Chapter 41: No Matter How Great Your Fortunes, I’m Out of Here!

Boom—!

Between the mountains, miasma surged like a vast ocean, accompanied by thunderous roars that tore through the sky, scattering the poisonous mist in all directions.

Amid the red, hazy fog, spirit ships barreled through, their hulls shimmering with shields of green, purple, and gold.

Waves of energy blasted from the ships, slamming into grotesque, spike-covered Rottenbone Demon Eagles lurking in the haze.

But the eagles were legion, hidden in the thick miasma, waiting for chances to spit mouthfuls of black, corrosive slime at the ships.

Wherever the slime struck the protective shields, black smoke hissed up instantly.

On board, disciples of the Clearwater, Deep Bamboo, and other sects unleashed attacks in unison to keep the demon eagles at bay.

This brutal clash raged for more than half the day until, at last, Foundation Establishment cultivators intervened, slaying three second-tier Rottenbone Demon Eagles. Only then did the flock vanish into the choking mist.

All the spirit ships were now wreathed in curling black smoke, a stench of rot and decay seeping into their hulls.

It was, in part, the fault of the three Clearwater sects for being so restless lately. In their zeal to hunt down rogue cultivators who had fled into the wilds, the sects had deployed eleven spirit ships to patrol the mountains.

With such overwhelming power, the three sects had even joined forces to push beyond their previously explored territory, plunging deep into the wilderness to pursue the fugitives.

Such a large-scale operation could not escape the notice of the Rottenbone Demon Eagles.

This battle had been ruinous for both sides; several spirit ships had suffered severe corrosion and would need to return to the sects for repairs.

The defensive arrays on the remaining ships were compromised as well.

Not to mention the wounded Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators.

Shaken by the demon eagle assault, the sect disciples curbed their arrogance, now dispatched in small teams to scour the forests for any rogue cultivators who had ventured into the mountains.

Even if no one believed the fugitives could escape the wilds, the orders of the sect’s Nascent Soul patriarch had to be obeyed, at least in appearance.

...

Shen Lian was entirely unaware of this great battle.

He was already more than two thousand miles beyond the Thousand Clouds Mountains.

And putting even more distance behind him.

The wilderness stretched in endless ridges, shrouded in miasma. Unlike the boundless plains, once he dove into these mountains, even spirit ships passing overhead would scarcely notice him.

The Clearwater Sect cared nothing for immortal virtue; they would blast a mere Qi Refining cultivator with their cannons, so what good were his hundred kinds of poison?

Foundation Establishment cultivators stood high on the spirit ships—if he uncorked his vial, the poison would just blow right back into his own mouth.

A self-sufficient, zero-waste cycle.

If he couldn't afford to provoke them, he could at least run. Who cared about great fortune? He was out!

He was just an ant to the Clearwater Sect, true—but if the fortune was truly great, wouldn’t the sect itself be an ant in the eyes of other cultivators?

Let his flying sword carry him a little farther.

Beyond the territory the Clearwater Sect had only just begun to explore, the environment grew harsher still. Hidden bogs and treacherous terrain among the woods forced Shen Lian to explore his path inch by inch.

More importantly, he had to stay wary of second-tier demon beasts.

...

Not long after, his Blackhorn Demon Ants scouting ahead were reduced by a third.

As for exactly how they died, Shen Lian had no idea—perhaps devoured by demon beasts, perhaps swallowed by a bog, or maybe just expired with a splat.

So he could only walk on, cultivating more Blackhorn Demon Ants as he went.

Wandering, doubling back, circling around—before he knew it, half a year had passed, and soon he could no longer count the miles traveled.

He took too many detours, always circling around danger, always veering from any place that felt unsafe.

Always, it seemed, he was going in circles.

After all, beyond every mountain was simply another mountain.

...

Safe Haven Cavern.

Deep beneath the ground lay a withered, silent cave.

So barren that not even rats called it home, and there was not a trace of spiritual energy.

Shen Lian was fond of the place, naming it Safe Haven, and had lived here for over a month.

