Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

Chapter 346: Chapter 334: Heading to Yinfeng Valley

Over a dozen cultivators were seated on the boat. The one who called out to Zhao Lin was a sturdy, bright-eyed young man under the age of twenty. It was none other than the Body Cultivator from the Western Ox Continent he had met at the Dharma Assembly.

Zhao Lin recognized him at a glance and blurted out, "Wei Shi!"

Wei Shi’s face lit up with pleasant surprise. "Brother Zhao, are you heading to Yinfeng Valley for a sect mission?"

Zhao Lin nodded with a smile. "That’s right. You too, Younger Brother Wei?"

Although they had only interacted once and exchanged a few words, this chance encounter in an unfamiliar place felt different. There was a newfound sense of camaraderie between them.

At Zhao Lin’s question, a look of shame crossed Wei Shi’s face. He sighed. "Don’t ask. I actually entered the Yinfeng Realm a few days ago."

"Unfortunately, I was underprepared. I stayed inside for five or six days and barely gathered any Yinfeng Grass, but I ran out of Spirit Rice and Spirit Stones, so I had to pull out."

"I couldn’t stand leaving it like that, so I’m planning to go back in again today!"

White-level sect missions were valid for three months and generally had no limit on the number of attempts. As long as a mission wasn’t officially completed, it could be undertaken repeatedly.

"So, how is it? Is the mission easy? Is it dangerous in there?"

Zhao Lin inquired. Although the mission details were quite comprehensive, they couldn’t compare to firsthand experience. There was no harm in learning more.

Wei Shi thought for a moment, then answered, "The Yinfeng Realm mission is a permanent one, so people are collecting Spirit Grass there year-round. Yinfeng Grass isn’t easy to find, and Star Peony Grass is even rarer."

"Plus, the yin qi is incredibly dense. You’d better stock up on Three Yang Pills, Spirit Stones, and Spirit Rice. Otherwise, if you stay too long, your body won’t be able to handle it."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "As for safety, there are some Yin Souls and low-to-mid-grade Demon Beasts in the Yinfeng Realm. As long as you’re careful and avoid the areas with the densest yin qi, it’s generally not dangerous."

Just then, someone on the boat let out a derisive snort. "A couple of greenhorns. Trying to run before you can even walk."

Zhao Lin frowned slightly. The comment was obviously aimed at him and Wei Shi. Glancing to the side, he saw a pale, clean-shaven, middle-aged cultivator sizing them up.

"What do you mean by that, friend?"

The man’s face held no trace of mockery, so Zhao Lin didn’t get angry. Instead, he asked the question seriously.

The middle-aged cultivator smiled faintly. "The Yinfeng Realm mission seems easy, but it’s not that simple. A word of advice for you two: it would be better not to go in at all."

Wei Shi’s expression darkened and he was about to speak, but Zhao Lin put a hand on him to stop him. "Let’s hear him out," he whispered.

The middle-aged cultivator paid them no mind and continued, "The two of you, one a Martial Cultivator and the other a Body Cultivator, have strength roughly equivalent to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining."

"Yinfeng Grass may be hard to find, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, you can always find a few stalks. The real question is, can you hold on to them?"

Zhao Lin froze, immediately thinking of a possibility. "People can rob you of your Spirit Grass inside?"

The middle-aged cultivator hadn’t expected Zhao Lin to catch on so quickly. A flash of appreciation flickered in his eyes.

"Correct. Although you only need to reach the Middle Stage of Qi Refining to take this mission, seventy to eighty percent of the cultivators inside are in the Late-stage of Qi Refining."

"With your cultivation levels, there’s no guarantee others won’t get malicious ideas if they run into you. You wouldn’t want the Spirit Grass you worked so hard to gather to be stolen, would you?"

Wei Shi retorted, "I was in there for several days. How come no one tried to rob me?"

The middle-aged cultivator chuckled. "Either you got lucky, or you hadn’t found anything worth taking, so no one bothered. It’s up to you whether you believe me or not."

Zhao Lin was still puzzled. "Within the sect, robbing someone makes you a rogue cultivator. Does that rule not apply in the small worlds?"

