Good News, I Transmigrated, But What the Heck is a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character? - Chapter 20

In the simple outer sect disciple dormitory, there was only a bed, a table, and a meditation cushion. Yu Wanwan sat cross-legged, her eyes slightly closed, surrounded by a visible faint red mist.

She held two low-grade spirit stones in each hand, crimson true essence surging in her palms.

The pure spiritual energy within the spirit stones was being forcefully extracted and refined by her using the Scarlet Feather Body Forging Art, flowing into her surging meridians.

“Hoo… inhale… exhale…” The long, rhythmic breaths were exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

With each breath, the sparse fire spiritual energy floating in the air surged into her mouth, nose, and skin pores as if summoned by a monarch, vying for entry.

The spiritual energy, once inside, was not gentle. Instead, it brought a burning, stinging pain, like countless tiny fiery needles repeatedly scraping the inner walls of her meridians. This was the essence of the Scarlet Feather Body Forging Art: using fire as a hammer, spiritual energy as flames, tempering and forging the meridians and body through countless trials…

Thanks to the heavens-defying improvement of her spirit roots by the Phoenix essence blood, and the pure fire spiritual energy fed back to her after contracting the Flame-Winged Tiger, her spiritual energy now surged like a river, unstoppable.

The barrier of the third layer of Qi Condensation was like thin paper before her, easily breached by the surging spiritual energy torrent.

“Hum!”

A powerful aura suddenly spread from within her body, making the simple window lattices hum. Yu Wanwan opened her eyes, two crimson-gold sparks flashing and disappearing within them.

She spread her palm, and with a thought.

“Pfft!”

An orange-red fireball the size of a basketball, incredibly condensed and radiating astonishing high temperatures, instantly materialized above her palm.

The core of the fireball was pure gold, its edges dancing with fiery red and white tongues of flame, illuminating the entire room brightly. Even the damp marks on the walls were instantly dried. A sulfurous, scorching scent permeated the air.

She clenched her five fingers. The fireball’s form suddenly changed! With a “whoosh,” a crimson whip, formed from pure flames, appeared out of thin air.

The whip was over a zhang long, woven from countless intricate flame runes. It moved agilely around her like a living thing, making crisp cracking sounds when it lashed, scorching and warping the air.

The destructive power contained in this fiery whip was enough to make ordinary cultivators at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Condensation change their expressions.

“Spirit roots tempered by Phoenix essence blood are indeed extraordinary,” a lazy, somewhat arrogant voice came from the bed.

A tiny snake, entirely golden, its scales appearing as if crafted from pure gold, was coiled on the bed. It raised its small head, its golden vertical pupils curiously observing the fluctuating fiery whip in Yu Wanwan’s palm. “In my opinion, your true fire spirit root value is definitely above eighty-five, stronger than that pretentious Yu Wange, not weaker.”

Yu Wanwan flicked her wrist, and the fiery whip dissipated into sparks, vanishing without a trace.

She felt her spiritual energy, now several times more profound than before, and her eyes shimmered with determination and ambition: “No matter, true gold always shines. At this rate, Foundation Establishment is just around the corner. Entering the inner sect is only a matter of time.”

A cold glint flashed in her eyes. Yu Wange’s feigned noble face surfaced in her mind.

“Foundation Establishment? Just relying on hard cultivation isn’t fast enough.”

The little golden snake scoffed, slowly slithering to Yu Wanwan’s feet. It raised its head, looking up at her: “This Venerable One knows a good place.”

“Where?”

“Myriad Beast Valley.”

“Myriad Beast Valley?” Yu Wanwan raised an eyebrow slightly.

This was a vast and dangerous primeval forest within the Plum-Winged Sect’s sphere of influence, known for harboring numerous demonic beasts. It was one of the places where outer sect disciples gathered materials and gained experience, but it was also fraught with danger.

“That’s right. Deep within the Myriad Beast Valley, near the active magma flow of the earth’s core, there’s a perilous place called the Blazing Rift.” The little golden snake’s voice carried a hint of recollection and temptation. “That place is perpetually hot. Earth fire constantly erupts, and ordinary vegetation cannot survive. However, it nurtures many fire-attribute heavenly materials and earthly treasures. For example, Scarlet Sun Grass, Earth Fire Lotus, Molten Heart Fruit… these things are great supplements for your cultivation of the Scarlet Feather Body Forging Art and nurturing the Phoenix True Fire.”

