After Breaking Off the Engagement, I Started Pursuing My Master-Chapter 87 - Cooperation

Chapter 87: Cooperation

Early morning.

Light seeped into the cave, and Jiang Huai was busy with the lamb stew in the pot.

Bai Li liked meat and wasn’t very interested in vegetarian food. Before coming here, Jiang Huai had brought a lot of delicious food in his system backpack, which could keep things fresh. He used the clear spring water from the waterfall, added spices and salt, and cooked it for two hours, filling the cave with the rich aroma of lamb. Bai Li was woken up by her cravings, got out of bed, and her slipping straps hadn’t been adjusted yet when she crawled over to the pot.

Jiang Huai used chopsticks to feed her a piece of lamb and helped her adjust her straps. Damn it, he shouldn’t have given her that kind of camisole dress; it was too easy to slip off.

“I’ve planned it out. Today, we’ll explore the third area. The day after tomorrow, we’ll head to the second area, where we’ll stay for two days, and finally, we’ll spend three days in the first area searching for spiritual herbs and treasures.”

Bai Li nodded vigorously, but she wasn’t really paying attention to these words. She was staring at the bubbling pot, wondering if she would burn her hand if she tried to grab a bite to eat. Jiang Huai picked up a bowl, which already had dipping sauce prepared for her, and handed her the chopsticks.

“Try the sauce.”

Sitting cross-legged by the pot, Bai Li was content. She had eaten most of the mutton in the pot. After filling her stomach, she lay down on the bluestone, rubbing her belly for a while before she had the energy to get up and leave the cave with Jiang Huai.

Compared to the peaceful fourth area, the third area had some fierce beasts distributed throughout. Along the way, Jiang Huai and Bai Li saw many fierce beasts hunting. Fortunately, Jiang Huai had prepared Concealment Pills. These were pills he had concocted himself, which could make ordinary fierce beasts subconsciously ignore his presence. He had given one to Bai Li as well, allowing them to move through an area rampant with fierce beasts.

Today’s luck was slightly worse than yesterday’s. After a long journey through the mountain range of the third area, the most valuable thing they found was a large Lustrous Heart Jade, suitable for making magical instruments. Most of the other spiritual herbs were too young. There was an unwritten rule when exploring secret realms: unless necessary, one should not pick herbs that were too young, leaving them to grow for those destined to explore the realms in the future.

Today’s gains were average. The two had planned to find something simple to eat and then look for a cave to rest. However, Jiang Huai and Bai Li caught sight of a Spirit Illusion Bird wandering through the dense forest.

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The Spirit Illusion Bird was a method used by human cultivators to call for companions. In secret realms, it was generally used when a cultivator encountered a valuable treasure but couldn’t handle it alone, so they would use the Spirit Illusion Bird to seek help. When a group of people came together to retrieve the treasure, they would share the spoils.

However, not many people used the Spirit Illusion Bird.

This was because many casual cultivators liked to trick newcomers who had just entered the secret realms with the Spirit Illusion Bird. They would lure people to take the treasure together, become sworn brothers over drinks, and then take advantage of a dark and windy night to stab them in the chest, not only getting a treasure for free but also looting gold coins.

Because of these scoundrel casual cultivators, trust between cultivators had gradually weakened, and few people used the Spirit Illusion Bird to seek companions anymore.

Nowadays, not many trusted this method, but if one really encountered a special treasure that they desperately wanted and couldn’t handle alone, they could only pin their hopes on the Spirit Illusion Bird.

Jiang Huai and Bai Li exchanged a glance.

“Shall we go for it?”

“Let’s do it,” Bai Li nodded immediately.

She was somewhat impatient. After wandering around the third area all day with little to show for it, she felt a bit down. It had been a while since she had seen a Spirit Illusion Bird, and it was a rare opportunity for some excitement.

Thus, Jiang Huai reached out and grabbed the Spirit Illusion Bird, which instantly turned into threads of spiritual energy, leading them forward. They walked for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before they came upon four cultivators gathered together.

From the positions, temperament, and gazes of the four cultivators, Jiang Huai could tell at a glance who the leader was—a man in a purple Taoist robe who appeared to be much older than Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai’s medical skills emphasized observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking, and he also knew a bit about physiognomy. He always felt that there was a hint of evil in the man’s eyes.

His cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul.

“My name is Lin Ji, a casual cultivator from the Rimian Continent, at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul. While exploring the third area, I stumbled upon a cave. From the traces outside the cave, I deduced that a Golden Scale Beast resides inside. As we all know, where a Golden Scale Beast dwells, there must be a Golden Scale Fruit Tree. Due to the restrictions of the laws of this world, the maximum cultivation level of the beasts in the third area is the late-stage of the Nascent Soul at great completion. However, I am not strong enough on my own, so I would like to invite fellow Daoists to join me in picking the Golden Scale Fruits.”

Seeing Jiang Huai and Bai Li approaching, Lin Ji turned his gaze towards them, presumably having already repeated this to the other three people around him.

The other three, dressed differently—two men and one woman, one man fat and the other thin, and the woman in a red dress with a high slit that revealed her long, slender legs, exuding a seductive charm.

The skin of female cultivators on the path of cultivation was all crystal clear, and their looks and figures were not much different. However, this woman in the red dress had particularly captivating eyes. Jiang Huai, with his high cultivation of the soul, could see at a glance that she had practiced the art of seduction.

Seeing the two newcomers, the thinner cultivator frowned in dissatisfaction.

