Chapter 17: The Xiao Huli's Mishap

"Woo... ya..."

Just as the three were having a heated discussion, a small white fox crawled out from inside the quilt and climbed into the pile of things Xu Chen had poured out. Its little head sniffed here and there, and it used its tiny paws to dig around, seemingly looking for something.

"Is the little guy hungry?"

Jiu Shixiong picked up the little fox, but discovered that its two tiny paws were actually still clutching a small black bead tightly, refusing to let go.

"Eh, what is this?" Looking at the black bead, Jiu Shixiong held it up to examine it closely, his face full of curiosity.

"Woo ya, woo ya~"

The little fox seemed anxious, kicking its legs hard and making high-pitched, delicate cries.

Zhao Xuan could not help but scan the black bead with her Divine Sense, her expression suddenly startled as she said, "This bead is not simple!"

At this moment, Jiu Shixiong naturally discovered it too.

The world is vast, and all things coexist; regardless of whether it has a name or not, or if it is recognized or not, as long as it contains Spirit Qi or something that makes one's Divine Sense feel a different aura, it is never simple and can certainly be classified as a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, it just depends on how it is utilized.

Even Spirit Beast Feces can fertilize fields, so this black bead, which makes even the soul feel cold, naturally has a unique value.

Jiu Shixiong said with a face full of astonishment, "Junior Brother, where did this black bead come from?"

Xu Chen said, "I obtained it after killing a Demon Beast in the fissure at Black Wind Ridge. There were two in total, but because there were many people with prying eyes there and I was in a dangerous situation, I didn't mention it at the time."

Zhao Xuan asked in surprise, "Junior Brother, are you saying these are the inner cores of those Demon Beasts?"

"I'm not clear on that; those Demon Beasts were all very strange..."

Xu Chen recounted the situation of how he killed the two Demon Beasts, though he omitted the part about the Demon Bat invading his Sea of Consciousness, saying only that because his Divine Sense was relatively strong, the Demon Beast's invasion failed and it was ultimately killed by his Divine Sense attack.

As for the fact that the Demon Beast disintegrated into black mist after death, he did not hide it.

The two listened with blank expressions, especially Jiu Shixiong, who stammered, "Junior Brother, are you saying that Sun Haoqian was killed at the time by black smoke like a Demon Bat invading his Sea of Consciousness?"

Xu Chen nodded and said, "That should be the case. Because the situation was urgent at the time and I was afraid more Demon Bats would appear, and also worried about causing panic among everyone, I didn't explain."

Zhao Xuan's face turned slightly pale, and she said, "That is indeed how it should be. Junior Brother did the right thing; once panic was caused in that situation, the consequences would likely have been unpredictable."

Jiu Shixiong also calmed down at this time and said, "It seems the matter at Black Wind Ridge is definitely not simple. I have never heard of such strange Demon Beasts appearing in the fissure before. After returning from Jingshi, it would be best to report it in detail to the three Elders. This black bead is clearly not a demon core, but it definitely has its uses and is worth studying carefully."

"Woo ya, woo ya..."

The little fox was still kicking and squeaking. Zhao Xuan said in amazement, "Senior Brother, this little fox seems to want the bead in your hand."

"Could it be that it wants to eat this thing?" Jiu Shixiong realized, and at the same time handed the black bead to the little fox, which was immediately clutched tightly by its two tiny paws, and then it began to lick it.

"Eh, it seems it really wants to eat this thing!" At this moment, Xu Chen also became full of surprise.

However, the little fox was too small and could only lick it wildly with "woo ya" sounds, unable to eat it at all. Eldest Senior Brother placed the little fox on the bed and looked out the window, discovering that the sun was already about to set, so he stood up and said, "It's getting late. Let's go eat some food first, get a good rest tonight, and set off early tomorrow."

"Okay!"

Xu Chen packed up the demon core, Fangs, and the miscellaneous items again. Seeing that the little fox would not let go of the black bead, he stuffed it into his robes along with the fox, and then the three went out and headed downstairs.

Half an hour later, the three returned after a full meal and went back to their respective rooms to rest.

Xu Chen placed the little fox, which he had fed with goat milk, on the edge of the pillow. The little guy's two tiny paws were still clutching the black bead tightly. Xu Chen felt a mix of amusement and frustration, but he didn't bother with it anymore, instead sitting cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes slightly to begin breathing and circulating his cultivation.

However, having experienced too many things today, after several small cycles, he was unable to enter a meditative state and felt not a shred of sleepiness.

The events of this single day could be said to be more dangerous, thrilling, and bizarre than all his experiences on the mountain over the past five years combined.

He finally understood why all disciples of the Immortal Sects must descend the mountain for training once they reach a certain stage.

Because only by descending the mountain can one encounter these dangerous and adventure-filled events.

If he hadn't followed his senior brother and sister to Wild Wolf Valley today, he wouldn't have encountered Song Qingshi's plea for help, wouldn't have gone to the Black Wind Ridge fissure, and certainly wouldn't have been forced into the fissure by a Third-Tier Demon Wolf, nor would he have activated the Blue Jade Bead at the critical moment of life and death, allowing himself to obtain such an unprecedented opportunity.

Because if he hadn't descended the mountain, he would never have had the courage to use his Divine Sense to communicate with and activate that jade bead, and perhaps he would never have discovered the secret of the jade bead in his entire life.

He didn't know what kind of treasure the jade bead was, but ever since it entered his Sea of Consciousness, it had not only increased the range of his Divine Sense but also strengthened his resistance to Divine Sense attacks, and could even give him warnings in times of crisis. At least for now, the benefits were very obvious.

If he could continue to figure out the secrets of the jade bead, it might be possible to unearth more unique functions, which would be even more beneficial for the improvement of his cultivation.

