From the cultivator's perspective, the classification of magical creatures is not complicated: Tier One, Tier Two... up to Tier Nine. These correspond to the nine realms from Qi Refining Stage to Tribulation Crossing Stage for cultivators.
However, at the same level, magical creatures generally have higher combat power than cultivators.
Because, compared to mortals becoming cultivators, an ordinary beast becoming a magical creature is even harder.
Cultivators only undergo the celestial tribulation at the Tribulation Crossing Stage, while beasts must endure tribulations at each major realm. As a result, they're subject to more tempering by the world, consuming more of the essence of the sun and moon.
In this Peach Branch Small Profound Realm, however, the so-called Profound Demons are weakened and thus comparable to normal magical creatures, roughly equivalent to the ordinary level of cultivators.
The new students' trial naturally wouldn't involve real magical creatures. Any accident involving a new student would be more loss than gain.
"This Peach Branch Small Profound Realm is so realistic; it's just like the real world."
Fan Wubing stood at the boundary between a vast desert and a mountain forest, gazing at the distant sunset.
It truly evoked the imagery of a lone smoke rising straight in the desert and a long river setting sun. Moreover, it gave a real sense of the fatigue and toil brought by traversing the desert.
After entering the Peach Branch Small Profound Realm with Luo Qingyao, he found himself deep in a desert. They had walked from high noon until sunset before finally emerging. The desert was barren, desolate all around, testing one's patience greatly.
Fortunately, patience was something Fan Wubing had in abundance. Not to mention walking for half a day, he could traverse for a year without an issue.
And Luo Qingyao, although from a noble family, was not delicate. On the contrary, for her, walking alongside Fan Wubing, step by step, she could imagine doing so for a lifetime. This was the little thought of a maiden like her.
Hearing Fan Wubing's exclamation, Luo Qingyao said,
"That's because your and my skills are far below those who created this landscape. If the difference wasn't as vast, you'd naturally sense the illusion." Then she added with a smile, "But the senior brother beside me is real! Senior brother, what do you think of me?"
Looking to the side, not seeing Fan Wubing's figure, she lifted her head to look forward, realizing he was already in the forest.
"Senior brother! Wait for me!"
The forest, for Fan Wubing, felt like home. Every movement of wind and grass, under the sensitivity of the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill to the most minute breath, was profoundly clear.
The crawling sounds of insects, the distant sound of a stream, the gentle breeze—all were extraordinarily distinct.
Recently, with the rapid increase in his life force, his senses continued to improve.
Although life force is usually quantified using simple numbers, it fundamentally measures a person's physical quality.
The growth of life force naturally indicates a comprehensive physical growth.
Upon reaching a certain point, Fan Wubing suddenly stopped,
"Junior Sister Luo, be careful. Three zhang and two chi to the left ahead, there's movement. From the sound, it seems to be two beasts weighing about six hundred pounds each."
"So precise?"
Luo Qingyao promptly activated the immortal energy within her, releasing her perception, and moments later discovered two dark green wild boars precisely where Fan Wubing had mentioned. She couldn't help but ask,
"Senior brother, do you secretly have cultivation prowess?"
"Nope."
"Then how did you notice it so suddenly?" Luo Qingyao was puzzled, as she had to use her immortal energy perception to ascertain with such precision.
She was, after all, a Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator.
It was because of the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill. It was not just an inner strength skill for recovering life force; its main function was to enhance the body's sensitivity to breath and its control ability. Most importantly, it was his passive skill, requiring no deliberate operation, as it was a part of him.
Facing Luo Qingyao's confusion, Fan Wubing explained,
"Because I can't cultivate immortality, since young, I've been running around, frequenting forests like these. So, it feels like home."
"I see, as expected of you, senior brother!"
As expected of what... Fan Wubing was slightly embarrassed,
"Quiet down; don't scare them away. Let's think of a solution."
He sensed again, comparing the breaths, estimating that the two wild boars had life force around 600 points,
"They're most likely Tier Two Profound Demons. Junior Sister Luo, can you handle both simultaneously?"
"Of course! Watch me, senior brother!"
