Chapter 614 - 421: Harvest

At that moment, Fang Qingyuan felt as if he were holding a sun. The immense power it contained far exceeded anything a Golden Core Cultivator could hope to control.

In the distance, the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast was scared out of its wits. It had never dreamed that Fang Qingyuan, a mere Golden Core Cultivator, could unleash power on this scale. For a moment, the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast began to question its very existence. ’Between the two of us, who’s the one at the Nascent Soul Stage?’

Regardless of what the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast was thinking, Fang Qingyuan was ready. A vast amount of Magical Power converged on the bowstring in his hands. The brilliant light it emitted caused the very air around him to distort, and an illusory arrow of light materialized from nothing.

"Wretched beast, face me!"

Fang Qingyuan roared as the power accumulating in the Taihao City-Breaking Bow grew ever greater. He felt he was about to lose control of it.

Immense power required an equally powerful spirit to command it. A three-year-old wielding a sledgehammer was more likely to hurt himself than his target.

But Fang Qingyuan’s roar came too late. The instant he finished gathering power, the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast trembled with fright. Ignoring the four Star Constellation True Spirit Dharma Aspects entangling it, the beast dove headfirst into the Black Land below.

To the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast, the viscous black earth was like a dark tide. In the blink of an eye, it had burrowed several miles underground.

However, for Fang Qingyuan, this was merely a minor inconvenience.

And so, in the next instant, Fang Qingyuan let go.

The air itself trembled. A shimmering ray of light flashed from Fang Qingyuan’s hands and vanished. In its wake, a bottomless, dark chasm appeared in the Black Land ahead.

Wisps of smoke curled up from the crater’s rim, which was vitrified and smooth as glass. Only then did a deep, muffled clap of thunder echo up from the depths of the earth.

Mingled with the thunder, one could faintly hear the pained screams of the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast. Even though it had burrowed nearly ten miles into the Black Land, it had not completely escaped Fang Qingyuan’s strike.

Although he didn’t know how badly the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast was injured, Fang Qingyuan was certain that if they ever met again, the creature would give him a wide berth.

As for killing it in a single blow, forcibly slaying the beast right here and now... that was a feat beyond the current Fang Qingyuan’s abilities.

Even with the Immortal Mansion as his trump card, Fang Qingyuan had no desire to waste its precious, hard-won energy on this beast.

A Nascent Soul Level Ancient Beast, if driven to fight for its life, would be a terrifying opponent. Even Blood Saber went to great lengths to avoid such a confrontation, and Fang Qingyuan wasn’t foolish enough to rush in headfirst.

Shooting it with one arrow to teach it a long-lasting lesson was like dealing with a vicious, barking dog. When you lack the absolute certainty to kill it, it’s better to give it a solid whack on the head. That way, it runs off with its tail between its legs, and the next time you meet, it will cower and not dare to approach.

Listening to the fading screams of the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast, Fang Qingyuan let out a frustrated sigh. Only then did he realize that his hands were trembling slightly.

That last strike, which far surpassed the Golden Core Level, had been difficult for him to control. Though his spirit was powerful, the Taihao City-Breaking Bow was standard issue for Nascent Soul Cultivators. Wielding it at his cultivation realm of Fifth-Layer Golden Core was inevitably a strain.

Without the aid of the Immortal Mansion, Fang Qingyuan doubted he could have even drawn the bow to its fullest. And even with the Immortal Mansion providing ample Magical Power, after that one shot, he had temporarily lost the ability to fire it again.

With a sigh of resignation, Fang Qingyuan stored the Taihao City-Breaking Bow in his Immortal Mansion, dismissed the four True Spirit Dharma Aspects, and returned to Qiqi and the Jinbao Three Beasts.

Taking the Eight Sceneries Red Dust Palace Lantern from Qiqi’s hands, Fang Qingyuan said with satisfaction,

"That felt good, letting off some steam. Those who dare to betray us must understand the consequences. It’s just a shame that Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast is so tough; even that last strike couldn’t kill it."

Qiqi was left speechless by his words. ’That was a Nascent Soul Ancient Beast! You repelled it so casually, and you’re acting disappointed you couldn’t kill it? Don’t you know what your own cultivation realm is? You’re only at the Fifth-Layer Golden Core!’

The earlier incident with the Blood Saber had already made Qiqi see Fang Qingyuan in a new light, but the man before her now felt like a complete stranger.

Jinbao, however, still wore its usual dorky expression. It seemed that in its eyes, nothing Fang Qingyuan did was worth making a fuss over. ’My master is the most powerful. Isn’t that just how it should be? What’s so surprising?’

"Alright, we shouldn’t delay. Let’s head back and report. We’ve been out for half a year; I wonder how the sect is faring."

Fang Qingyuan had been deep in the Barbaric Wilderness for half a year. Although he had informed the sect and left some reserves behind, most of the Qingyuan Sect’s output now relied on the Immortal Mansion. If he were away for an extended period, the resources within the Immortal Mansion couldn’t be withdrawn. If that situation dragged on, the Qingyuan Sect’s finances would most likely collapse.

Thinking of his sect, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration. He had considered letting go, but in the end, he knew that without his support, the Qingyuan Sect was nothing special.

It would be just another ordinary sect. Even with its unique expertise in raising insect-beasts, in a place like White Mountain, which was teeming with talented people, it was nothing special.

