Volume Three: Rising Reputation Chapter Sixty-Nine: Proud Capital

Ideals are grand, but reality is cruel.

They did not reach the destination they had envisioned within the scheduled time. As they pressed forward, the number of strange beasts they encountered grew steadily.

“This is odd. Why are the beasts so densely packed here?” Wen Xiangxuan remarked.

They had traveled only a dozen kilometers or so, yet the number of beasts they encountered was too many to count on both hands. What made it even more troublesome was that these beasts were all at least sixth rank.

Two of them were even at the peak of sixth rank. If it weren’t for Li Yu’s presence to hold the line, the rest of them would have had no choice but to retreat obediently and forfeit the treasure.

“It’s normal. Only with such a dense gathering of beasts can I believe that the Blizzard Ghost Crystal truly exists here,” Li Yu said calmly as he wiped the blood off his hand. “But the location of the Blizzard Ghost Crystal must be unusual; otherwise, these beasts should be guarding it closely.”

He had long since discarded his longsword.

One had to admit, these divine weapons were great for cutting down humans, but when it came to strange beasts, they proved laborious. Just dealing with a few sixth-rank beasts had left his sword battered and scarred.

Li Yu simply threw it away. His fists and feet were no less effective than weapons, and sometimes even more lethal.

Wen Xiangxuan nodded slightly.

In the wilderness, rare treasures and heavenly gifts were often guarded by strange beasts because these items were also precious to the beasts themselves, who typically hoarded them for their own use.

The stronger the beasts, the more precious the treasure!

The more numerous the beasts, the more valuable the treasure!

This was common knowledge. However, since these beasts were not guarding the treasure closely, it indirectly suggested that something else unusual was near the treasure.

Who guards their treasure from more than ten miles away?

Night fell.

Li Yu struck again, mercilessly killing a sixth-rank beast inside the cave.

This beast was not too difficult to handle, but he feared that if Wen Xiangxuan and the others intervened, any loud commotion might turn the cave into chaos. Moreover, a strong scent of blood could attract nearby beasts.

Better safe than sorry. The beasts in this area were already aggressive enough; attracting more tonight would spell disaster.

Wen Xiangxuan and Li Yu stood together, watching as others busied themselves.

“Master, what about the next path...” someone asked.

Li Yu replied calmly, “Three sixth-rank should follow. The rest stay here.”

He knew exactly what Wen Xiangxuan meant. Since she had taken the initiative to suggest it, he went along with her plan.

Among these nine people, Wen Xiangxuan was at the peak of sixth rank, Xing Chengping also at peak sixth rank, and Wen Yongsi was at the early sixth rank. The rest were at seventh rank cultivation, of little use.

This stretch of journey wouldn’t bring any benefit to him; on the contrary, it would be a burden. Scattered searches would compromise their safety, forcing Li Yu to intervene repeatedly, let alone achieving any scouting objectives.

Now that Wen Xiangxuan had proposed it, though she feared casualties within her team, it suited Li Yu’s intentions perfectly.

“Thank you, Master!” Wen Xiangxuan said with surprise.

She truly hadn’t expected Li Yu to be so agreeable. After chatting briefly with him, she hurriedly made arrangements.

Li Yu sat cross-legged in the cleared space, about to close his eyes and meditate when Zhan Yishuang approached.

“What’s up?” Li Yu asked with curiosity, opening his eyes.

“Why did you agree to let them stay?” Zhan Yishuang’s large eyes were filled with confusion. “You said you needed someone to watch over you...” She hesitated, referring to the Blue Star cultivator.

Both Li Yu and she had witnessed the black-robed youth, and Li Yu had shared his concerns with her. Thus, Zhan Yishuang was aware of the primary reason Li Yu kept this group around.

“Do you understand what Wen Xiangxuan really meant?” Li Yu asked with surprise.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zhan Yishuang rolled her eyes. “She hesitated and stammered—clearly struggling to make a request. Whatever you agreed to must be what she wanted.”

Li Yu: ...

When did this clever treasure chest get so sharp?

“The reason for letting them stay is simple: there’s no need to send them to their deaths!” Since Zhan Yishuang wanted to understand, Li Yu explained. “If the scouting area is too large and they are dispersed, and if a lurking beast strikes with a killing blow, I won’t be able to rescue them in time.”

That had already happened. A sixth-rank early-stage Golden Spirit Golden Sound Lizard had hidden in the treetops, preparing to attack a clan member on reconnaissance. If luck hadn’t been on their side and Li Yu hadn’t intervened promptly, the beast would have succeeded.

“If it’s about ensuring safety, having them close means no scouting effectiveness. More people only makes me hesitant and cautious—it’s not worth it.”

Li Yu’s voice was low but cold. “Better to keep them here. It’s beneficial for both me and them.”

