Am I the only cultivator in this cultivation group?

As dusk settled into the mountains and forests, Li Hu stood once again before the notice board outside the July Demon Cave.

He wore a moon-white long robe, which was lifted by the wind to reveal a section of snow-white ankle. His broad back made him appear upright and awe-inspiring.

But looking further up, it gets a little scary.

What was perched on the collar wasn't a human head, but a fox's head.

Li Hu squinted as he read the names on the stone tablet from beginning to end. The more he read, the colder his heart grew. When he reached the last line, his shoulders slumped, and his tail drooped.

He's not here.

"After a century of arduous cultivation, I still cannot enter the July Demon Cave."

Li Hu's throat felt dry, and his face was ashen.

He was no ordinary fox; he was a fox demon who had gained intelligence and taken human form. A hundred years ago, he heard that the July Demon Cave was the most respectable place for wild demons in the vicinity, offering cultivation techniques, powerful backers, and the ability to prolong life. So he plunged into the July Mountains and never came out again.

Other demons, after taking human form, either descend from the mountain to commit evil or sneak into the city to make money.

Only he diligently and assiduously cultivated himself.

When thirsty, he drinks from the stream; when hungry, he catches wild rabbits; in winter, he hides in the cracks of rocks; in summer, he uses his tail to fan himself—living like a poor, ascetic monk.

But ascetic practices are useless.

He never missed a single demon examination held every ten years, and after a hundred years, he was still a wild, wandering demon.

Even worse, he was dying.

"My lifespan is coming to an end. If I cannot enter the demon cave and obtain the longevity cultivation technique, I fear I will not even survive a few months..."

Li Hu stared at the stone tablet, feeling a tightness in his chest.

He couldn't figure it out.

I've worked hard, been honest, and been able to endure hardship, so how did I end up as a poor, dying monster?

"Oh, checking the rankings again?"

A lazy voice came from behind me.

A pangolin demon, clad in worn-out armor and carrying a spear, swaggered over, speaking with the familiarity of an old man checking the notices at the gate.

"Stop glaring. Even if you glare your eyes out, they won't grow your name on them."

Li Hu turned around, his voice bitter, and said, "Why? I've cultivated diligently for a hundred years, never missing a single demon examination, so why can't I ever get in?"

"Want to know?"

The pangolin chuckled, stretched out its claws, and rubbed its thumb and forefinger together.

"Three spirit stones, and I'll give you a sneak peek."

Li Hu froze, then quickly reached into his pocket.

Touch the left side, nothing there.

I touched the right side, but there was nothing there.

Finally, he managed to pull out half a worn-out spirit stone from a hidden pocket in the corner of his clothes, so embarrassed that his ears almost drooped to the ground.

"I... only have this half left. Please give me some pointers, senior."

The pangolin glanced at it with disdain, but still accepted it.

"Well, seeing how poor you are, you can't squeeze any money out of you."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "You recognize that toad spirit from the Nine-Five-Two-Seven Cave, right?"

"I recognize him. He was my former colleague. He entered the July Demon Cave a few years ago."

"That's more like it." The pangolin curled its lip. "His second uncle works in the demon cave. If he doesn't go in, who will? Do you really think he's better at taking exams than you?"

Li Hu was stunned.

The pangolin then asked, "Do you know who the examiner is this time?"

"I don't know."

"You don't even know who the examiner is, what kind of exam are you taking?"

Li Hu frowned: "What does taking the exam have to do with the chief examiner? I can't even see him, I can only see a few proctors—"

"That's why I say you're stupid." The pangolin tapped the half-mined spirit stone in its arms. "If you don't give this to the examiner, why should he nod and let you in?"

Li Hu stared at the half-piece of spirit stone and finally understood.

I just realized it too late.

By the time he arrived, his life was almost over.

Now, let alone waiting another ten years, he might not even be able to hold on for another year.

When the mountain wind blows, the stone tablet feels as cold as a grave.

Li Hu felt a lump in his throat, unable to rise or fall, his throat felt like it was splitting:

"Could it be... that Tianzhen is truly determined to destroy me?"

"I've cultivated myself for a hundred years, finally becoming a demon, only to rot and die in this mountain ravine?"

"I'm not reconciled!"

"Alright, alright, stop howling like a ghost."

