5

Inside the Ice Glass Palace, Mu Hanyan was still dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe, exuding an aura of coldness that kept strangers at bay.

She looked at Shen Yuan indifferently: "Not bad, your cultivation level has stabilized."

"However, your cultivation is progressing too fast right now, and it will be difficult to break through in a short period of time. As the saying goes, there is great terror between life and ****. What you need to do now is real combat, not sitting in seclusion."

With a flick of her sleeve, an ice-blue jade slip flew to Shen Yuan's front.

"A low-level demonic beast, the Shadow Leopard, has been causing disturbances in Black Wind Ravine near the sect, repeatedly attacking passing disciples and nearby villages. Your mission is to eliminate the Shadow Leopard and investigate the cause of its disturbances. Several female disciples from the outer peaks have already accepted this mission. Well, you can go with them."

Um… I clearly feel I can continue cultivating and break through… but going on a mission with other senior sisters? Isn’t that just expanding my role-playing experience? Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up. He had to accept! He took the jade slip and said:

"Disciple obeys."

"Be careful on your journey. Although the Shadow Leopard is only a peak first-tier demon beast, it is cunning, incredibly fast, and especially adept at stealth and surprise attacks. If you encounter an insurmountable danger, prioritize your own safety." Mu Hanyan gave a brief but cold warning, though Shen Yuan could still sense her concern.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Master."

After leaving the Ice Glass Palace, Shen Yuan checked the meeting point and teammate information in the mission jade slip and couldn't help but smile.

"Black Wind Ravine, right... Shadow Leopard, right... Senior sisters, right... Hehe..."

He sped up and headed towards the meeting point at the mountain gate.

...

Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, at the mountain gate.

Shen Yuan had already spotted three slender women dressed in different peak-type attire waiting there from a distance. Upon seeing Shen Yuan approach, all three women's gazes immediately fell upon him.

"Bella, scan them for me," Shen Yuan silently commanded.

"Alright! I'll scan now!" Bella, who had been playing games in Shen Yuan's mind, reacted and activated the system function.

[Scan initiated!]

[Target A: Li Qing (Disciple of Emerald Bamboo Peak). Appearance Rating: A-. Strength: Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Potential: Above Average. Favorability Towards Host: 20 (Curious). Characteristics: Tall, aloof, sword cultivator.]

[Target B: Zhao Qian (Disciple of Hundred Flowers Peak). Appearance Rating: A. Strength: Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Potential: Medium. Favorability Towards Host: 30 (Interested). Characteristics: Charming appearance, captivating eyes, skilled in poison techniques.]

[Target C: Wang Yao (Disciple of Hundred Refinement Peak). Appearance Rating: B+. Strength: Qi Refining Level 9. Potential: Below Average. Favorability Towards Host: 15 (Neutral). Characteristics: Wheat-skinned, healthy and full-figured, proficient in earth-attribute cultivation techniques.]

Shen Yuan chuckled to himself. These senior sisters each had their own unique style! Senior Sister Li and Senior Sister Zhao were not only powerful but also beautiful, totally his type! He would have to find an opportunity to "experience" them.

As for Senior Sister Wang? He shook his head; he really didn't know her.

He suppressed his thoughts, put on a humble and gentlemanly demeanor, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "I am Shen Yuan from Bingyun Peak. I have come here on my master's orders to carry out the mission in Black Wind Ravine with my three senior sisters."

"Oh? So you're the legendary Junior Brother Shen, the one with the extraordinary talent and the Chaotic Body?"

Zhao Qian covered her mouth and chuckled, looking Shen Yuan up and down. She had already heard that the sect had received a prodigy at the disciple recruitment ceremony. "Hmm... indeed a handsome man, no wonder Elder Mu made an exception. I am Zhao Qian from Hundred Flowers Peak," she pointed to the two senior sisters beside her, "and this is Senior Sister Li Qing from Green Bamboo Peak, and this is Junior Sister Wang Yao from Hundred Refinement Peak."

Shen Yuan bowed again and said, "Greetings, Senior Sister Zhao, Senior Sister Li, and Senior Sister Wang."

"Um."

Li Qing, carrying a long sword, simply nodded indifferently. Wang Yao echoed her, curiously sizing up Shen Yuan, seemingly assessing his strength.

"Now that everyone is here, let's set off."

Li Qing, the team leader for this operation, was concise: "I'll explain the mission details on the way."

"good."

Shen Yuan smiled and replied, his gaze subtly sweeping over the distinctive figures of his two senior sisters.

……

Outside the Black Wind Ravine, Shen Yuan rode the wind with his three senior sisters to get there. The closer he got, the more he felt the eerie winds and miasma, creating a strange atmosphere.

The leader, Li Qing, wore a slender, light blue outfit that accentuated her tall figure, and the long sword on her back exuded a chilling aura. Aside from a brief nod when her identity was confirmed, she barely interacted with Shen Yuan throughout the journey, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, constantly scanning her surroundings. Shen Yuan tried to strike up a conversation twice, but was met with only polite "hmm," "oh," and "be careful," which left him rather bored.

