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墨書 Inktalez
The extermination order this time was no different. In the initial months, the fierce assaults by the Human Cultivators around the Ten Thousand Great Mountains were indeed relentless. However, they soon became lax.
The Mengzhou Cultivation Realm, located closer to the territory of the demon tribes in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, was the first to notice this trend and dared not venture in lightly. Those Loose Cultivators far from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, however, remained oblivious and continued to form teams to hunt for Demon Beast Materials.
These six Cultivators were among the survivors. Although there were six of them, they were the remaining members of four teams who had gathered together. The leader among them, Qi Guoren, not only had the highest cultivation level but also possessed a magical artifact. He was undoubtedly the strongest among them and was informally recognized as their leader.
Initially discovering Xunuo, they knew that his cultivation level was not high. However, considering that he had managed to survive here, he must have some skills or perhaps be accompanied by a powerful ally. If they could join forces, it would increase their chances of survival. Upon hearing that Xunuo was being pursued here, their spirits immediately sank.
However, Qi Guoren did not seem to reject Xunuo. The others looked at Xunuo with disdain and contempt, but Qi Guoren chuckled and said, "Since we have crossed paths, it must be fate. Why not explore a passage together in search of a way out?"
Xunuo understood the situation and realized that once inside the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, it was easy to enter but hard to exit. He vaguely guessed that this matter had a significant connection to him and dared not reveal that he had caused this calamity.
After pondering for a moment, Xunuo said, "There is only one passage guarded by a Pig Demon; if we charge through, there should be a chance of survival. Why are you all still lingering here?"
Qi Guoren sighed and replied, "Xue Dao You may not know this. Currently, all passages out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains are guarded by two Fourth-Level Beasts. The old tricks of luring away the tiger won't work anymore. If we want to force our way through, we are simply not strong enough."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo's expression darkened. The ambush plan he had devised was no longer feasible. If it were just one Pig Demon, he might dare to take the risk; but with two Fourth-Level Beasts guarding the passage simultaneously, attempting to go alone would be tantamount to seeking death.
Realizing it was impossible to break through alone, Xunuo knew he had to rely on a team. With a bitter smile, he said, "I possess limited abilities and do not know if I can be of help to you all."
In contrast to the disdain from the other five, Qi Guoren remained humble. He said, "Xue Dao You is too modest. We are all Human Cultivators trapped in a land overrun by demon beasts; we must support each other if we wish to survive. I am unworthy but have hunted demon beasts in this territory several times and know some routes. The surviving friends have temporarily elected me as a guide. If Xue Dao You does not mind, let us join forces and seek a way out together."
Hearing this, Xunuo felt moved: since his debut in cultivation, he had encountered both Dongfang Yunqing and Qi Guoren—gentlemen of great virtue and integrity.
Xunuo was confused, wondering whether the Cultivation world was truly this harmonious or if it was just his good fortune. He thought aimlessly in his heart while hurriedly replying, "If fellow Daoist does not abandon me, Xunuo shall follow and obey your commands."
Qi Guoren chuckled and said, "How did you end up in such a state, Xue Dao You?"
Xunuo then recounted how he had been chased into a deep lake by two Wolf Demons. Naturally, he omitted mentioning the Mysterious Cavern and only mentioned that he had managed to climb ashore after the two Wolf Demons left, thanks to the Reattachment Ointment that saved his life.
After hearing Xunuo's story, a young cultivator named Changsun Wujie remarked, "It's quite remarkable that Xue Dao You is still alive."
The people from Qi Country laughed and said, "This indicates that Xue Dao You has good fortune. We hope to borrow some of that luck to escape this predicament."
Finished speaking, he patted his storage bag at his waist and produced a set of robes and boots, handing them to Xunuo. "I see you were in a hurry and didn't bring any essentials. I have an extra set of clothes here; consider it a gift for you."
Xunuo quickly accepted the items with both hands and expressed his gratitude. Although these were just ordinary items, they resolved a very awkward problem for him at the moment.
