Puff...

  A burnt odor wafted from the small holes in the alchemy furnace's lid. Even though Pax knew that an alchemist's success rate with an unfamiliar pill wasn't high, his face visibly darkened. Guarding Soren, whose face was swollen like a pig's head from the Azure Bamboo Bee stings, Pax felt his heart rise to his throat.

  Leo showed no change in expression. He casually cast a Water Ball Technique to clean the impurities inside the cauldron. The Blood-Cleansing Pill was a second-grade detoxification spirit pill, one that only a mid-grade alchemist could refine. He had never refined it before.

  However, his success rate for Qi Gathering Pills was already close to fifty percent. In terms of skill, he was undoubtedly a mid-grade alchemist. Typically, pills that enhanced cultivation or sped up progress were more difficult to refine than others. The Blood-Cleansing Pill wasn't particularly hard, and its refinement time was short, only about half an hour.

  After the first batch failed, Leo felt confident. He deftly cleaned the small cauldron and started a second refinement.

  Half an hour passed quickly. A clear, fragrant aroma rose from the furnace, calming one's blood and energy.

  Open the furnace, check the pills!

  Two crystalline, blood-red pills lay inside. One was noticeably fuller and bore two additional pill lines.

  "A mid-grade Blood-Cleansing Pill!" Kai, standing closest, exclaimed first, looking at Leo with astonishment. "Young friend Leo, your skill in pill refining is truly astounding."

  Not just Kai, the others were also stunned. The first batch was a failure, yet he produced a mid-grade pill on the second attempt—something not just any alchemist could do.

  "I told you, Brother Leo is an amazing alchemist. You didn't believe me." Morana said happily, as if she had refined the pill herself.

  "Just luck." Leo smiled faintly and handed the mid-grade Blood-Cleansing Pill to Pax.

  Overjoyed, Pax had thought it would be good enough if Leo could simply produce the pill. He never expected it to be mid-grade. After thanking Leo profusely, Pax quickly mixed the pill with water and fed it to the unconscious Soren.

  "Now that Fellow Daoist Soren has taken the pill, we've delayed long enough. We must hurry, or once it gets dark and we can't reach the loose cultivator gathering point, we'll be in serious trouble. We'll take turns carrying Fellow Daoist Soren on the way." Seeing Soren swallow the pill, Kai announced.

  To make up for lost time, the group moved faster than before. Leo finally understood why threats from other cultivators in the Moonwatch Mountain Range were said to be greater than those from demon beasts. After barely escaping the Azure Bamboo Bees, they encountered several more man-made traps. However, according to Kai and Sasha, who had entered the mountains several times, this small path was less traveled, and the traps here were fewer compared to other areas.

  For example: a fallen corpse with a few spirit stones and a storage pouch scattered nearby. A few conspicuously placed spiritual herbs in strategically dangerous, easily ambushed spots, left unpicked. But upon closer inspection, Leo could faintly see traces of not-yet-dried blood in the grass and signs of a fight not fully erased. Clearly, someone had been ambushed here before them, and likely someone had died.

  Learning from the bee incident, no one in the team recklessly rushed forward anymore. They simply continued their journey, no longer risking it for scattered spiritual materials.

  "Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree!" Passing through a mountain col, Leo spotted a small spiritual sapling growing between several large rocks. It was only about a meter tall, its leaves crimson like human palms, radiating spiritual energy.

  "What? Young friend Leo is interested in the Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree? It only becomes valuable after growing for over a hundred years. We Qi Refining loose cultivators only have a lifespan of about a hundred years. We simply can't wait that long. Besides, it's extremely difficult to transplant successfully. Otherwise, it would have been taken long ago."

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  Kai, positioned in the middle of the group, saw Leo stop and couldn't help but chuckle.

  "Maybe it can succeed. If I don't achieve Foundation Establishment, leaving it for descendants or juniors wouldn't be bad."

  Leo carefully dug out the Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree, avoiding damage to its roots, and, while the others weren't paying attention, sent it into the boundary space.

  Typically, a Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree only became valuable after a century. Ice Silkworms that fed on its hundred-year-old leaves would spit out ice silk, incredibly tough and suitable for weaving into soft armor. Its defensive power was rare among spirit artifacts; ordinary spirit weapons couldn't cut it, and it could even resist certain spell damage, especially against fire-attribute spells, where its effect was more pronounced.

  It could even rival some low-grade magic weapons. For other cultivators, the Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree was somewhat useless. An ordinary Qi Refining cultivator only lived about a hundred years—they simply couldn't wait. If they could last until the tree matured, they'd probably have reached Foundation Establishment anyway.

  And by the Foundation Establishment stage, the defensive power of mid-grade spells wasn't inferior to Ice Silk Silkworm Armor. Therefore, the team viewed this mere few-year-old Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree with disdain. Only cultivation families in Moonwatch Immortal City or well-established families within sects might possess such spiritual items. After all, it would take several generations before a Qi Refining descendant could use it.

  The requirements for the Scarlet-Ice Mulberry Tree were extremely stringent. However, in Leo's view, it was effortless for him. Once transplanted into the boundary space and fertilized with enough spirit stones, he could accelerate its growth and maturity.

