Chapter 18: What my senior brother taught me! The undercurrents between Chong Cang and Jun Lintian…

[Weak willingness of the host to complete the task detected; two warnings issued.]

Chen Hanzhou hesitated.

Spitting might feel good at first, but it will lead to trouble later. Will Yun Zhishui wait until he gets the beast core before giving him two more blows? Probably not.

He'll have to take those two blows now.

[Host's willingness to complete the task has been detected as weak. Warning issued three times!]

never mind!

Shen Hanzhou closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, and imagined himself as a rude alpaca. It made him feel much better to do such disgusting things.

"Ho—tui!"

On the large screen of the sect forum, a clear spit mark appeared on Yun Zhishui's arrogant, domineering, and wicked face.

Yun Zhishui's cerebellum was completely blocked, and the fellow cultivators watching the live stream of the cultivation world were also stunned.

【Ah...ah? Hahahahahaha】

What did I see?

Is this a new type of attack?

[Perhaps this spitting newbie is a poison cultivator, having grown up in poisonous water, hence his saliva is also poisonous... (rambling)]

[The new disciple is quite spirited; he remained calm and composed in the face of threats, and delivered an unexpected counterattack.]

[All in! I bet this disciple will be the first to get out of the trial!]

Without the help of Shi Liuying or the "Elder Protector of the Sect," a single spit of saliva marked the beginning of Shen Hanzhou's twenty-year resistance.

But his cool demeanor lasted only two seconds before he collapsed as if electrocuted.

Shen Hanzhou screamed in his heart: I've already done the quest, why are you still shocking me?!

The system coldly replied: [The host started the task too late; detection is delayed.]

As Shen Hanzhou lay on the ground, two wide lines of tears streamed down his face.

When you benefit from Yunzhishui, you never experience any detection delays.

Shen Hanzhou collapsed, but Yun Zhishui was no longer so angry.

He had seen this familiar falling posture and the familiar frequency of convulsions many times in the previous twenty years.

As long as Shen Hanzhou makes such a move, he will definitely receive benefits personally offered by Shen Hanzhou within a quarter of an hour to three days.

Well, how can taking something from Shen Hanzhou not be considered a personal offering?

Who says that offering something personally must be done voluntarily by the person in question?

Shen Hanzhou lay on the ground, muttering under his breath, "Useless trash, look at your pathetic appearance, how dare you lay your hands on this treasure? If you know what's good for you, get lost and don't dirty my hands!"

Yun Zhishui kicked him twice: "What are you saying?"

What "treasure" or "touching"?

Could it be that this stupid donkey has become smarter today? Does it know that he wants to take away the treasure he will get later?

Shen Hanzhou hid his resentful gaze with half-closed eyelids, finally giving in to the excruciating pain that felt like being slowly tortured: "I mean, let's put aside our grudges and cooperate to kill the Poison Swamp Lizard. I will never lay a finger on your precious beast core."

On the homepage of the sect forum, a row of crows, trailing ellipses, flew past in neat formation.

【no……】

[Where are the new disciples who are resilient, spirited, and courageous?]

[It's surprisingly funny, hahaha]

The ability to bend and stretch is also a great wisdom.

[No way! The stock I just bought has been wiped out in half!! [Dying like a dog.jpg]]

Yun Zhishui looked down at Shen Hanzhou: "Then what do you want? Are you willing to give up the opportunity to enter the inner sect?"

Shen Hanzhou closed his eyes, but his eyeballs beneath his eyelids glared fiercely at Yun Zhishui.

What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You're willing to give up anything? From childhood to adulthood, what has Yun Zhishui ever set his sights on that he could possibly have gotten?

Shen Hanzhou, weak and powerless, said, "I only want the lizard's tail."

Yun Zhishui was finally satisfied and withdrew his foot from Shen Hanzhou.

Let this stupid donkey lead the charge to fight the lizard. When the lizard is on its last legs, he will make his move, first killing Shen Hanzhou, then killing the lizard to get the beast core, and finally stuffing Shen Hanzhou into the lizard's belly.

Yun Zhishui glanced at Shen Hanzhou on the ground with a sinister look: the variables in this person have exceeded what can be obtained from him, so he really cannot be allowed to live!