After changing into the clothes, they rested for a moment before quietly setting off in one direction. Along the way, the young cultivator Liu Kaishan briefly explained the situation to Xunuo.
It turned out that among Liu Kaishan's companions who had entered the Ten Thousand Great Mountains with him, there were two experts skilled in Basic Skill Method and Eleven Layers. Unfortunately, shortly after entering the mountains, they encountered a group of Golden Devouring Mice, which scattered their team in an instant.
Fortunately, they had previously agreed on a rendezvous point in case they got separated.
Liu Kaishan was lucky. Just when he was being chased by several Golden Devouring Mice with no way to escape, he stumbled upon Qi Guoren's group, who had gathered together temporarily. They had means to deal with such first-level monsters. Moreover, these individuals had suffered greatly at the hands of the beasts and were filled with pent-up frustration. Each unleashed their powerful techniques and swiftly eliminated the Golden Devouring Mice, saving Liu Kaishan. He also mentioned that there were several other high-level cultivators among his companions.
After discussing among themselves, Qi Guoren's group decided to first regroup with these experts before attempting to break out. Encountering Xunuo along the way was merely an interlude. The group moved stealthily and did not dare to increase their speed. Qi Guoren kept his Divine Sense fully activated at the front to scout ahead.
After traveling for a day as night fell, Qi Guoren gathered everyone beneath a cliff. He took out a weapon that resembled both a sword and a hook from his storage bag. In an instant, it opened up a cave about five or six zhang wide in the cliffside, allowing everyone to enter and rest inside.
Qi Guoren took out two soil-colored triangular flags, each about three inches tall. He planted these flags on either side of the cave entrance. Moments later, a thick white mist enveloped the area, completely obscuring the cave's mouth.
Only then did Qi Guoren relax and sit down. With a faint smile, he said, "The beasts in the forest are more active and ferocious at night than during the day. We should stay here for the night and set out in the morning when it’s safer."
He glanced at Xunuo, who understood that this remark was directed at him. Through their conversations along the way, it became clear to everyone that Xunuo was a novice in the world of cultivation, and not just an ordinary one at that.
Xunuo didn’t mind this at all. Seeing Qi Guoren looking over, he quickly asked, "What spell did you use to create the mist at the entrance?"
Qi Guoren didn’t find it bothersome and replied slowly, "This is not a spell; it is a formation. The concept of formations has a long history. In ancient times, when Daoist Sects were powerful and cultivators had immense abilities, they would form arrays using people. It is said that the Mighty Chaos Formation from ancient times was set up by tens of thousands of cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage or above, capable of trapping an entire realm. Even Spirit Realm Immortals would be trapped and perish within it. However, with the rise of the demon race and Buddhist Sects, the Daoist Sects have weakened. No sect today has the capability to deploy large-scale formations using their disciples."
"Nevertheless, throughout history, there have always been talented individuals within the Daoist Sects. Since they can no longer rely on manpower to set up formations, they created formations using flags as carriers, inscribing talismanic runes on them as sources of power. By arranging these flags according to formation diagrams, they can still exert significant effects. However, formations set up with flags are less flexible than those established by ancient Daoist Sects using human power; their functions tend to be more singular. The great formations of old could change in myriad ways—Killing Formations, Illusion Arrays, trapping arrays, Defense Formations—anyone caught within them faced certain death."
"The two flags I have set up create what is called the Azure Cloud Illusion Formation. Its only purpose is to obscure vision and slightly shield against some magical fluctuations. A powerful surge of magic can easily break through it; it does not provide any defensive capabilities."
Xunuo gazed at the white mist outside for a moment and thought: this is quite useful; it doesn’t rely on my own magical power and serves as an aid in both offense and defense. He then considered Duan Kong Wo's cave; it too must be protected by a formation. As for its peculiarities, those were beyond Xunuo's novice understanding.
The group rested in this makeshift cave for one night. At dawn, under Qi Guoren's guidance, they quietly departed.
They traveled by day and rested by night for five days. While circumventing a towering mountain that pierced the clouds, they finally encountered danger—coming face to face with two Third-Grade Monsters.
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