Chapter 21: All Seek Fame and Glory

The succulent lobster sizzled on the scorching stone slab, releasing an irresistible aroma. Beside it lay several slices of juicy venison, hunted by Senior Sister during her trip to gather firewood. Qin Yue took out some fine salt and sprinkled it carefully over the feast. Although salt was no longer scarce, he still used it sparingly.

Everyone knew how to cook food in its most natural form, but as cultivators, most of their meals consisted of nourishing pills and medicinal substitutes, rarely indulging in such refined preparation. Thus, despite his plain attire, Qin Yue's manner of speech, demeanor, and his composed, fearless attitude made it impossible for others to look down on him.

The eldest youth was named Huo Qing, his younger brother was Huo Tong. The two were siblings; among the women, the twenty-something was Tian Ying, the younger girl was Chen Xuan. The four were disciples from the same sect, hailing from the Lingyun Sect of Zhuoyong Sacred Land, one of the Ten Great Sanctuaries.

Qin Yue introduced himself openly, without using an alias. Hu Jiuyan continued to use her pseudonym, Hu Yan, and both claimed their official identities as captains of Jin Country's Bureau for Thief Apprehension.

Everyone understood clearly: the title of “captain” was merely a post, not a reflection of their true origins. Many disciples from Zhaoyang Sect and the prestigious sects of the Ten Great Sanctuaries, while training in the mortal world, often took up official positions.

The fresh, sweet lobster, the tender, juicy venison, and several cups of wine soon livened the group. Qin Yue was the first to ask, “I noticed earlier you seemed to have gone through something—did you get into a fight inside?”

Huo Tong, outgoing by nature, replied, “Don’t even mention it, it’s a massive pitfall!”

Huo Qing glared at his brother, “Watch your words!”

Huo Tong chuckled and said, “The Beast Valley is in chaos. The demon king sealed the borders, won’t let anyone out—you know that, right?”

Qin Yue nodded.

Huo Tong continued, “That’s nothing though. You were smart not to go deeper. The whole Beast Valley is alive with activity. Feng Qianning is ruthless—she stole treasures from two demon kings and boldly left her name behind. Among the younger generation, no one outshines her.”

Qin Yue nodded, “She’s certainly bold,” while inwardly cursing, “Foolish woman, always showing off.”

Huo Tong added, “Her actions provoked other disciples of the demonic sects. In just ten days, several demon kings’ lairs in Beast Valley got raided. Those who stole magical treasures and spiritual herbs all left their names behind.”

Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan were stunned; was there really a competition about this?

Such a damned obsession with winning!

He couldn’t fathom the logic behind this crowd.

Chen Xuan, the “little rich girl” with a storage ring, remarked, “Everyone who entered is scheming against their old enemies; those who dislike each other fight; when righteous and demonic disciples meet, they go all out, killing, snatching treasures, robbing—now it’s utter chaos, total disorder!”

Hu Jiuyan asked, “What happened with you?”

Huo Qing sighed, “We fought a great demon under the Wind Sigh Demon King and barely escaped. Things are very chaotic. All the demon kings claim they’ll honor their previous promises and not attack us, but reality isn’t so simple.”

According to them, things weren’t so dire at first. Despite the influx of outsiders, the beasts of the valley showed restraint.

It was the young prodigies of the demonic sects, inspired by Feng Qianning, who stirred up trouble, angering the demon kings.

They paid for help but ended up with a bunch of shameless thieves. Anyone would be furious.

Demon generals and soldiers from every mountain and lair were dispatched for strict investigations. The group got unlucky, encountering the Wind Sigh Demon King’s subordinates, who were searching everywhere after their lair was robbed.

Huo Tong, hot-headed, clashed with them, and a horde of demons surged out. The four could barely resist and had to use their protective artifacts to escape.

Hu Jiuyan looked at Qin Yue, “That flood dragon earlier—was it here for this?”

Qin Yue thought for a moment, “It’s possible.”

But he pondered, if they faced that flood dragon now, giving it everything they had, what were their odds of winning?

---

Thinking about the terrifying pressure from the creature, he felt their chances were slim. Most likely, they’d have to use their earth escape technique to flee.

Huo Qing sighed, raised his glass, and toasted Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan, “I’ve trained in the mortal world for years and consider myself experienced, but meeting you two, I realize I still have much to learn.”

Qin Yue smiled modestly, “Yan and I are just cautious and timid, unwilling to get involved. We originally just wanted to see the excitement, but who would have thought we’d arrive safely and now can’t leave…”

Everyone laughed.

Tian Ying said, “You’re too modest. Even if you are timid, there’s no shame. We were all deceived this time. They said Beast Valley would be open for free, herbs up for grabs, rare minerals free to mine. We were naïve to believe such nonsense.”

Hu Jiuyan asked, “Isn’t it true?”

Tian Ying shook her head, “No one cares about ordinary herbs, but the truly valuable medicines and rare minerals are heavily guarded. There’s no chance to harvest them!”

Huo Qing smiled bitterly, “In the end, we were too simple-minded. Think about it: what powerful being would allow outsiders to run amok on their turf?”

Huo Tong grumbled, “If our sect’s spiritual veins hadn’t suddenly…”

A gentle cough from Tian Ying and a fierce glare from Huo Qing silenced him.

Realizing his slip, Huo Tong laughed awkwardly and raised his glass, “Brother Qin, Sister Hu, thanks for your hospitality. A toast to you!”

They were all young people. After a few rounds of drinks, Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan naturally became friends with the four disciples of Lingyun Sect.

