Chapter 72: The First Spirit Stones! The Demon-Slaying Alliance's Zhao Xuanting! Intolerable Bullying!

He knew in his heart.

Only with powerful cultivation could he safely face future crises! To become stronger, he needed more spirit stones!

Although.

Qin Wang had the storage pouch obtained from Qing Yao Shangren, he couldn't open it without mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation and without the birth of divine consciousness.

Therefore.

Before reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining, he had to work hard to earn spirit stones to enhance his cultivation.

Five days later, the opportunity at Cuiyun Mountain must be seized as it would be the first batch of spirit stones since coming to Xiao Dan Mountain.

Xiao Dan Mountain, Bu Ling Hall.

Located at the crossroads on the east side of Xiao Dan Mountain, this place was responsible for renting spiritual fields and distributing seeds of spiritual plants and spiritual grains.

As a newcomer to Xiao Dan Mountain, Qin Wang received a bag of spiritual grain seeds, a "Spiritual Rain Technique" spell, and detailed instructions for growing spiritual grains. Of course, the Spiritual Rain Technique wasn't free; it was necessary for watering the spiritual grain seedlings to promote growth.

It was given in advance, and would be deducted at harvest time.

Xiao Dan Mountain was guarded daily by two cultivators. To leave, registered cultivators had to register in advance. Anyone trying to escape with spiritual grain seeds would surely be hunted down by Xiao Dan Mountain's patrols.

Of course, no one would do such a thing. Where in the mundane world could they find spiritual energy as abundant as Xiao Dan Mountain?

At night.

After cooking some wild boar demon meat given by Gao Yuan the previous day, Qin Wang felt an abundance of essence within. After eating just one bowl, he felt his body heat up, and he was incredibly full.

"No wonder it's wild boar demon meat!"

Qin Wang looked at the remaining three pounds of wild boar demon meat, his eyes showing shock.

The meat was very dense, not particularly tasty, but filled with powerful energy, perfect for enhancing strength.

On the third day.

Qin Wang planted spiritual grains on his one-acre spiritual field five miles from his cabin and learned the Spiritual Rain Technique.

Spell: Spiritual Rain Technique (Beginner)

Progress: (16/800)

Effect: Gathers mana to produce spiritual rain, promoting seedling growth, achieving minor success in 2 years.

On the fourth day.

Early in the morning, Qin Wang saw Gao Wenjing sorting herbs while Gao Yuan was polishing his weapon. Qin Wang greeted them with clasped hands. "Good morning, Uncle Gao!"

"Good morning, Qin. How is your spiritual field coming along?"

Gao Yuan replied warmly.

"It's all set."

Qin Wang's eyes flashed as he spoke. "Uncle Gao, I need a favor from you."

"Oh?"

Gao Yuan was surprised and nodded. "Go ahead."

"Uncle Gao, can you escort me to Cuiyun Mountain tomorrow? I don't have any spirit stones now, but I promise to pay you 4 spirit stones after I harvest my spiritual grains. What do you think?"

Qin Wang looked at Gao Yuan with anticipation.

Tomorrow was the fifth day according to the information.

Cuiyun Mountain was about fifteen miles from Xiao Dan Mountain.

Going alone was dangerous, but having Gao Yuan with him would be much safer.

Additionally.

Having Gao Yuan help harvest wild boar demons and demon pythons would prevent others from plotting against him. As a second-level Qi Refining cultivator, if he brought back a wild boar demon and a demon python, he might be targeted and killed!

Though Gao Yuan would take a share, it was better than being plotted against.

"This…"

Gao Yuan frowned slightly. Qin Wang was only at the second level of Qi Refining, spending 4 spirit stones just to visit Cuiyun Mountain… that's four months of rent! Next to him, Gao Wenjing also looked puzzled.

"Uncle Gao, to be honest, my uncle also came to Xiao Dan Mountain and was killed by a demon python here. My grandmother was always sorrowful about not being able to retrieve his bones."

"I want to see if I can find my uncle's remains and bring them back. Please help me. I promise to pay the 4 spirit stones after I harvest my spiritual grains."

Qin Wang's eyes reddened as he spoke with determination.

