Chapter 94: Escape

Chen Luo and his companions ran swiftly, but the iron corpse behind them killed even faster.

After dispatching the Tianjian Peak disciples, it instantly teleported to the side of the remaining Wanwu Peak disciple.

“I’ll take you down with me!”

Realizing escape was futile, the desperate Wanwu Peak disciple crushed his lifebound insect. His power surged from the fifth to the sixth layer of Qi Refinement instantaneously. Black-purple venomous insects emerged from his skin, aiming for mutual destruction.

However, the approaching iron corpse disregarded these toxic creatures. With its pitch-black hand, it grabbed the disciple’s neck effortlessly. The intense poison flowed over the iron corpse’s undead flesh, leaving not even a mark.

The disparity was too vast; risking everything held no significance, akin to ants attempting to topple a tree.

The iron corpse’s fangs pierced through the disciple’s neck, draining him into an empty shell within moments.

Discarding the body, the iron corpse stomped its dark foot on the ground. The blue bricks shattered, forming a lotus-shaped crater.

In mid-air, the iron corpse shifted direction once more, lunging towards Lian Qiang at the rear. To the iron corpse, the robust blood qi of Shendao Peak disciples represented the most delectable nourishment.

Suddenly, an unexpected event unfolded.

Boom!

A terrifying gust of wind descended from above, slamming into the iron corpse’s back and abruptly altering its trajectory, driving it deep into the ground. Moments later, a beam of golden light descended as an immortal crane with golden wings alighted, firmly stepping on the iron corpse’s back.

The immense force pressed down further, burying the already sunken iron corpse even deeper.

“It’s Uncle-Master Chengfeng from Wu Dao Peak!” Lian Qiang, running at the rear, exclaimed excitedly.

His words were met only by the relentless gale created by the descending Soaring Crane. With a flap of its wings, the surrounding air exploded, lifting debris from the collapsed houses in a whirlwind. At the center, dense streams of astral winds formed a lotus shape, scattering wildly in all directions.

Boom!

Lian Qiang, being the slowest runner, was struck on the head by a flying rock, catapulting him forward past Chen Luo and his companions with a whoosh.

“Hurry, run! That’s Uncle-Master Chengfeng’s life source ability, Aerokinesis.”

Behind Chen Luo, the Wu Dao Peak disciple’s face paled as he sprinted desperately, pushing his spiritual energy to its maximum limit. He couldn’t help but lament not having extra legs for speed.

Fortunately, Soaring Crane seemed mindful of their presence, directing fewer astral winds towards them.

Seizing this opportunity, the group successfully escaped the combat zone.

Foundation Establishment! Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator was drawn into the fray.

Had it not been for Soaring Crane’s timely arrival, most likely none of them would have survived.

“Aerokinesis has become truly terrifying—befitting a Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

The rugged Lian Qiang, with his tough physique, stood up and rubbed his head, his eyes gleaming with admiration as he watched Soaring Crane descend from the sky.

Disciples of Divine Fire Peak were known for their resilience.

Despite being struck by such a massive boulder, Lian Qiang emerged unscathed.

Now, Soaring Crane had fully engaged the iron corpse in battle. The hidden necromancer was also forced out, joining forces to counter Soaring Crane’s Aerokinesis.

“Only in the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator does a divine ability reveal its true power.”

Junior Brother Du stopped alongside Lian Qiang, both gazing intently at the three figures locked in combat ahead.

Witnessing a confrontation between Foundation Establishment cultivators was a sight most people might never encounter in their lifetime.

“Qi Refinement is merely the threshold; Foundation Establishment marks the beginning of true cultivation.”

Chen Luo observed the scene, having somewhat anticipated Soaring Crane’s intervention. Earlier, when leaving the mountain, he offered provisions to Soaring Crane, but the elder paid him no heed. It now seemed clear that from that moment on, this ‘Uncle-Master’ had likely been accompanying them discreetly.

The Divine Lake Immortal Sect wasn’t entirely uninformed; likely, its higher echelons had already engaged with both factions before. It was just that these Qi Refinement disciples were unaware.

As Soaring Crane and the necromancer continued their battle, their fury intensified, unleashing increasingly powerful divine abilities. Gradually, they moved away from Xixia Market towards another direction.

Although thunderclouds still loomed overhead, they had drifted beyond the market’s boundaries.

The group did not pursue to spectate. A confrontation between Foundation Establishment cultivators posed too great a risk for mid-Qi Refinement disciples, as one misstep could cost them their lives.

“Now what?” a junior disciple from Wu Dao Peak whispered.

“Let’s return to the sect first. Since Uncle-Master Chengfeng has arrived, there’s little we can contribute now. Staying here serves no purpose,” suggested Junior Brother Du.

The situation on the battlefield had shifted, making it clear that even if they wanted to help, they lacked the capability. Rather than lingering anxiously, it was wiser to depart promptly.

After a brief discussion, they swiftly composed themselves and retraced their steps back along the path.

Passing through the cultivators’ trading area, Chen Luo and his companions deliberately observed the civilians outside.

Just beyond the street, life seemed unaffected, as though nothing amiss had occurred.

This demonstrated to Chen Luo the immense power of formations. When the opportunity arose, he resolved to strengthen his knowledge of them further.

“Immortal Masters, has the trouble been resolved?”