Shen Hanzhou lay on the ground, slowing his breathing, trying to alleviate the pain in his body.

Giving up the beast core was easy for him, but who knew he also wanted to join the inner sect?

Chen Hanzhou thought sadly.

If he were a powerful figure like the sect's elder, he would definitely rise up in rebellion and condemn Yun Zhishui and the system to death!

But he wasn't. Shen Hanzhou tilted his head weakly.

He was just a cowardly, weakling with no real strength.

His temper was completely worn away by being deprived of it day after day for more than twenty years.

As long as the system exists, he cannot possess anything.

Shen Hanzhou's eyes welled up with tears, a single tear sliding down to his earlobe: "My 'Guardian Elder,' where are you...?"

-

The "Guardian Elder" is confronting the Black Shadow Panther.

Half a day ago, Shi Liuying was teleported to a forest.

It looked like an ordinary forest, without bloodstains or menacing atmosphere. There were even dappled lights and shadows in the woods. If it weren't for these trees that were as thick as three people could hug, the sunlight would be quite good.

Shi Liuying did not let her guard down because of this.

It was so quiet, almost eerily quiet. In the vast forest, there wasn't even a single bird call.

Shi Liuying looked at the reminder on the life-saving jade pendant: [Find the shadowy leopard in the jungle, kill it, and retrieve its beast core. You are alone in this training ground; there are no other cultivators here.]

【……be safe. 】

The appearance of the Black Shadow Panther shocked everyone on the sect forum homepage.

This looks like... the heart of Sunset Forest, doesn't it?

What? How could the elder send a new disciple to such a dangerous place?

[This has nothing to do with the elders. The mother-child formation for the new disciples' training is fixed; the variable lies in the teleportation medium. Using the Starfall Stone as the formation's sensing medium, the teleportation location is linked to the disciple's strength. This disciple should be the strongest among this batch of new disciples.]

[But the Shadow Panther in Sunset Forest is also dangerous; it has the cultivation of a Golden Core cultivator.]

[Stop worrying unnecessarily. I just got back from there a day ago. The big black shadow leopard in Sunset Forest is gone, only the cubs are left. The danger level has dropped drastically, causing my Heavenly-level mission to become a Profound-level one. What bad luck!]

Am I the only one who noticed that "be careful" message?

Chongcang, who reminded Shi Liuying to be careful, is already on his way.

Even though there were elders in Sunset Forest protecting his disciples, he still couldn't rest easy.

The fact that Sunset Forest could be used as a trial ground must mean that the Starfall Stones within the formation sensed a significant reduction in the danger level of Sunset Forest.

But he couldn't take the risk.

Whether the Black Shadow Leopard, with its Golden Core strength, was killed by another cultivator or simply left temporarily, no one can be certain.

Chong Cang was very fast, and his whole body exuded a gloomy aura as black as his clothes.

He wore a black robe, and his smooth silver hair cascaded down his chest, fluttering in the wind.

Almost the instant he arrived above Sunset Forest, he sensed an imperceptible yet extremely powerful divine sense force.

Chong Cang's expression turned even uglier.

Sunset Forest is indeed in danger!

He became even more anxious, and didn't even want Shi Liuying to continue participating in any more trials; he just wanted to take her back.

In any case, she is already the sect leader's disciple, so whether she participates in this trial or not will not have a big impact, since she is still an inner disciple.

Just as Chong Cang was preparing to fly towards the heart of Sunset Forest, a weak voice rang out.

"Elder Chongcang..."

Chong Cang looked up and saw the Elder Protector dressed in a Taoist robe.

"The new disciples are still undergoing trials. Elder Chongcang, please do not interfere lightly."

Elder Hu Lian stiffened his neck, but he was genuinely afraid, after all, Elder Chong Cang was powerful and seemed to be coming on strong.

Although everyone is an elder, there are still certain differences between elders.

Chong Cang said ominously, "Didn't you see she's in danger right now?"

Elder Hulian shrank his neck: "If Elder Chongcang is referring to the little black shadow leopard that is confronting the junior disciple, then please rest assured, Elder Chongcang. The little black shadow leopard's strength is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment."

Chong Cang felt that all the training elders could go back and be reborn: "Can't you sense that formidable, near-Nascent Soul stage divine sense around you?!"

