On the seventh day, though there were some losses across all parties, everything remained within expectations.
Even though Qingyun Peak didn't have a peak master, with Zhou Qingyu present, it was even more fierce than the other peaks.
He swung his sword, cutting down beast after beast with glee. Even his sword aura became increasingly sharp, exuding an unstoppable momentum.
Everyone watched in awe. Even those further away had heard of the battle here, their faces filled with smiles.
With someone like Zhou Qingyu, the sect could flourish for another thousand years.
Even Lu Changsheng couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Young men should be like this!"
Such a sentence sounded fine—if spoken by anyone else.
But coming from his mouth, it instantly became awkward and out of place. Many couldn't help but frown.
He's the last person who should be saying that…
Everyone looked over. Lu Changsheng was sitting lazily on a green boulder, a massive bonfire burning before him. Two birds, killed earlier by Zhou Qingyu, were roasting over the flames.
The skin was golden and glistening with oil.
He casually tore off a wing, oil dripping as he ate, and even called out:
"It's done roasting! Come eat, don't just stand there!"
Hearing this, several raised their eyebrows.
The disciples who were familiar with him naturally came over, each tearing off a piece to eat.
One elder sighed and shook his head.
"Changsheng…"
"What is it?"
"Put more chili on. I like it spicy."
"Got it!"
Answering cheerfully, even Ye Tianyi didn't know what to say for a moment.
His junior brother's roasted meat was honestly pretty good…
Zhou Qingyu, meanwhile, remained motionless, standing on a lone peak, sword in hand, eyes closed as he reflected on the past few days' battles, visibly gaining insight.
He was now one step closer to forming his core.
However, his sword path had stalled. He was pondering how to proceed.
Just as everyone was relaxing and feasting, the two enormous birds Zhou Qingyu had slain were nearly picked clean.
Lu Changsheng lay on the side, living rather comfortably—picking up beast corpses, roasting meat, handling logistics. He wasn't idle at all.
But just as the group began to relax, a sudden disturbance erupted in the skies.
A massive blue-feathered bird soared through the air, letting out a piercing cry that sent chills through everyone.
Its wings spanned nearly three zhang wide, claws sharp as blades, and its eyes were full of murderous intent.
"Bluewind Bird!"
Lu Changsheng looked up. It was a vicious species of beast, known for feeding on humans, fast as lightning, and terrifying in combat. Moreover, it had already formed a core.
With one flap of its wings, a violent gale arose.
The creature's arrival startled Zhou Qingyu, whose eyes turned sharp. His sword flashed with cold light as he leapt into battle.
As they clashed, everyone was shocked—the bird's feathers were as strong as metal, able to block sword slashes.
Sparks flew as the sword edge scraped against its feathers.
Spiritual energy burst forth, shattering nearby mountains.
One elder, seeing this, prepared to act, fearing for Zhou Qingyu's safety.
He was stopped.
"Wait and watch. Qingyu is already at the peak of Qi Consolidation, the perfect moment for breakthrough.
Let him temper himself. Besides, he walks the path of the sword—this beast won't defeat him."
Hearing this, the others stopped. Indeed, if anything went wrong, they'd still have time to intervene.
Lu Changsheng also glanced over but wasn't concerned.
That bird isn't a threat.
Senior brother was trained by me. A mere Core Formation Stage One beast isn't an issue.
Though they seemed evenly matched now, once Zhou Qingyu unleashed his sword intent, the outcome would be clear.
Even the elders from Qingyun Peak looked on with joy.
As Cangyun Sect's greatest prodigy, he was truly exceptional.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Sand and stone quivered as a low roar echoed.
A massive snail, six or seven zhang tall, hurtled toward them at high speed.
The trees and hills in its path were crushed instantly.
Everyone was shocked.
Despite being a snail, it moved terrifyingly fast—just slightly slower than the Bluewind Bird.
Wherever it crawled, thick mucus corroded everything—plants withered, stones melted, laced with deadly poison.
One elder immediately stepped forward, blocking its path, preventing it from reaching Zhou Qingyu.
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief—only to see a black tiger, crushing mountains as it came barreling toward them.
It was also Core Formation level.
Before they could react, more beasts arrived—all Core level.
"What's going on?!"
"Why are there so many Core Formation beasts?!"
All the elders sprang into action. Yet even more beast auras could be sensed approaching from afar.
"Quick! Notify the others for reinforcements!"
Someone shouted.
Ye Tianyi turned to Lu Changsheng.
"Something's wrong. Take the others and retreat!"
Lu Changsheng nodded, feeling something was off.
As he retreated with the other disciples, he once again caught a sweet, strange fragrance in the air.
Looking around, he saw bright red flowers blooming.
Their color was vivid and eerie, continuously releasing a strange scent.
"Phantom God Flower!"
Lu Changsheng frowned. These flowers weren't here before.
And Phantom God Flowers only bloomed when watered with blood. The scent they emitted lured under-Nascent Soul beasts, sending them into a hallucinatory frenzy, driving them to charge blindly toward the source.
Even if it meant death.
With these flowers, a constant stream of beasts would be drawn here.
"Those bastards from Xuanyuan Sect really are venomous!"
This tactic—using others to do the dirty work—left no evidence.
Lu Changsheng swept his divine sense. No other Phantom God Flowers were nearby—only in this area. Clearly targeted at Zhou Qingyu.
All they needed was to scatter the seeds, then do nothing.
As Zhou Qingyu and the others slaughtered beasts and spilled blood, the flowers would bloom and spread, attracting more beasts.
What was once manageable now became a crisis.
With multiple Core-level beasts swarming, Qingyun Peak was in danger.
The elders were engaged, Zhou Qingyu was fighting the Bluewind Bird—no one could assist.
Though reinforcements would arrive soon, more flowers continued blooming. At a certain point, the beasts might go mad from the scent.
"A ruthless method indeed… but do they take us all for fools?"
Lu Changsheng muttered.
The solution was simple.
He summoned a fire spell, igniting the land with a snap.
Flames spread across the mountain forest.
The strange red flowers were consumed by the fire, turned to ash.
Anyone watching would understand—a single flame ruined everything.
If the scheme stopped here, it wouldn't have much effect.
As the fire spread, the beasts seemed to regain clarity, and distant auras halted their advance.
No one knew where the fire came from, but everyone realized—the crisis had diminished.
Lu Changsheng didn't relax. Something still felt wrong.
Suddenly, a black shadow flitted through the flames.
Unnoticed by anyone, it ascended a mountain peak, its eyes locked onto Zhou Qingyu in the sky.
What startled Lu Changsheng most—
He sensed no signs of life from the shadow,
Yet it clearly had the power of a third-level Core cultivator.