Deep within a marshy expanse, Ji Yuan, covered in mud, stood by a lake. His hands formed hand seals as he slowly drew in the water's essence from the area.
He possessed a natural affinity for water magic, his talent in this path even surpassing that of swordsmanship. Even the artifact that shared his life force was a water-attribute long whip.
Among the various elements in the world, water not only held immense offensive power but also ranked highly in healing injuries.
As he gradually absorbed the lake's essence before him, Ji Yuan’s body was enveloped in a shimmering light, and the wounds sustained by his flesh and blood began to heal bit by bit.
After about fifteen minutes, he quickly retracted his hand seals, ceasing to draw in more water essence from the lake.
Sensing his internal condition, a wry smile touched his lips. Although his dantian was full of spiritual power, and his body was nourished by elixirs and water essence, his injuries had actually worsened.
He had, after all, underestimated the power of a third-realm cultivator. Even though he had exerted all his effort, he had nearly been caught multiple times. During the most perilous instance, he had been less than a mile from the old demon.
A single spell, unleashed in anger from a mile away, had almost crippled him again. Despite employing some desperate measures and using his last Speed Talisman to flee, he had still caused himself considerable trouble.
Shaking his head, he temporarily pushed his thoughts aside. Ji Yuan glanced around his surroundings before continuing deeper into the marsh.
After roughly the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he arrived beside a swamp. He channeled spiritual energy and leaped onto it, deploying his final formation.
All the formations he had prepared earlier for exploring the underground dojo had been used up. Fortunately, the formations created by several people had been stored in his jade ring, otherwise, they would have long since been insufficient.
After setting up the formation, Ji Yuan pondered for a moment before moving about thirty feet away. With his spiritual energy, he carefully dug into the swamp and buried thirty low-grade spirit stones.
These spirit stones had undergone special treatment, their spiritual energy becoming incredibly volatile. Any external force touching them would cause them to detonate instantly.
Before burying them, he deliberately affixed several fire-attribute talismans and left a small mechanism. As soon as spiritual energy touched it, the spirit stones below would ignite, unleashing an attack comparable to the full power of a second-realm cultivator.
Having done this, Ji Yuan still felt it was not enough. He then set up a spell to draw in the surrounding water essence, creating a diversionary illusion that suggested someone was hiding there.
Finally, after concealing over a dozen talismans in the vicinity, he nodded in satisfaction. He then affixed two lightness talismans to his legs and quickly departed, concealing his tracks as much as possible.
Approximately half an hour later, a streak of light descended from the sky and landed gently on the swamp.
The elderly demonic cultivator from Scarlet Flame Mountain, after retrieving a willow leaf, used his spiritual energy to hover briefly, scanning the surroundings with an unfriendly gaze.
Finally, his attention fell upon the area before him. Sensing the deliberately concealed spot, his face showed a hint of contemplation.
Although he no longer believed the cunning youth would be hiding here, his naturally suspicious nature made him unwilling to leave immediately. Holding onto a sliver of hope, he casually unleashed a blast of spiritual energy.
RUMBLE!!!
The next instant, a violent explosion echoed through the marsh, and thick smoke billowed upwards!
Amidst the churning flames, the old man's face darkened as he waved his sleeve. Under the impact of spiritual energy, he forcibly dispersed the unusual presence around him.
Even though he had been somewhat prepared, the realization that he had been tricked once again fueled his rage.
This was not the first time such a thing had happened within two to three hours. The cunning young Daoist seemed to have a firm grasp on his suspicious nature, and these tactics were employed repeatedly with no shortage of success.
Yet, each time, he fell for the bait, driven by the fear of that one small possibility.
"Little thief, you'd better not let me catch you!"
The old man muttered sinisterly, his eyes filled with anger.
While these minor tricks couldn't truly inflict much harm, they were undeniably vexing. They not only significantly delayed his pursuit but also prevented his internal injuries from improving.
He had already been severely wounded in his previous battle with the elder of the Nine Profound Sect. His condition had not improved for over ten hours due to these incessant traps.
If this stalemate continued, the old man feared he would be unable to suppress his worsening internal injuries.
With this thought, he took out another willow leaf and prepared to control this flying artifact to continue his pursuit into the depths of the marsh.
However, at that very moment, light suddenly erupted around him. Amidst the old man's shocked and enraged roar, over a dozen more talismans detonated on their own, instantly releasing the spiritual energy stored within their cores.
With deafening booms, the area was once again engulfed in flames, and surges of spiritual energy erupted, obliterating everything within a radius of dozens of feet.
Ten miles away, Ji Yuan stood on a treetop, calmly witnessing the unfolding events. He then channeled spiritual energy, leaped from the high branch, and continued to stealthily move through the marsh.
However, as time went on, he laid fewer traps. The provisions he had prepared before entering the dojo were being consumed at an alarming rate, leaving him with very little.
