Chapter 1266: The Origin of the Wood Demon

"Xiaobai, come back!"

Wang Qingling, beaming with joy, called out to the Ice-Wind Dragon. The dragon retracted its claws, flew towards her, and landed in front of her. She took out a dozen snow-white fruits. The Ice-Wind Dragon understood immediately, opening its massive mouth, and Wang Qingling tossed the fruits in. The Ice-Wind Dragon chewed a few times, swallowed, and a look of contentment appeared in its eyes.

Murong Yuhua put away his golden dragon, walked over, and cupped his hands, saying, "I've long heard that Fairy Bai Ling excels at insect and beast taming. Seeing it today, the rumors are indeed true."

"Fellow Daoist Murong, you flatter me," Wang Qingling replied with a meaningful tone. "If you didn't want me to win, sending a peak-Grade Three spiritual beast for the competition wouldn't have been difficult." The Murong Royal Family specialized in insect and beast taming. She had lost two matches to them but won the last one, making it obvious that the Murong Royal Family had gone easy on her. If she couldn't even see that, she would be utterly foolish.

Murong Yuhua gave an awkward smile and said, "Madam Wang, Fellow Daoist Wang, I hear the Qinglian Immortal Couple is traveling in the Central Plains cultivation world. I wonder if Senior Wang and his wife would have time to visit our Murong family? My grandfather has admired the Qinglian Immortal Couple for a long time and has always wished to meet them, but there hasn't been an opportunity."

"My Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt are indeed traveling in the Central Plains cultivation world," Wang Qingling replied. "They mentioned that they would definitely visit your family when they have time. By the way, Fellow Daoist Murong, if I may be so bold, your family excels at insect and beast taming, so you must have many relevant ancient texts, right? Could you lend me some to read? Of course, not those involving your family's secrets. Even just one would be great, whether it's about birds, beasts, or exotic insects." Wang Qingling looked eagerly at Murong Yuhua. In fact, her visit to the Murong Royal Family was not solely her idea but also something Wang Changsheng had instructed.

Wang Changsheng had always wanted to understand the origin of wood demons, but he found no relevant records in the Zhenhai Sect's scripture library. Ten Thousand Beast Island was renowned for its insect and beast taming techniques in the South China Sea cultivation world, but the Wang family had already pledged allegiance to the Myriad Swords Sect. If they visited Ten Thousand Beast Island, the island might not agree to let them access their collected texts. The Murong Royal Family, specializing in insect and beast taming, had a heritage spanning thousands of years. Given the Murong Royal Family and the Wang family's business dealings and roughly similar strength, Wang Qingling's request was both her personal desire and Wang Changsheng's expectation.

Murong Yuhua frowned. Normally, the Murong family's scripture library would not be open to outsiders, making Wang Qingling's request somewhat excessive. However, the family elders had instructed him to personally receive Wang Qingling, which showed the Murong family's attitude towards the Wang family.

"This matter is significant; I need to consult with the family elders," Murong Yuhua said. He took out a white magic disk, cast a spell into it, and made some gestures. After a moment, he put away the disk and said, "Madam Wang, the scripture library is a vital place for our family. Outsiders cannot enter, let alone consult the texts." Hearing this, Wang Qingling showed a disappointed expression and nodded with a wry smile, indicating understanding.

Murong Yuhua then changed his tone. "Of course, for the sake of the Qinglian Immortal Couple, we can allow you to enter the third floor of the scripture library and consult five texts. In exchange, your family's large market city must provide us with two shops, rent-free for fifty years. How does that sound?"

Wang Qingling beamed with joy and nodded, saying, "No problem, it's a deal." Two shops would yield at least four thousand spiritual stones in rent per year, totaling two hundred thousand spiritual stones over fifty years. If the location was better, the rent would be even higher. However, knowledge was priceless, and with the Murong family doing business in the Wang family's market city, the two families' interactions would become much closer.

"Fellow Daoists, please follow me!" Murong Yuhua leaped and flew into the distance. Wang Qingling and Wang Qiu Ming jumped onto the Ice-Wind Dragon's back, and it pursued him.

