40 Chapter 40 – Dark Winds Valley

Zhu Jia Li looked visibly relaxed once Zhu Xuan agreed.

She said with a smile "Alright then, meet Little Meiying at the entrance of the clan early morning tomorrow, and don't forget to come back before the selections of Lei Shu academy."

"Of course, I will remember and will definitely return before the selections aunt Jia Li." Zhu Xuan assured her.

Then he left directly to the inner city instead of his courtyard. He went to the treasures pavilion and bought lots of resources for his cultivation, and ingredients for his alchemy. He went back to his courtyard after preparing everything he need for the training, and finally took some rest.

Next day early morning he got ready and walked up to the gate to find Zhu Meiying waving at him with a smile on her face. He smiled and walked up to her.

There were two people with Zhu Meiying; one is a middle age man who is a subordinate of Aunt Jia Li from the alchemy pavilion, Zhu Biming, and the other is an old man sent to protect Zhu Meiying, Zhu Kun.

Zhu Kun just ignored Zhu Xuan like he doesn't exist and Zhu Biming had a contemptuous look on his face. Zhu Xuan was used to this so he simply didn't care and walked up to his tenth sister.

But when he reached them and was about to greet his tenth sister, Zhu Biming snorted and said with a disdainful tone "Zhu Xuan, we are only taking you because Elder Jia Li and Tenth princess requested us. So don't create any trouble once we reached the valley."

Zhu Meiying got angry with his statement and was about to scold him, but Zhu Xuan stopped her. He didn't even bother saying anything and just nodded to Zhu Biming, and then he turned and started talking to his tenth sister like nothing happened.

Zhu Biming got angry at his attitude and wanted to retort, but since Tenth princess and Elder Zhu Kun was here he controlled himself and kept silent.

They immediately started for the Dark Winds valley, which is three hours away from the Qinglu city. The Herb garden in the valley is under the control of Zhu clan to specifically grow herbs for the clan. It got the name of Dark Winds valley because it is beautiful and peaceful on the day time, but at nights the wind becomes too fierce for anyone to enter or exit the valley, and to travel.

Zhu Kun and Zhu Biming moved in front, while Zhu Xuan and Zhu Meiying were moving fast behind them chatting leisurely. They reached the valley in few hours and entered it. They were planning to collect the herbs and leave before the sunset. Only Zhu Xuan will be staying behind for his training.

After they walked a little further, a spider demon beast that was equivalent to the strength of ninth level body purification stage cultivator blocked their way. Zhu Kun looked at Zhu Biming, indicating him to attack the spider demon beast. He was a Qi gathering stage cultivator and unless it is a demon beast at Qi gathering stage he won't take action.

Zhu Biming understood and moved to kill the demon beast; it is easy for him to kill this demon beast since he is already at tenth stage of body purification.

But before he even took few steps, a red streak flew past him and he heard a miserable shriek. By the time his eyes adjusted to the red streak, the demon beast slumped down dead and he saw a fire Qi spear dissipating slowly from its head.

He was shocked and turned around to find Zhu Xuan walking towards them casually.

Zhu Xuan already retracted his aura so Zhu Biming couldn't find what level he is at, but he realised he could never kill a demon beast with a single long ranged attack so casually.

Only Zhu Meiying and Zhu Kun saw what Zhu Xuan did and both of them were shocked with their mouth forming a O shape.

Zhu Kun wondered in shock "He only activated his elemental roots two months back but he is already at ninth level. And that attack was too powerful to be considered as just an attack from a ninth level body purification stage cultivator. How did he get this strong in such a short time?"

Even Zhu Meiying who knew his cultivation level was shocked. She didn't expect Zhu Xuan to be this strong.

Even though the spider demon beast was on the same level as his cultivation, the way he attacked it and acted seemed like he didn't even consider it as an opponent. The kill was way too casual.

No one can blame Zhu Xuan for acting like this, since when he was only at Seventh stage and with only a low level technique he killed a demon beast that started forming a demon core. Considering his current strength, he obviously wouldn't care about a demon beast with same cultivation level as him.

Zhu Xuan found all the other three are looking at him in shock, and calmly reminded them "If you stood there without moving, we will be late you know. You were planning to collect the herbs and leave soon remember?"

When they heard his voice, they came back to reality.

Zhu Biming had a shiver in his back when he thought "If he attacked me instead of the demon beast, even if I wouldn't have died I would have definitely been injured heavily. Thankfully I didn't infuriate him earlier."

Whereas Zhu Meiying ran towards Zhu Xuan and said enthusiastically "You were so cool when killing that Spider demon beast Eighth brother."

Zhu Xuan posed like an arrogant master and said "Of course I am. I told you I was strong, but you are the one who didn't believe me then."

Zhu Meiying snickered and said "You are boasting again Eighth brother."

Zhu Xuan laughed out loud and they moved inside the valley with others towards the herb garden. After walking a while they reached the entrance of the herb garden.

Zhu Xuan looked at Zhu Meiying and said "Tenth sister, I will depart now and will enter deep into the valley. I will come back to the clan before the selections of Lei Shu academy."

Zhu Meiying smile and replied "Okay Tenth brother. You take care and be careful inside the valley."

Zhu Xuan smiled at her, then turned towards the other two and nodded at them, turned around and he walked away. Zhu Kun and Zhu Biming looked at the figure of Zhu Xuan walking away with a complicated look in their face.

He walked deep into the valley for few hours, killing any demon beast that attacked him on his way. He only avoided the Qi gathering stage demon beasts. He finally found a cave of a demon beast which he could use in the time he will be training in the valley, so he killed the demon beast and started cleaning the inside of the cave.

After finished cleaning, he sat down and started thinking "I'm very close to obtaining completion in my wind element technique. If I observed and experienced the fierce wind in the valley at night, I should be able to breakthrough within a few days and move on to the other elements."

Night arrived and the howling of winds started. Zhu Xuan walked out of the cave and tried to feel and understand the wind. But as time passed, the wind got fiercer and started tearing his clothes like sharp blades and got slashed all over his body. He realised the wind is not slowing down and getting even fiercer and the howling sounds felt dreadful in the night. Now he understood why he was informed that it was dangerous to travel in the valley at night, and he was thankful he found a cave to stay.

He thought "These winds are as fierce as just like the cyclone I saw when I was in Storm Rage mysterious forest. They are swift, fierce and sharp. If I experience them, I will definitely able to achieve breakthrough sooner than I thought."

He endured the pain and sat down outside the cave. He closed his eyes and started feeling the wind through his body.