Mortal: Starting by looting Han Laomo's entire herb garden

"Who goes there!"

Lei Jing shouted and turned around abruptly, his dark blue escape light surging, blocking Jin Ming behind him.

Jin Ming reacted quickly, his body radiating golden lightning. He pushed off the ground with his four hooves and stood back-to-back with the Thunder Whale, ready for battle.

The golden light dissipated, revealing a robust old man.

He was broad-shouldered and burly, with a head of messy white hair, a fierce face, and piercing eyes.

Golden light flowed around him, his muscles were bulging, and he stood there like an iron tower, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

Thunder Whale's pupils shrank sharply; it was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the human race.

Although he lived in the open sea for many years and knew little about human cultivators, he would never mistake the aura of a Nascent Soul level expert.

As for who the other party was, he didn't care and was too lazy to find out.

But that murderous intent was directed at him.

"Young Master, run!" Thunder Whale roared.

Jin Ming gritted his teeth and transformed into a golden bolt of lightning, fleeing into the distance.

He knew that staying would only be a burden; a level seven cultivator couldn't even withstand a single move from a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

The burly old man didn't even glance at Jin Ming, who had escaped. He just stared at the Thunder Whale and grinned, "A level eight transformed Thunder Whale... I've been looking for you for years, and I've finally caught you."

Lei Jing snorted coldly, dark blue lightning exploding around his body, and arcs of electricity crackling on the bluish-black whale skin around his neck. He sized up his opponent, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Hmph! You humans, taking advantage of our demon race's infighting, barely managed to carve out a piece of land in this chaotic star sea through scheming and trickery. Do you really think you're qualified to be the masters of this sea?" Thunder Whale's voice was deep: "You dare to venture into the outer sea alone? You're simply courting death."

Upon hearing this, the robust old man threw his head back and laughed heartily, his voice booming so loudly that it shook the sea.

"I wouldn't dare claim to dominate the seas." He stopped laughing, cracked his wrists, and golden light shot into the sky. "But crushing you is enough!"

Lei Jing's expression darkened, and he stopped talking nonsense.

The dark blue lightning and the golden spiritual light of the burly old man erupted simultaneously, the two beams of light colliding violently and creating a monstrous wave.

On the sea, golden and blue light intertwined and collided, each collision creating a shockwave that dispersed seawater from several miles around in all directions.

-----

Lu Yan stealthily made his way to the edge of the Demon Beast Sea Abyss, where he sensed intense spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the distant sea surface.

Golden and blue light intertwined and collided, creating towering waves; the earth-shattering pressure could be felt even from a great distance.

Mid-stage Nascent Soul stage.

Lu Yan's lips twitched, and he was speechless.

He just wanted to get the ten-thousand-year-old fire coral smoothly and finish things peacefully like a running account. Why does he always encounter this kind of thing?

Lu Yan sighed and cast a divination.

It was a close call, but no real danger.

Okay, at least I won't die.

He ignored the distant battle that had nothing to do with him and turned to face the abyss.

A pitch-black rift stretched out before us, a chilling wind rising from its depths, carrying with it a strong, salty, and pungent stench.

Lu Yan cast a water-avoidance spell, a layer of blue light enveloped his entire body, and he leaped into the darkness.

The seawater was blocked by the light barrier, and all that could be heard was the dull sound of flowing water. It was pitch black all around, with only a few fireflies occasionally flashing on the cave walls.

He descended to a depth of about three thousand feet, and with a sweep of his divine sense, he indeed discovered a hidden cave entrance on the side wall.

The cave entrance is hidden by natural reefs, making it difficult to find without prior knowledge.

Lu Yan concealed his aura and slid in silently like a fish.

The cave was much more spacious than he had imagined.

The passage is flanked by naturally formed stone walls, polished smooth as a mirror by the flowing water.

He walked several dozen feet along the passage, and suddenly the view ahead opened up.

A cave, several tens of feet in diameter, had several luminous pearls embedded in its walls, illuminating the entire room.

Lu Yan stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped into the cave.

Two people were standing in the center of the cave.

No, to be precise, it was a person and a monster.

The monster was entirely golden, shaped like a lion, with a dragon's head, a lion's body, and a tail like a qilin, with golden lightning arcs swirling around it.

It was the young master of the Suanni clan. He left the battlefield on the Thunder Whale's side and came directly here.

Standing before him was a gaunt man.

His hair was disheveled, with a head of green hair hanging down to his waist. His face was pale, his eyes were sunken, and he wore a dark green robe. He exuded a cold and damp aura.

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Damn it, a demon in human form.

He cursed Jiang Xingzhou inwardly, calling him a scumbag. What happened to the promised level seven demon beast?

The green-haired man was the first to notice him.

"Humans?"

He tilted his head and looked Lu Yan up and down.

"A human actually managed to get this far?" Mu Tianyan smirked, revealing a set of sharp teeth. "They do have some skill."

He said this in a light, casual tone, as if he were commenting on the appearance of a dish.

Then he turned away and stopped looking at Lu Yan.

To him, a human cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation was no different from food.

Jin Ming, however, glanced at Lu Yan a couple more times.

A golden arc of lightning flickered in his mane, his gaze filled with curiosity, but more so with scrutiny.

A human in the late stage of Core Formation, running alone to the depths of the outer sea, to the cave of an eighth-level transformed demon, is either insane or has something to rely on.

However, Jin Ming didn't rush to speak; he wanted to see what this person was up to first.

The green-haired man had already cupped his hands in greeting to Jin Ming, a fawning smile plastered on his face, a smile so obsequious that even Lu Yan found it hard to look directly at him.

"Young Master Jinming, your presence is an honor. I, Mu Tianyan, have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

Jin Ming nodded slightly, his tone polite but reserved: "Fellow Daoist Mu, you are too kind. You have already taken human form and are a dignified eighth-level demon. There is no need for such formalities."

Mu Tianyan was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly, "Young Master, you are too kind. I am merely a lucky person who has taken human form. How could I dare to be on equal footing with you? The Suanni clan has a noble bloodline. It is already a great blessing for me to be able to associate with them."

Jin Ming smiled but didn't respond to that question. Instead, he asked, "You asked the Thunder Whale to deliver a message saying you had something to offer?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Mu Tianyan rubbed his hands together, his face full of eagerness: "I was fortunate enough to transform into human form a few years ago, and I have long admired the Suanni clan, but I have no way to do so. It is really presumptuous of me to invite the young master here this time."

"It's alright," Jin Ming said calmly. "The fact that you thought of the Suanni clan shows that you are a sensible person. Such a talent is certainly not someone our Suanni clan would turn away."

Mu Tianyan was overjoyed and quickly took out a jade box from her storage bag and opened it.

Inside lay a fiery red coral, its entire body crystal clear, with faint golden patterns flowing across its surface, radiating an astonishing aura.

"This item is called Golden Mother Coral Sand, a sacred object for body refinement." Mu Tianyan carefully presented the jade box to Jin Ming:

"I only obtained this plant by chance. It's not very useful to a clam spirit like me who focuses on mental attacks, but it should be quite valuable to the young master's Suanni clan."

Jin Ming glanced down, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

Golden Mother Coral Sand is indeed a good thing for body tempering, and it is exactly what he urgently needs.

He was about to speak.

"etc."

Lu Yan spoke.

Both of them looked at him at the same time.

Lu Yan stared at the jade box, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Golden mother coral sand?

Because he understood the language of the demon race, and the two demons hadn't tried to hide their conversation from him, he roughly understood what was going on.

He was destined to have this.

It's a very special connection.