An hour later, Xue Mo stood before the Beast Containment Cavern, deep within the western cliffs of the outer sect, the number 29 marking its entrance in rough-hewn stone.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
"Hiss, hiss, hiss…"
The constant angry roars and hisses of various beasts echoed from inside the cavern, accompanied by a strong stench that seeped out with every gust of wind. The foul air carried traces of decay, wet fur, and lingering blood, enough to churn the stomach of an ordinary disciple.
The cave loomed before him like the gaping maw of a dormant beast, its jagged entrance lined with moss and claw marks left behind by previous captures.
The yawning tunnel resembled a throat leading into the belly of something ancient and unforgiving. A musty smell hung heavily in the air, mixed with the metallic tang of blood and the distant, guttural growls of caged beasts, vibrating softly through the rocky ground beneath his feet.
Xue Mo walked cautiously into the darkness, boots crunching lightly over the uneven stone path worn down by years of use.
This wide tunnel had stone chambers on both sides, each one sealed yet filled with dangerous, untamed energy. These cells served as prisons for the captive beasts.
There were no iron bars—only a shimmering, transparent array formation designed to hold them in check, etched into the surrounding stone with fine, glowing inscriptions.
The first stone chamber loomed menacingly on his left, housing a tiger with a cultivation level around the fifth level of Spirit Awakening. Its vibrant fur was lined with mud, dust, and patches of dried blood, and a fierce growl emanated from its throat, vibrating in Xue Mo's bones like a warning tremor.
The smell of its rancid breath filled the air, mingling with the dampness of the cave and the raw stench of its unwashed body, creating an atmosphere thick with primal energy and untamed malice. The tiger crouched, its muscles coiled beneath its fur, ready to attack, its blood-red qi radiating like a heatwave, baring its fangs with a low rumble.
Suddenly, the tiger lunged.
"GAAARGH!"
The tiger slammed into the light film with a thunderous thud and cried out in pain.
Xue Mo spared it a glance before continuing, his expression unbothered, gaze sharp and focused.
The tiger, frustrated, pounced again and again, slamming into the shimmering barrier, but the light film held strong. Sparks of qi crackled where its claws scraped the surface.
Xue Mo ignored the beast's angry howls as he walked deeper into the cavern, the echo of his steps overlapping with the maddened roars.
The tiger felt the provocation and stirred up its ferocity further. It pounced repeatedly on Xue Mo's passing figure, only to be blocked by the light film each time.
As he watched the tiger howling helplessly from the corner of his eye, Xue Mo continued on his way to locate the Iron Hide Wolf, a far greater target—causing the tiger to grow even angrier.
"Raaaargh!"
After walking for five minutes through twisting corridors, flickering torches, and the constant low hum of spirit arrays in the walls, Xue Mo came in front of a stone chamber. Inside, the Iron Hide Wolf paced behind a light white film.
Its muscular body was covered in silver fur streaked with dried blood. Its eyes glowed with cold fury. This was a spirit awakening beast at the seventh level, clearly far stronger than the tiger from before.
He didn't carry a weapon. Instead, he held a reinforced bucket, thick iron gloves padded for grip, and a token he had been given upon arrival by the guards—crafted with formation lines and capable of controlling the defensive array and restraining the beast temporarily.
After making sure that the formation lines etched on the stone walls and floors were intact and there were no hidden cracks or disruptions in the qi flow, he nodded slightly to himself.
He infused Qi into the token, activating the formation. With a thought, the light film began to ripple, transforming into radiant chains made purely of Qi, binding and restraining the Silverback Fang-Tooth with a loud hum.
"Roar! Roar!"
The Silverback Fang-Tooth struggled with all its might, causing the chains to shake and rattle violently. But they held strong, pulsing with condensed spiritual energy.
He didn't approach recklessly. Instead, he observed the Iron Hide Wolf from a distance. It roared again, veins bulging along its muscular limbs, and crimson saliva dripped from its long, jagged tusks, sizzling slightly as it hit the ground.
He narrowed his eyes. "Still too strong. I need it weaker."
From his sleeve, he pulled out a small powder pouch—a mix of herbs he'd prepared himself. It wasn't potent enough to poison, but it would dull the senses of a spirit beast for a short while if inhaled directly. He flicked the powder into the air toward the beast's snout with practiced precision.
The Iron Hide Wolf sniffed the air, a low growl forming in its throat.
A few seconds passed.
