Proud Senior Brother Fang

"Ah."

Chu Liang let out a soft sigh and sheathed his sword.

The latter half of the journey had yielded average results. They had encountered only two flower demons. A smooth journey was naturally a good thing in others' eyes, but for someone whose goal was grinding monsters, it was inevitably a little disappointing.

Yet that faint disappointment was swiftly washed away by the sight before him.

As the group filed out of the narrow, cramped forest path, the first feeling that struck them all was awe.

They were still within the dense forest, but the dark-green trees rose dozens of zhang high, their crowns like the vault of a palace with a soaring ceiling, looming overhead without bringing any sense of oppression. Before them lay the entrance to a valley, with jagged cliffs and overhanging rocks, vines and vegetation sprawling across black stone, and strange flowers blooming everywhere. Dim phosphorescent lights drifted up and down, casting flickering illumination.

It was wholly a primordial, secluded demon realm cut off from the world.

"This..." Lin Bei opened his mouth and babbled twice, as though he wanted to say something. But the instant his voice left his lips, it echoed through the vast valley, making him swallow his words again.

It carried something of the feeling: "Dare not speak loudly, lest I startle the High Person in the heavens."

Fang Ting said in a low voice, "According to the guidance, the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower is in the valley not far ahead. Although there are no more flower demons here, the danger is even greater... We must be careful."

"Mm!" The others nodded in agreement.

The logic was simple. In a place crawling with demons and monsters, if a patch of pure land suddenly appeared, it could only mean that it belonged to an even greater monster.

Walking through this savage and boundless land in human bodies, they could not help feeling small. The group entered the black valley, where jagged rocks thrust outward everywhere. Before long, they indeed spotted a cluster of enormous flowering branches growing in an open patch near the valley's edge.

One branch bore two flowers. Each bud was as large as a human head, its pure-white petals tightly covering its center. The leaves around it were long and straight, making it appear pure and conspicuous amid the valley.

"So this is the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower... It really looks exactly like the illustration," Lin Bei said.

Fang Ting raised his eyes toward the narrow strip of valley wall above, obscured by crisscrossing rocks. "At this hour, it should have just turned night outside. When a thread of moonlight falls upon the flower tonight, it will bloom. Before then, do not touch it under any circumstances."

Chu Liang had already learned the process for picking the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower on the way here.

This thing was quite miraculous. If picked at any other time, it would lose its spiritual nature. It had to be plucked at the instant it matured, absorbed moonlight, and bloomed; only then could its spirituality be preserved.

But at that instant, everyone who looked at it would fall into an illusion. Perhaps that was how it protected itself.

At that moment, one person had to hold a bronze mirror before the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower as it bloomed. The flower's illusion would instead stun itself. Then another person could pick it from behind, and only then could the flower be successfully harvested.

That required only two people. The reason this mission needed five was because the other three had to form a Three Talents Sword Formation around the perimeter while the flower was being picked, guarding against the treasure-protecting demon beast near the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower.

"Junior Sister Ziqing, take the Human position. Junior Brother Chu, take the Earth position. I will take the Heaven position. Lu Ren will hold the mirror, and Lin Bei will pick the flower." Fang Ting issued his orders crisply.

The Three Talents Sword Formation was not simply one person guarding each side. The Human position guarded one direction, the Earth position guarded two, and the Heaven position guarded one while also watching over the others, ready to provide support at any time.

This placed the greatest burden on the strongest point, making up for the uneven strength of those forming the formation.

Naturally, no one objected. They took their positions around the flowering branch.

The wait was not long. Soon, a thread of moonlight pierced through layer upon layer of obstruction and fell upon the clearing. In this valley where sunlight was rarely seen year-round, that sliver of moonlight was incomparably precious.

The line of moonlight slowly shifted, inch by inch, until it gradually reached the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower.

"Focus!" Fang Ting suddenly shouted.

Chu Liang, Xu Ziqing, and Fang Ting, the three maintaining the formation, immediately stood with swords in hand and their backs to the flowering branch, no longer looking in that direction.

Because...