As they emerged, several civilian guards who had anxiously awaited outside hurried over to inquire. The Xixia Market was their livelihood; if it were destroyed, they would be uncertain where to go for survival.

“Wait and see. You’ll be notified once there’s a resolution,” replied the disciple from Wu Dao Peak indifferently.

Despite his disheveled state inside, as soon as he faced these mortals, his superior demeanor swiftly returned.

Lian Qiang and Junior Brother Du paid no heed to the guards, bypassing them directly and heading back along the same path.

They arrived on a flying boat, but now they must rely on themselves to depart.

The journey away went smoothly.

With powerful cultivators from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect arriving, all conflicts converged within Xixia Market itself. Once clear of this storm center, the surroundings became unexpectedly calm.

The group approached the market guards and purchased a horse-drawn carriage.

Lian Qiang covered the cost, having accumulated considerable silver from frequent missions off the mountain.

The group of four sat in the carriage, swaying as they journeyed towards the nearest market. Being in the Qi Refinement stage, they couldn’t sustain long-distance travel using spiritual energy, especially needing to conserve it for potential dangers along the way. Thus, their only choice was to rely on a horse-drawn carriage.

“Once we reach the next market, we can spend some money and take an intercity airship.”

Previously, Xixia Market offered intercity airships operated by local merchants. However, with the market now devastated, they had no choice but to head to the subsequent one.

On their arrival, they traveled high above in luxury aboard an intercity airship; now, on their departure, they were relegated to a worn-out horse-drawn carriage, looking quite disheveled.

This single mission had revealed to Chen Luo different facets of the cultivation world he hadn’t witnessed before.

“Junior Brother Du, I still don’t know your full name,” Chen Luo asked from within the carriage.

“My name is Shen Du. I’m a cultivator from Yi Country, and Elder Sister Chu comes from the same village as me.” After enduring hardships together, the group had grown closer. Even the quiet Wu Dao Peak disciple, who barely made his presence felt, shared his name: Fang Shan, hailing from Changnan Country.

As conversation flowed, everyone’s expressions visibly relaxed.

Finally, Chen Luo understood why he felt Shen Du was unique—it was due to his constitution. Shen Du possessed a rare ‘Poison King Body,’ which greatly enhanced his proficiency in cultivating poison-based divine abilities. Techniques that others would struggle immensely to learn, enduring great pain, came effortlessly to him. This revelation broadened Chen Luo’s perspective, realizing that beyond spiritual roots, other factors could influence one’s aptitude in the cultivation world. It inadvertently reminded him of his own external brains.

Initially, Chen Luo had no innate talent for immortal cultivation or even martial arts.

He was considered utterly devoid of potential in both realms.

The external brains transformed his aptitude, granting him the capabilities for both martial training and immortal cultivation. However, there were still many unanswered questions regarding this phenomenon, particularly concerning the mummified brain.

This brain felt distinctly peculiar; it was unclear whether its unusual state stemmed from severe damage or incomplete extraction. Often, the mummified brain seemed half-dreamlike, only providing occasional feedback when fully awake—a behavior distinct from his other external brains.

After about half a day,

the carriage arrived at a small town.

As night fell, after some discussion, they decided to rest for the evening at this location, giving their horses a break and replenishing fodder.

Inside a room,

Chen Luo sat cross-legged.

The recent mission had exposed him to the perilous nature of conflicts between cultivators, particularly the final confrontation between Soaring Crane Chengfeng and the iron corpse.

The potency of divine abilities wielded by Foundation Establishment cultivators was deeply etched in his memory. Currently, he would not stand a chance against them, much like the deceased Wanwu Peak disciples, lacking even the means for mutual destruction.

Chen Luo assessed his strengths and weaknesses, beginning to reassess his path forward.

“Firstly, my divine abilities.”

He reviewed the powers under his control: his primary cultivation technique, the Spirit Comprehension Art, along with the True Immortal Classic, which he had abandoned. It wasn’t that the True Immortal Classic lacked strength; rather, he only possessed its introductory portion up to the first level of Qi Refinement, making further cultivation impossible without additional texts.

To continue mastering this technique learned from the White Immortal Cave, he needed to find the associated sect.

Chen Luo had diligently sought information about the White Immortal Cave, but unfortunately, no one seemed to have heard of it. Even the sect’s ‘History of the Cultivation World’ made no mention of it. Whether it had been annihilated or existed elsewhere remained unknown.

The memory of his apprenticeship at the White Immortal Cave remained vividly etched in Chen Luo’s mind.

Regarding divine abilities and techniques, he had learned the little spell ‘Dream Entry Technique’ and the divine ability ‘Divine Soul Technique.’

Little spells were considered introductory, suitable for dealing with mortals but somewhat inadequate against cultivators. To enhance his strength, Chen Luo needed to focus on mastering the Divine Soul Technique.

In essence, the Divine Soul Technique was comparable to Aerokinesis. The reason Soaring Crane could wield Aerokinesis so effectively was due to his immense power.

With a Foundation Establishment base, any divine ability naturally becomes formidable.

‘Craft a magical drum using beast hides to amplify the Divine Soul Technique through sound attacks.’

‘Sacrificially refine one’s voice, utilizing the Crying Name Technique as a cover, which requires learning another divine ability—the Crying Name Technique beforehand.’

The active external brain provided methods to strengthen the Divine Soul Technique.