Elder Guardian breathed a sigh of relief: "Ah, you mean this..."

A gentle voice rang out: "Are you talking about me?"

Chong Cang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large longsword hovering in the air, with a young man sitting casually on it.

He bent one leg and casually put the other down, propping his knee with his elbow, and tidied the stray hairs on his forehead with great interest.

"If Elder Chongcang is referring to that formidable divine sense, then it belongs to me."

Jun Lintian's hair tie and ponytail fluttered in the wind, adding to his languid air: "With me protecting Junior Sister, Elder should be at ease, right?"

Elder Hu Lian nodded vigorously, his heart filled with gratitude for his senior brother who had suddenly appeared here a stick of incense's time ago.

There are too many uncertainties in Sunset Forest, and he really doesn't have the confidence to deal with unexpected situations on his own.

But everything changed when the sect's top disciple arrived! As always, the senior disciple gave people a great sense of security!

Therefore, Elder Hu Lian chimed in, "With the Chief here, Elder Chong Cang, you can rest assured!"

Chong Cang gritted his teeth: "Don't worry, of course I'm at ease!"

The sect elder tilted his head and looked at it.

Elder Chongcang didn't seem relieved. He looked even more gloomy, his robes were black, his face was black, and it seemed as if black flames were about to ignite around him.

Elder Hu Lian looked at Jun Lintian again, trying to find some sense of security in the gentle senior brother.

But why does the chief's smile only make people feel a chill seep into their sleeves?

The poor elder who protected the sect was completely unaware of the "grudges" between the two big shots and was caught in the middle, receiving a lot of pressure from powerful figures that he shouldn't have had to endure.

The undercurrents between the two did not have any real impact. As long as Shi Liuying was not in danger, neither of them wanted to affect her first trial after joining the sect.

In the end, Chong Cang smashed his teeth and swallowed them, then stood in the air, watching the trial progress of Sunset Forest.

Shi Liuying's condition is not good.

She felt a chilling killing intent lock onto her, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

She felt as if she were being stared at by a monster lurking in the shadows, while she was in the light, unaware of how many monsters there were or where they were.

Shi Liuying's forehead was covered in sweat, her eyes were focused, and her lips were tightly pursed.

There must be a way.

She amplified her five senses, her muscles tensed, and she gripped the peach wood sword given to her by her senior brother.

Although the hilt is made of wood, the blade is exceptionally sharp, making it a handy and excellent weapon.

The next instant, the shadow of the tree beside Shi Liuying twisted, and a black figure pounced out like lightning! It had just completely merged with the shadow of the tree.

Shi Liuying keenly sensed the anomaly, turned around quickly, and parried with her sword. The moment the blade and the claws collided, a piercing sound was heard.

She took two steps back and barely managed to steady herself.

The attack failed, and the shadow leopard landed lightly, its eerie green eyes staring at its prey without emotion. A low, sinister growl came from its throat, and its huge claws crushed the roots of the forest grass, releasing a mixed scent of grass and soil.

Shi Liuying's body stiffened for a moment under the gaze of those huge, dark green pupils.

The shape of the shadowy panther overlapped with the monster in my memory.

Those bloody scenes, aroused by the smell of grass and wood sap in the air, rose up as if they were about to ignite, turning half the sky red.

“Cultivating immortality is great! Taoist priests always come down from the world of immortals to our mortal realm to slay demons and monsters.”

"It was truly a bizarre and wondrous world, where sword immortals could cleave galaxies with a flick of their fingers, and secret fairy islands were hidden on the backs of whales..."

"That's a place where you settle things with your fists, it's very fair."

"You all, please don't blame the Taoist priest for not coming. There are so many demonic beasts wreaking havoc on the human world, how can the Taoist priest arrive in time every time? Don't blame him, don't blame him..."

Shi Liuying stood there motionless, and the shadow leopard didn't even have the mind to tease her.

Another cultivator with low strength and cowardice.

Jun Lintian, standing high above, put away his smile.

What happened to her?

The standoff had dragged on for too long; making her move a few breaths earlier would have been the best opportunity.

In the heart of Sunset Forest, the shadowy leopard once again sprang up and extended its claws.

