Chapter 87: Four Depart, Three Return
"Hey, Brother Meng, do you think anyone else will come later?"
"Our five stalks of gentian grass have already lured quite a few people."
Deep within the dense forest, beside a small river, two middle-aged men in black robes sat around a campfire.
One was holding two spirit stones, cultivating, while the other poked the fire with a wooden stick.
Meng Zhe finished absorbing the energy from the two spirit stones and exhaled a turbid breath.
"Someone will definitely come."
He then looked down at his boots and sneered, "That female cultivator who left a mother-daughter incense on me hasn't shown up yet."
Huang Sanshui nodded, "That female cultivator is quite attractive. Remember to leave her alive. A top-quality furnace shouldn't be wasted."
"Talking to me won't help. You need to tell Big Brother and Second Brother."
Meng Zhe chuckled, thinking to himself that this plan was indeed clever.
The four of them worked together.
Second Brother, at the ninth level of Qi Refining, was responsible for selling the hundred-year-old gentian grass.
Big Brother, at the tenth level of Qi Refining, acted as the buyer. After the sale, many would follow to snatch it.
During the ensuing chaos, Big Brother would pretend to be defeated, allowing the gentian grass to be taken by himself and Fourth Brother.
After that—they could sit back and wait.
If one came, they'd kill one.
If two came, they'd kill both!
Using this method, they had roamed through several markets and cities, killing many cultivators.
They would sell once in each city, then move on to the next, avoiding being tracked.
Currently, Qingshan City was their fifth location.
Huang Sanshui threw the stick into the fire and nodded, "You're right. I'll go inform Big Brother and Second Brother."
"Don't move recklessly, or you'll mess things up—"
Before Meng Zhe could finish speaking, the quiet forest suddenly echoed with a few nightingale calls.
Huang Sanshui, who had just lifted his leg, froze.
"Someone's coming!"
Meng Zhe immediately activated a talisman.
Huang Sanshui sat back down, his previously empty sleeves now bulging.
"Brother Meng, the Water Dragon Sect's area is really desolate. It's much more enjoyable over at the Joyful Palace, where you can find female cultivators for dual cultivation now and then."
Huang Sanshui spoke loudly.
Meng Zhe cooperated, "But the Water Dragon Sect has a good atmosphere. Finding a decent family here has its own charm."
Soon, an angry shout echoed through the forest.
"Demons!"
Before the voice reached them, a round stone flew through the air, landing in the fire.
"Boom—"
A loud explosion followed, and a burst of firelight illuminated the forest.
The fireball exploded, leveling an area three zhang in diameter.
Ji Yuan witnessed the explosion of the water thunder bead for the first time and was astonished by its power.
With such an effect, those two demonic cultivators would be severely injured, if not dead.
He glanced around. Du Wanyi and the others had already summoned their magical artifacts and were cautiously approaching, showing no signs of excitement—thankfully, his teammates were reliable.
Ji Yuan then looked at the Hundred Fish Shield in front of him.
This was his first battle after advancing to the late stage of Qi Refining, and he felt a bit excited.
The flying boat moved forward slowly, the dust in the forest yet to settle.
Yao Jingfeng suddenly threw out several fireball talismans, reigniting the firelight.
As the darkness was pierced, Ji Yuan saw two black shadows suddenly dart out from the ruins.
One headed east, the other west, charging towards him and Du Wanyi.
"They're not dead!"
Luo Tian shouted from afar.
Ji Yuan also realized that the two demonic cultivators had survived.
Judging by their speed, they didn't seem injured—and they knew to target the weaker ones?
After all, among the six present, Ji Yuan and Du Wanyi had the lowest cultivation, both at the eighth level of Qi Refining.
In the blink of an eye, Ji Yuan retracted the Thunder Falcon Boat, holding the shield in his right hand and throwing out five water arrow talismans and three lightning strike talismans with his left.
Water strikes in mid-air, lightning falls from the sky.
He took the opportunity to dive into the forest, activating the magical boots under his feet, disappearing in a flash.
Ji Yuan feared no one when it came to running away.
Meng Zhe, leaping into the air, saw Ji Yuan's disappearing figure and cursed.
He waved his sleeve, and a wolf-like shadow flashed in the air, devouring the thundercloud.
He then landed and chased after Ji Yuan.
Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi were about to activate their flying boats to assist, but suddenly, they sensed something was wrong.
"Damn!"
Yao Jingfeng cursed, turning to throw a water thunder bead, but a voice echoed from the forest.
"Nice item. Better keep it for yourself."
Instinctively, Yao Jingfeng stopped activating the water thunder bead.
As expected, before he could retract it, several wooden vine cages suddenly surrounded him.
If he had thrown it, he might have killed himself.
Luo Tian reacted quickly, maneuvering his flying boat to dodge a large sword swinging from behind.
He leaped into the air and looked back, his expression turning panicked, "It's you! You're all in this together!"
