Tie Haitang's Feelings
"Be careful. Qi Sheng holds a grudge and is incredibly petty," Tie Haitang gently reminded him.
Lin Bai smiled. "I know."
"Mm. Stay here for now. Once you've hunted some demonic beasts and increased your contribution to the alliance, I'll arrange a better place for you." Tie Haitang pointed at the cave abode before them.
"Thank you for guiding me to the Demon Slayer Alliance, Miss Tie. If there's ever anything you need Lin to do, just let me know." Lin Bai spoke gratefully to Tie Haitang.
If Tie Haitang hadn't guided him, Lin Bai had no idea how long it would have taken him to become a core martial artist after arriving at the Demon Slayer Alliance.
From what Qi Sheng had said, he had been in the Demon Slayer Alliance for three years and still hadn't become a core martial artist.
"No need to thank me. If anyone should be thanking the other, it's me. If you hadn't saved me in the forest, I probably would have long since..." Tie Haitang stopped there and did not continue.
"Get some proper rest first. It won't be too late to go to Life and Death Cave and look at the map tomorrow."
Tie Haitang said this.
"Okay."
After Tie Haitang left, Lin Bai returned to his cave abode.
"I really haven't had a good rest in over a month." The moment he entered the cave abode, Lin Bai collapsed and began snoring loudly.
When he woke up, it was already the next morning.
"This storage space..." Lin Bai looked at the silver ring on his finger.
This was Qin Xiang's storage space. After obtaining it, Lin Bai had not yet carefully examined what was inside.
His mind sank into the storage space, and he saw a great many miscellaneous items inside.
Without a word, he threw everything out.
Afterward, Lin Bai discovered several bottles and jars. Each of them had words written on it.
"Limpening Powder," "Carefree Powder," "Half-Life Toxin"...
They were all poisons. Lin Bai completely destroyed the Limpening Powder.
However, he was somewhat interested in the Half-Life Toxin. After taking it, one would not die immediately, but would instead suffer complete bodily decay and die half a day later.
After searching for a long time, Lin Bai found the antidote to the Half-Life Toxin in the storage space.
He also found a book on poisons.
According to the records in the book, the Half-Life Toxin was an extremely potent poison. Even someone in the Divine Core Realm would inevitably die half a day after taking it. It was colorless and odorless, dissolved into the air, and spread with the wind.
"The poison should be destroyed, but the antidote can be kept." Lin Bai thought for a while. Since he did not know how to use poison, he destroyed the poison and kept the antidote.
Then, after looking carefully, he found another purple book inside.
He took it out and looked at it. "Thunder God Fist."
Lin Bai's eyes lit up with excitement. "The Profound Grade martial skill Qin Xiang used—that was Thunder God Fist!"
That day, when Qin Xiang had used Thunder God Fist, divine thunder from the Ninth Heaven had gathered, churning the winds and clouds of the world with unstoppable force. If he had not encountered Lin Bai, any ordinary person would surely have died beneath Thunder God Fist.
After memorizing the essentials of Thunder God Fist, a bold idea surfaced in Lin Bai's mind. "Can Thunder God Fist be altered into Thunder God Sword?"
Once he decided to do it, he got to work.
Lin Bai thought for a while and felt the idea might work, so he gave it a try.
He drew the Spirit Severing Sword. The instant the sword light began to dance, bolts of lightning immediately surged from the blade like writhing serpents.
"It actually works!"
Lin Bai was astonished.
"Thunder God Sword!" Lin Bai swept his sword horizontally. Sword light mixed with thunder struck the stone wall, carving a long sword mark into it. The mark was charred black, as though scorched by lightning.
Thunder God Sword had only one move, but its power was no weaker than the fifth move of Blood Weeping Swordplay.
"Speaking of swordplay, when I entered that illusion, the swordplay my father practiced was far more powerful than anything I currently know..."
"That swordplay was called Dragon Slaying!"
Holding his breath and concentrating, Lin Bai recalled the swordplay Lin Duo had practiced.
Yet no matter how he imitated it, Lin Bai could only imitate the form of Dragon Slaying, never its underlying intent.
"Forget it. This swordplay is profound and unfathomable. I can't display it yet. I'll study it again in the future." Lin Bai drew a deep breath. "I should go to Life and Death Cave."
"There are only a little over twenty days left until the tournament where disciples will be recruited!"
After leaving his cave abode, Lin Bai hurried to Life and Death Cave.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to sit still." Tie Haitang stood before Life and Death Cave, as if she had been waiting for Lin Bai for a long time.
