Chapter 3: Better a Short Pain than a Long One

Bai Ning appeared to be in her twenties, but she was actually two hundred and seventy years old. Over the years, her cultivation journey had been smooth sailing; whenever she needed something, she simply took it, never bothering to develop the habit of saving. She had cleared her meridians in half a shichen and stepped into the Qi Refining stage in a single stride.

Bai Ning liked this little fellow, not because of his innate talent, but because having a disciple who could teach himself saved her so much trouble. She had no patience for guiding anyone step-by-step. With that spare time, wouldn't it be better to drink some wine and take a nap?

Wishing to give him something so her "cheap" disciple could practice on his own, the demigod-level General Bai Ning found she had nothing suitable for someone at the Qi Refining stage. After struggling for a long moment, she pulled a beaded necklace from her storage pouch. It consisted of dark red beads, each drilled through the center and strung on a red thread.

"Here, take this as your master's welcoming gift." As she spoke, Bai Ning tossed the necklace over.

Chu Chen caught it steadily with both hands, though the biting cold almost made him drop it. He quickly gripped the red cord, not daring to touch the beads themselves.

"I searched and searched, and this is the only thing you can actually use. It’s something I got a few years ago... or was it a dozen? Forget it, I can’t remember. Anyway, I was in the Land of Extreme Cold and killed a tenth-tier demonic beast, then dug this out of its skull. You know what a tenth-tier beast is, right?"

Seeing Chu Chen’s eager look, Bai Ning curled her lip and muttered under her breath, "So troublesome, having to explain everything."

Troublesome as it was, she figured that once she explained the necklace's use, she would have plenty of peace and quiet. "A tenth-tier beast is equivalent to a human cultivator at the Small Heavenly Cycle realm; it no longer needs to absorb spiritual energy from the outside world. It has its own internal cycle that constantly generates energy. The bead in your hand is the beast's demonic core. Wear it on your chest, and once it senses your body heat, it will help you absorb spiritual energy from the heavens and earth. That way, you won't have to run around looking for materials or resources to trade for Spirit Rhyme Pills."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen’s eyes lit up, and he couldn't wait to put the necklace on.

Bai Ning's "however" came just a moment too late. "However, a demonic core is still a demonic core. While it can help you absorb spiritual energy, it also releases a certain amount of demonic aura... Wait, I wasn't finished—why did you put it on already?"

Bai Ning leaped forward and landed right in front of Chu Chen. "You’ve reached the Qi Refining stage, but you have no spiritual energy in your meridians yet to counteract the demonic aura. This necklace shouldn't be worn until you've reached the first level of Qi Refining."

After putting on the necklace, Chu Chen felt chilled to the bone, as if he were walking outside in the dead of winter without a stitch of clothing.

"Why didn't you say so sooner..."

"Huh? Are you blaming me?" Bai Ning asked with an expression of disbelief.

"No, this disciple wouldn't dare."

Bai Ning felt she bore some responsibility for this, so she asked with concern, "How do you feel?"

"Cold... so cold..." As he spoke, Chu Chen hugged his arms, curled into a ball, and shivered uncontrollably as he tried to take the necklace off.

"Don't take it off!" Bai Ning shouted, explaining, "The demonic aura has already entered your body. If you remove the necklace now, the aura will be trapped inside."

"...Then what should I do?" Chu Chen couldn't say a word without his teeth chattering violently.

"Endure it. Let the demonic aura dissipate from your body naturally."

"Is it really that crude and simple?" Even now, Chu Chen had the heart to quip. "Isn't there some sort of miracle pill to ease the pain?"

"Of course there is," Bai Ning replied, then continued, "A single Giant Yang Pill could solve this easily."

Chu Chen trembled as he slowly held out his palm.

"You want it?" Bai Ning asked.

At a time like this, when I'm freezing to death, is it really necessary to confirm it? "Yes," Chu Chen replied.

"Think carefully. If you take the Giant Yang Pill to dissipate the demonic aura in your body, the pill's energy will also enter the demonic core, and this necklace will be ruined."

Hearing this, Chu Chen slowly withdrew his hand. "Then I'll endure it."

Bai Ning felt a pang of sympathy but still brought out the Giant Yang Pill. After all these years, she had finally found a decent disciple. It was no shame for someone who had just entered the Qi Refining stage to be unable to withstand the residual aura of a tenth-tier demonic beast. He had already done quite well to last this long.

"There's no need to force yourself. Take the pill."

Chu Chen shook his head. Such a precious item must not be wasted.

"So annoying!" Bai Ning left him with that remark and turned away in a huff. "If you want to die, I won't stop you. Keep the shivering down—if you wake me from my nap, I’ll end you quickly."

Chu Chen knew this was no idle threat. Yet, the bone-chilling cold continued to intensify, and he had no idea when it would peak. He worried that he would freeze to death before the cold subsided.

Wait!

A flash of inspiration struck Chu Chen, and he suddenly remembered the Gallery of Illustrated Beasts. His consciousness sank, and he instantly appeared within that corridor; the feeling of cold vanished immediately.

Upon entering the gallery, he first looked at the newly illuminated illustrations on the opposite wall; there were three more than the last time he was here. Chu Chen counted briefly—he had already killed nine entities, five of which were wearing the robes of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Damn it, I’ve fallen so far behind.

With no time to dwell on other things, Chu Chen focused on his own illustrations. To improve his efficiency, he looked at the rewards before the monsters.

This reward, the "Demon-Controlling Bell," would make any demon below the fifth tier dance to its rhythm when shaken. What kind of nonsense is this? Who wants to watch demons dance? A trash reward; no need to look at the beast's details.

Chu Chen finally found a reward that was truly practical for him: the "Thousand-Silk Needles," a concealed weapon that could be hidden in his wrist. A single activation would launch ten steel needles as thin as silkworm thread, killing without a trace. It could inflict lethal damage on demons below the third tier. Back in the cave, he had only hit a wild boar demon with a rock to open this gallery. With this weapon, couldn't he follow the Demon Suppression Bureau on a few missions, light up more illustrations, and claim better rewards?

He looked up at the illustration: a black, human-faced, nine-legged spider demon. A fourth-tier beast, residing in the Qiu Mountains. He silently memorized the spider and continued walking.

"The Heaven-Rousing Seal: By wielding this seal, one can summon heavenly soldiers and generals."

"The Yin-Yang Mirror: Capable of seeing into both the mortal and spirit realms, it can even manipulate life and death, bringing those reflected in the mirror back to life."

"The Spirit-Rhino Divine Sword: It shares a telepathic bond with its master. The owner can control it at will; with a single thought, even from ten thousand miles away, it can take a person's head."

"The Void Divine Armor: Capable of resisting almost all attacks; the wearer is nearly invincible."

These were all incredible treasures, but the tier labels for the beasts were replaced by three question marks. Chu Chen had long ago noticed that the beasts with clear tier rankings in the gallery only went up to the fifteenth tier. Anything above the thirteenth tier was marked with three question marks.

"Wake up, wake up, are you dead yet?"

Chu Chen suddenly heard his master's voice from outside the corridor. As his consciousness returned to reality, he heard the sharp ring of a sword being unsheathed.

"I'll send you on your final journey!"