I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Zhang Tianwen and the others naturally had no objections. So the group—Yu Changsheng, Zhang Tianwen, Li Minghan, and Shen Xingchen—was the first to depart.

"Those guys are really confident. We just got into the Secret Realm, and they’re already splitting off so recklessly? Aren’t they worried about running into people from the Profound Yin Sect or other dangers? There’d be no one around to help them."

Watching the retreating figures of Yu Changsheng’s group, some Wanxiang Sect disciples walking beside Zhao Xiaodong sneered.

"I recognize them. Yu Changsheng and Zhang Tianwen, plus that Li Minghan. They’re all from Beast Taming Peak. In fact, they’re the only three who came from Beast Taming Peak this time."

"Zhang Tianwen is basically half-crippled. As for Yu Changsheng, he has some skill, but acting so rashly and impulsively, how far can he really get? Li Minghan is even more ordinary. The only strange thing is that a guy like Shen Xingchen is actually hanging out with them."

Zhao Xiaodong listened to the discussion, a dark glint flickering in his eyes. Without commenting, he glanced briefly at Yu Changsheng’s group, shook his head, and led his own party in another direction.

In recent years, the Wanxiang Sect’s Beast Taming Peak had been in decline, so it was only natural for them to look down on its members. And although Yu Changsheng had some fame, he had never truly displayed his combat prowess within the sect. What drew more attention was his skill in Alchemy.

Geniuses are admired, but they are also envied.

Yu Changsheng was unaware of the thoughts of those Wanxiang Sect disciples behind him, and even if he had been, he wouldn’t have cared.

Relying on the partial map in his mind, Yu Changsheng’s group moved quickly. As they flew onward, they soon put hundreds of miles behind them.

Below them, the boundless red plain stretched on, but the Luoxue Mountain Range in the distance grew steadily larger as they drew closer.

’The Blood Red Plain... it’s one of the few relatively safe places in the Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm. It spans for thousands of miles, so it’s long since been picked clean over the years.’

’If we want to find anything worthwhile, the Luoxue Mountain Range ahead is a good place, but it’s also filled with considerable danger.’

Recalling the information in his mind, Yu Changsheng led the way with Zhang Tianwen and the others following. They traveled without stopping for about two hours, until the flat plain finally began to give way to rolling hills. At the edge of this new terrain, a faint red mist rose from the ground, connecting earth and sky.

"The Blood Evil Qi here is much denser. According to the records, the denser the Blood Evil Qi, the greater the chance of finding Evil Ghosts."

Yu Changsheng paused and glanced back at the others. After Zhang Tianwen and the rest nodded, he didn’t hesitate and stepped into the new region.

Instantly, the dense Blood Evil Qi transformed into waves of Spiritual Shock that washed over them. Faint sounds of ghostly whispers and wails echoed around them.

Yu Changsheng’s Sea of Consciousness trembled. His Nine-Layered Spirit Platform stirred, releasing a vast power. A flash of golden light crossed his eyes, and after a moment of daze, his gaze quickly cleared, his expression returning to normal.

Zhang Tianwen and Shen Xingchen were only disoriented for a moment. Their faces paled for an instant before they recovered.

Li Minghan fared slightly worse, but thanks to Yu Changsheng’s Spiritual Protection, he was not seriously affected.

"We’re now in the territory of Luoxue Mountain."

Yu Changsheng mused for a moment. Under the suppression of the dense Blood Evil Qi, his Divine Sense was also affected, its range shrinking to a certain degree.

However, he still held a significant advantage. The surrounding red mist was only perceptible through Divine Soul Perception and did not affect their normal vision.

"According to the map, there are quite a few Evil Ghosts in Luoxue Mountain, as well as some rare Celestial and Earthly Treasures that would be quite useful to us."

A glint flashed in Yu Changsheng’s eyes. After taking a deep breath, he led the group forward.

Li Minghan and the others naturally had no objections. Only Zhang Tianwen, watching Yu Changsheng at the very front, had a complex look in his eyes, but he said nothing.

At some point, the group’s center of gravity had gradually shifted to Yu Changsheng. This had started to happen ever since they witnessed him single-handedly suppress the Dark Current Golden Core expert back in Bright Moon City.

