Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Qingyouzi stopped and watched quietly.

The young man was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye he was in front of the winged lion beast.

Sensing hostility, the monster roared, its fury shaking the surrounding area. It flapped its wings violently, whipping up a whirlwind, and spewed forth a stream of crimson flames, the scorching heat assaulting the senses.

The young man neither dodged nor avoided the situation.

Suddenly, a jet-black longsword appeared in his hand.

The sword's blade was dull and ancient, like ink.

He flicked his wrist, and the tip of the sword touched the center of the flame.

The flames were split in two, flowing out to both sides.

The next instant, the young man moved as fast as a ghost, thrusting his sword straight at the monster's throat.

The winged lion reacted extremely quickly, raising its front paws and slamming them down.

Claws clashed with the sword's edge.

The sound of metal clanging echoed across the grassland.

The young man was knocked back three steps, but was unharmed. He steadied himself and drew his sword again.

This time, the swordplay changed.

The jet-black sword gleamed with a faint gray light, its swordplay unpredictable and treacherous, each strike aimed at the monster's joints, eyes, throat, and other vital points.

The winged lion roared repeatedly, its claws flailing wildly, but it could never touch the young man's clothes.

Ten breaths later.

The young man suddenly sheathed his sword.

He retreated rapidly.

Almost simultaneously, a thin line of blood spurted from the winged lion's throat.

Fresh blood gushed out like a spring.

The monster staggered a few steps, then crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The young man sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

His breathing was as steady as ever, as if he had just casually picked a leaf.

"Master." He bowed to Xie Changyuan.

Xie Changyuan nodded slightly and looked at the other three: "Please excuse my poor performance."

Seven Fiends Master praised, "Thank you for your esteemed disciple, fellow Daoist. He is indeed extraordinary."

Hong Kaishan, unusually, refrained from mockery, but instead glanced at the young man a couple more times, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Qingyouzi thought to himself.

"System, identify the opponent's cultivation technique."

"Ding! Five hundred spirit stones consumed. Appraisal successful."

"Cultivation Technique: 'Ink Dao Heavenly Origin Technique,' a fifth-tier cultivation technique, capable of reaching the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Originating from an ancient secret realm, it was created by a powerful cultivator from the Upper Realm who had mastered the Void Refinement stage."

Qingyouzi frowned almost imperceptibly.

The Nascent Soul Transformation Technique... or was it created by a Void Refinement Grandmaster?

The Yin Xuan Sect has a much deeper foundation than I imagined.

"Fellow Daoist Qingyou, is there something wrong with my disciple?"

Xie Changyuan suddenly spoke, his gaze falling on Qing Youzi's face.

Qingyouzi remained calm and shook his head, saying:

"It's nothing. I just felt that this young man's moves were clean and efficient, and his strength was remarkable. His future achievements will surely far surpass ours. I lost my composure for a moment, and I apologize for making a fool of myself in front of you, fellow Daoist."

"Hahaha." Xie Changyuan chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, you flatter me."

Despite this, a deeper meaning flashed in his eyes.

Qingyouzi said no more, but firmly memorized the three words "Yinxuan Sect" in his heart.

"Let's move forward," Xie Changyuan said calmly.

The group set off again.

Qingyouzi flew at the rear, her gaze sweeping across the grassland. The wind rustled through the grass, and distant mountains were shrouded in mist; this world was so tranquil it seemed unreal.

Half a day later, the group stopped at the foot of a towering cliff.

The cliff face is steep and sheer, over a thousand feet high, with some tenacious plants growing in the crevices, swaying in the breeze.

Xie Changyuan looked at the group:

"There are still two months until the second level of the Celestial Cave opens. In my opinion, it would be better if we split up for the next two months and seek our own opportunities on the outermost level. This would avoid unnecessary competition if we gathered in one place."

He paused, then added:

"We'll meet at the entrance on the second floor in two months. What do you all think?"

The Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged glances.

This suggestion suited them perfectly; gathering together offered limited opportunities and made dividing the spoils difficult. It was better for them to explore on their own and rely on their own abilities.

"Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Fellow Daoist." Seven Fiends True Man nodded first.

Hong Kaishan snorted: "It should have been done long ago."

Qingyouzi cupped his hands in greeting: "I will do as Fellow Daoist Xie says."

After agreeing on the details, each person chose a direction and dispersed as streaks of light.

Qingyouzi chose the due east direction.

He flew slowly, his divine sense spreading out like a net, covering an area of ​​twenty miles. The Heavenly Immortal Cave greatly suppressed his divine sense. With his Nascent Soul cultivation, he could easily cover a hundred miles outside, but here he could only probe twenty miles.

For several days in a row, the harvest was meager.

He killed two third-tier demonic beasts and obtained their demon cores. He also gathered a few five-hundred-year-old spiritual herbs, which were of little use to him, but better than nothing.

"As Xie Changyuan said, this outermost layer is indeed fraught with opportunities."

Qingyouzi stood atop a mountain, looking around.

In the distance, mountains stretch endlessly, shrouded in mist. Closer by, the forest is sparse, and occasionally, the howls of strange beasts can be heard.

Just as he was about to change direction, his consciousness suddenly stirred.

Thirty miles to the northeast, at the bottom of a valley, the spiritual energy was exceptionally rich.

Qingyouzi's figure flickered, transforming into a blue rainbow as he sped away.

A moment later, he landed in front of a low hill.

At the foot of the mountain, there is a natural cave entrance, about ten feet high and wide enough for three people to walk side by side. The cave entrance is deep and dark, with a faint light visible, and a rich spiritual energy is emanating from it.

At this moment, two Golden Core cultivators also arrived at the cave entrance and were about to enter.

A pressure from a Nascent Soul cultivator descended from the sky.

"I've taken a fancy to this place. If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

The sound was deafening, causing the mountain rocks to tremble.

The two Golden Core cultivators paled and looked up. They saw a middle-aged cultivator in black robes standing in mid-air, his face cold and stern.

The two dared not say a word, bowed respectfully, and turned to flee.

The middle-aged man in black robes slowly descended, about to enter the cave.

Another Nascent Soul aura approached.

Qingyouzi landed on the ground, ten feet away from the cave entrance.

The two looked at each other.

The middle-aged man in the black robe frowned slightly and took half a step back.

Qingyouzi recognized the other party as one of the four Nascent Soul cultivators from the righteous path. It seemed they had also split up and had unexpectedly run into each other here.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Their auras surged simultaneously, their Nascent Soul power clashing silently in the air. The surrounding vegetation swayed without wind, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the rocks.

In the distance, some cultivators who noticed the commotion turned their gazes over.

"Look! Nascent Soul cultivators are facing off!"

"This is a rare sight indeed; witnessing even a fraction of it would greatly benefit one's spiritual practice!"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but no one dared to approach; they simply watched from several miles away.

Qingyouzi remained calm, but his mind raced as he secretly manipulated the myriad threads, ready to fight at any moment.

"I've only been at the Nascent Soul stage for two years, and my skills are lacking. I still have seven hundred years of lifespan left, why should I risk my life against this person?"

"But we mustn't show weakness. If we do, the other side might seize the opportunity to attack."

"I have to put on an act."

With a thought, his aura surged once more, his green robe fluttered without wind, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Opposite him, a middle-aged man in black robes stroked his long beard, his face as solemn as iron, looking ready to make a move at any moment.

But inwardly, he was also complaining.

"Damn it, we just separated and I've already run into a demonic Nascent Soul cultivator! I'm just a rogue cultivator, I've lived for seven hundred years, and I want to live for a few hundred more, I have no intention of risking my life here!"

"I can't show my weakness; I have to act convincingly!"

His aura also rose, his spiritual energy surged, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

The two remained facing each other.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Ten breaths passed, and no one moved.

The monks watching from a distance began to murmur among themselves.

"Why haven't you started yet?"

"How could we possibly fathom the confrontation between Nascent Soul stage elders?"

