Hearing this.
Lin Feiyan's eyes lit up, and she immediately became interested.
"I'll go first, I'll go first!"
She patted her chest with a proud look. "I am Lin... ahem, Gong Shaoqi, at the Seven Chess Pieces cultivation level. My specialty is Offensive Techniques!"
After speaking.
She inconspicuously glanced at Jiang Yuechu, who was sitting opposite her with eyes closed.
She clearly wanted to tell Jiang Yuechu that being restrained just now was purely because she wasn't good at physical combat...
However, Jiang Yuechu remained sitting quietly, as if she hadn't heard a word.
Lin Feiyan felt helpless and curled her lips in frustration.
Seeing his Senior Sister finish, the youth beside her had no choice but to speak up.
"I am... Lin Feiyan."
The youth's face turned slightly red, and his voice was a bit tight. "I am at the Five Chess Pieces cultivation level. I'm not good at direct combat, but I specialize in Formations and Talismans."
Oh?
As soon as these words were spoken.
Both Senior Brother Chen Yuan and Junior Sister Su Liu were shaken, looking at the youth with eyes full of surprise.
In Yunmeng Township, Chess Player Realm Cultivators who specialized in Formations and Talismans were as rare as phoenix feathers.
While Offensive Techniques were sharp, when it came to trapping enemies, protecting Formations, or even killing enemies of a higher rank.
A Cultivator proficient in Formations could often turn the tide in a desperate situation!
Senior Brother Chen Yuan's face immediately showed more respect. "I couldn't tell that Fellow Daoist Lin was actually proficient in such profound methods. With your help on this trial, it truly is like a tiger with wings."
The youth was a bit flustered by the praise and waved his hands repeatedly, looking at his Senior Sister as if for help.
Lin Feiyan, however, lifted her chin proudly, as if she were the one being praised.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan withdrew his gaze and finally turned his attention to the white-robed girl who had remained silent the entire time.
"I wonder what this Fellow Daoist..."
Jiang Yuechu slowly opened her eyes, a hint of confusion flashing in her dark pupils.
She pondered slightly, silently checking within herself.
Seeing this.
The other four on the flying boat all looked over with slight confusion.
What was there to think about?
For a Cultivator, what their main cultivation method was, what auxiliary means they had, which they had just started, and which had reached Major Achievement—how could they not know themselves?
Jiang Yuechu's brow furrowed slightly.
The Great Black Heaven Body Forging Scripture.
Eternal Immortality.
Lunar Star Rainbow.
Nine Flying Swords, a Golden Great Seal...
And the Six-Cycle Heavenly Flow that she had just deduced to the supreme realm.
It seemed difficult to say which was stronger.
If she really had to summarize it...
"Killing enemies?"
Hearing her reply.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan and Junior Sister Su Liu both stood there in stunned silence.
Even Lin Feiyan, who was still feeling secretly smug, had her face freeze.
What kind of answer was that?
Whose cultivation methods weren't for killing enemies?
Senior Brother Chen Yuan coughed dryly, assuming the white-robed girl was joking or deliberately concealing her skills.
He forced a smile. "Fellow Daoist, you really know how to joke."
"But since you are unwilling to say more, then so be it."
Jiang Yuechu looked at him expressionlessly, too lazy to explain.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan composed himself and took the initiative to introduce them.
"I am Senior Brother Chen Yuan, at the Chess-Player Three-Piece level, and this is Junior Sister Junior Sister Su Liu, at the Chess-Player Two-Piece level."
He wore a bitter smile and spoke frankly.
"The two of us have dull Aptitude and were never chosen by the Elders of the various peaks. What we've learned is a bit scattered—Talismans, escape arts, Alchemy, and Beast taming—we've dabbled in all of them, but only understand the basics. We don't truly have a single proficient specialty to show off."
"If we encounter some miscellaneous tasks, we can still handle them, but when it comes to life-and-death struggles, we'll have to rely heavily on you Fellow Daoists."
