The sudden roar, like a thunderous rumble, shook Gao Xian and Zhu Qiuniang to their core.
The ambiguous pink atmosphere in the room was shattered by this sudden roar.
Zhu Qiuniang raised her eyebrows slightly, her bright emerald eyes exceptionally clear, devoid of any confusion or infatuation.
She tilted her head slightly to identify the direction of the roar, "Northwest, at least a mile and a half away from us. The roar is huge and deep, definitely a Second Rank Demonic Beast..."
Gao Xian also sensed the location of the demonic beast. His Grand Occult Art had reached the level of a Grandmaster, making his senses sharper than Qiuniang's.
However, he didn't know much about demonic beasts, unable to make judgments as quickly as Qiuniang.
With a hint of surprise, he asked, "Isn't there a formation set up around Feima Gathering to repel demonic beasts? How did a demonic beast manage to break in?"
Feima Gathering was established with a massive formation to protect it, effectively preventing demonic beast invasions.
Gao Xian had been at Feima Gathering for almost a year and had never encountered demonic beasts around it.
Today was New Year's Eve, and the cultivators at Feima Gathering were all celebrating.
For a Second Rank Demonic Beast to appear at this time, it was uncertain how much damage it would cause.
Gao Xian asked Qiuniang, "What should we do?"
He didn't want to meddle too much. A Second Rank Demonic Beast was equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, at least in terms of strength, something he couldn't handle. He didn't need to get involved in this.
He was inquiring whether they should hide or find a suitable way to protect themselves.
Qiuniang pondered for a moment and said, "I have some Beast Repelling Talismans here. Stick one on yourself first, so you won't be caught off guard if the demonic beast really charges in."
She then reassured Gao Xian, "Although a Second Rank Demonic Beast is powerful, it's unlikely to make its way to the central area of Feima Gathering. The scattered cultivators on the outskirts are enough for it to feast on."
Demonic beasts weren't cultivators; they killed to satisfy their hunger.
With over twenty thousand cultivators at Feima Gathering now, even if the Second Rank Demonic Beast could eat, consuming ten or eight cultivators would be enough.
A satiated demonic beast would surely return to its lair; there was no reason for it to continue advancing.
Gao Xian nodded. Although what Qiuniang said was harsh, it made perfect sense.
However, the sudden intrusion of a demonic beast into Feima Gathering still made him uneasy.
The relaxed and joyful atmosphere of New Year's Eve had been disrupted by the demonic beast.
"Let's take turns keeping watch. You rest first."
After all, it was a Second Rank Demonic Beast, and Qiuniang didn't dare to be careless. She let Gao Xian rest first, and they took turns standing guard throughout the night.
Gao Xian went to sleep first, and in the middle of the night, he woke up Qiuniang to rest.
Therefore, he didn't ask Da Niu to keep watch with them because Da Niu's cultivation level was too low. If he noticed something was wrong, it might be too late.
New Year's Eve passed like this. When dawn broke, Gao Xian and Qiuniang went to check the situation together.
From a distance, they saw a large area of houses destroyed, bloodstains everywhere on the ground, and even some scattered body parts, the scene looking quite tragic.
There were many cultivators around, all with vigilant and uneasy expressions.
Hunting and killing demonic beasts in the mountains was one thing, but having a demonic beast intrude into their homes was another.
Gao Xian and Zhu Qiuniang took a look around and then returned home. There wasn't much to see. The destructive power of a Second Rank Demonic Beast was extremely strong. At least twenty cultivators had died the previous night.
For Feima Gathering, twenty-something cultivators were less than one-thousandth of the total number.
However, the deaths of these twenty cultivators at the hands of the demonic beast shattered the sense of security at Feima Gathering, making the other over twenty thousand cultivators feel extremely uneasy.
The appearance of the Second Rank Demonic Beast on New Year's Eve had a huge impact on Feima Gathering, leaving the cultivators anxious.
On the way back, Gao Xian suddenly said to Qiuniang, "It's actually a good thing for you guys."
Qiuniang immediately understood Gao Xian's meaning. The sudden appearance of the Second Rank Demonic Beast had made all the cultivators feel uneasy.
The cultivators would definitely stock up on elixirs, magical tools, and talismans in preparation.
She nodded, "Indeed."
However, Qiuniang was not happy. She sighed softly, "The appearance of a Second Rank Demonic Beast on New Year's Eve must have been orchestrated by someone.
