Yunxi managed to hold out until the third body refinement movement before collapsing. Her bones even let out a series of cracking sounds, clearly reaching their physical limit.
Dian Dian, who had been watching from the side, was full of curiosity. Its tiny black eyes followed every strange position its master twisted into. To Dian Dian, Yunxi looked like she was tangling herself into a bundle of vines, but once each posture was set, it would see streaks of white starlight flowing into her body.
As soon as Yunxi finished her training and released the breathing technique, Dian Dian waddled over and asked curiously, "Master, what technique are you cultivating? It looks just like how those high-level beasts absorb moonlight and starlight."
Wiping sweat from her brow, Yunxi rubbed the little beast's head and replied, "This is my own unique body refinement art."
"Oh!" Dian Dian twitched its ears to show understanding, then sniffed a little before muttering,"Master, you've got a weird smell on you."
Yunxi gave herself a sniff but didn't catch anything strange. "See if you can figure out where the smell's coming from."
"Yes, Master! Dian Dian's nose is the most sensitive!" the little thing boasted, then began circling Yunxi, sniffing carefully. In the end, it stopped at her ankle, tail swishing. "Master, it's coming from here."
Yunxi nodded in understanding. That was the spot where the green snake had bitten her yesterday. Thankfully, she had listened to Mu Ningzhu's advice and immediately swallowed two detoxification pills, avoiding full-body paralysis.
Sitting cross-legged, Yunxi lifted her pant leg, exposing the injured ankle. Sure enough, two tiny black dots, about the size of millet grains, were seeping from the bite marks.
Dian Dian leaned in for another sniff, then sent a voice transmission, "Master, it's definitely that scent."
Yunxi took out a silk cloth and wiped away the dark residue, then used a cleansing technique before letting the pant leg fall again. She sniffed the silk herself and murmured, "This must be the residual poison left behind by that green bamboo viper."
"No wonder the smell was so faint. Dian Dian almost missed it."
Yunxi figured the poison had been expelled from her system thanks to the body refinement practice earlier. It seemed she had stumbled upon a real treasure of a technique. Even if it had nearly wrung her body dry, the benefits were already showing.
She sat back down and circulated her internal energy for a full cycle, restoring herself to peak condition. Then she asked, "That ear-splitting howl on the battlefield yesterday, which beast made that?"
"It was the White-Browed Old Ape, one of the major bosses in the inner region," Dian Dian replied after twitching its ears again.
"So it's fifth-rank? Equivalent to a Divine Transformation stage cultivator?" Yunxi asked with interest.
"Mm. Very powerful. It's already survived a tribulation to take human form but chose to stay in Baohua Mountain to protect its clan."
Yunxi chuckled and picked Dian Dian up to squeeze it in her hands. "Sounds like you're from Baohua Mountain too. How'd you end up getting contracted by a human cultivator? I didn't get to ask before, so spill it now."
Dian Dian's fluffy fur got all ruffled under her assault. It slumped with a sigh and said, "I had my eye on a second-rank Longyan Grass. I waited and waited for it to ripen, but two human cultivators spotted it too. They were sneaky, pulled a 'mantis stalking the cicada' trick. Not only did they take the herb, they caught me too.
To save my life, I claimed I could sniff out valuable treasures, so I helped them track down cultivators carrying good loot. Their cultivation was low, so they targeted lone wanderers. They robbed four of them in total, and most of their spirit stones came from what I helped them snatch.
Then, just when they were about to leave the outer zone of Baohua Mountain, I caught a whiff of your amazing scent and told them about you. That's why they tried to rob you."
Dian Dian trailed off, because Yunxi was once again ruthlessly squashing it in her hands.
"Master! Dian Dian has turned over a new leaf!"
Yunxi laughed. "You even know that phrase? Who taught you?"
"I overheard high-rank beasts talking about it," the little one said in a muffled voice.
After enough teasing, Yunxi's tone grew serious. "You're my contracted beast now. Whatever you do in the future, you'd better have some sense. Don't get me caught up in your trouble. Otherwise, I'll be the first to squash you."
She placed Dian Dian down beside her meditation cushion.
The little beast straightened its fur indignantly, then twitched its ears and said, "Dian Dian wouldn't dare. I only did it to survive. Besides, the ones doing the robbing were cultivators. I just... pointed them in the right direction."
Yunxi curled her lips in amusement and flicked its forehead. That was enough punishment.
Afterward, she brought out the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff for a closer look. Yesterday's battle had given her a stronger sense of connection with it, and wielding the staff now felt completely natural.
Especially when she infused it with lightning spiritual energy—the weapon's destructive power increased significantly. Even more impressively, the staff adjusted its own weight according to her strength, making it feel light in the hand even as its strikes grew heavier.
Satisfied, Yunxi stopped channeling energy into the staff and practiced a set of sword techniques from the Wushuang Sword Lightning Art using the long staff instead of a sword. Her movements were fierce and forceful, and Dian Dian squeaked excitedly from the side.
After all that, Yunxi felt too energized to sleep. She began sorting through her spoils of war. Her biggest prize was the twenty-five-meter-long five-colored python. She planned to use its hide to craft a personal defensive robe.
When she laid the snake out, Dian Dian's fur immediately stood on end. This type of beast was a natural predator of rodents. The little thing bolted back into Yunxi's arms, leaving only a trembling tail sticking out.
Yunxi fiddled with her spirit sword for a while, trying to figure out where to start skinning it. She'd never done this before. In the end, she gave up and stored the python back in her pouch. She could deal with it after returning to the sect.
The rest of her loot included horned rhino beasts, sharp-jawed crocodiles, various snake-type monsters, and a pile of first-rank beasts. All of it was hers.
By the time she finished organizing everything, dawn was approaching. Yunxi didn't forget the cracked floor from yesterday, caused by her staff strikes. She formed a hand seal and smoothed the ground with a spell before pushing open the door.
Several fellow disciples were already gathered in the courtyard, whispering about the previous day's battle.
Yunxi spotted Mu Ningzhu and Qin Tongshuang and walked over to join them.
"Yunxi, have you recovered?" Mu Ningzhu asked.
"I rested all night. I'm mostly fine now, but I burned through half my attack talismans. If we're not heading into battle today, I plan to make some more."
She didn't hide her intentions. She had an ongoing anxiety about not having enough supplies.
Mu Ningzhu nodded in agreement. "I can't draw talismans, so I'm planning to buy a few. We should also hand in yesterday's loot. That should get us some spirit stones."
She lowered her voice slightly and added, "This beast tide might be ending soon."