Choosing option three, Jiang Beiran turned his head and said to Wu Qingce, "Go tidy up those corpses. I'll join you shortly." Though he really wanted to watch how his senior brother would pick the Thunder Spirit Flower, Wu Qingce immediately cupped his fists and replied, "Yes."
"You two, go help as well," Jiang Beiran said, glancing at the three exotic beasts.
The Lightning-Striped Beast and the Evil Laughing Beast were still dazed when the Bloodshadow Beast dragged them away. Sure enough, such a big commotion would attract some strange and powerful figures. Thinking this, Jiang Beiran put on a pair of asbestos gloves.
Even standing fifty meters away, he could clearly sense the thunder energy contained within the Thunder Spirit Flower. Reaching out to grab it directly would probably feel like touching a high-voltage wire. Though Jiang Beiran believed he could withstand it, there was no need to take the risk.
Walking quickly to the Thunder Spirit Flower, he crouched down and took out a shovel to dig up the surrounding soil. This flower really is something else. While digging, Jiang Beiran noticed that none of the absorbed thunder energy had dissipated—it had all been taken in as nourishment by the flower.
Once the soil was loosened, Jiang Beiran deftly pinched the stem between his middle and index fingers and carefully lifted it from the ground. Placing it into his Universe Ring, his task was complete. He then walked over to Wu Qingce, who was carrying two corpses.
"Let’s go," Jiang Beiran said.
"Yes."
Soon, the two humans and three beasts had left Birch Leaf Forest far behind. After Wu Qingce finished disposing of all six corpses, Jiang Beiran looked at the three beasts and said, "Alright, you can go do whatever you need to do." Then, specifically addressing the Bloodshadow Beast, he added, "Don’t forget to come back next month."
Letting out a pitiful whimper, the Bloodshadow Beast nodded to show it understood.
"Go on."
With a wave of Jiang Beiran’s hand, the three beasts scattered. They had come to Birch Leaf Forest because they sensed the Thunder Spirit Flower’s presence. Now that the flower was gone, there was no reason to stay.
Moreover, the human before them—who could take their lives at any moment—was terrifying. Who knew if he might suddenly change his mind in the next second? Once the beasts had left, Wu Qingce handed Jiang Beiran nine Universe Rings and said, "Senior Brother, all their belongings are here."
"Mm. The weapons and medicine inside are worth a bit. Have Qinghuan sell them."
"Yes," Wu Qingce nodded, storing the nine rings away.
Glancing back in the direction of Birch Leaf Forest, Jiang Beiran turned and said, "Let’s go. Back to the sect." Skillfully navigating the mountain paths, Jiang Beiran occasionally released his spiritual energy to scan the surroundings for any hidden treasures.
"Senior Brother… wait up, you’re too fast!"
Hearing Wu Qingce’s shout from behind, Jiang Beiran slowed down slightly and waited for him to catch up before asking, "Why haven’t you improved at all in speed?"
"I feel like I’ve made progress already… It’s just that Senior Brother is too fast."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Seeing the faint smile on Jiang Beiran’s face, Wu Qingce quickly waved his hands.
"No, no! It’s my fault! I’ll go back and practice the Rolling Cloud Technique eight hundred more times!"
Only then did Jiang Beiran nod in satisfaction and continue onward. During the day, whenever they passed villages or towns, Jiang Beiran would stop by to wander around, triggering attribute points here and there. By the time they returned, he had triggered a total of eleven—quite a fruitful haul.
[Option 1: Enter through the main gate. Reward: Divine Gate Thirteen Swords (Mysterious Grade, Mid Tier)] [Option 2: Take the back mountain path. Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1] Damn… such a grand welcome as soon as I return?
As soon as they reached the foot of Heart Returning Sect’s mountain, two options appeared before Jiang Beiran. Choosing the second, he stopped and said to Wu Qingce, "You go ahead. I have some business to attend to at the back mountain."
He then took out three porcelain bottles from his Universe Ring and tossed them over. The white bottle contains antidotes. The blue and gray ones hold things exotic beasts like.
Whether you can tame that Bloodshadow Beast is up to you now. Catching the bottles steadily, Wu Qingce first said, "Thank you, Senior Brother," then hesitantly asked, "Senior Brother… you’re not planning to make me face that Bloodshadow Beast alone, are you?"
"What? Do you need someone to hold your hand?"
"No… it’s just that I can’t beat it. If it goes berserk, I—" "I’ve prepared things it fears and things it likes. If you still get yourself killed under those conditions, then you deserve to die. No pity at all."
"Senior Brother…"
"Speak properly!"
"Yes! Senior Brother, I promise to tame it until it’s completely obedient!"
"Good. That’s more like it."
Just as Jiang Beiran was about to head to the back mountain, Wu Qingce called out to him again.
"What now?"
Jiang Beiran turned back.
"These are the materials you asked me to find last time. Aside from the Marrow Silver Ore, which I’m still waiting for news on, I’ve gathered everything else."
As he spoke, Wu Qingce took out a Universe Ring and handed it over. Taking the ring, Jiang Beiran nodded.
"Well done. But why not wait until you’ve found everything before giving them to me?"
"After fighting the Lightning-Striped Beast, I feel like I’m very close to a breakthrough. So I plan to go into seclusion for ten days. I was worried you might need these materials urgently, so I thought to hand them over first."
"Oh? You’re learning fast. Then go report to the hall and come to my place afterward. I’ll set up a Spirit Gathering Formation for you—it’ll help with your breakthrough."
Wu Qingce was stunned for a moment before immediately bowing deeply.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
But when he straightened up again, his senior brother had already vanished. Virtuous, talented, and free from fame and fortune… Truly the perfect senior brother in my heart! …
[Option task completed. Reward: Strength +1] [Option task completed. Reward: Music +1] Just what kind of danger is lurking at the main gate?
I barely stood there for a moment, and three more options popped up. Sighing inwardly, Jiang Beiran changed his clothes, then went to the backyard, put on his asbestos gloves, and took out the Thunder Spirit Flower. After admiring it with satisfaction for a while, he prepared to plant it in the flower garden.
The reason he didn’t immediately use it for alchemy was that he wanted to obtain its seeds first. But just as he began digging the soil, three system options appeared before him.
[Option 1: Plant the Thunder Spirit Flower here. Reward: Four Fiends Unbinding (Mysterious Grade, High Tier)] [Option 2: Plant the Thunder Spirit Flower in Mirror Flower Garden. Reward: Evil-Slaying Sword (Yellow Grade, High Tier)] [Option 3: Find another place. Reward: Random Basic Skill Point +1] "Tsk…"
Seeing these options, Jiang Beiran scratched his head in frustration. Could this Thunder Spirit Flower still attract lightning? With another sigh, he chose option three and stored the flower back in his Universe Ring.
There was no rush—he could always plant it somewhere more suitable later.
(End of Chapter)