Chapter 9

The next day, he dismembered the fierce tiger and made it into roasted meat, then settled down in the abandoned alchemy room.

However, different wild beasts would come to the area near the abandoned alchemy room from time to time.

For this reason, he set up numerous traps around his residence and tirelessly hunted these wild beasts.

Although he had not yet begun to cultivate, his combat skills had improved significantly from daily battles with various wild beasts. Moreover, the improvement in his diet greatly benefited his physical growth.

That evening, Su Shier, draped in a tiger skin and wielding a bamboo knife, hid in a mountain hollow near his residence.

He lay in the hollow like a sleeping tiger. Under the tiger skin, he perked up his ears and listened intently to the surroundings.

This time, the fierce beast he was to face was a green wolf as strong as a bull. The green wolf was extremely ferocious and could spew gales from its mouth, much like the legendary demon beasts.

He had been outwitting and fighting this demon beast for several days. Today, he had prepared more traps, intending to finish it off in one go.

At that moment, a rustling sound came.

Su Shier's heart tightened, and he instinctively gripped the bamboo knife in his hand.

But the next second, the sound from not far away struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"Where is it?!"

"My efforts have failed, please punish me, Lord!"

Hearing the voices, Su Shier was momentarily stunned.

Immediately, a strong sense of hatred surged in his heart.

The latter's voice was so familiar! It was a voice he would never forget, one that was etched in his bones!

At that moment, the image of the black-clothed man who had killed his grandfather and the villagers flashed in his mind!

"That person, he's actually in the Yun Ge Sect?!"

The thought flashed through his mind, and Su Shier clenched his fists.

But he knew deep down that he was no match for that person.

If he were discovered, he would be dead for sure!

That black-clothed man was even more brutal and terrifying than a fierce tiger!

Holding his breath, Su Shier didn't dare to breathe loudly.

The conversation between the two continued to reach his ears.

"You indeed deserve punishment, but you wouldn't have obtained the treasure furnace and wanted to keep it for yourself, would you?"

"My Lord, you are wronging me. That old man in Xiaoshi Village is as stubborn as a rock. I tried every means to threaten and entice him, but he refused to speak."

"Hmph! If you can't even deal with some mortals, what use do I have for you?!"

...

Listening to their conversation, Su Shier's heart skipped a beat.

"Lord? That person sounds even more powerful than the black-clothed man?"

"Could it be... that there is someone even more powerful behind the black-clothed man?"

This realization shocked him even more.

Lying on the ground, he didn't move a muscle, fearing that the two would discover his presence.

Through a gap, he could vaguely see two blurry black figures conversing under a towering tree not far away.

The moonlight elongated their shadows, which were reflected on him.

"Thank you, Lord, for sparing my life. I have another lead on this matter!"

"Oh? What lead?"

"Afterward, I went back to Xiaoshi Village and found that there was a new cemetery with a hundred graves. The person who erected the tombstones is named Su Shier, the old man's grandson. If I'm not mistaken, the treasure furnace must be in the hands of this Su Shier!"

"Hmm? Is that so? Very well, I'll give you another month. If you still can't find the treasure furnace, you know the consequences!"

...

After saying this, the two huddled together for a while, then soared into the sky and flew in different directions.

In the mountain hollow, Su Shier lay on the ground, his mind in turmoil.

His head was filled with the black-clothed man's last words.

"He... he knows my name and that the alchemy furnace is with me?!"

"I can't stay here any longer!"

At that moment, Su Shier's heart raced, and all he could think about was running away.

But then he thought, if he left the Yun Ge Sect, he wouldn't know where to find a place to cultivate.

Moreover, he had finally gotten a lead on the black-clothed man. If he left without investigating further, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.

With this in mind, Su Shier forced himself to calm down and waited until the middle of the night. Confirming that the two had not returned and that the green wolf had not appeared, he returned to his residence with a heavy heart.

The next morning.