Since they couldn’t leave, the group settled on the cliff, carving out their own “seaside cave dwellings,” following Qin Yue and Hu Yan’s example.

The two groups quickly grew close, and Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan learned more about them.

Huo Qing and Huo Tong were inner disciples of Lingyun Sect; Huo Qing was at the fourth level of Void Insight, his brother Huo Tong at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Accumulation, both seeking opportunities to break through.

Tian Ying, also an inner disciple, was personally taught by an elder, with a slightly higher status than the Huo brothers, and her cultivation reached the fifth level of Void Insight.

The “little rich girl” Chen Xuan held the most prestigious identity—she was the sect master’s personal disciple. Despite her young age, she was already a seventh-level Void Insight expert, though her combat experience was lacking.

They had escaped from the Wind Sigh Demon King’s minions thanks to Chen Xuan’s magical treasures.

With their new friends and the information they brought, Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan decided to postpone their plans to venture deeper into Beast Valley.

They spent several idle days here.

Life with their new friends was harmonious; when not cultivating, they held parties, discussing everything from cultivation to life, from demonic sects to the righteous path.

Though these disciples lacked experience, their knowledge was broad.

Huo Tong, “handy and resourceful,” even carved out stone pots, tables, and chairs.

No longer limited to stone slab grilling, they could now boil their food…

But the good times didn’t last. Several days later, the flood dragon returned.

The once-clear weather turned to persistent rain, and Huo Tong’s carefully crafted “vacation paradise” was destroyed with a sweep of its tail.

Then, an icy message was sent to everyone’s spiritual sea:

“Go find people. There will be a reward for those who do. If I see you idling here again, you’ll regret it!”

With that, it turned and flew off.

Even in the martial world, Huo Tong was considered skilled, but he was so furious he nearly wanted to “slay the dragon”—though only dared to mutter to himself after it left.

He was only at the ninth level of Qi Accumulation; even together, they weren’t a match for the flood dragon.

Their “home” destroyed, everyone knew the agitated Beast Valley might erupt at any time.

In recent days, they occasionally encountered a few frightened rogue cultivators. According to them, the Beast Valley incident was escalating, turning into a battleground for the young prodigies of the righteous, demonic, and beast factions.

---

For Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan, the good news was that Feng Qianning still hadn’t been found.

“Brother Qin, since we can’t stay here any longer, let’s part ways and cherish our journeys. If you ever visit Zhuoyong Sacred Land, be sure to come to Lingyun Sect.”

Huo Qing, being older and steadier, didn’t insist on traveling together. This was an unspoken rule of the cultivation world.

Without being from the same sect or family, forming a team with strangers during dangerous times or when fortune was at stake could bring disaster.

Trust was precious in the cultivation world.

Better to go separate ways and preserve this friendship.

After several days together, Huo Tong and Chen Xuan were clearly reluctant to part, but both understood the importance, and everyone exchanged farewells.

Chen Xuan took out a communication stone from her storage ring and handed it to Qin Yue, “Brother Qin, when you reach Zhuoyong Sacred Land, you can use this to contact me… us.”

Hu Jiuyan smiled, but inwardly she couldn’t help but complain: Always calling me ‘Sister Yan’ sweetly, but at the crucial moment, it’s only ‘Brother Qin’ in your heart.

After they parted, Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan chose a cautious route, sticking to remote areas. Over several days, they collected many spiritual herbs suitable for the Qi Accumulation stage.

They were in perfect sync—whoever found something kept it.

Qin Yue’s cultivation speed improved once again.

They encountered some hunters along the way, but there were no conflicts—everyone knew Beast Valley was unlikely to yield rare herbs, and attacking strangers could easily backfire.

Through them, the pair learned the latest news.

This incident had attracted many prodigies from the Divine Land, some seeking Feng Qianning’s two treasures, others treating it as a rare training opportunity.

But for hunters and rogue cultivators, aside from the initial hundred taels of silver and a single-use communication stone linked to Radiant Manor, almost no one gained further benefit; complaints abounded.

“I doubt they even lost their treasures!”

“Demons and monsters are all the same—maybe it’s a plot with that demoness Feng Qianning!”

“Sealing us in here—they’re clearly up to something.”

“Stirring up chaos, attracting more people—most likely a conspiracy between the demonic sects and the beasts against the righteous sects!”

Such is the martial world—rumors spread like wildfire, truth and lies mingled. They couldn’t be ignored, nor taken too seriously.

Hu Jiuyan said she tried to contact her Senior Aunt Feng Qianning, but received no response.

Qin Yue thought no response might not be bad: “If a powerful being is interfering, they might intercept thousand-mile transmissions. If she doesn’t contact you, don’t try again…”

Hu Jiuyan increasingly suspected her “junior brother” hailed from a hidden family—he knew such profound things, knowledge she herself had only recently heard from elders.

On the sixth day of their journey deeper into Beast Valley, Qin Yue and Hu Jiuyan found themselves in Wind Sigh Demon King’s territory, Blazing Swamp.

Though vast primeval forests existed, most grew atop marshes. From above, hundreds of miles of forest appeared as islands scattered across wetlands.

In key areas, great demons stood guard; their overwhelming demonic energy was visible from afar.

Qin Yue knew those places must hold treasures!

Hu Jiuyan noticed the longing in her “junior brother’s” eyes and whispered, “Do you want to…”

The righteous, upright female captain, until now always proper and dignified, finally revealed a hint of the demonic sect maiden within her.