Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 352: Chapter 349: Return

Chu Zhiyuan, holding Xiao Ruoling, floated back, as four streaks of light shot out from his sleeve, flying towards the pangolin’s eyes and ears.

”Ting ting...”

”Ting ting!”

The pangolin paid no heed to the flying knives, continuing its charge towards the two, aiming to crush them to pieces.

The four flying knives were knocked away, ascending crookedly into the air, then shooting down again.

Chu Zhiyuan, pulling Xiao Ruoling, swung to narrowly avoid the impact this time.

The four flying knives almost simultaneously shot again towards the pangolin’s eyes and ears, only to be knocked away once more.

Chu Zhiyuan and Xiao Ruoling repeatedly dodged the pangolin’s charges, while the flying knives were repeatedly bounced away.

Xiao Ruoling found it strange.

Clearly, these four flying knives were ineffective against it, so why bother with futile attacks again and again?

But she also knew that Chu Zhiyuan was far calmer than most, and would never act impulsively or irrationally.

So there must be a reason.

The pangolin charged again and again, each time narrowly avoided, its speed increasing.

And the four flying knives still persistently attacked it, especially aiming for its eyes and ears.

Suddenly, a shadow flew out from Chu Zhiyuan’s sleeve, silently and seamlessly drilling into the pangolin’s lower jaw.

There was a faint white line on its lower jaw, and the shadow accurately drilled into the white line.

The pangolin’s forward momentum suddenly slowed, then it heavily crashed forward, sliding ten steps on the thick snow.

Three of the flying knives hovered above it, ready to strike at any moment.

But it lay still, its eyes closed, breath stopped, its body twitching slightly.

Blood slowly seeped from its nose and neck.

Chu Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

This was a big creature, and impervious to blades and spears, even Gang Qi couldn’t penetrate.

Only the Qiankun Six Absolute Palm could injure it.

But its body was too large, needing sufficient mastery and powerful cultivation to be slain by the Qiankun Six Absolute Palm.

Only by finding a weak spot on its body, finally discovering the weakness at its neck, could it be killed with one strike.

Xiao Ruoling marveled, never having seen such a demon beast; more importantly, it attacked directly.

Chu Zhiyuan thought for a moment and reached out, ”Give me that Snow Ganoderma.”

Xiao Ruoling took out the Cold Jade Box from her sleeve, inside was the Snow Ganoderma, and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan put it into his sleeve, actually placing it into the iron ring space.

This way, the scent could be isolated, avoiding attracting and provoking these demon beasts.

So far there were only two kinds of demon beasts, and increasingly strong ones might appear.

This pangolin was already very powerful, handling it was difficult, more powerful ones would be overwhelming.

Xiao Ruoling softly asked, ”Did the Snow Ganoderma attract these demon beasts?”

”Nine out of ten,” Chu Zhiyuan replied, ”I have a treasure that can hide scent, let’s see this time.”

The two approached the pangolin, examining the changes in its corpse.

Its corpse quickly hardened, the black-scaled sheen swiftly dulled, losing its luster.

Chu Zhiyuan retrieved the Bright Moon Saber from his sleeve, gently slicing.

The pangolin was split in two.

The defense of a living pangolin and that of a dead one was worlds apart.

Like a Grandmaster protected by Gang Qi, a living pangolin also had a force guarding its body, not just relying on its flesh.

The tip of the Bright Moon Saber lightly grazed, lifting a fist-sized demon crystal.

The demon crystal rolled briefly in the snow, then ”bang,” it shot out, as clean as can be.

It was not colorless and transparent but a pale yellow, instantly giving Chu Zhiyuan a sense of closeness.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded expressionlessly, ”Not bad.”

He felt that practicing the Emperor Earth Scripture would be twice as effective with half the effort, as this demon crystal was different from those black worms’ demon crystals, of higher quality and with more special powers.

Chu Zhiyuan contentedly stored the Snow Ganoderma in his sleeve.

