My ancestors were spiritual plant growers, so it's not surprising that I hunt demons every day,

In the Immortal Origin Continent, at Shuangling Village.

As dawn broke, a thin mist drifted through the mountains, enveloping the entire village in a layer of white fog.

"Third sister, third sister...where are you?"

A soft, sweet voice called out from the edge of the spirit field, and Cui Ying trembled, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"Where am I?"

Why does this scene seem so familiar?

She remembered exploring a mysterious cave in the Golden Light Secret Realm, where she was locked in a fierce battle with the guardian beast.

Just as she was about to obtain the treasure in the cave, she suddenly smelled a strange fragrance, and then a blinding sword light pierced her body.

The moment her golden core shattered, she seemed to see a familiar yet heartless face.

But now, he was suddenly surrounded by a familiar yet unfamiliar spiritual field, along with memories that seemed to have been long forgotten deep in his mind.

She turned around and immediately saw a little girl, about seven or eight years old, with her hair in two buns, carrying a bamboo basket and shouting at her with all her might.

"Xiao Yue".

Xiao Yue's original name was Cui Yue, and she was her fourth sister. The two originally had a very good relationship, but after Xiao Yue got married, she lost her former innocence and became like a rose that had lost its color.

Although Xiaoyue never said it outright, the exposed scars said it all.

In the past, Cui Ying could often stand up for her, but later she herself was in trouble, and they lost contact.

Once she has the strength to protect herself, Cui Yue will be nothing but a pile of yellow earth.

Cui Ying looked down and saw that she was wearing a pair of plain cloth shoes that she hadn't worn in who knows how many years, as well as an extremely eye-catching light green short shirt and brown trousers.

Am I reborn?

"Third sister, what are you daydreaming about? Mother just called us back for breakfast."

"Hey, Third Sister, where did you find this? This jade gourd looks quite exquisite. I wonder how many spirit fragments it can be exchanged for. Oh, by the way, Third Sister, I just picked a few wild snake fruits by the field. Eat them while Little Five, that glutton, isn't here."

"what?"

Cui Ying was suddenly jolted awake from her reverie and saw Cui Yue standing in front of her, tiptoeing and stuffing a bright red thing into her mouth with her small, dark hands.

A familiar yet unfamiliar sweet flavor spread in my mouth.

Seeing her fourth sister's familiar figure, Cui Ying couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat. She took the bamboo basket from Cui Yue's back and carried it on her own.

"Third sister doesn't want to eat, you can eat it."

She casually placed the dark green gourd in her lap, took the bamboo basket from Cui Yue's back, and replied absentmindedly:

"Then let's hurry back."

Cui Yue stood on tiptoe to wipe away the tears from her third sister's eyes, and while stuffing fruit into her mouth, she said:

"Third sister, I almost cut my hand off last year when I secretly played with Dad's green sickle, but I didn't cry. Why are you crying when you're a grown woman?"

In that instant, alarm bells rang in Cui Ying's mind.

If she remembered correctly, Cui Yue almost cut off her hand when she was fourteen years old, which was also the year her father, Cui Zhengming, had his accident.

I still remember that early summer of that year, my father went into the mountains to hunt monsters and had an accident, along with several other rogue cultivators who were with him.

Shuangling Village belongs to the Lei family of cultivators and is located in the northern part of the Phoenix Mountain Range. Most of the independent cultivators in the village make a living by growing spiritual rice and vegetables, and only occasionally go into the mountains to collect herbs or hunt demons when they have free time.

Although his father, Cui Zhengming, was not particularly talented, he was still a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator who owned a house and land thanks to his family's inherited Qi Refining techniques.

Although the spirit fields were rented from the Lei family, the spirit rice in the three mu of spirit fields could still sell for a hundred or so spirit stones per mu every year after it matured.

Such a life, though not wealthy, was enough to ensure the family had enough to eat and wear.

It is said that every family has its own troubles. At the end of the year before last, my eldest brother got married. Last April, my mother was robbed and beaten while shopping in the city and fell ill. These events have depleted most of the family's savings.

In addition, a pest infestation occurred during last autumn harvest, which made things even worse for the already impoverished family.

After her two younger siblings had their aptitudes tested at the beginning of this year, her father tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep. He finally decided to go into the mountains with a wandering cultivator from the neighborhood to hunt demons during the off-season. His aptitude was too poor, and he planned to pave the way for his children as early as possible while he could still earn spirit stones.

Hunting demons is basically risking your life for spirit stones.

In this perilous world of cultivation, a single misstep can lead to the annihilation of an entire family.

In her previous life, after her father, Cui Zhengming, passed away, the entire Cui family was on the verge of collapse. With no other option, Cui Ying had to follow in her father's footsteps.

