His First Beast Hunt

The Liu Lineage's territory around Peach Blossom Mountain consisted mostly of low mountains and hills, with few plains or valleys. Although there were some first-tier spirit veins, the lineage was too weak to occupy and develop them.

As a result, these spirit veins were easily occupied by demonic beasts that migrated from deep within Azure Cloud Mountain. These beasts posed a grave threat to the lineage's cultivators and mortals!

The Liu Lineage's most important reason for organizing Demon Hunting was to eliminate the demonic beasts that had entered its territory and prevent them from threatening its members!

Only after patrolling the lineage's entire three-hundred-li territory would the Demon Hunting Team venture deeper into the Azure Cloud Range. There, they would freely gather spirit herbs and hunt demonic beasts. They would also investigate the distribution of demonic beasts beyond the lineage's territory, deep within the Azure Cloud Range, providing intelligence to help the lineage respond to threats from powerful beasts.

Of course, the Demon Hunting Team did not dare venture too deep. The Azure Cloud Range stretched hundreds of millions of li, and fifth-tier greater demons lurked in its depths. Second- and third-tier demonic beasts were plentiful—how could a Qi Refinement lineage afford to provoke them?

On this planet, the cultivation realms were Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation. After reaching Spirit Transformation, cultivators who wished to break through to a higher realm had to leave this planet for another cultivation planet of a higher rank.

The corresponding demonic beast tiers followed the same pattern: first-tier beasts were equivalent to Qi Refinement cultivators, and second-tier beasts to Foundation Establishment cultivators. Thus, fifth-tier beasts were equivalent to human Spirit Transformation cultivators.

Led by Fourth Elder Liu Baichuan, the Liu Lineage's hunting party cast the Lightness Technique and swiftly left Peach Blossom Manor, descending Peach Blossom Mountain along its stone-stepped path.

They then passed through the villages and towns where the lineage's mortals lived at the foot of the mountain, heading toward the sparsely populated wilderness and mountain forests.

With their complex terrain, dense woods, and abundant wildlife, these sparsely populated mountain forests offered demonic beasts ample places to hide. They were also the main areas the Liu Lineage's Demon Hunting Team focused on clearing.

As the party leader, Liu Baichuan had extensive Demon Hunting experience. Once the Demon Hunting Team entered the wilderness forest, he immediately instructed its members to spread out, keeping some distance between them as they advanced in a fan-shaped search formation.

When a Demon Hunting Team member found a demonic beast, it was best if they could kill it alone. If they could not, they could call upon their fellow lineage members to fight alongside them.

The mountain forest was rugged and difficult to traverse, but fortunately, everyone was a Qi Refinement cultivator. With the Lightness Technique, they moved through it as though walking on level ground, their speed astonishing.

Liu Changxu was already a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. Although he could not fly using flying artifacts like Late Qi Refinement cultivators, his substantial magical power let him cover three zhang in a single stride with the Lightness Technique, moving with incredible speed!

According to the Demon Hunting experience passed down by his elders, after traveling a short distance, he had to conceal himself and examine his surroundings with the Spirit Eye Technique and his spiritual sense. Only after confirming that there was no danger could he advance swiftly.

All manner of dangers lurked in the mountain forests. Besides demonic beasts skilled at concealing themselves, there were demonic birds flying overhead, elusive demonic insects and venomous creatures, and even deadly spirit plants.

Among a cultivator's investigative methods, spiritual sense offered the clearest and keenest perception.

Upon entering Qi Refinement, cultivators developed spiritual sense. A cultivator at the first level could generally perceive a distance of two zhang, allowing them to clearly observe everything within that radius.

Spiritual sense grew stronger as cultivation advanced. With his fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivation, Liu Changxu could perceive a distance of ten zhang.

Another investigative method available to cultivators was the Spirit Eye Technique. Its advantage lay in its long viewing range.

Liu Changxu's Spirit Eye Technique, the Golden Light Eye, was a middle-grade yellow-rank spell that allowed him to clearly see everything within ten li. It was named for the golden light that shone from his eyes when he cast it.

Besides allowing cultivators to see farther and more clearly, the Golden Light Eye also helped them observe and distinguish the spiritual energy contained in objects and the air.

The viewing range and effectiveness of a Spirit Eye Technique also depended on the caster's cultivation and the grade of the technique used.

After mastering a high-grade Spirit Eye Technique, a Nascent Soul Cultivator could clearly see scenes thousands of li away. That was truly a thousand-li eye.

Since this was Liu Changxu's first Demon Hunting expedition, everything around him filled him with curiosity!

Within the beautiful wilderness forests, besides demonic beasts whose entire bodies were treasures, countless precious spirit herbs, spirit fruits, spirit woods, spirit materials, and other spiritual resources lay hidden, waiting for cultivators to discover them!

According to the experience shared by the lineage's elders, anyone searching for demonic beasts and spiritual resources first had to familiarize themselves with their appearances, habits, and characteristics!

For this reason, the lineage school required every member to master the relevant knowledge of all kinds of demonic beasts and natural spiritual resources. It even brought out the various specimens the lineage had obtained for hands-on instruction.

As he walked through the mountains and across the land belonging to the Liu Lineage, Liu Changxu felt both intensely nervous and excited!

He was nervous because he did not know what sort of demonic beast he might encounter or whether he could handle it! His excitement came from anticipating the rewards of this journey! He imagined finding precious spirit herbs or other treasures of heaven and earth!

Following his elders' advice, Liu Changxu stopped after every stretch of travel and carefully examined the distance with his Spirit Eye Technique. Whenever he encountered a place where spiritual energy leaked out, he approached and inspected it closely with his spiritual sense!

