I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 159 - 133: Who Is Stronger, Who Is Weaker (Bonus - for 200 Yue Tickets)
Two hours deep into the canyon, there was still no exit in sight, nor any sign of demon beasts. Yuu Qiuqi called for a fifteen-minute rest before setting off again.
Ge Yuchan stayed silent, sitting by herself as she took out some water and jerky. Although one must slowly begin to fast once reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, only by eating well now could they have the energy needed.
Yun Shang kept her distance from Yuu Qiuqi, and Jiang Yuebai joined her, sitting beside Ge Yuchan to adjust their breaths.
Yuu Qiuqi chose a path less traveled in the canyon. She sat alone on a broken stone, guarding the front of the canyon trail, instructing Zheng Chong and Gu Liu to watch the rear and protect the three younger ones in the middle.
"There are so many Foundation Establishment disciples in the camp, yet they had to assign these three youngsters to us," Zheng Chong threw a stone, showing his dissatisfaction.
Gu Liu glanced at the three who were playfully wrestling, laughing as if on an outing, completely unaware of the task’s danger.
"That’s not entirely fair. Ge Yuchan may not speak much, always quiet and unnoticed, but her ranking in the camp’s Battle Merit List is top fifty, higher than yours and mine."
"Perhaps she was carried by others. After all, battle merits are exchanged with demon beast materials and various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Just like that Yun Shang, holding a bald monkey, speaking timidly, yet she’s shielded by Senior Sister Yuu."
Gu Liu mused, "Perhaps she’s extremely skilled in Beast Taming?"
Zheng Chong rolled his eyes, "And what about Jiang Yuebai? Such an important mission, bringing along someone who’s never entered the Secret Realm. Does True Monarch Jiuchuan want to train his disciple at the risk of jeopardizing us? With True Monarch Jiuchuan’s domineering nature, if anything happens to Jiang Yuebai, we’ll be the ones in hot water! This trip is simply a stroke of bad luck!"
Gu Liu glanced at Jiang Yuebai, who was currently fighting with Ge Yuchan over jerky, laughing heartily.
"It’s indeed challenging to accompany the Crown Prince in his studies, but what can we do? Although we never saw it, Jiang Yuebai managed to win first in the previous tournament, so her abilities must not be weak. Let’s not worry too much."
"Sigh! We can only accept the misfortune and take care once trouble arises, especially this Jiang Yuebai!"
The fifteen-minute break ended, and the group resumed their journey, still traversing through the canyon.
Amidst the silent, deserted canyon path, gravel fell, and a red shadow abruptly dove straight down from above Jiang Yuebai’s head.
"Watch out!"
Zheng Chong was petrified behind Jiang Yuebai.
Gu Liu immediately looked up, seeing dozens of demon beasts camouflaged with the rock, the size of children, their movements swift, their claws violently tearing with ferocity.
"Eighth-Level Demon Beast, Rock-Skinned Monkey!"
Zheng Chong raised his hand to form a sign, eyes wide as he watched the Rock-Skinned Monkey’s claws sweep over Jiang Yuebai’s head, already imagining the gruesome scene of brain matter splattered.
In the nick of time, numerous ice arrows shot out, instantly knocking the Rock-Skinned Monkey away, pinning it to the rock wall.
Zheng Chong froze, staring at his own hands. Wasn’t he casting the Water Arrow Technique? How did it become the Ice Arrow Technique? No wait, he hadn’t even completed his sign!
Before he could figure it out, Jiang Yuebai, standing still, suddenly drew dual blades from thin air, spinning like a Wind-Fire Wheel, confronting the Rock-Skinned Monkeys charging down from the rocky walls.
Ge Yuchan reacted swiftly, ghost-like as she stepped and twisted, evading the Rock-Skinned Monkey’s claws, her dagger accurately and ruthlessly striking the back of the monkey’s neck, her gaze sharp, one swift kill!