"That's how it is… Sigh!"

Hearing Qin Wang's words, Gao Yuan sighed. "Alright then, two of my companions who usually hunt demons with me are injured and can't go out. I'll take you to Cuiyun Mountain, and we can just walk around the outskirts. Forget about the spirit stones."

Gao Yuan was part of a demon hunting team.

His teammates were resting due to injuries from the last hunt. With nothing else to do, he figured he'd take Qin Wang to look for his uncle's remains. Besides, he could look for some lone demons on the way.

"Thank you, Uncle Gao!"

Hearing Gao Yuan agree, Qin Wang felt relieved.

He only needed to wait until tomorrow afternoon to collect demon beasts from three miles east of Cuiyun Mountain.

The next day.

At eleven in the morning.

After eating a piece of wild boar demon meat, Qin Wang, Gao Yuan, and Gao Wenjing set out for Cuiyun Mountain.

Gao Wenjing was at the third level of Qi Refining and used a sword, while Gao Yuan was at the fifth level and used a knife.

Both of their weapons were low-grade magical tools.

Qin Wang, carrying his Jinghun Blade and some dry food, followed behind the two.

Along the way, Gao Yuan explained the various demon beasts around Xiao Dan Mountain. The outskirts of Cuiyun Mountain mostly had wild boar demons, rabbit demons, and iron-armored demons, with boar demons being the most prolific and fierce.

When they arrived at Cuiyun Mountain, Qin Wang wandered three miles east under the pretext of looking for his uncle's remains.

At three in the afternoon.

Suddenly, Gao Yuan heard the howls of a wild boar demon and the sound of trees falling from a distant ravine. His expression changed, and he said to Qin Wang and Gao Wenjing, "Wait here. I'll go check it out."

"Okay!"

"Got it, Uncle Gao!"

Qin Wang and Gao Wenjing nodded and stayed put.

Gao Yuan cautiously approached a higher vantage point overlooking the ravine. His body trembled with shock at what he saw. "A mature wild boar demon and a demon python?"

In the ravine.

The python had coiled around the wild boar demon, but the boar's sharp tusks were biting down on the python's vital spot, not letting go.

The previous commotion was caused by the python rolling with the boar demon in its coils.

Moreover.

Gao Yuan noticed the struggles of both beasts were diminishing until they stopped altogether.

"Mutual destruction?"

"This… we struck it rich thanks to Qin Wang!"

Gao Yuan looked at the large wild boar demon in the ravine, larger than the one he killed a few days ago, and a demon python that could contend with it!

"It seems they fought over territory? Since there's no more movement, they must have perished together!"

Qin Wang, standing not far away, commented to Gao Wenjing beside him.

"If that's true, we've hit the jackpot!"

Gao Wenjing was equally excited.

"Qin, Wenjing, come here."

At this moment, Gao Yuan called from the ravine's edge.

"Qin, let's go!"

With anticipation, Gao Wenjing said to Qin Wang as they headed towards the ravine.

Soon.

Qin Wang saw a demon python as thick as a large bowl with black scales and a triangular head, coiled around a cow-sized black wild boar demon, its sharp teeth deeply embedded in the python's vital spot. The wild boar demon also had blood flowing from its mouth.

Pig and snake blood stained the ravine. The two demons were clearly dead, motionless.

"Wow! Dad! Qin, we've struck it rich with these two demons!"

Gao Wenjing was overjoyed seeing the dead boar and python.

"Qin, we owe this to you. If it weren't for you wanting to come here, we wouldn't have stumbled upon this great fortune!"

"These two demons will fetch at least 100 spirit stones when sold!"

"Let's go down and take a look!"

Gao Yuan, waving his hand, smiled happily at Qin Wang.

He originally planned to rest at home today but decided to come out because of Qin Wang's request to find his uncle's remains. He didn't expect such a huge gain!

The three of them descended into the ravine.

Gao Yuan first jumped down, stabbing his fiery blade into the wild boar demon's rump, and then into the python's vital spot. Both demons remained motionless, clearly dead.

"Qin, I estimate that this wild boar demon and python will sell for at least 100 spirit stones. Since we came out at your request, I'll give you 70 spirit stones after we sell them. How about that?"