Yet even after searching for a long time, he found no trace of demonic beasts or spiritual resources!

Clearly, demonic beasts and spiritual resources were not so easy to find. After composing himself, Liu Changxu continued onward!

Finally, after traveling quite some distance, he discovered three azure qi herbs giving off faint spiritual energy in a patch of shrubs at the foot of a small hill. All three were three years old and had reached the Lower-Grade First-Tier spirit herb level. They were the main ingredient for refining Qi Refinement Pills.

Liu Changxu was delighted. These were the first spirit herbs he had ever gathered!

After confirming that no demonic beasts or insects lurked around them, Liu Changxu dug up the three herbs with their entire root systems intact and placed them in a special jade box for spirit herbs.

Since the Liu Lineage's largest industries were its spirit fruit and herb gardens and spirit fields, most of its members were spirit plant growers.

Liu Changxu was also a Middle-Grade First-Tier Spirit Planter. In his own courtyard, he grew one mu of Middle-Grade First-Tier purple crystal rice, half a mu of first-tier spirit herbs, and two Lower-Grade First-Tier jade spirit peach trees. Everything he harvested belonged to him.

The lineage strongly encouraged its members to transplant spirit plants they found outside back into the lineage's grounds, awarding more contribution points to cultivators who turned in plants that could be transplanted.

For that reason, Liu Lineage cultivators were willing to dig up entire spirit plants they discovered and bring them back for transplanting.

Next, he found another eight azure qi herbs, leaving him thoroughly satisfied!

While searching his way through a dense forest, Liu Changxu suddenly spotted a cluster of apricot-gold spirit mushrooms growing on a dead tree in the distance with his Golden Light Eye.

Apricot-gold spirit mushrooms were Lower-Grade First-Tier spirit fungi that were quite effective at increasing the magical power and cultivation of early-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. They were especially suitable for making Spirit Cuisine. The shredded apricot-gold mushroom soup made from them was exceptionally delicious and a favorite among Qi Refinement cultivators.

The cluster of Apricot-Gold Spirit Mushrooms Liu Changxu had discovered contained as many as fifteen mushrooms.

But when he came within ten zhang of the apricot-gold spirit mushrooms, his spiritual sense detected an enormous Demon Serpent beneath the huge dead tree where they grew. Its skin resembled withered leaves, and it was three zhang long and as thick as a bucket. Without carefully examining the area with his spiritual sense, Liu Changxu would have had great difficulty spotting it.

This snake was called a Withered Leaf Snake, a Middle-Grade First-Tier demonic beast. Its skin blended into its surroundings, giving it an exceptional ability to conceal itself.

Once the Demon Serpent realized Liu Changxu had discovered it, it stopped hiding! With a flick of its enormous body, it closed in on him, sending a highly venomous water arrow straight at him.

Facing a demonic beast for the first time, Liu Changxu could not help feeling nervous. But his reaction was remarkably swift. With a slight shift of his body, he moved clear of the water arrow's attack.

Having dodged the Demon Serpent's attack, Liu Changxu immediately cast a spell. A scorching, fist-sized fireball formed in the air and shot toward the beast.

The Demon Serpent was fast as well! With a slight sway of its body, it dodged the attack. The scorching fireball struck a bluestone rock behind it, burning a large hole through it.

Man and snake traded attack after attack in the dense forest! Before long, the woods were a wreck, and raging flames had set many trees alight!

The venomous water arrows the Demon Serpent kept spitting filled the air with poisonous fumes!

Liu Changxu began to feel dizzy and nauseated as well. After swallowing an antidote pill, he continued casting spells.

He launched three fireballs at the Demon Serpent in succession. Unable to dodge them all, the snake took a scorching fireball to its body, nearly charring the section it struck.

Wounded and in unbearable pain, the Withered Leaf Snake's ferocity erupted, and it attacked even more fiercely!

Liu Changxu could only dodge while casting, hurling one scorching fireball after another at the Demon Serpent!

Liu Changxu was only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. As time passed, his magical power dwindled further and further. To avoid any mishap, he took out a voice transmission talisman and called his fellow lineage members for help.

As leader of the Demon Hunting Team, Liu Baichuan's most important duty was to keep watch over the lineage's younger members and reach them promptly whenever they encountered danger and needed support.

Upon receiving Liu Changxu's message, he immediately rode his flying sword over at full speed. The moment he joined the fight, the tide turned.

Liu Baichuan's Azure Moon Sword slashed repeatedly at the Withered Leaf Snake at tremendous speed, streaking like azure rainbows.

Caught between fireballs and a flying sword, the Withered Leaf Snake still tried to struggle in its death throes. But it lacked the strength, and in the end, it could not escape being slain.

Afterward, Liu Baichuan and Liu Changxu briefly discussed how to divide the spoils. Liu Baichuan received the beast core and half the snake's body, while Liu Changxu received its gallbladder, venom, and the other half.

A demonic beast's entire body was a treasure. This Withered Leaf Snake, for example, had a beast core, gallbladder, and venom that could be used to refine pills. Its blood could be made into spirit ink, its bones and skin into magical artifacts and robes, and its flesh into Spirit Cuisine. This Demon Serpent could sell for around two hundred spirit stones.

Thus, Demon Hunting had become an important source of spirit stone income for many cultivators.

Yet its risks were just as great. Many cultivators met an unfortunate end in the jaws of demonic beasts while Demon Hunting.

By then, the other lineage members soon arrived as well. Seeing that the demonic beast had already been dealt with, they left.

After gathering all the apricot-gold spirit mushrooms, Liu Changxu did not set off immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged where he was and regulated his breathing. Only after restoring his magical power did he resume Demon Hunting.