Chapter 20 - Red Flame Lion
The next morning, Jiaang Lin woke up, yawning and looking like he hadn't gotten much sleep.
The night before, his father, Jiaang Zhengzu, had summoned him to the study and they had talked until the early hours.
What was the discussion about?
It revolved around Jiaang Zhengzu's curiosity about how Jiaang Lin's strength had skyrocketed to the Body Refining Level Seven Peak and whether Jiaang Lin truly possessed knowledge of pill refining.
Jiaang Lin responded to his father's barrage of questions by feigning ignorance.
Explaining the truth was far too complicated; he couldn't very well reveal to his father that he was, in fact, reborn, could he?
“The weather's nice; it's an ideal time to head to Celestial Peak Valley.”
Feeling refreshed after freshening up, Jiaang Lin looked up at the bright sunshine and smiled.
He then set out from the Jiaang family home, making his way toward Celestial Peak Valley just outside Clear Water Town.
Celestial Peak Valley was a notorious and treacherous place just beyond Clear Water Town.
Spanning a vast area, the valley was filled with ancient trees and abundant medicinal herbs, making it a coveted spot for the major families and powers of Clear Water Town to send their people for herb gathering.
As they say, where there's opportunity, there's danger. The Celestial Peak Valley was fraught with peril, harboring many hidden threats.
These included carnivorous swamps, predatory plants, and the formidable Demonic Beasts!
On the Divine Martial Continent, Demonic Beasts were creatures capable of cultivation, possessing immense destructive power that allowed them to contend with cultivators.
Demonic Beasts were categorized into nine levels on the Divine Martial Continent: wild beasts, Spirit Beasts, Profound Beasts, Earth Beasts, Heaven Beasts, King Beasts, Emperor Beasts, Immortal Beasts, and Divine Beasts, each corresponding to the nine major realms of cultivators.
Each realm comprised nine levels!
The presence of numerous powerful Demonic Beasts within Celestial Peak Valley, including many at the Level Nine Peak of the Spirit Beast stage, meant that every year, a significant number of cultivators from Clear Water Town who ventured into the valley to gather herbs or hunt Demonic Beasts would lose their lives.
The reason Celestial Peak Valley was dubbed a perilous place was evident to all who knew of it.
”Wow, there's quite a crowd!” Jiaang Lin exclaimed upon reaching the entrance of Celestial Peak Valley. He observed numerous cultivators emerging from Clear Water Town, all gearing up to venture into the valley. A conservative estimate put their numbers in the thousands.
These individuals hailed from the prominent families and factions within Clear Water Town. Their daily objective was to forage for spiritual herbs and hunt demonic beasts within Celestial Peak Valley on behalf of their families and the powers that be, all to secure Demonic Beast Crystal Cores.
”The Qiao family?” Jiaang Lin's attention was suddenly drawn to a contingent from the Qiao family, who were methodically checking their weapons and packs, clearly prepping for their own foray into the valley.
After some time, a wave of cultivators surged into the valley, each with their own plans to gather spiritual herbs and track down demonic beasts.
Jiaang Lin followed suit, stepping into the Celestial Peak Valley.
Roar! The moment he entered, a symphony of beast roars echoed through the valley, reverberating overhead and refusing to dissipate.
Amidst these roars, Jiaang Lin sensed an overpowering beastly might and a malevolent energy.
“Celestial Peak Valley, the Extreme Flame Land… If my memory serves me right, it should be due south,” he murmured.
In a swift motion, Jiaang Lin executed the Flashing Shadow Step and ascended a towering tree that stood over a hundred meters tall. From his elevated vantage point, he peered towards the southern reaches of the valley.
“Hmm? What's that over there?”
His sharp eyes quickly spotted the Qiao family's herb-gathering team, which was also making its way southward through Celestial Peak Valley. They encountered numerous demonic beasts along their route, but each was promptly dispatched by the accompanying Qiao family experts.
Jiaang Lin's keen vision allowed him to discern that among these Qiao family experts, several boasted cultivation levels at the Qi Gathering Stage, ranging from Qi Gathering Level One to Level Two.
Most of them were at Body Refining Level Five or even Level Seven.
“Those scoundrels from the Qiao family better not have the same goal as me—to get the Fire Lotus Grass from the Extreme Flame Land!”
Jiaang Lin's eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing within.
He needed the Fire Lotus Grass to refine the Yang Fire Pill for Shaang Duoge to cleanse the dark energy in his dantian. He couldn't let the Qiao family get their hands on it.
With a light tap of his toe, Jiaang Lin took off, concealing his aura as he stealthily trailed the Qiao family's herbalist team to see what they were up to.
“Mr. Lin, how much longer until we reach the Extreme Flame Land?”
A Qiao family expert inquired respectfully of a young man around twenty-three years old within the herbalist team.