The person who ambushed him was the one who sold gentian grass in Qingshan City two days ago.
The one using wood magic to trap Yao Jingfeng was the cultivator who bought the gentian grass.
In the distance, Ji Yuan summoned the Thunder Falcon Boat again, emerging from the forest and hovering in mid-air.
Meng Zhe, unable to catch up, regrouped with Huang Sanshui.
Both had been slightly injured by the earlier explosion of the water thunder bead.
Although they had prepared in advance with magical artifacts and talismans, they still looked a bit disheveled.
Standing on the Thunder Falcon Boat, Ji Yuan surveyed the scene with a grim expression.
One at the tenth level of Qi Refining, three at the ninth—this was a serious trap. Indeed, in this world, few cultivators were fools.
Ji Yuan regretted coming here for the gentian grass, but Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi regretted it even more.
They had suggested coming here, and even convinced Ji Yuan, who was initially reluctant. Now, facing this situation... it was a real danger!
"Too much talking gets cultivators killed. Attack!"
Mo Fenghua, at the tenth level of Qi Refining, gave a low shout.
The others immediately launched their attacks, not giving them a chance to speak.
Ji Yuan had no time to worry about the trapped Yao Jingfeng, as Meng Zhe charged at him again.
This time, Ji Yuan didn't run. He raised his hand and threw out a high-grade Demon Suppression Talisman.
Although both were first-grade high-quality talismans, against demonic cultivators, the Demon Suppression Talisman was more effective than the Golden Seal Talisman.
As the talisman activated, Meng Zhe was forced to use a high-grade protective talisman on himself. Before he could counterattack, a black stone flew towards him.
"Damn it!"
Controlled by the Demon Suppression Talisman, Meng Zhe couldn't dodge and had to use all his means to withstand the attack.
In the distance, two more explosions from water thunder beads echoed.
This time, it wasn't Yao Jingfeng using them, but Du Wanyi and Yao Jingfeng together.
Three water thunder beads exploded in the narrow forest, the shockwave sending Ji Yuan flying five zhang away. He looked back at the forest.
It no longer resembled a forest, more like a scene of a landslide.
The rumbling continued to echo in the air.
His ears were ringing, unable to hear anything.
He saw Du Wanyi coughing up blood, Luo Tian engaged in battle with a demonic cultivator in the forest.
Yao Jingfeng was nowhere to be seen.
"Courting death!"
Although Meng Zhe had narrowly escaped with his life after enduring a Water Thunder Talisman and a high-grade talisman, he was now bleeding from all seven orifices, appearing as though he had only a few days left to live.
Ji Yuan, though not fully aware of how Meng Zhe had attacked, had already slapped a high-grade Iron Wall Talisman onto himself and held the Hundred Fish Shield in front of him.
In that instant, a spectral wolf emerged from thin air, biting down on Ji Yuan's Hundred Fish Shield.
Ji Yuan was forced to retreat repeatedly under the assault.
"Go!"
With a thought, a leaf on his shoulder flashed with a green arc, accompanied by several hair-thin spiritual lights.
The green light, interspersed with blue, broke through the spectral wolf and shot towards Meng Zhe.
However, several ghostly figures with thin legs and robust upper bodies suddenly rushed out from the dense forest.
"Fall!"
The unbound Hundred Fish Shield spun around Ji Yuan, who then crushed six Thunder Strike Talismans.
Purple lightning fell, scattering the ghostly figures.
Seeing Meng Zhe preparing to cast another spell, Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes, realizing he couldn't delay any longer.
He summoned the Qingfu Flying Sword, which descended with a curtain of rain.
As the raindrops hit the ground, they transformed into over a dozen mirrors, encircling Meng Zhe.
Believing Ji Yuan was unleashing a deadly move, Meng Zhe quickly cast a protective spell, and his robe emitted a black mist to shield him.
Ji Yuan, seeing this, ceased using the "Azure Wave Sword Art." The mirrors shattered, turning into water arrows that shot towards Meng Zhe.
He also crushed a high-grade Thunderfall Talisman.
This time, nearly ten purple lightning bolts, mixed with water arrows, struck down.
Water enhancing thunder, the combined attack quickly overwhelmed the already weakened Meng Zhe.
"Kill!"
Ji Yuan formed a hand seal, and the Qingfu Flying Sword accelerated.
A green light flashed, piercing through the black mist and severing a head.
Three fireballs followed, landing on Meng Zhe's body and head, igniting them in flames.
Ji Yuan, riding the Thunder Falcon Boat, swiftly collected Meng Zhe's storage pouch.
The entire sequence was executed smoothly.
As the Qingfu Flying Sword returned, Ji Yuan had already piloted the Thunder Falcon Boat out of the forest.
He looked around—Du Wanyi was barely holding her own, engaged in a fierce battle.
Luo Tian was faring worse, being forced into a defensive stance.
