The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Just as I was about to leave, a "crack" sound suddenly came from deep inside the nest. An egg cracked open, revealing half of an amethyst-colored chick. Its eyes were not yet open, and it was making a soft "chirp" sound.

"Come on!"

Jiang Chuan pulled Da Huang down, and the amethyst on the tree bark tore his sleeve, causing blood to drip down.

Big Yellow turned back reluctantly, its tail sweeping away a few fragments of amethyst.

As soon as the two landed, the amethyst eagle's furious cry came from afar, three times louder than before, clearly indicating that it had discovered its nest had been stolen.

"Run!" Jiang Chuan grabbed Da Huang and took off on his sword.

Lu Hao's illusory figure was stamping his feet anxiously inside the jade tablet, but unfortunately, he was sealed and could not appear.

They ran wildly along the mountain stream. Jiang Chuan suddenly remembered the "Mud Escape Technique" that Pei Guoguo had taught him. He grabbed a handful of rotten mud and smeared it on Da Huang. He also rolled himself in mud to cover up the smell.

"Further northwest!" Jiang Chuan shouted, though no further words were needed.

Big Yellow had already hooked his trouser leg with its claws and pulled him into the pile of decaying leaves.

The man and the dog stumbled through the bushes, the dry branches scraping their arms and stinging. Only when the furious howl faded into the distance did Big Yellow stop, shaking its fur and letting out a low whimper, as if complaining about the amethyst egg that had just been kicked down the ravine.

That was indeed a despicable trick, but if that bastard hadn't stolen the eggs while the eagle mother was feeding them, they would probably be in deep trouble right now.

As dusk settled into the mountain valley, a crescent-shaped lake suddenly appeared before our eyes.

The nine-colored deer, its mane glistening with water droplets, was licking the lake water to quench its thirst. A green-scaled snake demon coiled around its antlers, its forked tongue hissing across the water's surface, startling a few silver fish.

Jiang Chuan unloaded his heavy burden, and sparks flew from the tinderbox on the shore, the crackling campfire reflecting a golden glow on the lake.

Big Yellow lay by the fire, its belly pressed against the grass, humming contentedly, its tail idly brushing against the fallen leaves.

"Three days."

Jiang Chuan added a dry twig to the fire, and the sparks rose and went out. "If we can't find the blood essence of a third-tier magical beast, we'll be late for the sect's trial."

The nine-colored deer suddenly raised its head, turned its ears toward the dense forest to the southwest, and lightly stomped its hooves on the ground twice.

This is a warning signal that there is unusual activity nearby.

Jiang Chuan touched the hilt of his sword, but saw that Lu'er had lowered her head to drink water again. He guessed that it was probably just the night wind blowing through the treetops, so he closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate the Pure Yang True Scripture.

When the true energy gathered into a vortex in his dantian, Jiang Chuan could clearly feel the warmth near the center.

Since I comprehended the concept of "qi condensing like porridge" on the back mountain of Chunyang Temple last time, I feel that it is even smoother to circulate now, and several strands of true qi are flowing like thick porridge.

He was so engrossed in his practice that he didn't notice the campfire growing weaker, nor did he hear the pattering sound of a single foot hopping from the reeds. That was a sign that the mandrill was approaching.

When the green figure peeked out from the shadows, only a few dim red spots remained on the campfire.

The monster hopped closer on one leg, its two fleshy lumps on its chest swaying with its movements, and its murky single eye gleaming eerily in the firelight.

It tilted its head and stared at Jiang Chuan's brow, then suddenly opened its mouth, and a pale blue mist emanated from the boy's forehead.

Jiang Chuan felt a wave of dizziness, his eyelids so heavy he couldn't lift them.

"Wang!"

Big Yellow barked and slapped Jiang Chuan's knee with its paw.

The boy suddenly opened his eyes and saw a furry dog's head almost touching his face, its neck hair standing on end, emitting a threatening growl from its throat.

In the firelight, the one-legged monster was hurriedly retreating.

The nine-colored deer stood in front of him, its antlers gleaming faintly, its hooves leaving shallow marks on the ground.

That's the symbol for the "mountain spirit branch" recorded in the "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces".

