"These people aren't from the County City forces!" Ji Yuan said in a deep voice.
He was crouching beside a first-realm cultivator who had fainted, examining the condition of the person's body.
"And this person only started cultivating less than two months ago!"
He turned to look at the other three, his expression becoming rather peculiar.
Someone who had only been exposed to cultivation for less than two months but could possess a mid-Enlightenment realm cultivation was, let alone in Luoxia County, even in the entire Lingyang Prefecture, considered an extremely rare genius.
Zhao Yuansong and the other two were also taken aback. Filled with suspicion, they approached the unconscious individuals. After a brief examination of their internal conditions, the solemnity in their eyes intensified.
The first-realm cultivators they examined were largely consistent with what Ji Yuan had said; their cultivation times were all within two months, and their bodies had been tempered by vital energy to a very limited extent.
Finally, they discovered that even the three second-realm existences were the same. Their physique was no stronger than that of early-Enlightenment cultivators. It was no wonder they had the realm but couldn't utilize it, proving to be inferior even to rogue cultivators.
"Even with extraordinary talent, it's impossible to reach the second realm within two months!" Song He said solemnly.
What's more, they appeared in such numbers!
The group silently looked at these first and second-realm cultivators and martial artists, the shock in their hearts unspeakable.
"Old Song, break this person's seal!" Ji Yuan pondered for a long time before looking at Song He beside him.
Upon seeing this, the latter nodded immediately, formed a few hand seals, and sent out a stream of magical power, causing the ice crystals on the second-realm cultivator to quickly dissipate.
After more than ten breaths, the solid ice crystals turned into puddles of water, and the second-realm cultivator regained his freedom. However, Song He had held back and did not unseal the suppressed magical power within the person's body.
"I didn't expect you to catch me." The person said helplessly as soon as he caught his breath.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan and the other three were stunned for a moment, then their gazes turned peculiar. A single sentence was enough for them to glean much information.
"You're not from the Shenxuan Sect?" Seeing this, the second-realm cultivator was also taken aback and didn't react for a while.
His question, however, caused Song He and his wife's eyebrows to twitch. Without a word, they unleashed a stream of magical power, causing the person's eyes to roll back as he fainted.
But that alone wasn't enough for them. They silently cast spells, injecting a series of seals into the person's mind.
Ji Yuan and Zhao Yuansong exchanged glances, standing by silently. Despite their immense confusion, they did not speak up to interrupt.
It took a full quarter of an hour before Song He let out a long sigh and stopped casting the spell. He then turned to the two beside him.
"The Shenxuan Sect is the oldest sect in Chongyuan Prefecture, having produced several immortal figures in its history," he said with a grim expression. "This sect acts domineeringly and arrogantly, resorting to coercion at the slightest disagreement. They are utterly unreasonable."
When he traveled the world in his early years, he had encountered Shenxuan Sect disciples in Chongyuan Prefecture. He personally witnessed how, after failing to pressure someone over a spiritual herb they both desired, the disciples had gathered their fellow sect members and secretly attacked, severely injuring the person and destroying their foundation.
Such incidents were commonplace for Shenxuan Sect cultivators, and they had committed even more outrageous deeds.
"It's impossible for these people to go from ordinary individuals who never cultivated to having first and second-realm cultivation within two months, unless they encountered an unimaginable fortuitous encounter." Song He said gravely. "But no matter what kind of fortuitous encounter it was, if it has any connection to the Shenxuan Sect, it's best for us to stay far away and have absolutely no involvement!"
This was why he had previously acted to seal the person's memories with seals.
Once entangled with the Shenxuan Sect, the outcome was rarely good. Those arrogant individuals never reasoned with outsiders.
Ji Yuan and Zhao Yuansong exchanged glances. From Song He's words, they also sensed the gravity of the situation. If what he said was true, given the unreasonable and domineering nature of the Shenxuan Sect, any involvement with these people would likely draw them into trouble. And with their frail bodies, encountering such individuals would not end well. A force that could dominate a prefecture, making even the prefect retreat, was not something ordinary people could withstand. Even the Nine Profound Gate would likely have difficulty dealing with them.
"You should also forget about ambushing the County City forces. We absolutely cannot leave any traces of our involvement!" Song He said with a solemn expression, advising against continuing their original plan.
The people who appeared here might have intercepted a major fortuitous encounter from the Shenxuan Sect, thus gaining first and second-realm cultivation from an ordinary person out of nowhere. And judging by the attitude of the second-realm cultivator, the Shenxuan Sect was clearly pursuing and searching for them. If they left any traces at this moment, and were targeted by the Shenxuan Sect, it would be quite troublesome. Those accustomed to arrogance and high-handedness would not reason with you.