Later, forced by circumstances, she sold herself into servitude as a concubine to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, thus beginning another painful experience.

Cui Ying forced a smile and casually asked:

"Where's mother?"

Cui Yue skipped and hopped ahead, answering without turning her head:

"Mom is at home tidying up Dad's things."

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying frowned, stopped Cui Yue, and asked in surprise:

"Is Father going into the mountains today?"

"That's right."

"Oops."

Cui Ying gave a low shout, immediately dropped what she was holding, ran down the hillside and into the main road outside the village. In the distance, she could see a group of rogue cultivators carrying bows and arrows walking one after another towards the Phoenix Cry Mountain Range at the foot of the thorny mountain.

Cui Ying's heart tightened, and she immediately took off running into the mountains.

God.

I don't know why I was reborn.

But you brought me back to this moment; please let me catch up with my father.

Cui Ying channeled the little magic power she had left in her dantian and began running wildly down the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of her father in the crowd.

"what?"

"Aren't you Cui Zhengming's third daughter?"

Seemingly noticing the disappointment on her face, a rogue cultivator who was acquainted with her father suddenly realized:

“Your father and the others went into the mountains a while ago. Let’s talk about it when he gets home.”

Cui Ying bit her lip, immediately turned around, and ran towards the rugged mountain path on the side.

She is still some distance from Phoenix Mountain, and it is almost impossible for her to catch up with her father's group by the main road.

She will only have a chance if she can find a shortcut.

Outside the Phoenix Mountain Range lies a valley called Chiyang. This place has a unique terrain, and the valley is shrouded in a layer of poisonous miasma all year round, making it a particularly difficult pass to cross.

Fortunately, around 7 AM each day, when the sun is at its fiercest, this layer of poisonous miasma will lessen somewhat.

Every demon-hunting team that enters the mountains will stop outside the valley during this time to regroup and ensure a safe passage through the narrow pass.

But it was during this trip through Chiyang Valley that my father had an accident.

Cui Ying climbed over the rugged and narrow mountain path, running all the way from Fengxi Ridge at the head of the house to the top of Songcui Cliff, and arrived at a cliff overgrown with weeds.

She glanced at the bottomless abyss and the rising white mist, chanted a lightness spell, grabbed a vine, closed her eyes, and leaped into the air.

Phoenix Mountain Range, outside Chiyang Valley.

Seven or eight raggedly dressed men in coarse linen trousers stood guard outside Chiyang Valley in the lush, quiet forest, constantly watching for any movement around them.

Standing at the head of the group was a wiry, dark-skinned man, Cui Zhengming, the initiator of this demon-hunting team.

He had just put away the remaining half of the Miasma-Clearing Pill when he suddenly saw a slender figure hanging from a vine descend from the sky, swaying in mid-air, while a heart-wrenching scream could be heard:

"Father∽Father".

"Father, save me!"

Just as Cui Zhengming realized the voice sounded somewhat familiar, the only female cultivator in the group muttered:

"Why does that voice sound a bit like Miss Cui San?"

"Third girl!?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Zhengming immediately looked up and saw that the figure resembled his third daughter.

Seeing that Cui Ying was about to collapse from exhaustion, Cui Zhengming leaped into the air and stretched out his long arm to catch his daughter in his arms.

After the father and daughter landed safely, Cui Zhengming's expression changed:

"Third daughter, has something happened at home?"

He and his wife, Wang, had five children: two boys and three girls.

Although the eldest son, Cui Cong, was not skilled in cultivation, he was calm and steady in character. He married a woman surnamed Yang, who was gentle and quiet, making it a good marriage.

His second daughter, Cui Lin, inherited his talent and had already reached the second level of Qi Refining cultivation shortly after her coming-of-age ceremony.

The youngest of the four daughters is still young, and only the third daughter, Cui Ying, has a quiet and reserved personality. She spends her days either practicing breathing exercises or tending to the spiritual fields and plants.

Therefore, Cui Zhengming was both surprised and furious to see Cui Ying, who had unexpectedly come to Chiyang Valley.

"Father, I want to hunt demons with you!"

"Demon hunter!?"

Cui Zhengming's eyes widened, and he laughed and scolded:

"What's wrong!"

"Is it because you're not working hard enough to turn the soil, or because you're not weeding enough? You delicate little girl, how many lives do you have to lose when you go into the mountains to hunt demons?"

Cui Ying stared at her father, who was standing alive in front of her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

This time, I will definitely not let anything happen to you and leave our whole family behind.

"Father, take me with you!"

Thinking of this, Cui Ying jumped down from Cui Zhengming's arms and stood in the middle of the group to show her determination.