Snow Demon Sky Ape

"It's quite intriguing, but I'd rather not get beaten," Lin Xiuya admitted with an open and candid expression. He was genuinely curious but also feared Zi Yan, known for her brute strength.

"You're afraid too, Lin Xiuya?" A young man in a yellow robe teased beside him.

"Aren't you afraid, Yan Hao?" Lin Xiuya retorted, glancing at the young man.

Yan Hao, ranked fourth on the strength list and an eight-star peak fighting spirit, was second only to Zi Yan, Lin Xiuya, and Liu Qing. They were all formidable figures in the inner courtyard.

"Yeah, I'm afraid too," Yan Hao replied with a smile. None of the strong list members were immune to Zi Yan's strength, despite their usual arrogance and dominance. Even Liu Qing, who feared nothing else, had to be cautious around her.

"So, what's the point of this discussion?" Lin Xiuya shot Yan Hao a skeptical look, crossing his arms.

"Because this new guy is no pushover either. He's protected by a fifth-order spiritual pet," Yan Hao explained, rubbing his chin and looking thoughtful.

"Having a foreign pet won't make a difference in the long run," Liu Qing chimed in with a subdued tone.

"He's only fifteen and has already reached the peak of the Eight-Star Fighter. He can go head-to-head with a Nine-Star Fighter. That's pure talent. Give him a couple more years, and he might pose a threat to us," Lin Xiuya mused, shaking his head. Lu Yunxiao, despite being only fifteen, had talent that rivaled their own. The ten-year age difference was substantial.

Hearing this, Liu Qing fell silent. Grudgingly, he had to admit that Lu Yunxiao had superior talent compared to them.

"It looks like the inner courtyard will become more lively in the future," Lin Xiuya said, his eyes revealing a hint of uncertainty.

...

"Zi Yan, have you found it?" Lu Yunxiao inquired as they trekked through the dense forest of the back mountain.

Zi Yan sniffed the air lightly and continued to discern the direction. "Don't interrupt me; let me smell it again." She playfully swatted Lu Yunxiao's hand and scrunched her nose, fully utilizing her sensory abilities.

"Hey, I found it!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"Found it?" Lu Yunxiao raised an eyebrow in surprise and quickly followed as Zi Yan darted off in one direction.

"Hey, I found it!" Zi Yan called out once more.

Zi Yan came to a halt and pulled a golden ginseng, nearly an arm's length long, from deep within the underbrush. An excited expression lit up her face.

"It's a Five-Rank Spirit Medicine, the Golden Jade Ginseng! You actually found this," Lu Yunxiao said, a bit astonished. He had thought Zi Yan had located the Geocentric Body Milk.

"Are you not interested? Then I'll keep..." Zi Yan began to say, but seeing Lu Yunxiao's expression, she reluctantly stowed away the Golden Jade Ginseng.

"Do you want it? Of course, we'll keep it. I can use it to make some wine," Lu Yunxiao assured her, taking Zi Yan's small hand and placing the golden ginseng in a jade box before storing it away.

"You really want it? You're not just saying that because I found it?" Zi Yan asked, her brows furrowing slightly.

"You found it, so of course, you should have it. Plus, it can be used to brew wine," Lu Yunxiao replied, squeezing Zi Yan's hand and offering a gentle smile.

"Okay," Zi Yan conceded, licking her lips in anticipation. She seemed to be looking forward to the taste of the wine Lu Yunxiao would create from it.

Lu Yunxiao chuckled and led Zi Yan onward.

It was undeniable that Zi Yan possessed remarkable treasure-hunting abilities. As they continued on their journey, they came across numerous valuable medicinal herbs. Zi Yan didn't seem to care much about the herbs, probably because she frequently ventured into the wilderness and stumbled upon them.

"Don't be too greedy," Zi Yan cautioned, watching Lu Yunxiao collect the herbs.

After all, the guardian of the herb storage room, Old Man Hao, had been greedy many times, leading Zi Yan to develop a cautious attitude.

"Don't worry; I won't be greedy with your stuff. I'll deal with it when we get back. This time, I won't make wine, but I'll make some juice for you," Lu Yunxiao assured her, gently squeezing her hand.

"Okay," Zi Yan agreed with a wistful look, as if she were already savoring the juice.

Lu Yunxiao smiled and continued leading the way, hand in hand with Zi Yan.

Suddenly, Zi Yan's footsteps came to a halt, and her expression turned serious. "Lu Yunxiao, I sense a presence nearby, and it feels like a Tier 5 beast."

Zi Yan sniffed the air and locked eyes with Lu Yunxiao, her voice taking on a more focused tone.

Beasts possessed keen senses, and Zi Yan, in particular, was exceptionally sensitive to her kind's presence.

"Oh?" Lu Yunxiao was surprised and crouched down slightly, placing his hand firmly on the ground. He activated his soul perception, which surged out like a tide.

While he also possessed the ability to sense and perceive, he needed to actively release it, unlike Zi Yan, who could sense it within a certain range.

In general, one was an ability, and the other was instinct, and they had their differences.

His soul perception swept out rapidly, heading in an unknown direction. Zi Yan, sniffing the air, appeared to sense the direction.

As their soul perceptions extended, they eventually pinpointed a direction simultaneously. Lu Yunxiao, his voice determined, exclaimed, "Over there!"

Lu Yunxiao and Zi Yan almost simultaneously indicated the same direction.

"Let's go!" They exchanged a glance and dashed toward their target.

In a small valley nestled in the mountain, an enormous white ape, several feet tall and covered in snowy fur, stood upright and grinned menacingly in one direction.

It was clear that this giant creature was the source of Lu Yunxiao's previous soul perception.

"Snow Demon Sky Ape. It appears to have just reached maturity and should be around the strength of a Three-Star Dou Wang," Lu Yunxiao commented softly, observing the white giant ape with its slender arms and sharp claws.

"Lu Yunxiao, there's something inside the cave behind the ape," Zi Yan tugged at Lu Yunxiao's sleeve. By this point, she could sense energy fluctuations emanating from the cave.

"Geocentric Body Tempering Milk is inside that cave. The Snow Demon Sky Ape must have advanced to Tier 5 because it's guarding the Geocentric Body Tempering Milk," Lu Yunxiao whispered.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go in," Zi Yan urged, taking a step forward.

"This girl," Lu Yunxiao chuckled, shaking his head. He glanced at the somewhat deep cave, and then they proceeded together.

"Roar!" As Lu Yunxiao and Zi Yan appeared, the Snow Demon Sky Ape let out a thunderous roar.