After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 32

The unexpected incident at the Frigid Ice Ravine did not disrupt Ye Li’s rhythm. Carrying the full quota of Ice Condensation Flowers and the extra Ice Scaled Serpent gallbladders, she smoothly returned to the sect to hand in the mission, earning a hundred contribution points. Coupled with the exchange for the gallbladders, the reward was quite satisfactory. She paid no mind to the gratitude and speculation of the disciples she had saved; staying low-key and improving her strength was the fundamental goal.

After several days of rest, she adjusted her condition to its peak and utilized the newly acquired contribution points to visit the Scripture Pavilion, where she consulted several ancient texts on the habits of demonic beasts and local geography, broadening her knowledge. She was well aware that knowledge was sometimes more crucial than martial power.

On this day, she came to the Hall of Merit again. Her eyes scanned the mission jade wall and quickly locked onto a task with a rather generous reward:

“Collect Fiery Wutong Crystals. Location: Outer perimeter of the Molten Volcano Range, southeast of the sect. Requirement: Five Fiery Wutong Crystals the size of a pigeon’s egg. Time Limit: Ten days. Contribution Points: Three hundred points.”

The Fiery Wutong Crystal is a second-tier fire-attribute spirit material, usually nurtured within the heartwood of the unique “Fiery Wutong Trees” found in the Molten Volcano Range. It is a common material used in refining fire-attribute artifacts and certain elixirs. The mission difficulty was not low, as the Molten Volcano Range environment is extremely hot, and there are a large number of fire-attribute demonic beasts inhabiting it. Furthermore, the “Molten Fire Scorpions” that guard the Fiery Wutong Trees are renowned for their potent venom and ferocity.

But the contribution points were as high as three hundred, making it worth the risk. Moreover, the fire-evil energy of the Molten Volcano Range might further temper her spiritual power.

She accepted the mission, prepared thoroughly (this time mainly preparing medicine and talismans to resist the fire-evil energy and detoxify), and set out once more.

The Molten Volcano Range was the complete opposite of the Frigid Ice Ravine. Even before getting close, hot waves slapped her face, and the air was thick with the scent of sulfur. The mountains were dark red, with sparse vegetation, exposed scorching rocks everywhere, and occasional vents of subterranean fire.

Following the guidance in the texts, she headed toward the areas where Fiery Wutong Trees were likely to grow. The deeper she went, the higher the temperature, causing her to feel parched despite circulating her spiritual power to resist the heat. On the way, she encountered several waves of low-tier fire beasts like Molten Fire Lizards and Exploding Flame Rats, all of which were swiftly dealt with using her sharp finger techniques.

Finally, in a relatively open valley littered with reddish strange rocks, she discovered several strange trees that were entirely crimson, with leaves resembling flames—the Fiery Wutong Trees!

However, before she could approach, a burst of intense fighting and the roars of demonic beasts came from the depths of the valley!

Someone else is here?

Ye Li frowned and cautiously crept closer.

In the center of the valley, beneath the three tallest Fiery Wutong Trees, a chaotic battle for resources was taking place!

One side consisted of five disciples wearing identical crimson robes. Judging by their cultivation methods and the symbols on their clothing, they belonged to a subordinate family attached to the Xuan Yun Sect—the “Blazing Sun Valley” disciples. The leader’s cultivation had reached the middle stage of the Coagulation Meridian realm, wielding a flaming saber with fierce attacks. The other four were all at the peak of the Spirit Enlightenment realm, forming a simple battle array, desperately attacking the three Fiery Wutong Trees. Perched on the trees were more than ten Molten Fire Scorpions, entirely crimson with tail stingers flashing a faint blue cold light, frantically spraying venom and fireballs to defend against the attacks.

The other side, however, was not human, but three massive wolves covered in lava-like armor, breathing flames from their mouths—Molten Fire Earth Hounds! These were second-tier intermediate demonic beasts, equivalent in strength to the middle stage of the Coagulation Meridian realm. They were tough-skinned, immensely strong, and usually traveled in packs!

