Record of Mortals Slaying Heaven

Back at her lodgings, Shen Moqi sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the flickering oil lamp on the table, lost in thought.

The effects of his cultivation over the past ten days were indeed astonishing—he felt that his progress in the second level of Qi Refining had increased by at least 10%, and if he continued at this pace, he would be able to break through to the third level of Qi Refining in less than three months. However, the price was equally staggering; he coughed up blood every day, his face was as pale as a ghost, and his body was becoming increasingly weak.

If things continue like this, I'll collapse before I even achieve a breakthrough.

"I have to stop," he told himself.

You can't continue cultivating like this until you strengthen your meridians. Although the temptation is great, life is more important.

He needed to earn some spirit stones to buy things to strengthen his meridians, and he also owed Ji Yao fifteen spirit stones. This debt had been weighing on his mind, and he had to pay it off as soon as possible.

"I'll go check out the Mission Hall tomorrow." He made up his mind, blew out the oil lamp, and fell into a deep sleep.

---

The next day, Shen Moqi took advantage of the lunch break in the Scripture Pavilion to rush to the Mission Hall.

The Mission Hall is located on the east side of the sect square. It is a two-story building with blue bricks and black tiles. The facade is not large, but there is a huge wooden board at the entrance covered with mission notices.

When Shen Moqi arrived, there were seven or eight disciples standing in front of the wooden board. Some were looking at the task carefully, while others were discussing it in hushed tones. He squeezed in and read it through from beginning to end.

The tasks are varied: clearing out low-level monsters on the outskirts of the sect, escorting caravans to a certain country, collecting certain spiritual herbs, assisting the alchemy hall in processing medicinal materials... Most tasks have cultivation requirements, the minimum being Qi Refining Level 3.

As he read on, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Then, he saw a task.

"Chopping Cloud Bamboo: Ten Cloud Bamboo stalks constitute one task unit, rewarding two spirit stones. There is no limit to the number; the more you cut, the more you earn. No cultivation level requirement."

Shen Moqi's eyes lit up.

There are no cultivation requirements, which means that even someone at the second level of Qi Refining can accept this. Although two spirit stones are not much, there are two spirit stones for every ten bamboo stalks. If he can cut more, little by little, he can accumulate enough to repay Ji Yao's spirit stones and buy items to strengthen his meridians.

As he was watching, he overheard a conversation between two disciples beside him.

"The quest to cut down cloud bamboo is up again? I accepted it once last time, but I'm never accepting it again."

"What's wrong? Didn't you say it wouldn't be difficult?"

"Chopping them isn't difficult; although cloud bamboo is tough, it can be cut with an ordinary woodcutter's knife. The problem is—how do we transport them back? Ten cloud bamboo stalks, each about two zhang long, even if each weighs thirty jin, try carrying them a hundred li of mountain road!"

"That's true... Besides, there are cloud bamboo rats in the cloud bamboo forest. Although they're not strong, they come in groups and are quite annoying."

"So, this mission has low rewards, difficult transportation, and is plagued by monsters. Let whoever wants to go go."

Shen Moqi listened, silently making plans in her mind.

Transportation is indeed a problem. He doesn't have a storage bag, and carrying ten bamboo poles for a hundred miles is a headache just thinking about it. But if he doesn't take this mission, he simply doesn't meet the cultivation requirements for other missions.

"Let's go check it out first," he decided.

He walked to the counter in the mission hall and registered for the task of cutting down cloud bamboo. The manager behind the counter glanced at him, then expressionlessly handed him a mission token with a mission number and collection time engraved on it.

"Deliver the chopped cloud bamboo to the weapon refining hall, and collect the spirit stones upon presentation of their signed receipt."

"clear."

---

Back in the library, Shen Moqi didn't rush to cut bamboo. He waited until the library closed at Shenshi (3-5 PM), returned to his residence, closed the doors and windows, and then took out his phone from his pocket.

"Xiao Jiu, retrieve all the books about cloud bamboo and cloud bamboo shoots from the first floor of the library."

Excerpts from more than a dozen books quickly appeared on the screen. Shen Moqi read them one by one.

Cloud Bamboo: A spiritual plant belonging to the bamboo family. It has a straight stem, a hard texture, and excellent toughness. It is often used to refine low-level magical artifacts and bamboo swords for array formations. It prefers shade and mostly grows in valleys rich in spiritual energy.

