Journey of True Cultivation

"So… shall we begin our talk?"

Silence dominated the room after Yuan spoke, but the woman remained silent, glaring at him like an angry dog, baring its fangs yet too weak to bite.

"Hehehehe…"

Seeing the tension in their situation, Yuan chuckled softly, his lips curling into an amused smirk. Slowly, he lifted his left hand and pointed his index finger at the woman.

The woman furrowed her brows, confused by his sudden gesture. But as Yuan caught her puzzled expression, his amusement only deepened, and his chuckle grew louder.

"Hehehehehe…"

His azure black eyes gleamed with pure entertainment, as if he were watching a helpless prey trapped in his grasp. Then, without another word, a faint azure flicker ignited at the tip of his finger.

The woman's breath hitched.

The flicker of light grew, small at first, barely visible, but with each passing second, it expanded. The soft glow intensified, transforming into a small azure flame, swirling gently at the tip of his finger.

Then, it began to change.

The flame stretched, twisting into a thin, snake-like form. It elongated, coiling and thickening, its body pulsing with deep blue flickers as if mirroring the breath of a living creature.

Within moments, the tiny flame had become a long, writhing serpent, slithering effortlessly around Yuan's entire arm, its head raised, its flickering eyes burning with an unnatural intelligence.

The moment the azure basilisk flame finished its transformation, its glowing gaze locked onto the woman's reptilian eyes.

The woman, who had been watching the entire process, froze.

Her pupils contracted, and an overwhelming dread overtook her. The cold arrogance in her expression shattered, replaced by pure terror.

She knew.

She understood the deadly power of this flame.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, her breath came in ragged gasps, and her mind screamed in fear.

Yuan, watching her reaction, found himself utterly amused.

He let out another low chuckle, his voice filled with mocking delight.

Then, he asked again, his tone eerily casual,as if he weren't threatening her very existence.

"So… shall we begin the information exchange?"

Hearing Yuan's voice, the woman snapped back to reality, her breathing still uneven. She looked at him once again, but her gaze constantly flickered between Yuan and the azure flame serpent coiling around his arm. Her expression was wary, her body tense with fear.

"O-Okay…" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Yuan didn't care for her fear. If anything, her reaction amused him even more, and his smile widened.

"Hahaha, good, good. Let's begin, then. My first question,who are you?"

The woman swallowed hard, her throat dry. "I… I am Wu Shen."

Yuan nodded, his expression unreadable. "Oh, Wu Shen, is it? What a fine name. Well then, may I ask are you a member of the Wu family of the Seven Peak Mist Mountain?"

At this question, Wu Shen hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. A flicker of pride crossed her face, albeit briefly.

Yuan chuckled. "Hahaha, so you belong to the Wu family. What a fortunate meeting. I've met a few people from your family before… I even recall meeting a young master, I think." His voice carried a teasing tone, but his eyes remained cold. "Now, tell me, fellow Daoist Wu Shen,what exactly are you doing here in the Thirty Plants Forest? If I remember correctly, your Wu family doesn't hold any territory here… or perhaps, are you acting under the orders of the Third Grand Elder Wu?"

Wu Shen's face stiffened slightly, but she eventually nodded. "Yes, I came here under the elder's orders… to complete an errand for him."

Yuan smirked, tilting his head. "Oh? An errand for the Third Grand Elder, is it? That must be something quite important. However…" his tone sharpened, and the azure basilisk flame flickered ominously, "as I am currently investigating the Thirty Plants Forest, I must, unfortunately, ask you to share the details of your task. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to report this to the Sect Head."

A bead of sweat rolled down Wu Shen's forehead. Her breathing grew heavier, her nervousness evident. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"It… it's nothing important. Fellow Daoist can naturally know about it." She paused before continuing, "Inside my bag of holding, there is a small white sealed cup. Inside it is a powder known as Powdered Bone Essence. Fellow Daoist can check if I speak the truth!I am just here to take it and then give it to the Elder!"

Her words came out rushed, as if she was eager to prove her innocence.

Yuan's eyes glowed slightly as he processed her words.

Powdered Bone Essence…?

Hearing about Powdered Bone Essence, Yuan was a bit surprised. After all, Powdered Bone Essence was an uncommon resource, highly beneficial for newly advanced Bone Forging stage cultivators. Naturally, he was intrigued.

A subtle smile formed on his lips as he reached into Wu Shen's bag of holding, carefully opening it.

As he searched inside, Yuan quickly found the small white sealed cup she had mentioned. However, he also discovered more than just the powder.

