I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 86: Chapter 75: (Cultivation) Mist Immortal Ridge

The morning light gleamed gently, with rays of sunshine spilling into the small courtyard.

”Ying, wake up, you must wake up.”

Xuu Ying groggily awakened, seeing the woman from next door, along with a constable, in her courtyard.

”What... What happened to me?”

Xuu Ying felt a wave of sadness clogging her heart, causing her to tear up uncontrollably.

”Your house was burglarized, it’s good that you’re unharmed, don’t cry, it’s all over now.” The woman next door hugged Xuu Ying to comfort her.

Xuu Ying’s tears welled up even more, her heart as if being twisted by a knife, ”Ma’am, I seem to... seem to have forgotten something... very important... very important...”

The woman patted Xuu Ying’s back, ”Is it your husband? He will definitely come back, don’t worry.”

Xuu Ying shook her head while sobbing, ”No... not him... something’s missing... gone...”

Xuu Ying cried uncontrollably, unable to stop the tears, she pounded her head, but still couldn’t recall what she had forgotten.

Meow～

A cat’s meowing prompted Xuu Ying to raise her head suddenly, and she saw Xiaoxiao the tabby cat standing on the courtyard wall against the morning light, its dirty fur glistening with golden light, warming the heart.

Xuu Ying staggered up with joy and tears, the tabby cat leaped from the wall, jumping into Xuu Ying’s arms.

”Danggui, it’s great, you didn’t go missing, it’s great...”

Meow～

...

Outside of Qingxi Town, in the woods.

”So well-dressed, yet such a pauper! Scum who kills his wife for the sake of cultivation! Bah!”

Jiang Yuebai stashed away a Ninth-Grade Small Sword, dozens of Spirit Stones, and usable Elixirs and Talismans. He tossed the clothes and other junk from Qii Yusheng’s storage bag onto the corpse, and a Fire Cloud Talisman burned them cleanly.

Looking back in the direction of Wuwei Temple, they hadn’t sent any messages, suggesting everything was fine.

”There’s no lead on the Tiger Demon, so let’s explore the situation at Mist Immortal Ridge as grandfather said.”

Scattering the ashes, Jiang Yuebai dusted his hands and stood up.

Meow～

Upon hearing a cat’s meowing, Jiang Yuebai noticed Danggui rushing over from afar and dropping what it was carrying in its mouth in front of him—it was a colorful poisonous snake.

Jiang Yuebai, both amused and helpless, crouched down, vigorously rubbing Danggui’s head.

”Little Danggui, I appreciate your kindness. I used Qii Yusheng’s essence blood and soul to save you because I saw you were willing to sacrifice yourself for Xuu Ying.”

Meow-woo!

Danggui bit onto Jiang Yuebai’s sleeve, its cat eyes showing a determined look, insisting on repaying Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai scratched his head in distress, ”Let me think, you’re also a creature of Leyou Mountain, so do you know where the Tiger Demon controlling the Chang Ghost is?”

Meow-meow!

Danggui’s eyes lit up, nodding vigorously, then jumped and began to draw on the ground with its paw.

A mountain, a forest.

Danggui sat between the mountain and forest, raising its head to mimic the fierce manner of a Tiger Demon.

Jiang Yuebai:......

Even dog paddling would be clearer than its drawing, but it captured the Tiger Demon’s manner so vividly, adorably fierce.

Jiang Yuebai picked up a branch to nudge Danggui aside, sketching the distinctive features around Leyou Mountain.

Danggui climbed onto Jiang Yuebai’s shoulder, stretching its neck to observe left and right.

When Jiang Yuebai drew Mist Immortal Ridge, Danggui’s eyes lit up, as if a tiger descending a mountain, roaring in all directions.

Awoo!!

Jiang Yuebai’s heart skipped a beat, ”The Tiger Demon is in Mist Immortal Ridge, are you sure?”

Danggui nodded, mimicking the tiger’s roar again.

Mist Immortal Ridge located in a depression of the mountain forest, with a narrow terrain, is often surrounded by clouds and mists, housing a stone forest where it’s said Yun Country’s general once repelled Cang Country’s pursuing soldiers using the Qimen Dunjia technique to lay down the Eight Diagrams Immortal Array.

This array trapped five thousand pursuers from Cang Country, and local folklore claims that once they entered, none emerged again. To this day, the sounds of troops can be heard, hence none of the mountain beasts or hunters dare approach, for they may enter but never exit.

The general was of course Yun Country’s War God, Lin Jingyue, who later became Wuwei Mountain Man.

Jiang Yuebai suspected back when grandfather told him that the inheritance of the Five Elements Returning to Truth Skill might be linked with Wuwei Mountain Man, especially considering Lii Jiuchuan once mentioned Wuwei Mountain Man stayed a while on Leyou Mountain.

