I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Don't miss this exciting chapter: Chapter 33 - Feeding Little Gold! Demon Blood Grass! Plotting the Forbidden Land's Inheritance! Full text available, click here.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Feeding Little Gold! Demon Blood Grass! Plotting the Forbidden Land's Inheritance!

……

In a secluded crevice hidden by layers of natural vines and boulders, Zhou Ding released Xiao Jin to keep watch on the outside and began to take stock of all his gains since entering the Crimson Forbidden Land.

Jade boxes, jade bottles, and various containers were spread out on the ground, shimmering with spiritual light and filled with the fragrance of medicine.

He roughly counted that the number of various medicinal herbs had reached more than seventy!

Among them are rare specimens that are three hundred years old, and one that is nearly five hundred years old.

This achievement, if placed in any Blood Trial, would be enough to make one stand out from the crowd.

Zhou Ding's heart stirred slightly.

Li Huayuan's promise before entering the forbidden area.

The one who makes the greatest contribution can be accepted as a personal disciple after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Becoming a direct disciple of a Core Formation cultivator means having a powerful backer after reaching Foundation Establishment, and that one's cultivation techniques, resources, and guidance far surpass those of ordinary disciples.

This means that in this vast Yellow Maple Valley, he no longer has to be a rootless, drifting scion of a lowly noble family.

This was too tempting for him, who had no background or connections.

Given his current harvest of medicinal herbs, this first place in the contribution list should be a sure thing.

"However... handing them all over is really a bit of a shame."

Zhou Ding frowned slightly as he looked at the pile of priceless medicinal herbs in front of him.

He was well aware of the rules regarding the forbidden area.

Upon departure, the sect will send a special spirit beast to inspect the storage bags of each disciple. All spiritual herbs older than a hundred years must be handed over for unified distribution, except for a small amount reserved by the sect for personal use.

In other words, these elixirs do not belong to him.

unless……

His gaze fell on Little Gold, who was squatting to the side, licking the bloodstains off its paws.

For human cultivators, the medicinal properties of elixirs are complex and must be refined into pills before consumption; otherwise, not only will the medicinal properties be wasted, but there may also be adverse effects.

But demonic beasts are different.

Monsters possess incredibly strong bodies and digestive abilities far surpassing those of humans. Many rare and precious materials that are difficult for humans to absorb directly can be swallowed whole by monsters and transformed into pure cultivation power.

Rather than handing over these spiritual herbs to the sect for nothing, it would be better to...

Zhou Ding no longer hesitated and carefully selected from the pile of spiritual herbs.

Rare items that are too old should be kept and handed over to the authorities in order to compete for the top contribution.

But those medicinal herbs that are two or three years old, have mild medicinal properties, and primarily strengthen the body's foundation or cleanse the marrow and bones...

He selected three plants: a 300-year-old Purple Spirit Ginseng to replenish qi and blood; a 280-year-old Pure Spirit Flower to remove impurities and purify demonic power; and a 400-year-old Dragon Saliva Grass, which, although not of the highest grade, is superior in its potent medicinal properties and has a remarkable effect on strengthening the physical body.

"Come here, Xiao Jin."

Little Jin came closer, its golden eyes flashing, seemingly sensing the pure medicinal power contained in these spiritual herbs.

It sniffed the purple-leaf ginseng, opened its mouth, and began to chew it, swallowing it in a few bites.

A moment later, Xiao Jin let out a burp, and a faint red aura emanated from its body, which then slowly receded.

It blinked, its spirits noticeably lifted, and its tail was held high.

"It works." Zhou Ding nodded in satisfaction.

He wasn't greedy; a few medicinal herbs were enough for the little gold to absorb and adapt to on its first feeding. Gradual progress was the right way.

After carefully storing the remaining medicinal herbs, Zhou Ding swallowed a pill and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

……

One day later.

Ring mountain range.

This is an area surrounded by low hills with complex terrain, and it is also one of the areas with the most concentrated spiritual herb resources in the second layer of the Crimson Forbidden Land.

Zhou Ding's figure moved silently among the dense forest and rocks.

With the Cloud-Stepping Boots, his speed was as fast as a ghost, yet he was completely silent.

Wherever his figure passed, not even a single fallen leaf was stirred, leaving only a faint afterimage.

His goal for this trip was clear.

According to a hand-drawn map found in the storage bag of the Qi Refining 13th level cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain, there is a hidden cave not far ahead, where a rare spiritual herb called "Demon Blood Grass" grows.

This herb has miraculous effects on demonic beasts, greatly enhancing their physical strength and even having a certain chance of purifying their bloodline.

A look of eagerness flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes.

He was determined to obtain the elixir that could enhance Xiao Jin's strength.

A moment later, he stopped in front of a mountain wall covered by thick vines.

Behind the vines, a narrow opening, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, was faintly visible.

"This is it."

