Late summer, the heat lingering, the blazing sun of Dusu Mountain scorched overhead.

The mountain path of Dusu Mountain was treacherous and steep, with towering bone-white stones jutting upward. Between the two cliff faces stretched a water ravine flowing from top to bottom, splashing streams striking against azure rocks, dancing into tiny droplets.

A procession of carriages and horses had stopped in the shade of trees beside the water ravine, with people and horses coming and going to draw water and cool themselves by the stream. This was the carriage of the Wang family from Yue City, on their way to Duzhou’s great cultivation sect—the Taiyan Sect—for disciple selection.

The Taiyan Sect was one of the major cultivation sects among Duzhou’s cultivation schools. In the once-a-decade selection competition, outstanding talents from all cities across Duzhou would gather here, each displaying their divine abilities, all hoping to stand out in the selection and thus embark on the path of cultivation.

The young city lord of Yue City—Wang Shao—was currently sitting in the carriage to cool off. He was seventeen years old and had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment cultivation, just one step away from the third level of Foundation Establishment. There were still dozens of days until they reached Gufeng Mountain for the selection competition. During these dozens of days, as long as he nourished himself daily with spirit medicines and pills while continuously cultivating, he might be able to enter the late stage of Foundation Establishment before the selection began.

Wang Shao was the hope of all Yue City.

Yue City was a small border town that couldn’t even be found on Duzhou’s maps. The city hadn’t produced a cultivator capable of successfully advancing to the Golden Core stage for many years. Wang Shao began Refining Qi at age ten and reached Foundation Establishment at twelve. From the Foundation Establishment’s first level to the second level took him a full five years. If he could successfully break through this time, he would be Yue City’s first genius to enter late-stage Foundation Establishment before age eighteen. If he could successfully join the Taiyan Sect and become their disciple, all the people of Yue City would be able to hold their heads high with pride.

Therefore, all the spirit stones, spirit medicines, and pills in Yue City were offered to this genius.

Beside Wang Shao sat a beautiful young woman in green robes—this was Wang Shao’s fiancée, the eldest daughter of Yue City’s Yang family, Yang Zanxing. She was accompanying Wang Shao to the Taiyan Sect selection this time. Miss Yang had little interest in cultivation. Though similar in age to Wang Shao, she barely remained at the early stage of Refining Qi. For women in Yue City, rather than painstakingly cultivating, it was better to marry a cultivator husband—they could share in the glory while having food and clothing without worry, earning others’ respect.

“Ah Shao, have some tea.” Miss Yang smiled sweetly as she offered a cup of tea to Wang Shao’s lips.

But Wang Shao’s gaze fell elsewhere. He stood up and said, “I’m going out for a moment.”

He swept his sleeves and stepped down from the carriage. Miss Yang watched the direction he walked toward, her beautiful face immediately showing several degrees of ferocity as she gritted her teeth: “That vixen!”

The maid Hong Su approached, asking with worried concern: “Miss, surely the young city lord isn’t thinking of taking that woman, is he?”

“She’s dreaming!”

Wang Shao walked a distance before stopping, looking at the young woman in yellow robes sitting against a tree. This woman was probably sixteen or seventeen years old, exceptionally beautiful and delicate, with somewhat pale skin that made her appear even more frail and touching. Wang Shao looked at her and suddenly curved his lips in a smile, asking: “Miss Liu, it’s so hot outside—would you like to sit in this city lord’s carriage?”

Liu Yunxin was somewhat afraid of him and timidly replied: “Thank you for your kind offer, Young City Lord, but no need. This place is fine.”

Liu Yunxin was also accompanying her older brother, Mu Cengxiao, to participate in the Taiyan Sect selection. Mu Cengxiao and Liu Yunxin weren’t biological siblings—years ago, Liu Yunxin’s parents had taken in the orphan Mu Cengxiao, and after the Liu couple passed away, the two siblings depended on each other for survival. Wang Shao had long fancied Liu Yunxin’s beauty, but Liu Yunxin’s family was impoverished and couldn’t match his status. Taking her as a wife was impossible, but as a concubine… that was more than sufficient.

Unfortunately, Liu Yunxin didn’t know what was good for her, repeatedly ignoring his advances. Not only that, her brother Mu Cengxiao guarded against him like a thief, leaving him no opportunity to make his move.