  "Brother Leo is quite thoughtful." Pax sighed with feeling.

  The team traveled several hundred miles before a river about forty-five to fifty meters wide blocked their path. As they appeared at the riverbank, ripples formed on the water's surface, and fine waves spread across the clear river.

  Leo focused his gaze and saw several massive green crocodiles lurking in the water. Mature Green Crocodiles were over six meters long. Although only second-grade demon beasts, their physical strength far surpassed cultivators of the same level, even exceeding that of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. If one unfortunately fell into the water, there was a high chance of being torn apart and devoured by the crocodiles.

  The Green Crocodiles seemed to have sensed living beings. Soon, over a dozen crocodiles of varying sizes gathered in this stretch of water.

  "Zen, you led us on this shortcut, and now we face such a danger. Tell us, how do we cross now?" Skyler swung his iron rod angrily, glaring at Zen as if ready to fight if he didn't provide a reasonable explanation.

  "Exactly! Our group of nine wouldn't even be enough to fill these crocodiles' teeth gaps if we fell in." Morana retreated fearfully a step, standing between Sasha and Leo, feeling slightly safer.

  "These wretched beasts have a good sense of smell. Fellow Daoists, please remain calm. Since I led everyone on this shortcut, I naturally have a solution." Zen chuckled, took a yellow paper packet from his storage pouch, opened it, and revealed a pack of black powder emitting a strange, faintly fishy odor.

  "Demon-Repelling Powder!" While the others didn't recognize the black powder, Kai cried out in surprise.

  "I obtained this by chance. It's not particularly useful but can disperse low-grade demon beasts. It's far from the real Demon-Repelling Powder, but it's enough to deal with these second-grade Green Crocodiles."

  Zen took a bit of the black powder from the packet and tossed it into the water. The powder dissolved upon contact, and several fist-sized bubbles rose. A fierce, heart-stopping aura spread through the water. The dozen or so Green Crocodiles scattered in panic like startled birds.

  "The aura will only last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Hurry, take advantage now."

  Zen carefully put away the yellow packet, grabbed a green vine from the riverside bushes, and threw it toward a thick, embracing-sized tree on the opposite bank, wrapping it around the trunk. After casting a Lightbody Technique on himself, he pulled hard on the vine, used the water's surface for leverage a few times, and successfully leaped to the opposite shore.

  Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators couldn't fly. Even with Wind Riding Technique, one leap could only cover about fifteen to eighteen meters. Only upon reaching Foundation Establishment could one gain the magical abilities of cloud-soaring or sword flight. However, with the crocodile threat gone and a leverage point available, this forty-five to fifty-meter-wide river couldn't stop the team.

  Leo followed suit, grabbing a vine and using the water's surface for leverage once or twice, also reaching the opposite bank.

  The mid-grade Blood-Cleansing Pill was effective. After traveling for another hour, Soren, who had been knocked out by the bee stings, gradually regained consciousness. He then vomited violently, expelling large amounts of foul-smelling filth—the accumulated toxins in his body. Although he suffered, after vomiting, his blackened complexion improved significantly.

  After traveling another hundred-plus miles, perhaps because they were deeper into the Moonwatch Mountain Range, the surrounding spiritual energy was noticeably denser than when they first left the city. By now, dusk was falling, and the howls and cries of various strange demon beasts grew more frequent in the valleys.

  Following the team, Leo arrived at a valley. Steep cliffs rose on both sides. The valley entrances at both ends were extremely narrow, while the central area was broad, capable of accommodating over a thousand people. It was easily defensible. In such advantageous terrain, if attacked by a horde of demon beasts, the loose cultivators could quickly react and form defensive formations.

  Inside the valley, numerous cultivator teams were dispersed, each occupying a small area. Torches lit all around illuminated the valley brightly.

  "Cockscomb Bloodstone for sale! Only five low-grade spirit stones, or equivalent pills or healing medicine!"

  "Seeking Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment! Willing to pay three low-grade spirit stones, high price sought!"

  "Second-grade demon beast, Black Horned Giant Rhino demon core!"

  Some of the loose cultivators in the valley had been in the mountains for days and had decent gains. Voices seeking medicine due to depleted healing pills or selling herbs and demon cores rose one after another. Leo listened with interest.

  "We've traveled a long way. Everyone is tired. Rest for the night, regain your strength. There might be a fierce fight tomorrow." Kai instructed.

  The cultivators in the valley were roughly divided into three factions. One faction consisted of immortal soldier guards sent from Moonwatch Immortal City. In case the valley was attacked by demon beasts and the loose cultivators were disorganized and lacked unified command, these people would be the backbone of the defense.

  Another faction was made up of adventure teams from Moonwatch Immortal City's cultivation families. These people were equipped with high-quality spirit artifacts. Their spirit blades, swords, and defensive gear were clearly superior.

  The last faction was Leo and the other loose cultivator teams. They were numerous but each had their own calculations. The loose cultivators were scattered, but overall, the three factions were distinctly separated, each occupying a large area.