"Where is Steward Wang right now?"
In an effort to minimize his own responsibility, Manager Li naturally told him everything he knew.
"Steward Wang just went out today. I don't know exactly where he went, but judging by the direction, it should be the Spirit Beast Garden."
Lu Lei frowned. "Why would a steward from the Spirit Herb Garden be going to the Spirit Beast Garden?"
"This is bad! Something’s going to happen!"
As realization dawned on her, Zhou Muxue flicked her hand. An ice-silk ribbon flew from her sleeve, instantly binding Lu Lei like a zongzi. She then stepped into the air, a flying sword manifesting beneath her feet, and dragged Lu Lei toward the Spirit Beast Garden.
"Ah—!"
Lu Lei tried to speak, but a rush of gale-force wind poured directly into his throat.
"Senior Sister! I’m afraid of heights, ahhhhh—!"
Lu Lei's screams were torn apart by the wind. His hair whipped wildly in the gale, making him look just like a dandelion gone to seed. He watched in horror as the ground retreated beneath them at breakneck speed. His stomach churned violently, and he finally understood what those people in his past life felt like when they vomited their guts out on a roller coaster.
"Article 3 of the 'Airborne Flight Safety Regulations,'" Zhou Muxue’s voice drifted back against the wind, "passengers should remain quiet..."
"Blegh—!"
...
On the ground below, Liu Defu was strolling leisurely along a path, a bag of spirit stones in his hand and a little tune on his lips, feeling quite pleased with himself. He had just used the name of his uncle—the Outer Sect Elder, Bi Deng—to extort a few outer sect disciples and was on his way back to his quarters to cultivate.
Just then, he heard a familiar, blood-curdling scream. He looked up at the sky, trying to see who it was.
However, the next second, a glob of unidentified liquid descended from the heavens, splashing precisely onto his robes, his head, and his face.
"What the hell is this!"
Liu Defu shrieked, frantically wiping his face with his hand, only to discover that the liquid was not only viscous but carried a pungent, sour stench. His face turned livid, his stomach heaving; he almost vomited on the spot.
"Who! Who did this!"
He roared in fury, looking up at the sky. He saw a ribbon of ice-silk shimmering in the sunlight; one end was tied to a female cultivator, while the other held a figure wrapped up like a zongzi.
"You two, stop right there!"
Liu Defu was so angry he hopped in place. However, the two people in the sky clearly ignored him and soon vanished from sight, leaving Liu Defu alone to point at the sky and curse.
In front of the Spirit Beast Garden barrier, Zhou Muxue landed gracefully. Lu Lei, released from the ribbon, sat slumped on the ground, dazed and green in the face, with several stray leaves caught in his hair.
"Senior Sister..." he raised a trembling hand, "could you... give me a warning next time?"
Zhou Muxue replied, "Junior Brother, in emergencies, one must act with flexibility. I will next time."
Fortunately, Lu Lei was a minor expert at the Bronze Skin Realm (Peak), and he recovered quickly.
"Senior Sister, why did you drag me here? That Steward Wang is a Spirit Spring Realm cultivator. A small fry like me at the Spirit Breath Realm would be finished before I even got close."
"Is Junior Brother Lu really so weak? A physical body at the Bronze Skin Realm (Peak) is already considered quite elite among the outer sect disciples."
"That's..."
Lu Lei started to reply, but suddenly realized his cultivation level had been exposed. He jumped up in a panic. "Wait! Senior Sister, how did you know I..."
Unlike spirit cultivators, who were filled with visible spiritual energy, body cultivators concentrated their power within themselves. Unless the opponent had a specialized insight-based Spirit Skill or the gap in cultivation was vast, it was difficult to detect a body cultivator's level unless they showed it themselves.
"Your skin has a faint bronze luster, and your muscles are well-defined, yet your aura is contained."
Zhou Muxue’s earlobes turned a faint red as she snapped shut a book titled *A Guide to Identifying Body Cultivation Realms*.
"The characteristics described in this book match you perfectly."
*Seriously, Senior Sister? Why do you have every kind of book in your possession? Are you some kind of transformed library essence?*
"Uh... I just... have a very good physique... Yes, that's it, a very good physique." Lu Lei stammered, refusing to admit it.
"Don't worry, I will take a Dao Heart Oath that I will never reveal this."
As she spoke, Zhou Muxue raised her fingers to swear, spiritual light swirling at her fingertips. Lu Lei stood frozen, his eyes locked on that light, his heart flooded with complex emotions. He hadn't expected Zhou Muxue to take a Dao Heart Oath without hesitation just to keep his secret. Such an oath was no trivial matter; if broken, the consequences were dire, potentially even ending her path of cultivation.
"Senior Sister Zhou, you..."
Just then, he saw Zhou Muxue bow her head and whisper to herself, "So, the primordial yang of a body cultivator can actually regenerate? The book didn't mention that..."
"Senior Sister, what did you say?"
"Nothing!"
Zhou Muxue turned abruptly, a blush spreading from her ears to her neck. She recalled a book she had flipped through once, which described the process of Dual Cultivation with a body cultivator.
"Dual Cultivation with a body cultivator involves using the power of the flesh as a guide, blending blood and energy, causing the spirit meridians to resonate. It is like the union of heaven and earth, yin and yang; it is as if one is consumed by a raging fire, yet cleansed by a clear spring. It is a long process that refines cultivation and clears the Dao heart."
At this moment, the thought made her heart tremble.
...
When the two arrived at the Flaming Rhinoceros Garden, a thick stench of blood hit them. The stable hand, who had been full of life moments ago, lay dead on the ground, a gaping hole in his chest. Steward Wang was squatting beside the corpse, clutching a dark red piece of beast incense.
"I didn't expect to be discovered so quickly. It seems the Huanhuan Sect has some clever people after all. What a pity you arrived too late."
Steward Wang chuckled sinisterly and ignited the incense. "Let these beasts play with you!"
The moment the blood-red smoke rose, all the Flaming Rhinoceroses let out a heaven-shaking roar. Their pupils turned blood-red, the lava-like patterns on their skin flared, and their cultivation levels climbed steadily until they all reached the Spirit Spring Realm! The Flaming Rhinoceros that Lu Lei had once dumped into a dung pit even broke through to the Spirit Spring Realm (Late Stage), its horns igniting with blood-red flames.
"It's Frenzied Beast Incense!"
Zhou Muxue summoned an ice-crystal sword. "This item can stimulate the potential of a spirit beast's bloodline. But if it meets a Blazing Sun Fruit, it will drive the beasts into a state of madness and burn away their life force..."
*BOOM—!*
Under the charge of more than a dozen frenzied Flaming Rhinoceroses, the entire outer area of the Spirit Beast Garden began to tremble.