“And the fire-attribute demonic beasts there are also the best food for that little orange cat.”

It paused, seemingly pondering information: “Because the environment in that area is harsh, powerful demonic beasts rarely tread there. Mostly, it’s ordinary fierce beasts adapted to high temperatures and a small number of fire-attribute little demons, at most Tier 1 in strength. With your current strength, plus that little orange cat, if you proceed carefully, there shouldn’t be much of a problem. If you can find a few high-quality fire spirit herbs, it will be enough to make up for several months of your arduous cultivation.”

Yu Wanwan was tempted.

Resources were the indispensable cornerstone on the path of cultivation.

She looked at the little golden snake at her feet, which was sharp-tongued but knowledgeable, and a smile touched her lips: “Alright, we’ll go to the Blazing Rift. From now on, I’ll call you Little Gold.”

“Little Gold?!” The golden little snake abruptly raised its head, its voice rising several octaves, filled with unbelievable fury. “Presumptuous! This Venerable One once roamed the Southern Desolate Lands, and the prestige of a Seventh-tier great demon was immense! A stomp of my foot would make mountains tremble! You actually dare to give this Venerable One such, such… childish and ridiculous name! Unreasonable!” It was so angry that the tip of its tail was trembling, and its golden scales seemed to glow even brighter.

Seeing the little golden snake bristling, Yu Wanwan found it rather amusing.

She squatted down, extended her index finger, and gently poked its smooth, cool head, a sly smile in her eyes: “Alright, alright, Little Gold. When we go to Myriad Beast Valley, I’ll also keep an eye out for water-attribute heavenly materials and earthly treasures for you. Whatever I find, I’ll save for you, to help you recover your strength and regain your former glory sooner, how about that?”

She deliberately emphasized the words “Little Gold.”

The little golden snake’s coiled body visibly relaxed a bit. It haughtily turned its head, brushing Yu Wanwan’s finger with the tip of its tail as if in response, its voice muffled: “Hmph… that’s more like it. You know what’s good for you.”

Having appeased this “former” Seventh-tier great demon, Yu Wanwan’s mind stirred, and she communicated with her spirit beast contract.

“Roar-woof~”

A low growl, carrying a hint of coyness, sounded. Accompanied by faint spatial fluctuations, a Flame-Winged Tiger, the size of an adult orange cat, entirely covered in crimson fur, with a pair of small fleshy wings on its back, appeared out of thin air.

It intimately rubbed its large head against Yu Wanwan’s leg, emitting a contented purr from its throat, truly like a docile large orange cat.

Its tiger eyes, burning with faint crimson-gold flames, now looked at Yu Wanwan with dependence and adoration. Its crimson fur seemed like flowing lava in the dim room. The fleshy wings on its back, though not yet capable of flight, already had a nascent form, trembling slightly with its breathing.

Myriad Beast Valley.

The continuous emerald mountains intertwined with the low-hanging lead-gray sky, pressing down suffocatingly.

Yu Wanwan hadn’t walked far when she noticed a complex scent permeating the air.

A thick, inseparable grassy stench, the musky odor unique to wild animal dens, and a nauseating, lingering scent of decay that clung to the depths of her nasal cavity.

Yu Wanwan wrinkled her delicate nose, her stomach churning.

“So disgusting, such a heavy smell of decay.” She couldn’t help but dry heave, her face turning a bit pale.

The small snake, coiled around her slender neck, disguised as an exquisite golden chain, moved lazily. Its cold scales brushed against her skin, bringing a strange sense of comfort.

Little Gold’s voice was filled with disdain: “A naive little girl who hasn’t seen the world. This is nothing. It’s just the smell from a few rotten corpses. When you see a true battleground of gods and demons, with corpses piled up like mountains, and resentment condensed into malevolence, that’s what smells ‘fragrant’ for thousands of miles. I guarantee it will make your soul dizzy and cause you to instantly perform a soul-scattering act. You should practice your courage early!”

Yu Wanwan choked on its exaggerated description. She forcefully suppressed the nausea and retorted irritably: “Shut up, you dead snake! I said, it’s just that I’m not used to it! I’m fine now!”

She steadied herself, enduring the discomfort, her gaze sharply scanning the dense bushes and gnarled tree roots ahead.

The source of the suffocating stench of decay was quickly found, in a relatively open clearing in the forest ahead.

Several bodies of hunters, clad in simple leather armor, lay scattered, their deaths extremely tragic.

