Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

January 5th, early morning.

On the edge of Shennongjia Forest District, there is a small place called "Muyu Town".

Chen Yu stood under the old locust tree at the entrance of town, gazing at the rolling mountains in the distance. It was the dead of winter, and the mountain peaks were covered with snow, while the lower slopes were covered with lush primeval forests, shrouded in mist, like a fairyland.

Shennongjia, the legendary site where Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, is also the largest primeval forest in Central China. Ancient trees reach for the sky, wild animals roam freely, and human presence is rare. But for cultivators, it is a rare and spiritually pristine place.

"The wooden beads are in Shennongjia, but what's their exact location?" Chen Yu frowned. The Huo Lingzi inheritance only mentioned "Shennongjia," without any further details.

He has to find it himself.

Chen Yu took a deep breath and stepped into the forest area.

The mountain path was rugged and covered in snow, making it difficult to walk. But for him, a fifth-level Golden Core cultivator, this difficulty was nothing. He circulated his spiritual energy, his feet lightened, and he moved forward on the snow almost without leaving a trace.

His spiritual senses spread out, covering an area of ​​two hundred feet in radius. As he walked, he sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him. The spiritual energy in Shennongjia was much denser than that outside, but it was also very mixed, containing the scents of various wild animals and plants.

After walking for about two hours, they had ventured dozens of miles into the mountains and forests. There were no other human traces in sight, only towering ancient trees and thick snow. Occasionally, wild rabbits or muntjacs would dart through the woods, quickly fleeing upon seeing him.

Suddenly, Chen Yu stopped in his tracks.

In his spiritual sense, there was an unusually dense fluctuation of spiritual energy ahead—it was wood-elemental spiritual energy, pure and powerful!

He was overjoyed and quickened his pace to head in that direction.

After passing through a dense forest, the view suddenly opened up before me—

A vast valley appeared before us. Mist swirled within it, and the ruins of a complex of buildings could be vaguely discerned. The ruins covered an enormous area, with broken walls and remnants scattered throughout, still hinting at their former grandeur.

"Was this place ever inhabited?" Chen Yu approached warily.

In the center of the ruins stands a relatively intact stone palace. Above the palace's entrance are three ancient characters: Shennong Palace.

"Shennong Palace?" Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Could this be the remains left behind by Shennong?

He entered the stone hall. The hall was empty, except for a stone statue standing in the center—an old man holding a hoe and carrying a medicine basket, with a kind face. It must be a statue of Shennong.

On the offering table in front of the stone statue, there was a jade box. The jade box was entirely emerald green and emitted a faint spiritual light.

Chen Yu approached and reached out to open the jade box—

Inside lay a cyan bead, about the size of an egg, crystal clear, with countless tiny points of light flowing within, as if containing a whole forest.

Wooden beads!

Chen Yu was overjoyed and reached out to take it.

The instant his fingers touched the wooden bead, a sudden change occurred—

A beam of azure light shot out from the wooden bead, heading straight for the ceiling. Immediately afterward, the entire stone hall trembled, and a stone door on the wall behind the statue suddenly burst open!

Behind the door was a deep, dark passageway, from which a low, guttural roar could be faintly heard.

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stored the wooden bead into his small world. But the roar grew closer, and a powerful aura surged out from the tunnel—

It was a gigantic blue python!

The giant python was as thick as a water vat, its body covered in bluish-green scales, with a single horn on its head and eyes that gleamed with an eerie green light like lanterns. Its aura was comparable to that of a sixth-level Golden Core cultivator!

"A guardian beast?" Chen Yu summoned the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts, ready for battle.

The giant python stared at him and roared angrily—clearly, it was the guardian of this place, responsible for protecting the wooden beads.

Chen Yu didn't want to get entangled and turned to flee. But the giant python was faster; its massive body instantly burst out of the stone hall, blocking his path.

"roar!"

The giant python opened its blood-red maw, and a stream of blue venom gushed out!