The expert was well aware of the young man's identity—he was Zhen Yu, the disciple of the family's Pill Refining Master. Although Zhen Yu's cultivation was only at Body Refining Level Seven, far below his own, his master's position granted Zhen Yu a status so high that even seasoned experts wouldn't dare offend him and had to follow his orders.
”We'll arrive in half an hour,” Zhen Yu responded.
He had been informed about the Celestial Peak Valley's Extreme Flame Land by his master.
Today, he was leading the Qiao family experts there to gather Fire Lotus Grass, fulfilling his master's commission.
With this information, the Qiao family expert led the herbalist team onwards without further questions.
Half an hour later, they arrived at a vast canyon.
The canyon stretched on for countless miles, at least a thousand meters wide.
Deep within, scorching white steam billowed out, and the surrounding rocks were charred black. Centered around the canyon, a lifeless radius of several dozen kilometers lay barren, a stark land of death.
This desolate place was the Extreme Flame Land within Celestial Peak Valley.
“Search thoroughly; the Fire Lotus Grass should be around here.”
Upon reaching the Extreme Flame Land, Zhen Yu issued a decisive command.
Instantly, the Qiao family's Herbalist Team dispersed into several groups, scouring the vicinity for the elusive Fire Lotus Grass.
“The Qiao family's Herbalist Team is indeed after the Fire Lotus Grass. I can't let them beat me to it!”
Jiaang Lin, who had been stealthily observing from the shadows, narrowed his eyes upon confirming the Qiao family's intent and whispered to himself.
He moved swiftly, continuing his search for the Fire Lotus Grass within the Extreme Flame Land.
Eventually, Jiaang Lin spotted a medicinal herb on a cliffside, its fiery red petals resembling a lotus, radiating a luminous glow and a refreshing fragrance.
It was, unmistakably, the Fire Lotus Grass he sought.
His figure blurred into a series of afterimages as he executed the Flashing Shadow Step, darting towards the cliff.
“Hmm? A Red Flame Lion!”
Arriving at the Fire Lotus Grass's location, Jiaang Lin's gaze fell upon a colossal Demonic Beast nestled in a cave beside the plant, lost in deep slumber.
This beast was the Red Flame Lion, its body a vibrant red and shaped like a lion, three meters in length and one meter in height, its body cloaked in crimson flames. It was a formidable Spirit Beast at the Level Three stage, on par with a Qi Gathering Level Three cultivator. “How intriguing. I didn't expect a Red Flame Lion to be guarding the Fire Lotus Grass.”
Jiaang Lin's lips curled into a slight smile, understanding that the Red Flame Lion was protecting the Fire Lotus Grass, awaiting the moment it fully matured to consume it and enhance its own power.
With that, he strode confidently towards the Fire Lotus Grass, undeterred by the prospect of awakening the significantly more powerful Red Flame Lion.
He had his own array of techniques to subdue the lion.
Reaching out, Jiaang Lin made a grab for the Fire Lotus Grass.
Roar!
But before he could pluck the plant, the slumbering Red Flame Lion abruptly opened its eyes.
Its eyes locked onto Jiaang Lin with a deep, menacing growl.
“Just go to sleep, that would be best.”
Jiaang Lin gazed at the Red Flame Lion, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
With that, he released the Blood Eye Battle Soul.
His eyes suddenly turned a sinister shade of blood-red, exuding a strange and malevolent aura.
The Red Flame Lion, still growling deeply, met Jiaang Lin's blood-red gaze. Instantly, the ferocity in its eyes faded, leaving a vacant look, as if it had been stripped of its soul.
“Down!”
Jiaang Lin commanded in a firm tone.
The Red Flame Lion immediately complied, lying down submissively.
The Blood Eye Battle Soul not only allowed Jiaang Lin to anticipate his enemies' moves but also to effortlessly control Demonic Beasts.
However, it was only effective on Demonic Beasts, not Human Cultivators.
Moreover, the Demonic Beasts Jiaang Lin could control could not surpass his own strength at Level Five.
If a Demonic Beast's power greatly exceeded his cultivation level, then even the Blood Eye Battle Soul would not enable Jiaang Lin to take control.
Utilizing the Blood Eye Battle Soul, Jiaang Lin easily subdued the Red Flame Lion and swiftly harvested the Fire Lotus Grass.
As he prepared to depart, a series of figures descended upon the cliffside, encircling Jiaang Lin. It was none other than the Qiao Family Herbalist Team, headed by Zhen Yu.
They had been drawn by the earlier disturbance and had arrived just in time to witness Jiaang Lin's successful harvest of the Fire Lotus Grass.
“Hand over the Fire Lotus Grass, or face a graveless death!”
Zhen Yu stared at Jiaang Lin, his voice cold and threatening.
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