“That thing… it’s too disgusting, too filthy! I don’t want to die at its hands!”

Duan Xiaoyu shouted with a face twisted and distorted from running.

Xu Taiping remained silent.

“Boom!”

At that moment, a loud explosion echoed from behind them, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently. A terrifying wave of spiritual energy, mixed with a heavy stench, surged towards them like a tide.

Even without looking back, they could guess what it was.

It must be that wild beast emerging from the ground.

“Zheng!”

Seeing this, Xu Taiping held nothing back. He immediately took to the air on his flying sword and extended his hand to Duan Xiaoyu.

“Grab on if you don’t want to die!”

“Okay!”

Duan Xiaoyu, on the verge of tears from fear, grabbed Xu Taiping’s outstretched hand.

With a swoosh, a streak of sword light shot out from the forest.

In the blink of an eye, they had flown to the top of a mountain on the other side.

An angry roar echoed through the forest where Phoenix Perch Hall was located.

…

“Huangye Slope, fortunately, it’s not far from Starfall Lake.”

After a stick of incense, inside a stone building constructed from giant rocks, Xu Taiping carefully examined a map in front of him and finally confirmed their current location.

Just now, he had been focused solely on escaping and hadn’t paid attention to direction or distance. He had flown on his sword until his True Qi was nearly exhausted before stopping.

“Ugh!…”

Suddenly, the sound of vomiting came from the room next door.

“Are you okay?”

Xu Taiping raised his head and asked towards the next room.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, Brother Taiping!”

Duan Xiaoyu’s weak voice came from the next room.

“That’s good.” Xu Taiping nodded.

He had heard of people getting seasick, but this was the first time he had seen someone get airsick from flying on a sword.

“If I remember correctly, the Blood Moon Tide lasts for at least three days without interference. This means that for the next three days, we should avoid going out unless absolutely necessary.”

As he thought this, he compared the map and began to check for any nearby monsters.

This map had been corrected by Fairy Lingyue and was more detailed than the one provided by the Nine Mansions.

“My luck is really bad!”

While examining the map, Xu Taiping suddenly frowned.

His finger had landed on a skull symbol on the map, next to which were some delicate characters:

“Here lies the ancient fierce beast, the Red-scaled Leopard. For cultivators from our world, this beast is a valuable prey; its fur and bones can be used in medicine, and its gallbladder can nourish the soul. But for cultivators in this world, it is a nightmare, with strength at least equivalent to a Profound Realm cultivator.”

“However, unless the Blood Moon Tide occurs, the chances of it awakening from the ground are very small. This is why it has never been hunted by cultivators.”

After reading Fairy Lingyue’s notes again, Xu Taiping felt a chill down his spine.

Now he could only hope that the fierce beast wouldn’t awaken.

Even if it did, he hoped it wouldn’t come their way.

As he thought this, he continued to check the map and found that apart from the potentially awakening Red-scaled Leopard, there were no other particularly dangerous beasts in the area.

It was a small blessing amidst the misfortune.

“In any case, we must leave this place immediately after three days, follow the original route to find the item, and then crush the scroll to exit.”

As he put away the map, he thought to himself.

As for Jade Gourd Peak, he still didn’t plan to go there this time; the risk was too high.

According to Fairy Lingyue, once the Blood Moon Tide began, more ancient fierce beasts would awaken there. Even after the tide ended, some might not go back to sleep.

In such a situation, Elder Sansan should understand if he couldn’t cut down the plum tree, right?

As Xu Taiping thought this, he suddenly felt a warmth in his chest.

“Hmm?”

He curiously reached into his chest and found that the source of the heat was the token given to him by the Nine Mansions.

This token had been given to him along with the invitation from the Nine Mansions.

At the time, Xu Taiping hadn’t paid much attention to its function, thinking it was just a regular pass.

After taking out the token, Xu Taiping found a few words on the originally blank back of the token: “Taiping, are you there? Are you still alive?”

“This thing can be used for communication?”

Xu Taiping was pleasantly surprised.

Although he didn’t know who was asking, he was eager to find out what was happening outside.

“I’m still alive. Who are you?”

Xu Taiping gripped the jade token and, using his spiritual sense, left a message on it, just like using a communication jade scroll.

“Thank goodness! Taiping, you’re alive!”

“Taiping, it’s me, Oriole.”

Two lines of text appeared on the jade scroll.

“It’s actually Brother Oriole.”

Xu Taiping was also pleasantly surprised.

“Brother Oriole, what exactly is happening outside? Why has a Blood Moon appeared over Jade Gourd Peak, and why have the beasts become so violent? I even saw a wild beast that only appears in ancient texts.”

Xu Taiping immediately relayed his observations.

“It’s true, the Blood Moon Tide has appeared in the Immortal Gourd Cave!”

“An hour ago, we completely lost contact with the inside. The only thing visible in the copper mirror was a demonic eye.”

“Now, the token you have is our only means of communication with the inside.”

Several lines of text quickly appeared on the token.

“What exactly is happening?”

Xu Taiping quickly asked.

“Jade Green Scholar is probably not going to make it.”

This single line of text made Xu Taiping’s scalp tingle.

“The details are too complex and involve many secrets that cannot be disclosed here.”

“Taiping, put these questions aside for now. I have something very important for you to do.”

“This matter concerns the lives of you and the junior disciples of the Nine Mansions inside!”