The middle-aged cultivator shook his head gently. "On the Xuanyuan Continent, if you run into danger, you can use Communication Talismans, Hongyan Talismans, or Thousand-Mile Talismans to call for help. But that doesn’t work in a small world!"

"Do you know why? It’s because these talismans can’t penetrate the small world’s barrier. Even if you activate them, they can’t reach the outside."

"Unless someone dies, the sect isn’t going to go through the immense trouble of investigating a trivial matter like someone’s Spirit Grass being stolen."

’No supervision, no way to send messages out, and prohibitively high investigation costs...’ Zhao Lin thought. ’It’s essentially a lawless land. The worst of human nature is bound to be magnified here.’

Wei Shi was left speechless.

In fact, there was a talisman that could travel between worlds—the Two Realms Talisman. However, it was nearly impossible to buy on the open market and was only issued by the sect for specific missions.

"Thank you for telling us this, Senior Brother. We will be careful."

Zhao Lin cupped his fists in a serious gesture of thanks.

Wei Shi added, "I was rude just now. Please forgive me, Senior Brother."

The middle-aged cultivator gave a slight nod. "The hearts of men are difficult to fathom. You two had best have a way to protect yourselves, or you will likely suffer for it. I’ve said all I can."

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...

Just then, everyone felt the deck beneath them shake violently as an enormous, fat cultivator boarded the Spiritual Vessel.

Zhao Lin turned his head and saw a man who was tall and abnormally obese. His fleshy face was dominated by a pair of small eyes. Judging by his attire, he was likely a cultivator from an outer commandery who had come for a sect mission.

Cultivators primarily subsisted on Spirit Rice, so it was rare to see someone so obese. Zhao Lin guessed the man must have eaten his fair share of Spirit Beast Meat; otherwise, it was impossible to get that large.

With every step the Fat Cultivator took, the flesh on his body trembled, and the Spiritual Vessel swayed in response.

Aside from his conspicuous size, the Fat Cultivator’s cultivation level was also remarkable, having reached the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

Zhao Lin used his Qi Observation Skill to get a better look. The ninth cluster of qi on the man’s shoulder was remarkably solid, indicating he was deep into the Ninth Layer of his cultivation. If he wasn’t at the Peak of Qi Refining, he was very close.

After boarding, the Fat Cultivator’s small eyes glinted sharply as he swept his gaze over the other passengers on the vessel.

When his eyes landed on Zhao Lin and Wei Shi, he curled his lip in open disdain.

The Fat Cultivator found an empty space and sat down. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he barked at Zhao Lin and Wei Shi, "Hey, you two! Going to the Yinfeng Realm, are you?"

Zhao Lin replied coolly, "What can we do for you, friend?"

The Fat Cultivator let out a hearty laugh and said in a tone that was practically an order, "Once we enter the small world, you two will come with me to find Yinfeng Grass."

Before either of them could reply, he fished two talismans from his robes. "Leave your auras on these. It’ll make it easier to find you if we get separated."

Zhao Lin glanced down and recognized them as Circulation Talismans.

Circulation Talismans were similar to Communication Talismans. Once imbued with someone’s aura, the talisman could track that person down.

The difference was that the activator could control the talisman’s flight speed, making it easy for a cultivator to follow it to its target.

’He says we’ll look for Yinfeng Grass together, but he’s most likely just looking for some free labor,’ Zhao Lin thought.

Seeing that neither of them made a move to take the talismans, the Fat Cultivator’s face darkened. "What? You’re not even willing to accept my protection?"

Zhao Lin waved a hand dismissively. "I appreciate the kind offer, but I’m a bit of a loner. I prefer to work by myself."

"A loner?"

A cold sneer spread across the Fat Cultivator’s face, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. "Fine, I won’t insist. If you want to waste your time and effort for nothing, then don’t blame me when it happens."

"Everyone, sit tight! We’re taking off!"

The cultivator piloting the Spiritual Vessel shouted, and the vessel slowly rose into the air, flying off toward Yinfeng Valley.