Cloud bamboo shoots: The tender shoots that grow from the underground stems of cloud bamboo, maturing once every three years. They can be used in medicine to nourish the meridians and enhance their resilience. The shoots grow more than three feet underground, leaving no trace on the surface; only cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above can detect them using their divine sense.

Cloud Bamboo Rat: A low-level demonic beast that feeds on cloud bamboo and cloud bamboo shoots. It is as large as a cat, with sharp teeth and claws, and is adept at digging. Individual strength is equivalent to a cultivator at the first or second level of Qi Refining, with a few reaching the third level. However, they prefer to live in groups and often appear in packs.

Shen Moqi frowned after reading it.

"Xiao Jiu, can you analyze the patterns of change on the ground or the growth patterns of the bamboo to find the bamboo shoots?"

The screen quickly replied: "Based on the available information, no effective method can be provided. The bamboo shoots are buried deep underground, with no distinguishing features on the surface. Unless one possesses divine sense detection abilities, random digging is the only option, which is extremely inefficient."

Shen Moqi sighed.

"Never mind, let's go check out the situation in person first."

---

The next morning, Shen Moqi asked Senior Lin for leave and left the sect with the Azure Frost Sword.

The Cloud Bamboo grows in a valley about a hundred miles southeast of the sect, but it's still within the sect's territory and doesn't require leaving through the mountain gate. Unlike the market town, which, although only ten miles from the sect, is outside and requires leaving through the mountain gate. The sect's interior and exterior are separated by an array. Normally, a standard protective array is activated, serving only as a warning and illusion, primarily to detect cultivators intruding and prevent mortals from accidentally entering.

He used his "Cloud-Stepping Technique" to walk along the mountain path for more than two hours before finally seeing a lush green bamboo forest in the distance.

The valley is not large, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a small stream flowing through it. Dense bamboo grows on the hillside, its stalks straight and gleaming with a faint, ethereal light.

Shen Moqi didn't rush in; she observed the valley entrance for a while first.

The bamboo forest was quiet, with only occasional squeaking sounds coming from deep within.

"It should be the cloud bamboo rat." He gripped his machete tightly and cautiously walked into the bamboo forest.

The bamboo was indeed not difficult to cut. With the Frost Sword, it only took two or three strikes to fall one. Shen Moqi cut down the first one, and then went to cut down the second one.

Just then, he heard a rustling sound behind him.

He turned around abruptly.

Three grayish-brown bamboo rats emerged from the bamboo forest. Each one was as big as a cat, with blood-red eyes and bared sharp teeth, and pounced on him.

Instead of retreating, Shen Moqi advanced, raising her sword to stab the nearest one.

The cloud bamboo rat moved quickly, dodging the attack, but Shen Moqi's sword changed direction mid-air, striking it horizontally. The cloud bamboo rat was sent flying, crashing into a bamboo pole with a squeak.

The other two pounced from the left and right. Shen Moqi dodged the one on the left, and with her right hand, she swept her sword horizontally, striking the back of the one on the right. The blade pierced flesh, and the cloud bamboo rat died instantly.

The one on the left missed its target and turned to bite again, but Shen Moqi kicked it, hitting it squarely on the head. The bamboo rat was kicked and tumbled over, then got up and darted into the bamboo forest.

The first one he swatted away also disappeared without a trace.

"Not bad, not difficult to deal with." Shen Moqi breathed a sigh of relief.

But he was too happy too soon.

Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, a dense squeaking sound came from deep within the bamboo forest. Shen Moqi's expression changed—judging from the sound, there were at least a dozen of them.

Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

Behind him, a dozen or so cloud bamboo rats rushed out of the bamboo forest and chased after him frantically. Shen Moqi ran at all his might. Fortunately, he had practiced the Cloud Stepping Step before, so his speed was not slow. After running out of the cloud bamboo forest, the cloud bamboo rats stopped chasing him and just squeaked at the edge of the bamboo forest.

Shen Moqi gasped for breath, glanced back, and cursed inwardly while feeling relieved.

"A bunch of beasts, they even know how to guard their territory, but they won't chase us once we leave the Cloud Bamboo Forest."

