Chapter 75 - 37: After forming the alliance, animals can't easily become spirits?

Wang Qi repelled two Ghost-Faced Apes and then regrouped with Mao Zimiao and the others. Their mana, already depleted, and that of Wu Shiqin, who had emptied her mana before the battle started, needed to be replenished through meditation. However, before starting her meditation, Wu Shiqin, who was holding a grudge, asked Wang Qi, "Why didn't you use that sword qi when you were fighting me earlier?" The effect of the Wave Blade from the Elephant Phase Wave Skill was not much different from a Sword Cultivator's sword qi, and Wu Shiqin, not having the insight of Su Junyu, naturally found it easy to confuse the two. Wang Qi gave her a look as if she were an idiot, "Didn't you see? Using that thing means either death or crippling someone, I was merely dealing with a rash, and even if you caught me, it would be no big deal. Why would I need to add assaulting an officer and murder to my rap sheet?" Wu Shiqin choked, almost unable to speak. "Although what you're saying is rational and convincing, why do I feel that something's not quite right? Shouldn't you be saying 'This is my trump card, reserved for that guy' or something?" "Do you always feel like you inadvertently expose some suspicious trait? I've seen this line before, haven't I?" Su Junyu interjected, "It's quite common. In seven out of ten stories about young cultivators seeking revenge for their entire family, you'll find such lines." By the way, when the battle ended, this True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect picked up his novel again. Wang Qi looked at Wu Shiqin, then turned his head to look at Su Junyu, "You two must have a lot in common." Although the battle just now seemed perilous, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao were unharmed. After some rest, they continued on their way. It was May, and the vernal equinox had passed, with days growing longer. Despite the unexpected delay from the Ghost-Faced Apes, Wang Qi and the others still managed to reach Jiachen Lake before dark. Jiachen Lake was one of the larger among the dozen lakes in the Heavenly Calculation Dao testing area, spanning five acres. Upon seeing the glimmering water from afar, Wu Fan collapsed onto the ground, "I can't go any further, I'm beat." Su Junyu looked up briefly, then buried his head back in the book, "This distance is fine. Getting any closer could attract Demon Beasts. You're not equipped to deal with herd-living creatures like the Thundering Giant Antelopes." Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, and Wu Shiqin also sat down. After a day of intense activity, they too were running out of steam. Su Junyu looked at Wang Qi, "How much of your task is completed?" Wang Qi calculated in his mind, "Basically done. Just need to make an effort to reach Yimao Rock tomorrow." Su Junyu nodded, "You should be able to get there by noon tomorrow—but you guys, don't slack off, go gather wood for a fire." "Huh?" Wu Shiqin was the first to question, "Senior Brother Su, Demon Beasts aren't afraid of fire, are they?" In Shenzhou, unlike on Earth, wild beasts are not afraid of fire. Most Demon Beasts in Shenzhou are not deterred by ordinary fire, and some are even phototactic, not to mention those Fire Attribute Demon Beasts that keep their lairs ablaze day and night. Wang Qi followed Su Junyu's usual train of thought, "Is it for the atmosphere?" Su Junyu explained indifferently, "It's a universally accepted rule." "Ah?" The four of them were puzzled. "In Shenzhou, countless life beings exist, but only the Human Clan starts bonfires. Fire Attribute Demon Beasts would ignite a whole area of combustibles instead. So, by the universally accepted rules of Shenzhou, the vicinity of a bonfire is regarded as human territory," Su Junyu explained. "Any Demon Beast launching an attack towards a bonfire can be directly killed. It wouldn't be against the rules for me to kill one attacking you under these circumstances." Mao Zimiao looked at his companions, then at himself, troubled, "But under these circumstances, to gather firewood..." Wu Fan added, "Moreover, it's already summer. Where are we going to find that much dry wood?" Su Junyu shrugged, not taking his eyes off his book, "Figure it out