Chong Cang glanced at Jun Lintian, then at the Elder Protector, his fox-like eyes filled with gloom, before turning and heading straight for Shi Liuying.

A blurry figure moved even faster than him, but it wasn't there to save Shi Liuying; instead, it stretched out an arm to block Chong Cang's retreat.

Chong Cang said fiercely, "I don't believe you can't see that something's wrong with her!"

Jun Lintian didn't look at him, but only at the figure below who was bowing his head and looked particularly weak in front of the black shadow leopard: "She wouldn't want you to disrupt her first trial after entering the sect."

Chong Cang: "Is the trial more important than her life?"

Jun Lintian retorted, "You call yourself her mentor, yet you can't even rationally assess her abilities and potential?"

Chong Cang: "But she's clearly scared and can't make any normal moves! Are you really doing this for her own good?"

Jun Lintian's smile was tinged with sarcasm: "I'm concerned for her sake, that's why I care more about what she wants, not... what you want to get."

Jun Lintian looked calmly at Chong Cang with his phoenix eyes, his gaze filled with a knowing understanding that seemed to know everything.

It was as if he could see right through Chong Cang.

Chong Cang laughed sarcastically as well: "The sect's chief disciple is truly glorious and magnificent."

In the heart of Sunset Forest, Shi Liuying spoke.

"You visited the mortal realm ten years ago."

She was speaking to the shadowy panther.

The shadow leopard thought she was going to say something to beg for mercy, but it didn't expect this weak cultivator to say something so nonsensical.

"The mortal realm? Isn't that a place you can just go and have fun in?"

The black panther had a pair of sinister, eerie green eyes, and spoke in a human language that was not standard but could be vaguely discerned.

"Those little figures are like wooden sticks, they break easily and are crunchy in your mouth, what monster wouldn't like them?"

A ripple appeared in Shi Liuying's eyes, which then subsided in an instant, like the surface of a frozen lake, reflecting those cruel and merciless beastly eyes.

All emotions were replaced by a purer killing intent.

This murderous intent emanating from the weak thoroughly enraged the shadowy monster.

"roar--!"

The black panther pushed off the ground with its hind legs, and the sky darkened completely. It disappeared into the night, its eerie green eyes appearing and disappearing, one pair after another, surrounding Shi Liuying like a demon.

The sharp, giant claws tore through the air, carrying a powerful wind, and headed straight for Shi Liuying's vital point.

This time, Shi Liuying did not take the blow head-on. She shifted her feet and retreated rapidly. At the same time, her left hand, which was not holding a sword, quickly formed a hand seal, and her not-so-powerful spiritual energy surged out.

"Binding with vines!"

With a sharp shout, the hard clods of earth on the ground were broken open, and several thorny green vines shot out like venomous snakes, quickly coiling and solidifying into a protective shield with a green glow in the darkness.

"roar--!!"

A painful roar echoed across Sunset Forest.

Just as a falconer has his eyes pecked out by an eagle, a leopard gets his hands pricked and bleeds while playing with a vine ball.

Chong Cang's silver-gray eyes were filled with shock: "Golden light shield? This is clearly a golden spiritual root technique..."

Shi Liuying used wood elemental power to create a golden light shield. With limited strength, she maximized her understanding and mastery of all the knowledge she had acquired.

At this moment, Chong Cang reluctantly but could only admit that Jun Lintian was right. He was Shi Liuying's mentor, but he knew nothing about her comprehension and potential.

The shadowy leopard was incredibly powerful, while the golden light shield was covered with thorny vines.

However, a spell at the late stage of Qi Refining is not enough to inflict severe damage on a Foundation Establishment stage monster.

The shadowy leopard staggered, and the vines on the golden light shield were broken in half.

Shi Liuying's eyes were clear and bright; this slight delay was enough!

With a flick of her wrist, she found herself in a perilous situation, yet wielded a sharp sword technique with the ease of a fish in water.

Seizing this opportunity, she advanced instead of retreating, her peach wood sword flashing with a cold light as she thrust it straight at the leopard's relatively vulnerable waist and abdomen.

Shi Liuying, like a calm yet smug tabby cat, said: "A head of bronze, bones of iron, and a waist of tofu, taught by my senior brother!"

A note from the author:

----------------------