Shen Moqi observed the movement in the cloud bamboo forest from a distance. After discovering that the cloud bamboo rats were gone, he returned to the place where he had cut down the cloud bamboo and found that the cloud bamboo and the cloud bamboo rats he had killed were all gone.

Upon reflection, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Bamboo rats eat bamboo, so why wouldn't they drag the felled bamboo away and eat it? As for the dead bamboo rats, the reason they dragged them away is unknown; perhaps they buried them, or perhaps they ate them.

Left with no other choice, Shen Moqi started chopping down the cloud bamboo again. As soon as he felled a cloud bamboo, he saw five or six cloud bamboo rats rushing towards him. The one in the lead was a size larger than the others, with glossy fur and a stronger aura—reaching the level of a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator.

Upon seeing this, Shen Moqi turned and ran. However, this time he learned his lesson and dragged the bamboo pole with him as he ran away, otherwise he would have returned empty-handed again.

Shen Moqi ran out of the bamboo forest, stopped and looked behind him, thinking that they would stop at the edge of the cloud bamboo forest as before, but unexpectedly they did not stop at the edge of the cloud bamboo forest this time, but continued to chase after him.

Shen Moqi was startled, and in an instant she understood the reason. Last time they only chased her to the edge of the Cloud Bamboo Forest and then stopped because she hadn't taken the Cloud Bamboo with her. This time she was running away with their "food", so it would be strange if they didn't chase her.

Shen Moqi harbored resentment, but she didn't want to give up the cloud bamboo. She had no choice but to continue dragging the cloud bamboo towards the sect. As she ran, she would occasionally observe the situation behind her. She noticed that some of the cloud bamboo rats had gradually stopped. After running for seven or eight miles, only the largest cloud bamboo rat was still chasing after her.

Upon seeing this situation, Shen Moqi's heart stirred.

"There's only one left, we'll fight!"

He put down the cloud bamboo, gripped the green frost sword, and turned to meet them.

Seeing that he had stopped running, the Cloud Bamboo Rat pounced suddenly with astonishing speed. Shen Moqi dodged to the side, his right hand thrusting the Azure Frost Sword towards its throat. The Cloud Bamboo Rat twisted in mid-air, its claws reaching for his right arm holding the sword. Shen Moqi conjured an earthen shield with his left hand to block its claws, the shield shattering instantly, but the Cloud Bamboo Rat was still sent flying backward by the impact.

After a brief standoff between the two, Shen Moqi noticed a hint of caution in the Cloud Bamboo Rat's blood-red eyes. A bad feeling crept into Shen Moqi's heart. Could it be that this Cloud Bamboo Rat possessed intelligence beyond its instincts?

Thinking of this, Shen Moqi secretly activated the Golden Edge Spell with her right hand, injecting sharp energy into the Azure Frost Sword, causing the Azure Frost Sword to shine brightly with a cold light.

In the end, it was the Cloud Bamboo Rat that couldn't hold back any longer and leaped up to pounce on Shen Moqi again. This time, Shen Moqi didn't stab the Cloud Bamboo Rat with the Frost Sword. Instead, she held the sword horizontally in front of her chest and launched a fireball with her left hand, which rushed towards the Cloud Bamboo Rat in the air. The Cloud Bamboo Rat twisted its body, trying to dodge the fireball, but it didn't expect that the fireball was much faster than Shen Moqi's sword. Although the Cloud Bamboo Rat dodged the fireball, its tail was solidly burned by the fireball.

The Cloud Bamboo Rat's tail was burned, causing a slight imbalance in its body. Its claws, which were originally heading for Shen Moqi's throat, instead veered towards Shen Moqi's left arm. Shen Moqi's Qingfeng Sword, which was held horizontally in front of her chest, instantly became useless, and she had no choice but to turn to the side.

With a "hiss," Shen Moqi's clothes were torn open by sharp claws, leaving three bloody welts on her left arm.

Shen Moqi winced in pain and swung her sword backhand at the Cloud Bamboo Rat's left ear. The Cloud Bamboo Rat screeched in pain as its left ear fell to the ground. Shen Moqi secretly regretted that if her sword had been just two inches closer, she could have severed the Cloud Bamboo Rat's head.