yourselves. Hint: You must not chop down trees." "As long as we don't chop them down, it's fine, right?" Wang Qi smirked and sent out a few Phase Wave Blades, cutting down several branches. Mao Zimiao wore a troubled expression, "Xiao Qi, have you never built a fire before, meow?" Wu Shiqin also complained, "Don't you think it's too suffocating?" The freshly-cut wood with high water content produced a large amount of black smoke during the incomplete combustion process. "That's an issue?" Wang Qi dismissed it with a wave of his hands, as the Heavenly Entropy Technique's mana enveloped the branches. The people around him felt a wave of heat hit their faces, and the leaves on the branches visibly yellowed and withered at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, the freshly-cut branches turned into top-quality firewood. "With Xiao Qi here, it's so convenient, meow!" Su Junyu looked at Wang Qi with a somewhat solemn expression, "How many cultivation techniques have you cultivated simultaneously?" Wang Qi laughed it off and dodged the question. Joking aside, if others knew that I nearly killed myself by accident, where would I put my scholarly face? Just then, Wu Shiqin suddenly pulled out a cast-iron pot, several pieces of raw meat, and an assortment of jars and bottles of spices from her storage bag, "Well, let's cook dinner." Wang Qi was astonished, "You even have a foodie trait? You've revealed so many unexpected sides today!" Wu Shiqin frowned slightly, not understanding what he was talking about. Wu Fan looked at the spices Wu Shiqin had brought and said, "It should not be so..." "What shouldn't it be?" asked Wang Qi. Wu Fan pointed to the spices Wu Shiqin had brought, "Most of these are used specifically for roasting meat. It doesn't really match the... cooking utensils Senior Sister Wu brought. Besides, the meat hasn't been prepped. She doesn't seem like someone who indulges in fine dining." Wang Qi pondered, "A typical scenario in storybooks?" Su Junyu nodded affirmatively, "Yeah." Wu Shiqin's pretty face blushed slightly as she turned her head and pretended to admire the scenery. To ease the awkwardness, Mao Zimiao stood up and volunteered, "Shiqin brought these things with good intention, meow! Shall I go to the lake to fetch some water for dinner?" Wang Qi teased, "Zimiao, do tell me how to make soup with barbecue spices." "Xiao Qi, aren't you always saying, meow, not to sweat the small stuff?" Mao Zimiao had barely taken a few steps when Wu Shiqin suddenly grabbed her, "Don't go." "Meow?" Mao Zimiao looked at her in confusion, "What's wrong?" Wu Shiqin pointed in the direction she had been looking. Not far away, in the sparse woods, a herd of deer approached. These deer had light brown fur without any spots or patterns. Their bodies were no longer than four meters, with giant antlers nearly three meters across. Occasionally, blue electric light flickered among the herd. This was one of the investigation subjects that Wang Qi and the others were looking for, the Thundering Giant Antelope. Wang Qi quickly took out a piece of paper, "Easy come, easy go, jot it down!" Su Junyu spotted the leader of the herd, the Deer King. The Deer King stood a head taller than the other demon deer, with pale gold antlers. He was moved and remarked, "Surpassing the barriers, advancing to Qi Storage, eh? Early stage of Qi Storage, heh heh." "What are you laughing about, Senior Brother Su?" "Back when I came here for the trial, I was only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. That Deer King had already reached Spirit Awakening Perfection. I faced it in a stand-off and was scared to death." Su Junyu pointed to the Deer King, chuckling, "Now I've brought you all here, I'm at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and it's just started Qi Storage. Killing it would be as easy as flipping my hand." As he spoke, Su Junyu suddenly pondered, "By the way, it has never shown any inclination to attack the Human Clan on its own or has any record of indiscriminate killing. Should we submit a report after we get out and grant it a spot for becoming a true Demon?" On hearing this, Wang Qi exclaimed in shock, "Damn! Could it be that since the Immortal Alliance was established, animals need permission to turn into spirits?"