CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 360: KEEPING THE APPOINTMENT

"Damn it!"

Jiang Yuan was startled by the sudden sight of half a fresh corpse and instinctively jumped back a distance.

Seeing the body, mostly devoured by the White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon and now just a head and half a shoulder, being swept away by the battle currents, he gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and used his blade to lift it onto the shore.

No side quest triggered, it’s likely just an unnamed bystander.

Feeling both shocked and unnerved, Jiang Yuan couldn’t shake the unease. He proficiently unleashed a series of attacks on the White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon: Vast Mountains and Rivers! Instant Teleportation Technique! A stabbing strike!

"Roar~"

Entangled tightly and unable to break free, the White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon roared in anger, unfolding its body to expose the sharp white fins on its back, attempting to cut through its captor.

Bai Yunqi, seeing this, slightly loosened his grip and used Snake Coagulation, causing a giant serpent with a powerful oppressive presence to perform a Spiritual Strike amidst the rolling lake waters.

No matter how fierce it was, the White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon was still only a savage Demon Beast, relying on instinct for hunting and battle. Faced with the Demon Cultivator’s Spiritual Strike, it had no resistance, its entire body instantly stiffened.

Jiang Yuan seized the opportunity to signal for it to be dragged ashore. Firstly, it was less formidable out of the water; secondly, he worried that collecting spoils in water might be affected.

Fighting alongside a contract pet had its advantages in building synergy. Xiao Bai immediately understood his intent, wrapping its massive snake body around the temporarily stupefied White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon and flung it directly onto the shore.

Vast Mountains and Rivers!

Instant Teleportation Technique!

"Splat!"

With seamless combo moves aided by Xiao Bai, the White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon’s health bar quickly depleted after being forced ashore, unable to struggle any longer.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the massive, tentacle-covered body of the monstrous beast scattered into specks of starlight and vanished. Meanwhile, the spoils were automatically collected in Jiang Yuan’s Storage Bag: Demon Core +1, White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon Blood +26, Demon Flood Dragon Scales +12, Demon Flood Dragon Tentacles +41.

"Is that it?" Bai Yunqi, manifesting in human form, looked on, quite surprised.

Usually, the corpse of a slain demon beast needs to be processed. Even the most experienced hunters meticulously carve out and preserve useful parts, discarding the rest in the Wilderness.

Why is it that in the hands of the Venerable Family, nothing else is needed?

"Exactly, they’re much easier to deal with once ashore." Jiang Yuan finished inspecting the spoils and asked, "I got a Demon Core, some blood, scales, and tentacles. Do you need anything?"

Already decomposed? How many mysterious skills does the Venerable Family possess?

Bai Yunqi couldn’t figure it out but was profoundly shocked. After a few seconds of being stunned, he laughed, "If there’s extra, I’d like two portions of blood. Although it’s just a demon beast, the name ’Demon Flood Dragon’ implies it has a trace of the Flood Dragon Bloodline. Consuming it would benefit my cultivation."

Jiang Yuan handed him two portions of blood, then looked at the corpse and sighed, "I wonder who this poor soul was. Such a pity."

"Demon beasts follow their instincts, which include eating people. Who knows if this was a mortal, an unlucky cultivator, or a demon cultivator." Xiao Bai was used to such things and explained, "In the spirit-rich Wilderness World, all beings are born with innate spiritual energy, possessing a hint of demon energy at birth.

If they can cultivate intelligence, they become demon cultivators, capable of taking human form, learning literature, understanding shame, and manners, becoming more like humans. The remaining demon beasts without intelligence, they either devour other creatures or are devoured by them. Hunting and eating people, or being slaughtered by us, is their fate."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan took out a shovel, preparing to bury the corpse for a peaceful rest, while frowning and asking, "Xiao Bai, do you think slaughtering demon beasts for personal gain is taking lives, and will it affect our cultivation?"

"Of course it affects, which is why we undergo Celestial Tribulation," Bai Yunqi assisted him with Magic, digging a large pit to bury the corpse. "So-called taking lives, we do it every day. Eating and drinking take animal and plant lives, even the water we drink contains countless tiny lives, which strictly speaking is also taking lives. Must we abstain from food and drink to cultivate immortality?"

He brushed the hair by his ear with his right hand and smiled, "Until reaching the Fasting Realm in cultivation, all cultivators’ basic survival relies on taking lives. Furthermore, to advance realms, one needs elixirs, weapons, and magical treasures, all obtained by gathering spirit medicine and killing demon beasts.

Passing the Celestial Tribulation offsets the sin of taking lives.

Tonight, you and I killed the White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon to acquire cultivation resources. Though we took a life, it doesn’t count as a huge sin during Tribulation Crossing. After all, the demon beast also attacked other human life forms and is not entirely innocent. Killing it might save many lives, making Tribulation Crossing easier after cause and effect offset.

But if we become greedy and start wantonly slaughtering demon beasts, causing carnage, the sin would be great, and we may be struck to smithereens by the Heavenly Thunder during the Tribulation."

It’s the same principle—know the limits and refrain from excess.

After sending Xiao Bai back, Jiang Yuan delved into clearing dungeons, keeping busy through the night; the next day, he continued farming, raising livestock, collecting workshop goods, mining...

It’s not that he doesn’t want to do the main quest, it’s mainly due to missing two pieces of Obsidian Essence required to upgrade the Level Four animal shed.

Yet the materials needed by the system aren’t sold in the market, and even when they are occasionally found, the system doesn’t recognize them and they can’t be used, so completing orders is the only source for special materials.

However, the rewards for charity orders are random, who knows when he will get two Obsidian Essences?

Urgency gets him nowhere; he can only busily manage his current tasks.

The first full moon of summer soon arrived, and as night fell over the Wilderness, Jiang Yuan, according to plan, brought some vegetables harvested from the fields, spirit fruits, jewelry bought from the Market, and two portions of White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon blood, arriving on time at Crescent Lake.

"Splash~"

Almost at the same time he teleported to the lakeside, the sound of water accompanied the appearance of the finely dressed handsome merman, Tianqu.

With blue scale decorations on his ears resembling elf ears at a glance, a radiant and splendid crown on his head, and clothing far more dazzling than usual, one could see that he took this birthday banquet very seriously.

"Truly a punctual and trustworthy human cultivator, no wonder Yaoguang spoke highly of you upon returning." Tianqu was delighted to see him waiting on the shore, swaying his magnificent tail and smiling, "There are so few human cultivators like you nowadays. Please, it is my honor to guide you to see a world unlike any other."

Jiang Yuan felt a mix of excitement, joy, and nervousness.

Having already tried underwater combat without hindrance, and tested that Teleportation Talismans and Teleportation Scrolls worked anytime, he at least knew his safety was assured. This trip to the Undersea World of the mermaid kingdom was more for the exotic scenery.

Following Tianqu down Crescent Lake, they moved swiftly with the water current, passing through a deep underwater cave, Jiang Yuan suddenly found his vision opening up!

A deep, tranquil shade of blue filled his entire view, looking around he couldn’t distinguish direction at first.

It was as if he was within a huge blue crystal, with no end in sight.

"Since the complete severance with human cultivators, the mermaid kingdom has changed entry methods to avoid further harm from those evil cultivators. Without a mermaid leading the way, it’s hard to find our Undersea World." Tianqu signaled to swim upwards.

The system map showed only an endless blue ocean, with the flat map showing little of use, leaving Jiang Yuan, who had already lost his sense of direction, no choice but to follow closely behind.