"The formation has been broken, and it may not be repaired in a short time. In the future..."
In the short term, the appearance of demonic beasts would bring profits to the pharmacy. However, the demonic beast had compromised the safety of Feima Gathering.
If the issue was not resolved quickly, the scattered cultivators gathered at Feima Gathering would inevitably leave.
Fortunately, it was winter, and the mountains were snowed in. Even if the scattered cultivators wanted to leave, they had nowhere to go.
Qiuniang said to Gao Xian, "Prepare some more Beast Repelling Talismans."
"Are Beast Repelling Talismans effective?" Gao Xian was skeptical.
"Beast Repelling Talismans can seal a person's scent and various auras, making it difficult for demonic beasts to detect. To be precise, they should be called Avoidance Talismans..."
On their way back, Gao Xian went to Zhou Ye and obtained ten Beast Repelling Talismans.
Originally, one Beast Repelling Talisman cost one spirit stone, but now it had risen to three spirit stones each.
Zhou Ye was quite good to Gao Xian, only charging him ten spirit stones for ten Beast Repelling Talismans.
Back home, Gao Xian gave Da Niu five Beast Repelling Talismans.
Gao Xian didn't have much faith in Beast Repelling Talismans. They were similar to the Shadowless Cloak in theory, but their effectiveness was far inferior.
It would be better to earn more humane radiance and upgrade the Shadowless Cloak to the level of a Grandmaster.
In his experience, upgrading a skill to the level of an Expert would bring a qualitative change, and reaching the level of a Grandmaster would completely transform the skill. Reaching the level of a Grandmaster would fully unlock all the potential of the skill.
The Shadowless Cloak was currently only at the Grandmaster level, still two thousand points away from reaching the full level.
If it reached the full Grandmaster level, avoiding demonic beasts shouldn't be a problem.
Unfortunately, the sudden outbreak of the demonic beast crisis would greatly dampen the enthusiasm of cultivators for leisure and entertainment.
Cultivators' spirit stones were limited. If they spent them on protective elixirs, magical tools, and talismans, they wouldn't have money left to buy Deer Antler Powder or Tian Gui Pill.
In the short term, the sales of these two elixirs would inevitably plummet.
Gao Xian didn't have an urgent need for spirit stones now, but he urgently needed humane radiance.
The more humane radiance he earned, the larger the gap became.
Due to the threat of demonic beasts, Gao Xian dared not rest. If the demonic beast broke in and destroyed his home with so many medicinal herbs, it would be disastrous.
The best solution was to refine all the medicinal herbs into elixirs.
That day, Gao Xian started alchemy in the alchemy room. On the first day of the new year, he was busy all day, refining over a thousand Tian Gui Pills.
That night, Gao Xian heard the roar of the demonic beast again. He and Da Niu stayed in a room, holding Beast Repelling Talismans, spending an uneasy night.
The next day at noon, Gao Xian was alchemizing in the alchemy room when he heard a knock on the door.
Da Niu hurried out to ask, "Who is it?"
The person outside hesitated for a moment before responding, "I'm looking for Gao Xian, is he here?"
Upon hearing that soft voice, Gao Xian immediately pictured Qingping in his mind.
"Oh my, how did this demoness find her way here?"
Gao Xian was somewhat surprised. He hadn't informed Qingping of his move. Only Zhou Yuling, Qiuniang, and Huang Ying knew he lived here; even Zhou Ye didn't know he had moved.
How did Qingping find him?
Da Niu didn't know how to handle the situation and looked to Gao Xian for help.
Gao Xian didn't want to see Qingping, but since she had come, avoiding her might not be possible.
He said to Da Niu, "Let her in."
The courtyard gate opened, and Qingping, dressed in a green Daoist robe, walked in gracefully. She first curiously glanced at Da Niu, this simple and sturdy young man should be an assistant or laborer, nothing noteworthy.
Qingping then shifted her gaze to Gao Xian.
After not seeing each other for several months, Gao Xian seemed like a different person.
Not that his appearance had changed, but his attire had changed, his temperament had changed between his brows, especially the added sense of calm confidence in his eyes. No longer the green and frivolous look he had before.
Qingping suddenly noticed the green lotus crown on Gao Xian's head, and her heart stirred, "How did the Green Lotus Crown end up in his hands?"
Although she was surprised in her heart, her face smiled even more charmingly, "Ah Xian, it's been so long, Sister has missed you so much..."
(End of this chapter)