Lin Bai smiled. "Miss Tie, what are you doing here?"
"I had nothing to do, so I came out for a walk." Tie Haitang said, "Come in. The map is inside."
Lin Bai entered the cave abode together with Tie Haitang.
When they reached the bottom, Lin Bai saw a huge mural carved into the stone wall. It was about a hundred meters long and fifty meters wide.
The mural depicted the terrain of the Azure Spirit Mountain Range, its towering peaks, and the distribution of the demonic beasts Lin Bai cared about most.
Tie Haitang asked, "What kind of demonic beast are you looking for? Tell me, and I'll find one for you."
"With your current martial cultivation, hunting a sixth- or fifth-level martial artist demonic beast should be relatively easy."
"This mountain is called Clear River Mountain. It has a demonic beast called a Coiling Mountain Ape. It's at the fifth level of martial cultivation and should suit you."
Tie Haitang pointed at a great mountain on the mural.
Lin Bai shook his head and continued looking on his own.
"Not satisfied? Then what about the Lightning Serpent on Sky Thunder Mountain? It's at the sixth level of martial cultivation." Tie Haitang pointed to another mountain.
Lin Bai shook his head again.
"Hm? What is this mountain for?" Lin Bai pointed at the center of the Azure Spirit Mountain Range. The area had been marked as dangerous with a red circle, but no demonic beast had been listed.
Tie Haitang took a look. "This is the most dangerous place in the Azure Spirit Mountain Range. Of the martial artists who enter, basically none ever make it out alive."
"This place is called Thunder Swamp. Its ground is made of lodestone, which can attract lightning from the sky."
"The sky above Thunder Swamp is covered in dark clouds year-round, with heavenly thunder flashing through it. Inside the swamp, miasma coils everywhere, and the whole place is a marshland."
"It is said that a Thunder Frog lives in Thunder Swamp, capable of swallowing and spewing lightning. It possesses power beyond the True Martial Realm. But it has never come out and only cultivates in seclusion within Thunder Swamp."
"Thunder Swamp—heavenly thunder and earthly fire." Lin Bai's eyes blazed with fervor.
Tie Haitang asked in astonishment, "You aren't planning to go to Thunder Swamp, are you?"
Lin Bai smiled. "Even if you gave me ten lives, I wouldn't dare go to Thunder Swamp."
"I'll go here." Lin Bai pointed at a mountain on the map.
Tie Haitang looked over. "The Three-Headed Serpent of One-Inch Mountain? That's a demonic beast at the eighth level of martial cultivation. With your current cultivation, it will be very difficult to deal with. I advise you to choose another one."
"No need. It's this one." Lin Bai grinned and took out paper and brush, recording the route to One-Inch Mountain.
"I'll be going first."
After drawing the route, Lin Bai left as fast as a galloping horse.
"Wait!" Tie Haitang called out. "One-Inch Mountain is dangerous. You should find a companion. I happen to be free, so I'll go with you."
"No need. I can go alone." Lin Bai grinned and ran out of the Demon Slayer Alliance.
"Hey, hey, hey! Get back here, you rascal!" Seeing Lin Bai run as if he were deliberately avoiding her, Tie Haitang flew into a rage, planted her hands on her hips, and roared, completely dropping her usual façade.
"What? He didn't want you to go with him?"
Tie Feng had appeared beside Tie Haitang at some unknown point and asked her this.
Tie Haitang said, "Damn it, is he an idiot? With a great beauty like me accompanying him, he still has the nerve to refuse?"
"He's no idiot. Didn't you see his match against Qi Sheng yesterday? He advanced and retreated with order, balanced offense and defense—clearly a veteran who had clawed his way through life-and-death battles for years." Tie Feng continued, "Even I think he's formidable."
"Besides, his swordplay is nothing to scoff at. The swordplay he used the moment he attacked was Profound Grade Nine."
"How precious is a Profound Grade Nine swordplay manual? If he truly isn't a martial artist from the Soaring Heavens Alliance, then he must be a disciple of some family outside the Azure Spirit Mountain Range!"
Tie Haitang said, "I don't care where he came from..."
"Have you really fallen for him?" Tie Feng asked curiously.
Tie Haitang's face flushed scarlet, and she ran off. "Oh, Father, what are you saying? You're so annoying!"
"Oh, my, I never thought my daughter would actually say 'You're so annoying.' That's not like you at all." Tie Feng laughed.
Tie Haitang flushed with anger and shame, then swung her spear back at him. Tie Feng immediately ran away.
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