The journey was not easy, as the group included many elderly individuals and frail women and children, forcing them to travel along the official road.
This, naturally, made encountering the rebel forces unavoidable.
Fortunately, the rebel patrols dispatched were not exceptionally powerful, with the strongest cultivator among them only being at the mid-stage of the second realm.
However, the pursuing enemy that followed proved to be troublesome.
Even with Zhao Yuebai, Lu Yuzhe, and Zheng Jiaxing present, they found themselves in perilous situations several times.
On more than one occasion, Li Junxian harbored thoughts of abandoning these mortals.
It was not out of coldheartedness, but because if this continued, not only would it be impossible to protect them, but their own lives would likely be in jeopardy.
Li Junxian understood that even if he and Zheng Wanrong perished, it would have little impact on Xuantian Peak.
But if Zhao Yuebai and the other two met with misfortune, even Jiuxuan Sect might suffer losses!
The innate talent of these three was simply too extraordinary. Given enough time to mature, they might even have a chance to become one of the Ten Heavenly Talents in the future.
In decades or even a century, they might successfully form a Golden Core!
A Great Cultivator of the Golden Core realm was an invaluable asset to Jiuxuan Sect!
"They're here again!"
Zhao Yuebai's expression shifted, his potent spiritual sense detecting the approach of enemies from behind.
Moments later, his complexion changed dramatically, and he said in a solemn tone, "It's a third-realm cultivator!"
Even from a considerable distance, he was certain of the powerful aura; only cultivators above the third realm could possess such a presence!
"You all go, I'll cover your retreat!"
Lu Yuzhe said solemnly.
As his words fell, the spiritual energy within him surged, the five elements circulating ceaselessly. Despite his cultivation being only at the early stage of the second realm, he exuded an aura comparable to the late stage.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Zheng Jiaxing's face darkened. "If we go, we go together; if we stay, we stay together!"
He did not believe that this somewhat dim-witted fellow could truly hold off a third-realm cultivator.
Furthermore, in the face of a third-realm existence, they would be unable to escape smoothly with their current cultivation.
Ultimately, despite their high innate talent, they had not yet fully matured.
"It seems... we don't need to run anymore..."
At that moment, Zhao Yuebai suddenly murmured to himself.
He gazed into the distance, as if something was about to appear at the end of the official road.
The others followed his gaze, and soon saw a golden light rapidly approaching, appearing a few dozen feet in front of them.
"Master!"
Zhao Yuebai exclaimed, his face filled with joy.
The others were also startled, looking with delight at the young man in a pale blue divine robe who had appeared before them.
"You've all grown a lot on this journey!"
Ji Yuan's divine avatar smiled, his gaze sweeping over each of them.
The battles and skirmishes along the way had not only greatly matured Zhao Yuebai and the other two but had also solidified the foundations of Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong's cultivation.
Though they appeared weary and their spiritual energy was largely depleted, after a period of recovery, they would be able to consolidate their profound accumulation.
Once they fully digested this experience, their individual cultivation bases would undoubtedly surge in a short period.
"You all continue forward. Linfu County has already made preparations thirty li away."
Ji Yuan looked up. Through his divine eye, he could already see the third-realm cultivator pursuing them.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, then said softly, "I'll deal with this trouble first."
Before his words had even finished, his figure transformed into a beam of divine light and vanished from their sight in an instant.
As he departed, divine power rained down from the sky, a divine art he had cast before leaving.
Under this divine art, all fatigue vanished from everyone, including the more than a hundred mortals, as if they had gained renewed strength.
"Press on. We... are safe now!"
Li Junxian shouted, guiding the group forward.
As they moved, the sound of earth-shattering roars echoed from far behind them. Even in daylight, a brilliant light could be seen shooting up into the sky.
Continuing their advance, someone couldn't help but step forward and ask about the identity of the youth previously enveloped in divine light.
Upon hearing this, Li Junxian smiled and told them that it was the Water God Lord from the Xiaoyuan Mountain Water God Temple in Linfu County.
He assured everyone that with this Water God Lord present, they would be unharmed even if all the rebel forces pursued them.
This statement was naturally an exaggeration, but the more than a hundred mortals believed him implicitly. The power displayed by the divine art had already eased their anxieties.
Thirty li of official road was not a great distance, especially with the augmentation of Ji Yuan's divine art. In just half a day, the more than a hundred people successfully covered the distance.
By this time, they could see from afar, not far ahead, formations of soldiers ready and waiting.
Under Ji Yuan's notification, Magistrate Zhang Qingyang had gone all out. Unable to command the front-line army, he had mobilized as many men as possible within the county.
The lives of over a hundred civilians were insignificant amidst the widespread chaos engulfing the entire prefecture and even the province.
However, successfully rescuing them from enemy territory would undoubtedly be a significant achievement, greatly boosting the morale of their own troops.
And since the rebels had risen up, morale was precisely what they needed most.
After receiving the more than a hundred people, the Linfu County garrison, as well as the yamen runners and constables from the county office, immediately provided ample food and water. Several accompanying doctors began to offer basic treatment for minor injuries.
In their view, with the Water God Lord of Xiaoyuan Mountain overseeing them, and several second-realm cultivators accompanying them, there was no need to worry about any danger.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a dazzling golden divine light soon appeared within Zhao Yuebai's line of sight.
Ji Yuan's divine avatar returned, carrying a middle-aged man in his hand – the enemy third-realm cultivator who had been pursuing them.
However, this third-realm existence had his spiritual energy sealed, his soul heavily restricted, and his body covered in wounds and blood.
Even having left his territory and lost the support of the heaven and earth power and his divinity, with the strength of Ji Yuan's divine avatar, capturing a wild mountain cultivator who had only recently broken through was not a difficult task.
"Master is mighty!"
Zhao Yuebai shouted with a smile.
"Master Abbot is invincible!"
Seeing this, Zheng Jiaxing, who had been sitting on the ground, suddenly jumped up and then pulled Lu Yuzhe beside him to shout as well.
Hearing this, Mo Yiyan glanced at the two, secretly amused by their childish antics.
He cleared his throat, took a couple of steps forward, and gestured with his clasped hands behind his back to the cultivators behind him.
As Ji Yuan slowly descended from the sky, dropping the captive at his feet, he saw Mo Yiyan leading five cultivators, forming a line before him.
"The Water God Lord's divine power is peerless!"
The group shouted in unison, clearly having rehearsed this beforehand in private.
Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching slightly, almost turning into a divine light and leaving the area.
A few steps away, Zheng Jiaxing sneered dismissively.
Just this?
Heh heh!