Chapter 77: Battle with the Thunderflame Beast (Part One)

Having come to terms with matters she had long avoided confronting, Ji Mo felt an immense weight lift from her shoulders. Her thoughts became more lucid and unimpeded, but the thunderous rumble of her empty stomach soon reminded her that if she didn’t replenish her energy, she wouldn’t have to worry about her future path—she would starve to death right here and now.

Hurriedly, Ji Mo retrieved a few Fasting Pills and popped them into her mouth. Once she’d eaten, she sat down where she was, simultaneously replenishing the energy her body had lost over the past ten days and cultivating her strength. The environment here was peculiar; though the ambient spiritual energy was not exactly dense, it was far from lacking, and more importantly, it brimmed with an unusually potent and lively fire element.

Ji Mo cultivated all five elements simultaneously. Ordinarily, absorbing too much of a single elemental force would be unwise, but she was also practicing the Celestial Demon Body-Tempering Technique. Among the elements, lightning and fire were the most effective for tempering the body. For a body cultivator—or a demon clan practitioner focused on physical refinement—long-term cultivation in such an environment would yield a physique far superior to others of the same rank.

Thus, Ji Mo absorbed the fire element here without reservation. In the past, troubled by unresolved issues and a sense of apathy, her cultivation had suffered as well. But her mindset was different now; she had finally found her place. No longer willing to squander these precious resources or rush to find an exit, she sat down and cultivated in earnest.

When hunger struck, she would take two Fasting Pills, then continue her cultivation. In the blink of an eye, two months passed. The spiritual power within her core had not increased much, but her body and bones had grown noticeably denser and tougher. Two months prior, she had just ascended to the third stage of the Mortal Shedding Realm—a breakthrough achieved when her body shattered and reformed itself, not through true personal tempering. As a result, her cultivation level was somewhat unstable.

Now, after two months of focused cultivation, her body had been repeatedly tempered and washed by the abundant fire energy, and her realm was thoroughly consolidated. At this rate, Ji Mo believed that in another year, she would likely reach the fourth stage of the Mortal Shedding Realm.

But the spiritual power in her core showed no significant increase; she remained at the fourth stage of Qi Refinement, with a barrier as solid as iron. When she might break through to the fifth stage was anyone’s guess. For someone cultivating both body and spirit, her physical progress far outpaced her spiritual growth—perhaps a phenomenon unique to her in the entire cultivation world.

After finishing her cultivation, Ji Mo took a few more Fasting Pills. Lifting her gaze to the vast expanse of red desert around her, she chose a direction and set off once more. Cultivation required patience and gradual progress; after two months of uninterrupted fire energy absorption, she had reached a temporary limit and needed to pause before continuing.

Moreover, she had come here to pass a trial. Though she didn’t know exactly where she was or what the test entailed, she had to at least try to find an exit, or perhaps encounter someone to gain some information. Otherwise, if she remained alone in this desolate desert, who knew how long it would take to complete her trial?

But to return to the matter at hand—after a day’s journey, as dusk approached, Ji Mo saw a crimson mountain peak rising on the horizon. What immediately put her on alert was the sparse, thorny shrubs growing upon it—a stark contrast to the landscape she had traversed during her two months in the red desert.

Recalling the Banyan Flame Demon she had encountered two months prior, Ji Mo decided to detour around the peak. Her strength was still meager, and it was wise to avoid risks where possible. Yet, as often happens, reality did not bend to her wishes. She had barely changed direction and walked a few kilometers when a beast blocked her path—a creature about half a meter tall, its body flaming red, a horn on its head, and a face half resembling a hunter, half a dog.

The beast had charged down from the crimson peak. Ji Mo eyed it warily; it was a second-tier demon beast. She had yet to test its combat prowess, but as far as she knew, even an ordinary second-tier demon beast was on par with an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. Having just reached the third stage of Mortal Shedding, Ji Mo was no longer afraid of peak Qi Refinement cultivators, but against a Foundation Establishment opponent, she would stand no chance.

Still, since she’d already encountered the beast and escape was impossible, she prepared to fight. Determination flashed in her eyes as she summoned her White Jade Flood Dragon Whip into her hand.

As Ji Mo sized up the beast, it was doing the same to her. Its crimson eyes fixed on her, sensing the sweet, enticing scent of human flesh. Instinct told it that devouring Ji Mo’s flesh and blood would elevate its own bloodline. It licked its lips with a brown tongue, gazing at Ji Mo with burning hunger.

