The disciples had long grown accustomed to Elder Hong Tian's frequent admonishments.
It could be said that among the inner disciples, any whose cultivation realm was passable had at least once accompanied him on errands and experienced similar situations.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ji Yuan consumed a few pills to restore his spiritual power and began meditating, circulating his energy.
As his eyes slowly closed, his mind teemed with thoughts.
First, he meticulously reviewed the refining method of a certain magical artifact from the Xuan Tian Dao Jing. Then, he began to ponder a question.
How did the ancestral masters of the Xuan Tian lineage solve the problem of insufficient spiritual power?
Certainly, whether it was the Daoist Sutra volume or the Sword Art volume of the Xuan Tian Dao Jing, each realm cultivated possessed spiritual power in both quality and quantity far exceeding that of cultivators at the same level.
However, the various techniques recorded in both cultivation manuals consumed an unbearable amount of spiritual power when employed.
Even Ji Yuan, after cultivating the Jiu Yuan Chong Shui Jing and the Jiu Lian Mi Fa, found it overwhelming and dared not freely unleash his various abilities in combat.
Yet, he was confident that his understanding of both cultivation manuals was without error. He had often re-examined them thoroughly in recent days but had consistently found nothing amiss.
"Compared to the ancestral masters, what am I lacking?"
He murmured to himself, feeling a sense of helplessness.
According to some records in the Xuan Tian Dao Jing, the ancestral masters of the Xuan Tian Temple, whether they cultivated the Daoist Sutra volume or the Sword Art volume, seemingly never lacked spiritual power.
The former wielded myriad techniques with their palms, while the latter cleaved heaven and earth with a single sword. Regardless of the method, the spiritual power required was immense.
Several hours later, Ji Yuan's spiritual power had largely recovered. He slowly opened his eyes, preparing to hand over the items to Elder Hong Tian.
However, at that very moment, a sudden feeling of dread washed over him, as if a great crisis was rapidly approaching.
He could sense Elder Hong Tian's aura instantly sharpening, his entire body tensing as if facing a formidable enemy.
In a flash, Ji Yuan struck the crown of his head and then spat out a stream of light.
A nine-story miniature pagoda appeared above his head, spinning and casting down countless rays of pure light, shielding the flying artifact within.
BOOM!!!
Almost simultaneously, a deafening roar echoed, and everyone on the artifact felt a massive impact!
Fortunately, the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda's protection prevented them from falling off the artifact.
Ji Yuan immediately turned to look. Through the gaps in the shimmering light, he could see several figures emerging in the distant sky.
"It's those old fellows from the Ling Xuan Sect!"
Xue Yang's voice rang out, and the expressions of several inner disciples darkened.
The so-called Ling Xuan Sect was the sect that had previously poisoned them, attempting to force them to swear oaths and willingly accept restrictions to join their ranks.
Among the figures in the distance, the leader was the sect's three-realm cultivator, the elder of considerable wealth.
Beside him now stood three others, a woman and two men, all appearing to be in their middle ages and possessing an aura that was incredibly close to the mid-stage realm.
No!
Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened as he focused on one of the cultivators dressed as a Daoist priest. Despite the distance of dozens of feet, he could still feel a pressure emanating from the opponent's aura.
Ming Dao Realm, mid-stage!
And not just any ordinary mid-stage cultivator!
"You all go on ahead!"
He commanded in a low voice, then abruptly stood up and stepped off the flying artifact.
The Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda retracted its radiant light and hovered above him, spinning and exuding a profound and mystical aura.
Elder Hong Tian glanced back, then silently urged the flying artifact, causing its speed to abruptly increase.
He said nothing more, not even a hint of worry in his eyes. Although they were facing four three-realm cultivators, he trusted that Ji Yuan's cultivation realm was more than capable of handling them.
"Little thief!"
Upon seeing the figure of the young Daoist priest, the elder from the Ling Xuan Sect let out an enraged roar.
Although his injuries had not fully healed and his aura appeared somewhat weak, he immediately surged forward and flicked several magical artifacts from his sleeve.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the opponent to possess so many magical artifacts.
Earlier, at the opponent's sect, he had already produced over ten magical artifacts, each of good quality. However, they were either destroyed in battle, or their spiritual essence was greatly diminished, making them difficult to use in the short term.
He had even seized one, a raw embryo born from heaven and earth, containing thirteen innate restrictions!
Yet, despite all this, the opponent casually produced three or four more magical artifacts, seemingly unaffected.
"Duo Bao! Don't be rash!"
The middle-aged man, who possessed the highest cultivation, called out a warning.
But the elder seemed not to hear, his eyes burning with rage, wishing to flay the 'little thief' before him.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's heart stirred, and he suddenly began to understand why the opponent possessed so many magical artifacts.
The title of "Duo Bao" (Treasure Collector) was indeed fitting for him.
He flicked a finger, and the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda above his head shot through the air. The nine-story pagoda grew to several dozen feet in size as it met the wind.
As he formed a hand seal, streams of pure light descended, enshrouding the several magical artifacts and binding them.
While immobilizing these artifacts, the endless pure light also voraciously devoured their spiritual power and essence. In mere breaths, their spiritual essence was greatly depleted.
"Explode for this old man!"
The elder, named Duo Bao, let out a sharp cry.
The next moment, the several magical artifacts erupted with brilliant spiritual light and then detonated amidst violent fluctuations!
The powerful shockwave instantly repelled the streams of pure light, and under the elder's control, it actually sent the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda flying.
The elder showed no signs of pain, only boundless rage surging within him.
He shook his arms, and more magical artifacts descended from his sleeves, sacrificing themselves as they rushed towards the knocked-back Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda.
BOOM!
BOOM BOOM!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
A total of six or seven magical artifacts detonated in succession. The immense power they unleashed even caused Ji Yuan to temporarily lose his connection to the artifact!
At the same time, two figures suddenly appeared behind him. A male and a female three-realm cultivator, without a word, launched their magical artifacts.
A short sword pierced through the air, erupting with countless sword energies.
A ribbon also danced wildly in the air, as if filling the entire world.
"Kill him!"
The elder roared, a ferocious smile appearing on his face.