A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Three days later

At a place called Blood Dove Ridge, Qin Changqing sheathed his small sword, which was about three inches long, and a headless strange bird fell with a thud from a giant tree that was four or five zhang high.

Not far from its corpse, on the ground, lay the head of a black bird with a fox's face and an eagle's beak. The cut on its neck was as smooth as a mirror, and drops of scarlet bird blood were slowly seeping from its surface.

"Is this a fox-crow?"

Zhou Ping, his expression slightly shaken, withdrew his gaze from Qin Changqing's sharp attack and stared at the dark, strange bird not far away, whispering something.

"This fox crow must have been a scout planted here by the flock of crows. Fortunately, Brother Qing discovered it in time and killed it with swift and decisive action. Otherwise, if it had escaped, we would have been the ones to suffer."

Gu Caiwei patted her slightly voluptuous chest and said with some lingering fear, then focused her admiring gaze back on Qin Changqing, who had a calm expression.

Qin Changqing seemed somewhat unmoved by Gu Caiwei's words, instead scrutinizing the bird carcass beneath the tree with a thoughtful expression.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you two collect the crow's spirit blood, and I'll go deeper to investigate further."

Seeing the serious expression on the other person's face, Zhou Ping thought for a moment and then took out the large porcelain bottle he had prepared in advance from his storage bag.

Although he didn't know what Qin Changqing had discovered, given the other party's strength, the fact that he could be so cautious indicated that the matter might be somewhat troublesome. He should be careful when collecting spirit blood.

Meanwhile, Gu Caiwei, stopped by Qin Changqing's gaze, halted her attempt to join them. After slightly pursing her cherry-like lips, she listlessly gazed at the surrounding scenery.

As for the menial task of collecting spirit blood, given her pampered upbringing, she would naturally never touch it. Zhou Ping didn't mind either, and bent down to draw a sharp short blade, walking towards the fox crow's corpse.

This fox-crow, as one of the most common low-level demonic beasts, is somewhat more intelligent than other demonic beasts. However, only its spiritual blood has any value and can be used as material for drawing talismans. As for the other parts, it is no different from ordinary wild beasts and is of little use to cultivators.

A moment later, Zhou Ping pulled the sharp blade from the fox crow's chest, rinsed it slightly, and put it away. He shook the half-full bottle of fox crow blood and put the stopper on with satisfaction.

After doing all this, Zhou Ping looked at the remains of the fox crows scattered on the ground. Without the slightest hesitation, he flicked his wrist, and a fireball the size of a fist shot out from his fingertip, burning the remains of the fox crows to ashes in an instant.

When the damp ground is baked until it becomes exceptionally dry and hard, only a thin layer of black ash remains on it.

What are you doing?

Gu Caiwei looked over upon hearing the sound, her face showing surprise. She asked, puzzled.

"The smell of this fox-crow blood was too strong. If I left it unattended, I was afraid that the bird carcass would attract other monsters nearby, so I burned it."

After putting the porcelain bottle into his storage bag, Zhou Ping turned around, clapped his hands, and explained to Gu Caiwei, who was not far behind him.

"Oh, I see... You're quite perceptive; I didn't even notice at first."

Gu Caiwei nodded slightly, her face showing a look of sudden realization, as if she had gained some new understanding of the withered-looking 'young' cultivator in front of her.

Just as the two were chatting, Qin Changqing, who had left earlier, suddenly returned from the dense forest. Unlike before he left, there were now two richly dressed middle-aged cultivators following him a dozen feet behind.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Ping and Gu Caiwei suddenly became wary, staring at the two middle-aged male cultivators behind Qin Changqing with suspicion.

"Brother Qing, what do these two mean?"

When Gu Caiwei saw Qin Changqing come to her side, she asked him in a low voice, while Zhou Ping, who was standing to the side, also showed a puzzled look in his eyes.

"I met these two by chance near the fox-crow's nest. They are cultivators from Jiyun City who came here to hunt fox-crow spirit blood. After a little investigation, I learned that the fox-crow flock here has indeed undergone an unusual change, just as I suspected."

Qin Changqing turned around and glanced at the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators behind him before calmly explaining to them.

"What do you mean by that, Senior Brother Qin? What kind of strange change has occurred in the fox-crow flock?"

At this moment, Zhou Ping had already become alert upon seeing the two unfamiliar cultivators not far away. After sensing that both of them were at the late stage of Qi Refining, he unconsciously reached into his robes, ready to unleash his magical artifact at any moment.

"Junior Brother Zhou, there's no need to be nervous. I invited these two people here so that I could discuss this demon-hunting matter with you two."

Qin Changqing shook his head slightly at Zhou Ping, indicating his intention, and then spoke again.

"Based on my previous deductions and what these two have seen and heard, there is a very high probability that a level-two fox crow has recently been born in the fox crow's nest deep in the dense forest. Therefore, I, Qin, would like to come back and seek your opinions."

"Should we retreat now and search elsewhere for the fox-crow, or stay and hunt this demon with these two?"

Qin Changqing explained his thoughts in detail, his tone revealing nothing unusual, but his eyes showed a hint of eagerness.

When Gu Caiwei and Zhou Ping heard that there might be a Foundation Establishment stage demonic bird deep in the dense forest, their faces showed horror. Zhou Ping, in particular, immediately had the idea of ​​retreating.

A fox crow, equivalent to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, would probably have his life taken by the opponent in a single encounter, given his cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

"Brother Qing, are there really level two fox crows inside?!"

Gu Caiwei seemed still somewhat incredulous, and gently tugged at the former's collar with her delicate hand, asking timidly.

Although the fox-crow is just the lowest-level common demonic bird, no matter what kind of demonic beast it is, once it advances to the second level, it will undergo a transcendent transformation, just like a cultivator breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, leaping up and completely breaking free from the shackles of the mortal world.

Therefore, even Gu Caiwei, who was usually fearless, couldn't help but change color after hearing that there might be a demon comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Indeed, the black-headed fox crow I killed earlier held a high position among these demonic birds. Under normal circumstances, it would not be this kind of demonic bird that would be keeping watch here. If it weren't for a fox crow of a higher rank giving orders, I can't think of any other possibility."

Qin Changqing explained his deduction, then quietly looked at Zhou Ping and the other man, saying nothing more.