Xiao Ruoling curiously glanced at his sleeve.

It seemed like a treasure pouch, capable of storing anything.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Let’s go, continue forward.”

”Still dare to go?” Xiao Ruoling chuckled.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Let’s go another hundred miles. If we find nothing, we’ll return.”

He thought several times.

Initially feeling suppressed and wanting to leave, then seeing these black worms and wanting more demon crystals, and after encountering the pangolin, changing his mind again.

The demon beasts here were more dangerous than expected; it wasn’t wise to linger, to avoid leading out stronger demon beasts, and to see if there were any gains within a hundred miles and then leave.

”A hundred miles,” Xiao Ruoling nodded.

—

A hundred miles away, Chu Zhiyuan and Xiao Ruoling stood side by side on a mountain peak, overlooking the surrounding vast peaks.

A gust of wind swept by, stirring their garments.

They seemed like an immortal couple.

In this world, only they existed.

The peak beneath their feet was made of ice and snow, the highest among the dozens of surrounding peaks.

They searched dozens of peaks but found nothing, no Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, nor any Cave Mansion.

She felt it was reasonable; who would set their Cave Mansion in such a place?

Too desolate, too cold.

”Oh, is it snowing?” Xiao Ruoling suddenly looked up, extending her jade hand to catch a snowflake.

The large snowflake was like a baby’s fist, leaving Xiao Ruoling amazed, ”What a big snowflake.”

Chu Zhiyuan looked up at the sky, ”We should head back.”

”Then let’s head back.”

Along the way, they encountered no more demon beasts, nor any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, making for quite a bland journey.

Just as the two descended the snowy peak, heavy snow began to fall swiftly, rapidly thickening the snow on the ground.

The footprints on the ground disappeared completely, with no trace.

”There’s no way back,” Xiao Ruoling said.

It seemed inevitable to use a rescue signal; she grasped the thin tube with her jade hand.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Keep moving.”

”But...”

”I know the way,” Chu Zhiyuan assured.

The snow didn’t prevent him from seeing their footprints, clear as day.

Xiao Ruoling, seeing his confidence, refrained from activating the rescue signal and continued trudging through the falling snow.

The snow fell like a downpour, with a mysterious pressure discouraging further progress.

With Gang Qi protecting them, Chu Zhiyuan and Xiao Ruoling ignored the falling snowflakes, using Qinggong to glide effortlessly.

Soon, they passed the spot where the pangolin’s corpse had been, only to find it completely gone.

Vanished entirely, as if it had never appeared.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

There were quite a few demon beasts around, most hidden underground, and those that emerged were extremely dangerous.

The black worms came too close, drawn by the scent of Snow Ganoderma, but they weren’t strong.

Other demon beasts that could catch Snow Ganoderma’s scent, from so deep underground, were those with immense power.

—

The two appeared atop a cliff, Xiao Ruoling exhaled a long breath, looking into the distance with a smile.

The previous oppressive snow world made her appreciate Yao Yue Palace more.

A picturesque scene, lush and green.

Yun Qiuhua opened his eyes from the meditation cushion, smilingly looked at Xiao Ruoling and Chu Zhiyuan, casually asked, ”Did you find anything good?”

Chu Zhiyuan took out the Cold Jade Box from his sleeve, handing it to Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling quickly signaled him with her eyes.

However, Chu Zhiyuan had no intention of keeping it, directly passing it to Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling showed a helpless expression.

She initially intended for Chu Zhiyuan to keep the Snow Ganoderma for himself, not needing to share it with Yao Yue Palace.

But Chu Zhiyuan was so forthright, taking it out, now they couldn’t keep it for themselves.

Chu Zhiyuan had no intention of hoarding the Snow Ganoderma.

He acted after careful thought, rather than out of luck or impulse.

The Spirit Pills of Yao Yue Palace were more practical and important than this Snow Ganoderma, not to mention, he needed to continue to earn Yao Yue Palace’s favor.

Xiao Ruoling opened it.