Judging by today's encounters, he was indeed too weak; if he wanted to live well, strength was the key.

Of course, apart from his own cultivation and strength, Magic Treasures and Spirit Pills were also indispensable.

Today's situation gave him a deep realization: having a sect and not having a sect are completely different.

Although the three of them usually felt so poor they were "eating dirt"—lacking Spirit Pills, Magic Treasures, and Spirit Stones—they at least had some. Therefore, in the dangerous situation in the fissure, the three were ultimately able to retreat unscathed by relying on two Jade Talismans and a few Spirit Pills, while the four cultivators from Wild Wolf Valley and the Five Thunder Sect suffered one death and three injuries, and even lost two Magic Treasures.

Although the consumption of Spirit Talismans and Spirit Pills was heart-wrenching, this was the benefit brought to the disciples by the meager foundation of the Taiyuan Sect.

Of course, Xu Chen himself was an exception. He survived today indeed by luck, and great luck at that, but the fact that he could obtain this life-saving mysterious bead was actually related to the Taiyuan Sect. If he hadn't been tending the Medicine Garden and picking up Spirit Beast Feces, he wouldn't have encountered this thing. In the end, this was a cause and effect passed down through the lineage that absolutely could not be ignored.

As for the Five Thunder Sect, although it was also an Immortal Sect, it was actually similar to Wild Wolf Valley—just a small sect of loose cultivators banding together for warmth. The Elder with the highest cultivation was only at the early stage of the Zhenyuan Realm; Eldest Senior Brother could wipe out their entire sect by himself.

They couldn't even rank in the Great Song capital and didn't have the qualifications to offer birthday wishes to the Emperor.

Therefore, they could not be mentioned in the same breath as the Taiyuan Sect and could only mingle with the people from Wild Wolf Valley.

"It seems that in the future, not only must I work hard to improve my own cultivation, but I must also work hard to strengthen the sect!"

This was the greatest realization Xu Chen had on his first day of training after descending the mountain.

Of course, he also had a full harvest, so he decided to hand over the Third-Tier demon core and the two Fangs to the sect after returning from Jingshi.

Although these things were precious, he had no use for them at all; it would be better to exchange them with the sect for some useful Spirit Pills and Magic Treasures.

At least for now, low-tier Spirit Pills and Spirit Talismans were the best protective items when traveling, and everything else was just fleeting clouds.

Once his thoughts were clear, Xu Chen's mind gradually stabilized and became transparent. He began to look inward at his Sea of Consciousness, carefully observing the Blue Jade Bead.

This jade bead appeared crystal clear, like ice crystal jade marrow, but in reality, it was covered with tiny blue spots and patterns. It floated in the Sea of Consciousness, emitting a blue, glowing light. It was not blinding, but if one observed it with Divine Sense, one would feel a slight stinging pain in the soul. If one forcibly urged their Divine Sense to try to enter the jade bead to observe, they would feel an overwhelming blue light sweeping over, as if it wanted to annihilate his soul.

Therefore, Xu Chen did not dare to use his Divine Sense to make contact for long. After making slight contact and observing a few times, finding he could not see clearly, he slowly gave up. Finally, he silently circulated his profound art, breathed and inhaled, looked inward at his dantian, and finally entered a state of self-forgetful meditation.

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, the three of them packed up and set off, following the steward of the City Lord's Mansion who had been waiting at the inn to join the merchant caravan.

Not long after, a merchant caravan with more than thirty carriages and nearly two hundred people marched majestically out of the West Gate, heading toward Kaifeng Prefecture, the capital of Great Song.

Xu Chen rode a yellow-maned horse, following behind Jiu Shixiong and the carriages, moving slowly with a bumpy gait.

This was his first time descending the mountain and his first time riding a horse, but since he used to ride oxen every day when herding, it wasn't much of a problem. Moreover, the horses provided by the City Lord's Mansion were all good horses—not only fat and strong but also incredibly spirited—making the ride very stable. Thus, after less than half an hour, by the time the caravan had not gone far from Nanyang City, Xu Chen was already able to ride quite smoothly.

And this time descending the mountain, Xu Chen also learned that Immortals actually didn't like to fly around in the air when they went out, unless it was necessary or in an emergency.

The first reason was to avoid shocking the world, and the second was to conserve his vital energy and physical strength.

There are even many cultivators who hide in the mortal world for long periods of time in order to temper their Dao hearts.

Furthermore, quite a few cultivators, having no hope of breaking through after a long time and unable to attain longevity, simply throw their lot in with the imperial court to enjoy wealth and glory, or establish their own family forces.

In this way, the imperial court, these cultivation families, and the various large and small Immortal Sects have formed a complex web of relationships.

Therefore, while the immortal and mortal realms seem to be two separate paths, they are actually closely linked.

The caravan before their eyes might be called a caravan, but its composition is actually very complex; besides the caravan itself, there are several escort wagons, and those guarding the cargo are a group of martial artists carrying swords, spears, bows, and arrows. Additionally, a group of burly guards is escorting a luxurious carriage that lags far behind, surrounded by an impressive entourage, clearly not the work of ordinary merchants or wealthy families.

Of course, these things have nothing to do with Xu Chen and the others.

The group with the luxurious carriage seems to know the identities of Xu Chen and the others, so they follow at a leisurely pace about ten-plus zhang behind the three, acting very respectfully, and even deliberately sent over many gifts, dried fruits, candied preserves, and other snacks before setting off.

The three of them naturally accepted all these things without refusal and tossed them into the carriage; at this moment, Thirteenth Senior Sister is sitting inside alone, tossing fruit peels and melon seed shells everywhere along the way, which makes Xu Chen's face twitch uncontrollably.