Zhan Yishuang nodded thoughtfully.

She sensed some change in Li Yu, unsure whether it was good or bad. She opened her mouth as if to speak but finally held back.

...

“Whoosh!”

The Golden Spirit Golden Sound Lizard suddenly lunged from the treetops. Among the panicked crowd below, one person’s terrified gaze fixed on the growing figure of the lizard.

Xiong Xiuer turned just in time to see it but was pulled back by someone beside her.

“Don’t be foolish. He’s doomed. Let’s run!”

“But...” Xiong Xiuer hesitated, and when she looked back, all but one foot of the attacked person remained outside the beast’s jaws. The lizard seemed to sense something, leapt suddenly, and vanished into the bushes in the blink of an eye.

“Run! It’s chasing us!”

Her companion shouted anxiously.

The two dashed away again. Around them, over ten others also fled in terror, cursing their parents for not giving them more legs, yet too frightened to climb the treetops, just running on the ground.

“Huff, huff!”

A burly man gasped for breath. When he looked back, he seemed to see a ghost, staggered, and fell to the ground.

“Don’t come any closer!” he shouted toward the darkness.

The cold wind howled, leaves rustled between the branches. He stared into the blackness, but it was silent.

After a long moment, the burly man relaxed, stood up, and moved on.

What he didn’t see was that in the very darkness he had been staring at, at the exact moment he turned away, a pair of crimson eyes, each as large as a fist, glowed ominously.

...

Xiong Xiuer gasped like a fish out of water, breathing hard before she finally regained composure. “Count the survivors!”

She commanded sharply, the pallor in her eyes fading now that they were temporarily safe.

Based on previous experience, the creature would attack at most two people before temporarily leaving them alone.

“Four missing... eleven remain...”

Four?!

Xiong Xiuer sighed, realizing that besides the person attacked by the Golden Spirit Golden Sound Lizard, another had fallen victim to other beasts.

Now, including herself, eleven sat in an open area away from the trees where the moonlight could reach.

It was obvious they feared the darkness, unwilling to rest in the shadows of the trees. They were willing to risk exposure to other beasts’ sight just to avoid the dark!

...

Time passed bit by bit.

The moon set, and the sun rose.

“It's over!” Li Yu stretched inside the cave, looking outside. “The beast howling all night disturbed my sleep!”

Wen Xiangxuan, walking over, heard this and rolled her eyes.

Look inside the cave—apart from Li Yu, who else was really sleeping? Everyone was meditating to recover.

Oh... except Zhan Yishuang. But having witnessed how she absorbed spiritual power, it was clear she was a formidable expert on par with Li Yu.

By this calculation, except for Li Yu and Zhan Yishuang, the others all needed to meditate and cultivate, not sleep, using this time to recover.

Is this the difference between geniuses and ordinary people? Wen Xiangxuan pondered.

They tidied up. The others had already been arranged by Wen Xiangxuan last night and were now just being seen off.

The originally grand group of more than ten had now shrunk to five.

Li Yu, Zhan Yishuang, Wen Xiangxuan, Wen Yongsi, and Xing Chengping.

The lowest among them, Wen Yongsi, was just beginning sixth rank.

Without the burdensome seventh-rank members, their speed visibly increased, but the drawback was obvious: their “eyesight” and scouting range were drastically reduced.

Without the lateral search capability provided by numbers, the dense ancient trees blocked their view. Anything beyond a few hundred meters was completely unknown.

“Something’s there!” Li Yu’s gaze sharpened, and he stopped.

The others gathered around him, and upon closer inspection, they saw the same thing.

Wen Xiangxuan said, “Why not just go around it?”

In the nearby treetop, a lethargic Golden Spirit Golden Sound Lizard lay sprawled, early sixth rank, three meters long. Its tail, like a vine, coiled around the branches, blending easily with the other ancient vines.

“It has something in its mouth!” Li Yu pursed his lips.

Only then did the others notice a piece of clothing hanging from the beast’s mouth.

A chill ran through them.

“It must have swallowed someone just yesterday,” Li Yu said calmly, analyzing. “If it had been longer, it would have digested the clothes too. The fact that it’s still hanging there means the person hasn’t been fully digested yet.”

It didn’t matter that the beast had started feasting, nor that clothing hung from its jaws.

Wen Xiangxuan understood the key point Li Yu was making: last night!

They had only just set out. Near the cave, not far away, someone had passed through.

Was this person a lone wolf... or abandoned by their team?

If the latter, what was their purpose risking travel at night in such a beast-infested place?

“Why think so much? We’ll know when we encounter them!” Li Yu glanced sideways and skirted around the lizard, moving on.

“...” Wen Xiangxuan rolled her eyes at the young man following behind. She murmured softly, “Not everyone is as confident as you are.”