Zhao Qian, on the other hand, was much more outgoing. Dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) embroidered with intricate floral patterns, her figure was graceful, and she walked with the gait of a willow swaying in the wind. Her peach blossom eyes were watery, and she always looked at people with a hint of a smile. She kept talking to Shen Yuan the whole way.

"Junior Brother Shen~ Isn't Elder Mu beautiful?"

"How old is my junior brother this year?"

"Stay close to your senior sister later, she'll protect you~"

Her soft, alluring voice, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance, drifted into his nostrils. Shen Yuan smiled and responded politely, inwardly thinking: This senior sister's social skills are off the charts, even if there's a bit of acting involved. But she's much better than Li Qing's expressionless face.

Wang Yao wore a short, brown outfit that allowed for easy movement, over which she wore leather armor. She was of a well-proportioned build. She carried a heavy black iron shield that was almost half her height, yet she walked with no apparent difficulty. She didn't talk much, mostly just walking quietly, occasionally glancing at Shen Yuan with curious eyes, seemingly without any ill intentions.

Based on the mission prompts and the location where their disciple had been injured, they quickly located a deep cave filled with a faint fishy smell.

"This should be it."

Li Qing stopped in her tracks, her longsword already half an inch from its sheath. Her voice was clear and cold, "Junior Sister Zhao, Junior Sister Wang, proceed according to plan. Junior Brother Shen, your cultivation is a bit low, so stay here to keep watch and provide support."

With a flick of her wrist, Zhao Qian held several fine needles shimmering with green light between her fingers. Wang Yao took a deep breath and slammed the giant shield down in front of her with a thud, her demeanor calm and composed.

Li Qing's sword flashed like lightning as she charged into the cave first. Zhao Qian's poisoned needles were cunning and ruthless, targeting the Shadow Leopard's eyes and joints—its **** spots. Wang Yao held the front line, blocking all the beast's attacking claws with dull thuds. The three cooperated seamlessly, clearly seasoned veterans.

"Haa—"

Shen Yuan leaned against a rock and yawned, feeling quite relaxed. They had come together for training, but he was left outside to watch the show.

"So boring..."

The fighting inside the cave grew increasingly intense, interspersed with the angry roars of the Shadow Leopard and the shouts of the senior sisters. Seeing that the demonic beast was already heavily wounded and its movements were slowing down, it seemed the outcome was already decided.

Just then—

An extremely terrifying pressure, like a tangible mountain, descended from the sky without warning!

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

Wang Yao, inside the cave, was the first to be hit. She and her shield were slammed to the ground by the terrifying pressure, blood gushing from her mouth and nose, her eyes filled with horror. The sturdy giant shield began to crack. Li Qing and Zhao Qian didn't even have time to scream before the sword light and poison needles instantly dissipated. They were slammed against the cave wall as if by an invisible giant hand, their bones snapping with a cracking sound, and they fell silent instantly.

Because Shen Yuan was a little further away and was leaning against the mountain rock, he was also almost suffocated by the pressure. His bones were cracking, but his Chaos Body activated on its own and he managed to withstand the impact in that instant!

He looked up in horror and saw a huge leopard, three times the size of the one in the cave, with a jet-black body and blood-red eyes, silently hovering in mid-air. Its cold, vertical pupils indifferently scanned the area below, and the terrifying pressure emanated from it!

[Target: Shadow Leopard; Strength: Early Golden Core Stage (Level 3 Demon Beast)]

Holy crap! A level three demonic beast, equivalent to the early stage of the Golden Core realm! This must be an elder of that Shadow Leopard!

Bella intervened just in time to warn him, "Host, this is a level three demon! Run for your lives!"

"Do you even need to tell me? Run! We have to run! But how? I'm only at the peak of Qi Refining..."

Shen Yuan's heart pounded wildly, and his will to survive surged instantly. Without a second thought, he immediately activated the Concealing Breath Technique to the fullest extent, concealing all his aura, and frantically ran back the way he came.

"Lord Leopard, this has nothing to do with me. I'm just an ordinary person!"

He deliberately made himself look disheveled and even used his spiritual power to **** out a few mouthfuls of blood, spitting it onto his clothes, making himself look extremely miserable. The Shadow Leopard in the air lingered on him with its cold gaze for a moment. Perhaps because this "ant" did not have the aura of its offspring, it ignored him, let out a mournful roar, and rushed into the cave.

Shen Yuan didn't dare to look back. He ran for his life until he could no longer feel the pressure. Only then did he dare to stop and lean against a tree, panting heavily.

"Holy shit..."

"We've only been in this world for a short time, and we almost had to start over..."

"A level three demon..."

"However... my senior sisters have all passed away so tragically... Alas... it's such a pity?"

He licked his lips, thinking about the system's functions.

Looking in the direction from which the terrifying pressure came, there were three freshly formed female cultivator corpses, though it was unclear whether they were intact.

"Bella," he murmured to himself, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

"Is the 'Steal Dead Account' feature ready?"

Bella jumped out, chuckling, "Host. No need to prepare. This system only requires meeting the 'Skin Transformation' standard and having available character slots. But... are you planning to turn all your senior sisters into 'clothes'?"

Shen Yuan didn't reply to her, but just gave her a knowing smile.