In a vast underground cavern, Ji Yuan, holding a glowing night-blooming pearl, led Zhou Lianying towards a forest several miles away.
Due to their unfamiliarity with the surroundings, their progress was not rapid, at most only slightly faster than ordinary mortals.
As they advanced, a strange sensation within them grew increasingly intense.
It was as if something was quietly approaching from the shadows.
This feeling grew stronger with each passing moment, occupying nearly half their minds within twenty to thirty breaths, leaving them with a pervasive sense of unease.
Ji Yuan subconsciously glanced at the night-blooming pearl in his hand, then, as if divinely inspired, channeled a stream of his spiritual energy into it.
Instantly, an inexplicable wave emanated from the pearl, spreading in all directions.
Under the gradually strengthening glow, pairs of crimson eyes suddenly appeared, silently fixing upon the two figures from the darkness beyond the light.
Upon witnessing this, Zhou Lianying almost cried out in surprise. Even with her cultivation, her scalp tingled with a chilling sensation.
Ji Yuan himself was startled. He immediately summoned the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, causing it to hover above his head, from which emanated wisps of light that enveloped them both.
Only then did he observe the monsters lurking around them.
To call these creatures monsters was no exaggeration. They were all powerfully built, with green faces and fangs, their arms reaching past their knees, and their bodies covered in lush, emerald-green fur.
Their claws, in particular, were several inches long and exuded a chilling aura. Spikes grew from their elbows, knees, and other joints.
As if sensing they had been discovered, the more than ten green-faced, fanged monsters let out a series of howls and then suddenly charged towards the pair.
"Begone!"
Ji Yuan grunted and flicked a finger, sending a stream of spiritual energy into the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda above his head.
The seven-story pagoda, barely a few inches tall, immediately unleashed a dazzling beam of light, sweeping the charging monsters several feet away.
Then, he tugged at the long whip at his waist. As his arm swung, dense whip shadows roared forth.
With each falling whip shadow, a green-faced, fanged monster could not help but cry out in pain. Though their cries sounded agonizing, they appeared to have sustained little actual injury.
Their thick, emerald-green fur easily deflected most of the force, and the remainder was insufficient to cause significant harm to their robust flesh.
Furthermore, Ji Yuan currently harbored no intent to kill, thus he did not expend much spiritual energy, nor did he activate the restrictions contained within the Yuan Chen Whip.
Consequently, although the more than ten monsters howled miserably, they sustained no fatal injuries. After all, he was concerned that a rash killing might provoke retaliation from more creatures.
However, continuing this way was not a solution, as it would needlessly deplete his strength and spiritual energy.
"Go!"
Ji Yuan grunted and, pulling Zhou Lianying along, quickened their pace, sprinting towards the distant forest.
But before they could run far, one of the green-faced, fanged monsters suddenly let out a long howl towards the sky.
Even without the amplification of spiritual energy, its cry traveled far, echoing through the silent underground cave.
The expressions of both of them changed drastically. Though they could not see into the darkness, the answering howls from all directions had already formed a chorus.
Judging by the sound alone, these monsters were everywhere, numbering at least in the hundreds!
In just a few moments, the sound of chaotic running erupted from the darkness as countless monsters charged towards them.
As they drew closer to the distant forest, the night-blooming pearl in Ji Yuan's hand glowed even brighter, illuminating an area of ten zhang.
Within and beyond this range, dozens of green-faced, fanged monsters converged, rushing towards the pair without pause, appearing intent on tearing them to shreds.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan naturally ceased holding back. Whip shadows flew from his hand, enhanced by his spiritual energy, each strike possessing the power to cleave stone.
However, the heavy whip shadows striking them were easily blocked by the monsters' thick fur. Although they were inevitably knocked back, their lives were not threatened.
These creatures, possessing no cultivation but merely being a special, rare breed, were physically as strong as martial artists in the middle to late stages of the Skin and Flesh realm.
Even their resilience to damage was superior!
Ji Yuan's expression darkened, and he immediately intensified his attacks, pouring an endless stream of spiritual energy into the whip, causing a layer of azure light to appear on its surface.
With such a blow, monsters immediately fell to the ground, their fur unable to withstand the force. They were whipped until their flesh was bloody and their bones were exposed.
Ultimately, these green-faced, fanged monsters were merely mortal beings. They possessed no spiritual or mystical energy, nor any cultivation realm.
Even with their exceptional talent as a rare breed, they could not withstand the immense power displayed by a cultivator.
As emerald blood splattered, the surrounding monsters fell into a frenzy, leaping forward with suicidal abandon, their red-glowing eyes burning with ferocity.
Ji Yuan let out a cold snort. His arms moved continuously, the light blue whip radiating intense watery light, forming swirling vortexes.
Waves of surging power swept outwards, impacting the charging monsters. Their bones cracked with each blow, sending them flying several zhang away with sharp screams.
However, as more and more monsters converged, Ji Yuan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Even their pace slowed down.
What was once a sprint of three to four zhang per breath, now felt like wading through mud. Faced with an unending stream of monsters, they could only advance two to three zhang in three to four breaths.