Zheng Chong and Gu Liu were completely stunned. Yuu Qiuqi pressed against Yun Shang, opening the Hundred Treasures Box slightly, watching as Jiang Yuebai and Ge Yuchan deftly scattered fifteen Rock-Skinned Monkeys, the box’s opening then quietly closed.
In a brief instant, monkey corpses were strewn across the ground.
Jiang Yuebai landed back-to-back with Ge Yuchan, glancing sidelong, with a sweep of her peripheral vision at the other.
Ge Yuchan said, "Killed one more than you."
Jiang Yuebai replied with a laugh.
Yun Shang glared at Yuu Qiuqi, attempting to speak several times but holding her tongue, while Yuu Qiuqi remained silent.
Ge Yuchan put away her dagger magic artifact and pulled out the Bone Cutting Knife from her calf, swiftly dissecting the demon beasts for their valuable parts.
Jiang Yuebai took out the pre-prepared Soul Bottle, collecting Beast Souls.
"I only want the Beast Souls; you take the rest."
"Alright."
The demon beasts were killed and spoils divided. Zheng Chong and Gu Liu exchanged a look, sensing their redundancy.
"It’s just luck. Rock-Skinned Monkeys... are relatively weak," Zheng Chong justified.
Gu Liu shook her head and sighed.
"Wait, who cast that Ice Arrow Technique just now? I didn’t see Jiang Yuebai completing a sign!" Zheng Chong suddenly realized.
Gu Liu paused, surveying everyone. To her knowledge, Yuu Qiuqi possessed Golden Fire Dual Spiritual Roots, Yun Shang had Earth, Wood, and Fire Three Spiritual Roots, and Ge Yuchan also wielded Three Spiritual Roots, with specifics unknown but certainly lacking ice.
She and Zheng Chong were even less likely, leaving only... 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Zheng Chong also realized, and the pair turned their gaze toward Jiang Yuebai.
"Casting instantly without signs is impossible!"
Jiang Yuebai felt their gaze, sharing a squinted smile with them. That was hardly anything; she had only exerted one-tenth of her power.
Ge Yuchan moved swiftly, only collecting the most valuable, easy-to-carry parts, saving everyone’s time.
The group continued onward, alternating between walking and stopping, encountering demon beasts along the way, all handled by Jiang Yuebai and Ge Yuchan.
Yun Shang is always protected by Yuu Qiuqi, leaving Zheng Chong and Gu Liu completely unengaged, and eventually causing them to lose focus and lazily let down their guard.
Jiang Yuebai can always detect movements around them earlier than others, even Yuu Qiuqi, who is at Foundation Establishment Perfection, is amazed by this.
After traveling for three days, the Secret Realm enters nightfall, temperatures plunge from hot to chilly, there is no sun or moon here, but special rocks around the canyon emit a red glow to provide illumination.
Yuu Qiuqi instructs everyone to rest for an hour.
"The nights in the Secret Realm are long, usually lasting seven to fifteen days, the Fire Evil will weaken, but Yin Ghosts and Evil Corpses will increase, we’re half a day away from exiting the canyon and reaching the Ten Thousand Beasts Tomb, so be cautious."
Yuu Qiuqi states this and then stands guard alone at the front.
Jiang Yuebai asks Ge Yuchan to watch over her first, seizing the time to refine the Beast Souls collected over these three days into Eight Arrays Plate and produce Array Soldiers capable of killing enemies.
Yun Shang is crouching under a mountain wall, focus fixed on poking an ant nest with a stick, occasionally giving Yuu Qiuqi a glare, infused with some resentment.
Not far off, Zheng Chong and Gu Liu guard the rear.
"We’re so weak, shouldn’t we be in the center to be protected?" Zheng Chong grumbles.
Gu Liu chuckles and shakes his head, "That’s not what you said three days ago."