Ten more breaths passed.

Qingyouzi seemed to have noticed something, and suddenly spoke, her tone softening:

"Fellow Daoist, our meeting here is fate. How about we divide the treasures in the cave equally?"

As he spoke, his aura gradually subsided, but his spiritual power continued to surge within him, and his natal magic weapon, the Myriad Threads, was poised to unleash its power.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man in black robes immediately broke into a smile:

"Fellow Daoist is absolutely right! Cultivation is not easy for either of us, why ruin our harmony over this?"

He also concealed his aura and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Since you are so understanding, then let's split it equally. Would you like to go first?"

"No, no, no, please go first, fellow Daoist."

The two refused to go first into the cave, neither willing to be the first to enter, for who knew if there were any traps or restrictions inside?

After some hesitation, they finally entered side by side.

The cave entrance was narrow, but after walking for more than ten feet, the cave suddenly opened up.

Inside the cave is a natural stone chamber, about thirty feet in circumference. In the center is a shallow pool, the water of which is milky white and emits a faint fluorescent glow. Stalactites hang from the cave ceiling, and water droplets fall into the pool with a crisp "drip-drop" sound.

The spiritual energy around the pool was so dense that it almost condensed into mist.

"Millennial Spirit Milk!"

The middle-aged man in black robes gasped in shock.

Qingyouzi's pupils also contracted slightly.

The Millennium Spirit Milk is said to have a single drop that can instantly restore the mana of a Golden Core cultivator. It also has miraculous effects on Nascent Soul cultivators; having this during a battle is tantamount to having an extra life.

This item has long been extinct in the outside world, I never expected to find it here.

There wasn't much spiritual milk in the pool; it could only fill about forty jade bottles.

"Fellow Daoist, how do you suggest we distribute them?" the middle-aged man in black robes asked.

Qingyouzi pondered, "If we use magic to absorb it, it will inevitably be wasteful. How about we divide it into small jade bottles, half for each person, twenty bottles each?"

"Excellent!"

The two of them each took out a jade bottle.

Qingyouzi's storage bag contained dozens of specially made small jade bottles. They looked no different from ordinary jade bottles, but they contained a capacity-expanding restriction inside, so each bottle could hold the amount of two ordinary bottles.

He sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.

The middle-aged man in black robes also took out a jade bottle from his sleeve, a sly glint in his eyes.

The two squatted by the pool and began to sort the contents.

After an incense stick has burned, the bottom of the pool is visible.

Qingyouzi filled fifteen bottles, and the middle-aged man in black robes also filled fifteen bottles.

The two exchanged a glance and both understood that the other was also using a specially made jade bottle.

"Hahaha!" The middle-aged man in black robes suddenly burst into laughter, "I never expected to meet a like-minded person here. I am truly fortunate!"

Qingyouzi smiled as well: "Fellow Daoist's methods are superb, I admire them."

The two put away their jade bottles, and the atmosphere became much more harmonious than before they entered the cave.

"My name is Bai He. May I ask your name, friend?" The middle-aged man in black robes bowed.

"Qingluan," Qingyouzi casually gave an alias.

"Fellow Daoist Qingluan, until we meet again!"

Until we meet again.

The two emerged from the cave side by side, each transforming into a streak of light and flying off in different directions.

The monks watching from a distance exchanged bewildered glances.

"That's... all?"

"What happened to the promised big fight?"

The crowd shook their heads and dispersed.

Qingyouzi flew a hundred miles away, found a secluded valley and landed, confirming that no one was following him.

He took out a jade bottle, opened it, and examined it.

The milky white nectar rippled in the bottle, exuding a spiritual aura.

"Fifteen bottles of millennium-old spiritual milk; this trip was worthwhile."

He put away the jade bottle and looked into the distance.

If such an opportunity exists on the first level of the Celestial Cave, what treasures must be found on the second and third levels?

A hint of anticipation flashed in Qingyouzi's eyes.

He sat down cross-legged and began to regulate his breathing.

Over the next two months, I'll have to explore this first floor thoroughly.