Half an hour later, the three appeared outside a long, narrow valley. The valley sides were steep rock walls, and inside, a purple mist swirled. At the entrance stood a three-zhang-tall golden stele, bearing the three large silver characters "Scripture Valley." Murong Yuhua took out a square green token and gently waved it. A green light shot out and disappeared into the purple mist. The purple mist churned violently, and a purple cloud ladder flew out, landing before them. Murong Yuhua stepped onto it. Wang Qingling put away the Ice-Wind Dragon and, together with Wang Qiu Ming, walked onto the purple cloud ladder. The purple cloud ladder ascended, carrying them into the swirling purple mist.

Wang Qingling and Wang Qiu Ming felt a blur before their eyes, suddenly appearing in a hundred-mu-wide bluestone plaza. In the center of the plaza were ten colossal statues of demonic beasts, lifelike and ferociously imposing. Thirty-six thick white stone pillars stood in the bluestone plaza. A massive golden python, thick as a waist, coiled around one pillar. A mountain-sized red giant elephant lay sprawled beneath another thick pillar. A pale golden three-tailed spiritual fox rested on top of a pillar. Not far ahead was a seven-story golden pavilion. The pavilion's surface was carved with numerous demonic beast patterns, and its plaque bore the three golden characters "Scripture Pavilion." Faint roars of ferocious beasts could be heard.

The Murong Royal Family had collected a vast number of ancient texts. The more valuable the text, the higher the floor it was placed on. Texts on the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion were not considered precious; all honored guests and retainers of the Murong Royal Family could access them. Only a very few retainers could access texts on the third floor. Texts on the fifth floor and higher were exclusively for core disciples of the Murong family.

They entered the Scripture Pavilion. The hall was spacious and bright, with tall shelves holding a large number of texts. The scope of these texts was quite broad, ranging from cultivation methods to beast taming. Dozens of Murong family cultivators were consulting the texts, paying no attention to Wang Qingling and her companions. A white-haired elder in a green robe sat behind a long, green wooden table, holding and flipping through a thick book. There was no spiritual energy fluctuation from the elder's body; his cultivation level was unknown.

Murong Yuhua quickly walked over, bowed, and said to the elder, "Uncle Twenty-Two, these are Madam Wang and Fellow Daoist Wang from Qinglian Island in the South Sea. They wish to consult five texts; Ancestor Seventh Uncle has agreed." The green-robed elder nodded, looked at Wang Qingling, and said, "What kind of texts do you wish to see? Only five."

"This junior wishes to see texts on the cultivation methods of spiritual earthworms, spiritual sparrows, spiritual turtles, and spiritual cicadas, as well as texts concerning wood demons," Wang Qingling replied truthfully. Soon, five thick texts appeared before Wang Qingling.

"Please take your time and read them," the elder said. Since the Murong family dared to let Wang Qingling consult these five texts, their content was naturally not highly confidential. Wang Qingling thanked him and began flipping through them with Wang Qiu Ming. Wang Qingling held a thick green book titled "Records of Wood Demons." Most plant spirits are peach trees or certain rare ten-thousand-year spiritual herbs that, by chance, develop sentience and transform into demonic creatures. "Records of Wood Demons" only listed the types, names, and divine abilities of wood demons; it did not explain how to cultivate them.

Less than an hour later, Wang Qingling's eyes lit up. "The Bloodthirsty Bramble, a very rare type of wood demon, is proficient in wood-element spells, bloodthirsty, highly poisonous, and can release poisonous mist. Thirty thousand years ago, a Nascent Soul cultivator named Jinsha Demonic Lord from Qianhu Realm wandered to Dongli Realm. This person possessed a peak-Grade Four Bloodthirsty Bramble, which slaughtered multiple Nascent Soul cultivators. Later, two palace masters of the Sun and Moon Palace used their sect's treasured artifact to destroy this demon. This demon fears ice, fire, and lightning element spells."