The green snake was actually going to drag its enemy down with it in mutual destruction!
The cultivator seemed not to have expected this turn of events, but it was already too late. The terrifying force of the Golden Core's self-detonation surged directly toward his face, leaving him no time even to attempt escape.
Jin Bao'er and her companion had dodged early enough to avoid the blast entirely. Li Qingjiu, wearing a lingering look of terror and a face as pale as paper, glanced at Jin Bao'er—whose expression was complex—amazed by how acutely perceptive she was to have sensed the Golden Core's explosion beforehand.
When the smoke and dust finally cleared, the two of them returned to the edge of the cliff. The ruins scattered across the ground made it seem as though nothing was left, save for a faint wisp of white that still swayed alone in the breeze...
"Muling Flower? That monster beast actually..."
Before Li Qingjiu could finish, a pair of large hands reached up from beneath the ruins, their feeble vitality testifying to how utterly exhausted the man was.
It was that arrogant cultivator! He wasn't dead, but he was down to his last breath, and his cultivation had plummeted straight back down to the Foundation Establishment Stage. Clearly, he had sacrificed his cultivation to save his life.
Upon seeing who had arrived, the cultivator's face instantly twisted in dismay, as he recalled the humiliation and contempt he had previously shown them.
Before Jin Bao'er could speak, a series of roars echoed from the distance. Evidently, the earlier shrieks of the monster beast had stirred the volatile nature of other beasts in the vicinity, and they would likely gather here soon...
Realizing this possibility, the cultivator's face drained of all color, and panic overwhelmed him utterly!
"Little fellow Daoist, my cultivation has regressed as a consequence of my own actions. As long as you get me out of here, I will give all the Muling Flower to you! I am the Tenth Elder of the Diyun Sect, and I will handsomely reward you afterward! If you don't believe me, I am willing to swear a Heavenly Dao Oath!"
Without waiting for Jin Bao'er to refuse, the cultivator immediately swore the oath. A flash of golden light signaled that the oath had taken effect. After a moment of hesitation, Jin Bao'er agreed. She carefully put away the Muling Flower, then hoisted the cultivator up with one hand. Li Qingjiu hastily stepped in to support him, smiling at Jin Bao'er.
"Leave this sort of thing to me!"
By now, he had absolute faith in Jin Bao'er's brilliance. When she had told him to wait, they had ended up reaping the profits like the proverbial fisherman while the snipe and clam fought—she had even predicted the monster beast's self-detonation! Traveling with someone so clever meant his father would surely never accuse him of being brainless again, hehe!
Little did he know... Jin Bao'er had originally intended to launch a sneak attack to snatch the treasure, only for the beast to unexpectedly detonate itself and hand them a golden opportunity to scavenge for free!
Unaware that Li Qingjiu now regarded her as some unfathomable expert, Jin Bao'er naturally had no intention of declining when someone else volunteered for physical labor...
A few minutes later, Jin Bao'er dumped the man outside Qianbo Forest and departed without looking back, completely indifferent as to whether he might be devoured by passing monster beasts, remaining entirely unmoved by his desperate, frantic roaring.
By the time a certain Deity Transformation Stage grandmaster arrived at Qianbo Forest, Jin Bao'er and her companion had already left long ago.
…………
"Brother Jin, what are your plans next? To tell you the truth, my father threw me out here to temper myself through experience, and I don't really have a destination. Why don't you and I team up..."
Although the young man appeared casual and calm on the surface, he was extremely nervous inside. What if the little fellow Daoist refused? He was still hoping to secure a petal of the Muling Flower for his father, and besides, he truly had no idea where to go for experiential training. Since this person was so clever, following him would undoubtedly yield rewards.
Jin Bao'er walked forward with a calm expression, acting as though she hadn't heard the youth at all, until she stepped into the Miaomiao Sect, leaving Li Qingjiu stuck outside, staring blankly since he couldn't enter...
Before long, a certain disciple stared at the Muling Flower petal presented to him, his eyes nearly popping out of his head!