Although these monsters posed no direct threat to them, their sheer numbers could still deplete a considerable amount of their spiritual energy.
In an unknown environment, excessive consumption of spiritual energy was not a good thing.
Especially with the uncertain situation ahead and the inevitable competition with others for the coveted spiritual spring.
With this thought, Ji Yuan took a deep breath, then retracted his long whip, winding it back around his waist.
He then looked at the countless monsters surging towards them, and the surging spiritual energy within his body erupted, pouring into the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda above his head.
From the seven-story pagoda, mere inches tall, came an inexhaustible stream of brilliant light, freezing the monsters in place and then frantically devouring their life force!
This was the first time Ji Yuan had fully unleashed the Shi Ling (Spirit Devouring) ability without reservation. Within the twenty-zhang radius covered by the boundless light, the green-faced, fanged monsters had their life force continuously siphoned away.
Even threads of emerald blood emerged from their bodies, completely absorbed by the dazzling radiance.
He himself had not expected that the Shi Ling ability, obtained from the core of the Chi Yu Xie Hu (Crimson Feather Evil Tiger), would be so overbearing, not only devouring all spiritual energy but also life force and bloodline!
Sensing the increasing density of life force within the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, Ji Yuan frowned. This Shi Ling ability was already incredibly close to demonic arts.
Apart from the lack of a sinister demonic aura, its actions were virtually indistinguishable from those of many demonic cultivators.
This was why he had always concealed his use of the Shi Ling power, and why he performed it in secret when others were present.
Ji Yuan worried that displaying it publicly would lead others to perceive him as a demonic cultivator, drawing unnecessary trouble.
Sometimes, merely being labeled a "demonic cultivator" could incite endless pursuit from righteous cultivators, many of whom used the guise of "exterminating demons and upholding the righteous path" to cover their true intentions of murder and plunder.
Such incidents were common, forcing him to be cautious to avoid being exploited by those with ulterior motives.
However, he could no longer afford to be so concerned. While Ji Yuan possessed many means to clear the surrounding monsters, all of them were highly energy-intensive.
To expend significant spiritual energy on a horde of monsters with no cultivation whatsoever seemed like a terrible loss.
Not to mention the numerous battles and skirmishes that lay ahead. Consuming too much spiritual energy at this point was clearly unwise.
In a mere seven to eight breaths, countless monster corpses lay around them, piled high like mountains.
Ji Yuan sent out a stream of spiritual energy, repelling the surrounding corpses. Within a twenty-zhang radius, no monster remained.
And as the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda moved with him, with each step he took, the monsters at twenty zhang retreated. The ferocity and madness in their eyes were replaced by intense fear.
In just a few breaths, one hundred seventy to eighty of their kind had died. Even creatures with limited intelligence, like these rare breeds, now understood that the two outsiders before them were not to be trifled with.
Though he couldn't see them, Ji Yuan could clearly hear the sounds of countless footsteps from the surrounding darkness as the monsters retreated.
Soon, no sound could be heard, yet Ji Yuan did not let down his guard. In fact, he became even more cautious than before.
Despite their low intelligence, it was still possible for them to attempt a surprise attack. Such actions were not related to intelligence but were the instincts of living beings.
Fortunately, knowing they had reached the outskirts of the forest, they were not attacked again, and their journey was relatively smooth.
Upon entering the forest, Ji Yuan temporarily put away the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, while simultaneously drawing in its pure spiritual energy to slowly restore his own spiritual power.
However, he failed to notice that after the pagoda was stored in his dantian, a dense surge of life force emanated from within. As impurities were continuously refined and removed, a small portion flowed into the depths of the pagoda.
A blood-red core was revolving at the heart of the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, gradually absorbing pure life force to mend a filled-in trace upon it.
This scar, inflicted by a sword from a Golden Core cultivator, despite being repaired with precious spiritual materials, had never truly integrated with the core itself.
Yet, the scar that had long troubled Ji Yuan was now repairing itself after absorbing the pure life force. Though only a trace, it was an excellent beginning.
Moreover, the entire core of the Chi Yu Xie Hu was now enveloped in a field of life force, inexplicably imbuing it with a hint of sentience.
If the core had previously been merely an inanimate object, it now seemed to have "come alive."
Even the entire Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda had gained a degree of sentience, its spiritual energy circulation becoming much smoother.
If this treasure were to be used in combat again, its power might even increase!
However, Ji Yuan was not aware of these changes. Most of his attention was focused on his surroundings.
As soon as he stepped into the forest, a sense of unease arose within him, far more intense than before he had discovered the green-faced, fanged monsters.
He also noticed that the glowing plants, ubiquitous in the training grounds, were absent here. Clearly, this place was not part of the outside world but a realm created by the cave mansion's owner.
From this observation, it was likely that the glowing plants had only begun to appear after the destruction of the training grounds.
"Ling Yu, do you think the others will also be teleported to this place?"
Zhou Lianying suddenly spoke, asking with some worry.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he slowly nodded. Indeed, the possibility could not be ruled out.
At that very moment, a tremendous roar echoed through the forest, lingering for a long time as it spread from afar.