Chapter Thirty-Eight: Reunion with Zhao Hu (Part One)

"Senior Wei, I'm sorry you had to suffer on my account," Ji Mo said, a little embarrassed, as they left the Chen and Jiang group and rounded a bend in the mountain valley.

"Heh, as long as you don't think I'm a burden, that's good enough for me," Wei Qiu replied with a hearty laugh, his manner open and cheerful, showing not the slightest sign of distress.

Wei Qiu hailed from an eighth-ranked cultivation family and had been outstanding since childhood. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been accepted directly as a disciple by a sect elder upon entering Moonwatching Sect. Yet, this generation was particularly blessed with talent: first Ji Mo appeared, then Mu Baiyun. Aside from these two, Lingjian Peak's Jiang Yao, Yunwu Peak's Jiang Ping, and Zimu Peak's Chong Xu all possessed gifts equal to his own. In any other year, Wei Qiu would have stood out, but among these peers, he was hardly noticeable.

Still, Wei Qiu was broad-minded. Despite his talents, he never considered himself extraordinary. He attributed his acceptance by the sect elder simply to luck. Of course, when Ji Mo and Mu Baiyun made such strong impressions upon their entry, he felt a touch of discontent. He might not see himself as a genius, but, like any young man, he wasn't without a sense of competitiveness.

Especially Ji Mo—after joining the sect, she failed for five whole months to complete the initial stage of drawing spiritual energy into her body. Yet she had been chosen by Lei Wei after only passing the preliminary test, becoming a true disciple. The stark contrast provoked dissatisfaction among all disciples of her cohort, Wei Qiu included. He had often grumbled about Ji Mo in his heart.

No one could have foreseen that, six years later, Ji Mo—the subject of so much speculation—would rise again, sweeping away the shame of her early failure and silencing all her detractors. Wei Qiu witnessed her matches with Zhong Yao and Mu Baiyun firsthand, and immediately forgot his former complaints, becoming an unprincipled and loyal admirer of Ji Mo.

Ji Mo, of course, was unaware of any of this. She looked at Wei Qiu's straightforward and unaffected manner, a hint of surprise in her eyes. This Senior Wei was indeed a remarkable person. With a quick turn of thought, she smiled and spoke, "Since we're a team, let's not stand on ceremony. I have a question, Senior Wei: do you know anything about the Lightning Beast?"

"The Lightning Beast? You've found the right person to ask! When I was young, I was fortunate enough to see one alongside my elders. The Lightning Beast is only the size of a juvenile squirrel, but even in its infancy, it's a standout among first-tier demon beasts. It moves as swiftly as lightning, its teeth are incredibly sharp—low-grade spirit weapons are bitten cleanly in two with a single snap. Cultivators who haven't reached the Mortal Transcendence stage can't hope to withstand its bite with mere flesh and blood."

"But those are minor details. What's truly astonishing is that, if a human can form a blood contract with a Lightning Beast, even the least gifted cultivator can grow alongside it into a Pill Condensation stage cultivator. As for the beast's own growth limits, I'm not sure, but I'd estimate at worst it reaches Pill Condensation stage as a demon beast."

"Given its peculiar traits and its beautiful appearance, many family elders hope to catch a Lightning Beast cub for their children as a pet. Unfortunately, they're exceedingly rare, and the juveniles are well protected. Catching one is almost impossible. As for adults, they're nearly impossible to tame; catching one is pointless."

"The one I saw was a cub. My elder had managed to capture it, but midway home, a lapse in attention allowed it to escape. That elder regretted it for a long time," Wei Qiu recounted, launching into his story as soon as Ji Mo mentioned the Lightning Beast.

"Oh? If Lightning Beasts are so rare and hard to catch, why is there a task to capture one listed among the assignments for cultivators in our stage?" Ji Mo asked in surprise.

"I've heard there's a Lightning Beast cub in the trial zone, but that task has been posted for over twenty years and no one has succeeded. Sister, did you take on the Lightning Beast capture task?" Wei Qiu asked.

"Yes, I did take it," Ji Mo replied with a bitter smile.

"Ah, don't be discouraged. Others may have failed, but that doesn't mean you will," Wei Qiu exclaimed instinctively, then quickly sought to reassure her.

Yet, Wei Qiu didn't hold much hope. This Lightning Beast had been in the southern trial zone for over twenty years, and no one had caught it. Ji Mo was formidable, but was she stronger than those peak-stage cultivators who had tried before?

Ji Mo could tell Wei Qiu was trying to comfort her. Still, she had accepted the task, and whether she could complete it or not, she had to try. The two wandered through several valleys in the southern zone for days, encountering a few demon beasts along the way. Wei Qiu dealt with them before Ji Mo even had to act. Three days later, they arrived at Redleaf Valley.

Redleaf Valley was famed in the southern zone. Its terrain was perilous, and within was a lake called Blue Moon Lake, shrouded in dense mist all year round and fraught with danger. Every disciple who dared explore the lake had perished there, and over time it became a forbidden area. Yet, around its shores countless spiritual herbs and grasses flourished.

Wherever rare spiritual herbs and immortal grasses grew, demon beasts were sure to abound. Thus, Redleaf Valley was a gathering place for demon beasts as well as for Moonwatching Sect disciples entering the trial zone, either to hunt beasts or collect herbs. As a result, Redleaf Valley became the main convergence point for most trial disciples.

With so many treasure seekers and demon beasts, conflict was inevitable. Wei Qiu's mission was to collect five three-hundred-year-old Purple Leaf Ganoderma and three five-hundred-year-old Sandalwood Tubers. The tubers grew mostly on Wu Jing Peak, but the ganoderma was exclusive to Blue Moon Lake. And with the Lightning Beast to find, Redleaf Valley was an unavoidable destination for Ji Mo and Wei Qiu.

"To be honest, Sister Ji, if I weren't teamed with you, I wouldn't dare enter Redleaf Valley alone," Wei Qiu remarked, standing at the valley's entrance.

He wasn't being melodramatic. Moonwatching Sect had thousands of cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, with countless entering the trial zone daily, including many at the seventh stage or higher. Though talented, Wei Qiu had only been in the sect a short while, and was but a fifth-stage cultivator. To vie for rare treasures in Redleaf Valley among so many elites was to gamble with his life.

"It's my first time in the trial zone, but I've heard of Redleaf Valley's reputation. With my skills, if I run into those formidable types, I'll probably just be cannon fodder. We'd best proceed cautiously," Ji Mo replied. She dared not be complacent in such a mysterious land, especially with Blue Moon Lake hiding untold dangers.

The two stepped carefully into Redleaf Valley. Not far in, Ji Mo suddenly caught the faint sound of an angry shout: "Zhao Hu, you, a mere postnatal body-refining cultivator, dare to seek treasure in Redleaf Valley? Tired of living, are you? Since you court death, I'll grant your wish—prepare to die!"

Brother Zhao Hu? Hearing this, Ji Mo abruptly halted. Without time to think, she changed direction, her form becoming a blur as she sped toward the source of the voice. Wei Qiu, startled and unsure what was happening, hesitated for a moment before following after Ji Mo.