The injured bamboo rat seemed to have been provoked into a ferocious state. Without pausing after landing, it leaped directly from Shen Moqi's left rear, its sharp claws aimed straight for her waist. Shen Moqi was utterly astonished. This beast could find a weakness? This area was the hardest to dodge, so she had to conjure another earth shield around her waist. Shen Moqi was somewhat relieved; thankfully, it couldn't drastically change direction after leaping, otherwise she would definitely be no match for it.

After the shield shattered, Shen Moqi instantly conjured a Wood Vine spell, which wrapped around the Cloud Bamboo Rat before it landed. Then, she slashed at the Cloud Bamboo Rat's head with her Frost Sword in her right hand.

With a "plop," the bamboo rat, its head separated from its body, fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

Shen Moqi plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, and looked at the wound on her arm—it wasn't deep, but it hurt.

"A demonic beast at the third level of Qi Refining is indeed difficult to deal with."

He doesn't have much spiritual energy left. Although he usually has enough spiritual energy to support him in casting more than a dozen spells, he only cast two earth shields, one fireball, and one wooden vine just now. Don't forget that he needs to consume spiritual energy to activate the Cloud Step, and he also maintained the Golden Edge Spell throughout the battle.

Shen Moqi sat on the ground to rest, pondering the battle that had just transpired. If she had cast a spell that caused the ground to collapse the moment the Cloud Bamboo Rat leaped, preventing it from using its momentum, would the battle have ended sooner? If she hadn't used her unfamiliar swordsmanship and had only used spells, would she have saved some spiritual energy? Would casting two Wood Vine spells simultaneously have provided better control over the Cloud Bamboo Rat? What if she had used a Fireball spell to force it to dodge, and then simultaneously cast another Wood Vine spell in its path of escape? Even a beast knows to look for its opponent's weaknesses in battle; why hadn't she looked for the Cloud Bamboo Rat's weaknesses, instead waiting for it to attack? It seemed she needed to thoroughly analyze her strategy, especially her Wood and Fire elemental spells, since those were the only spells she could use openly and honestly.

After resting for a while, Shen Moqi stood up, looked at the fat bamboo rat on the ground, and suddenly an idea popped into her head.

After arriving at the sect, he spent most of his time consuming fasting pills and rarely went to the dining hall—partly because he was busy cultivating, and partly to avoid Su Junmo. Fasting pills could fill his stomach, but they had little flavor.

"Roast it." He licked his lips.

He gathered some dry firewood, lit it with a fireball spell, skinned and gutted the cloud bamboo rat, and roasted it over the fire. Soon, the aroma of the meat filled the air, and golden fat dripped onto the fire, sizzling loudly.

Shen Moqi tore off a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth.

The meat was tender and had a faint bamboo aroma, making it more delicious than any roasted meat he had ever eaten in his previous life. He wolfed down most of it, and suddenly felt a warm sensation rising in his stomach.

The warmth flowed slowly through my meridians and spread throughout my body.

He was stunned.

This feeling is very similar to when I first took the root of the purple-leafed golden thread lotus!

"This is..." He quickly closed his eyes and looked inward.

A strange energy was flowing along the meridians, and wherever it passed, the meridian walls became more flexible, as if they were being soaked in warm water. Although the changes were subtle, they were definitely there.

He held his breath, silently sensing the energy until it was completely exhausted.

Then, he looked inward again and carefully examined the meridians.

It has indeed become slightly stronger.

Although it was only a very tiny bit, I checked it several times and it was correct.

Shen Moqi opened her eyes and looked at the remaining half of the roasted bamboo rat in her hand, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"The bamboo rat eats bamboo and bamboo shoots, so its meat also contains the medicinal properties of bamboo shoots?"

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Cloud bamboo shoots can nourish the meridians, and cloud bamboo rats eat cloud bamboo and cloud bamboo shoots, so over time, they naturally accumulate the same medicinal power in their bodies.

"So that means..." he muttered to himself, a slow smile creeping onto his lips, "I don't need to dig three feet into the ground to find cloud bamboo shoots, I can just catch cloud bamboo rats directly?"

He looked down at the bamboo rat, then at the fragrant roasted meat in his hand, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Would you consider this... a pleasant surprise?"

He ate the rest of the meat cleanly, even gnawing on the bones, as if afraid of wasting a single drop of the medicinal power. Then he stood up, dusted himself off, and looked at the bamboo forest in the distance, his eyes shining.

"Let's go back."

Shen Moqi carried the cloud bamboo and walked towards the sect.