Chapter 23: The Saber-Toothed Tiger and the Golden Brahma Tree

“There are still three days left. I must make all the preparations in advance. As my master instructed, I should first go to the sect’s storeroom to collect a high-grade storage pouch and a spirit beast pouch. As for spirit stones, elixirs, and talismans, I should gather more of those as well, along with clothing and provisions. Yes, I’ll take several storage pouches, organize everything in order, and then bid farewell to Sister Yunrou. For Brother Zhou and Senior Sister Yitong, I can only leave them a message talisman.”

Such were Qiu Han’s thoughts. Over the past few days, he had already mastered all the advanced spells his master had taught him. He had even tested their power, and the results left him quite satisfied. These spells would remain useful even as his cultivation advanced in the future.

In the depths of the western outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains, a youth dressed in white lay leisurely atop a large rock, his hands pillowing his head, eyes half-closed as if in sleep. A green blade of grass dangled from his lips, which he chewed absentmindedly. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled shadows on his face. The rays seemed especially bright, causing him to open his eyes and gaze at the azure sky overhead, thoughts unreadable. After a while, he stretched languidly, spat out the grass, and sent his spiritual sense outward to survey his surroundings.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, fixing intently on a spot to his left. In an instant, his body leapt into the air and vanished. Mid-flight, he sped toward the direction he had just been observing.

This youth in white was, of course, Qiu Han. Three days before, after making all his preparations, he had set out from the sect and entered the Ten Thousand Mountains from the western outskirts to begin his sect’s trial.

Along the way, he hadn’t encountered any demon beasts—not even a single first-rank beast, let alone anything dangerous. Instead, he had found a few low-grade spirit herbs, which was a small gain, but the outermost areas were mostly explored, and his harvests were meager. To complete the trial, he would have to venture deeper into the mountains.

He had flown for less than half the time it took to burn a stick of incense, covering some twenty miles from his previous resting place, when he abruptly halted. Reaching into his storage pouch, he produced a small black flag—his recently acquired low-grade spiritual tool, which possessed the power to conceal. Infusing it with spiritual energy, the flag gradually expanded, and under Qiu Han’s control, both he and the flag vanished from sight. Concealed, Qiu Han crept forward cautiously.

He found himself on a small plain, perhaps a hundred yards across, encircled by towering mountains on all sides. Wild grasses grew everywhere. Hidden at the edge, Qiu Han watched motionlessly, eyes fixed on a spot not far ahead.

About fifty yards away, two beasts, each resembling a tiger but twice as large, were locked in a fierce battle. Judging by their aura, these were clearly first-rank demon beasts. First-rank saber-toothed tigers, and from the pressure they exuded, both had reached the peak of their rank—comparable to a cultivator at the Great Circle of the Qi Refining stage. With his current cultivation, Qiu Han was no match for them and so remained hidden.

The spot was over twenty miles from where he’d just been resting. Normally, his spiritual sense would not have reached so far, but perhaps due to the demon beasts’ battle and its interference with the ambient spiritual energy, he had been able to discover them.

The tigers’ fight grew ever more savage, wounds opening on both, blood pouring freely, yet neither showed any sign of retreat. It was clear neither would yield until the other was dead or defeated.

The land was already pitted and scarred, scattered with overturned rocks. It was then that Qiu Han noticed a lone tree, about twice the height of a man, growing not far from the beasts. Its branches were laden with golden fruit, shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

“A Brahma Gold Tree,” Qiu Han recognized it instantly. This was a gold-type spiritual tree, a rare treasure of heaven and earth. It bloomed once every hundred years, bore fruit every two hundred, and its fruit ripened a year after it appeared. Both the fruit and the tree’s wood were invaluable materials for crafting magical weapons.

When cultivators sought to forge certain magical items or treasures, adding Brahma Gold Tree wood or fruit could greatly increase their durability, making them harder and less likely to be damaged.

While cultivators could consume the fruit directly, hoping to harden their bodies to rival demon beasts was pure fantasy—unless one ate a certain amount daily, consistently, for a thousand years or more. But given cultivators’ lifespans, and the sheer number of fruits required, this was nearly impossible. Thus, relying on Brahma Gold Fruit to achieve a demon beast’s physical resilience was unattainable.

Qiu Han’s trial mission specifically included seeking out such spirit trees. The sight of the Brahma Gold Tree filled him with excitement—securing it would bring him one step closer to his goal.

These two demon beasts were fighting precisely because they’d discovered the Brahma Gold Tree and were vying for it. Watching their every move, Qiu Han waited patiently for the right opportunity, determined to finish them in one decisive strike. Against these peak first-rank tigers—equivalent to cultivators at the pinnacle of Qi Refining—he stood no chance in a direct fight. His only hope was to let them exhaust and wound each other, then reap the rewards.

The saber-toothed tigers’ battle had reached its most desperate pitch; both were weakening, and it seemed certain that one would soon fall, perhaps even die. Qiu Han remained hidden, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and end them both in one blow.

Suddenly, one tiger launched a final ferocious assault, lunging and clamping its jaws around the other’s throat. The other retaliated in kind, sinking its fangs into its rival’s neck. Abandoning magical attacks, they resorted to savage, primal combat—biting and rolling together in the dirt.

“Now is the time.” Concealed, Qiu Han swiftly drew a weapon from his storage pouch: the low-grade spiritual tool, the Icefeather Ring. Stowing away the black flag, he infused the ring with spiritual power, and it hovered in mid-air, spinning rapidly.

The two tigers finally noticed the sudden presence of another, but it was too late. The spinning ring unleashed a barrage of hundreds of fine ice needles, so swift as to be nearly invisible. The needles pierced both beasts, riddling their bodies and leaving them bloody and dying. With a final, agonized howl, both tigers collapsed and perished.

Retrieving the Icefeather Ring, Qiu Han approached the Brahma Gold Tree. Unsure how best to collect it, he simply uprooted the entire tree and stored it in his pouch to bring back to the sect later. Glancing at the demon beasts’ corpses, he drew out another pouch specially for beast bodies and stored them as well.

Having completed these tasks, Qiu Han immediately cast a flying spell and departed. The recent battle might attract other demon beasts, possibly even those of Foundation Establishment rank. Lingering here would be dangerous. After some thought, Qiu Han decided to seek a safer place to rest for the time being.