Encounter Battle, Ye Zimei

The next morning, Xiao Yu looked at his cultivation, already at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, and raised his brows.

After loosening up his muscles and bones, Xiao Yu went alone to Spirit Light Temple.

This time, he already possessed a fortune worth tens of millions.

He passed through without obstruction.

In the blink of an eye, someone escorted him to Fire Monk's meditation room.

The meditation room had ancient wooden beams and green tiles, while wind chimes beneath the eaves swayed in the breeze.

Xiao Yu stepped inside. The room was simply furnished, with only a desk, a small table, a couch, and a furnace. A few yellowed scripture books lay scattered across the bookshelf.

On the desk, smoke curled from the incense burner, and the sandalwood fragrance lingered faintly.

Beside the couch, an oil lamp burned quietly. Its flickering light cast shadows upon a bronze three-legged cauldron by the wall.

Unlike the pill furnace Xiao Yu used for alchemy, this three-legged cauldron had no lid.

Xiao Yu examined the three-legged cauldron with curiosity. Incredibly dense fluctuations of spiritual power came from within it.

It was profoundly mysterious.

Just as he wanted to reach out and touch it, someone stopped him. "Touching other people's things isn't a good habit!"

Xiao Yu turned toward the voice and saw a red-bearded monk lying atop the beam.

His belly was enormous, and his eyes were like bronze bells.

The scent of wine and meat clung to his entire body.

Xiao Yu hurriedly cupped his fists. "This junior, Li Yunma... greets the esteemed monk Ling Huo!"

A teasing smile played on Ling Huo's lips. After giving Xiao Yu two looks, he stretched out his hand. "Zi Ling took in such a glib-tongued disciple? Nothing special, are you..."

"Forget it. Take out what she gave you. I'll give her this much face, seeing as she's one of the Seven Beauties of Hehuan. Hehe~"

Xiao Yu feigned friendliness as he took out the storage pouch Zhang Ziling had given him.

He felt a wave of disgust. This old monk actually dared to covet his master?

Look at that bear-like face of his...

Wasn't it just artifact refinement?

He had already learned alchemy. How hard could artifact refinement be?

"Hm? Two hundred thousand spirit stones, plus a Ghost Wolf skeleton... What kind of magical artifact is your master trying to forge?"

Xiao Yu hurriedly cupped his fists and bowed. "Reporting to Senior, my master wishes to forge a high-grade offensive magical artifact!"

Fire Monk immediately let out a cold laugh. Raising his hand, he put the items back into the storage pouch and handed it to Xiao Yu. "Go back. You want a high-grade magical artifact for only two hundred thousand spirit stones? What do you think this place is?"

"Go tell your master to personally bring three hundred thousand spirit stones here! Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss!"

"If she finds it inconvenient to come to Jiangliu City, we can change locations..."

Xiao Yu cursed inwardly. This bastard still wanted to ask his master out?

"Senior... you also know the battle situation is pressing right now. My master is exhausted day and night and truly cannot get away, which is why she sent this disciple in her place!"

"If this money is not enough, this disciple is willing to offer another five bottles of pills..."

Fire Monk looked at the several bottles of pills Xiao Yu took out, somewhat surprised.

After opening one bottle and taking a sniff, his gaze turned cold and sharp. "You made these? You're an Alchemist???"

Xiao Yu said, "That is correct... this junior is a first-grade Alchemist..."

Fire Monk's eyes rolled about. When he looked at Xiao Yu again, his eyes had narrowed into crescents.

"So your master guaranteed you a place in next month's Ten Thousand Demons Secret Realm, right? Since you're an Alchemist, I'll give you this face!"

"But you must promise me one thing: next month, you have to take my grandson with you into the Ten Thousand Demons Secret Realm!"

As soon as Fire Monk finished speaking, a watermelon-headed boy popped out from behind the bookshelf.

Xiao Yu was briefly stunned as he looked politely at the red-haired youth.

The red-haired youth raised his head and shouted, "My name is Huo Feng! Third Layer of Qi Refinement!"

Xiao Yu lowered his head and cupped his fists.

Xiao Yu looked at Fire Monk in confusion. Before he could speak, Fire Monk declared, "It's settled, then! Next month, you'll take my grandson into the Ten Thousand Demons Secret Realm, and I'll forge your master's magical artifact!"

After saying that, Fire Monk began.

He raised his hand, and spiritual energy gathered!

Fire Monk sat cross-legged beside the pill furnace.

With a thought from his divine sense, flames surged within the furnace.

They transformed into rosy light.

Then he took out cold iron and placed it into the furnace.

He tempered it with fire until it gradually softened and turned liquid.

Next, he took the Ghost Wolf skeleton, spirit stone powder, pill blood, and other rare spiritual materials and placed them into the three-legged cauldron one after another.

They fused with the molten cold iron.

Xiao Yu watched with fascination, his eyes gleaming.

What had that operation been just now...

If he had not feared disturbing the other party, he would definitely have probed into the cauldron with his divine sense.

Who knew how much time passed.

As Fire Monk began chanting his incantation.

The firelight within the furnace gradually withdrew, transforming into an ancient-looking bone-chain blade.

The chain was several meters long. At one end of the chain tail was a wolf's head, while the other end bore a wolf's claw.

The wolf eyes on it even glowed with a faint blue light, vivid as though alive.

Xiao Yu became so absorbed in watching that he completely forgot the time.

The red-haired youth had already finished cultivating in the courtyard, but Fire Monk still had not finished refining the artifact.

Xiao Yu simply watched with a serious expression.

It seemed similar to alchemy in some ways, yet different in others.

