The night was cool as water. Lü Zhong slowly opened his eyes, helplessness written all over his face.
Without the abundant Spiritual Qi of the Qingliu Ruins, cultivation was a struggle. Forget about practicing his Cultivation Technique; even absorbing nature's spiritual energy to restore his Spiritual Power was incredibly difficult.
He had been meditating since dusk, a full six hours, yet he had only managed to recover half of his Spiritual Power.
'No wonder most residents had no intention of leaving Qingliu Ruins, even after the Demon Cultivator invasion. A Land of Spiritual Energy suitable for cultivation is simply too rare. I bet that once the trouble at the Ruins Market is over, most of the people who fled will go right back.' Thinking of this, Lü Zhong couldn't help but lament how arduous the path of cultivation was.
The four pillars of cultivation were wealth, companionship, technique, and location. Although location was listed last, it was only slightly less important than the other three.
If a suitable place to cultivate was this crucial, the impact of wealth, companions, and techniques must be immense—far more than just words could describe.
As he thought of this, he suddenly remembered the ring he had found that afternoon and quickly rummaged for it.
The ring was made of brass, with a tawny Crystal Stone set into its surface. The band was engraved with intricate patterns and emitted a faint glow.
Inside the brass ring's band were four tiny characters.
"Small Earth Spirit Ring?"
Lü Zhong read the four words aloud, his expression shifting from confusion to elation.
'Could this be a Magical Artifact?'
If so, then he had truly hit the jackpot!
Best of all, the Small Earth Spirit Ring appeared to be a Defensive Magical Artifact, which was even more valuable than an Attack Magical Artifact.
Calming himself, Lü Zhong tried to infuse his Spiritual Power into the Spirit Ring.
As he poured in his Spiritual Power, the Small Earth Spirit Ring began to glow with a faint tawny light. It quickly formed a man-sized, tawny-colored shield that completely enveloped him.
He poked it curiously and discovered it was a one-way shield. 'So the Small Earth Spirit Ring's only function must be to create this protective barrier,' he thought.
He tested it and found the Little Earth Spirit Shield wasn't very strong. It would probably dissipate after blocking a single Magic Skill.
'Even so, it's still a Magical Artifact!' Overjoyed, Lü Zhong couldn't bring himself to put it down. He slipped it onto his finger, a small guarantee for his safety.
GRUMBLE!
The large drain on his Magical Power, combined with having not eaten all afternoon, made his stomach start to growl.
'Let's see... what is there to eat around here?'
Lü Zhong remembered seeing what looked like a vegetable patch by the stream when he first entered the valley.
The patch was overgrown with weeds, but he thought he'd spotted some root vegetables.
Following his memory, he started searching for the patch.
The moonlight was dim tonight, frequently obscured by dark clouds, making it difficult to see.
Fortunately, his body had been nourished by Spiritual Qi over a long period. While his vision wasn't good enough to see in total darkness, he could still make out the valley's features by the faint moonlight. At least he wasn't completely blind.
Perhaps because it wasn't yet the height of summer, the valley was eerily quiet. Not even the chirping of insects could be heard.
At first, he didn't think anything of it.
But then a faint sound came from behind him, and a chill shot down his spine.
On instinct, Lü Zhong activated the shield from his Small Earth Spirit Ring.
Almost at the same instant, there was a loud BANG! A tremendous force struck him from behind, sending him and his shield flying.
The tawny shield was spherical, and he tumbled inside it for some distance before coming to a stop.
Dizzy and disoriented, Lü Zhong stabilized himself and looked up, only to gasp in horror.
Just then, the clouds parted, bathing the area in moonlight. A massive Demon Beast with glowing crimson eyes and a body covered in cyan-brown scales slowly emerged from the darkness.
Its scales were as coarse as tree bark, caked with hardened mud and resin that offered some degree of Defense. Its streamlined body was as lithe and powerful as a leopard's, and its massive, eleven-foot-long frame was incredibly intimidating.
A pair of fangs, as long as daggers, glinted like metal in the Moonlight.
'A Cyan Scale Leopard!'
Lü Zhong's heart skipped a beat as he instantly identified the beast.
The Cyan Scale Leopard was a Demon Beast native to the Yanling Mountains. Its hide was a prime material for crafting Lower-grade Dharma Robes, and its fangs were used to forge Magical Artifacts. For these reasons, they were a favorite target of Beast Hunting Cultivators.
He never imagined he would run into one here.