Zhou Ding probed the cave with his divine sense and confirmed that there was no aura of cultivators or obvious fluctuations of demonic beasts inside.

But he did not go in immediately.

He darted behind a boulder about half a person's height and held his breath.

At the same time, Xiao Jin, who was lurking underground, gave a clear response from his Earth Hearing Technique.

An aura was rapidly approaching from afar, with a clear target and considerable speed.

Zhou Ding's eyes turned slightly cold.

A few breaths later, a figure in blue appeared in front of the cave entrance.

He was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in the attire of the Spirit Beast Mountain, and his cultivation level was at the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

He looked around warily, and after confirming that no one was around, an undisguised joy appeared on his face.

"Looks like I'm in luck; this place hasn't been discovered yet," the young man muttered to himself, and stepped into the cave.

Just as he stepped into the cave entrance, his back foot still dangling in mid-air—

"call out!"

A jet-black blade of light, as thin as a crescent moon, shot out silently from the shadows behind him!

The angle was tricky, and the speed was like a ghost!

Yin Wind Blade!

The young man's pupils contracted sharply, and his protective aura activated in response, but the blade light tore through this thin defense as easily as cutting tofu, heading straight for the back of his neck!

At the same time, the soil beneath his feet suddenly exploded!

A gray figure burst from the ground, its claws, covered in dark light, viciously slashing upwards towards his crotch!

The young man didn't even have time to let out a complete scream.

He was fatally struck in two vital areas almost simultaneously. His body stiffened abruptly, his eyes filled with horror and resentment, before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Zhou Ding emerged from behind the boulder, grabbed the storage bag from the young man's waist, and simultaneously launched a fireball that landed on the corpse.

"Once you reach the second level, every cultivator you encounter could be an enemy."

His expression was calm, and his heart was completely unmoved.

The Bloodstained Forbidden Land is a battlefield where life and death are inevitable.

If he doesn't kill others, others will kill him.

Strike first and you'll have the upper hand; strike later and you'll suffer the consequences!

After confirming that the body had been completely burned, Zhou Ding turned and slipped into the cave.

The cave was not large, about three zhang in diameter. Moss with a pale blue glow grew on the cave walls, providing dim lighting.

Zhou Ding's gaze passed over these and landed on the small patch of spiritual soil in the center of the cave that had clearly been carefully maintained.

On the sacred land, several small grasses, their bodies entirely blood red, their leaves like needles, exuding a faint scent of blood mixed with sweetness, swayed gently.

Demon Blood Grass!

Three plants, two of which are over 100 years old, and the one in the middle is noticeably thicker, with golden-thread-like patterns appearing on the edges of its leaves—over 300 years old!

Before Zhou Ding could even feel happy, a deep roar echoed through the cave.

Beside the spirit land, a bear-shaped monster, as large as a calf and covered with jet-black fur, slowly stood up.

Its crimson eyes were fixed on the intruder, saliva dripping from its mouth, and its fangs bared.

A first-level high-ranking monster, the Ironbacked Violent Bear.

Without wasting words, Zhou Ding directly unleashed the Golden Blade and simultaneously controlled Little Gold to launch a surprise attack from underground.

After a while.

The ironbacked bear crashed to the ground.

Zhou Ding put away the somewhat dim golden blade and rubbed his arm, which was numb from the force of the impact.

This beast has thick skin and amazing defense; it took three sword strikes from him to die, making it much more troublesome than other monsters of the same level.

He walked to the spirit soil, took out the jade box, and carefully dug up the three demon blood grasses, roots and all, and sealed them away.

"This 300-year-old plant should be very useful for purifying Xiao Jin's bloodline," Zhou Ding nodded in satisfaction.

He swiftly removed all the valuable materials from the Ironback Bear—its gallbladder, paws, and pelt—and then launched a fireball to destroy the evidence. Without lingering, he vanished from the cave.

……

For the next half day, Zhou Ding moved silently through the ring-shaped mountain range like a ghost.

With Xiao Jin's Earth Listening Technique as his "God's Vision," he can sense any cultivator or demon beast within a radius of several thousand meters in advance.

In this region teeming with spiritual herbs and teeming with demonic beasts, this ability is nothing short of a game-changer.

He didn't kill everyone he saw.

When encountering an ordinary cultivator with only the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining, whose aura is weak and who is clearly barely alive, Zhou Ding would choose to communicate and persuade them to retreat, as long as the other party does not intend to attack.

It's not easy to have survived until now.

His sword does not kill the innocent.

However, if the other party is at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, or has shifty eyes, malicious intentions, or even actively tests you...

Zhou Ding's sword never hesitated.

A cultivator at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining poses too great a threat.

Those who can cultivate to this level are all elites of their respective sects, possessing powerful treasures and ruthless methods. Once an enemy is formed, the consequences will be endless.

As for those guys who were clearly weaker but insisted on competing with him for the elixirs, and even harbored thoughts of killing and stealing the treasures...