Without realizing it, he watched for two whole days.

With a slap of Fire Monk's hand, several streams of magical light instantly poured into the bone chain.

A wolf's howl ravaged the air!

As radiance flowed, spiritual energy spilled in all directions.

Fire Monk slowly exhaled. "There~ Your master's high-grade magical artifact, the Ghost Wolf Lock. Use the wolf head in close combat, and the chain blade for long-range attacks."

Xiao Yu excitedly cupped his fists and bowed. "Many thanks, Senior!!!"

Fire Monk glanced sideways at Xiao Yu, his brows rising again. "You want to learn artifact refinement, don't you? Did you understand it?"

Xiao Yu smiled awkwardly. "No... I didn't understand... I just felt it was somewhat similar to alchemy!"

After pondering for a moment, Fire Monk began demonstrating with his hands. "They say auxiliary professions are worse than dogs. Many of us artifact refiners and alchemists don't have much time to cultivate! That's why our cultivation is somewhat lower than others'!"

"I won't make you help for nothing. Next month, take my grandson into the Ten Thousand Demons Secret Realm and catch a fire-attributed spirit beast for him. Then I'll personally teach you artifact refinement. What do you say?"

"Take this copied manual of artifact refinement and read it first. All right, hurry up and leave. If you haven't left the city in three days, you won't be able to leave even if you want to!"

After accepting the magical artifact and the copied artifact-refinement manual, Xiao Yu gave a slight bow.

Then he turned and left the meditation room.

Before he even reached the entrance of Spirit Light Temple, he suddenly saw a group of Profound Spirit Sect cultivators entering from outside.

Three Jade Maiden Sect cultivators followed behind them.

At once, he knelt among the crowd and began kowtowing.

Seeing the storage pouches hanging from those people's waists, Xiao Yu felt uneasy.

There had to be more than a dozen storage pouches among them. What were they planning to refine...

After those people all went to the meditation room.

Xiao Yu also left Spirit Light Temple.

After disguising himself as a woodcutter again and leaving the city, he rushed without stopping toward the Hehuan Sect branch.

Along the way, he did not see a single Profound Spirit Sect cultivator in the sky.

The silence was somewhat terrifying.

When things were abnormal, there had to be a demon behind them.

Thinking back to those fellows carrying storage pouches, Xiao Yu's expression grew increasingly grim.

Could those so-called righteous people be planning to play dirty?

Could it be the Ten Thousand Demons Secret Realm?

Once the Ten Thousand Demons Secret Realm opened, would they launch a full-scale assault?

Or did they have some other plan...

To be safe, he should first report this to his master.

Just as Xiao Yu continued forward.

Three women suddenly rushed out before him.

Xiao Yu feigned reverence as he said, "Immortals..."

The leading woman looked at Xiao Yu with a grim expression.

Her gaze was exceptionally sharp, like blades and swords.

Clad in black armor and covered by a black robe beneath it.

She hovered in the air, looking down at Xiao Yu.

Suddenly, a system notification sounded in Xiao Yu's mind.

[New evil woman detected: Ye Zimei! Please judge her as soon as possible, Host!]

[Name] Ye Zimei

[Age] 23 years old

[Cultivation] Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement

[Appearance] Beauty score: 88 points, height: 169 cm, weight: 47.5 kg

[Qualification] Metal-Wood Dual Spiritual Root

[Personality] Uses men as stepping stones and sees men as tools, willing to pay any price to improve her cultivation.

[Background] Outer sect disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect, younger sister of inner sect disciple Ye Zhirou

[Evils] Has killed a total of 1,688 mortals and castrated over eighty male cultivators. Values women over men!

Xiao Yu immediately shuddered.

Ye Zimei...

Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement?

He was almost at the branch already. How could he still run into people from the Jade Maiden Sect...

There were also two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators beside her.

This would not be easy...

Ye Zimei looked at Xiao Yu before her, the corners of her lips lifting.

She looked down at Xiao Yu with cold arrogance and sneered.

"Sisters, we have already slaughtered every mortal on Jiangliu Mountain. Why has another woodcutter appeared?"

"This is called waiting by a tree stump for rabbits. As long as we kill all the mortals on the mountain, anyone who shows their face afterward must be a devilish cultivator!!!"

Xiao Yu feigned panic as he said, "Um... four immortal ladies, hello... this commoner was merely passing through and had no intention of offending you..."

Ye Zimei laughed softly. "Where did you get four from? Could it be that you've been frightened out of your wits?"

Xiao Yu pointed behind the three of them with confusion. "Isn't there one more over there?"

Ye Zimei froze at his words and quickly turned to check.

But when she turned around, where was anyone?

At once, she inwardly cried that things were bad.

When she turned back, a strange treasure map was already sweeping toward them, releasing rosy light that covered the heavens.

Ye Zimei's expression trembled.

Looking at the treasure map radiating brilliant golden light, she saw countless incomparably beautiful celestial maidens.

How could there be so many celestial maidens...

"Ahhh!! Save me... Senior Sister, save me..."

As a piercing scream sounded from behind her, even Ye Zimei's soul trembled.

A top-grade magical artifact!

This was actually a top-grade magical artifact!!!

The next second, she saw that her two junior sisters had been severed at the neck.

Ye Zimei flew into a rage. Biting her finger, she wiped its blood across the magical sword in her hand, then raised her sword toward the sky. "Damn it--!!!"

She actually forced those celestial maiden phantoms back.

Xiao Yu rolled his shoulders twice with a playful expression. "Truly, enemies are fated to meet on a narrow road..."

After saying that, Xiao Yu released the Puppet Eagle and Puppet Rat.