Chapter 5: Terror, the Mysterious Woman

Xiao Chen walked towards the mountain peak. After practicing the Purple Thunder Technique, his perception had significantly improved compared to usual. He could clearly sense the abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the forest. At this moment, he was searching for a location on the outskirts of the mountain range where the spiritual energy was most abundant

Could it be that the spirit beast here has already been killed, Xiao Chen thought with some confusion, and after taking a few more steps forward, he finally saw the dead spirit beast under a tree

The Twin-tailed Spirit Fox is a pinnacle existence among second-tier spirit beasts, renowned for its ghostly speed, and can be said to have no natural enemies throughout the periphery of the Seven-angled Mountain. Moreover, this spirit fox possesses high intelligence and is extremely cunning; when encountering a stronger opponent, it will undoubtedly flee at the first opportunity

Throughout this journey, he discovered that the medicinal materials in this world were no different from those recorded in the comprehensive texts on cultivation. As long as he practiced the Purple Thunder Technique for a period of time and refined the most basic flames for alchemy, there would be hope to condense a martial soul with the aid of the elixirs.

With both hands grasping a tree trunk that is more than 2 meters high and horizontally suspended in the air, a gentle swing sends the body into a somersault, landing gracefully atop the trunk.

Although the condensation of the martial soul was still unsuccessful yesterday, he did not give up in the slightest. In addition to the Purple Thunder Technique used for cultivation in the Comprehensive Guide to Cultivation, there are also methods for refining various elixirs.

Xiao Yulan slightly furrowed her brows, as if deep in thought. After a moment, she retracted the long sword in her hand, parted her crimson lips, and said apologetically: "I apologize, Cousin Xiao Chen, what brings you here"

It is necessary to find it. The strongest outer monsters are only at the second tier, equivalent to the peak realm of human martial artists. With Xiao Chen's current cultivation level, combined with the Purple Thunder Technique, he can engage with them for a while and look for an opportunity to eliminate it

This person seems a bit familiar. Xiao Chen searched his memory for a long time and finally found the information about this woman. Seeing that the woman in front of him seemed ready to take action, he quickly said: "Cousin Yu Lan, please do not take action. I am Xiao Chen, do you not remember?"

On the Tianwu Continent, there exists a unique mineral known as Moonstone. When blacksmiths forge weapons, as long as they mix in a small amount of Moonstone powder, the quality of the weapon will experience a significant leap, transforming it into a Soul Weapon

Suddenly, under Xiao Chen's perception, about five hundred meters ahead, the spiritual energy was exceptionally abundant. Looking up, he saw that the vegetation was lush, with branches and leaves flourishing, and the trees growing there were significantly thicker than the surrounding ones. Xiao Chen smiled broadly, finally having found it. He pushed aside the branches blocking his way and hurried forward.

Xiao Chen thought carefully and felt it was very likely that Xiao Yu Lan's initial gaze at him was akin to that of observing a spirit beast, devoid of any emotion. If he had not suddenly called out her name, he might have ended up as a corpse by now

Seeing her retract her long sword, Xiao Chen let out a sigh of relief, jumped down from the tree trunk, and said: "I just noticed that the spiritual energy here is quite abundant, so I wanted to come and cultivate for a while"

The strength of the Soul Weapon lies not only in its sharpness but more so in its ability to merge the powers within the wielder's martial soul, elevating the martial artist's strength to its utmost limit

Qijiao Mountain

The eldest elder's daughter, Xiao Yulan, is, in terms of generational hierarchy, a distant cousin of Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen is not very familiar with her. In my memory, this cousin seemed to be very reclusive since childhood, and after the age of ten, she was rarely seen. It is only heard that she has been diligently cultivating, appearing very mysterious.

Never mind, I don't have much time. This place is incredibly rich in spiritual energy, so I should focus on cultivating first. I found a sturdy tree, jumped onto its trunk, and sat cross-legged, operating the Purple Thunder Technique to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy

A faint sound suddenly came from behind, and a sense of danger arose. Not good, Xiao Chen's mind stirred, and the Purple Thunder Technique quickly began to operate. A surge of heat flowed to his feet, and with a powerful push, his body soared into the air

If my cousin comes to a place with abundant spiritual energy in the future, he must be cautious, as such places are usually guarded by powerful spiritual beasts. Xiao Yulan paused for a moment, as if recalling something, and took out a jade bottle from her bosom, handing it to Xiao Chen

This is an excellent healing ointment, very effective for the sword wound on your back. I have been cultivating here for the past few days and have driven away many spirit beasts that wanted to come and seize this place. Cousin can rest assured to cultivate here. This bottle of healing ointment is my apology to you, cousin. I take my leave now.

But why has she been unwilling to show herself? Could it be that she has been cultivating within the Seven Peaks Mountain all this time, battling various spirit beasts?

Xiao Chen stopped near that area rich in spiritual energy, as such places are usually inhabited by powerful spiritual beasts. The sensory perception of these beasts is significantly stronger than that of humans, making it impossible for them to be unaware of it. Such an excellent cultivation site would undoubtedly be claimed.

Upon realizing this, Xiao Chen was greatly astonished. The deceased spirit beast was a two-tailed spirit fox. Examining the wounds on its body, there was only a terrifying sword mark on its neck, indicating that it had been slain by a single sword strike.

He touched his back and felt a long scar on his lower back, a wound made by a sword. The injury was not deep, but it had bled quite a bit. Looking at the fresh blood on his hand, Xiao Chen inhaled sharply; if he hadn't dodged quickly just now, that sword might have cleaved him in half.

The two-tailed spirit fox itself is extremely fast; it takes a remarkable sword to achieve a single strike that can kill instantly, causing immediate cessation of breath. This person likely possesses at least the realm of a martial master.

Dressed in green attire, she resembled an ethereal fairy, yet her eyes revealed a murderous intent, cold and piercing. Under her gaze, it seemed as if the very air turned frigid.

The young girl held a slender long sword in her hand, glimmering with a faint cold light. The blade occasionally shimmered with a soft moonlight, and this long sword turned out to be a soul weapon

However, in its current situation, it was clearly struck down by a sword at the very moment of discovery, dying on the spot without even a chance to escape. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen couldn't help but shiver.

A gentle breeze swept by, lifting a few leaves to dance gracefully. Xiao Chen sniffed the air, and surprisingly, there was a hint of blood in the wind. However, this scent of blood seemed to have lingered for a long time, becoming very faint; if it weren't for Xiao Chen's keen sense of smell, he might not have detected it at all

Xiao Chen looked down, and the person who struck was a woman, no more than twenty years old, with features as beautiful as a painting, skin as delicate as ice and jade, her dark hair tied up at the top, styled in a way that resembled a swallow's tail resting on her shoulder, and a charming face like a flower

Xiao Chen took the golden wound medicine in his hand, thoughtfully gazing at the graceful figure of Xiao Yu Lan as she floated away. With a single sword strike, he killed the double-tailed spirit fox, a level of cultivation that surpassed that of Xiao Jian, who was so full of vigor back in the Xiao family, by an unknown margin.