The pangolin picked at its ears, looking annoyed by the noise.

"It's not like there's no other way."

Li Hu's ears perked up immediately, and he slid down to his knees with a thud, his movements so practiced it was heartbreaking. He even offered a pot of spirit wine as a gesture of goodwill.

"Please, senior, show me a way out!"

The pangolin was amused. He took the wine, gulped it down, and then slowly pulled a square object out of his pouch.

"I stole this from a group of travelers a few days ago. It's called a cell phone."

Li Hu accepted it with both hands, handling it with more care than his own life.

The thing was completely black, cool and smooth, like a shiny jade mirror, reflecting his fox face.

"This object... is it a magical artifact?"

"Of course it's a magical artifact," the pangolin said with great seriousness. "It can transmit sound over long distances and send images across vast distances, and there are a bunch of extraordinary people on it. If you're lucky enough to run into someone knowledgeable, it might really save your life."

Li Hu's eyes lit up immediately.

"Can it really save my life?"

"Absolutely true. Especially in this place called Tieba, there are all sorts of amazing people there, and they know about all sorts of strange things."

Li Hu's heart skipped a beat, and he pressed, "Then... will this thing allow me to enter the July Demon Cave?"

The pangolin nearly choked on its liquor: "You're about to die, and you're still thinking about the demon cave?"

Li Hu said solemnly, "Only by entering the demon cave can a demon's life be truly secure. Prolonging life is merely existing; entering the cave is the true path to survival. We must not confuse the order of priority."

The pangolin opened its mouth, and after a long pause, managed to utter, "...You're quite opinionated."

"Alright, I'll teach you how to use it."

"This junior kneels to express my gratitude to my benefactor!"

"Don't thank me yet." The pangolin narrowed its eyes. "If you really rise to prominence in the future, don't pretend you don't know me. I'll go to the entrance of the demon cave and call out to you, and you'll have to acknowledge me."

Li Hu said solemnly, "Senior, you have given me life today, which is equivalent to being reborn. I will never forget this kindness."

The pangolin was finally satisfied and gave him a rough tutorial on how to turn on the screen, open it, and type.

Li Hu studied very diligently.

However, a fox's paws are not as nimble as a human's hand. He kept touching the phone crookedly, almost throwing it into a crevice in the rocks. He was so startled that he quickly grabbed it with both hands, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

It's like clinging to the last half of your life.

……

Li Hu is a wild fox demon.

No background, no connections, no elders, and no powerful backers.

For so many years, he had been hiding in a crevice cave in the July Mountains. The cave was narrow, damp, and never saw light. Water seeped from the stone walls, and the smell of mold and grass mingled together, making his tail fur damp after a while.

But he had no choice.

No matter how vast the mountains are, there is no place for him to truly settle down.

Li Hu returned to the cave, curled up on the stiffened haystack, and carefully turned on his phone.

The screen lit up, making his fox-like eyes appear even more serious.

[Cultivation Exchange Group]

"The pangolin elder said this is called a chat group..."

Li Hu read it aloud, his heart tightening.

Since everyone in the group is a powerful cultivator, he absolutely cannot reveal that he is a demon.

In this world, it's not easy for demons to survive.

He considered himself a good demon, having never robbed anyone of their wealth, sexually assaulted anyone, or eaten anyone. But other demons committed countless evil deeds, their infamy carried by the entire demon race. Even if he had never harmed anyone, he still had to live with his tail between his legs.

Thinking of this, Li Hu took a deep breath and gave himself a name.

[Pharmacist Li] Join the chat group.

"Pharmacist..."

Li Hu stared at the three words and nodded slightly.

Over the years, he's been a lone demon on the road. When he falls ill, he can only tough it out. Over time, he's figured out some herbal remedies and can even concoct some low-level pills. Calling him that isn't an exaggeration.

As soon as I joined the group, messages started popping up immediately.

[Jade Cauldron Immortal]: Hmm? A new person has joined the group?

[Randeng Daoren]: Welcome, welcome!

[Guang Chengzi]: Newcomer reporting in!

[Fairy Yuxia]: Welcome!

Li Hu was taken aback.

"The seniors... are they really this enthusiastic?"

He was flattered and held his phone, slowly typing out each character using the pinyin that Pangolin had just taught him.

