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The Guo Brothers heard that Xu Feng was also going to Xian City, and they couldn't help but feel delighted. Guo Ruolin said, "Xu Daoyou, if you are going to Xian City, you must come visit our Guo Family so I can be a good host. Additionally, it will be convenient to replenish this spirit stone for you."
Xu Feng just smiled and did not respond.
After taking the Revival Pill, Guo Donglin's injuries improved rapidly, and he was now recovering his spiritual energy.
The group of Golden Core Cultivators advanced quickly, overwhelming anyone who stood in their way. Xu Feng hadn't traveled far when he encountered other cultivators who were also being forced to retreat. A few unscrupulous cultivators were killed by Xu Feng and his companions working together. Xu Feng didn't dare to use too much strength; he only managed to knock down the opponents, with Guo Ruolin delivering the final blow.
The Guo Brothers were very satisfied with Xu Feng's performance. They felt that although Xu Feng's strength was average, he was clever and agile, and he was brave enough to fight, making him a good partner.
The three of them stopped among a pile of rubble.
Xu Feng said, "We can't keep going like this; we'll end up begging for mercy. I want to break through."
The Guo Brothers also knew that being pressured like this would eventually lead to being cornered. Guo Ruolin inquired about Guo Donglin's injuries and asked, "What does Xu Daoyou plan to do?"
"As we have traveled here, the terrain varies between wide and narrow. They have limited manpower; when they encounter wider areas, they will inevitably be less vigilant. We need to find that open spot and break through their defenses." Xu Feng had been here for a month and was relatively familiar with the terrain.
"Alright," Guo Ruolin had developed trust in Xu Feng through several battles, and since he didn't have a better plan himself, it was indeed difficult for someone at the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage to break through.
Suddenly, Xu Feng perked up and listened intently. "There's something going on; you all wait here." Xu Feng retreated nearly three hundred meters and concealed himself.
Through the interlacing shadows of the trees, he saw two Foundation Establishment Practitioners lying on the ground while Wang Zhen from Wuhua Island glared fiercely at them. Two rogue cultivators were forced to kneel.
One of the rogue cultivators pleaded, "Senior, we haven't harmed anyone from Wuhua Island; please spare us."
Wang Zhen replied, "To be honest with you, if you have spirit stones, you have your lives. If you're dead, it doesn't matter who killed you. Let me calculate: thirty thousand each; that's sixty thousand for both of you. If you're ten thousand short, I'll break one of your arms—choose wisely."
This was a life-threatening price; generally speaking, rogue cultivators only had a few thousand spirit stones at most. The Guo Brothers wouldn't even be able to produce that much. Wang Zhen's demand of thirty thousand made it clear that he wanted them dead.
Two wandering cultivators, who were strangers to each other, were in a tense situation. One of them, looking suspicious and seemingly hiding something, reluctantly said, "Senior, I only have two hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones. I hope you can make an exception." He pulled out a storage bag containing two hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones.
Wang Zhen grabbed the wandering cultivator and killed him with a single slap, saying, "You clearly have more spirit stones. Trying to play tricks in front of me with just two hundred and ninety thousand? The only outcome for you is death!" The cultivator was thrown far away and died instantly.
The other wandering cultivator was so frightened that he fainted on the spot. Wang Zhen unleashed a burst of energy, slicing the unconscious cultivator in half.
Xu Feng watched from a distance, astonished. This Wang Zhen was either insane or a demon king. It seemed that trying to bribe him would not work.
Xu Feng moved over a mile to the right and faintly heard the movements of another Golden Core Cultivator. He noted it mentally and then turned left, moving over another mile where he detected another Golden Core Cultivator nearby. The two were not far apart and moved erratically. Xu Feng had tried several times before to deceive them but had failed; the gaps between Golden Core Cultivators were fleeting, and once encountered, there would be no escape.
Xu Feng retreated into a cluster of rocks where the Guo Brothers were looking around, thinking Xu Feng had fled alone.
"Let's go that way; there's a madman in this area," Xu Feng led the two towards another direction, trying to avoid Wang Zhen's position. Not every Golden Core Cultivator was as insane as Wang Zhen.
As they walked, Xu Feng recounted what had just happened. The brothers were secretly alarmed; they felt fortunate not to have encountered Wang Zhen. Some Golden Core Cultivators could be placated with a few kind words and some humility, unlike Wang Zhen who openly killed for profit.
After walking four or five miles, they arrived at the bank of a river. On the other side was Xu Feng's bathing area from when he was in seclusion; he would wash there after every breakthrough. Now they were upstream on the river, which was less than twenty meters wide and varied in depth due to years of accumulated fallen leaves, creating deep silt at the bottom.
Guo Ruolin found a dry spot and leaped across to the other side. Xu Feng hesitated to move while Guo Donglin stopped when he saw Xu Feng wasn't crossing either.
The river twisted through the forest, having turned countless bends from its source to its mouth, effectively splitting the woods into two sides. Some sections were significantly wider than others but went largely unnoticed.
Xu Feng broke off a branch and inserted it into the water to measure its depth.
Seeing Xu Feng take so long to cross, Guo Ruolin jumped back and understood his intention upon observing his actions. He exclaimed, "Right! How did I not think of that?"
Xu Feng had recalled a method from a movie where members of the Honghu Red Guards escaped from enemies by using a hollow tube to breathe underwater while evading pursuit. This simple method might be worth trying in this modern context.
