"In the Northern Wilderness Plains where you now stand, though no beasts have yet appeared…"
Jiang Yan's voice remained calm, but every word carried a weight that made his disciples' spines stiffen.
"…according to the intelligence I obtained, this land is ruled by the Moon-Howling Skywolf clan.
"Their numbers are vast. Aside from newborn pups, every adult possesses at least the cultivation of the Essence-Refining stage.
"They are a race infamous for vengeance—never forgetting the slightest grudge.
And when their pack moves together, they are among the most troublesome races in the cultivation world.
"Here, in the Northern Wilderness, the Howling Skywolves number in the thousands.
In other words, you face at least a thousand Essence-Refining experts.
"Their clan leader, Howlmoon, is a true cultivator at the very peak of Spirit-Condensation.
"As for how many other great demons of the Spirit-Condensation level dwell beneath him… I cannot say.
But rest assured—it is not zero."
The moment Jiang Yan finished, everyone felt their hearts tighten, as though icy needles pricked their backs.
What had moments ago seemed like a relatively safe choice—the Northern Wilderness Plains—was now revealed as nothing less than a graveyard.
The option was instantly erased from their minds.
A lone peak Spirit-Condensation demon king might have been manageable—
So long as they kept their distance, they might at least scavenge the edges, hiding in the shadows.
But a demon king with an entire legion beneath him?
A thousand-strong wolf pack, with numerous great demons at his side?
No—such a place was death incarnate.
Even being noticed by a mere low-ranked Essence-Refining wolf would mean their journey in the Nine Nether Secret Realm was over before it began.
A demon king with a pack… was the worst enemy anyone could encounter.
Such foes would never fight fairly, never honor any so-called rules of duel.
If one could swarm, one would never fight alone.
And if they placed themselves in that position—wouldn't they make the same choice?
The Northern Wilderness—discarded.
And along with it, the Frozen Wastes beyond to the north—for to reach them, they would first have to cross wolf territory. An impossible task.
"Master, what of the extreme west?"
Keqing had already struck out the first option in her notes. She now raised her eyes again.
"The far west belongs to the Xuanjia Liuli Beasts."
Jiang Yan's tone sank slightly, carrying the weight of memory.
"The Xuanjia Liuli Beast contains within its body a precious bone.
When each beast matures, this bone naturally engraves upon itself a divine ability.
"This bone is the finest of materials for crafting spirit weapons.
Any spirit weapon forged with it will inherit that innate divine art.
"Its hide is an indestructible armor, the most valuable material for forging defensive treasures.
"Its blood, blazing with pure yang energy, is the core ingredient of the third-rank elixir—the Soaring Dragon Pill.
One who consumes this pill can awaken a trace of dragon qi, strengthen the body, expand the dantian, and increase their true essence.
Even a peak Spirit-Condensation cultivator would find its effect tremendous.
"For this reason, the beast is also called the Armored Earth Dragon.
"Its demon core can be refined into a Boundary-Breaking Pill.
Its horn into Clear Void Powder.
Even its venom is the primary ingredient for the infamous Five-Poison Bone-Eroding Water.
"In short—the Xuanjia Liuli Beast is a treasure incarnate.
"In Mount Shu's Hall of Merits, the corpse of a single such beast may be exchanged for ten thousand contribution points.
And if captured alive—thirty thousand.
"For this, Mount Shu disciples have long called it the Heaven's Gift, the Walking Spirit Stone."
At these words, the eyes of the disciples all blazed with fire.
One beast, ten thousand points.
And from Jiang Yan's description, they clearly dwelled in groups.
Every part of its body, from hide to blood to horn to venom, was priceless.
A walking spirit stone indeed.
If they could capture dozens… their wealth would be beyond measure!
But though their hearts surged with greed, the disciples quickly calmed themselves.
The clarity of their minds returned.
Ningguang furrowed her brows slightly.
"Master, if the Xuanjia Liuli Beast is so valuable… then surely Mount Shu disciples would have long since hunted them to extinction.
Unless… they are far more terrible than they sound?"
Jiang Yan's eyes revealed approval.
"Good. You are not blinded by profit. If you had rushed headlong, you would meet nothing but annihilation.
"This is a lesson you must remember: the cultivation world is filled with dazzling temptations.
But if you only see the prize and not the danger—your destiny is nothing but a corpse upon the road.
"The extreme west… is far more terrifying than the Northern Wilderness.
Known among cultivators as the Land of Heaven's Wrath, the Forbidden Zone of Death.
"Tens of thousands of Mount Shu disciples lie buried there.
Most were Essence-Refining or Spirit-Condensation cultivators.
Of those who ever returned with materials of the Xuanjia Liuli Beast… only a few peerless geniuses.