However, he was very inexperienced. He deleted a single word twice, and with a slight tremor of his finger, he almost accidentally triggered a grinning, yellow-faced little man, which startled him so much that he quickly deleted it, his back sweating.

After struggling for ages, I finally managed to send out a single sentence.

[Pharmacist Li]: This junior, Pharmacist Li, greets you all.

The next moment, another message popped up in the group chat.

[Jade Cauldron Immortal]: Pharmacist Li, which server are you from? Let's go on a dungeon run together later!

Li Hu stared at the words "Dungeon Training" and his brows furrowed little by little.

"A copy?"

"What kind of cultivation method is this?"

He stroked his chin, his fox-like eyes filled with caution.

It sounds like some kind of secret realm that can be entered by multiple people at the same time.

Someone else chimed in the group.

[Guang Chengzi]: Brother, you speak so old-fashionedly! Let's go together, don't be shy.

[Randeng Daoren]: That's right, the more people there are, the faster you can cultivate.

"Does having more people lead to faster spiritual practice?"

Li Hu's pupils contracted slightly, and the whole fox became alert.

"Dual cultivation is already considered a shortcut, but is there perhaps an even better method now? Multiple cultivation?"

Thinking of this, his ears felt slightly hot.

"Having been away from the mountains for a century, how has the world changed so drastically?"

"As expected, seclusion and solitary study ultimately lead to shallow knowledge."

He was shaken, but dared not give a wrong answer.

It's hard to say whether there are genuine experts or scammers in this group. Staying calm is always the best approach.

[Pharmacist Li]: I have some things to attend to and it's not convenient for me to come here.

[Guang Chengzi]: Don't be so serious, bro.

【Ran Deng Dao Ren】: Leveling up together is more efficient.

Looking at the words "leveling up," Li Hu felt they were even more profound and became even more cautious.

[Pharmacist Li]: No, thank you. I'm feeling a bit tired and need to rest for a while.

After sending that message, he let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had just finished a tough battle.

Meanwhile.

In a girls' dormitory at Jiangcheng University.

Bai Xiaoyu, known as "Jade Cauldron Immortal," pushed up her round-framed black-rimmed glasses, her fair feet dangling from the bottom as she stared at the chat box with a puzzled expression.

"This Pharmacist Li is really into his role. He speaks so eloquently, it's like he stepped right out of an ancient costume drama."

Huang Yaoying, the "Jade Fairy" on the opposite bed, was holding a bowl of instant noodles in one hand, a mouse in the other, and half a slice of noodles in her mouth: "Never mind him, Guang Chengzi has started a new dungeon, [Buddha's Ancient Temple]. If I don't go in soon, I'll fall behind in experience. I'm still a little short of reaching the Dao Dan realm."

"Here it comes, here it comes."

Bai Xiaoyu casually closed the chat window, put on her headphones, clicked the mouse, and her character rushed into the dungeon. Monsters, special effects, and experience bars instantly filled the screen.

The dorm room smelled of instant noodles, shampoo, and game sounds leaking from my headphones.

Beyond the July Mountains, there was cold stone, musty smell, dampness, and a dying fox demon.

Both involve staying up all night for "spiritual practice".

One side relies on the network cable for upgrading.

On one hand, they rely on their luck to endure it.

Seeing the group chat suddenly fall silent, Li Hu stared blankly at his phone for a while, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"It seems that all of you seniors have gone to cultivate."

He carefully put his phone away, sat up cross-legged, and almost bumped his head on the low ceiling of the cave when he raised his head slightly, so he had to lower it again.

His posture was awkward, but his expression was much brighter than before.

Soon, a pale blue demonic aura slowly rose from his body and flowed through the narrow cave.

Li Hu closed his eyes, but those new words were still swirling in his mind.

Copy.

Practice more.

Leveling up.

And this "cell phone ritual implement".

If this thing truly holds the key to survival...

Perhaps his miserable life isn't over yet.

However, as Li Hu's thoughts sank, a passage of text and a sound suddenly appeared in his mind.

Welcome "Pharmacist Li" to the dungeon "Buddha's Ancient Temple"!

A soft light slowly spread before my eyes, and the cold stone, musty smell, and dampness all disappeared.

When Li Hu opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.