Chapter 098

Chapter 98: Rest and Recovery after Battle

Yun Xi held her pose until the third body refining movement, but couldn’t bear it any longer. Her bones made cracking sounds, clearly reaching the body’s limits.

Nearby, Dian Dian, who had been watching its master closely, tilted its head with curiosity. Watching its master twist herself into strange positions, it thought she looked almost like a winding vine. Yet each time Yun Xi held a pose, white streams of star power entered her body.

As soon as Yun Xi finished, Dian Dian shuffled closer and asked, “Master, what kind of cultivation method is this? It looks just like how great demons absorb moonlight and star power.”

Yun Xi wiped the sweat from her forehead and playfully rubbed Dian Dian’s head, saying, “This is my own special body refining art.”

“Oh!” Dian Dian twitched its ears in understanding before suddenly sniffing the air and adding, “Master, you smell funny.”

Yun Xi paused and sniffed herself, detecting nothing unusual, so she instructed Dian Dian, “Find where it’s coming from.”

“Yes, Master! Dian Dian’s nose is the sharpest, just wait a moment!” It immediately began sniffing around Yun Xi, eventually stopping near her ankle and wagging its tail, “Master, it’s here.”

Yun Xi nodded knowingly. Earlier, she had been bitten by a tiny emerald snake. Luckily, she had obediently swallowed two detoxification pills she had kept in her mouth; otherwise, she would have been completely paralyzed.

She sat down cross-legged, rolled up her trouser leg, and revealed the injured ankle. Two tiny black dots, each the size of a grain of millet, appeared at the wound.

Dian Dian quickly leaned in and sniffed again, transmitting via spiritual sense, “Master, this is exactly the smell.”

Yun Xi took out a silk handkerchief to carefully wipe away the black dots, followed by a cleansing technique. Then she lowered her trouser leg and sniffed the handkerchief herself, finally nodding, “This must be the residual poison of a Bamboo Leaf Green snake.”

“No wonder it smelled so faint; Dian Dian almost missed it!” Dian Dian remarked.

Yun Xi guessed this leftover poison had been expelled due to her earlier body refining technique. She felt she had truly stumbled upon a treasure. Although she nearly collapsed physically, the benefits were undeniable.

Afterward, Yun Xi sat in meditation, circulating her cultivation for a full cycle until she recovered to her peak state. Only then did she ask Dian Dian, “Earlier on the battlefield, which great demon made that loud screech?”

“That was White Browed Old Ape. He’s one of the bosses of the inner regions,” Dian Dian replied, twitching its ears.

Yun Xi became intrigued and asked, “Is he at the fifth tier, equal to a human Divine Transformation stage cultivator?”

“Mm, he’s extremely powerful. He’s already passed the transformation heavenly lightning tribulation, but he’s unwilling to leave his clan, so he continues cultivating inside Treasure Blossom Range,” Dian Dian explained while scratching its chin.

Smiling gently, Yun Xi scooped Dian Dian up and playfully rubbed its fur, asking, “It seems you’re from Treasure Blossom Range too. How did you end up contracted to human cultivators? I didn’t get to ask earlier, but now we’re free, so tell me your story!”

Dian Dian endured its master’s affectionate rubbing, leaving its fur messy. It gloomily replied, “Dian Dian saw a second-tier Dragonfly Orchid grass and decided to guard it, planning to take it as soon as it matured. But two cunning human cultivators noticed me. They played a trick, acting as the oriole behind the mantis. Not only did they snatch the grass, but they also captured me.”

“To save my life, I claimed I could track the scent of treasures, then helped them find cultivators with valuable possessions. But their cultivation was low, so they only targeted isolated cultivators. They robbed four cultivators and got some decent treasures. Most of the spirit stones in their bags were gained from my help.”

“When they were preparing to leave Treasure Blossom Mountain, I caught your wonderfully fragrant scent and alerted them. That’s why they attacked you…”

Dian Dian couldn’t finish because Yun Xi had begun another round of playful punishment, rubbing it vigorously.

“Master! Dian Dian has reformed!” it pleaded desperately.

“You even know ‘reformed’? Who taught you that?” Yun Xi laughed, amused by the tiny creature.

“I overheard it from higher-ranked demon beasts,” Dian Dian explained, voice muffled by the rubbing.

Satisfied, Yun Xi’s expression turned serious as she lectured, “Now that you’re my contract beast, behave yourself properly from now on. Don’t implicate your master, or I’ll be the first to squish you flat.”

With that, she gently placed Dian Dian back onto the cushion.

Dian Dian landed, quickly straightening its ruffled fur before meekly replying, “Dian Dian wouldn’t dare! That was purely for survival, and besides, the cultivators did all the robbing. Dian Dian only provided information.”

Yun Xi smirked and flicked its forehead lightly, finally putting the matter aside.

Next, Yun Xi took out the Seven Star Fatal Staff for further examination. After the intense battle, she felt more closely connected with the staff, and her moves had become smoother. Particularly after injecting lightning spiritual energy, the staff’s power increased significantly. She noticed that when she attacked demon beasts, the staff automatically followed her intent, adding more force without becoming heavier.

Satisfied, Yun Xi began practicing a sword form from the Peerless Sword Lightning Manual, using the staff instead of her sword. Her movements were fluid and fierce, exciting Dian Dian into noisy squeaks.

After her rigorous training, Yun Xi felt fully awake and began sorting through her battle spoils. Her greatest prize was the twenty-five-meter-long Five Colored Boa, which she intended to use for crafting her next protective robe.

The sudden appearance of the Five Colored Boa terrified Dian Dian, whose fur stood on end. Boa snakes were natural predators to rodents. It immediately dashed back into Yun Xi’s embrace, leaving only its trembling tail exposed.

Holding her spirit sword uncertainly, Yun Xi struggled to decide how to start skinning. With no experience, she eventually stored it away again, planning to handle it upon returning to the sect.

The rest of her storage bag was filled with corpses of Unicorn Rhinoceros Beasts, Sharp Snouted Crocodiles, Serpent Kind demon beasts, and numerous first-tier demon beasts—spoils from her recent battles.

By the time she’d finished organizing, dawn was breaking. Remembering the crack she had left in the ground from the Seven Star Fatal Staff, she quickly cast a spell to smooth it over before stepping outside.

Several fellow disciples already stood in the courtyard, quietly discussing yesterday’s fierce battle. Spotting Mu Ning Zhu and Qin Tong Shuang, Yun Xi walked over.

“Yun Xi, have you recovered?” Mu Ning Zhu asked with concern.

“After resting last night, I’m mostly restored. Only half my talismans were depleted. If we don’t have to fight today, I’ll be drawing some attack talismans,” Yun Xi replied openly, sharing her plans since she often felt anxious about running out of ammunition.

Mu Ning Zhu agreed, saying, “I can’t draw talismans, so I’m planning to buy some. We should also hand in yesterday’s spoils to exchange for spirit stones.”

Lowering her voice slightly, she added meaningfully, “I think this beast tide will be ending soon.”