I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 122: Chapter 104: (Revised) Stealing the Kill

In the swampy wetlands, venomous snakes coiled on the trees, flicking their tongues.

The sound of clashing weapons and explosions resounded non-stop as three members of the Sword Sect fiercely battled against three from the Heavenly Inference Sect, evenly matched in strength.

A mournful tune suddenly arose. The six were intensely engaged in combat and unprepared, they were seized by the melody, their blood and energy surging, their minds thrown into chaos.

The chaotic battle turned even more chaotic as two black wolves leaped from the deep forest like the wind, crashing into the heart of the chaos, roaring furiously.

The six were panic-stricken. Under the disturbance of the chaotic melody, their visions blurred, seeing that the wolves appeared strange, not true beasts but puppets.

One had two heads, sinister and fierce, accumulating fireballs and lightning in its mouth, the other with a scorpion tail coiled back, full of sharp blades and spikes.

Roar!!

The twin wolves roared and charged into both sides separately.

Fiery flames spread like wildfire, arcs of lightning streaked through, colliding with thunder and fire in violent explosions.

The scorpion tail lashed like a whip, sweeping through as if crushing thousands, scattering the group into disarray.

In no time, the six were defeated and vanished, the melody ceased, as a ’Golden Oriole’ jumped down from the tree.

Jiang Yuebai put away the White Jade Ocarina and commanded the two Shadow Wolf Puppets, which cost her over ten thousand Spirit Stones to create, to delve deep into the forest for vigilance.

She squatted down and dug up a Spirit Grass brimming with Spiritual Energy by the swamp’s edge, placing it into a jade box for safekeeping.

For the past three days, the Sword Qi within her body had not been completely expelled. She prioritized the journey, avoiding entanglements with demonic beasts and evil ghosts, and even avoided major arrays when possible, dealing with them violently only when unavoidable.

Only when she encountered killable individuals, regardless if they were disciples from the Sword Sect or the Heavenly Inference Sect, she would kill them to increase her kill count.

Yesterday at dusk, she even encountered Xu Qianjin and Xu Qiancheng, observing from afar with the aid of a Cloud Lark Puppet. The Two Principles Sword Array was indeed remarkable, so she avoided its sharp edge and detoured ahead.

Besides this, along the way, Jiang Yuebai collected many stones and Spirit Grasses, capturing a few small insects as well.

She wanted to know what differences were there between the items in this Pocket Small World and those outside? Could they be taken out, and if so, would any changes occur after taking them out?

Here, this clearly incomplete world still experienced the alternation of day and night, each day having twelve hours?

And why does the sky differ every ten miles, with sandstorms in the west and snowfall in the east? How does this law operate?

Hearing the cries of monkeys from the deep forest, Jiang Yuebai put aside her questions and took out the Movie Viewing Mirror to survey the surroundings through the released Cloud Lark Puppet.

Finding nothing particularly dangerous for now, Jiang Yuebai located a tree hole and set up an array to rest, taking out the Spiritual Rat Yun Shang gave her.

Over the past three days, she released the Spiritual Rat every time she rested. If danger approached, the Spiritual Rat would call, allowing her to evade in time.

However, a few times the rat called, but she couldn’t find anything around, much like a while ago when she felt followed but couldn’t find anyone.

”Halfway through the small contest, with roughly a third of the journey ahead, I’m meeting more people, this Sword Qi must be expelled ruthlessly.”

Jiang Yuebai took out the jade sensing device provided by Lu Nanzhi again, still getting no response.

”It seems my luck is genuinely bad, and I wonder how they are doing.”

Putting away the jade, Jiang Yuebai endured the pain in her meridians and adjusted her breath for a moment, preparing to forcibly expel the Sword Qi from her body.

Eek eek! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

The Spiritual Rat suddenly squeaked, Jiang Yuebai opened her eyes, and before she could grab the Movie Viewing Mirror, she heard a violent commotion coming from the direction she had come from.

The ground shook, trees flew, as a frail male cultivator clutched his chest and ran for his life, chased by a massive Eighth Level Golden-Eyed Mantis King in a frantic pursuit.

”Song Zhi’ang?”

Jiang Yuebai maneuvered the Cloud Lark Puppet closer, seeing a ghastly bloodstain on Song Zhi’ang’s chest, the skin and flesh torn, clearly injured by the Golden-Eyed Mantis King.

The Golden-Eyed Mantis King also bore crisscrossed wounds, wildly swinging its remaining scythe, indicating an intense battle between the two.

Now, as Song Zhi’ang fled desperately, it suggested he had exhausted his trump cards, unable to resist any longer.

”A delivered head, can’t let it go to waste,” Jiang Yuebai leaped out of the tree hole.

The Golden-Eyed Mantis King launched sharp silver moons with great strength and fury, tightly pursuing Song Zhi’ang, slicing his flying black hair inch by inch.

Song Zhi’ang held a Spirit Stone in hand, gritting his teeth to squeeze out all his strength to escape.

All along the way, he’d fought fiercely, repelling dozens of sword cultivators, yet had wasted many Magic Artifacts. Had he known the deeper demonic beasts were stronger, he would’ve conserved more strength, avoiding greedy advancement.

The Golden-Eyed Mantis King, pushed to its limit, unfurled its wings, abruptly accelerating, reaching Song Zhi’ang’s side, sweeping its sharp scythe towards his neck.

Song Zhi’ang’s eyes widened in fear, but at the critical moment, a metallic scorpion tail shot out from the dark forest, coiling around the mantis’s scythe and pulling it tight.

