Chapter 10: Starting a Argument (Part 2)

After passing through the pile of rocks, Zhang Yaojin said, “We should be there!”
Chen Zhen Dong replied, “Just a few dozen meters more and we’ll see Qikoujiao.”
The Dark-Winged Demon Scorpion crawled forward a bit more, when Guo Shier suddenly heard gusting winds, growing louder and louder. Surprised, he asked, “What’s that sound?”
Chen Zhen Dong said, “It’s the wind! The wind here is quite strong, but it won’t affect us at all.” With that, he leaped off the scorpion’s back and said, “Come down, Shier. You can put away the scorpion; we don’t need it here.” He was still a bit puzzled—how could a Spirit Beast or a spirit-formed sigil worm stay active outside for so long?
Zhang Yaojin also jumped off the scorpion’s back, and everyone else followed suit. Guo Shier put away the Dark-Winged Demon Scorpion and asked, “How much further?”
Chen Zhen Dong replied, “To the edge of the cliff… Let’s take a look first to confirm the location.”
Guo Shier walked forward. After about twenty meters, the howling wind became even clearer and louder. The area ahead remained shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the cliff face. After walking another dozen meters, he realized he was standing at the top of the cliff. Looking down from the top, he couldn’t tell how deep it was or what lay below. Black smoke rising from below formed columns of dust that surged upward, emitting strange howling sounds.
Chen Zhen Dong said, “Everyone, just take a quick look. We can’t stay at the cliff’s edge for long—it’s too dangerous. Follow me… This way.” He stepped back dozens of meters from the cliff and headed left.
Zhang Yaojin said, “I never knew Qikoujiao looked like this. I always heard it was a desolate place. I didn’t expect… it’s not that dangerous after all. Strange—why was it called a desolate place?”
Chen Zhen Dong replied, “I don’t know either, but I’ve lived here for over a decade and hardly encountered any danger.”
The others, who had been puzzled, felt somewhat reassured upon hearing this. Guo Shier said, “Once we find a place, we should hurry up and train. Although we brought plenty of supplies, they won’t last forever. Let’s make sure everyone advances this time.”
Peng Yuanwang sighed, and Sun Min’er followed suit. Guo Shier asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Qi tried to lower his voice and said, “Advancing isn’t that easy!” Even though he tried to keep his voice down, it remained loud. Guo Shier guessed that if this guy had lived in his past life, he must have been a natural tenor singer.

Zhang Yaojin glared at him and whispered, “There aren’t any mutated talisman beasts here, but still, don’t make such a loud noise! Do you need another seal put on you?”
Yang Qi pouted resentfully and shook his head with a bitter smile. Ever since entering the Black Mist Area, he had hardly spoken, and Zhang Yaojin had sealed his mouth several times along the way, almost suffocating him.
After four days of walking, with several breaks in between, they finally arrived at the place Chen Zhendong had mentioned.
There was an inconspicuous gap on the cliff face—a crack. Chen Zhendong said, “Go down this crack. Under no circumstances fly; flying talismans won’t work here, and you’ll fall…” He led the way into the crack and added, “Follow me carefully.”
Chen Zhendong slowly climbed down along the crack.
Eagle Demon said, “Guo Shier, I’ll carry you!”
One after another, they climbed down the cliff face. It was an extremely difficult path, with some sections requiring ropes to cross. The biggest problem here was that flying talismans couldn’t be used; they had to rely on climbing skills. Fortunately, these were all highly skilled professionals who could overcome such minor difficulties.
Two hours later, Chen Zhendong landed on a large platform. Near the cliff face, there was a natural cave, an ideal place to rest.
Chen Zhendong said, “This place doesn’t seem as good as the center of the Black Mist Area, but once we start cultivating, the effects will be excellent… Let’s set up camp first. Everyone will see for themselves after cultivating… There’s a major storm here every ten days. We can take shelter in that cave; the storms usually last about seven hours.”
“During the storms, never go onto the platform, or you’ll die!” Chen Zhendong warned. “Cultivating by the cliff face is most effective, so except during storms, we can cultivate there. Remember… stay about a meter away from the platform. Don’t sit right on the edge—it’s too dangerous.”
The group entered the cave to set up tents. Guo Shier didn’t need to worry about that. He went onto the platform. It was also gray and gloomy. The platform was very large, narrow, and covered an area of several thousand square meters, like a spindle-shaped platform embedded in the cliff, looking quite amazing.
The cave behind the platform was even bigger. Going deeper inside, there was a huge rock hall, larger than the platform outside. It was unclear how it had formed.
Guo Shier walked around the platform once before returning to the cave. Entering the spacious rock hall, he immediately summoned the Giant Nesting Dragon.

