Chapter 291: Immortal Martial Cultivation

Yang Feng and the others looked on, their faces a mixture of alarm and uncertainty.

Some of them might have been hesitating before, unsure whether they should go.

But upon hearing that tiger’s roar, fear surged through them. The memory of their narrow escape moments before was still fresh, and no one dared to linger. They just wanted to get away as fast as possible.

Just a moment ago, Lu Bai had been there to slay the Snake Demon.

But now, with neither Dean Jiang nor Lu Bai around, they would all be dead if another terrifying Demon Beast appeared.

"Junior Sister Luo, you’re still not leaving?"

Yang Feng swallowed hard and tried to persuade her again.

Luo Qing was silent, then shook her head.

The others might not have known, but she could tell that the roar had likely come from Lu Bai.

She had personally seen Lu Bai unleash this Secret Technique before.

Luo Qing furrowed her delicate brows, lost in thought.

’Did Xiaolu run into some kind of danger over there, forcing him to use that Secret Technique?’

’Why did Xiaolu leave so suddenly just now?’

’Before all this, it seemed like he sensed something was about to happen here, which is why he gave me that Mountain Demon Hat.’

’Could it be that this Cyan Mountain Hunting trip...’

Luo Qing recalled how she had been unexpectedly chosen for this Cyan Mountain Hunting.

Then Xiaolu had suddenly offered to come with her.

The Snake Demon that never should have appeared in the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground.

Jiang Tao’s sudden departure.

When so many coincidences piled up, it was likely no coincidence at all.

"Junior Sister Luo, if you’re not coming, we’re leaving."

Yang Feng and the others said, staring into the deep darkness around them. The reek of the Snake Demon’s blood hung in the air, and they really couldn’t bear to stay any longer.

Just then, a tall figure tore through the air and arrived.

Everyone looked up to see Lu Bai, who had just left and now returned.

"Young Hero Lu, you’re finally back!"

"Young Hero Lu, did you hear that tiger roar from over there just now?"

"Young Hero Lu, where did you go?"

The disciples hurried to greet him, all speaking at once.

Lu Bai explained, "The Snake Demon’s appearance was too sudden. I was worried someone was plotting something behind the scenes, so I went to find Dean Jiang, hoping we could investigate together. I looked around but couldn’t find him. Fearing for your safety, I rushed back."

"Thank goodness you came back in time, Young Hero Lu. Otherwise, we would have probably left already."

"Young Hero Lu, what do we do now?"

"That’s right. With Dean Jiang gone, we’ll follow your lead."

The disciples gathered around Lu Bai.

Normally, with Jiang Tao absent, Yang Feng—with his lectures on Demon-slaying Techniques, his cultivation level, and his family background—should have been the one receiving this star treatment.

But now, after witnessing Lu Bai’s capabilities, who would pay him any mind?

Yang Feng wasn’t a fool. After Lu Bai appeared, he became much more subdued. He didn’t say a word and didn’t even dare to meet Lu Bai’s gaze.

Lu Bai said in a low voice, "The Cyan Mountain Hunting is over. We’re returning to the Capital City now."

"Alright!"

No one objected; they all agreed at once.

Someone, with feigned concern, reminded him, "Young Hero Lu, don’t forget the Snake Demon’s Inner Core."

Lu Bai picked it up and casually handed it to Luo Qing. "Sister Luo, you should take this. You can use it when you break through in the Alchemy Dao."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the other disciples turned red with envy.

That was the Inner Core of a Fierce Beast Remnant!

And he just gave it away like that?

Luo Qing froze for a moment, then hurriedly said, "This is too valuable, Xiaolu, you..."

"I have no use for this thing."

Lu Bai cut her off, pressing it into her hand.

He was telling the truth.

When he broke through in the Alchemy Dao, he had refined True Dragon Blood. This Snake Demon’s Inner Core was practically useless to him.

If it were the Inner Core of a Fierce Beast Fei Yi, he might have given it some thought.

But a mere Fierce Beast Remnant truly wasn’t worth his attention.

Lu Bai said it nonchalantly, but to Luo Qing, it sounded like he was just making an excuse.

’Who wouldn’t value the Inner Core of a Fierce Beast Remnant?’

However, seeing Lu Bai’s firm, unquestionable tone, and not being one to dither, she decided against arguing further. On second thought, she accepted the Inner Core.

’When I get the chance, I’ll find a great gift for Xiaolu to repay him,’ Luo Qing thought to herself.

"A shame about the corpse, though."

Someone licked their lips and said, "It is a Tier Three Demon Beast, after all. Besides the Inner Core, the rest of its body is a treasure trove. It could sell for a lot of money."

Someone suggested, "Why don’t we all work together to carry this Demon Beast’s corpse back to the city for Young Hero Lu?"

"That won’t be necessary."

Lu Bai replied casually, slapping the Storage Pouch at his chest before pointing a finger at the Snake Demon’s corpse.

Before everyone’s eyes, the massive body of the Snake Demon rapidly shrank, turning into a speck of light that vanished into Lu Bai’s robes.

"Wh-what..."

"What was that?"

The academy disciples stared, their eyes wide with shock.

"That was a Cultivation technique, wasn’t it?"

After a moment, one of the disciples finally recognized it and asked cautiously, "Did Young Hero Lu just put that Snake Demon into a Storage Pouch?"

"Mhm."

Lu Bai nodded.

An uproar went through the crowd.

They stared at Lu Bai as if he were a monster.

An eighteen-year-old True Master of the Martial Dao who also knows Cultivation techniques?

Immortal Martial Cultivation?

Even if he’d started cultivating in his mother’s womb, reaching this level should be impossible, right?

These disciples of Jingwu Academy were considered the prodigies of the Wu Dynasty. They usually walked around the Capital City in their special academy uniforms, proud to let everyone know who they were.

But now, seeing Lu Bai, they finally understood what a true genius was.

Under Lu Bai’s lead, the group quickly left the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground.

Once outside, they untied their horses’ reins and mounted up. Glancing back at the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground, still shrouded in darkness, they all felt a surge of lingering fear.

They had been relatively lucky during this Cyan Mountain Hunting.

A few of their fellow students had already died inside.

More than a dozen others were severely injured, with no telling when they would recover.

Luo Qing had her doubts, but with so many people and prying eyes around, she didn’t ask any questions. She simply returned the Mountain Demon Hat to Lu Bai and rode alongside him.

「At daybreak, the group finally reached the Capital City.」

Back in the Capital City, seeing the pedestrians on the streets, hearing the surrounding clamor, and feeling the city’s imposing presence, the disciples finally felt a sense of security and let out a collective sigh of relief.

After entering the city, the disciples went their separate ways, each eager to return home and tell their parents what had happened.

Once the others had dispersed, Luo Qing asked in a low voice, "This Cyan Mountain Hunting... was someone trying to harm you?"

"Mhm."

Lu Bai nodded.

Luo Qing reacted quickly. "Then Dean Jiang must have been involved."

Lu Bai said, "He’s dead."

Luo Qing’s heart trembled, but she quickly accepted this fact.

’Xiaolu must have gone after Jiang Tao when he left so suddenly.’

’With Xiaolu’s methods, there was no way he would have let that man go.’

Luo Qing stole a glance at Lu Bai, a sudden sense of unreality washing over her.

’Is this still the honest, down-to-earth Xiaolu she remembered?’

In fact, ever since Lu Bai had entered Bluestone City, he had felt increasingly unfamiliar, almost unreal.

’People are complex. Perhaps Black Hand Yama is the real Xiaolu...’