These three Earth Hounds seemed to have been attracted by the Fiery Wutong Trees or the commotion of the fight. They didn’t care who was attacking, charging wildly into the fray, biting humans and swatting scorpions!

In an instant, the scene devolved into chaos! The Blazing Sun Valley disciples, the Molten Fire Scorpions, and the Molten Fire Earth Hounds were all fighting each other!

The Blazing Sun Valley disciples were overwhelmed, having to simultaneously fend off the Molten Fire Scorpions’ potent venom and the Earth Hounds’ fierce pounces, instantly putting them in perilous danger! The leader in the middle stage of the Coagulation Meridian realm could barely hold on, but the other four were already covered in injuries, and the battle array was on the verge of collapsing!

“Hold steady! Kill the scorpions and get the crystals first! Ignore those stupid wolves!” the leader anxiously shouted, hacking back one Earth Hound with his saber, only to be forced into a frantic defense by the venomous liquid from several Molten Fire Scorpions.

“Senior Brother! We can’t hold them off! Junior Brother Wang has been poisoned!” a disciple cried out in alarm. Ye Li saw one disciple’s arm had turned black, stumbling backward, clearly having been hit by the Molten Fire Scorpion’s potent venom.

Just then, the largest Earth Hound lunged toward the poisoned disciple, its massive jaws snapping down with a scorching, foul wind! The disciple was moments away from death!

The leader’s eyes were splitting with rage, but he was desperately entangled by the other two wolves and the scorpions, completely unable to assist!

At this moment of extreme peril!

A figure shot out from behind the rocks on the side like an arrow leaving the bowstring! The speed was so fast that it left a streak of afterimages!

It was Ye Li!

She originally did not want to interfere in such a chaotic struggle, but seeing the disciple about to die, she ultimately could not just stand by. She would not engage in infighting amongst the sect, but standing idly by was also contrary to her Dao Heart (even though the other party was a subordinate family disciple, they were still considered part of the sect).

She did not directly attack the Earth Hound but instantly appeared in front of the poisoned disciple, grabbing the collar of his robe. Utilizing the Phantom Shadow Step to its limit, she retreated sharply at an incredible angle!

The Earth Hound’s huge mouth missed the two of them, barely grazing their robes, letting out a jarring collision sound as it bit empty air!

“Who?!” The Blazing Sun Valley leader was both surprised and delighted, not expecting help to appear in their moment of desperation.

Ye Li placed the poisoned disciple in a safe spot, quickly flicked a detoxification elixir into his mouth to suppress the venom, all in a flash, without a moment’s pause.

The next moment, she turned to face the chaotic battle! Her gaze was terrifyingly calm!

“Fellow Daoist! Thank you for the help! Please lend the Blazing Sun Valley a hand! We will reward you heavily with Fiery Wutong Crystals afterward!” The leader quickly shouted, no longer caring who the helper was.

Ye Li did not pay attention to his promise. Her eyes quickly scanned the entire scene, her mind rapidly calculating and analyzing the situation.

Three-way battle: The Molten Fire Scorpions were the most numerous, and their venom posed the greatest threat; the Earth Hounds were individually the strongest, but there were only three of them; the Blazing Sun Valley disciples had decent strength but their formation was completely scattered.

The best strategy: Unite with one side first to quickly eliminate the most threatening force!

The Earth Hounds had low intelligence and attacked indiscriminately, making cooperation impossible. So…

“You all! Form a formation and stall the two wolves! Leave the scorpions to me!” Ye Li’s clear, cold voice cut through the clamor of the battlefield, carrying an air of unquestionable calm.

The leader was stunned, but having no other choice at this moment, he gritted his teeth, “Alright! Listen to her! Form the array, trap the wolves!”

The remaining three disciples who could still fight immediately forced themselves to cheer up, and the battle array was reformed, barely managing to hold the two attacking Earth Hounds at bay.

Meanwhile, Ye Li charged straight toward the dozen or so Molten Fire Scorpions like a fierce tiger plunging into a flock of sheep!

