increasing demonic beasts’ internal power.
Over there, after Zhou Li’s third formation attempt failed, the enraged Leopard Cormorant Beast leaped up, its sharp, long mouth sweeping horizontally, sending Zhou Li flying to the ground.
Everyone present had deep or shallow gashes cut into their bodies by the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s mouth. In an instant, a mist of blood enveloped the area, and the demonic beast cave became filled with the strong smell of blood.
Zhao Diqing had managed to dodge in time, only injuring her arm. She silently clutched her arm and hid behind the others, her eyes fixed on the increasingly enraged Leopard Cormorant Beast.
Suddenly, she saw A’Ling in the corner behind the Leopard Cormorant Beast.
The cave was dim; she hadn’t seen her earlier. So she had hidden behind the Leopard Cormorant Beast. That’s a good spot.
Thinking of the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s characteristics that Zhou Li had just told them about, Zhao Diqing’s mind whirred. She released her arm, which was still bleeding from the wound, and waved to A’Ling across the way, shouting loudly, “A’Ling, be careful! That’s a Leopard Cormorant Beast, it devours people! You need to hide far away!”
Zhou Li, clutching his injured shoulder, leaped up to dodge another attack from the Leopard Cormorant Beast. Hearing Zhao Diqing’s shout, he looked in the direction she was waving.
In the corner behind the Leopard Cormorant Beast, A’Ling was safely hidden, completely unharmed.
Zhou Li’s eyes turned cold. They were struggling bitterly with the Leopard Cormorant Beast, yet that newcomer was fine, actually hiding by herself!
He glanced at the fellow disciples he had brought; all of them had sustained injuries to varying degrees. If he didn’t come up with a plan, they would certainly return empty-handed today, and perhaps even one of them would be swallowed by the Leopard Cormorant Beast.
That’s right, swallow one person.
He had just told Zhao Diqing and the others about the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s habits: the reason this creature had existed for so long without causing significant damage was that although it devoured people, it wasn’t greedy.
They only swallowed one person at a time, and after swallowing, they needed to sleep for ten days to half a month to digest the person inside their body.
Today, when they came here, the Leopard Cormorant Beast was also sleeping, likely digesting the missing fellow disciple.
The other person managed to escape unscathed because of the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s habit of only swallowing one person at a time. After swallowing one, it likely retreated back into this cave.
Since that’s the case, if it just swallows one more person right now, then he can eliminate it while it’s sleeping and digesting!
A fierce glint flashed in Zhou Li’s eyes as he looked at A’Ling, who was hiding in the shadows.
A’Ling saw that one of Zhao Diqing’s arms was covered in blood, yet she was ignoring her wound, vigorously waving to warn her to be careful. A’Ling felt a warmth in her heart and wanted to call Zhao Diqing over to hide with her.
Suddenly, her vision darkened. Looking up, she saw Zhou Li had appeared before her at some unknown point, his eyes still gleaming with a fierce light.
“Everyone else is fighting for their lives, yet you’re hiding here alone! When we return, I will certainly inform all the sect masters within the sect about this matter, so they can reconsider your despicable character when selecting disciples in the future!”
A’Ling raised an eyebrow. What kind of lunatic is this? I didn’t wake the Leopard Cormorant Beast, nor did I provoke it. I can’t defeat it, so what am I supposed to do if not hide? Become its food?!
She hadn’t expected Zhou Li’s idea to truly be this. Before she could even speak, she was picked up and thrown outwards.
“Ah—” A’Ling cried out in alarm. That beast Zhou Li had actually thrown her directly in front of the Leopard Cormorant Beast.
It was like throwing a piece of meat to a caged beast.
The Leopard Cormorant Beast was already in a rage. After being forced back by wave after wave of sword energy, it lowered its head and happened to see A’Ling, who had fallen to the ground.
It suddenly shook its head, and its long, sharp mouth, glinting with a keen light, swooped down towards A’Ling.
A’Ling rolled, but it was too late. The Leopard Cormorant Beast’s mouth was already by her leg, gaping wide, about to swallow her whole.
A’Ling thought to herself, ‘It’s over,’ but she didn’t want to die, especially not like this—to be swallowed alive and rot away inside the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s stomach.
Knowing it was useless, she still activated a spell and attacked the Leopard Cormorant Beast.
The Leopard Cormorant Beast’s flesh was extremely tough; the sword cultivators’ blades had barely harmed it just now, let alone A’Ling’s less lethal spell.
The Leopard Cormorant Beast merely paused slightly, letting out a displeased shriek, then closed its mouth, about to stab A’Ling to death.
A’Ling thought, ‘It’s over.’ With that single strike, she was probably going to have a hole poked right through her.
Just then, suddenly, a very familiar object blocked her path.
Her cloth bag! The cloth bag made from tough vine fiber!
The Leopard Cormorant Beast’s sharp beak pierced directly through the cloth bag. A black figure, holding a corner of the bag, circled the sharp beak several times.
