Chapter 135: High Mountain

Zhu Yu, standing nearby, smiled: "Naturally, Abnormal Material is so precious; where could we itinerant cultivators obtain it?"

Yan Buji's eyes flickered as he asked, "I've heard Abnormal Material is dangerous, right? Even if great power can wear down the Mutant Force, could prolonged exposure affect the cultivator himself?"

Li Wang asked puzzled, "Dao friend Ji, have you ever come into contact with Abnormal Material?"

"How could that be? Such a treasure as Abnormal Material, with danger and profit intertwined, naturally requires a lot of inquiry," Yan Buji laughed.

The two beside them nodded; Zheng Xian rubbed his chin: "We too have never handled Abnormal Material. Abnormal Beast undergoes mutation constantly, so the rumors you hear may differ from what you see. That makes it impossible for cultivators to gauge an Abnormal Beast's strength, and Abnormal Material is even more so—who knows whether a cultivator's refinement will spawn new mutations?"

Several people nodded in unison as Yan Buji pondered.

Indeed.

So it seems that Tian Liang really didn't deceive himself; Abnormal Material itself is indeed uncontrollable.

"Is there truly no way in this world to fully control Abnormal Material?" Li Wang asked curiously.

Zhu Yu smiled faintly: "I have heard some fanciful rumors; would you all be interested in hearing them?"

"Even if they're fanciful, Dao friend Zhu actually finds them plausible?" Zheng Xian frowned.

"Ha ha, if you're unwilling to listen then …"

"No, no, no, we're idle anyway; why not have Dao friend Zhu speak?" Li Wang laughed.

Zhu Yu chuckled: "When I was traveling before, I heard about the distinction between Abnormal Material and Spiritual Material. Some cultivators said it was interesting: first‑turn and ninth‑turn Spiritual Material can be sensed through changes in spiritual Qi, but Abnormal Material cannot. Thus they call the ascension of Spiritual Material normal, visible, and traceable. Naturally, Abnormal Material is the exact opposite—unpredictable and impossible to cultivate by one's own methods."

"But they said that an Abnormal Beast itself produces two kinds of material: one is Abnormal Material imbued with innate techniques; the other is Abnormal Beast bone, which houses the beast's power. If one uses the beast's bone as a core and fills the framework built from it with Abnormal Material, perhaps the direction of the material's mutation can be influenced."

"Abnormal Material is not static; even if you absorb it, as your strength grows, changing the Accumulation Device or merging new Abnormal Material will cause the material's attributes to undergo drastic change."

After that discussion, those present fell into thought.

Yan Buji was deeply moved, as if his left eye itself were a technique forged with Abnormal Material—perhaps akin to the art of crafting Accumulation Devices—but wielding a technique formed from Abnormal Material directly on his own body seemed even more perilous.

Moreover, the Many-Eyed Snake's hallucinogenic ability, in his case, turned into a trigger for spiritual Qi, and no one can explain exactly how that works.

The exquisite and powerful price of his three‑flower pupil is that Yan Buji will not be affected by the Mutant Force of Abnormal Material, thus avoiding self‑mutation.

Zheng Xian smiled: "Naturally, a cultivator isn't unable to practice or craft Accumulation Devices just because Abnormal Material is absent. For us, there's no need to consider that at this stage."

"Indeed, it's better to think about obtaining some special demon‑creature Spiritual Material; that would be more controllable," Li Wang laughed.

"Demon‑creature Spiritual Material isn't bad; it has many special effects. However, it requires great effort to dissipate demonic Qi, otherwise it's hard to use directly."

"Ordinary little demons probably don't have any good Spiritual Material, right?"

"If they're beasts, their hide and bones might be useful; if they're other types …"

Yan Buji nodded; 'demon creature' does not merely refer to beasts that have transformed, but to any non‑human entity that embarks on cultivation and walks the path of demon cultivation.

"Talking with you all has truly opened my eyes," Yan Buji laughed.

"Hahaha, our meeting is fate; after sharing a drink with Dao friend Ji, we can call each other friends," Li Wang laughed heartily.

The other two also smiled at Yan Buji, their demeanor friendly, never implying disdain for his level.

Only the man in black robes beside them remained silent; no one knew what he was thinking.

Ten days later.

Yan Buji and his party scarcely stopped along the way; the group, all cultivators, required no more rest than ordinary people, merely spending a bit of time feeding the somewhat unusual horses.

After inquiring, Yan Buji learned that the Wang family's carriage horses had been specially bred, capable of traveling a thousand li a day with exceptional stamina, even after three months of continuous travel without much rest.

"I've heard the Wang family also tamed a herd of first‑turn level mane‑hair horses; these are likely offspring of mane‑hair horses crossed with ordinary horses," Li Wang explained.

"Oh? Can demon creatures be tamed as well?"

"Hehe, it's just the usual method of subduing by force—just imprint a slave mark, right?" Li Wang laughed.

Slave mark?

Yan Buji was curious; it seemed Li Wang knew quite a bit—perhaps only half‑understood, but still more than he did.

Such matters weren't worth probing further, Yan Buji changed the subject, glanced at the carriage exterior and asked, "How much longer until we arrive?"

Zheng Xian counted on his fingers: "Once we cross the high mountain ahead, we'll see the Radiant Grassland. Without mountain paths, it should take at most a dozen days to reach Huang Du."

Yan Buji nodded, touched the gourd at his waist and took a sip: "That's good; the bumpy ride so far has been safe. Hope we remain safe all the way."

"Hehehe, why worry, Dao friend Ji? Even if some demon creature dares to attack, with so many of us they're merely courting death," Li Wang laughed.

Yan Buji wasn't worried; if the sky fell, a tall man could block it, and at worst he'd just run if the situation turned bad.

But if they encountered a Foundation Establishment Stage great demon, how could this group fight it?

Can they rely on any Foundation Establishment Stage members within the Wang family's ranks?

At that moment, Wang family cultivator Wang Wen rode over, cupping his fists: "Everyone, once we pass the next point we'll reach the Gendo Imperial Capital directly. If you have other matters, you may head to the grassland boundary first; we will settle accounts for you."

"Thanks, Dao friend Wang."

"You're welcome, but the mountain road ahead is rugged; please endure the bumps for a while, it shouldn't take much time."

"We understand."

The group exchanged cupped‑fist greetings, and after Wang Wen finished speaking, he rode forward.

Yan Buji squinted, feeling that something was off.

"Hope I'm not overthinking; the Wang family is at least a cultivation clan—why would they maliciously trap us itinerant cultivators for no reason?"

A golden light flashed in Yan Buji's left eye, and an unusual flow of spiritual Qi appeared before him.

The direction of that spiritual Qi flow was unmistakably toward the high mountain they were about to cross.