Buzz!

The cutting edge pressed against Song Zhi’ang’s neck, mere inches from beheading him.

”Junior Brother Song, need help?”

Song Zhi’ang suddenly looked up and saw Jiang Yuebai holding a White Jade Ocarina, standing atop a tree, her gaze sweeping softly.

Song Zhi’ang’s heart clenched tightly. His pride made him unwilling to be saved by Jiang Yuebai, but his competitiveness prevented him from accepting defeat. Forcefully swallowing his pride, he rushed to the tree where Jiang Yuebai stood.

The Golden-Eyed Mantis King shrieked wildly, swinging its scythe and flinging the Shadow Wolf Puppet out of the forest, crashing heavily against the ancient tree.

Jiang Yuebai’s eyes sharpened, and she blew the White Jade Ocarina powerfully, its desolate melody rattling souls and minds.

The Golden-Eyed Mantis King’s aura was disrupted, allowing two Shadow Wolf Puppets to seize the chance to attack.

Scorpion Tail entangled, flames burned, and bolts of lightning exploded, igniting everything.

Boom!

Flames soared skyward, splinters flew, and Song Zhi’ang shielded his face with his sleeve, his pupils trembling violently.

Previously, he had heard Shen Huaxi mention Jiang Yuebai creating Planting Puppets in Huaxi Valley, benefiting all Spiritual Cultivators of the sect. At that time, he had ridiculed her for being unfit for greater matters, using Puppetry Techniques merely for farming.

Yet now, the scene before him left him speechless, his mind filled with shock and surprise.

He cultivated Artifact Techniques and could naturally judge the merits of the two puppets. Breaking the conventional molds of monster puppets, the innovation of dual heads and Scorpion Tail was truly a finishing touch.

It compensated for the shortcomings of ordinary Shadow Wolf Puppets—strong stealth, nimble movements, but lacking attack power.

One of the heads combined Fire Array with Thunder Array; flames scorched, lightning paralyzed, and the collision of thunder and fire triggered explosions, greatly amplifying power—a Spell-based attack.

The other replaced the useless wolf tail with a Scorpion Tail Magic Artifact, incorporating sharp blade and wrapping rope features—a weapon attack.

The two Shadow Wolf Puppets worked together perfectly and brilliantly!

Moreover, Jiang Yuebai’s Divine Sense was impressive, controlling two complex puppets while having the energy to play the ocarina. These were tasks that drained Divine Sense immensely, yet she handled them skillfully, prompting Song Zhi’ang’s admiration.

Regarding Jiang Yuebai relying on Lu Nanzhi, Song Zhi’ang felt utterly incredulous.

As the flames dissipated, the Golden-Eyed Mantis King was charred black, staggering but barely standing, forcibly flapping its wings and flashing towards Jiang Yuebai.

Song Zhi’ang, terrified, leaned against the tree, dare not move, while Jiang Yuebai’s pupils slightly trembled.

Just then, a cold light shot from the Cold Jade Pendant at Jiang Yuebai’s waist, hitting the Golden-Eyed Mantis King’s right eye.

The huge mantis froze mid-air instantly, crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces.

Jiang Yuebai released the hand forming the technique and pressed the Cold Jade Pendant, smiling, ”Thanks, old friend.”

A blue light flickered twice on the Cold Jade Pendant as a response. The Ice Armor Beetle King was also Eighth Level. Jiang Yuebai had a contract with it, but since her cultivation was lower than the Insect King, she usually didn’t command it.

Jiang Yuebai jumped down, surveying the area, and stored all the frozen corpse of the Golden-Eyed Mantis King into an empty storage bag.

Song Zhi’ang’s face turned ashen, feeling ashamed and guilty, taking several deep breaths before mustering the courage to bow and thank her.

”Many thanks to Senior Sister Jiang for the timely rescue.”

Jiang Yuebai stashed the storage bag into her clothes and turned around with a smile.

”No need to be polite, after all, saving you was also for...”

Clang!

A blade swept across, and Song Zhi’ang’s eyes widened, his vision overtaken by the silver flash. Before he knew it, he dropped to the ground, a chill coursing from his neck to the top of his head.

”...claiming the prize.”

Jiang Yuebai finished the second half of her sentence, sheathing her blade.

Song Zhi’ang would’ve been killed by the beasts, dying in vain; it’s only right for him to perish by her hand to be of proper use.

Squeak! Squeak!

A Spiritual Rat jumped onto Jiang Yuebai’s shoulder, chirping incessantly toward the distance, prompting her to quickly take out the Movie Viewing Mirror, controlling the Cloud Lark Puppet to investigate.

”Brother Zhuo, the commotion is from that direction...”

Clang!

A sudden crack appeared on the Movie Viewing Mirror, losing its image, causing Jiang Yuebai’s Sea of Consciousness to throb painfully.

At the same time, the Spiritual Rat trembled violently, diving headfirst into Jiang Yuebai’s clothes, refusing to emerge.

”Enemies are in narrow alleyways! Why am I so unlucky!”

The cold wind intensified abruptly, carrying a murderous intent rapidly approaching. Jiang Yuebai couldn’t care for anything else, recalled the two Shadow Wolf Puppets, and hurriedly took out the Wood Escape Talisman.

Escaping thrice in succession, sensing the murderous intent behind her disappear, Jiang Yuebai finally breathed a sigh of relief, only to find her surroundings seemed unusually different.

She seemed to be trapped in some Great Array, and this time the array was different from any she’d encountered before.