Guo Donglin expressed doubt: "Will that work? A Golden Core Cultivator's spiritual sense is very strong; if they are deliberately searching for us, it won't be hard for them to find us."
"Just try it and you'll know." Xu Feng chopped several bamboo stalks, infused them with spiritual energy, and created a five-meter-long hollow bamboo pole by connecting them together.
"I'll go down first; you all stay here." Xu Feng jumped into the water, which was a bit cold and had a strong smell of decay.
Xu Feng submerged about three meters underwater, reached the bottom, and pushed off forcefully. The soft mud came up to his thighs as he dug out a large pit, then he plunged into it and covered himself with mud again. The five-meter-long bamboo stick extended above the water's surface, providing fresh air.
Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage can hold their breath for an extended period. Xu Feng specifically prepared the bamboo for ventilation, fearing that if a battle broke out above, he might be trapped for hours, which would be quite troublesome.
The voices of the Guo Brothers clearly transmitted through the water's surface. Xu Feng held his breath, allowing his spiritual energy to flow into his Dantian, lying still in the mud like a corpse.
The river surface was calm and dark, showing no signs of anything unusual.
Five minutes later, Xu Feng broke through the water's surface.
"I can hear you. If my calculations are correct, I can hear normal conversations within twenty meters." Xu Feng cleaned the mud off his body.
Guo Ruolin said, "We can't sense your presence at all from above; we can only feel the flow of the river and the movement of fish."
Xu Feng nodded and shared some underwater conditions with the two, reminding them to keep the mud on their bodies to regulate their internal spiritual energy. This was all to ensure personal information wouldn't leak excessively, thus reducing the chances of being discovered. After all, a Golden Core Cultivator's spiritual awareness is much stronger than that of a Foundation Establishment Practitioner.
The two brothers made two long bamboo poles for ventilation just like Xu Feng. Xu Feng instructed, "Once the bamboo is submerged, keep it close to your side and only use it if absolutely necessary." A Foundation Establishment Practitioner can hold their breath for a sufficient amount of time as long as they manage their timing well.
The three walked along the riverbank for a while until they selected a suitable stretch of river to hide in.
Xu Feng set up several simple traps about ten meters upstream and downstream. He bent large trees into a certain arc and tied them with Azure Vine, creating several locks so that if someone passed by carelessly touched them, the trees would spring up to attack. These traps were extremely rudimentary; they wouldn't injure anyone, not even a wild dog. However, they made quite a noise and were interconnected—triggering one would set off the others.
Xu Feng's main purpose in doing this was to confirm the movements of any pursuers; having two sets of traps acted like an alarm system for both detection and resolution of situations.
Seeing Xu Feng busy yet meticulous in his preparations, the Guo Brothers couldn't help but nod secretly, feeling even more confident in him.
After finishing the tasks related to Shore, the three of them submerged into the water, leaving only half of their heads above the surface, waiting silently for the Golden Core Cultivator to chase after them before slipping completely underwater.
After about ten minutes, there was noticeable commotion ahead, but it did not come any closer. Occasional shouts and curses indicated that a group of formidable loose cultivators was besieging a Golden Core Cultivator.
Although the Golden Core Cultivator was at a higher level, there were limits. Taking on five opponents was manageable, but facing ten was much more challenging.
It seemed that the fleeing loose cultivators could no longer tolerate the situation and had decided to join forces to attack a Golden Core Cultivator. Some desperate individuals figured that since they were doomed anyway, they might as well take a chance. There was even a possibility of survival.
Xu Feng exchanged glances with the other two, then gently emerged from the water, leaping to the opposite bank and disappearing into the forest.
Before long, intense sounds of battle erupted from within the woods.
“Yan Da, you can't escape. We have no enmity; if you surrender, I promise I won't harm you.”
“Screw you! You think capturing me will benefit you? Once everyone arrives, you won't get anything at all.”
“What I want is your treasure, not your life. If you don't surrender soon, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance.” The fighting grew fiercer.
“Ah! You... you actually used poison! You bastard, how could you be so vicious... ah!” Someone had been poisoned and injured.
Both voices were loud enough for anyone within two or three miles to hear clearly.
The group engaged in battle on the opposite bank immediately halted.
“That's right; I recognize Yan Da's voice. It's him!”
“Hurry up and seize him; it’ll be too late if we wait!”
“Hey, watch where you're stepping! Don't scuff my shoes, you bastard!”
"Wen Zhuo, can I borrow your Superior Spirit Sword for a while? Just half an hour, and I'll give you ten thousand spirit stones."
People from all sides rushed in, and the Golden Core Cultivators stopped killing. Relying on their superior skills, they quickly made their way to the front.
The Guo Brothers were startled. Turning around, they saw Xu Feng rushing over like the wind. As he approached the water's edge, he dove into the water, signaling the two to quickly submerge.
The two weren't foolish; seeing the chaos in the forest, they immediately understood and submerged themselves.
In less than a minute, various sounds of people leaping across the river echoed, moving at incredible speed, wishing their parents had given them two more legs.
The three of them lay still underwater, not daring to move an inch. The opportunity set by Xu Feng was soon triggered, with loud noises coming from both sides of the trees before quickly calming down again.
Clearly, the crowd had passed by.
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