They would struggle just to support the entire sect, let alone enjoy their current prestige. Because of this, Fang Qingyuan’s feelings about the Qingyuan Sect’s situation were deeply conflicted.

After a moment’s thought, and confirming that nothing was left behind, Fang Qingyuan took Qiqi, Jinbao, and the three Spirit Beasts including the Confusion Insect, and flew quickly toward Bear Wind’s territory.

...

At a place where the Barbaric Wilderness bordered the Black Land, Bear Wind’s massive body was fast asleep, snoring loudly inside a newly excavated cavern.

Suddenly, his ears, which looked small relative to his size, pricked up. After twitching a few times, Bear Wind awoke from his slumber.

With a single swipe of his paw, he tore open the roof of the cavern and emerged at the border. In his line of sight, the distant figures of Fang Qingyuan and the three Spirit Beasts were rapidly approaching.

"Brother Xiong, long time no see! Sorry to have kept you waiting, haha."

Fang Qingyuan approached Bear Wind, lantern in hand, and greeted him warmly.

Bear Wind’s gaze flickered over the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern in Fang Qingyuan’s hand. Qiqi and the Confusion Insect automatically moved to stand behind him. Then, Bear Wind spoke.

"I heard you struck it rich, kid. You must have made quite a haul from this trip into the Black Land. Seeing as we put in our fair share of the work, why don’t we settle the score now?"

Fang Qingyuan’s smile froze. Qiqi, who was now behind Bear Wind, lowered her head in shame. As a Golden Core Spirit Beast who had been by Bear Wind’s side for many years, she naturally had a discreet way of contacting him.

Qiqi simply hadn’t expected Bear Wind to be so blunt and tactless, demanding to split the spoils right off the bat. ’Then again,’ she thought, ’perhaps it’s not that Bear Wind is being too blunt, but that my own way of thinking has unknowingly started to drift toward a human perspective after all this time with Fang Qingyuan.’

"Settle up? Of course, we’ll settle up. Even brothers must keep their accounts clear. But Brother Xiong, this isn’t the right place. How about we go to your cave residence?"

A grin spread across Bear Wind’s large face. He slung an arm around Fang Qingyuan and gave Jinbao a friendly pat, displaying a familiar attitude.

"Is that thing in your hand alright? Do you need me to help you keep an eye on it?"

Fang Qingyuan shook his head. The Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern was currently connected to his mind, and he didn’t want to simply hand it over to Bear Wind. While they were allies, an alliance must be tested by time to be truly validated, and the alliance between the Qingyuan Sect and Bear Wind’s faction was precisely what lacked such a test.

"No need to trouble you, Brother Xiong. This Ghost Cultivator is quite sensible."

"That’s good. This time, you must stay at my place for a good few days."

And so, Fang Qingyuan and Bear Wind walked arm in arm back to the very cave where Fang Qingyuan had previously undergone his tribulation. Looking at the vaguely familiar scenery, Fang Qingyuan had yet to feel nostalgic, but Bear Wind was already sighing with emotion.

"I’ve lived in this place for several hundred years, and soon I’ll have to give it up to someone else. Your brother here is feeling quite miserable."

Hearing Bear Wind’s lament, Fang Qingyuan could only remain silent. The situation was beyond their control. For a territory coveted by the Beast Taming Sect, the fact that Bear Wind managed to escape with his relative freedom was already an excellent outcome.

"So, for that reason, seeing as I’m in such a pitiful state, you should give me a bigger share."

Instantly, any trace of sympathy in Fang Qingyuan’s heart vanished. He stared speechlessly at Bear Wind. ’Where’s all that misery from a moment ago? So this is what he was waiting for.’

Next, it was time to take stock of their gains and divide the spoils of war.

Their accounting had to start from the moment Fang Qingyuan entered the Abyss of Black Soil. The items from the first room—the incense burner, the Meditation Cushion, and the leftover incense—were clearly Magical Artifacts used by human Cultivators, in which Bear Wind had no interest.

What interested him most were the various skeletons that Fang Qingyuan had ultimately dredged up from the Abyss of Black Soil by activating the Array Patterns.

This was a collection the Abyss of Black Soil had accumulated over ten thousand years. Thanks to the abyss’s unique environment, coupled with the Spiritual Power still contained within the demon beasts’ skeletons, even remains from thousands of years ago were remarkably well-preserved.

Among the skeletons Fang Qingyuan had unearthed, the least valuable were the remains of Golden Core Demon Beasts, while the most valuable was a Nascent Soul Level ancient elephant, its body standing over a hundred feet tall.

And it was the remains of this Nascent Soul ancient elephant that Bear Wind coveted most.

"There are a total of eight Golden Core Demon Beast skeletons. I’ve made a preliminary assessment of their value based on their completeness, their Cultivation Realm before death, and their species. Brother Xiong, you can have the first pick."

Fang Qingyuan took out the Golden Core Demon Beast skeletons, laying them out over a large patch of ground. But Bear Wind didn’t even spare them a glance. At his current Cultivation Realm, Golden Core Demon Beasts could no longer help him advance further.

"I don’t want anything else, not even that vine. I only want the ancient elephant’s skeleton. How about this: I’ll pass on the two giant tusks. In exchange, can you give me some more of the other bones? After all, I still have so many little cubs who need to advance. The bones of a Nascent Soul Level ancient beast are an incredible tonic."