Chapter 38: The Demonic Beast Garden

Advancing into the Golden Core Realm, Gu Yuan knew that his next major breakthrough wouldn’t happen for a long time. That was why he decided to take things slowly and probably spend some time digesting his items and techniques, or more accurately, the dowry he had received from the twins.

But before that was his inner sect mission. He was already cutting things short by delaying it this much.

Gu Yuan moved into the Mission Hall. There were no familiar faces here, so he went to the one that felt the easiest to talk with. He greeted him, then explained his reasons for coming.

"You’re lucky, Junior Brother," the man said with a smile before explaining, "There’s a team mission, and one spot is still available. You can take it immediately."

Gu Yuan didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "What kind of mission?"

"Protecting the Demonic Beast Garden."

The Demonic Beast Garden was situated in its own secret realm. As its name suggested, it was a place where the Black Desolation Sect raised and bred demonic beasts... or so he knew.

After thinking for a few seconds, Gu Yuan nodded. "Then, please help me register for this mission."

Like that, the mission was decided. After completing the necessary procedures and asking about the location, he moved there.

He entered through the entrance guarded by another group of disciples and made his way toward the pavilion the Mission Hall disciple had instructed him to go to.

Along the way, he raised his head and looked at the sky. It was dark, and a heavy atmosphere seemed to settle over the entire place.

The Spirit Qi in the air was rich, yet the place still didn’t seem like a comfortable place to reside and cultivate in.

As he took note of these things, Gu Yuan finally reached the pavilion.

It was two stories high and not too big. Standing in front of it were one man and three women.

After landing, Gu Yuan cupped his hands.

"Greetings, Senior Brother and Senior Sisters. I’m Gu Yuan, the last member assigned to this guarding mission."

Everyone in front of him had a higher cultivation than his displayed one. In fact, there were three Golden Core cultivators among them, so Gu Yuan naturally paid them the appropriate respect.

But the women didn’t even bother replying. Only the man, who had a disappointed expression on his face, said, "Welcome, Junior."

Curious about what was going on, Gu Yuan used Threads of Providence.

[Threads of Providence]

Name: Lin Hao

Age: 92

Cultivation: Golden Core Realm, Fifth Stage

Spiritual Root: Fire and Wood Root (First Grade)

Providence: Medium (High)

Special Note: Lin Hao, a core disciple of the Black Desolation Sect. He has high luck with women.

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He is actually quite talented?

Gu Yuan thought as he looked at Lin Hao’s age and Spiritual Root grade.

His eyes lingered on Providence before moving to the special note next, and he didn’t know what to make of either of them.

Gu Yuan exchanged a few more words with Lin Hao and received a brief explanation of the area.

An array formation had been set around the pavilion, completely isolating it from the Demonic Beast Garden. As long as the formation remained intact, the demonic beasts outside couldn’t enter the area surrounding the pavilion, making it a relatively safe place to rest and cultivate.

After explaining the important details, Lin Hao suggested that they settle on their guarding shifts.

The mission would continue for six months, and it was unnecessary for all five of them to sit outside and monitor the surroundings at the same time. One person was enough to keep watch while the others could focus on their cultivation.

"I’m fine with whatever order Senior Brother decides."

Gu Yuan had no particular preference, so he simply left the decision to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao nodded. "Then, let’s make it one-week shifts, starting with you."

And just like that, Gu Yuan was left alone outside while Lin Hao entered the pavilion with the three women.

So, it was this...

Gu Yuan looked at the scene of the four people entering the pavilion and finally understood what the special note meant.

The three women clearly didn’t have an ordinary relationship with Lin Hao.

Dao Companions?

Three at that?

Was this what high luck with women looked like in practice?

Gu Yuan quietly admired Lin Hao’s ability for a moment, before he shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

He sat cross-legged and turned his attention toward the vast area surrounding the pavilion.

The Demonic Beast Garden was quiet on the surface, but Gu Yuan could clearly sense the presence of many demonic beasts scattered throughout the surrounding mountains and forests. Many of them were stronger than the demonic snake he had casually killed when he left the sect to break through.

Still, knowing that none of them could enter the area protected by the formation, Gu Yuan was quite relaxed.

He left half of his attention on his surroundings, maintaining enough awareness to notice anything unusual, while turning the rest of his attention toward his storage treasure.

The bracelet he had received from Ji Yan.

From inside, he took out a crystal slip. Its contents recorded a Low Grade Heaven Rank palm technique. ℯℯ𝑙.

Heaven-Shattering Palm.

Gu Yuan looked at the crystal slip for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.

Since he had to spend an entire week here anyway, he might as well make good use of the time.

His cultivation had already reached the Golden Core Realm, and the next major breakthrough was still far away. So, he decided to learn another technique.

Heaven-Shattering Palm was the same rank as his Heaven-Rending Saber Technique, but unlike his saber technique, which contained multiple moves, Heaven-Shattering Palm had only one.

That single palm strike contained the entirety of the technique.

It sounded simple.

In practice, however, it made mastering it considerably more difficult.

There was nowhere to hide behind a series of different moves. Every aspect of the technique, from the circulation of Qi to the release of power, was concentrated into that single palm.

Gu Yuan didn’t expect to master it immediately.

Still, he had his special ability... Heart of Comprehension.

Gu Yuan activated it, hoping it would help him understand Heaven-Shattering Palm more quickly.

And it did.

His comprehension of the technique accelerated dramatically. Concepts that would normally take him a long time to understand began to connect in his mind one after another.

Even so, a Heaven Rank technique was still a Heaven Rank technique.

His special ability could accelerate his comprehension, but it couldn’t simply erase the difficulty of mastering the technique.

He still needed time.

By the end of the first week, Gu Yuan had gained some understanding of Heaven-Shattering Palm and was confident that, with enough practice, he would soon be able to use it in actual battle.

Like that, the first week peacefully passed, and it was time for Lin Hao’s turn to guard the place. He came out of the pavilion along with the three women once again.

Their faces were noticeably rosier than before.

Gu Yuan immediately understood what had happened, and his first thought was simply... there had been no sound.

He glanced at the pavilion and then at the three women.

The women were not frivolous; they kept their attention on one man, and when they were together they had set up a proper sound-isolation barrier around the room.

Looking at this relationship, Gu Yuan found it strangely refreshing after the more open and casual relationships he had seen among certain sect members.

Such a healthy relationship was something Gu Yuan felt the members of his sect could learn from.

Not because this time there was one man and several women while, in his previous experience, there had been one woman and two men. That was simply the preference of the people involved, and Gu Yuan had no problem with it.

What mattered was the attitude. They were serious about their relationship rather than treating it as something casual.

That was what made the difference.

"You can rest inside until your turn," Lin Hao said to Gu Yuan.

From the look on his face, it seemed that Lin Hao wanted to spend more time alone with his women.

Gu Yuan naturally had no intention of interrupting them.

"Then I’ll trouble Senior Brother."

With that, he entered the pavilion and immediately returned his attention to the Heaven-Shattering Palm.

There was still a lot he could comprehend from this technique.

Since he had six months here, he might as well make every day count.