Chapter 27
Chapter 27: It Even Called for Backup
Song Jiu Lai had only been in this world a short time, and her only real comparison was A Wu.
A Wu spent his days planting herbs, so as far as the Qi Refining Stage went, Song Jiu Lai had been feeling her way forward on instinct.
Lin Qian’s praise made something click.
“Oh,” Song Jiu Lai said, playing it casual. “I just drill Fireball Technique whenever I have time. That’s the only spell I’m good at.”
Lin Qian accepted it, thinking she’d simply been ignorant from staying inside her sect too long—and because she wasn’t skilled in combat techniques, she didn’t press further.
“Are you heading to the edge of Devil Cave Valley to train?” she asked.
“Not that far,” Song Jiu Lai said. “First Mountain.”
First Mountain was the name for the point where the Devil Cave Valley border truly began. Ranges of mountains cut the land into layers, and second-rank demon beasts roamed in groups. It was a favored place for Qi Refining disciples to hone themselves.
Lin Qian’s eyes lit up. “Perfect. I’m going there to gather herbs. Junior Sister, will you travel with me?”
Song Jiu Lai had been worried about navigating the real terrain alone. Having a companion was exactly what she needed.
“Sure,” she said.
Then curiosity surfaced. “Senior Sister Lin Qian… do Peach Blossom Sect disciples all go out to train like this?”
“Not really.” Lin Qian shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happening lately, but pill orders have exploded. And a lot of them demand second-rank and above Qi Replenishing Pills. I heard First Mountain has fields of second-rank spirit-boosting grass. What I grow can’t keep up anymore, so I came to try my luck.”
In demon beast territory, wild spirit herbs often grew stronger than cultivated ones. Higher-grade herbs appeared more frequently there.
The profit came with the risk.
As for why nobody simply harvested everything clean, the reason was simple: those herbs meant nothing to high-level cultivators. They were left for low-level cultivators to practice with.
If every place was safe, there’d be nowhere left to sharpen yourself. That would be true ruin.
It was an unspoken rule.
Lin Qian glanced at Song Jiu Lai carefully. “Junior Sister Song… if you’re training by slaying demon beasts, I’ll gather herbs beside you. Whatever I collect, I’ll split with you—half and half. Is that okay?”
Even though Song Jiu Lai called her Senior Sister, Lin Qian didn’t think she could win a fight against her.
They were both early Qi Refining. Lin Qian was close to mid-stage, but that gap wasn’t obvious yet, and as a medicine-focused disciple she wasn’t built for combat.
Meanwhile, Song Jiu Lai had casually thrown out head-sized fireballs like it was nothing.
Lin Qian could barely form a fireball the size of a fist. Against the Toad Snake, it had been a joke.
Song Jiu Lai’s eyes shone. “Deal.”
Gathering spirit herbs wasn’t as simple as ripping them from the ground. Wild herbs could be delicate—handled wrong, they died instantly.
Medicine Sect disciples were best at proper harvesting methods, preserving herbs at full potency.
Song Jiu Lai got training and half the haul. She had no reason to refuse.
And she didn’t think Lin Qian would play games. At their realm, scheming was more trouble than it was worth.
Besides, Senior Sister Su from Peach Blossom Sect had mentioned it before: medicine disciples cared about reputation.
Seeing Song Jiu Lai agree so easily, Lin Qian relaxed and even looked a little happy.
“Junior Sister, you only joined Longevity Sect recently?” she asked. “Otherwise you wouldn’t call me Senior Sister the moment we met.”
“Yeah,” Song Jiu Lai said quickly. “I found out by accident that I had spirit roots. I got lucky and was brought into a sect. If not, I’d still be fumbling around on my own.”
On Yun Zhou Continent, babies were tested for spirit roots at birth, but it wasn’t impossible for someone to slip through—especially abandoned children.
It was the cover story Song Jiu Lai had prepared.
And rogue cultivators were common enough that it didn’t sound strange.
Lin Qian nodded. “Without sect guidance, cultivating alone is hard. I joined Peach Blossom Sect early, but I don’t have much talent. I’m slow at refining medicine.”
She hesitated, then her face warmed slightly. “But lately… I’ve felt something stir. That’s why I came out for second-rank spirit-boosting grass. I didn’t expect to meet a Toad Snake on the way.”
“That’s good,” Song Jiu Lai said. “Congratulations, Senior Sister.” If she felt that stir, a breakthrough wasn’t far.
Medicine disciples who came out alone usually carried plenty of life-saving pills. Otherwise they wouldn’t dare.
Song Jiu Lai didn’t ask. Some things were better left unspoken.
They headed toward First Mountain together—and the farther they went, the stranger it felt.
After the Toad Snake, they ran into more demon beasts that shouldn’t have appeared this early: a flame bird and a green venom centipede.
Both were the harmful kind. Both looked like nightmares someone should’ve kept locked away.
The flame bird was as large as an eagle, but its beak was sharp, its mouth lined with fine teeth. If you looked too closely, you could almost imagine scraps of rotten flesh stuck between them. It loved carrion.
The green venom centipede was exactly what it sounded like: green, huge, and vile. Its combat strength wasn’t high, but it was nearly human-sized, and just seeing it felt like taking damage to your sanity meter.
It was extremely poisonous, and like the Toad Snake, it ruined crops and spirit herbs.
Both were first-rank demon beasts, but the flame bird was the worst.
It could spit fire, fly, and resist flames.
Song Jiu Lai’s fireball wasn’t much use against it. She formed a seal and used Water Control Technique, shaping a water ball—smaller than her fireball, but dense and fast.
She timed the attack and dumped it straight over the flame bird’s head.
The flame bird let out an enraged screech—then decided it wasn’t worth it and fled.
Song Jiu Lai couldn’t do much about a flying target that chose to disengage.
The green venom centipede was different.
Song Jiu Lai kept Lin Qian’s earlier warning in mind and didn’t spam fireballs blindly. She used the terrain, predicted the centipede’s direction, and sank the ground to trap it.
It was slower than the Toad Snake. After a brief struggle, one heavy fireball ended it.
After those exchanges, Song Jiu Lai got a clearer read on first-rank demon beast strength.
They really were meant for brand-new cultivators to practice on.
What surprised her was how natural it felt.
Even in her first real fights, her danger sense was sharp—almost precise. The Toad Snake, the flame bird, the centipede… she kept guessing their attack lines right.
It had to be tied to the Soul Cultivation Heart Method the System had given her.
It wasn’t like the usual methods of Yun Zhou Continent. When she’d received it, the System’s only response had been:
“Don’t ask. Just practice.”
And anything the System produced had to be better than local methods.
It had opened her spirit roots, after all—something that sounded impossible until it happened.
Lin Qian wiped sweat from her forehead. “We’re half a day from First Mountain, but these demon beasts shouldn’t be showing up now. Is the demon beast encyclopedia wrong?”
Song Jiu Lai flipped the same guide. “Maybe it’s old. Or maybe a few wandered over.”
Lin Qian thought about it and nodded. “That makes sense. They’ve all been alone.”
Right as she said it, a harsh, grating cry split the air.
Song Jiu Lai looked up.
Two flame birds were diving straight at them, wings beating hard as blades.
The one from earlier had gone back and called for backup.
Song Jiu Lai’s face went blank.
“…Fuck.”