Chapter Fifty-Four: The Primeval Forest

Page 1/3

The mountain path of Jade Pearl Peak was perilously steep, winding through dense forests. Though the sun shone brightly overhead, as soon as the group entered the vast woods, a chill crept up from the ground, biting through to their bones and making them shiver. This forest seemed to have existed for millennia, a primeval wilderness where the canopy blocked out the sky, leaving no trace of sunlight above. Fallen leaves lay thick on the ground, a foot deep, rustling underfoot with each step.

From time to time, minor demonic beasts would pass nearby, but the group paid them no mind—after all, their mission was not to hunt such creatures. Ye Chunqiao already held her Soul-Devouring Whip in hand, the gourd-shaped tip emitting a faint yellow glow.

They were still at the foot of the Jade Pearl Peak forest, where the beasts were not particularly formidable—most were of the Profound or Yellow rank. Li Sibai, having witnessed the power of the Soul-Devouring Whip on a previous occasion, was no longer as curious about it.

At first, their pace was brisk; though the path was steep, the lack of high-level monsters allowed them to progress smoothly. As they climbed higher, the slope became less severe, and more paths opened up before them. However, Earth-rank beasts began to appear in greater numbers, and the gourd of the Soul-Devouring Whip regularly flickered with orange light. Since their goal was not to battle monsters, and with the knowledge that others might be after the same objective, they took care to avoid confrontations—sometimes detouring, sometimes waiting in place for the creatures to pass.

Though this approach might seem to waste time, engaging in battle was equally time-consuming if it could not be settled swiftly. Worse, should anyone be injured, facing unknown adversaries later would become a daunting prospect. Even if they escaped unscathed, combat would drain their vital energy—a cost they could ill afford at this stage.

They were attacked several times by particularly vicious monsters, but through caution and the presence of the Soul-Devouring Whip, they avoided surprise assaults. Their teamwork grew more practiced with each encounter, and they swiftly dispatched any creature that threatened them—largely thanks to Li Sibai’s rapid progress.

Though he still lacked mastery of spells and could not shield himself with true energy, the sheer force of the Xuantian Sword allowed him to serve as a solid front-line defender. When beasts attacked, Ye Chunqiao would immediately retreat to the center of the formation, while Li Sibai and Gong Degang—both wielders of powerful sword techniques—stood firm at the front. Behind them, Ye Chunqiao struck from a distance with her whip, while He Tianshu and Yao Xueqing waited on either flank for their chance to strike. Their tactics were near flawless.

Page 2/3

After several battles, the two who had initially thought Li Sibai was a burden began to view him differently, while Yao Xueqing was especially delighted, genuinely happy for his progress.

Thus, they wandered through the great forest of Jade Pearl Peak for three days. Despite their constant upward climb, they had yet to emerge from the woods. By evening, they found a high spot to rest. Deep within the forest, they subsisted on simple rations, their lives arduous and devoid of pleasure. But as cultivators, they could endure such hardship for days on end, spurred on by the promise of the Ice Spirit Grass and the lure of five hundred Xuantian Jade Purity Pills.

He Tianshu, the leader of the expedition, wore a troubled frown. They had been searching for the correct path up the mountain for three days, and the longer they lingered, the slimmer their chances of success. Gong Degang stood beside him, the two deep in discussion.

Yao Xueqing and Ye Chunqiao sat chatting on a nearby tree. Though Ye Chunqiao was generally aloof, she got along well enough with Yao Xueqing, and was grateful for her company; otherwise, this journey would have been unbearably lonely.

Li Sibai sat meditating beneath the tree, unwilling to waste a single moment of cultivation. The battles thus far, though fierce, had been infrequent, allowing him to accumulate some practical experience. As he refined his Xuantian True Energy, he replayed the day’s combat in his mind, seeking to learn from both victories and mistakes.

There was something else unusual: ever since entering the forest of Jade Void Peak, Li Sibai had noticed another, icy current within him growing more active.

After discovering the existence of battle energy within himself, Li Sibai had been careful to keep it secret. He did not wish others to view him differently or to let this secret shape his fate. Raised in the orthodox teachings of the Xuantian Sword Sect, he found it hard to accept this part of himself. Though he was the so-called “Chosen One,” he did not want his life dictated by others.

When he had first learned of his innate battle energy in the Dark Forest, he had refrained from learning the techniques to cultivate it from the Old Tree Spirit, hoping that as his true energy grew, the battle energy would diminish like all impure energies, and he would become a cultivator rich in true energy alone.

But now, the icy current within him—clearly his innate battle energy—was growing restless, as if summoned by a powerful presence in the surrounding area. Usually, it lay dormant in a corner of his being, but at times it seemed to challenge the dominance of his true energy. Warm and cold currents intertwined within him, leaving Li Sibai exhausted. Most troubling of all, this effect became even more pronounced during battles within the Jade Pearl Peak forest.

Page 3/3

Li Sibai thought to himself that if only he had known in advance that he would enter the forest of Jade Pearl Peak, he could have sought the Old Tree Spirit’s advice in the Dark Forest. Now, confronted with these complications, he faced them alone—Caiyao was not by his side…

He let out a long sigh.

Yao Xueqing, perched in the tree, heard him and thought he was anxious about their lack of progress. She tried to comfort him, “Don’t worry, Xiaobai. Senior Brother He will think of something.”

Just then, He Tianshu finished discussing the next steps with Gong Degang and walked over, catching Yao Xueqing’s words. He smiled broadly, “Yao, you give me too much credit. Gong and I have just agreed that we can’t afford to waste any more time here, or our hopes will grow ever slimmer.”

Yao Xueqing nodded. “What do you propose, Senior Brother He? Tell us your plan.”

He replied, “We’ve been working well together these past days. We believe we should take the most direct route and break through this primeval forest as quickly as possible, reaching above the snow line. What do you all think?”

All three brightened at his words. They were already weary of their current approach, and this plan could not have come at a better time.