(Finally got this chapter done, but I'm as slow as a turtle! Couldn't even write 3000 words in 5 hours, leaving me speechless to the heavens! Still, I'll try my best to get the next chapter out for you tonight! Seeing how hard Wang Yu is working, please show your support with some votes!)
Though the young girl in white had an innocent, childlike face, her expression was solemn, her entire body enveloped in a strange silver glow that made her appear all the more mysterious and eerie!
What was most astonishing was that the white-clad men and women following behind her all wore expressions of fearful reverence. Not one of them dared whisper or mutter, and the looks they cast toward the girl's retreating figure were filled with profound awe!
Even the haughty girl who had appeared in the sandy terrain and her cultivation partner were among them, but the arrogance on their faces had vanished completely. Just like the others, they didn't dare breathe loudly, looking exceptionally well-behaved and docile.
Suddenly, the elf-like girl leading the group stopped in her tracks. Naturally, the entire procession behind her halted as well.
Just ahead, the view opened up to reveal a deep, green pool. In the center, several black reefs jutted out of the water. Upon them grew over a dozen lustrous, jade-like, mushroom-like plants, conspicuously radiant!
"Is this the place?" The elf-like girl gazed at the pool with interest for a moment before asking crisply without turning around, her voice sounding especially delicate.
"Yes, Ancestor! The high-grade spirit beast, the Azurewater Crocodile, is hiding in the pool. During previous herb-gathering missions to this forbidden ground, one of our sect's disciples met their end in the belly of this beast. However, another managed to escape with their life!" An older-looking female disciple from the Bright Moon Sect stepped forward from the group and replied respectfully, bowing to the elf-like girl.
"Ancestor?" If disciples from the other six sects had heard this, their jaws would surely have dropped!
According to the cultivation world's convention of ranking seniors by realm depth, this elf-like girl would need to be a Core Formation stage cultivator of the Bright Moon Sect to earn such a title! But wasn't this forbidden ground supposed to bar entry to anyone above the Foundation Establishment stage? What was going on? And judging from the expressions of the other Bright Moon disciples, they showed no surprise at all, suggesting they were long aware of the secret!
"Mm! Understood. Step back."
The elf-like girl gave her order imperiously, displaying a capable demeanor utterly mismatched with her age.
She then addressed the others behind her: "Prepare yourselves! Once I lure the Azurewater Crocodile out of the water, you will execute the newly mastered combined secret technique, the 'Yin-Yang Attraction Technique,' striking in pairs. With killing power comparable to the full-strength blow of a Foundation Establishment disciple, eliminating this creature should pose no problem. After that, we'll move on to the next high-grade spirit beast's lair and continue clearing out these spirit herbs that no one dared harvest before!"
The girl's voice wasn't loud, but it brimmed with confidence. Upon hearing her words, none of the male and female disciples showed any sign of doubt, all voicing their agreement.
Seeing this, the elf-like girl turned around, opened her rosebud mouth, and slowly exhaled a pink ring the size of a thumb. It then swelled in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye to the size of a head. It emitted a low hum, its radiance dazzling and incredibly spirited!
Judging from the ring's manner of appearance, the light it radiated, and the vast spiritual energy it contained, this was undoubtedly a genuine magical artifact.
Could this girl truly be a Core Formation cultivator?
Not long after, from within this secret cavern buried a dozen *zhang* underground, a tremendous roar first boomed forth, followed by several low, water-buffalo-like bellows filled with rage. But immediately, a series of thunderous rumbling sounds erupted, causing the bellowing to surge in pitch a few times before swiftly weakening. Then, various other loud crashes and explosions continued to ring out, finally drowning the roar completely, never to be heard again.
Several hours later, the elf-like girl emerged from a hidden cave entrance, leading the male and female disciples of the Bright Moon Sect. The disciples behind her all wore excited expressions, their faces beaming.
This was hardly surprising. The opportunity to slay a First-Rank high-grade spirit beast was not something they, mere Qi Condensation stage rookies, could easily encounter. To have killed that terrifyingly savage-looking Azurewater Crocodile without expending much effort was reason enough for their current excitement.
Of course, had the elf-like girl not used her ring artifact to block the majority of the beast's attacks, they couldn't have ended the battle perfectly without a single casualty. Thus, the awe in their gazes toward the girl only grew deeper!
Yet the girl paid no attention to the stares of the male and female disciples behind her. She still walked ahead with a placid expression, as if slaying a First-Rank high-grade spirit beast was no great matter at all!