Chapter Thirty-One: Agudo

The spiritual energy here was thin and harsh, saturated with the stench of decaying marshes. This was no place for cultivation; opportunities were scarce, and even finding a single spiritual herb would be difficult.

His first priority was to leave this swamp forest and head for open ground.

The dense trees and undergrowth obscured his sight. The suppression of heaven and earth here was so powerful that, though a Foundation Establishment cultivator could normally extend his divine sense for several miles, here it barely reached ten meters.

Chu Tiange even attempted to take flight, but failed. After orienting himself, he chose to head east.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept through, making the trees around him rustle and their branches tremble violently.

A chill enveloped him.

A long spear shot past his ear like a bolt of thunder.

At the same time, there was a sharp hiss from the undergrowth behind him.

Chu Tiange looked up to see a dark-skinned woman standing on a branch ten meters away, holding a short blade and watching him with a cold gaze.

Her eyes were a startling shade of silver.

"An outsider!"

He had long heard that there were other races in the Ancient Realm of Azure Mystery, but he hadn't expected to encounter one the moment he entered this secret realm.

Strapped to the woman's back was a bamboo basket brimming with green wild fruits and some herbs.

Apart from the essential parts wrapped in beast hide, the rest of her body was uncovered. Aside from her darker skin and silver eyes, her face and physique were not much different from a human's. Her features were more refined than most, and her build exuded a latent strength.

"Who are you? Why are you here? The land within three hundred miles belongs to my Ayana Tribe," the woman said warily.

To his surprise, they spoke the same language. She showed no overt hostility.

Chu Tiange glanced behind him and saw a giant python, its head pierced by a spear, writhing in its death throes.

The serpent was nearly thirty feet long and as thick as a water barrel—large enough to swallow a tiger whole. Its skull was as hard as stone, yet the spear had shattered it; clearly, the woman's strength was far from ordinary.

In a place so restrictive, with the situation uncertain, he had no intention of provoking her.

"I am Chu Tiange, passing through and trespassing into your tribe's lands by mistake. If I have offended, I ask your forgiveness." Chu Tiange sheathed his spirit sword and cupped his hands in apology.

"Chu Tiange? My name is Agu Duo. The Ayana Tribe has always welcomed the strong," she replied, pointing her blade at the bisected black serpent.

She had witnessed his earlier battle with the serpent.

Agu Duo leapt nimbly from the tree and landed before the dying python, withdrew her spear, and plunged it once more into the beast.

The great python convulsed, then lay still.

Agu Duo collected her blade, dusted off her hands, and turned to Chu Tiange. "Now that we know each other, Chu Tiange, I invite you to my tribe."

Chu Tiange glanced at the sky.

Dusk was falling. Though it felt as if little time had passed since his arrival, the teleportation had taken nearly half an hour.

As night approached, the miasma of the marsh would grow thicker, and the poisonous vapors more potent. Lingering here risked being consumed by the toxins. The danger would only escalate; following Agu Duo to her tribe seemed wise.

"Then I shall accept your invitation with gratitude," Chu Tiange replied after a moment's thought.

"Then carry that black serpent," Agu Duo instructed. She withdrew her spear from the python, swung its body to the ground, and dragged it with effortless strength, her movements betraying no hint of femininity.

Without protest, Chu Tiange seized the serpent by the tail.

Agu Duo guided him, skirting the swamp forest.

Spiritual herbs were rare in this region; most were common grasses and vines. Occasionally, they passed a wild Sleepmoss, which released a faint fragrance. Inhaling its scent in the twilight could easily cause one to lose their way.

With Agu Duo leading, they encountered no such mishaps.

On the way, Chu Tiange asked her how he had appeared here, for he had seen no teleportation array nearby.

If he could find a teleportation array, he might use it to leave directly.

Here, there was little chance of fortune—even spiritual medicine was hard to find.

Chu Tiange had come to the Ancient Realm of Azure Mystery to pursue the Divine Elixir Stage and seek materials to refine the Creation Great Yellow Pill. The "Creation Devouring Heaven Manual" he cultivated had an extensive alchemy section. Unfortunately, several of the required herbs had vanished from the world; perhaps he might find them in these ruins.

If he could refine the Creation Great Yellow Pill, he might have a chance to form the legendary Grand Dao Golden Core.

Agu Duo, however, said that when she arrived, she had seen him standing motionless until the black serpent appeared, prompting him to act.

Meanwhile, the scoreboard was already changing.

Ten points—someone had already slain a first-rank demon, blessed by good fortune.

As night fell, the two passed through a mountain valley.

Ahead, wooden fences blocked the way, a defense against wild beasts. Within the valley stood many low buildings. The glow of bonfires illuminated little of the darkness.

On one side of the valley, a stream tumbled down from the mountains.

Such tribes always dwelled by water, and here the green foliage was more abundant.

Moreover, the spiritual energy here was visibly richer than outside.

Yet this richness was of an entirely different sort—a strange, chaotic spiritual energy, filled with impurities. To cultivate with it would hinder progress, and in serious cases, could block the meridians and cause death.

Chu Tiange sensed that the very air concealed some kind of restriction or law. Cultivators could not replenish their energy here; once their spiritual power was exhausted, they would be as powerless as ordinary men.

Nor could one rely on spirit stones. Burning them would only pollute the air with more of this turbid energy. The only solution was the "Qi Recovery Pill."

Fortunately, aside from a bottle he had bought from the Pill Pavilion, the sect leader had also prepared several for him—twenty bottles, each containing twelve pills, of a much higher grade and quality than those for sale.

He had not understood why at first, but now it was clear: in a place where one could only expend, not replenish, spiritual energy on their own, "Qi Recovery Pills" were indispensable.

"We're home!" Agu Duo called. She whistled into the valley.

Soon, a torch flared in the darkness.

The tribe's people came out to meet them.

A man appeared, clad in beast hide, his face dark, with a scar at the brow and muscles bulging across his frame.

A long spear hung at his waist, a massive bow rested on his shoulder, and a blood-stained sword was gripped in his hand.

"Agen, this is a friend I met on the way. He's strong—a true warrior," Agu Duo said with a smile.

"This is Agen, my elder brother, and the seventh warrior of our tribe!"

Agen said nothing, merely nodded and opened the fence to let them in.

The tribe trusted Agu Duo's judgment of outsiders.

Chu Tiange, however, frowned. There was something odd about this man—his movements were stiff, and his eyes, unlike hers, were not silver but white.

Yet, even with his all-seeing "Creation Piercing Eye," Chu Tiange detected nothing amiss.