Chapter 0601: Demon Forest of Ghost Grass

Chapter 0601: Haunted Grass Demonwood

Upon learning about these benefits, Qin Yun scoffed and said, "Granny Ma, these perks sound awesome! When will the Manor Lord be free? I want to become a Core Disciple as soon as possible!"

"Earth-tier advanced and Heaven-tier techniques can be exchanged for points in the Armory Illusion Realm. With your speed of earning points, you’ll have them in no time!" Granny Ma replied.

"I’m only earning points quickly now. It won’t be so easy later—the big factions will be watching me like hawks!" Qin Yun sighed.

Chu Binyu chuckled, "Qin Yun, there’s plenty of time ahead. It’s only been a few days! Heaven-grade martial arts are extremely rare—how could you get them in just a day or two? In the Armory Illusion Realm, it’d take a solid decade to accumulate enough points!"

Qin Yun now understood the advantage of building a faction—everyone could work together to earn points, acquire better martial arts, and train collectively.

Right now, he was alone, yet he had managed to gather so many points, which was quite impressive.

"Granny Ma, there’s a BlackClad Corps in the Armory Illusion Realm. They don’t seem like ordinary disciples," Qin Yun said. "I heard they’re extremely powerful and can easily wipe out even the strongest factions!"

"The BlackClad Corps is a special entity, reportedly trained by the Manor Lord himself, mainly to elevate disciples’ skills. If you’re strong enough to kill a member of the BlackClad Corps, you’ll earn a hundred points. Encountering them is a jackpot chance to gain points!" Granny Ma explained.

Hearing this, Qin Yun's eyes lit up, and he prepared to dive into the Armory Illusion Realm, whipping up more potent Mystic Runes.

"Granny Ma, do you have anything else? If not, I’m diving into the Armory Illusion Realm!" Qin Yun was eager to obtain a Heaven-grade martial art to boost his strength.

"I do! Our Dharma Protector Hall has a field op requiring skilled Spirit Martial Realm disciples!" Granny Ma said. "Success will earn you a Yuanling Mystic Pill."

The Yuanling Mystic Pill was a game-changer in the early Spirit Martial Realm, as it aided in cultivating the Yuanling—a condensed mental avatar that significantly enhanced one’s mental power.

"Alright, I’ll go! By the way, is Hua Xiyue joining?" Qin Yun asked.

"Relax, he’s not invited! Also, this mission is confidential—you’ll wear black clothes and a mask, just like the other disciples," Granny Ma said. "I’ll be leading the team."

Chu Binyu laughed. "Qin Yun, go for it! This is basically free loot!"

"Manor Lord, aren’t you opposing the clan factions? Since I’ve suppressed them again, shouldn’t you throw me a bone?" Qin Yun grinned.

"Well... I’ll squeeze some resources out of them for you," Chu Binyu said, patting Qin Yun’s shoulder reassuringly.

Granny Ma handed Qin Yun a set of black clothes.

After changing into the outfit and donning a mask, Qin Yun followed Granny Ma to the Dharma Protector Hall HQ.

Qin Yun had been to the Dharma Protector Hall territory before—the dungeons. This time, however, he entered the main hall.

Inside the hall stood nine other figures head-to-toe in black, faces hidden—all early Spirit Martial Realm martial artists of varying builds.

"Granny Ma, we’ve been cooling our heels forever. When do we leave?" one slender figure asked softly in a delicate voice.

Though muffled by the mask, Qin Yun recognized it as Liu Jingmeng’s. He hadn’t expected her to join this mission.

"We’ll depart shortly!" Granny Ma said. "Stick to the plan once we reach our destination!"

She then handed out ten message-shells to Qin Yun and the others.

"I’ll brief you on the details during the journey. Follow me!" Granny Ma exited the hall and called up a skiff.

Qin Yun and the others piled into the hull.

The cabin was a bit crowded, with Liu Jingmeng sitting beside Granny Ma.

Granny Ma controlled the small boat, making it fly at an extremely fast speed out of the Immortal Arms Palace, soon leaving the vast city behind.

"Granny Ma, who are they?"

Liu Jingmeng's eyes behind her black mask widened with curiosity as she looked at Qin Yun and the other eight.

"They are your senior brothers and sisters. With them protecting you, you'll be very safe. Don't worry!"

Granny Ma was exceptionally gentle with Liu Jingmeng, showing none of her usual stern demeanor.

Granny Ma glanced at Qin Yun and the others, saying, "This time, we're heading to the Ghost Grass Demon Forest!"

"Ah!"

Liu Jingmeng let out a soft, surprised gasp upon hearing this.

Qin Yun also noticed the others exchanging looks, clearly startled by the news.

"Indeed, the Ghost Grass Demon Forest of the Demon Barrens!" Granny Ma reassured them. "Don’t worry, you'll only be staying near the outskirts. There's no need to venture deep inside—it's quite safe."

"Granny Ma, what exactly is the main objective of this mission?" asked one of them in a rough, male voice.