Some were disemboweled, their internal organs trailing out, attracting buzzing flies. Some had twisted and broken limbs, their bone fragments stark white, piercing through flesh. And one body was almost entirely a skeleton, with clear, saliva-stained, massive teeth marks remaining on it.

Dark brown blood had long soaked the ground beneath them, turning into a viscous, filthy mire, emitting the unique scent of death.

“Hiss—”

Yu Wanwan gasped, despite being mentally prepared, this bloody and cruel scene still made her heart clench violently, and her hands and feet turned cold.

Her soul, raised in a peaceful era in her previous life, had never faced such a primitive and brutal scene of slaughter.

A strong physical discomfort surged up her throat again.

“Tsk, that much courage?” Little Gold shifted again on her neck, seemingly trying to find a more comfortable position to watch the show. Its cold scales brushed her skin, “Just a few unlucky people torn to pieces, and you’re scared like this? Little girl, the cultivation world is not your playground. What if one day you encounter mighty cultivators fighting, where a wave of a hand can overturn mountains and rivers, pile millions of corpses, and make blood flow like rivers? Wouldn’t your Dao heart shatter instantly and your soul return to the underworld? You should practice your courage early!”

Yu Wanwan took several deep breaths of the heavily decayed air, forcing herself to calm down. Her gaze gradually became resolute: “Shut up, dead snake! I told you, I’m just not used to it! I’m fine now!”

She gritted her teeth, forcefully suppressing the churning nausea and fear.

“Sniff, sniff… awoo…” The Flame-Winged Tiger, which had been quietly following beside her, suddenly twitched its moist, black nose and let out a low, excited whimper from its throat.

Its faintly burning wings slightly spread, nervously flapping the air. Its large tiger head constantly sniffed towards a certain direction deep in the dense forest, and its golden-yellow pupils shimmered with the light of discovering prey.

“Oh ho!” Little Gold’s voice took on a teasing tone. “Looks like our big orange cat has a nose even sharper than a dog’s. What good thing did it smell? To be able to distinguish it through such a strong scent of decay is not simple. Did it find top-tier ingredients, or heavenly materials and earthly treasures?”

“Roar!” The Flame-Winged Tiger let out a dissatisfied low growl, seemingly displeased with Little Gold calling it a “big orange cat,” but clearly the temptation ahead was greater. It merely nudged Yu Wanwan’s leg with its large head in an urging manner.

“Go, let’s take a look!”

Yu Wanwan’s spirits lifted. The discomfort she had felt earlier was replaced by intense curiosity.

She immediately restrained her aura. The Flame-Winged Tiger also tacitly lowered its body, retracting the fiery glow on its wings. Its massive body moved through the dense bushes with surprising lightness.

Little Gold completely fell silent, like a truly inanimate necklace.

One person, one tiger, one snake, like three ghosts merging into the shadows, cautiously pushed aside layers of thorny vines, avoiding the colorful poisonous insects crawling on the ground, and stealthily moved deeper into the dense forest.

The light grew dimmer. The branches and leaves of towering ancient trees almost completely blocked the sky, with only scattered patches of light filtering through.

The strong smell of decay in the air gradually faded, replaced by another, fresher, more alluring scent. It was an indescribable, incredibly pure herbal fragrance, carrying the aroma of rich earth and vibrant life, thin wisps of which permeated the air, refreshing the mind and seemingly washing away the fatigue deep within the soul.

Finally, they stopped behind a large, moss-covered gray rock, like a small mountain.

Yu Wanwan held her breath, pushing aside the last thick fern leaf in front of her.

Only to see, at the edge of the shadow cast by the giant rock, a strange “plant” was slowly moving!

The thing was about a foot tall. Its main body was clearly a plump, human-shaped old ginseng, its roots gnarled like a dragon.

The ginseng’s body was a warm, jade-like pale yellow, its surface covered with dense, spiral patterns imbued with the vicissitudes of time. Strangely, its thick roots were now like countless flexible tiny legs, “rustling” as they alternately moved across the ground covered in decaying leaves.

And at its top, beneath a few emerald-green, jade-carved ginseng leaves, it actually sported a budding, translucent flower bud emitting a soft yellow light.

A thick, intoxicating medicinal fragrance emanated from this tiny, walking ginseng. The fragrance seemed to be substantial, surrounding it and forming a faint, visible yellow halo, within which tiny ethereal plant spirits seemed to be happily dancing.

Ginseng demon!

Little Gold’s words immediately identified its name.