“Didn’t we agree that the four of us were enough? Do we really need two more people? There might not be enough Golden Scale Fruits to go around.”

“A Golden Scale Fruit Tree usually has six to eight fruits. Besides, the fierce beasts in this secret realm are all nourished by dragon qi, which makes them much stronger than the typical late-stage Nascent Soul beasts. Having two more people naturally adds more security. After all, we’re all just after the treasure; who wants to lose their life?”

Lin Ji quickly responded, glancing at Jiang Huai and Bai Li. Bai Li had already put on a veil before coming, and she spoke indifferently.

“I’m at the great completion of the mid-stage Nascent Soul. If I have to take action, I want at least one Golden Scale Fruit. If I exert more effort, I want two.”

Jiang Huai thought for a moment, “I’m at the ninth layer of the Immaculate Golden Body, and I have a heavenly-grade spiritual sword. I guess I have the combat power of the mid-stage Nascent Soul. I only want one Golden Scale Fruit, which I can use to cultivate the tenth layer of my Immaculate Golden Body.”

The four people in front of them exchanged glances, none of them objecting, but when they heard Jiang Huai mention his heavenly-grade spiritual sword, the woman in the red dress paused for a moment, then her lips curled up slightly.

“Handsome young man, did you say you have a heavenly-grade spiritual sword?”

“Yes,” Jiang Huai replied with a smile.

“May I see it? Just call me Hong Shao.”

“Sure.” Jiang Huai took out the Ye Ning sword and tossed it lightly to the woman.

However, before throwing it, Jiang Huai suppressed Ye Ning’s sword qi, making the blade’s brilliance fade, so it looked like just a barely heavenly-grade spiritual sword. Even so, Hong Shao’s eyes still sparkled. She held it in her hands and examined it for a while before walking up to Jiang Huai and returning the sword.

After returning the sword to Jiang Huai, she lightly tapped his chest with her fingertips, her eyes unabashedly flirtatious.

“Young man, I’m a cultivator from the Hehuan Valley. After this task, shall we exchange contact through a communication jade imprint and get to know each other?”

“Sure, sure,” Jiang Huai nodded, looking quite naive.

Bai Li stood with her arms crossed, looking disdainful. She had teamed up with Jiang Huai many times and naturally had also teamed up with other cultivators in the secret realm. Many women had cast longing glances at Jiang Huai, but few were as blatantly suggestive as Hong Shao.

With this, Jiang Huai and Bai Li joined the four-person team. The team expanded to six people, led by Lin Ji to the Golden Scale Beast’s lair. Along the way, they exchanged names, but Jiang Huai did not reveal his real name; instead, he made one up on the spot. After all, his name, Jiang Huai from the Tianxuan Sect, was too well-known in the Eastern Region. If these guys wanted to trick him and heard his name, they might not dare to do it, and then he would miss out on the fun.

After half an hour of walking through the dense forest, Lin Ji led everyone to the lair of the Golden Scale Beast. Judging by the claw marks and traces outside the cave, it was indeed inhabited by a Golden Scale Beast, and Jiang Huai could also smell the scent of the Golden Scale Fruit.

Could it be that this guy was really so honest? Had he misjudged him?

From inside the cave came the faint sound of snoring, the Golden Scale Beast was resting. The group exchanged glances, having already communicated their cultivation methods to each other, and decided that Lin Ji, Jiang Huai, Bai Li, and the thin cultivator would lead the attack while the chubby cultivator, who practiced the art of spirit binding, would be responsible for restraining the Golden Scale Beast. Hong Shao would stay on the side, sitting on a rock, swinging her fair legs, and softly saying.

“I’m not good at fighting. After you kill the Golden Scale Beast, I will help you heal through dual cultivation. Of course, it would be best not to get injured. If you wish, I can also pleasure you. You must have heard of the secret techniques of my Hehuan Valley, right?”

Hehuan Valley was a particularly interesting sect, where the cultivators held silver parties every day, and their cultivation methods mainly focused on the secret dual cultivation techniques of Yin and Yang. Hong Shao’s voice was soft, and she bent over slightly, revealing a bit of her chest. The tall and thin man snorted disdainfully, while the chubby cultivator’s eyes lit up, and Lin Ji just smiled.

It was rumored that the women of Hehuan Valley had skills that even the courtesans of brothels couldn’t match when it came to serving men.

Hong Shao quickly turned her gaze to Jiang Huai, whose cheeks were red, looking somewhat shy.

“Hmm? Why is the young man blushing?”

“No, it’s just… it’s my first time seeing a sister from Hehuan Valley… you all from Hehuan Valley are so…”

“Hey, it turns out he’s innocent. Then after we kill the Golden Scale Beast, I’ll take special care of you,” Hong Shao said with a smile that couldn’t be concealed, and Jiang Huai’s face turned even redder.

Bai Li, on the other hand, didn’t show any expression.

She wasn’t meeting Jiang Huai for the first time and knew that, like her, he was someone who enjoyed fun.

Hong Shao stayed outside the cave, while Jiang Huai and Bai Li entered the cave with Lin Ji and the fat and thin cultivators. Although everyone had lowered their footsteps, they could see the Golden Scale Fruit Tree sapling next to the Golden Scale Beast in the cave, with seven Golden Scale Fruits on it.

Everyone’s eyes shone, and they stepped even more lightly, but unfortunately, as they took one more step forward, the Golden Scale Beast suddenly woke up. After a roar, a fierce battle was inevitable.