’I need to reach Core Formation soon... I can’t fall this far behind him.’

Shaking his head, Zhang Tianwen let out a soft breath. The complex look in his eyes was replaced by determination, and he continued onward.

The ground became uneven. After transitioning from the plain, trees began to appear on the desolate terrain. At first they were sparse, but they gradually grew denser, eventually forming a vast, sprawling forest.

Yu Changsheng and his group became more vigilant, slowing their pace. Staring into the oppressive mist that shrouded the path ahead, Yu Changsheng’s gaze suddenly sharpened, and a ball of flame danced on his hand.

In the next moment, the mist tore apart as seven or eight black-and-red figures charged out. These shadows, dripping with blood, were humanoid in shape, but their facial features were blurry and they were bald. A crimson light filled with savagery and bloodlust shone through their murky eyes. Emanating a shocking amount of malevolent Evil Qi, they let out sharp, desolate cries as they rushed toward the group with menacing claws.

As they appeared, a layer of frost rapidly formed on the ground, and an invisible wave of Evil Qi assaulted everyone’s minds.

"Evil Ghosts!"

Yu Changsheng’s eyes turned cold. Without the slightest pause in his movements, he performed a finger technique, and a vast sea of fire erupted. The surrounding chill was instantly consumed by the roaring flames, which then spread to the Evil Ghosts before them.

The flames radiated an astonishing heat. They were viscous, like sticky paint, and difficult to extinguish. The slightest touch would cause a tiny spark to instantly erupt into an immeasurable blaze, exploding outward.

As his Realm and his control over flames continued to advance, even a casual attack from him was still incredibly powerful.

"SCREEEE!"

In the next moment, the sea of fire surged, filled with explosive crackling sounds. The shadowy Evil Ghosts struggled within the flames, their bodies twisting as the fire completely engulfed them. Their wails, like the cries of tormented spirits, echoed ceaselessly. A moment later, the Evil Ghosts were charred black, finally turning to ash.

Faint motes of Evil Qi flew out from the ashes and shot toward Yu Changsheng. The Evil Qi Token at his waist vibrated, and the number on it jumped from 200 to 220.

"Not bad. They were all comparable to Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Seven Evil Ghosts in total for an increase of 20 Evil Qi Points."

Yu Changsheng glanced down at his Evil Qi Token and said with a smile to Zhang Tianwen and the others.

These Evil Ghosts didn’t have high cultivation levels, so dealing with them didn’t take much effort.

"Right, but we should still be careful. The speed those Evil Ghosts burst out with wasn’t normal. Plus, those things have no reason and feel no fear. If there were more of them, things could get tricky..."

Shen Xingchen nodded and was speaking to Yu Changsheng when suddenly, a brilliant light flashed from his hand. A beam of Sword Light materialized out of thin air, slashed through the void, and shot toward... Yu Changsheng’s back.

"AWOOO...!"

Yu Changsheng turned his head just in time to see the magnificent Sword Light strike true, hitting a towering ancient tree behind him. The middle of the tree was struck, but instead of being cut in half, a grotesque, blood-red face bizarrely appeared on its trunk. This ghastly face, which was weeping tears of blood, twisted in pain and opened its cavernous mouth. The howl he’d just heard had come from it.

"A Ghost Tree... It was really well hidden. If you weren’t paying close attention, it would be difficult to spot anything unusual."

Yu Changsheng was taken aback, then gave Shen Xingchen a grateful look. Shen Xingchen shook his head, his expression turning grave as he slowly scanned their surroundings. A sword shimmering with Spiritual Light appeared in his hand. Its entire body was the color of cyan-gold, and it pulsed with the dense fluctuations of a Spirit Treasure, reflecting the bloody light as he gripped it.

In the next instant, the forest began to tremble. The surrounding trees uprooted themselves one by one, their countless branches twisting into tentacles that writhed through the air. Bizarre faces emerged from the center of their trunks, fixing the group with eerie smiles.

What’s more, drops of black blood trickled continuously down their trunks. A dense Evil Qi saturated the air, and in the shadows, ghostly figures swayed. The Evil Ghosts were stirring, ready to move.

"Looks like we’ve entered the Ghost Tree Forest."