Fan Wubing instinctively looked towards her. He saw her aura change dramatically, instantly transforming from a gentle and cute junior sister into a sword cultivator exuding a sharp aura. A flying sword resembling silk floated from her forehead, reflecting the cold moonlight, flickering as it passed through grass and trees, piercing through a wild boar's head effortlessly, carrying a trace of blood, penetrating the skull, and after some maneuvering, pierced the other boar's head.
Without a sound, the two Tier Two Profound Demons were slain.
Meanwhile, the "instigator" quickly turned around with a proud face towards Fan Wubing to claim credit,
"Senior brother, how was I? Impressive, right?"
But Fan Wubing had already swiftly moved in front of the two Profound Demons. Without a word, he took out a dagger, swiftly dismembering while their monster energies hadn't yet dissipated.
Skinning, stripping tendons, deboning, and cutting meat were done in one smooth motion.
Luo Qingyao watched in awe, mumbling,
"Senior brother, don't tell me your family used to be butchers."
"No, not butchers."
Before Luo Qingyao could catch her breath, she heard Fan Wubing say,
"They were fishmongers."
"What?!"
Fan Wubing paused for a moment, then laughed and said,
"Just kidding."
He wasn't lying, though. In his previous life, his family was in the seafood business, so being fishmongers wasn't inaccurate.
However, his skills were naturally honed through hunting in the forests around Enlightenment Peak during this period.
"But, senior brother, what are you going to do by butchering the Profound Demon's carcass?"
"Eat it."
"Eat?!" Luo Qingyao thought she had misheard, "You mean to really eat it?" She even mimicked the act of eating to make sure she expressed herself clearly.
"What else could I do but eat it."
"Senior brother! This is the flesh and blood of a magical creature unprocessed by a professional Immortal Chef; how can you eat it raw? Not to mention the demonic energy could harm your internal organs. Even if absorbed, it would definitely introduce extremely dirty impurities into your Dantian Purple Mansion, destroying your foundation!"
Having been walking through the desert for half a day, Fan Wubing was already famished. He sat down, setting up a fire,
"I don't even have a foundation; how can it be destroyed?"
"That..." Luo Qingyao was speechless. She pouted, "But, senior brother, you might cultivate immortality in the future."
Fan Wubing smiled and said,
"Don't worry. I've been eating like this for quite some time. Do I seem any worse off?"
"But..."
Luo Qingyao said no more, obediently squatting beside him, watching intently as he handled the ingredients.
She thought, what kind of serious cultivator carries cookware around...
...
One by one, the disciples gradually made their way through the desert, entering the forests where Profound Demons roamed.
Within the Immortal Performance Hall, the elders began intently watching the scenes in the water-shaped Immortal Mirror.
An elder spoke,
"I heard that the lady from the Luo Family of Changsheng Continent came all the way to Eternal Immortal Sect to cultivate. How is she doing?"
"She ranked first in this new student entry test, with a significant gap in scores from the second place."
"As expected of a genius from Changsheng Continent. Though we do not know why she came to our Eternal Immortal Sect... let's see her performance."
The elders focused their gaze on the position of Luo Qingyao in the Immortal Mirror.
Then they saw Fan Wubing lighting a fire and cooking, while Luo Qingyao squatted beside him, watching with great interest.
"What... what are they doing if not hunting Profound Demons? If I'm not mistaken, they're cooking?"
"This is ridiculous! What's going on with that Fan Wubing? If he can't do it himself, is he trying to drag others down?"
"While other senior students are leading the newcomers in fierce combat with Profound Demons, imparting combat experience, he's here doing mundane cooking tasks!"
"Furthermore, how can the flesh of a Profound Demon be eaten raw? Is he trying to ruin someone's foundation?"
Wei Changkong, seeing the frowning faces of the elders, sweat dripping down his forehead, quickly defended Fan Wubing,
"Perhaps Junior Brother Wubing wants to attract more Profound Demons with this and then catch them all at once."
Then, they saw Fan Wubing devouring the freshly roasted boar leg.
Instantly, the whole hall was in an uproar.
A moment later, a girl beside Sect Leader Mei Jinqiu couldn't hold her laughter.