After achieving the Spirit Creek Realm, Leaf Gray discovered something very interesting: his perception of the spiritual energy in the surrounding environment had become sharper.

The spiritual energy in the Spirit Creek Battlefield was originally much denser than the outside world. Outside, even when cultivating, Leaf Gray couldn't detect the presence of spiritual energy. But here, as long as Leaf Gray could calm his mind, he could basically perceive the spiritual energy around him.

Now, with the nine apertures forming a creek, Leaf Gray found that even without deliberately sensing, just by focusing his attention a little, he could clearly feel the heaven and earth spiritual energy around him.

This was undoubtedly a huge improvement.

Did it mean he could now cultivate by absorbing spiritual energy? Thinking this, Leaf Gray grew excited. If that were truly possible, his future cultivation would surely be much smoother.

He immediately tried it out.

Half an hour later, Leaf Gray stopped his cultivation with a dark expression.

The situation was the same as before. For some reason, his body found it very difficult to guide heaven and earth spiritual energy into itself. Estimating based on this cultivation speed, wanting to cultivate the tenth aperture to a full state would take at least a year or so, if not longer.

It seemed the result of a single leaf from his earlier talent test wasn't without reason.

However, by now, Leaf Gray also had a faint understanding. The method of cultivators absorbing spiritual energy isn't about inhaling and exhaling through the mouth, but through the body. In that cultivation state, all the millions of pores on a cultivator's body perform a kind of marvelous breathing, drawing the heaven and earth spiritual energy into the body, transforming it into the cultivator's spiritual power!

Yet, he simply couldn't use this cultivation method.

Standing up, Leaf Gray felt it was time for him to go out and see the world.

Over a month ago, he was sent into this Spirit Creek Battlefield by the Sect Master. He was lucky to have landed in this forest, and for such a long time hadn't encountered overly powerful enemies. Both Evie and the big tiger who came looking for trouble were extorted by him.

But one can't always be so lucky in life.

If he kept hiding here, he would eventually encounter powerful cultivators he couldn't hope to match. By then, he would have no power to resist.

In over a month, he had grown from a cultivator with three opened apertures to the first level of the Spirit Creek Realm now, with ten apertures opened—a huge growth.

Admittedly, his cultivation level was still very low, but if supplemented by the spirit talismans given to him by the Sect Master, he had some ability to protect himself.

As for where to go... he needed to find that big tiger and the young girl. He had heard some interesting information from the girl before.

Two days later, Leaf Gray found the snow-white big tiger crouched and sleeping in a cave. But as soon as he entered, a semi-transparent figure floated out from the big tiger, looking warily at Leaf Gray: "What are you doing here?"

It was the changeling spirit who called herself Evie. When she left that day, she looked extremely weak. Now, nearly ten days later, her body still appeared semi-transparent, unable to solidify. It seemed the previous damage was indeed severe.

As soon as she moved, the sleeping big tiger immediately woke up, stood up, and let out a low growl at Leaf Gray.

Leaf Gray didn't go further inside, to avoid provoking this spirit-tiger pair. Moreover, bound by the Providentia Oath, he couldn't do anything to this duo anyway.

"Don't panic, I'm just here to ask some things," Leaf Gray spoke.

"What do you want to ask?" Evie looked at him.

"I heard you mention something about a Jade Market before. Can you tell me more about it?"

"You want to go to the Jade Market?"

"Exactly!"

The path of absorbing spiritual energy was blocked for Leaf Gray, and refining essence into energy wasn't a long-term solution either, as the nearby animals were almost all killed by Leaf Gray. Pill-based cultivation was the source of happiness. The Jade Market sounded like a trading place where cultivators gathered. Leaf Gray planned to go there and see if he could get some spirit pills to consume.

At the very least, he could go to broaden his horizons. Since he stepped into the cultivation world, he had been working behind closed doors, which wasn't good.

"I see..." Evie tilted her head and thought, then stuck her tongue out at him: "I just won't tell you. If you want to know, go find out yourself!"

Having suffered such great grievance from Leaf Gray before, why would Evie cooperate obediently? Currently bound by the Providentia Oath, as long as she and the big tiger didn't proactively provoke or harm Leaf Gray, Leaf Gray couldn't do anything to them. What was there to fear?

Leaf Gray stared at her for a moment, then turned and left.

"Eh?" This took Evie by surprise; she didn't expect Leaf Gray to leave so decisively. After a slight hesitation, her figure flickered, and she floated to Leaf Gray's side, saying: "But if you can beg me, maybe I'll be in a good mood and tell you."

Leaf Gray glanced at her, sensing her nasty character.

"Beg me quickly! If you don't beg me, I won't tell you. Otherwise..." Evie fluttered happily in front of him like a little butterfly, "Just say you were wrong, and I'll forgive you!"

Leaf Gray stopped walking, took the long sword from the storage bag at his waist, and slowly drew it from its scabbard.

"What are you doing?" Evie was frightened, her face pale, instantly cowering to the side and hiding behind the big tiger that had followed her out. The big tiger also lowered its body, ready to roar.

"I'm telling you, bound by the Providentia Oath, you can't act recklessly, otherwise you will definitely die without a burial place!" Evie peeked her small head out from behind the big tiger, solemnly warning.

Leaf Gray ignored her. He just pointed the sword at the empty space ahead, channeled spiritual power into it, making the long sword gleam with flowing light, and murmured softly: "Decided!"

"Decided what?" Evie was utterly confused.

"Starting today, kill ten beasts daily, until there are no more beasts left in this area!" Leaf Gray declared resoundingly. After saying that, he rubbed his stomach, "I'm hungry!"

Clang! The long sword returned to its scabbard. Leaf Gray strode forward.

Evie was momentarily stunned, then her expression turned bitter. The big tiger glanced back at her and rolled its eyes humanely.

"Shixiong, please wait!" Evie shouted, chasing after Leaf Gray.

The time it takes for one incense stick to burn later, under a large tree, Leaf Gray looked at the doodle-like pattern on the ground, while Evie pointed out the directions for him: "This is Jade Mountain. The market at the foot of the mountain is the Jade Market. Our location is here. You go from here, head east. After twenty li, you will cross a small river. Another ten li, there will be a area of rocky forest. After another twenty or thirty li, you can reach the Jade Market."

Leaf Gray's eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown. Impatiently, he said: "Just point directly which way to go. Don't talk about east, south, west, north."

"This way!" Evie promptly pointed in one direction.