And even they came back crippled, speaking of that place with fear etched upon their faces.
"My second senior brother once held lofty pride.
At peak Spirit-Condensation, he dared to venture alone into the extreme west.
"Three days later, he was found half-dead, unconscious at the entrance to the Nine Nether Secret Realm.
"Only with the combined efforts of our master and the elders was his life preserved.
Even then, it required the Sixth-Grade Rebirth Pill of Great Bamboo Peak
to save him.
"And know this—my senior brother possessed the rarest Yang Divine Body, unseen for ten thousand years.
He cultivated the sect master's personal transmissions, wielding countless secret arts.
Yet even so… he almost died in the west.
"That one exploration shattered his Dao heart, causing his cultivation to plummet from peak Spirit-Condensation to mid-stage in an instant.
He never fully recovered."
Jiang Yan shook his head, sighing.
"For this reason, though, I will not tell you where you must go… I will never support a venture into the extreme west."
The disciples' hearts trembled.
Suddenly, they regarded the western lands with reverence, even fear.
Their greed for the Liuli Beast vanished.
"Master," Zhongli asked slowly, "is it because their clans are simply too powerful?"
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"No. Though numerous, the strongest among them is but a late-stage Spirit-Condensation beast.
Some are so weak they lack even Essence-Refining strength.
"Yet still, the Xuanjia Liuli Beast clan has slain more disciples than any other race in the Nine Nether Secret Realm.
"Do you know why?"
The disciples were taken aback.
Ganyu's brows furrowed, then her eyes lit with sudden clarity.
"I remember! Master once said—the most terrifying foes in the cultivation world are not the mighty beasts…
But the naturally-formed Forbidden Zones of Life!"
The others flushed slightly.
Indeed—Jiang Yan had spoken of this before, during his lectures.
But at the time, many had been too distracted by the wonders of cultivation to take it to heart.
Only Venti and the latecomers had an excuse, for they had not heard the first sermon.
Jiang Yan chuckled gently, nodding to Ganyu.
"Correct. It is the Forbidden Zone that makes them dreadful.
"Their bodies brim with treasures of unimaginable potency for all cultivators beneath Spirit-Condensation peak.
And for that very reason, they must possess ways to protect themselves.
"Their race has always dwelled in such forbidden zones.
Though a Forbidden Zone spells death for cultivators, the Liuli Beasts move through them with ease, even empowered by the environment.
"That is why they have survived so long in the extreme west.
"Though on the surface only a late-stage Spirit-Condensation beast rules there… its peril is equal to any other land of the Nine Nether Secret Realm.
"The west is a land of desolation.
It is riddled with natural formations—killing arrays, illusion arrays, trapping arrays.
Its herbs are mostly poisonous in nature.
And its spiritual qi is thin and withered—making recovery of true essence nearly impossible.
"For you, such a place is certain death.
But for the Xuanjia Liuli Beast, it is home ground.
"They have adapted. Unlike most demon beasts, who rely upon demonic power…
They invest all their essence into the tempering of their flesh.
"To them, the body itself is their sole weapon.
"Combined with their natural instinct for formations, they roam the forbidden zones unhindered.
Oft they lure cultivators into the arrays, letting the formations bleed them dry, their true essence exhausted…
Only then do they strike.
"And what chance does a cultivator, depleted of true essence, have against a beast of indomitable flesh?"
Zhongli frowned deeply.
"Such beasts are truly insidious.
But if they rely solely on the body, without cultivating demonic power… how do they survive tribulation?"
At this, Jiang Yan's figure flickered, appearing beside Ganyu. His voice grew low and grave.
"That is the crux. Among the Liuli Beasts, there are no Void-Returning demon emperors."
"What? None?"
The disciples were startled.
Jiang Yan nodded slightly.
"To endure the first lightning tribulation by flesh alone is already astonishing.
But to imagine they could withstand the Void-Returning tribulation without demonic power? That is to insult the Dao's test.
"For this reason, they have cleverly evaded extermination.
"To Spirit-Condensation and below, they are priceless prey.
But to Void-Returning cultivators, they are tasteless—useful to none, dangerous to acquire.
"Why risk the forbidden zones for such a meager prize?
"A single demon emperor slain yields far more contribution points than hunting Liuli Beasts.
"So they became the deadliest foe for those below Void-Returning—
And the nuisance most ignored by those above it.
A survival wisdom of their own."
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"To me, even their value is not worth the risk.
Why enter a life-forbidden zone for something of no use to me?
"Not unless… one among them evolved into a Nine-Origin Spirit Beast.
Then, even Void-Returning and Dao-Fusing cultivators would risk their lives to claim it."
To read 220+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554