C9 Ninth Chapter

A week had passed, and as the evening sun dipped below the horizon, Yang Ying emerged from Back Mountain, his long shadow trailing behind him. Having taken care of his spoils, he headed for his dormitory.

He had just freshened up and slipped into a fresh grey robe when an urgent voice called out from beyond his door, "Senior Brother Yang, you've finally returned from Back Mountain! How did it go? Did you have a good haul?"

Yang Ying responded with a playful tone, "Pretty good, Junior Brother Wang. You seem to have your ear to the ground!"

"Indeed. I heard that a large quantity of demonic beast materials was sold at the Mission Hall, and I immediately knew you had returned!"

Wang Mingxuan caught his breath and continued, "Senior Brother Yang, there's news about your new Magic Tool Long Sword!" After quenching his thirst with two cups of water and patting his belly contentedly, he shared, "I reached out to Senior Brother Zhao. He's keen on crafting a Magic Tool Long Sword and has gathered all the necessary materials."

His face clouded with concern as he added, "The thing is, Senior Brother Zhao is aiming to advance to an advanced craftsman. The benchmark for that rank is crafting a top-grade magic weapon. But with ordinary Cold Spring Fire, he might not succeed in forging a superior magic weapon, so he's considering using the blood of a cold-attribute demonic beast."

"A cold-attribute demonic beast?" Yang Ying mused, recalling the creatures listed in the demonic beast illustrated handbook. "The ones that a Qi Refining cultivator could hunt are the Frost Toad and the Water Cloud Beast."

The Frost Toad resided in the far north and was unseen around Back Mountain. The Water Cloud Beast, bearing a sliver of the Water Kirin's lineage—a divine beast born from the millennia-old cold pond, known for devouring demonic beasts and wielding control over water to awe its kin—had been spotted near the Cold Water Pond on Back Mountain.

"The Water Cloud Beast is a formidable Stage Eight demonic beast, and with its divine beast lineage, its prowess far exceeds that of its peers. It's a creature that even a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator would struggle to overcome." Wang Mingxuan's words were laden with awe as he reflected on Yang Ying's explanation.

"I want to give it a shot!" declared Yang Ying with conviction. "Just give me ten days."

Wang Mingxuan's mouth fell open; he knew Yang Ying all too well. Once Yang Ying set his mind on something, it was nearly impossible to sway him.

Still, he tried to reason with him, "Senior Brother Yang, there are other ways to obtain the Magic Tool Long Sword! The Water Cloud Beast carries the blood of a divine creature. You must proceed with extreme caution!"

That night, Yang Ying pulled up his system interface:

Name: Yang Ying

Identity: Outer Sect Disciple of the Green Cloud Sect

Grade: Red Level

Level: Qi Refining 8th Layer

Cultivation Techniques: Profound Essence Spell (Perfection), Basic Sword Arts (Perfection), Soaring Movement Arts (Perfection), Gale Fast Sword (Perfection)

Origin Strength: 0

Origin Strength needed for next level-up: 0/900

He stared at the interface, running the numbers in his head.

"It took 600 points of Origin Strength to go from Qi Refining 7th Layer to the 8th. To reach the 9th Layer, I'll need 900 points. And for the 10th Layer, probably 1200 points. If I aim to join the inner sect, I need to secure a top-three finish at the Trial Assembly and amass at least 2100 points of Origin Strength in the next 20 days."

He sighed inwardly, "Plus, I have to track down the Water Cloud Beast with time so short!"

"The Cold Pond lies to the northwest of Back Mountain. Tomorrow, as I venture into the mountains, I'll save time by heading northwest first. I'll hunt Seventh Rank demonic beasts as I push towards the Qi Refining 9th Layer. After that, I'll make a beeline for the Cold Pond!"

Come morning, Yang Ying, sword in hand, made his way through the forest to the northwest of Back Mountain.

He had just spotted signs of a demonic beast in the vicinity.

Judging by the claw marks on the ground and the bite marks on the prey, it was likely a tiger-like demonic beast, about five meters in length. The bite marks left on the remnants of its meals were a testament to its formidable jaw strength.

Yang Ying sprinted forward for about fifteen minutes before spotting a massive white tiger perched atop a boulder ahead. It stood side-on to Yang Ying, exuding an air of majesty and dominance.

At the sound of movement nearby, the white tiger turned its head to gaze in Yang Ying's direction.

Yang Ying locked eyes with the beast, its scarlet red pupils set against its snowy fur, casting an eerie aura.

A flash of recognition crossed Yang Ying's mind as he consulted his mental demonic beast illustrated handbook. The distinctive features made it clear—he was facing a Red-eyed White Tiger.

The Red-eyed White Tiger fixed its gaze on Yang Ying, crouched low, and with a formidable roar, it leaped from the rock.

As the Red-eyed White Tiger lunged at him, Yang Ying steadied his mind and summoned his inner calm. He executed the Soaring Movement Arts, reappearing behind the tiger as it swiped its front paws to the ground and arched its back.

Yang Ying sidestepped, thrusting his sword at the Red-eyed White Tiger.

The beast yelped in pain, its wild nature erupting forth. Yang Ying, anticipating this, swiftly dodged and countered with a powerful sword slash.

Channeling all his might into the strike, Yang Ying's sword plunged deep into the tiger's skull.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for slaying a level 7 demonic beast, the Red-eyed White Tiger. You have earned 50 points of Origin Strength!"

Yang Ying quickly harvested the tiger's whip and fur before pressing on.

Five days flew by.

This morning, Yang Ying found himself at the base of a small mountain. Midway up lay the Cold Pond, his intended destination.

Rumor had it that the elusive Water Cloud Beast had been spotted in these waters. By now, Yang Ying had also smoothly ascended to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

After fully recuperating at the mountain's base, Yang Ying proceeded up the slope without encountering any other demonic beasts.

Surveying the quiet surroundings, Yang Ying mused, "Could there be a formidable demonic beast ahead? Is this its domain?"

Continuing up the mountainside, he caught sight of a ten-square-meter pond ahead, shrouded in a delicate mist.

Yang Ying reflected on the Cold Pond from his memories as he surveyed this place. In such an enigmatic body of water, it wasn't just the Water Cloud Beast one had to worry about—other demonic beasts were likely to lurk as well.

He approached the pond with caution, but upon reaching its edge, he found no sign of any demonic creatures. Yang Ying scrutinized the pond's perimeter and extended his mental senses to probe the area, yet still, no presence of other beasts was detected.

He wondered if his heightened awareness was due to the memories he'd inherited from the body's original owner. A few days earlier, Yang Ying's mental perception had proven to be far sharper than that of his peers at the same cultivation level—a fact that had repeatedly allowed him to escape peril and navigate the forest with a mix of luck and skill.

Now, Yang Ying turned his full attention to the Cold Pond itself. The water was crystal clear, with the occasional droplet forming above the surface, likely giving rise to the delicate mist that hovered over the pond.