Noticing Ji Yuan had finished his fight, Luo Tian shouted, "Forget about me, go save Yao Jingfeng!"
Damn, you're asking me, a Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivator, to take on a Qi Refining Stage 10 opponent?
Ji Yuan grumbled internally but didn't stop. He headed straight to another battlefield.
With a formidable enemy ahead, he had no intention of abandoning his teammates—at least not yet.
Who knows about the future.
He vanished and reappeared in another clearing, where Yao Jingfeng was barely clinging to life, still fighting.
"Suppress!"
Without hesitation, Ji Yuan threw a Demon Suppression Talisman.
Mo Fenghua raised a silver lance, blocking the talisman's power. But when he looked down, Yao Jingfeng had vanished.
Only a distant flying boat could be seen in the sky.
Seeing the speed of the boat, Mo Fenghua's eyes lit up.
A fine vessel!
I want it!
With that thought, he leaped into the air, and the silver lance transformed into a flying boat, chasing after Ji Yuan.
"Fourth Brother, this is my last Water Thunder Talisman. Let me down and save yourself."
Yao Jingfeng, now devoid of his earlier vigor, spoke while coughing up blood.
Ji Yuan took the Water Thunder Talisman but didn't set him down. Instead, he looked back.
A silver light was rapidly approaching.
"Damn it!
How is his flying boat so fast!"
Ji Yuan glanced at the Thunder Falcon Boat. He hadn't yet activated the Thunder Essence Core.
Once activated, he was confident he could outpace the demon cultivator.
But doing so would mean abandoning Du Wanyi and Luo Tian.
Given the current situation, he had no choice but to save one person first.
With a thought, Ji Yuan activated the Thunder Essence Core.
Instantly, the entire boat was enveloped in purple light and momentarily paused.
Just as Mo Fenghua thought he was catching up, the boat suddenly accelerated, disappearing from his sight.
He had no choice but to stop his boat and watch as Ji Yuan vanished.
"Fine, let them escape. I'll deal with the other two first."
With that, he turned his boat back towards the forest.
"Fourth Brother, your flying boat—"
Yao Jingfeng, though having taken some pills, was only temporarily suppressing his injuries.
Even if he recovered, his foundation was likely damaged.
Ji Yuan didn't respond, instead taking some spiritual energy recovery pills and continuing to pilot the boat.
After about a quarter of an incense stick's time, they reached the edge of Yunyu Marshlands. Ji Yuan slowed the boat and looked back.
They were too far from the battlefield to see what was happening.
But returning now was not an option. Ji Yuan found a reed marsh by the lake, lowered the boat, and hid within.
Yao Jingfeng understood his intent and tried to get up, only to cough up more blood, mixed with internal organs.
"Fourth Brother, you should go. This mess is my and Du Wanyi's fault."
Yao Jingfeng took a deep breath.
"Life and death are fate, Eldest Brother. Save your breath."
Ji Yuan looked around, finally placing a mid-grade protective talisman on Yao Jingfeng.
"Wait here. I'll go back for Second Sister and Third Brother."
"Fourth Brother, you—"
Yao Jingfeng hadn't expected Ji Yuan to still be unwilling to abandon them, feeling a surge of emotion.
Just moments ago, he thought Ji Yuan would leave.
But as Ji Yuan's boat began to rise, a brilliant light suddenly illuminated the valley where the battle had taken place.
The light engulfed half the valley.
A massive explosion followed, so loud that even from this distance, it made Ji Yuan's heart race.
This was akin to a mountain collapsing.
After the light faded, Ji Yuan watched as half the mountain crumbled.
"Luo Tian!"
Though Yao Jingfeng couldn't see, he guessed what had happened from the sound—a massive explosion of Water Thunder Talismans.
Ji Yuan took a deep breath.
"I'll go check."
With that, the Thunder Falcon Boat soared into the sky.
After a while, Ji Yuan returned to the battlefield.
Not a single figure was in sight.
The once-dense forest was now a wasteland of debris.
Ji Yuan searched for a quarter of an incense stick's time but found no trace of Luo Tian or the three demon cultivators. Only a severely damaged silver flying boat remained on a tree.
On the boat was a severed hand, tightly gripping a storage pouch.
Ji Yuan collected the boat and pouch, burning the hand with a fireball.
He searched for another half an incense stick's time before finding Du Wanyi unconscious in a stream outside the forest.
Ji Yuan rescued her and placed her in the boat.
Looking up, he saw the sky beginning to lighten.
The sun was rising.
Ji Yuan felt no joy at surviving, only a deep respect for the world—cultivation was truly as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
No one was immune to death, and no one could predict the future.
Luo Tian, who knew the method to craft Water Thunder Talismans, likely never imagined he'd die by them.
The Qi Refining Stage 10 demon cultivator probably never thought he'd fall to a Qi Refining Stage 9 cultivator.
The path to immortality was long.
One thought led to life, another to death.
On the road of life and death, one seeks immortality.