Ever since he first discovered a natural underground cavern, he had stopped carving his own caves, instead sending his Blackhorn Demon Ants to seek out such lairs in places where spiritual energy was scarce.

The walls were riddled with tiny holes, with Blackhorn Demon Ants scurrying in and out.

Now, their numbers had not only recovered but swelled to nearly seven hundred.

Twelve had reached the second level of Qi Refining, fifty-three the first.

Countless ants had perished, their bodies bursting as they failed to withstand the cultivation method required to raise them to this level.

In the cavern, Shen Lian had a ring of Heart-Calming Talismans stuck to his forehead, his eyes reddened like a rabbit’s. With continued practice of his Blood-Refining Soul-Transforming Secret Art, his bloodlust only grew more intense.

Even a top-grade Heart-Calming Talisman was barely enough to suppress it now.

Big Black cowered nearby, trembling with its antennae drooping, not daring to approach for affection.

Only after half an hour did the blood-red fade from Shen Lian’s eyes.

He seized Big Black, tossing it up and down in his hand.

"You useless thing—after all this time and so many Yellow Sprout Pills, you still haven’t advanced to mid-stage first rank."

Big Black hissed in protest, but Shen Lian ignored it, pulling five more Yellow Sprout Pills from his storage pouch and prying open its mouth to stuff them in.

Pinching its mandibles shut, he gave its head a vigorous shake.

"If you don’t advance soon, all your hundred concubines will be given to the other Blackhorn Demon Ants."

The higher a demon beast’s cultivation, the greater its intelligence. In the perilous wilderness, the smarter Big Black was, the better.

But this creature was hopeless; other ants had already caught up and matched its strength.

If not for so many failing to survive the Shen family’s brutal feeding regimen, exploding before they could succeed, Big Black’s harem would have changed hands long ago.

...

In a way, Big Black had been lucky.

Despite failing to reach mid-stage first rank, under Shen Lian’s rough training it had split open and survived many times.

Unlike the other two of its strength, which burst open after a single attempt.

Crack—

A pained hiss echoed out as Big Black’s body ruptured once more, the medicine and demonic energy surging within.

The other Blackhorn Demon Ants rushed over to watch it writhe on the ground.

"A pack of idiots—go devour some demon beast meat, now!"

Shen Lian fumed at their stupidity. The ants were obedient enough, but their brains were too small, and their bloodline mediocre.

Under Shen Lian’s spiritual pressure, the ants scattered in all directions.

Meanwhile, the demonic energy in Big Black’s body finally calmed, its stagnant aura beginning to climb.

Shen Lian nodded in satisfaction—at last, his effort had not been in vain.

Having survived another forced feeding of five Yellow Sprout Pills, Big Black finally advanced to mid-stage first rank, equivalent to a human at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

A triumphant hiss escaped it, and with its intelligence slightly improved by the breakthrough, Big Black made a feeble protest against Shen Lian’s rough care.

It was promptly beaten for its insolence.

Beatings help demons grow.

Chastened, Big Black thumped its own followers, then returned to Shen Lian seeking comfort.

Its brain might be small, but it knew which side its bread was buttered on—even if the portions sometimes split it open.

Now, with Big Black at mid-stage Qi Refining, it could better command the Blackhorn Demon Ant swarm. Shen Lian rewarded it with a few spirit stones, stuffing them gently into its maw.

No longer quite so rough as before.

After all, when Big Black was weak, it had no choice but to endure force feeding; now, with power, the nurturing could be more measured.

"Go on, then."

Big Black, delighted with Shen Lian’s reward, led its swarm out of the cavern to continue scouting the wilds ahead.

Shen Lian, meanwhile, remained in the cave to cultivate.

Though he had spent the past year wandering the wilderness, the environment ever perilous and his spiritual insight and comprehension often affected, his cultivation had not lagged behind.

On the contrary, having found some spirit herbs and with the help of spirit stones and pills, he had already reached the threshold of the eighth level of Qi Refining.

He still had a single Barrier-Breaking Pill left; Shen Lian decided to break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining here before moving on.