The Molten Fire Scorpions seemed to sense the threat and turned their targets towards her. Venom and fireballs rained down upon her like a torrential storm!

Ye Li’s figure flickered, executing the Phantom Shadow Step to its utmost in the limited space, moving like a phantom through the dense barrage of attacks, with not a single attack managing to touch her! At the same time, she extended her fingers like a sword, and the icy blue cold light at her fingertips surged!

The extreme cold power of the $Phantom-Abyssal Emperor Sutra$ was precisely the bane of these fire-venomous demonic beasts!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Wherever her finger-force passed, whether it was the Molten Fire Scorpions’ hard shells or the venomous fire they spat, the penetrating icy cold finger-force easily ripped apart and froze them!

She moved like the most precise killing machine; with every strike, a Molten Fire Scorpion would either have its core shattered or its poison sac frozen, instantly perishing!

Her efficiency was astonishing!

The Blazing Sun Valley leader, while struggling to fend off the Earth Hounds, caught sight of this scene from the corner of his eye, feeling a surge of shock! Who exactly is this woman?! This finger technique! This movement technique! This control over icy spiritual power! It’s simply terrifying! Since when did the Xuan Yun Sect’s Inner Gate have such a figure?!

In just over ten breaths of time, the dozen or so fierce Molten Fire Scorpions were completely eliminated by Ye Li alone!

Her movements were non-stop. With a wave of her hand, she collected a few pigeon’s egg-sized, crimson, and scorching hot Fiery Wutong Crystals from the scorpion corpses. Immediately, her gaze turned to the three Earth Hounds.

At this point, the three Blazing Sun Valley disciples were at their limit, and their battle array was precarious.

“Disperse!” Ye Li commanded crisply.

The three disciples felt as if they had been granted amnesty and quickly scattered backward.

The three Earth Hounds lost their targets and immediately locked their vicious gaze onto the only person remaining in the field—Ye Li! They roared and pounced simultaneously! The hot air was almost scorching enough to roast a person!

Facing the siege of three demonic beasts, each equivalent to the middle stage of the Coagulation Meridian realm, Ye Li’s eyes were solemn, yet she showed no fear.

She took a deep breath, and the $Phantom-Abyssal Emperor Sutra$ in her body circulated at an unprecedented speed! The cold energy around her body suddenly intensified, even forming a faint icy mist around her!

She advanced instead of retreating, her figure moving like a phantom, actively meeting one of the Earth Hounds! The moment before collision, her body twisted at an impossible arc, narrowly dodging the wolf claw’s pounce, while simultaneously aiming a finger at the giant wolf’s relatively weaker abdomen!

Hiss!

The icy finger-force penetrated its body! The Earth Hound let out a painful roar, its movement suddenly stalling!

But the attacks of the other two wolves were already upon her from behind!

Ye Li seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. The Phantom Shadow Step shifted again, making her like a slippery fish, darting out from the gap between the two wolves’ attacks! At the same time, both hands struck out together, two streams of finger-force accurately targeting the eyes of the other two wolves!

Although they failed to inflict severe damage, they successfully enraged the wolves and drew their aggro!

She fought and retreated simultaneously, luring the three Earth Hounds away from the injured Blazing Sun Valley disciples. Relying on her bizarre movement technique and the ice-cold finger force that countered the fire attribute, she skillfully circled the three wolves!

Every dodge was breathtakingly close, and every strike was precise and vicious!

The Blazing Sun Valley leader watched with heart-pounding alarm and immense admiration. He mentally acknowledged that if he were to face three Earth Hounds alone, he would likely have already been defeated. Yet, this woman was able to achieve this much with a cultivation (surface-level) at the peak of the Spirit Enlightenment realm!

He dared not delay and quickly fed a higher-grade antidote to his poisoned junior brother and helped the other two recover slightly.

Seeing Ye Li gradually luring the three Earth Hounds toward a narrow corner of the stone wall, he suddenly realized something and shouted, “Fellow Daoist! We are here to help you!”

