Jiang Qing descended from the Gourd Mountain peak without incident.
Just as she was about to leave the Black Wind Forest, she heard the sound of demonic beasts moving through the undergrowth. Judging by the noise, there were quite a few, and they seemed to be heading straight for her.
Jiang Qing’s heart leapt into her throat. She quickened her pace, desperate to avoid them. Unfortunately, she had never learned any spells, so she could only move as fast as her own two legs could carry her. As time passed, the rustling in the brush grew louder, and the creatures soon appeared before her.
Jiang Qing’s face tightened. She looked up to see three Steel-Bristled Boars. These were not ordinary beasts, but demonic ones that had begun to cultivate, each with strength around the mid-stage of the first rank. In human terms, that was equivalent to a cultivator at the fourth, fifth, or sixth level of Qi Condensation. The leader, in particular, had reached the peak of the mid-stage.
Even a fifth-level Qi Condensation cultivator who had mastered combat spells would find such monsters difficult to handle; a misstep could easily prove fatal. Jiang Qing, however, possessed only raw cultivation and no offensive techniques whatsoever—she was effectively defenseless. Fortunately, before departing, she had purchased some offensive talismans at the market; otherwise, she would surely have perished here today.
"Grrr..."
The three boars snarled, their gazes locked onto Jiang Qing, ready to strike at any moment. Cold sweat broke out across her body. She gripped the Yunxiao Sword tightly, forcing herself to remain calm.
"Hmph, just three boars. Let's see if I don't roast you into suckling pig today."
As she spoke, Jiang Qing channeled her spiritual energy into the fire-attribute talismans clutched in her left hand and flung them at the boars.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The boars, never expecting such a sudden attack from a human, were caught off guard. The fireballs struck them squarely. The creatures rolled on the ground in a frantic attempt to extinguish the flames, but these were no ordinary fires; they were fueled by spiritual energy and not easily put out. Within moments, the two weaker ones collapsed and died, leaving only the peak mid-stage leader.
Seeing its companions die, the surviving boar charged at Jiang Qing in a blind rage, intent on trampling her. At the same time, it unleashed its innate skill, firing its steel bristles like needles toward her.
Jiang Qing hurriedly activated a Vajra Talisman. Though it provided a protective barrier, it could not withstand the dense barrage of needles. In a few heartbeats, her spiritual energy waned, and several needles pierced her thighs and shoulders. Ignoring the pain, she threw a Lightning Talisman.
The Lightning Talisman was far more powerful than the fire talismans, and significantly more expensive. She would never have used it if not for the life-or-death situation. The bolt of lightning struck the boar instantly. After a few agonizing squeals and a brief struggle, the creature went limp, stone dead.
Only once the boars were dead did Jiang Qing dare to relax. Fearing the noise and the scent of blood would attract more predators, she quickly swallowed a Rejuvenation Pill, stored the three carcasses in her System Warehouse, and hurried away.
The rest of the journey was smooth, and she reached the edge of the Black Wind Forest without further danger. Only then did she truly let her guard down. She didn't return to Xiaguang City immediately; instead, she found a secluded spot nearby to meditate until her spiritual energy and wounds were recovered.
Her stomach rumbled—she was famished. Recalling the boars in her System Warehouse, she had an idea. "Roasted suckling pig sounds like a good choice."
Between the butchering, cleaning, and roasting over a fire, the process left her feeling quite sore. After about half an hour, the aroma wafted through the air. Unable to wait, she grabbed a piece of meat and began to eat, ignoring the heat. She tucked the leftovers into her System Warehouse to save for later—after all, they wouldn't spoil.
Once full, she extinguished the fire and set off. By midday, she was back in Xiaguang City. She bypassed the inn and headed straight to the market. She purchased an assortment of talismans: Vajra Talismans for defense; Fireball and Lightning Talismans for offense; and Invisibility and Wind-Walking talismans, buying twenty of each.
The Invisibility and Wind-Walking talismans were relatively cheap, while the offensive and Vajra talismans were costly. The Lightning Talismans were the most expensive, costing double the others. The total came to over four hundred spirit stones, and this was merely for low-grade talismans. She wanted to buy mid- or high-grade ones, but she simply couldn't afford them.
Finally, she stopped by the Treasure Pavilion, the largest shop in the city. It dealt in pills, talismans, arrays, and weapons. Because Xiaguang City was located in a remote part of the Southern Domain with thin spiritual energy, the shop primarily catered to low-level cultivators.
There, Jiang Qing bought several wood-attribute spells suitable for her spiritual root: Wood Spike, Wood Sword, Thorn, and Entanglement. Even in her ignorance, she knew that cultivators had to use spells matching their own spiritual roots; otherwise, success would be impossible, or at the very least, incredibly difficult. She had read enough novels in her previous life to know that much.
In addition, she picked up utility spells: Cleaning, Dust-Removal, Water-Drawing, Object-Manipulation, the stealthy Breath-Concealment, and the movement-enhancing Wind-Walking technique. She bought anything she thought she might need. These basic spells were not cheap, costing her another five hundred spirit stones. Her heart ached at the expense—cultivation was truly a money pit.
No wonder the books said that to succeed in the path of cultivation, one needed wealth, companions, methods, and land. Without the help of her system, she doubted she would even be able to start, let alone succeed.
Shaking off these distracting thoughts, she requested a few bottles of Bigu Pills from the clerk before leaving. They were incredibly convenient—one pill was enough to stave off hunger. With her shopping finished, she left the Treasure Pavilion and exited the market.
Back at the inn, Jiang Qing couldn't wait to study her new spells. Only after mastering them could she truly be considered a cultivator. For now, with her cultivation level but lack of technique, she was only a "half" cultivator.
She began with the Entanglement spell. It required the use of plant seeds—ideally those of hardy vines—which would be stimulated by spiritual energy to burst forth instantly and bind an enemy, restricting their movement.