Sure enough, he had barely spoken a few words with Liu Yunxin when Mu Cengxiao, who had been drawing water, saw the situation and immediately strode over, blocking Wang Shao’s path and angrily demanding: “Wang Shao, what do you think you’re doing?”

Wang Shao looked at Mu Cengxiao before him.

The young man had sword-like brows and starry eyes with handsome features. Though he wore patched clothing, his eyes carried a clear and resolute spirit. It was said he had also begun Refining Qi at age eight and was once favored by the people of Yue City, thought to be another genius prospect. But to this day, he still hadn’t achieved Foundation Establishment.

“Miss Liu, I hear your health isn’t good,” Wang Shao showed no anger, instead smiling gracefully at Liu Yunxin. “Your brother wants to enter the Taiyan Sect, probably to obtain the sect’s spirit medicines and pills to treat your illness. Though I can understand your deep sibling bond, still…” He looked at Mu Cengxiao with contempt: “Isn’t it rather naive to place your hopes on a waste who hasn’t even broken through to Foundation Establishment? Better to become my woman instead. When this city lord enters the Taiyan Sect in the future, you can use all the spirit medicines and pills there as you please…”

“Shut up!” Before he could finish, Mu Cengxiao interrupted him, roaring: “Shameless!”

“What right does a waste have to call others names?”

The two were at sword point, about to draw blades, when suddenly a cry of alarm came from beside the water ravine: “Young City Lord, something’s wrong… you, you must come quickly!”

Both men in the dispute looked toward the water ravine simultaneously.

The weather was fine, with not a breath of wind. Down the water ravine, the stream flew like white silk, and dimly on the water’s surface, black shadows seemed to sweep past. The next moment, several black shadows suddenly shot up from the water surface, drilling into people’s shadows. Immediately after, screams rang out one after another.

“It hurts so much—”

“Ahhhhh, help, what is this?”

“My eyes, my eyes!”

The horses and carriages suddenly took fright, wanting to bolt forward, but the reins were tied to trees, throwing the people from the carriages. Miss Yang rolled and crawled out, hiding behind Wang Shao and asking in lingering fear: “Heavens, what is this?”

“This is the demon beast ‘Yu,'” Mu Cengxiao murmured.

“What is ‘Yu’?” Wang Shao frowned.

“It’s a legendary demon creature that hides in water to secretly harm people. ‘Yu’ carries sand grains in its mouth that it shoots at people. Those shot will develop sores, and those whose shadows are shot will lose their lives!” Mu Cengxiao ran toward the water ravine without looking back: “I’m going to save those people. Wang Shao, you protect Yunxin well—don’t let it touch your shadows!”

Wang Shao watched Mu Cengxiao’s retreating figure while pulling Liu Yunxin backward, not forgetting to mock: “Never seen such a fool rushing to his death!”

Just then, the water gap between the two cliffs suddenly surged violently, the water surface instantly rising to their feet as if to submerge the land they stood on. At the same time, the black shadows under the stream became increasingly distinct. With several “pop pop pop” sounds, the surrounding maids and attendants screamed out, staining large patches of stream water red.

Wang Shao was so frightened he covered his head and ran, completely forgetting about his fiancée and Liu Yunxin. Liu Yunxin was already frail and sick, and after fleeing a few steps, she became breathless. Miss Yang saw this, her eyes darkening as she reached out to grab Liu Yunxin’s shoulder, about to push Liu Yunxin into the water.

A small water droplet fell from the splashing stream, shattering on moss-covered rocks, yet in an instant reformed into a dewdrop.

Liu Yunxin cried out in alarm, her eyes widening.

A hand grasped her arm.

Liu Yunxin turned back to see Miss Yang firmly gripping her arm, undisguised concern in her eyes: “Are you alright?”

She was stunned and about to speak when she suddenly heard someone roar behind her: “Yunxin, run quickly! It’s behind you!”

The water surface suddenly rose high, clearly flat ground, yet like being in a turbulent sea. In the splashing stream water, Liu Yunxin turned back and saw “its” true form: like an indistinct mass of black shadow, resembling a giant beetle, shrouded in a nauseating fishy water stench as it rushed toward them.

“Be careful!” A woman’s alarmed cry rang in her ears.

Liu Yunxin felt a force push her away, and the green figure beside her was instantly swallowed by the black shadow.

The water surface gradually calmed, and the wet earth soaked by the overflowing stream steamed with faint rainbow colors under the sunlight. Everything from moments before seemed like an illusion.

Liu Yunxin murmured: “Miss Yang… fell in.”