Chen Zhendong was also there. He asked, “Guo Shier, why release the Soul Beast?”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Let the Soul Beast absorb some of the soul threads here so it can continue to grow stronger.”
Chen Zhendong was surprised. “Can you bear to release your Soul Beast for such a long time?”
Before Guo Shier could answer, Xuan Ai interjected, “He’s fine. I was curious too, but… some rules seem to not apply to him.”
Chen Zhendong widened his eyes in astonishment as he watched Guo Shier release the Ancient Flame Sparrow and the Dark-Winged Demon Scorpion again. Shaking his head, he said, “It’s unbelievable.” From the knowledge he had inherited, he knew that one should not leave their Soul Beast outside for long, as it would have an impact on both the beast and its master. If the soul was damaged, the consequences could be severe.
Yet Guo Shier seemed unaffected by this. He controlled these Soul Beasts and Soul Insects with ease, appearing completely unburdened. This puzzled everyone.
The Giant Perch Dragon moved slightly before lying still in a corner of the rock chamber, beginning to absorb the soul mist. The Ancient Flame Sparrow, however, didn’t want to stay in the cave. It shrank down to the size of a fist-sized red bird and landed on Guo Shier’s shoulder.
The Dark-Winged Demon Scorpion crawled deeper into the cave. There were many cave branches of various sizes, and no one knew what was inside, nor did anyone dare to explore them due to their sheer number.
Guo Shier didn’t care where the Dark-Winged Demon Scorpion went; he knew the scorpion would find a place suitable for itself. He actually had some beast talismans, but at this point, they were outdated and not very useful. They couldn’t evolve on their own, nor did they possess any spirit, so he gave up on them.
Returning to the platform, Guo Shier wanted to test what the soul mist here was like.
A series of spells and gestures were quickly performed. In an instant, countless wisps of soul mist surged toward him, especially those coming from below the platform, which were quite alarming. In just a moment, his surroundings were filled with thick black mist. The Ancient Flame Sparrow let out a delighted chirp. Controlled by its master, it couldn’t fly and could only move around on Guo Shier’s shoulder.
Chen Zhendong watched silently, filled with amazement. He didn’t have such a method for absorbing soul mist. He wondered how this boy could be so special.
Zhang Yaojin said, “Stop being surprised. He must be a direct disciple of some powerful sect. We can’t compare to him.”
Chen Zhendong sighed. “Comparing people… it’s infuriating…”

The Eagle Demon walked behind Guo Shier and sat down, quietly guarding him. The others also sat behind Guo Shier; they were all very experienced and knew that practicing beside Guo Shier yielded far better results than practicing alone.
The sensation of soul mist flowing into the body waswonderful, and Guo Shier felt extremely happy every time. The pleasure of the soul was countless times stronger than that of the body, so it was easy to become indulged in it until he felt a slight stinging in his soul. After roughly estimating the time, he realized that practicing here was indeed extremely fast.
Then he began to recite scriptures silently, and the soul mist around him trembled as well. This strange fluctuation also brought great benefits to everyone else. Zhang Yaojin and Chen Zhen Dong, sitting behind the group, also discovered this secret. They exchanged glances and saw the shock in each other’s eyes.
Before long, everyone gradually got up and left, except for Guo Shier, who remained seated. Moments later, the soul mist around him became dense again. Even the two saints, Zhang Yaojin and Chen Zhen Dong, could no longer bear it—they had never seen such terrifying absorption capabilities.
After practicing in silence for four days, Guo Shier successfully advanced to an advancedadvancedCrazy Master. Although the others had not advanced yet, they all felt their progress accelerating rapidly.
On the fifth day, a storm arrived, and everyone took shelter in a cave.
The cave entrance was completely unusable—the howling storm swirling outside sent waves of soul mist rushing in. Everyone hid in the cave hall, sitting there with pale faces, each feeling their souls tremble and their hearts pounding like drums. Sun Min’er exclaimed in horror, “Why is it so uncomfortable?”
Chen Zhen Dong said calmly, “Just hold on; otherwise… how could there be no mutated talisman beasts here?”
“I’ve lived here. Besides storms, I’ve also experienced Black Fog Frost once—that’s when it gets truly terrifying… For five days straight, I hid deep in the cave, relying on protective spells to barely survive. If I were outside, even level nine or ten mutated talisman beasts wouldn’t be able to survive.”
Guo Shier asked, “You only encountered it once?”
Chen Zhen Dong nodded. “Yes, just once. That was nine years ago.”
Guo Shier said, “That long? Hmm, we must be cautious. Chen… Big Brother, were there any signs before the last Black Fog Frost?”
Chen Zhen Dong smiled. “It’s easy to tell. Black snow falls here, and a few days later, Black Fog Frost begins. The process is terrifying… I was lucky to be in the cave that time; otherwise, I wouldn’t have had time to defend myself.”
“Hey? My scorpion!”

Guo Shier was surprised to find the Dark-Winged Demon Scorpion restless. This sudden thought made him immediately alert.
Book 12: The Ultimate Master