”I understand, you should return early to avoid worrying Aunt Ying.”

Jiang Yuebai stood up, but Danggui stayed squatting, ears pressed to its head feigning obedience, as its tail mischievously waved.

After pondering, Jiang Yuebai left Danggui with a Communication Paper Crane.

”Ultimately, Aunt Ying is merely a mortal, a reality you cannot alter even if you had nine lives. When her century is up, if you have nowhere to go, feel free to seek me at Heavenly Interence Sect.”

”Provided you have never committed evil deeds harming living beings, I could find ways to let you stay and cultivate within Heavenly Interence Sect, so little Danggui, protect everyone well and don’t commit bad acts, okay?”

”Also, never again raid graves looking for treasures or performing Soul Search. The blood of the deceased is of no benefit to your cultivation, and rushing your cultivation process won’t help. I also ask you to look after my grandfather’s tomb a bit.”

Danggui bit onto the paper crane, nodded satisfied, and bounced off, startling a swarm of butterflies into flight.

With no one in sight, Jiang Yuebai hosted his Flying Sword, heading straight for Mist Immortal Ridge.

With inheritance caves involved, Jiang Yuebai wished not to alert others and decided to scout alone first.

Circling once in midair, dense clouds and forest covered the mountain slopes on both sides, while dense fog beneath stretched over several miles, sporadically revealing jagged rocks amidst the swirling mist.

Crucially, this mist amazingly blocks Divine Sense, surely it’s Wuwei Mountain Man’s handiwork. To achieve this indicates her cultivation was no mere feat when residing here.

”Attack——”

Suddenly, a sudden battle cry accompanied by the clash of weapons, horse whinnies echoed from below, resonating eerily through the valley forest.

Jiang Yuebai drifted over the mist while startling birds into flight.

The mist billowed, covering the Flying Sword and her feet, she peered down, unable to penetrate it, this mist was no regular cloud.

Grandfather’s Jade Scroll contained his journal, which detailed how years ago, he heard tales of a Thousand-Year-Old Ginseng within Mist Immortal Ridge capable of prolonging life. Told the tale, nobody dared venture, forcing him to come personally, where he lost his way confused within.

A full nine days without food or water, grandfather thought he would remain buried therein, accidentally activating a mechanism on peculiar stones, which transported him to a subterranean cave residence, where he found the Five Elements Returning to Truth Skill Qi Refining Chapter outside the cave.

The cave housed many corpses in varying stages of decay, alongside mountain beasts’ remains.

Years before he arrived, many had entered the cave, yet none possessed Spirit Roots, hence failed at cultivating the technique.

Grandfather survived on a pond in the cave and beast meat, enduring over twenty days within, mastering Entry Level of the technique, finally employing the remaining Spiritual Energy to uncover the cave’s exit, escaping Mist Immortal Ridge.

Aside from the exit, the cave contained a cliff with exquisite intricate Rune Arrays. Sadly, grandfather seemed unable to activate them, believing profound mysteries lay behind.

The mist chilling, the soldiers’ battle cries rising and falling intermittently, Jiang Yuebai slashed down several times below, still not finding traces of the Tiger Demon, nor did Chang Ghosts emerge to investigate.

”The Tiger Demon might have entered the cave residence.”

Jiang Yuebai speculated inwardly, changing course toward the location in grandfather’s records.

If entering via the normal route, facing a long arduous trek, the caves could be elusive. Jiang Yuebai intended entering the place grandfather exited then, worried now the Tiger Demon was inside.

An Eighth-Level Demon Beast drew dangerously close to Early-Stage Foundation Establishment power. Previously, battling both Eighth-Level Blood-Toothed Crocodile King and Eighth-Level Poison Fire Spider King in the mine required full exertion, narrowly escaping death, mixed with good fortune and advantageous terrain.

If unnecessary, she wished not to confront the Eighth-Level Tiger Demon head-on.

Buzz!

A sudden change in the wind alerted Jiang Yuebai’s senses, sending her hurtling, tumbling off the Flying Sword.

Numerous sword beams broke through from two directions, slicing past where she had been moments before, leaving a shrill whistle.

The Flying Sword stabilized, supporting Jiang Yuebai’s falling form, lifting her back up. She gripped her saber in one hand, clutching the Ninth-Grade Upper-Level Golden Light Talisman in the other, fully vigilant.

”Jiang Yuebai, of course, you’d be here. Out of the Sect now, let’s see who saves you!”

Lin Suwan approached using Sword Control, his face full of malevolence.

Two other vicious cultivators at Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer launched an assault from two directions, precisely the two who pursued from the Sect and were initially shaken off by Jiang Yuebai.