Chapter 101: Seven Slayers

“The reasons behind this were complicated, but if my master knew, he would definitely guess them. Senior Sister, you don’t need to worry!” Mu Yuan gave a brief explanation. Although Qi Wei wanted to ask more, she dropped it when she saw that Mu Yuan didn’t wish to elaborate.

Speaking of which, Qi Wei felt quite fortunate. If she had gone to sea alone to condense evil energy, the process would have been quicker, but by traveling with Mu Yuan, she had obtained the Forge Furnace Art and harmonized her three types of Zhenqi. Although it still wasn’t as profound as Mu Yuan’s Zhenqi, compared to her fellow disciples, hers was much more substantial. Moreover, she had acquired the Primordial Five-Colored Mirage Light. After all, while the Longevity Palace had many Divine Abilities, their power was often mediocre. The supreme Divine Abilities of major cultivation sects weren’t something just anyone could learn!

Qi Wei was the type who cultivated steadily. Although her future achievements might not be earth-shattering, reaching the Primordial Spirit stage was still possible. The vast majority of people in the Cultivation World progressed this way. As for those like Mu Yuan, who encountered constant opportunities, there were also many. But people like that either achieved extraordinary things, surpassing their peers, or died halfway, their path vanished and dreams shattered.

After bidding farewell to Qi Wei, Mu Yuan released a Brocade Deer from the Black Water Gourd and headed south. He traveled by day and rested at night, refining qi in the morning and cultivating his spirit in the evening, enjoying a carefree existence. After condensing evil energy, his Zhenqi became more concentrated but also somewhat restless. After a period of consolidation, his Zhenqi gradually settled down, and the harmony between his qi and spirit improved.

Between the Tiandu Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Sky lay a border region known as the Southern Barbarians’ Wildlands. Most of the Southern Wildlands were within Tiandu’s territory, with smaller parts extending into the Kingdom of the Sky and the Tianyu Kingdom. Mu Yuan’s direction happened to take him through the Southern Wildlands between the two kingdoms.

His journey through Tiandu was uneventful. Mu Yuan traveled and cultivated leisurely, witnessing many sights and customs, which broadened his experience. One day, he entered the Southern Wildlands and slowed his pace.

The Southern Barbarians’ Wildlands were full of snakes, insects, and many spirits and monsters. Various unaffiliated Cultivators also preferred to hide in the Southern Wildlands to cultivate. Not only was the spiritual energy abundant here, but it was also far from the hustle and bustle of mortal life. With so many cultivation sects in the Central Plains, not only were the spiritually rich places already occupied, but the rare treasures of heaven and earth never reached these unaffiliated Cultivators. They preferred to cultivate in these remote, wild lands, hoping to encounter their own opportunities.

Within the Southern Wildlands, there were also some sects, mostly established by successful unaffiliated Cultivators or occupied by evil factions. After all, this place was more suitable for practicing sinister arts. Even if strange phenomena occurred, it wouldn’t necessarily attract a group of righteous Cultivators to hunt them down.

The Brocade Deer originally came from the Southern Wildlands. Even in this terrain of undulating mountains and deep ravines, it moved as if on flat ground, without any sign of slowing. The man and the deer ran slowly along the mountain ridge. Seeing the sunset’s afterglow, the forest shadows turning to night, and the mountain peaks gilded with a pale gold, shining like tin foil, Mu Yuan also stopped. He found a raised ridge, stirred his Tide True Qi to cleanse his body, and rested briefly.

Cultivators were also flesh and blood. After running for a day, he felt mentally tired and physically weary, slightly fatigued. Mu Yuan activated his Longevity True Qi, circulated it through his cycles, let his Spiritual Sense roam outward, and guarded his essence within. Soon, he felt refreshed and fully recovered.

By now, the sun had fully set. The mountains and forests were quiet, with only occasional night birds calling. Mu Yuan had no sleepiness. He leaped up to the treetops, swaying left and right with the mountain breeze, feeling very carefree.

“Huh?” Mu Yuan’s gaze swept casually and spotted a column of black smoke shooting straight up from a distant valley. It was a dark and windy night; if Mu Yuan hadn’t been in a high position, he would have missed it.

“Whoever it is, I shouldn’t stir up trouble. I’m alone now, not like when I was with Brother Chu and had backup. One shouldn’t be too restless!” Mu Yuan saw the black smoke was as straight as a peak, incredibly concentrated. Although the mountain wind was strong, it didn’t disperse the smoke at all. He shook his head and was about to descend when he saw two cold lights flashing like lightning within the black smoke, giving him a familiar feeling.

“Isn’t that the Ice Soul Cold Light Hooks? Could it be Zha Yun’er?” Mu Yuan had left the Ice Soul Divine Light technique with Zha Yun’er, along with the two cold light hooks. Thinking this, he leaped forward, sliding down like a shooting star.

Flying closer, he saw it was a damp valley filled with black smoke. A man in gray clothes sat on a protruding rock. The column of black smoke was emitted from a silver-white gourd beside him, billowing upward into the sky before cascading back down like an overturned pot, sealing off and enveloping the entire valley.

The scattered black smoke transformed into countless ghosts and monsters within the valley, clawing and snarling, roaming freely. In the center of the black smoke was a girl in a green dress, adorned with pearls and jades. Two flying cold light hooks danced up and down around her, emitting a chilling aura. She rolled around like a ball of frost, resisting the invasion of the black smoke.