"Disciples from other sects will also be entering. Your task is to intercept them. Additionally, two of you will protect Jingmeng while she attempts to subdue a Mystic Mushroom Beast!" Granny Ma explained.

"Granny Ma... will we really succeed?" Liu Jingmeng asked softly.

"Don’t worry, we will!" Granny Ma said with a light chuckle. "Once completed, each of you will receive a Yuanling Mystic Pill!"

The others remained silent, knowing full well how difficult to obtain the Yuanling Mystic Pill was.

"Yun'er, what exactly is a Mystic Mushroom Beast?" Qin Yun asked.

"It's a mushroom-born creature. Though not particularly strong, it's incredibly fast and expert at hiding. It has many unique abilities—hypnosis, healing, detoxification—making it an exceptional spirit beast!" Ling Yuner explained.

"So Granny Ma is helping Jingmeng find a powerful spirit beast!" Qin Yun understood now.

"With Liu Jingmeng's talent, it's only natural she gets a powerful spirit beast. But as Granny Ma mentioned earlier, disciples from other sects will also be searching for it."

"Most likely, the Mystic Mushroom Beast's presence was exposed, and once word spread, disciples from other sects came rushing!" Ling Yuner added.

Granny Ma's small boat flew swiftly, crossing out of the Spirit Wasteland and into the Demon Barrens in just half a day.

---

The area near the Ghost Grass Demon Forest isn’t particularly dangerous. The main threats you'll face are disciples from other sects!"

Granny Ma continued, "The Mystic Mushroom Beast has sharp senses. If a mid-stage Spirit Martial Realm martial artist approaches, it will flee immediately. Only early-stage Spirit Martial Realm martial artists can get close more easily."

"That’s why I won’t be entering the forest myself. However, I’ll keep track of your positions and direct your actions. If any of you are in danger, I’ll come to your aid immediately." Granny Ma reassured them. "Go ahead without worry!"

Soon, the small boat landed at the edge of the Ghost Grass Demon Forest.

"Damn it, disciples from other sects have already entered!" Granny Ma muttered angrily. "Hurry inside now!"

As she spoke, she took out a spirit beast pouch and released over a dozen black hawks and a few owls.

"Through these birds, I can keep watch and guide you to intercept the rival sect disciples. Remember—if you encounter disciples from the Herbal Immortal Valley or the Canghuo Immortal Mountain, try to capture them alive if possible. If not, kill them!" "As for disciples from other sects, simply force them back. Once they realize you’re from the Immortal Soldier City, they’ll retreat if they realize they're outmatched."

Granny Ma's words also conveyed to Qin Yun and the others that Immortal Soldier City had no need to hold back against the Medicine Immortal Valley and the Canghuo Immortal Mountain, implying that these two sects were now regarded as hostile forces.

After the arrangements were made, Qin Yun and the other nine entered the Demon Grass Forest.

It was noon when they entered, with the scorching sun overhead, yet the forest was refreshingly cool.

When Qin Yun first arrived, he had imagined the Demon Grass Forest to be a dark and foreboding place, but now it seemed no different from an ordinary large forest.

"Did Granny Ma bring me here to deal with the fighters of the Medicine Immortal Valley and the Canghuo Immortal Mountain?" Qin Yun thought to himself as he followed the group.

"Very likely! The Medicine Immortal Valley and the Canghuo Immortal Mountain must have been secretly targeting the Immortal Soldier City. After all, the Immortal Soldier City is wealthy and powerful, with many industries and mines spread across Ao Xing Province. It’s only natural they’d face sneak attacks," Ling Yuner said.

Liu Jingmeng seemed to sense the presence of the Mystic Mushroom Beast and kept heading in one direction.

Not long after entering the forest, Granny Ma sent a telepathic instruction, ordering one fighter to leave the group and intercept a fighter from another sect.

Over the next couple hours, several more fighters were called away by Granny Ma to block other sect fighters.

Liu Jingmeng was accompanied by two fighters. Though they wore black clothes and masks, their strength was frighteningly strong.

Qin Yun was also called away, though he didn’t know which sect’s operative he was supposed to confront.

"Qin Yun, once you get there, first identify which sect the operative belongs to before taking action!"

"Our Immortal Soldier City is already at odds with the Medicine Immortal Valley and the Canghuo Immortal Mountain. If we provoke the Sword Immortal Pavilion or the Demon Immortal Cave Heaven as well, we’ll be spread too thin!"

Granny Ma relayed her instructions to Qin Yun through a message conch.

"I understand!" Qin Yun replied.

At noon, the forest was comfortably cool, with occasional cool gusts.

As Qin Yun raced through the forest, he encountered the fighter from the other sect.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in white robes, his figure somewhat heavyset.

Upon seeing Qin Yun, he snatched out a long hook and shouted, "Which sect do you belong to?"

"The Immortal Soldier City!" Qin Yun answered.

"Immortal Soldier City? You’re also after the Mystic Mushroom Beast? Ha! How naive! I’m from the Medicine Immortal Valley!"

The white-robed man let out a laugh and nimbly dodged to Qin Yun’s side, his hook lashing out unnaturally toward Qin Yun’s neck.