A’Ling’s eyes lit up. The Leopard Cormorant Beast’s mouth was tightly bound by her cloth bag!
“Quickly, now’s your chance!” A’Ling suddenly shouted at the cultivators still frozen in place behind her.
“Where are your sword formations? Your sword techniques? Hurry up!”
Her ugly dog, like a divine being descending, miraculously bound the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s mouth. These sword cultivators still didn’t know how to seize the opportunity!
Hearing A’Ling’s shout, the others finally came back to their senses. Zhou Li also realized this was a good opportunity after a moment of stunned surprise.
Finally, with the combined efforts of the sword cultivators, the Leopard Cormorant Beast was killed.
A’Ling collapsed to the ground, her limbs feeling weak. She had just thought she was going to die here!
Shi Qingqian’s condition wasn’t much better. She had just recovered from a body full of injuries, and this ordeal had exhausted her strength. She lay on the ground, utterly spent.
Just now, when she saw A’Ling being thrown out by Zhou Li, she knew it was bad. They were really going to use this idiot as bait, the kind that gets directly fed.
And now, she was in this state, with all her spiritual energy depleted. She didn’t know how she could save this idiot.
This was a rare feeling of powerlessness for Shi Qingqian, aside from being unable to reach the firmament.
Fortunately, while she had no spiritual energy, her brain was still working. The Leopard Cormorant Beast’s most formidable weapon was its mouth. She instantly spotted the cloth bag on the ground.
If it directly encountered the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s sharp mouth, it would surely be pierced easily. But if she could make its upper and lower beaks close and then bind them, the cloth bag would be difficult to break free from for a while.
Thankfully, it succeeded. Shi Qingqian turned her head to look at the lying A’Ling. It’s good that she didn’t die. This way, she also saved her life, considering it as repaying the month’s kindness. From now on, they were even.
She let out a heavy breath.
A’Ling, having rested enough, struggled to her feet. She turned and picked up the ugly dog from the ground. “Luckily, I thought of making you a cloth bag. I didn’t expect that even though you’re an ugly dog, your mind is quite sharp! Thank you for this time. When we get back, I’ll stew some pigeon soup for you to calm your nerves.”
Shi Qingqian dodged the hand A’Ling was about to pat her head with. She thought to herself, ‘I wonder who really needs to calm their nerves.’
While the two rested, Zhou Li’s group had already thoroughly searched the cave, gathering all the valuable items in one place.
As an elder, Zhou Li naturally had the priority to choose what he wanted. He directly selected the glowing circular bed where the Leopard Cormorant Beast had slept, as well as the beast’s sharp beak, and some unique medicinal herbs found in the demonic beast cave.
He distributed the remaining items to the others.
“Thank you, Elder Zhou.” The cultivators who received items all thanked Zhou Li.
“Thank you, Senior Brother. Your sword technique that pierced the Leopard Cormorant Beast at the end was truly amazing.”
Zhou Li’s junior brother received the best and most items apart from Zhou Li himself. He flattered Zhou Li with a fawning expression.
Zhao Diqing slightly pursed her lips behind the two. The strike that killed the Leopard Cormorant Beast was clearly hers; Zhou Li’s follow-up strike was somewhat redundant.
When A’Ling walked to the scene of the spoils distribution, all the items on the ground were already gone. A’Ling frowned unhappily.
“Where’s mine?”
Her gaze went straight to Zhou Li, who was standing to the side, looking pleased with the flattery.
Zhou Li scoffed, “You? What did you do? You were just lying there, and you think you deserve a share?”
His tone was naturally mocking, as if A’Ling had indeed been doing nothing but lying around!
A’Ling was so angry she laughed. “I scouted the path down into the cave, then I was your bait for the Leopard Cormorant Beast, and in the end, it was my dog’s idea that trapped the Leopard Cormorant Beast’s mouth! If that’s ‘just lying there,’ then what do you call what you’re doing here? Just spouting nonsense?”
“You!” Zhou Li hadn’t expected A’Ling to actually dare to humiliate him in front of so many people. He summoned his treasured sword, about to teach A’Ling a lesson.
Zhao Diqing swiftly stepped forward, blocking A’Ling. She repeatedly apologized to Zhou Li, “Elder Zhou, it’s all my fault. Please don’t be angry with A’Ling. She’s just got a childish temper and is upset about not getting anything. It’s fine, I’ll give her mine.”
As she spoke, she turned and pulled A’Ling to the side, stopping only when they were some distance away from Zhou Li and the others.
“A’Ling, why bother? You can’t defeat him. If you provoke him now, what if he gets murderous intent and kills you in this demonic beast cave? He only needs to say a demonic beast killed you when he goes back. Do you think any of those people will speak up for you?”
A’Ling remained silent, her face dark. It’s precisely because she knew all this that she had tolerated it again and again!
Zhao Diqing looked at her indignant expression, shaking her head as if exasperated by her naivety. “Those are sword cultivators; their sword hearts are like iron, and they are all domineering. I’ve been in the sect for so long, how could I not know?”