Inside the bag, there were various pills Spiritual Blood Regeneration Pills, Wound Healing Pills, and even a few Spiritual Essence Attraction Pills!

While none of these were particularly rare, they were extremely useful, especially the Spiritual Essence Attraction Pills.

"These could help me reach at least 10% into the Blood Purification stage… maybe even 15%," Yuan thought to himself, his eyes gleaming slightly.

However, for now, he pushed this thought aside and focused on the cup.

The sealing of the small white cup was basic, nothing reinforced by runes or special techniques, just a simple wooden stick seal, similar to how mortals store powders.

Yuan carefully examined the cup, scanning for any traps or formations. After confirming there were none, he slowly began to open the seal.

Inside, he saw a fine grayish powder.

His expression remained neutral, but inwardly, he was already cautious.

From Basilisk's memories, he knew that many powders resembled Powdered Bone Essence, so he couldn't just trust its appearance.

Yuan took a slight whiff of the powder from a safe distance.

His eyes narrowed.

"The scent is off…"

If Basilisk's memories were accurate, real Powdered Bone Essence should have a slight dried blood smell mixed with the scent of old dust.

However, this powder… smelled floral.

A smile crept onto Yuan's lips.

"This is definitely not Powdered Bone Essence. This woman, Wu Shen, dares to play tricks on me?"

His gaze flickered toward Wu Shen, who was watching him with a mixture of tension and hope.

Yuan's smile widened.

"Interesting."

With a slight nod, he closed the cup and turned to Wu Shen, his expression unreadable.

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Wu, this is without a doubt the Powdered Bone Essence! With this, I see no reason to report you to the Sect Head. Haaa… The Sect Head can be truly terrifying at times. I really wouldn't want to meet him over something minor like this. Thank the heavens I don't have to! Hahaha!"

His laughter filled the room as he casually waved his left hand, causing the Azure Basilisk Flame coiling around his arm to disperse into nothingness.

"Haha, fellow Daoist Wu, I will now help you and give you the detoxification pill for the poison I used on you! Ah, and now that I know you are not an enemy, do you know what has happened to the forest and why there are no demonic beasts in the outskirts?"

Wu Shen just sighed in relief at Yuan's change of behavior and then nodded her head unknowingly, but then realized that she had said something wrong, and her eyes began to widen.

Yuan then looked surprised at Wu Shen admitting that she knew something and then laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, fellow Daoist Wu, you indeed know something about the forest situation! Well, the heavens have indeed blessed me today! Please speak, I am really curious."

Yuan then slowly stood up from the cultivation bed and took a few steps forward, but as he began to walk, Wu Shen didn't answer anything at all. Her face was full of panic, and she didn't know what to do.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, is there something you've been hiding from me? You don't have to worry; I am, after all, an inner disciple of the Howling Wind Sect. I am on your side," Yuan said with a big smile on his face.

But as she still remained silent, Yuan's smile began to fade, slowly breaking into a cold, indifferent expression. His eyes turned sharp and emotionless as he glared at Wu Shen before stomping his foot on her back.

"Ahhh!"

Hearing Wu Shen cry out in pain, Yuan didn't care as he repeatedly stomped on her. But he carefully controlled his strength, making sure not to break her body,just enough to make her feel the pain. Since she was already paralyzed, it seemed she had halfway recovered some of her nerves and could now feel it.

"You can't kill me! I am a member of the Wu family and the daughter of the sister of the current family head! You dare to do anything to me?" she shouted, trying to threaten him with her family status.

But Yuan just snorted at this.

"I don't dare to kill you? You, from a lowly, lowest-rank clan that nobody really cares about? And here, in a place where no one would even notice? Do you think you are royalty from the Imperial Wang family? Heh, woman, don't push your status too high. You are a nobody, and your clan is so unimportant that nobody would care whether it existed or not. So tell me what you know, or I'll give you a second round with my azure snake."

Wu Shen's eyes widened, her body trembled in fear. Lowest-rank clan? Her clan is the lowest rank? Imperial family?

Too many things she couldn't understand, but one thing was clear,he would definitely dare to kill her. And that terrified her the most.

As she remained silent, Yuan clicked his tongue in annoyance. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his azure basilisk flame, letting it take the form of a snake. The fiery serpent slithered around his arm before slowly descending toward her face.

Wu Shen's breath became erratic, her reptilian eyes filled with terror. She struggled to speak, her voice shaking.

"Pl… Please… I… I will… T-Talk…"

Yuan just snorted.

"Then speak."

-----------------------------------------------------------

AN:Read for more on webnovel or Royal Road