Chapter 56: The Seizure of the Treasure (Part Two)

Such temptation was irresistible to anyone—except Ji Mo, of course. First, she understood none of it; second, while a Nascent Soul-level cultivation technique was a treasure coveted by all, it held little appeal for her. But others were not so indifferent. Look at them: Chong Kun, the cultivator gripping the square seal, and the black-bearded man who’d just arrived—all three’s breathing grew heavier at once.

Not just them—even Mu Baiyun’s eyes flashed with a bright light. He was a swordsman, harboring an innate affection for fine swords. If he could also obtain an earth-grade sword technique, it would be an enormous stroke of fortune.

“So eager to see me dead? You just had to announce what’s inside in front of everyone? Afraid I won’t die quickly enough, is that it?” Ji Mo glared angrily at the Lightning Beast, roaring inwardly.

Who told you to keep using me for manual labor? Who else should I set up but you? The Lightning Beast shot her a look of disdain. As a spirit pet forcibly contracted, its grudge against Ji Mo ran deep. Its strength far outstripped hers, yet, due to the constraints of the beast contract, it was always under her thumb—a situation that left it seething with inexpressible fury.

“Hmph! If I die, I’ll be sure to drag you with me. Now, get in there and fetch the thing out!” Ji Mo shot a vicious glare at Little Gold.

The Lightning Beast glared back furiously, but having just eaten a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herb, and intimidated by Ji Mo’s severe look, it dared not refuse. After all, should she lose her temper, as her contracted spirit pet, it would surely suffer the consequences.

Resigned, Little Gold crawled back inside, grumbling. Soon, it emerged with a sword held in its jaws. The sword, sheathed, was entirely black and revealed nothing remarkable at first glance.

Yet, as soon as it appeared, Chong Kun, the cultivator with the square seal, and the black-faced newcomer ignored the threat of the Cloud Leopard and charged toward Ji Mo. Strangely, the second-tier demon beast, the Cloud Leopard, simply clung to the stone wall like a mural, unmoving.

Mu Baiyun stood less than three meters from Chong Kun. Naturally, he wouldn’t let him succeed. As soon as Chong Kun moved, Mu Baiyun’s Rainbow Severing Sword came down hard. The Silver Wolf, seeing him take action, howled and lunged as well. Trapped by man and beast, Chong Kun was nearly driven mad with rage, roaring furiously but unable to break free.

Meanwhile, the youth with the square seal had just slipped past the Cloud Leopard when Ji Mo snatched the black sword from the Lightning Beast’s mouth. With her other hand, she wielded the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip. This youth was also a twelfth-rank Qi Refinement cultivator, but on these stone walls, many techniques were hard to execute—they had to rely on brute force. In terms of physical strength, Ji Mo feared no Qi Refinement cultivator. The two were soon locked in a fierce and even struggle.

The black-bearded cultivator, seeing this, flashed a cold look and quietly slipped past the unmoving Cloud Leopard, lunging for Ji Mo’s sword hand. Seeing this, Ji Mo shouted, “Little Gold, if you don’t want to die with me, stop him!”

With a reluctant cry, the Lightning Beast leapt at the black-bearded man. The latter had heard of the Lightning Beast’s reputation, but seeing how small Little Gold was, and knowing only of its famed speed—not its combat power—he paid it no mind.

Bang! Little Gold’s body, barely larger than a fist, crashed into the black-bearded man, rebounded off him, and landed back on the stone wall. The black-bearded man, meanwhile, was hurled away like a cannonball, plunging at great speed into the thick mists above Blue Moon Lake.

“No, no!” he cried out in terror, desperately trying to regain control. But the force of Little Gold’s blow was simply too great. Within moments, he fell out of the mist and hit the water with a splash. In an instant, the lake surface was calm once more.

Witnessing this, both the square-seal cultivator and Chong Kun’s eyes narrowed in fear—the Lightning Beast’s power was horrifying. To fight Ji Mo here would bring them no advantage. With this realization, the man with the seal disengaged after a final exchange and swiftly retreated, circling past his own demon beast to the lake’s edge.

As for Chong Kun, beset by Mu Baiyun and the Silver Wolf, he was in dire straits, unable to retreat even if he wanted. The last to arrive—the Cloudfire Leopard—gave the Lightning Beast a deep, wary look, then, without a sound, turned and slipped away, leaving only Chong Kun and Ji Mo locked in combat with Mu Baiyun on the stone wall.

This was Ji Mo’s first true glimpse of the Lightning Beast’s strength. She was momentarily taken aback, then, after a pause, patted its head. “Little Gold, I never knew you were so formidable! Well done, well done!”

Hmph! You always underestimated me, didn’t you? Flattered by Ji Mo’s praise, Little Gold forgot to be angry at her for patting its head and shot her a proud, smug look.

“Little Gold, let’s make a deal—go inside and bring out everything else. From now on, I won’t scold you anymore. And if there’s anything good, you’ll get first pick—whether to use or to eat. How about it?” Ji Mo’s eyes gleamed as she tried sweet-talking it. With such a powerful helper, she needed to keep on good terms.

Little Gold’s golden eyes rolled thoughtfully. For once, it didn’t get angry and obediently crawled back in, soon dragging out all the remaining items. Besides three weapons, there were eleven stalks of spirit herbs and medicinal plants whose age Ji Mo couldn’t discern. Overjoyed, she quickly stowed everything in her spatial pouch, then patted Little Gold’s head. “Come on, let’s go help Senior Brother Mu deal with that villain.”

Ji Mo had cultivated for six years without ever leaving her sect—her heart was pure and kind. Acts like killing, arson, or robbery had never even crossed her mind. Her master, Lei Wei, had repeatedly advised her that as a cultivator, she must not make enemies lightly or court karmic entanglements. Thus, she had truly never harbored murderous intent.

But since entering this trial ground, she found reality far harsher than she’d imagined. She didn’t want to kill or incur karma, but others would not let her be, forcing her hand with no escape possible. Helplessly, she could only face danger head-on.

Earlier that morning, Chong Kun and his companions had stopped at nothing to seize the Lightning Beast, nearly killing her entire group. Now, after Chen and Jiang had fled, they’d come again, determined to see her dead. If such people were allowed to leave, they would surely seek revenge in the future. Since the enmity was already formed, there was only one way to resolve it: to kill.