All I can say is that they were courting death.

Zhou Ding's tactics were simple and brutal, yet incredibly efficient:

The first step is for Xiao Jin to use his Earth Listening Technique to pinpoint the opponent's location and the surrounding terrain.

The second step is to approach the opponent if they are alone, with Xiao Jin lying in wait on the ground and Yin Feng Blade in hand to launch a sneak attack at any time.

This kind of fighting style would give even a Qi Refining cultivator a headache, let alone a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Seven battles in half a day.

Four battles against cultivators for spiritual herbs, three battles to slay guardian demonic beasts.

Seven wins in a row.

Zhou Ding himself was unharmed, but his storage bag contained the entire fortune of the four cultivators, the precious materials from the three-headed demon beast, and nine ancient spiritual herbs of various kinds.

He found a secluded spot and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

After sorting through his loot, Zhou Ding took out the forbidden area map he had found on the "treasure-collecting woman" and his gaze fell on a special mark.

Deep within the ring-shaped mountain range lies a marked basin.

According to the information in the original work, the stone hall in the center of the basin not only contained a large number of spiritual herbs, but also a treasure chest that had been sealed for many years.

This golden treasure chest is related to the inheritance of the entire Crimson Forbidden Land.

If we can find it...

Zhou Ding put away the map, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.

It's worth exploring.

……

at the same time.

On the other side of the ring mountain, in a secluded valley.

Fifteen cultivators from the Hidden Moon Sect gathered together.

These cultivators included both men and women, with the lowest cultivation level being at least the twelfth level of Qi Refining. They possessed a calm aura and sharp eyes.

Several of them had bulging pouches around their waists, clearly indicating they were carrying valuables.

The one leading the group was a girl who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in white, and floating barefoot.

Nangong Wan.

She stood quietly at the front of the group, her clear, autumn-water-like eyes calm and still, her aura perfectly concealed, making her appear no different from an ordinary Qi Refining 13th level cultivator.

But all the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect looked at her with heartfelt reverence.

"Junior sisters Zhao Qian and Zhao Qing haven't returned yet?" A handsome male cultivator asked with a frown, his tone tinged with unease.

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhao Qian and Zhao Qing, the Twin Beauties of the Hidden Moon Sect, are the personal disciples of Fairy Qing Ning and are recognized as the two strongest Qi cultivators in the Hidden Moon Sect this time.

They and their respective partners had left the main group to act independently, and most of the day had passed.

He should have been back long ago.

"Could something have happened...?" a young female disciple murmured softly.

"What could possibly happen?"

The male cultivator snorted coldly, but his voice was somewhat unnatural: "Junior Sister Zhao Qian possesses several top-grade magic weapons, including the Azure Condensation Mirror and the Devouring Magic Orb. Junior Sister Zhao Qing also has the Golden Sword Talisman bestowed by Fairy Azure Condensation, which are killing moves that can threaten Foundation Establishment cultivators! Even if they encounter top experts from the other six sects and cannot defeat them, they can always escape."

Even so, a barely perceptible worry still flashed in his eyes.

The Crimson Forbidden Land is fraught with uncertainty.

Nangong Wan listened quietly to the discussion, her clear eyes sweeping over the worried or uneasy faces.

She did not explain.

Rules govern forbidden areas; each is subject to fate.

If Zhao Qian and Zhao Qingruo truly perished, it was simply due to their bad luck, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

"There's no need to wait any longer."

She spoke, her voice clear as an icy spring, yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Proceed to the Flaming Dragon Pool as originally planned."

"Flaming Dragon Pool?"

The male cultivator was taken aback: "Uncle-Master, it's said that a top-tier level one demonic beast guards that place, and the terrain is quite complex..."

"That's why the Ganoderma lucidum there has not yet been harvested."

Nangong Wan calmly said, "The Red Essence Ganoderma is about to mature; we can't miss it."

The disciples stood at attention and replied in unison, "Yes, Martial Uncle Nangong!"

Although Nangong Wan's cultivation level has temporarily declined, her seniority and status remain unquestioned, and no one dares to question her in the slightest.

With a gentle wave of her hand, she took the lead and walked into the depths of the valley.

The remaining disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect followed closely behind, their formation orderly and their breaths connected.

This team's strength is enough to crush 99% of the cultivator groups in the forbidden area.

They disdain competing for those ordinary elixirs on the periphery.

Their target from the very beginning was the forbidden depths marked "extremely dangerous" but also containing top-grade elixirs.

With Nangong Wan, a "nominal" Qi Refining cultivator, in charge, any top-tier level one demonic beast or any natural danger zone would be nothing more than easy prey.

Once a natal magic weapon is unleashed, even Foundation Establishment cultivators must give way.

This is the true source of confidence for the Hidden Moon Sect in this bloody trial.

This is also the real reason why Old Monster Qiong dared to gamble the combined spiritual herbs of Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect with the strength of his own sect.