Then its frantic growling began to weaken. Though the chains trembled with its struggling, the beast's resistance slowly diminished as the numbing effect took hold, its limbs growing heavier, eyes hazier.
Xue Mo stepped forward cautiously, iron gloves gleaming under the flickering light of the array formation. He knelt beside a shallow basin embedded in the chamber floor—a waste collection drain used by caretakers for cleaning purposes.
"This should hold some remnants."
He pried open a hidden spigot on the drain, accessing the blood disposal channel. If the beast had been injured previously, blood would have seeped into this channel during routine cleaning.
Bringing out a bottle no bigger than his palm, he infused a trace of consciousness into it. His senses touched a space within the vessel—roughly the size of a bathtub.
Other than storing blood, the blood storage bottle had special inscriptions that could prevent the loss of spiritual energy in the beast blood, ensuring its effects remained intact and potent.
He inserted the blood storage bottle into the drain opening, activating the formation on it. A gentle suction force was released. Drops of thick, blackish-red blood began to fill the vessel gradually, pulsing with latent spiritual power.
If he failed to gather the blood successfully, it wouldn't just mean missing the chance to cultivate; he would lose valuable time and might even endanger his life by provoking the Iron Hide Wolf once it regained strength.
Spirit blood. Undiluted. Potent.
Even small amounts would enhance the Blood Deity Art, allowing him to refine his meridians more efficiently, but he needed to first give this batch over to the sect as part of the mission requirement.
Just as the bottle was being filled with blood, the Iron Hide Wolf let out a piercing snarl, and the chains strained once more, now showing signs of flickering.
"Time's up," he muttered.
He sealed the container with a cork, ensuring not a single drop leaked out, and stepped back quickly.
But just as he moved to leave, the Iron Hide Wolf's eyes flared wide. With a violent jerk of its limbs, it shattered two of the qi chains in an explosion of blood-colored aura.
"Tch!"
Xue Mo's pupils shrank. He pushed off the ground at once.
SWOOSH!
The beast lunged—a silver blur crashing forward. Its claws swept through the air, passing mere inches from Xue Mo's face. A few strands of his hair drifted down, sliced clean by the sharp edge of the strike.
At the same instant, the array formation flickered violently, then re-stabilized as the final chain reformed with a burst of light, pulling the beast back mid-lunge.
He had stared into the eyes of the iron hide wolf and it had stared straight back.
BOOM!
The Iron Hide Wolf slammed into the light film, howling with maddened fury.
Xue Mo didn't look back. His feet were already moving, breath controlled, but deep within, a sharp pulse of adrenaline echoed in his chest.
As the roars faded into the background, the heavy stillness of the stone corridors returned, wrapping around the area like a suffocating blanket. His steps slowed only slightly as he adjusted his robes and tucked the blood storage bottle closer to his chest.
Only then did his expression relax—just a little.
The worst was over.
The beast's fury echoed faintly behind him, but Xue Mo's mind was already shifting.
"This is useful. It would be especially helpful when I go hunting..."
The cavern was quite safe for the soft crunch of his footsteps. The air still carried that lingering musk of blood and beast—a reminder of what lurked nearby.
As he approached the chamber again, a low, guttural growl drifted from one of the stone chambers, with a mix of recognition and menace.
Xue Mo didn't spare the beast a glance. His expression remained unreadable, his steps measured.
The growl died behind him, swallowed by the darkness of the cavern.
He emerged from the cavern into the crisp late-afternoon air, sweat clinging to his back despite the cool wind, the sealed blood container secured beneath his robes.
"This is useful. It would be especially helpful when I go hunting. A pity that I have to return it after using it." Xue Mo held the blood storage bottle, as he made a silent note to acquire one permanently in the future.
Six minutes later.
"The blood storage bottle is full. Senior Brother, please check it." Xue Mo respectfully handed over the blood storage bottle with both hands.
The guard took the container and scanned it carefully . After confirming that there was no mistake, he nodded slightly. "Return the formation token to me and you can leave."
"Yes, Senior Brother." Xue Mo returned the array token without hesitation.
The guard disciple no longer paid attention to him, and Xue Mo tactfully turned around to leave.
Today's mission was completed. He didn't get any blood for himself, but he had to sacrifice current benefits for long-term gains.
Xue Mo did not forget his other goal. He wanted to become closer to Chen Bo to gain influence and access certain specific opportunities within the sect.
However, this was only the first day. The mission deadline was still seven days away. There was no need to hurry.