As the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower ripened, rustling sounds also arose throughout the valley. Some demon creatures that had coveted the flower branch for a long time could no longer restrain themselves.

"Roar—" The first to leap from the trees was a black-spotted tiger. Its furious roar shook the forest! Savage markings covered its body, and a pair of fleshy wings had actually grown beneath its ribs! It had clearly cultivated for many years.

The demon creatures of these mountains and forests were the most cunning. Naturally, the moment it emerged, it charged toward Xu Ziqing's side.

The young girl clenched her pearly teeth. Fear was plainly written in her heart, but she did not retreat. Instead, she stepped forward, preparing to meet the enemy with her sword.

Just then, a thunderous Sword Qi shaped like a roaming golden dragon came whistling in from the side!

Boom—

Once the surging Sword Qi passed, the demon tiger vanished from sight, leaving behind only wisps of ash drifting down.

Naturally, Fang Ting had made the move.

Seeing this, Chu Liang could not help marveling inwardly at how formidable Golden Core Realm strength truly was. At the same time, he secretly sighed.

What a waste.

If only I could have dealt the finishing blow.

Fang Ting watched in all directions and saw Chu Liang sigh. He said, "Junior Brother Chu, there is no need to sigh. So long as you cultivate diligently, given time, you too can attain cultivation like mine."

Mm... He thought Chu Liang had become inferior after seeing his cultivation?

Chu Liang froze for a moment, then nodded at Fang Ting.

Yes, yes, yes.

There was no time for further chatter. The tiger demon's appearance seemed like a signal, and afterward, a giant python as thick as a water barrel, a golden eagle shining all over, a three-eyed jackal...

Demon beasts came pouncing from all directions!

Chu Liang's eyes immediately lit up.

But at once, he heard Fang Ting bark again, "Wind-Thunder Sword Art! Go!"

His left hand formed a seal while his right raised the Thunder Sword. With a shout, lightning ran wild, and the sword edge blazed brilliantly as he drew a circle with one stroke. In an instant, flying sand and rolling stones filled the air, thunderclouds billowed around him, then swept outward in the blink of an eye.

Rumble rumble rumble—

With one sword strike, every demon beast that had lunged at them was swept up by wind and thunder, instantly reduced to powder!

A total wipeout.

"Hmph!" Fang Ting sheathed his sword and snorted coldly, sweeping his gaze around with lofty disdain, looking imposing and majestic. Then he glanced twice at Xu Ziqing and Chu Liang beside him, chin raised and chest thrust out. Though his face remained expressionless, his eyes seemed to glitter with a certain expectation.

He looked exactly like a golden retriever that had caught a mouse and was waiting for praise while pretending to be aloof.

In stark contrast, the gleam that had just lit up in Chu Liang's eyes went out in an instant.

There was no light left in his eyes...

The more fiercely Fang Ting killed, the more Chu Liang's heart ached...

Xu Ziqing either had grown accustomed to her own senior brother's cultivation and did not find it impressive... or she was simply too nervous to spare attention for anything else. In any case, she offered no praise for Fang Ting's valiant display.

As a result, Fang Ting held his pose for quite a while without receiving what he wanted. In the end, he could only blink and say to himself, "Junior Sister Ziqing, Junior Brother Chu, if you two cultivate diligently, one day you may not be unable to unleash such a sword strike as well."

"Hehe." Chu Liang smiled.

While the battle on the perimeter went smoothly, the two in charge of harvesting on the inside finally saw the moonlight fall directly upon the heart of the first flower.

"It's going to bloom!" Lin Bei immediately cried out.

Lu Ren hurriedly raised the large bronze mirror in his hands.

Moonlight scattered down. The enormous Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower was like a beauty awakening from sleep, slowly unfurling its petals... and revealing a face as white as jade.

That was right. When the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower's bud opened, beneath it truly was a face that closely resembled a human's! And it was the face of a beauty with jade-white skin, neither male nor female.

When this human face first appeared, its eyes still carried an eerie wariness. But immediately after, it saw the large bronze mirror directly in front of it. And its own face in the mirror.

A rapturous expression quickly appeared in those eyes...