Seeing her draw a weapon and look at it with fighting spirit, the beast was enraged. In its eyes, this was nothing short of provocation. How dare such a weak morsel challenge it? Its red eyes flashed coldly, and with a low growl, it lunged at Ji Mo without the slightest hesitation, its four hooves a blur.

But Ji Mo was already tense and alert. As the beast moved, her whip lashed out like lightning. With her improved cultivation, the silver whip now exuded a faint aura of dragon’s might. The beast, being a peak second-tier demon, was formidable among its peers, and by rights, none of Ji Mo’s attacks should have posed it any threat.

Yet, as the silver whip swept toward it like a silver dragon, even the beast felt a chill of fear deep in its soul—a reaction born of instinct. In a flash, it twisted its body at an impossible angle and darted behind Ji Mo, causing her whip to strike nothing but air.

The beast, having narrowly avoided the attack, was both shocked and furious, not to mention deeply humiliated. To be forced back by a human whose cultivation was a full realm below its own? Unforgivable. In a rage, it pounced onto Ji Mo’s back with blinding speed, its foul, hot breath washing over her neck as it opened its gaping jaws to snap at her throat.

It wanted to bite through her neck in one go and avenge its earlier disgrace. Ji Mo had no idea that her single whip strike had so infuriated the beast. Sensing its movements, she darted forward, but compared to the beast, she was still too slow.

No sooner had she moved than its claws landed on her back, its fetid breath already on her neck. Realizing there was no escape, Ji Mo tilted her head slightly, and with a sharp crack, brought her own whip down on her neck. If the beast didn’t dodge, it might sink its teeth into her, but she was sure her whip would strike its head—even if it didn’t kill, it would certainly hurt.

The White Jade Flood Dragon Whip was deadly; aside from the mutated Lightning Beast, Ji Mo had yet to see any demon immune to its bite. Sure enough, as the beast’s fangs neared her flesh, it noticed the whip arcing toward it. Though it didn’t recognize the weapon, its instincts screamed warning—taking a blow from that whip would be disastrous.

Weighing its options, the beast reluctantly withdrew, slipping downwards in a flash. Pity for Ji Mo, whose whip, missing her enemy, landed squarely on her own neck. She felt her teeth ache and her scalp tingle—what did it feel like to strike herself so viciously?

Wait—there was no pain at all. Ji Mo, braced for agony, was momentarily stunned. She had been prepared to see a whip mark on her neck, but felt nothing. Could it be that, as her spiritual weapon, the whip would not harm its master?

As the beast slid off, it let out a series of strange cries, perhaps mocking Ji Mo’s foolishness. Yet seeing that she was unscathed, it grew more furious. With a snarl, it snapped at her waist.

Ji Mo, distracted by her whip’s harmlessness, was caught off guard. The beast seized its chance and bit at her side. She was slower than it to begin with, and now there was no time to evade. She would have to take the bite.

But as the beast’s fangs closed around her waist, they were met by an invisible force. No matter how hard it tried, it could not break through. Shocked and enraged, the beast roared in frustration. At that moment, Ji Mo spun around, channeling all her strength into her whip, and lashed out hard.

With a yelp and a roar, the beast, caught mid-snarl, failed to dodge and was sent flying. Fortunately for it, it managed to twist aside at the last second, so the whip struck its shoulder instead of its head. Even so, it left a deep, bone-revealing gash as thick as two thumbs. If Ji Mo’s cultivation had been any higher, it would have shattered bone.

The beast tumbled through the air, hitting the ground after several rolls. Enduring the agony that radiated from its bones, it glared at Ji Mo with a mixture of ferocity and deep apprehension.

It was then that Ji Mo remembered—the whip had left no mark on her because the clothes she wore were enchanted. She recalled Ao Feng’s words after clearing the fourth trial and returning to the Crystal Palace: the robe she wore was a magical garment. Without it, she would have been doomed.

Assured now that her attire would protect her from the beast’s fangs, Ji Mo felt no more fear. With a flick of her White Jade Flood Dragon Whip, she pointed it at the beast a dozen meters away and called out in a clear voice, “If you value your life, begone at once! I am but a traveler passing through and have no wish to harm the innocent.”

(To be continued...)