Gao Yuan looked at Qin Wang, thinking for a moment.

Such a large wild boar demon.

Even with his fifth-level Qi Refining strength, he couldn't kill it alone; he needed his demon-hunting team.

"Uncle Gao, that's fine."

Qin Wang nodded.

Uncle Gao had a storage pouch, and even if he didn't, Qin Wang couldn't carry it back alone.

100 spirit stones, 70 for himself.

With these 70 spirit stones, could he break through to the third level of Qi Refining?

"Good!"

"Then I'll put them away, and we'll talk more when we get back."

Gao Yuan was also very happy. He nodded and went to collect the wild boar demon and python demon.

"Fellow Daoist Gao! Your actions are very improper!"

"A quarter of an hour ago, I saw a wild boar demon and a python demon fighting, so I went to find my elder brother to come over! I didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, you would directly take them away!"

"In the entire Xiaodan Mountain, no one dares to snatch things from the hands of our Demon Slaying Alliance!"

Just then, a gloomy voice sounded, and then two gray-robed middle-aged men of average build but with powerful auras appeared, standing on the high ground of the ravine, looking at the demon corpses that hadn't been collected yet, their eyes filled with greed.

"Zhao Xuanting! A quarter of an hour?"

"I've been wandering around here for over an hour, how come I didn't see you?"

"People should be reasonable. Whoever sees it first, it belongs to them!"

Hearing the gray-robed middle-aged man's words, Gao Yuan's brows furrowed deeply. With a wave of his hand, he put the python and wild boar demon corpses into his storage bag, his hand on the hilt of his knife.

"Is that so?"

"I said I was here a quarter of an hour ago, you say you've been wandering for over an hour, no one can say for sure, but no matter what, you understand the principle of 'finders keepers', right?"

"This wild boar demon and python demon can sell for at least 100 spirit stones!"

"My elder brother and I also saw them, we're not asking for much, just half! 50 spirit stones!"

Zhao Xuanting narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice.

"Zhao Xuanting, you... you're going too far!"

"We found these, why should we share them with you!"

Hearing this, Gao Yuan's eyes blazed with anger, extremely furious.

Originally, the three of them had discovered it, but Zhao Xuanting, who saw it later, was actually making such an outrageous demand! "Fellow Daoist Gao, we came today representing the Demon Slaying Alliance. If you don't give it to us, you're opposing our Demon Slaying Alliance! Hehe, I hope your demon hunting team can return safely when you go out to hunt demons in the future!"

Zhao Xuanting laughed coldly, his hands behind his back.

Although his strength was slightly inferior to Gao Yuan's, he had the Demon Slaying Alliance behind him, so he was completely fearless.

"You! This is too much!"

Hearing Zhao Xuanting's words, Gao Yuan's chest heaved violently. Suppressing his anger, he said in a deep voice, "There are three of us, and we discovered it. You two came later, we'll give you 20 spirit stones!"

He was only a member of a six-person demon hunting team.

But the other party was a member of the Demon Slaying Alliance.

Especially since the leader of the Demon Slaying Alliance, Jin Haolong, had already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining! If they offended the Demon Slaying Alliance, with their large numbers and influence, he really worried that his demon hunting team might be ambushed by them.

"Fellow Daoist Gao, are you trying to fool me?"

"I won't waste words. 40 spirit stones! Hand them over and I'll leave!"

Zhao Xuanting laughed and said with a smug expression.

"I don't have that many spirit stones on me. I'll give them to you after we sell these!"

Gao Yuan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

For the sake of the demon hunting team, he chose to compromise.

"Good, that's more like it!"

"I knew Fellow Daoist Gao was a person who understands the bigger picture! I, Zhao Xuanting, consider you a friend!"

Zhao Xuanting laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go! To the Demon Butchering Workshop!"

After speaking, Zhao Xuanting and his elder brother Zhao Xuanzhen headed towards the Xiaodan Mountain market.

"Little Qin, Wenjing, let's go back!"

Gao Yuan called out to Qin Wang and Gao Wenjing with a helpless expression, protecting them behind him as they headed towards the Xiaodan Mountain market.