Back then, he had only recommended a Golden Core Stage task to Jin Bao'er—who was merely at Early Foundation Establishment—in order to vent his frustrations on behalf of his junior martial sister. He never expected she would actually bring it back!
"Your task has failed! I asked for a whole Muling Flower, not a single petal! This cannot be counted as a success!"
Anticipating this denial, Jin Bao'er immediately took the petal back, turning to leave beneath the disciple's reluctant gaze.
"In that case, I'll just abandon the task."
Seeing that she was about to leave, the disciple grew anxious and hastily stepped into her path to block her.
"Wait. Although you didn't complete the task, I can help you sell this Muling Flower petal for a good price. Granted, it won't fetch an exceptionally high price, seeing as there's only one..."
At this, Jin Bao'er shook her head, putting on a look of utter confusion.
"I recall this senior brother saying earlier that a single petal doesn't count as completing the task. That means a single petal is utterly useless, so why would anyone be willing to buy it? You needn't say anymore. Useless though this petal may be, I risked my life to find it, and it still holds a sliver of spiritual energy. I might as well take it back to feed the spirit beasts on Huaming Peak..."
Hearing this, the disciple flushed red with anxiety, reaching out to snatch the Muling Flower as if terrified that Jin Bao'er would squander a heavenly treasure the very next second.
How could Jin Bao'er let him succeed? She instantly leaped back, eyeing him warily and demanding loudly in protest:
"What is the meaning of this, Senior Brother? You were the one who claimed a single Muling Flower petal is useless. Now that I'm taking it back to feed my spirit beasts, why are you trying to snatch it from me?"
As soon as these words rang out, all the disciples in the mission hall turned to look, their faces filled with astonishment at Jin Bao'er's remark. A Muling Flower petal is useless? Were they blind?! Which idiot said such a thing?
Never imagining Jin Bao'er would react this way, the disciple blushed fiercely under the collective gaze and stammered, "Junior... Junior Sister, you've misunderstood! I... I didn't mean that!"
Keeping her guard up, Jin Bao'er continued to glare at him fixedly. At that moment, another disciple stepped forward of his own accord.
"Does this junior sister really have a Muling Flower petal? Might we take a look? If it's genuine, I'm willing to buy it at a high price."
The crowd was momentarily startled, though no one stopped him, as most of them found it hard to believe that a Foundation Establishment female cultivator could possess such a thing.
Faced with their skepticism, Jin Bao'er nodded and generously opened the box in her hand.
In an instant, the refreshing fragrance of the Muling Flower washed over them. Shimmering with faint white light and brimming with dense spiritual energy, the sight of it made everyone's spirits leap.
The disciple who had just spoken was overjoyed and immediately called out, "Ten medium-grade spars! I'll buy it!"
That amount was equivalent to ten years' stipend for a Foundation Establishment disciple—by no means a small sum. However, before Jin Bao'er could even reply, competing bids instantly erupted from all around!
"Eleven medium-grade spars, I want it!"
"I'll offer fifteen!"
"I'll bid twenty!"
Watching the eager crowd haggle back and forth, the disciple who had originally tricked Jin Bao'er turned an abysmal shade of green!
Just then, a voice rang out from the entrance, crushing all other bids with sheer, overwhelming financial might!
"One hundred medium-grade spars!"
Indignant, the crowd turned around to look, only to be met with a handsome, resolute face. The newcomer was none other than the sect master's youngest disciple, the Golden Core cultivator Yu Chengjing—the very same disciple whose damaged Golden Core had prompted the posting of the mission in the first place.
Many people recognized him, so they wisely ceased their bidding and quickly dispersed. Meanwhile, the disciple who had first tried to bargain with Jin Bao'er hurried over and asked nervously, "Brother Jing, why have you come out..."
Yu Chengjing shook his head, fixing his gaze on Jin Bao'er. A flicker of surprise crossed his face when he sensed her Early Foundation Establishment cultivation.