Zheng Chong awkwardly scratches his face, "I underestimated Jiang Yuebai and Ge Yuchan before, it turns out being accepted as direct disciples shows real capability, Ge Yuchan is not just on the Battle Merit List’s top fifty for nothing, but this Yun Shang..."
Zheng Chong frowns, watching Yun Shang enthusiastically shake the red ants off the stick into the Glazed Bottle.
Suddenly Yun Shang looks over, and Zheng Chong quickly turns his head to avoid her gaze.
Yun Shang grips the Glazed Bottle tightly, struggles internally for a moment, then stands up and walks towards Yuu Qiuqi.
"I want to leave the team!"
Yuu Qiuqi, seated on a rock, raises her eyes in surprise, seeing Yun Shang’s serious expression, she frowns and refuses.
"No, you’re part of this mission, you cannot leave the team."
Yun Shang’s body trembles slightly, she’s not one to argue, but she’s so nervous she stammers.
"You, you, you didn’t even treat me as a teammate, why won’t you let me, me, me leave the team?"
Yuu Qiuqi’s gaze darkens, "This mission is very dangerous, I must ensure you... everyone’s safety."
Yun Shang clenches her hands, taking deep breaths to suppress her nerves, "Then, then, why can others kill demon beasts while I must be protected by you? I’m just a useless person and a burden, if I leave, won’t it be easier for you to carry out the mission?"
Yuu Qiuqi hesitates inwardly, actually, letting Yun Shang return now would be best, as they proceed deeper, she fears she cannot protect Yun Shang herself.
She thought this was just a regular mission, but ended up with the hardest draw.
"Fine, I can let you leave the team, but you must swear to immediately leave the Secret Realm and not set foot in the Secret Realm before we return."
Yun Shang, flushed with anger, retorts, "Who are you to control me!!"
Yuu Qiuqi stays silent, Yun Shang’s parents were her close friends, who died protecting her in the past, so she feels obliged to care for their only bloodline.
Moreover, Yun Shang often followed her as a child, called her ’Auntie’, she’s also her family.
"If you’re not going back, then stay quietly."
"Where I go is my freedom, even if I fall into a demon beast’s lair, I don’t need your supervision, don’t think I didn’t know that you’ve been following me all this time, including demanding to take me on this mission, isn’t it because you’re afraid I’ll run off while you’re not around?"
"Let me tell you, Yuu Qiuqi, you are the last person I want to see right now! I can’t defeat you, I have no choice, but wait until you’re injured and powerless, I’ll leave immediately, you won’t be able to stop me!"
Yun Shang’s anger turns into tears, Jiang Yuebai hears the commotion and approaches, one look and she understands the situation.
"Junior Sister Jiang, please... try to persuade her."
Jiang Yuebai reluctantly agrees, pulling Yun Shang aside without saying anything, just staying by her side.
One hour later, the group recovers and sets out again.
By midday, they indeed see the canyon exit, the outside is pitch black, stone forests stand randomly, white bones exposed in the wilderness, vague red mist enveloped shadows, accompanied by the mysterious cawing of crows, evoke dread in everyone.
"Be cautious of Yin Ghosts, remember to maintain your defenses."
Yuu Qiuqi reminds and leads the way into the stone forest, after walking over a mile, no Yin Ghosts are encountered, but they first see a person wearing Heavenly Interence Sect disciple attire.
He lies motionless amidst beast bone remains, uncertain alive or dead, a storage bag and an axe-shaped magic artifact are fallen nearby.
Yuu Qiuqi raises her hand signaling the group to stop, Jiang Yuebai spreads a Wind Net.
Invisible winds ripple the red mist, like water waves spreading layer upon layer, all active presences in the darkness are outlined by the wind within Jiang Yuebai’s perception, creating ripples as they move.
When the wind spreads beyond ten zhang, the outlines and ripples suddenly multiply!
Jiang Yuebai’s pupils constrict, she immediately grabs Yuu Qiuqi’s arm, conveying with her eyes.
It’s an ambush!