The three of them forcefully channeled their spiritual power, reformed their battle array, and launched an attack from the rear, harassing the Earth Hounds!

Ye Li was waiting for this opportunity!

The instant the three Earth Hounds were caught in a pincer attack and their formation slightly disorganized, a sharp light burst from her eyes! The right finger, which had been accumulating power, condensed the majority of her body’s icy spiritual power, and the blue light at the fingertip almost materialized!

“Phantom-Abyssal Finger—Spirit Breaker!”

She pointed, not at any of the wolves, but at the ground between the three wolves!

Boom!

An aura of extreme cold exploded violently! The ground instantly became covered with a thick layer of frost, spreading rapidly! The powerful freezing force instantly slowed the three Earth Hounds!

“Now! Attack!” Ye Li roared fiercely!

The Blazing Sun Valley leader was also an experienced battle veteran. He immediately seized the opportunity, his flaming saber erupting with its strongest light, slashing viciously at the neck of the Earth Hound whose speed was slowed by the frost!

The other two disciples also launched desperate attacks!

Pfft! Boom!

Under the three-sided assault, that Earth Hound let out a wail and collapsed, severely injured!

Seeing their companion gravely wounded, and feeling the extremely repulsive and terrifying icy aura emanating from Ye Li, the remaining two Earth Hounds were deterred. They roared a few times, turned, and darted into the scattered rocks, fleeing the scene.

The crisis was finally resolved.

The valley floor was a mess, permeated with the smell of blood and charring.

The Blazing Sun Valley leader leaned on his saber, heavily catching his breath. He looked at the ground strewn with Molten Fire Scorpions and one dead Earth Hound, still shuddering with lingering fear. He then looked at Ye Li, who was also slightly breathless but whose posture remained tall, his eyes filled with gratitude and reverence.

He stepped forward and bowed deeply: “I am Yan Shuo of the Blazing Sun Valley. Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for saving our lives! If not for your intervention, we would have likely been wiped out here today!”

The other two disciples with lighter injuries also hurried over to salute and thank her, their attitudes extremely respectful.

Ye Li turned slightly, avoiding the profound salute, her voice still cold: “It was a small favor.”

Yan Shuo straightened up, looking at Ye Li’s face, which was veiled in a cold mist, and said sincerely: “Fellow Daoist possesses profound strength. I, Yan, am impressed! These Fiery Wutong Crystals and the Earth Hound materials rightfully belong to Fellow Daoist!” He gestured to the spoils of war on the ground. Without Ye Li, let alone spoils, they would have lost their lives.

Ye Li was not overly modest; it was only right for her to take the spoils for the assistance she provided. She collected her portion of the Fiery Wutong Crystals and the most valuable demon core and sharp claws from the Earth Hound.

“This place is not suitable for lingering; the scent of blood will attract more trouble,” Ye Li reminded them.

“Fellow Daoist is absolutely right!” Yan Shuo quickly nodded, calling his companions to clean up the aftermath and treat the wounded.

Before leaving, Yan Shuo spoke solemnly again: “Your kindness today, Fellow Daoist, the Blazing Sun Valley will remember forever! May I ask for your esteemed name, so that in the future…”

“A chance encounter, no need to dwell on it.” Ye Li interrupted him, her figure swaying, and she vanished amidst the scorching, scattered rocks.

Yan Shuo watched the direction she disappeared for a long time before sighing: “Within the Xuan Yun Sect, to have such a person… This woman’s future will certainly be extraordinary!”

A disciple whispered: “Senior Brother, judging by her cultivation method, it seems to be of the ice attribute… And being so powerful, could she be the one recently rumored to be from…”

Yan Shuo’s gaze sharpened, lost in thought: “Ye Li of Cloud Pill Peak, is it… Let’s go, return to the sect first!”

In this mission, Ye Li once again displayed astonishing strength, calm judgment, and leadership in an unexpected situation. Not only did she resolve a crisis and gain materials, but she also inadvertently forged another good connection.