Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 18 | Danger in Plum Valley Marsh | Novela.app

The outskirts of the Mangyun Mountains were relatively safe, frequented by many commoners who ventured into the peaks to hunt or gather medicinal herbs to sustain their livelihoods. Li Xue and her companions quickly traversed the edge of the perimeter and delved into the deeper reaches of the outskirts. They arrived at a mountain hollow, a valley known as the preferred haunt of the Black Sable. Ji Rufeng sprinkled some medicinal extract across the valley floor—the juice of Yunye Grass, a scent the Black Sables found irresistible. The three of them then chose large trees and concealed themselves within the foliage. After three hours of waiting, an ink-black sable finally appeared. Sables were notoriously cunning, and this one moved with extreme caution, weighing every step. Upon entering the valley, it sniffed around and peered warily at its surroundings. Once it was certain there was no danger, it began to head back out. Li Lin, growing impatient and fearing the creature was escaping, began to circulate his spiritual power for an attack. Suddenly, Ji Rufeng’s voice reached his ears via a private transmission: "Xiao Lin, don't be hasty. The sable might be going back to summon its companions. Wait a bit longer!" At the same time, Li Xue received the same transmission and remained perfectly still. Sure enough, a short while later, a small pack of Black Sables appeared at the valley entrance. The three were thrilled; there were twelve in total, representing twenty-four lower-grade spirit stones. The pack soon reached the center of the valley, where they began to delicately lick the Yunye Grass juice. Li Xue and the others were momentarily uncertain about how to strike. With so many sables, unless they could trap them all at once, they would likely only manage to take down six at most. At this moment, they regretted not having array flags to set up a minor Spirit-Trapping Formation. Using talismans might blast the sables into ash, rendering them worthless. Furthermore, if the entire pack attacked at once, it would be quite a handful for the three of them. Ultimately, they coordinated through voice transmissions, deciding to use Quicksand and Freezing Techniques to mire the sables in the earth and lock them in place, capturing as many as possible. They struck simultaneously. Three streaks of spiritual power erupted, throwing the valley into chaos as the ground suddenly collapsed. Caught off guard, the sables sank into the churning mud. Li Xue and the others moved instantly. Li Xue’s flying sword slashed toward one sable, while Li Lin’s sword was even faster. Ji Rufeng’s Dragon-Binding Rope proved even more formidable, lashing out to ensnare five sables at once. Unfortunately, his spiritual power wasn't quite enough to withstand the combined thrashing of five creatures. Seeing him on the verge of losing his grip, the quick-witted Li Lin finished off his own target and sent his flying sword whistling toward the sables held by the rope. Meanwhile, Li Xue dispatched her target and turned to strike another sable that was attempting to flee the valley. With Li Lin’s help, the sables bound by Ji Rufeng were also dealt with one by one. In total, they secured eight Black Sables, while four managed to escape. It was a fine harvest, and the three were in high spirits. After packing away the sables, they continued their journey. The sables would certainly not return to this valley, so they had to move on. Over the next two days, they encountered no more large packs, managing to hunt only two more individuals. Black Sables weren't difficult to kill, but they were scarce; it was no wonder a single pelt fetched two spirit stones. Their encounter with the pack had been a stroke of pure luck. Left with no other choice, the three headed toward Plum Valley Marsh to harvest Zhi Grass. Plum Valley Marsh was a sprawling wetland where Zhi Grass grew in abundance, looking much like common reeds. Standing at the edge of the marsh, they tried cutting it with ordinary knives, but the blades couldn't even leave a mark. It seemed there was a reason why no one bothered to harvest this grass; using spiritual power to cut grass was exhausting and barely profitable—it was essentially manual labor for pittance. Li Xue and Li Lin both began using their flying swords to reap the Zhi Grass. Any other cultivator seeing this would surely have mocked them for such a mundane use of their weapons, but they had no choice; earning spirit stones was the priority. Ji Rufeng had it even harder; lacking a flying sword, he had to rely on the Ice Blade Technique to cut the stalks. It was a frustrating and somewhat pathetic sight. "Watch out!" Li Lin suddenly roared, grabbing Li Xue and Ji Rufeng and pulling them back as they took flight. A massive black tail swept through the spot where they had just been standing, sending mud flying into the air. The three focused their gaze and saw a Black Python. The python was seven or eight meters long, covered in shimmering black scales. None of them could identify the specific species, but when they used the Spirit Eye Technique, they were shocked. It was a Rank 2 spirit beast, possessing a cultivation level equivalent to the fifth layer of Qi Condensation or higher. Their expressions darkened. An opponent at the fifth layer or above would be an exhausting fight. Ji Rufeng, possessing the most combat experience, immediately shouted directions: "Xiao Lin, strike the seven-inch mark at its head! I’ll bind its tail! Sister Li, use your talismans!" The three attacked instantly. Li Lin summoned his flying sword to pierce the python’s vital spot, while Ji Rufeng’s Dragon-Binding Rope coiled toward its tail. Li Xue, suppressing the ache in her heart at the cost, pulled out a Fireball Talisman, infused it with spiritual energy, and slapped it toward the python’s midsection. Unfortunately, the protective aura of a Rank 2 spirit beast was not so easily broken. Li Lin’s flying sword was deflected by the beast's spiritual shield, and Ji Rufeng was sent flying by a whip of its tail. Seeing the situation turn dire, Li Xue cast aside her frugality. She pulled out five talismans and hurled them all at once toward the python’s head. Seeing the opening, Li Lin once again directed his flying sword at the seven-inch mark. A sharp crack was followed by a thunderous explosion. Li Lin hastily recalled his sword and rushed over to grab Li Xue, pulling her away as they retreated. Only after the rumbling ceased did the three return to the edge of the marsh. They stood there, stunned. Only about six meters of the python’s body remained; its head had been completely vaporized. Ji Rufeng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, while Li Xue’s heart was practically bleeding. Five talismans—gone, just like that. Even the python’s head was destroyed. She sternly warned herself that next time she had to be more careful; three talismans probably would have sufficed. She had wasted two extra—and how many spirit stones did that represent?