"Let's hurry and leave this place. If the Shenxuan Sect thinks we're accomplices..." Zhou Yuyan shook her head, her face also filled with helplessness.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan sighed. They could only do so now. However, before leaving, he glanced at the carriages on the official road and the unconscious crowd. He suddenly gritted his teeth, "We've already done this much, why not go all the way!"
He tapped his forehead, opened his Purple Mansion, and a white jade flying sword shot out. Under his mental control, wherever the white jade flying sword passed, carriages vanished into thin air, being collected into the vast space within the sword. After collecting over twenty carriages, the white jade flying sword spun and swept past the unconscious individuals, taking all their strong bows, arrows, and weapons.
As the flying sword merged back into his forehead, Ji Yuan still felt it wasn't enough. He personally began to search, and indeed, he found a pile of valuables, amounting to about several thousand taels of silver when all collected. He even found an ancient-looking Mountain River Pouch on the second-realm cultivator and martial artist.
"The carriages and valuables are one thing, but this Mountain River Pouch might contain what the Shenxuan Sect is looking for," Song He reminded him.
However, Ji Yuan was unconcerned. In his words, since they had already stumbled into this, it was better to go all the way rather than end up with nothing and still worry about being targeted by the Shenxuan Sect. Regardless, whether they acted or not, the probability of the Shenxuan Sect discovering their involvement was basically the same, so why should they be concerned?
The few exchanged bitter smiles, unsure how to refute.
"Let's hurry. The team from the County City will arrive soon." Ji Yuan glanced towards the end of the official road and said to the few around him.
Hearing this, Zhao Yuansong and Song He's couple nodded. Before leaving this place, they did their best to erase all traces of their presence.
That night, the four of them quietly scaled the city walls, avoiding all sightlines, and silently returned to the Xuan Tian Guan. Due to the Shenxuan Sect, Song He and his wife did not intend to return to Luohun Slope for the time being, and with the Ming Xin Xuan being a place with many prying eyes, they could only stay in the Taoist temple temporarily.
"What kind of mess is this? How did we get entangled with the Shenxuan Sect out of the blue!" In the small hut, Ji Yuan lay on the table, his face full of distress. On the way back, he had fully understood the sect's overbearing and unreasonable nature, as well as the basis for their arrogance, from Song He. As an ancient sect in Chongyuan Prefecture, the Shenxuan Sect's overt strength might not be the strongest, but it was not far off. Their sect had a powerful figure as its guardian, five great cultivators who had formed Golden Cores, and over a dozen cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage. Their disciples in the first and second realms numbered over three hundred. Such strength and foundation indeed gave them the qualification to be arrogant and domineering. And not just within Chongyuan Prefecture, but even in other prefectures, the Shenxuan Sect was equally overbearing, not tempering their temper even when facing the imperial court.
"An item that can grant ordinary people first and second-realm cultivation out of nowhere is definitely not a common fortuitous encounter." Zhao Yuansong pondered. "Given the Shenxuan Sect's disposition, they will likely want to eliminate all those who know about it." And what they did, regardless of Ji Yuan's final scavenging, if the Shenxuan Sect grasped even a sliver of a clue, they could face great disaster. According to Song He, there was once a second-realm cultivator who accidentally entered an ancient immortal's cave dwelling excavated by the Shenxuan Sect. However, they gained nothing, only passing through it. But afterward, the sect to which this second-realm cultivator belonged had its mountain gate destroyed overnight, and over a hundred people were slaughtered. Although no one had concrete evidence, even a fool could infer that this matter was inseparable from the Shenxuan Sect.
"Not to mention, this fortuitous encounter might have already fallen into our hands." Song He's words caused the gazes of the others to fall on Ji Yuan.
How could a mere second-realm cultivator, who was even an ordinary mortal two months ago, possess an expensive Mountain River Pouch? Moreover, the style of this Mountain River Pouch indicated it was old, at least several hundred, if not over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's expression shifted. He immediately took out the Mountain River Pouch from his懷 and handed it to Song He beside him. After all, the original owner of this Mountain River Pouch was a second-realm cultivator. Unless one possessed magical power of the same level or higher, forceful refinement was impossible. And among the four, Song He was skilled in formations and possessed profound knowledge of seals, making him the most capable of refining this item.
However, as soon as the Mountain River Pouch entered his grasp, and a stream of magical power was poured into it, Song He's expression became rather strange.
"That second-realm cultivator... is already dead!" he said, his eyes flickering.
As soon as he said this, the expressions of the other three drastically changed, and their gazes became unpredictable.
Could it be... the Shenxuan Sect's people had already caught up?