“It really is Zha Yun’er, and her cultivation has reached the peak of the first layer!” Mu Yuan was amazed at Zha Yun’er’s progress. They had parted only a year ago, yet she had already unblocked all her channels. It had taken him many years to reach the first layer himself.

Part of this was because Zha Yun’er was older when she started cultivating, her channels were already formed, allowing her to fill them recklessly. But it also showed she had good comprehension and talent! However, not starting cultivation from a young age like her meant her channels, both in toughness and capacity, couldn’t compare to those who started young. Her foundation wasn’t solid enough. Unless she encountered heaven and earth spiritual treasures that could remake her body, the obstacles to her future achievements would be immeasurable.

Mu Yuan naturally knew this. He had spent ten years on the Qi Refining First Layer, but he didn’t envy Zha Yun’er for taking only one-tenth of his time. All the Primordial Spirit experts of the major sects were taken into their sects to cultivate from a young age, and they all spent about the same time as Mu Yuan on the Channel Passage stage.

At a glance, Mu Yuan couldn’t tell the gray-clad man’s background. Although the black smoke was powerful, compared to Chu Yunfei’s Profound Yin Black Smoke, it was like heaven and earth. Even so, the gray-clad man’s cultivation was higher than Zha Yun’er’s. In Mu Yuan’s eyes, Zha Yun’er’s Ice Soul Divine Light wasn’t some profound method, but compared to this gray-clad man, it was quite advanced. Therefore, although she struggled, she could still hold on.

The gray-clad man just sneered maliciously. Zha Yun’er resisted with all her might. Mu Yuan didn’t know the whole story, but he didn’t hesitate. He wanted to test the Black Water Gourd’s power. With a motion of his technique, the Black Water Gourd appeared, and countless thunder evil fire pellets formed from Yin Cold Ice Evils flowed out like a river. They crashed into the black smoke without even pausing, directly blasting the smoke apart. Then they circled the gray-clad man, erupting in loud explosions that shattered the Zhenqi protecting him.

The gray-clad man thought he had victory in hand, but didn’t expect someone to interfere. The thunder evils blew apart his black smoke and shattered his Zhenqi. In desperation, he leaped upward. Mu Yuan hadn’t expected the thunder evils condensed from essence evils to be so powerful. He quickly put away the gourd. Seeing the man try to escape, Mu Yuan released his Primordial Qi Grasping Hand, capturing him firmly.

Mu Yuan landed on the rock where the gray-clad man had been sitting. The silver-white gourd was still placed there, and black smoke continued to gush out. He pointed casually, sealing the gourd’s mouth with his Primordial Five-Colored Mirage Light, then used his Zhenqi to disperse the black smoke filling the sky.

Zha Yun’er had been relying on her two cold light hooks for protection. Although she had reached perfection in the Qi Refining First Layer and unblocked all her channels, she had still cultivated for a short time, and her Magical Power was inferior to her opponent’s. This had been a near-death experience for her. Looking up, she saw a figure in blue robes—it was none other than Mu Yuan. The dangerous situation instantly turned into a reunion with an old friend. Overjoyed, she quickly jumped onto the rock and called out happily, “Brother Mu, what are you doing here?”

Seeing her delighted expression, Mu Yuan felt pleased too. “Your progress is very fast. All your channels are unblocked; it’s beyond my expectations. Why were you fighting this evil man here? I remember Feilong Village is very far from here.”

Hearing Mu Yuan’s praise, Zha Yun’er’s joy and pride were evident. Then, when Mu Yuan asked, she recounted, “I only came out recently. Dad arranged a marriage for me, but I didn’t agree, so I ran away. When I passed through a village, I heard an evil man was kidnapping babies, so I tracked him down. I ran into this evil man using babies to practice an evil technique. I got angry and fought him. If you hadn’t appeared, Brother Mu, I might never have seen you again!”

Mu Yuan looked around and noticed several strange stone pillars around the rock, covered in fresh blood, with a series of iron chains. But there was no sign of any babies. He retracted his Primordial Qi Grasping Hand, throwing the gray-clad man heavily onto the ground. The valley was full of rocks and uneven ground. Even though the gray-clad man had achieved some success in Qi Refinement, he groaned in pain.

“Fellow Daoist, please show mercy! I am a disciple of the Seven Slayers Sect in the Southern Wildlands mountains. I beg you, for the sake of our sect leader, let me go!”

The gray-clad man, seeing Mu Yuan easily break his refined Seven Slayers Demonic Smoke, was already apprehensive. Then, being captured so effortlessly terrified him; he only begged for his life. Mu Yuan had heard of the Seven Slayers Sect. He questioned the man and learned the details.

The gray-clad man was named Hu Jia. He had come down the mountain with many fellow disciples to find babies for cultivating the Seven Slayers Demonic Smoke. There were four others, but he didn’t know where they went. So far, Hu Jia had already killed over fifty infants. He needed to reach the number of eighty-one to complete his technique. Mu Yuan was furious. He directly sealed Hu Jia’s channels and threw him into his own Seven Slayers Gourd. Piercing, miserable screams were heard, and within moments, Hu Jia had been refined into bloody water by the demonic smoke inside.