As soon as Su Shier woke up, he heard a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

The sound was neither hurried nor slow, but each knock seemed to strike his heart, making it race.

"Bad, could it be... that person has found me so quickly?" Su Shier rolled out of bed, his heart pounding in his throat.

His eyes darted around, considering whether he could escape.

"Junior Brother Shier, are you there?"

At that moment, a clear and beautiful voice came from outside.

Xiao Yue?

Su Shier was taken aback, but his heart, which had risen to his throat, did not settle. Instead, he suddenly realized another problem: he had joined Luofu Peak using his real name.

And now, the black-clothed man not only knew of his existence but also knew his name!

What should he do? Su Shier broke out in a cold sweat.

Just as he was at a loss, Xiao Yue's slightly worried voice came from outside the door again.

"Junior Brother Shier?!"

Hearing the voice again, Su Shier had to suppress his worries, took a deep breath, and quickly went to open the door.

"Senior Sister Xiao Yue?"

As soon as the door opened, he saw Xiao Yue standing at the door, dressed in a long skirt and carrying a long sword.

Seeing Su Shier, Xiao Yue's face was full of surprise.

Perhaps in her mind, she thought Su Shier wouldn't last this long, either dying at the hands of a wild beast or running away in fear.

Despite her surprise, Xiao Yue quickly put on a smile and acted naturally.

"Your complexion looks... good?!" As she spoke, Xiao Yue glanced around the courtyard.

Seeing the various animal skins piled on the ground, her pupils dilated in shock!

"What? Those are animal skins? You... you actually killed so many wild beasts?!"

As she spoke, Xiao Yue's eyes quickly scanned Su Shier, unable to believe what she was seeing.

A twelve-year-old child could kill so many wild beasts? What a joke!

"It wasn't me who killed them! I just dug some traps around here. The beasts are too stupid, and they fall in every now and then." Su Shier scratched his head and laughed, quickly inviting Xiao Yue in and pointing to the traps in the courtyard.

He didn't want Xiao Yue to think he was very strong, and he certainly couldn't let anyone know about the Peiyuan Pill.

"Ah, so it's traps! I thought so! But it's impressive that you came up with this idea! Anyone else would probably be scared to death by such wild beasts!"

Seeing the traps, Xiao Yue's emotions calmed a bit. Otherwise, she would have thought he was a prodigy.

But her eyes were still full of surprise and admiration.

At twelve, she didn't have the skills or courage to do such things.

This kid is smart and brave, but unfortunately, his spiritual roots are too poor. Otherwise, he would definitely be a promising talent.

"Hehe, thank you, Senior Sister!" Su Shier laughed, then asked about her purpose, "Senior Sister, what brings you here?"

Xiao Yue smiled and said, "I came to check on your safety. Now I see that I was worried for nothing. I also came to inform you about the new disciple trial."

"New disciple trial?" Su Shier's eyebrows raised slightly. He had heard the peak master of Tianhua Peak mention it when he first entered the sect.

Xiao Yue nodded, "Yes, according to Yun Ge Sect's rules, every new disciple must participate in a trial five years after joining. Only those who pass the trial can stay in the Yun Ge Sect. Otherwise, they will either become a servant disciple or be sent back."

"Servant disciple? Sent back?" Su Shier's heart trembled, and he cautiously asked, "What is the content of the trial?"

Xiao Yue replied, "The content of the trial changes each time and is only announced when the trial begins. However, based on past experience, one must at least reach the Qi Condensation Fourth Level to pass."

"Qi Condensation Fourth Level?" Su Shier's face turned pale.

According to Lu Mingshi, he could only cultivate up to the Qi Condensation Seventh or Eighth Level in his lifetime.

Given this, it was already difficult for him to reach the Qi Condensation Fourth Level in five years, even if he had a cultivation technique.

But the thought of giving up never crossed his mind.

Hesitating for a moment, he asked Xiao Yue in a low voice, "Senior Sister, if I want to cultivate, what should I do?"