Jiang Chuan placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to rise, but saw the Nine-Colored Deer turn its head and gently nudge his wrist with its antlers, then look down at the campfire.

On a half-withered leaf, a bead shimmering with blue light lay quietly.

He suddenly remembered a record in the ancient books: "When a mountain demon takes a person's vital essence, it will always leave behind a treasure in return."

When the monster noticed the bead, it hopped back two steps on one foot, then cupped its hands in a respectful gesture towards him, looking comical yet somewhat solemn.

The change happened too fast.

Big Yellow couldn't contain itself any longer and gave a bark before giving chase.

Jiang Chuan hurriedly got up, but the Nine-Colored Deer had already rushed into the dense forest, its hooves rustling as it stepped on the fallen leaves.

He chased after it for a few steps, and suddenly saw that in the open space ahead, Big Yellow was circling around a millstone-sized rock, wagging its tail happily.

It emitted muffled whimpers, as if chasing some unseen prey.

"Oops."

Jiang Chuan gripped the jade sword tightly, suddenly recalling the record in the "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces" that "mountain goblins use illusions to deceive the eye."

“It’s an illusion.” Jiang Chuan pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and the nine-colored deer suddenly stopped, its ears twitching violently.

Upon closer inspection by the moonlight, a faint blue mist floated on the surface of the stone, flowing and shifting with Big Yellow's movements.

The mandrill huddled in the shadow of the boulder, its one leg gripping the ground tightly, the fleshy growth on its chest heaving, and its single eye staring at the crazed yellow dog.

"Excuse me!" Jiang Chuan dismounted and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

The mandrill flinched, its one eye wary, but then it saw the boy pick up the Breath-Avoiding Bead from his fingertips, its blue light flickering in his palm.

"There was a misunderstanding earlier. My companion is impetuous and had no intention of harming you."

The nine-colored deer stepped forward at the right moment, its antlers drawing the characters "Mountain Spirit" on the ground, its hooves lightly touching the breath-avoiding bead, and it let out a gentle hum from its throat.

The mandrill blinked its one eye, hopped two steps closer on one leg, and suddenly let out two strange cries, making a gesture toward the boulder.

Jiang Chuan looked in the direction of her fingertip and saw several blood-like lines emerging from the shadow of the stone.

It is the illusion array eye recorded in the "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces".

He understood immediately and hurriedly said, "Could you please trouble the fairy to break this spell? We will certainly apologize."

The mandrill stared at him for a moment, then suddenly made a strange hand gesture.

The blue mist suddenly contracted, and Big Yellow collapsed to the ground, shaking its fur and sneezing. It looked up to pounce on the mandrill, but Jiang Chuan grabbed its head and pressed it down.
"Fifth Senior Brother, how dare you be so rude!"

The dog's paws dug several marks on the ground, and it was still growling softly in its throat, but its tail was uncomfortably curled under its belly.

The forest full of flesh and bones in the illusion just now must have been the work of this mountain demon.

"Why is the fairy maiden appearing by the water?" Jiang Chuan asked softly as he saw the mountain demon relax its guard.

The nine-colored deer suddenly nudged his wrist with its antlers, its eyes looking at the mandrill's chest.

There was a light brown scratch there, which, though scabbed over, reeked of decay.

The mandrill understood his meaning, hopped onto the giant rock on one foot, and pointed its finger three times in the southwest direction.

He then made a tearing gesture, making a muffled "hoarse" sound from his throat.

"The cave has been occupied?" Jiang Chuan frowned. The Chronicles of Kyushu does indeed record that the mountain goblins prefer to live in deep mountain caves and hate water vapor the most.

The nine-colored deer suddenly let out a low cry, its antlers gleaming faintly, drawing the outline of a monstrous creature on the ground. It had two enormous legs and a long, serpentine tail.

The mandrill nodded repeatedly, pointing to the claw marks on its chest.

"Could it be a third-tier magical beast?" Jiang Chuan guessed that the mission was to find the essence blood of a third-tier magical beast.

Unable to speak, the mandrill tore off a withered yellow scale from its waist and placed it in his palm.

The lingering demonic energy on the scales made his fingertips tingle. It was indeed third-tier demonic power.

The young man clasped his hands in a fist salute to the mountain demon: "We are just looking for a third-tier magical beast. How about we help the fairy maiden reclaim her cave?"

