Ten Thousand Years in Seclusion

Zhuang Lili pursed her lips. "The rules are different every time. Sometimes it’s based on cultivation level, sometimes contribution points, and sometimes you need an elder’s recommendation. But there are always more than a hundred spots. You’ll have no trouble getting in, Junior Brother Qi."

Her voice softened.

"I probably won’t make it, though."

Chen Er nodded. "Same here. My chances are pretty slim."

Qi Tian kept asking questions, and Zhuang Lili and Chen Er filled him in on everything from the Falling Cloud Sect to Mount Qinglu. Cai Zhenyu, meanwhile, said very little.

The Windchaser Horses carried them onward at a steady gallop. Several hours later, with night already settled over the mountains, they finally reached the foot of Spirit Herb Mountain.

There wasn’t a soul in sight.

The mountain was quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves stirred by the night breeze.

The cultivators who normally came here to gather spirit herbs were nowhere to be seen.

The four reined in their horses and extended their divine senses.

After a moment, Cai Zhenyu shook his head. "Nothing."

Qi Tian then extended his own divine sense.

One hundred zhang.

Two hundred.

Three hundred...

His senses reached all the way to the mountainside five hundred zhang away.

There.

He picked up five Qi Condensation auras, along with the presence of seven first-rank demonic beasts, all gathered in the same place.

Qi Tian raised a hand and pointed toward the mountainside.

"There are people over there."

Cai Zhenyu followed his finger. His brow furrowed slightly before he turned back to Qi Tian.

"That’s several hundred zhang away. How did you know?"

Qi Tian’s heart sank.

Damn.

A Qi Condensation cultivator could extend their divine sense only about fifty zhang at most.

"Uh..."

He kept his expression neutral, searching for an excuse.

"I caught a faint trace of spiritual energy from that direction. Might’ve been nothing."

Cai Zhenyu studied him for two breaths, but didn’t press the matter.

"Let’s go take a look."

He nudged his horse forward and led the way toward the mountainside.

There was no road.

The four rode in that direction for a dozen zhang before the undergrowth grew too dense to pass. Thorny vines tangled across the ground, and even the horses struggled to find a way through.

It was a wilderness, after all. No one was going to build a road through a deserted mountain.

Cai Zhenyu reined in his horse and turned to Chen Er.

"Get someone to clear the way."

Qi Tian and Zhuang Lili turned to look at Chen Er as well.

Cai Zhenyu was the only ninth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator among them. The other three were all at the seventh layer, yet Chen Er accepted the task without hesitation.

"Sure, Senior Brother Cai."

He swung down from his horse, drew the sword from his waist, and took the reins in one hand while gripping the sword in the other. Then he moved to the front and began hacking through the bushes and thorny vines.

Steel flashed with every swing. Dead branches snapped, vines were severed, and pieces of undergrowth fell away.

The other three remained on horseback, following at an easy pace along the narrow path Chen Er cleared behind him.

After half a shichen , they were only halfway there.

Sweat had begun to bead on Chen Er’s forehead. His swings were noticeably slower now, and his breathing had grown heavier.

Cai Zhenyu had already been unhappy with their pace. Seeing this, he frowned.

"Too slow."

He reached into his storage pouch, pulled out a sword, and tossed it to Chen Er.

"Use mine."

It was only a first-tier mid-grade sword, but its blade was considerably sharper. Compared with Chen Er’s low-grade steel sword, it was in an entirely different league.

Chen Er hurriedly caught it.

The sword felt heavier in his hand, its edge gleaming coldly in the dim light. Cutting through the thorny vines suddenly became much easier.

Seeing this, Zhuang Lili also reached into her storage pouch and pulled out two yellow talismans.

"Senior Brother Chen, catch!"

She slapped them onto his back.

The talismans flashed.

One dissolved into a warm current that spread through his limbs, restoring his strength. The other sent a surge of power through his arms, making his muscles tense as his strength increased sharply.

Chen Er’s spirits lifted.

His sword began moving like a gust of wind, and the pace at which he cleared the path more than doubled.

Less than half a shichen later, Qi Tian heard a rustle somewhere ahead.

He pushed aside the bushes and peered through a gap. Beyond them lay a clearing hacked out of the dense undergrowth, where several figures and a few demonic beasts had gathered.

"Who’s there?!"

The shout rang out. Weapons flashed into the group’s hands as one, while two massive combat-type demonic beasts lowered themselves and let out deep, threatening growls.

Qi Tian and the others had made no effort to hide their presence. They had been spotted long ago.

Cai Zhenyu, the strongest among the four, was the first to dismount. He strode forward, with Qi Tian following close behind.

Only when they drew nearer did Qi Tian get a proper look at the group.

They wore dark-green brocade robes, each bearing an embroidered beast-claw emblem on the chest, with a single star beneath it.

Four of them were at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation.

Another was a young man at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. He appeared to be the leader of the group.

The young man glanced over the four Falling Cloud Sect disciples, and the tension in his expression eased.

"So you’re from the Falling Cloud Sect."

He sheathed his sword first, then waved for the others to lower their weapons as well.

Qi Tian turned to Zhuang Lili and asked quietly, "Who are they?"

"The Beast Tamer Association."

Qi Tian had never heard of the association before. But the idea was simple enough.

Another organization like the Appraiser Association and the Formation Association.

Ten thousand years ago, beast taming had belonged to a handful of sects. Now, even beast taming had become an organized profession.

From the way they conducted themselves, the Falling Cloud Sect and the Beast Tamer Association seemed to have a fairly good relationship.

After all, their Windchaser Horses had been rented from the Beast Hall, and the Falling Cloud Sect’s handbook clearly stated that Elder Ma, the Beast Hall Master, was a two-star beast tamer.

The young man cupped his hands, his smile courteous.

"May I ask what brings you here?"

Before he could finish, Zhuang Lili jumped in.

"We took a commission from the Hundred Herbs Hall. We’re here to deal with a Crimson-Scaled Beast."

Qi Tian’s mouth twitched.

He sighed inwardly.

This girl really did talk too much.

The young man paused.

"A commission? How much is the reward?"

"Five—"

Zhuang Lili had barely gotten the word out.

"Shut up!"

Cai Zhenyu whipped around and glared at her.

The young man watched the exchange, then broke into laughter, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"What a coincidence. We happen to be after that same Crimson-Scaled Beast. How about we capture it for you? It’s a second-rank demonic beast, after all. I’m afraid it might be a little too much for you junior brothers and sisters to handle."

Zhuang Lili’s eyes lit up. She was just about to thank him when she caught Cai Zhenyu’s murderous glare.

The words died in her throat.

The young man took it all in and laughed even harder.

"Hahaha. Of course, we’ll help you collect the reward too."

The four Beast Tamer Association disciples behind him joined in the laughter.

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