As he spoke, he kept his posture extremely low.
Jiang Yuechu listened quietly without making a sound.
Lin Feiyan, on the other hand, was a bit puzzled.
In cultivation, the value lies in specialization.
Even a child who just started knows the principle that 'biting off more than one can chew' leads to nothing.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan could naturally sense Lin Feiyan's confusion.
However...
Compared to a favored child of heaven like Lin Feiyan, who was taken in early as a personal disciple by a Sect Elder, had masters to protect her path, and had a massive amount of resources tilted in her favor, she didn't need to worry about mundane affairs and could focus solely on her specialty.
Ordinary Cultivators didn't have such a stable cultivation environment.
When going down the mountain for trials, life and death hung by a thread.
If they encountered poison miasma, they had to know how to detoxify.
If they fell into a maze Formation, they had to know how to break it.
When they couldn't win, they had to be proficient in escape arts.
They had to learn a bit of everything, and they couldn't master anything.
It wasn't for the sake of seeking the Great Dao or longevity, but only to have one more hope of survival when encountering unexpected changes.
This was the way of survival that ordinary Cultivators had carved out through hardship.
But he didn't explain. Instead, he led the topic to the main business. "Since everyone has shared their backgrounds, I will explain the details of this trial."
Hearing this.
Everyone's expression became a bit more serious.
"In the Fifty Thousand Li Great Marsh, there is a city called Huangshan City."
"The Xu Family, which manages the city, is a subordinate force under our Jieqing Sect. They pay tribute every year and are considered part of the Sect's peripheral Foundation."
"A few days ago, the Xu Family sent a letter asking the Sect for help."
At this point.
His face became slightly grave. "It's said that on the edge of the Great Marsh outside Huangshan City, a fierce demon has recently taken up residence. It frequently intercepts and kills passing humans. Even several Chess Player Cultivators sent by the Xu Family to suppress it perished there."
"According to the news sent back by the surviving Cultivators of the Xu Family, the aura left by that demon..."
Senior Brother Chen Yuan paused and said in a heavy voice.
"...is approximately at the Chess-Player Four-Piece cultivation level."
Hearing this.
The atmosphere on the flying boat slightly stalled.
Lin Feiyan blinked.
Her body, which had been sitting upright, instantly slumped.
She leaned boredly against the side of the boat and curled her lips.
She thought that by sneaking down the mountain, she would encounter some world-shaking great demon so she could have a satisfying fight.
In the end, after all that fuss, it was just a creature that hadn't even touched the threshold of Five Pieces.
It wasn't that she was arrogant.
Except for an anomaly like Jiang Yuechu... an ordinary Four-Piece demon wouldn't last more than a few moves in her hands.
She yawned and waved her hand.
"Fine, fine, I get it."
"When we get there, you just stay on the side and watch. A Four-Piece Beast, I'll deal with it easily."
"..."
But hearing this, Senior Brother Chen Yuan, standing at the bow of the boat, didn't look very happy.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit off.
Lin Feiyan looked over with slight confusion. "What's wrong? Are there other difficulties?"
Senior Brother Chen Yuan was silent for a moment.
He gave a soft sigh.
"To be honest..." Senior Brother Chen Yuan smiled bitterly. "I was born in a Loose Cultivator market a few hundred li away from Huangshan City. It's quite close, so I know a bit about the Xu Family's affairs."
"Logically speaking, although the Xu Family is only a peripheral subordinate of our Jieqing Sect and isn't a colossus to the Dao Sect."
"To be able to firmly protect a human city within this Fifty Thousand Li Great Marsh, the Xu Family naturally has some deep Foundation."
Senior Brother Chen Yuan's face was grave and his voice low. "The head of the Xu Family is himself a great Cultivator of Five Chess Pieces, and the clan has several Elders at the Three or Four-Piece level... they would never lose men over a mere Four-Piece demon, let alone report it to the Dao Sect to request aid."