The mandrill's single eye suddenly lit up, and it hopped around him three times on one leg. Suddenly, it pulled out three breath-avoiding beads from its bosom and stuffed them into his hand.

The nine-colored deer let out a soft hiss and nudged his back with its antlers.

This was a reminder that he needed to be careful when traveling late at night.

Jiang Chuan put the scales into the jade box and patted Da Huang's head: "Tonight, I will go with the fairy."

The cave is located under a cliff in the shady part of the mountain. The entrance is covered with vines as thick as a bowl, and the smell of decaying leaves is mixed with a fishy odor.

The mandrill stopped at the cave entrance, gripping the rock wall tightly with one leg, made a "+" sign at Jiang Chuan, and then curled up to imitate the giant tail sweeping.

The nine-colored deer suddenly trembled, its ears pressed tightly against its head, and it let out an uneasy whimper.

This is a rare display of fear for it since it took human form.

"You wait outside the cave." Jiang Chuan touched the deer head and untied the Mountain Spirit Seal from his waist.

The nine-colored deer suddenly curled up into a shadow and burrowed into the seal on his chest.

This is a self-protection mechanism used by contracted spirit beasts in extremely dangerous situations.

Big Yellow perked up, its canine teeth gleaming coldly in the moonlight, its claws scratching the ground with a "crackling" sound.

The cave entrance was wider than expected, and every ten steps along the stone wall was a glowing fluorite, but it could not penetrate the darkness deep inside.

Jiang Chuan circulated the Pure Yang True Scripture, and the night vision ability of the Mountain Ghost Seal allowed him to barely see the scene within three zhang:

Animal bones were scattered on the ground, and there were deep claw marks on the rock walls that revealed the bone. The deeper you went, the stronger the fishy smell in the air became.

Big Yellow's tail swept across his calves, and a low "clicking" sound came from between its canine teeth, a sign that it was entering hunting mode.

"Don't rush." ​​Jiang Chuan pressed down on the dog's head, while making a sword gesture with his other hand.

The Spirit Void Shield Armor covered his entire body, and the demonic energy emanating from his fingertips made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

This demonic aura is several times stronger than that carried by the scales of the mandrill, and must originate from the monster that occupies the cave.

Suddenly, loose rocks tumbled down from the top of the cave, the echo reverberating through the passageway.

Startled, he drew his sword, only to see that Da Huang had already leaped two zhang away, its nose almost touching the ground.

After walking twenty steps, a faint blue light suddenly flickered at the corner.

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted sharply. According to the Records of the Nine Provinces, mountain spirits are the essence of mountains, with curved thorns at the end of their tails, and are extremely rare and hard to come by.

He calmed his racing heart and gestured for Big Yellow to slow down.

The light was about ten paces away, and a cone-shaped object was embedded in the rock wall. The curved spike at the end gleamed with a cold metallic light, and the rocks within three feet around it shone with a crystalline luster.

"I see."

Just as Jiang Chuan was about to reach out, Da Huang suddenly barked wildly and pounced on him.

The dog's paw struck his waist, causing him to stagger backward.

Then he heard a whooshing sound beside his ear. A sudden surge of eerie blue light transformed into a foot-long needle that grazed his hair and burned charred marks onto his shield.

The moment the needle retracted, the cave floor trembled violently.

Eight golden-scaled arthropods emerged from the shadows, each leg as thick as Jiang Chuan's forearm, with sharp spikes at their joints dripping with mucus.

The most terrifying thing was the scorpion's body, which was half the height of a person, with its tail raised high and the venom sac at the end glowing with a ghostly blue color. It was the stinger of the creature that had just disguised itself as a mountain spirit.

"Golden-tailed Scorpion!" Jiang Chuan gasped.

Among third-tier magical beasts, the tail needle is known for its deadly poison, and the curved spike at the end of its tail can even withstand the magic weapon of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Before he could think any further, the jade sword had already transformed into a three-inch-long beam of green light and slashed at the tail needle. The blade collided with the metal, sparks flying, but only a shallow mark was left on the surface of the tail needle.

The golden-tailed scorpion emitted a piercing screeching sound as its two giant pincers snapped shut, crushing the rocks within three feet.