Chen Yu dodged, the venom splashing onto the ground with a hissing sound, corroding large pits into the rocks.

"What potent poison!" He was startled and dared not withstand it head-on. A burst of flame shot out from the Vermilion Bird Lantern Mirror, heading straight for the giant python.

The giant python roared in pain as it was burned by the flames, but its scales remained tough, leaving only a few scorch marks. Enraged, it swung its tail with tremendous force!

Chen Yu leaped up, dodging the sweep, and simultaneously summoned the Azure Dragon Cauldron, a blue light shield protecting his entire body. With the White Tiger Cong enhancing his power, he punched the giant python.

"Bang!"

The giant python was blasted back several feet, but its scales remained intact.

Chen Yu frowned. This giant python's defense was too strong; his attacks were unlikely to cause any real damage.

"I must find its weakness." He extended his spiritual sense with all his might, carefully searching the giant python's body.

Finally, at its seven-inch mark, he found a scale that was slightly lighter in color—that was its vital spot!

The giant python seemed to sense his intentions and attacked even more frantically. Venom, bites, tail swipes—each move was deadly.

Chen Yu gritted his teeth, dodging and looking for an opportunity.

Finally, the giant python missed its target, its vital spot exposed to him—

It's now!

Chen Yu activated the White Tiger Cong with all his might, his power surging to its limit, and punched the light-colored scale!

"Snap!"

Its scales shattered, and the giant python let out a mournful scream before its massive body crashed to the ground.

But it wasn't dead yet; it struggled to raise its head, its eyes filled with resentment and malice.

Chen Yu didn't give it a chance; a burst of flame shot out from the Vermilion Bird Lamp Mirror, striking its wound squarely.

The giant python finally stopped moving.

Chen Yu gasped for breath and swallowed a Qi-Nourishing Pill to restore his depleted true essence.

After a long while, he stood up and looked at the corpse of the giant python.

The python's scales, fangs, and gallbladders were all treasures. He took out his tools and collected all the usable materials.

After doing all this, he entered the stone hall again.

The statue of Shennong still stands there benevolently, as if nothing had happened.

Chen Yu bowed deeply to the statue: "Senior Shennong, I borrow the wooden bead only to repair the seal and protect all living beings. I will return it after the matter is resolved."

The statue did not respond, but the hoe in its hand suddenly lit up.

Chen Yu was taken aback and looked at the medicine hoe. Several lines of small characters were engraved on the hoe, in ancient seal script—

"The wooden beads possess a spirit and choose their master to serve. Whoever obtains the beads must carry on the will of Shennong to help the world and save people. If this oath is broken, one will surely suffer retribution."

It turns out that these wooden beads are not something you can just take casually; there's a test involved.

Chen Yu solemnly replied, "Although I dare not claim to be a savior of the world, I will certainly do my best if I have the ability."

The light from the hoe gradually faded.

Chen Yu left the stone hall, took one last look at the Shennong Palace, and turned to leave.

It was already dark when we emerged from the valley.

Chen Yu found a secluded cave and entered the small world to rest.

In the small world, Qin Huairu was waiting for him in the bamboo house. Seeing him enter, she hurriedly came up to him: "Found it?"

"Found it." Chen Yu took out the wooden bead and handed it to her.

Qin Huairu took it, holding it carefully: "So beautiful... These are wooden beads?"

"Yes. With it, we can repair part of the seal."

"So where to go next?"

"Go to Kunlun Ruins and find the Golden Pearl," Chen Yu said.

Qin Huairu was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I'll go with you."

Chen Yu shook his head: "It's too dangerous. You wait here for me, I'll be right back."

Qin Huairu didn't insist anymore, she just hugged him tightly.

Promise me you'll come back safely.

I promise you.

Early the next morning, Chen Yu left Shennongjia and embarked on his journey to Kunlun.

Behind us, Shennongjia remained shrouded in mist and clouds, mysterious and unpredictable.

But even more challenges await him ahead.

But he wasn't afraid.

Because there are people in my heart whom I want to protect.