While the Cyan Scale Leopard was only a Tier One Demon Beast, its power was equivalent to a Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator—far beyond what someone at the mere Qi Refining Second Layer like him could handle.
Forget dealing with it; Lü Zhong doubted he could even land a single blow.
The problem was, he couldn't turn and run. Any sign of fear would only excite the beast further.
'What should I do?' Lü Zhong's mind raced with panic. His gaze kept darting to his left, toward Li Dong's cave. 'There are no lights on. Don't tell me he hasn't noticed what's happening?'
He tightened his grip on the Fireball Talisman, but he had no confidence he could hit the agile leopard with it.
All leopards were as swift as the wind, let alone a Tier One Demon Beast like the Cyan Scale Leopard.
Honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if it suddenly sprouted wings and took flight.
A low growl rumbled from the Cyan Scale Leopard's throat.
It was clearly growing impatient.
It pawed restlessly at the dirt, each swipe of its claws digging a deep furrow. When a claw scraped against a stone, it sent a shower of sparks into the air.
The sight made Lü Zhong tremble. 'If one of those claws hits me,' he thought, 'what will be left of me?'
'At the very least, I'd probably lose a few pounds of flesh, right?'
The Cyan Scale Leopard circled its prey a few times. Seeing that its target wasn't fleeing or revealing any openings, it finally lost its patience.
It coiled its muscular body and then shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Just then, a loud shout came from the side.
"Strike!"
Several Ice Crystal Long Spears shot out from the side, aimed straight for the Cyan Scale Leopard.
Sensing the danger, the Cyan Scale Leopard twisted impossibly in mid-air, nimbly dodging most of the Ice Spears. Only one managed to strike its hind leg, causing it to let out a pained roar.
Lü Zhong was the closest, and the roar nearly shattered his eardrums.
He'd thought he was about to die. Thankfully, Li Dong had arrived just in time.
"What are you standing there for? Help me drive it away!" Li Dong shouted as he gracefully descended the earthen slope, longsword in hand.
Li Dong's shout jolted Lü Zhong back to his senses. He quickly raised his long saber, activated the Little Earth Spirit Shield once more, and moved to flank the beast.
Having mastered no Attack Magic skills, it was impossible for Lü Zhong to injure the Cyan Scale Leopard with his current strength. His only role was to distract the beast and create an opening for Li Dong.
And that's exactly what Lü Zhong did, shouting and making noise to keep the Cyan Scale Leopard's attention divided.
Meanwhile, Li Dong clutched several Talismans, his eyes fixed on the beast, searching for the perfect moment to strike.
The two sides remained in a standoff for some time.
Then, with a roar, the Cyan Scale Leopard suddenly leaped away.
It shot one last glance at the two men before vanishing into the darkness.
Seeing this, Lü Zhong's heart sank. 'This is bad.'
'Cyan Scale Leopards are extremely vengeful. It failed its hunt and got injured; it's definitely going to hold a grudge against us. That last look... it was memorizing our faces to get its revenge later.'
"Don't worry about it. We're leaving tomorrow anyway," Li Dong said calmly, noticing Lü Zhong's concern.
He knew much more about Cyan Scale Leopards. Once one of these Demon Beasts suffered a setback, it wouldn't attack again unless it was certain of victory. In other words, it wouldn't come back for them until after its wound had healed.
By the time the Cyan Scale Leopard recovered, the two of them would be long gone. Why would they fear the beast coming for revenge then?
Back in the stone cave, Lü Zhong didn't dare to fall asleep. He spent the rest of the night on edge.
He only dared to relax slightly when dawn broke.
Bright sunlight poured into the valley, chasing away the remnants of the night's fog.
Sporting dark circles under his eyes, Lü Zhong walked to the small stream, splashed the clear, cool water on his face, and instantly felt more alert.
When he looked over at Li Dong's cave, the man was already walking out, carrying the young boy.
'Who is that boy to him? They don't look like flesh and blood. Why would he keep carrying him while on the run?' Lü Zhong wondered, but he had no intention of asking Li Dong and risk angering the man.
He could tell that Li Dong was, at his core, a cold and ruthless person.
His earlier willingness to part with an Evil Exorcism Talisman was likely just a ploy to find a partner to escape the perilous Qingliu Ruins with.
As for saving him last night, he probably feared that if Lü Zhong died, he wouldn't be able to manage on his own.
Perhaps the only person Li Dong truly cared about was the young boy.