"run!"

Jiang Chuan grabbed Da Huang's hind legs and retreated sharply.

The scorpion's tail swept across the ground, sending stone chips flying wherever it went, and cracks appeared in the shield under the continuous impact.

The cave was already narrow, and the golden-tailed scorpion's limbs scraped against the rock wall, making a teeth-grinding sound, forcing the two people and the dog to retreat repeatedly.

Jiang Chuan suddenly remembered the "Qi Yun Shan He" from the Pure Yang Footwork. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, glided along the wall, and created a distance of two zhang.

However, the Golden-tailed Scorpion's speed far exceeded expectations; its eight limbs moved in alternating motions, closing the gap.

Jiang Chuan saw a fork in the road at the corner ahead and quickly shook his head at Da Huang.

The dog understood immediately and suddenly turned and squeezed into the narrow gap on the right. Jiang Chuan followed closely behind, but felt a pain in his back.

The scorpion's stinger grazed the shield, drawing blood from his shoulder.

Outside the cave, the sound of the mandrill hopping on one leg suddenly became more rapid.

It clung to the vines at the cave entrance, its single eye fixed on the dust and mist that exploded inside.

When the rhubarb lunged out first, the mandrill's tumor trembled violently.

The dog's fur was covered in fragments of golden scales, and its growl was filled with terror—a signal that its prey was being chased.

"Good timing!" Jiang Chuan rushed out of the cave.

He made a hand seal with his hand in reverse, and the jade sword hummed and vibrated in his palm. The sword incantation of "Righteous Qi Sword" was already swirling on the tip of his tongue.

The massive body of the golden-tailed scorpion burst through the cave entrance, its stinger piercing through the air with a whooshing sound, but the boy suddenly stopped, his sword tip pointing straight at the sky.

"The rainbow penetrates the sun!"

The sword energy soared into the sky, and at the moment it collided with the giant claw, sparks flew into the grass.

The golden-tailed scorpion's pincers developed a deep, inch-long crack, and mucus mixed with black blood dripped down, yet it still waved its limbs and approached.

Jiang Chuan advanced instead of retreating, using the scorpion's back for leverage, and his sword stance suddenly changed: "Sunset over the Long River!"

The powerful sword energy, carrying pure Yang true fire, slashed towards the root of the tail needle.

With a crisp "crack," the golden tail needle snapped off, and the venom sac hit the ground, sending up blue smoke.

The golden-tailed scorpion let out its final hiss, its eight limbs twitching as it collapsed, its body crashing heavily at the mandrill's feet.

Jiang Chuan gasped for breath, his hand resting on his knee. The injury on his shoulder burned with pain, but he didn't have time to check it.

He took out a jade bottle and pointed the mouth of the bottle at the heart of the golden-tailed scorpion. There, dripping golden blood essence was flowing out.

Big Yellow sniffed it and suddenly barked wildly at the scorpion tail remains, its tail wagging like a flag, as if showing off its accomplishment of sneaking into the crevice to lure away the monster.

The sound of the mandrill hopping on one leg drew closer.

It circled around the scorpion's body, staring with its single eye at the jade bottle in Jiang Chuan's hand. Suddenly, it clasped its hands and bent over, its fleshy growth on its chest almost touching the ground.

Jiang Chuan quickly waved his hand: "Fairy, there's no need for such formalities. We came here to find a third-tier magical beast, so thank you for leading us to this Golden-Tailed Scorpion."

The mandrill handed over three wild fruits.

When Jiang Chuan took it, he noticed that the fruit was still covered in morning dew, which meant she must have picked it from the back mountain overnight.

The mane of the nine-colored deer brushed against the back of his hand, and its hooves tapped the ground twice.

This is a signal urging us to set off. The cry of the amethyst eagle in the northwest, though far away, carries a fierce determination to fight to the death.

"Farewell." Jiang Chuan clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Mountain Demon, and put the fragments of the Golden-Tailed Scorpion's stinger and the Breath-Avoiding Bead into the chess pieces.

The mandrill clucked and gestured, its single eye glowing warmly in the morning light. Suddenly, it plucked a withered leaf from its waist and whistled a sound similar to a deer's call. (End of Chapter)