As she spoke, she sighed softly, her eyes turning a little red.
A’Ling’s brows furrowed tightly. Hearing this, Ah Qing’s time in the sect might also not have been smooth.
“Ah Qing, don’t be sad. Once I enter the sect, I’ll protect you.” A’Ling straightened her back and said seriously.
Zhao Diqing’s eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded with a smile. “This time, it’s also thanks to you. I received these medicinal pills and herbs; I’ll give them all to you. Cultivate well and enter the sect soon.”
As she spoke, she was about to give all the items in her hand to A’Ling.
A’Ling refused. Although she hadn’t been very happy at the Soaring Rainbow Tower, she knew that as long as she didn’t provoke others, they wouldn’t actively seek trouble with her.
Because at the Soaring Rainbow Tower, everyone’s cultivation was roughly similar; no one was significantly stronger than another. Like the last time A’Ling fought someone, even though the other party, being numerous, bruised her face, they weren’t much better off under her desperate resistance.
Inside the sect, it was different. Ah Qing’s cultivation was probably not impressive. A’Ling didn’t want the items in her hand that could boost cultivation.
Seeing that A’Ling truly wouldn’t accept them, Zhao Diqing put the items away.
Everyone retreated along the path they had come. Once they had all returned to the narrow crevice above, Zhou Li pretentiously counted the number of people, acting like a responsible elder.
Just as he was about to give a brief summary of the mission, a sharp roar suddenly echoed from the cave they had just emerged from. The sound was incredibly piercing, followed by a hurricane sweeping upwards from the crevice.
Shi Qingqian’s brow twitched violently. Oh no!
She forcefully bit A’Ling’s hand!
A’Ling’s palm stung with pain, causing her hands to loosen. The ugly dog in her embrace fell to the ground. Before she could figure out why the ugly dog bit her, it was already dashing wildly forward.
A’Ling ignored the pain in her hand, lifted her legs, and chased after the dog. “Where are you going? Come back quickly!”
She ran and shouted. After only a few steps, she heard a tremendous roar behind her.
A’Ling suddenly stopped and looked back. The crevice behind them had split open into a massive chasm, as if an earthquake had struck.
A whirlwind of sand and gravel burst forth from within, and a demonic beast suddenly leaped out.
A’Ling’s eyes widened as she stared at the flying demonic beast. It was very similar to the Leopard Cormorant Beast in the cave, the only differences being that its mouth was half as short, and it had a pair of wings.
This sudden turn of events caught the people at the crevice off guard. By the time they panicked and realized something was wrong, trying to escape by riding their swords, the demonic beast suddenly leaped up, swallowing people one by one.
Zhou Li also narrowly escaped disaster. Fortunately, his internal power was relatively profound, and he managed to abandon his sword in time, leaping onto a tree.
But the fierce beast unexpectedly charged heedlessly, knocking the tree down completely.
“Run, Ah Qing, run!”
Zhao Diqing, having been talking to A’Ling just moments ago, was further away from the crevice and thus escaped the first wave of attack. But the events unfolded too quickly. She watched as her fellow disciples, who had just been enthusiastically discussing their abundant gains from this trip, became food for the demonic beast in an instant. For a moment, she was petrified with fear.
A’Ling saw that Zhao Diqing seemed scared witless and unable to move. She quickly turned back and tugged at her.
Shi Qingqian, noticing the human hadn’t followed, suddenly stopped and looked back. That idiot actually went back to save someone.
She was truly shocked by this idiot’s stupidity, once again.
The very person she was saving had just tried to kill her in the demonic beast cave. She saw it clearly: it was that person’s shout that prompted Zhou Li to use A’Ling as bait. This fool couldn’t see it at all!
She was so stupid that Shi Qingqian wondered if there was even a point in saving such an idiot. Even if she saved her this time, she would probably die from stupidity later.
A’Ling, pulling Zhao Diqing, ran desperately towards the ugly dog. Behind them, Zhou Li’s miserable screams made her completely afraid to slow down or look back.
But Zhao Diqing saw it. She saw Zhou Li being swallowed whole by the Leopard Cormorant Beast just as he was about to leap onto the top of another tree!
Her steps faltered, and her face turned pale. The scene she had just witnessed left her unable to even cry out.
Amidst a cacophony of terrified screams, A’Ling felt a gust of wind sweeping from behind.
She glanced back as she ran. Just one look made her heart skip a beat: the Leopard Cormorant Beast, with blood-red eyes, was chasing after them!
It seemed Zhao Diqing finally regained her senses at this moment. No longer needing A’Ling to pull her forward, she desperately started running herself.
Seeing that she had come to her senses, A’Ling quickly let go. Running while pulling someone was too slow, and they couldn’t afford to be slow at all right now!
The sound from behind grew closer and closer, so close that it felt like they would be devoured any second!
Nice work 👏