Yusuf Zuck, though capable of flying in these mountains, did not dare to recklessly venture forth; he was no fool and knew the mountains harbored strange dangers, so he had to ensure his own safety first.
As they progressed deeper into the mountain, the fog grew denser and the poison more potent. Everyone began to experience an unbearable itching on their skin, especially Ruth Wilcox and Ember Vance, whose cultivation levels were the lowest. They were already showing signs of dizziness and their skin was turning purplish-blue, evidently a reaction to the poison they had inhaled.
Yusuf Zuck, on the other hand, was fine, with no trouble at all. Everything was normal for him since he had Blood Beads in his mind, which could secrete purple droplets capable of neutralizing any poison.
Furthermore, Yusuf Zuck made the surprising discovery that Brian Zuck was also unaffected and showed no signs of poisoning. While the major demons were poisoned, Brian Zuck’s little face remained ruddy.
"Everyone stop, we can’t go any further," Yusuf Zuck ordered a halt to their advance. They had fully entered the mountain now, where no paths existed, only dense forests and thorns. Fresh chapters posted on novel~fire~net
"Master, only by passing through the canyon ahead can we reach the base of Chicken Mountain," the snake spirit Francisco Zuck reminded him.
"We still can’t go on. Everyone, sit down and cultivate to expel the poison. Ruth, Ember, come here." Yusuf Zuck summoned the two women to his side and, without a second thought, fed each of them a purple droplet.
As soon as they ingested the purple droplets, the color of their skin changed instantly, and the poison they had breathed in was excreted directly. However, since the two women were not demons, the droplets only cured their ailments without helping to raise their cultivation realms!
"You all stay here, I’ll go ahead and scout the situation. Protect the lady well," Yusuf Zuck commanded.
"Yes," the demons obeyed and swiftly dispersed. Over this last month, Yusuf Zuck had trained them, reasoning with them and teaching them tactics and strategies; otherwise, these straightforward-minded Demon Cultivators would suffer losses when they later clashed with human cultivators.
After a month’s instruction, the Demon Cultivators picked up on it quite quickly. When Yusuf Zuck ordered them to protect the lady, four of them leaped out in four different directions. This was a scouting tactic Yusuf Zuck had taught them, playing a crucial role as the eyes of the force during a march.
As the first group left, another group of four also moved out towards the four directions, forming the second echelon. They had to maintain constant contact with the advance scouts to be effective. Otherwise, if an enemy approached and blinded the leading eyes, the scouts wouldn’t be of much use.
After the eight of them left, another eight laid in ambush around the vicinity, forming an encircling posture.
Big Ay and the three women were now maid servants, existing to serve their master. However, Ruth Wilcox and Ember Vance didn’t treat them like subordinates, but rather like younger sisters, even showing them great affection.
After Yusuf Zuck disappeared deeper into the canyon, everyone began to meditate with closed eyes. It was only Brian Zuck who seemed to be listening intently and sniffing continuously.
A moment later, Brian Zuck cooed a few times, then suddenly rolled over and instantly burrowed beneath the fallen leaves in the canyon.
His true form was indeed that of a mouse, and so, taking advantage of the thick layer of leaves in the canyon, he vanished like a flash of lightning with a few swift zips!
"Brian, come back, where are you going!" Ruth Wilcox and the others called out anxiously.
But Brian Zuck had already gone far and seemed not to hear them.
"Madam, don’t worry about Brian. Although he lacks eyes and a tongue, he has a naturally keen sense of smell and hearing, and he definitely has some special abilities. Moreover, don’t be fooled by his small size; he is a crafty one!" Black Jiao smiled and signalled to Ruth Wilcox and Ember Vance not to be nervous. Since Brian Zuck had ventured inside, there must be a reason for it, and it wouldn’t have been to escape.
Meanwhile, shortly after Yusuf Zuck and Brian Zuck had both entered the gorge, a group of ten people arrived at the very edge of Chicken Mountain, consisting of five men and five women, two of whom were in the Late Condensation Period, and the rest were in the State of Great Fetal Breathing.
"Chicken Mountain has always been known for its mystery. In ancient times, a rooster attained the Dao and thereafter claimed the mountain as his kingdom. It’s said that he left treasures here and even his legacy, while some say he passed away in this very place. Thus, for countless years, Chicken Mountain has been a site all of us cultivators have wanted to explore," said a woman in her twenties with a calm and serene appearance, who was at the cultivation level of solidifying her pill.
"The reason for bringing you here is not to find any treasures, but to carry out the routine training exercises of our sect, to temper your character and endurance. Poison barriers are everywhere here, and the mountain is filled with danger—every step is a potential death trap. What you must do is to cultivate in seclusion within the area designated by your senior brother and me for half a month. If you can withstand that period, you will have completed this training task!"
"Yes, we shall follow senior sister’s orders!" The eight disciples in the State of Great Fetal Breathing bowed in agreement immediately.
"Alright, let’s set out. Follow me!" The senior sister nodded indifferently and then walked ahead into the dense forest, disappearing into the mist.
Shortly after they entered the mist, a scout Demon Cultivator immediately spotted them. However, he did not act rashly but instead hid himself while relaying the message back to the other Demon Cultivators.
Upon receiving the message, the other Demon Cultivators quickly returned, and moments later they arrived outside the entrance of the gorge.
"My ladies, there are Human Cultivators who have entered, a total of ten, five men and five women. Among them, one man and one woman are in the Late Condensation Period, and the rest are all at the later stage of the State of Great Fetal Breathing. Please make a decision, my ladies!" The reporting Demon Cultivator kneeled on one knee and reported truthfully.
"Ah? Someone’s coming?" Ember Vance jumped up immediately, while Ruth Wilcox frowned and said, "Everyone, hide quickly. Do not attack rashly, and make sure we are not discovered!"
"Yes!" Everyone responded at once, and Ruth Wilcox also stood up, taking Ember Vance’s hand and said, "Let’s hide as well. It’s not the right time to cause trouble. Let’s wait for those people to pass before coming out."
"I’ll listen to sister." Ember Vance nodded. Ruth Wilcox’s ability to stay calm at crucial moments was part of her usual style. Though she seemed to rely on Yusuf Zuck for everything, that was only because he was her man. But now that her man wasn’t here, of course, she had to hold down the fort!
The group quickly disappeared into the thorny undergrowth of the forest, and soon after, the eight Human Cultivators had arrived at their position, looking towards the gorge.
"Move forward another two hundred meters, then sit down in the formation of the Bagua, and start your cultivation. I hope you can persevere as you are the most outstanding disciples of our sect this year, and the sect has high hopes for you!" The woman called out loudly.
"Yes." The group nodded and assented once more.
"Alright, keep moving." The woman continued to lead the group forward, and moments later, they vanished from sight.
Ruth Wilcox and Ember Vance emerged from hiding, and Ruth Wilcox turned and asked, "Yusuf won’t be in any trouble, right?"
"My lady, rest assured, our master’s divine skills are unparalleled. Even if those ten join forces, they are no match for our master," said the Black Jiao King, smirking.
"That’s good. Still, go and see what’s going on. The rest of you, stand by and keep watch over the situation outside. We need to be informed immediately if anyone comes. It seems this place gets frequent visitors, which is quite troublesome," Ruth murmured.
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