Suddenly, Ji Yuan, who was stealthily moving, sensed something. He silently hid himself in a place resembling a reed bed, suppressing his aura as much as possible.
After only a short while, a group of people appeared. There were five men and two women. Judging by their attire and aura, they seemed to be mountain and marsh cultivators or rogue cultivators.
What Ji Yuan found peculiar was that they all deferred to one young man. The latter's aura was extremely mixed, with a large amount of clear and turbid qi intermingling uncontrollably within the spiritual energy that occasionally flowed from him.
This person's aura was not powerful. Despite being at the mid-stage of the Spirit Awakening realm, his spiritual energy was likely inferior to that of an early-stage cultivator, giving him a rather frail impression.
Yet, in this state, the other six people followed his lead not out of mere superficial obedience but out of genuine dread.
It was as if this person were some monstrous beast, and incurring his wrath would lead to disaster.
Hiding nearby, Ji Yuan avoided looking directly but used his peripheral vision to meticulously examine the young man from head to toe.
He wore simple, unremarkable coarse cloth, showing no signs of anything special. Even his aura was so jumbled, and he exuded a sense of frailty.
But as he continued to observe, Ji Yuan had a growing feeling that he was not looking at an ordinary second-realm cultivator but some incredibly ferocious wild beast.
He frowned slightly, instinctively sensing something was amiss. Even the demonic old man, a third-realm cultivator, had not given him such an unsettling feeling.
Before he could ponder further, the young man suddenly turned his head, his gaze sweeping directly towards him.
"Who? Come out!"
The man spoke in a low voice, but his brows showed no hint of nervousness.
On the contrary, the six people beside him immediately adopted a defensive stance, their spiritual energy surging, and their auras rising.
Such acute senses surprised Ji Yuan. He paused for a moment before calmly stepping out, revealing himself before the group.
Upon seeing a young Daoist, whose aura was unstable and who was covered in mud, they immediately relaxed. Their initial vigilance eased considerably.
Seeing this, the young man inwardly cursed them as fools. What kind of mountain and marsh cultivator was this to be so easily perceived?
In his opinion, even someone who had just begun their cultivation path would know that in wild mountains and forests, the most dangerous encounters were with Daoists, monks, and solitary noblewomen.
The most cautious individuals to be wary of were the elderly and the young. Especially the younger, the more meticulous caution was required!
Such individuals, whether demons, devils, or disciples of righteous sects, were the most perilous.
"Who are you, sir?"
The young man stepped forward, his gaze warily fixed on the young Daoist before him.
His hands, clasped behind his back, subtly gestured to the people behind him, signaling them not to lower their guard and to be ready to engage in combat at any moment.
"This humble Daoist is Ling Yu, merely passing through."
Ji Yuan performed a Daoist bow and was about to turn and leave.
With an old demon still in pursuit, he did not wish to waste too much time here. Once caught, he doubted he could escape even at the cost of his life.
"Young Daoist, please wait. If you have no urgent matters, why not explore a certain cave dwelling with us?"
Unexpectedly, the young man before him quickly stepped forward two or three paces again, asking with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's alertness immediately spiked. He instinctively took a step back, regarding the seven people before him with caution.
He knew he himself would not invite a stranger encountered in the wilderness to explore a cave dwelling, readily handing over potential opportunities.
The last time someone had done this to him was with Li Mufeng and his group outside Falling Soul Slope. Those disciples from prominent sects in Tianhe Prefecture had intended to use him as cannon fodder.
His gaze swept over each person before him, finally resting on the young man. However, he did not even bother to speculate on the latter's intentions and decided to leave immediately.
"Why doesn't the young Daoist reply? My invitation is sincere, with absolutely no ill intentions!"
Seeing this, the young man immediately raised his voice slightly. "The fellow Daoists beside me also met on the road, and we have explored several cave dwellings together."
He spread his arms, indicating that he and the people behind him had also not known each other before, and despite harboring strong vigilance and wariness, they had eventually become friends.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's lips twitched. Looking at the smiling face before him and the expressions of deep agreement from the people behind him, he inexplicably felt something was amiss.
However, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was definitely not something good.
Seeing his silence, the young man slapped his forehead and said apologetically, "Look at my memory, I've said so much without introducing myself, no wonder the young Daoist cannot lower his guard."
"My name is Huang Tianci, just a humble mountain and marsh cultivator. I currently reside and cultivate in Wild Goose Mountain, Feiyun Prefecture."
When he introduced himself as a mountain and marsh cultivator, not only was there no attempt to conceal it, but he even displayed a proud expression, as if he took pride in it.
This was rather unusual. Most mountain and marsh cultivators felt ashamed of their origins and feared being exposed when traveling, lest it lead to trouble.
After all, both cultivators and martial artists alike often looked down upon such individuals, especially those from well-established sects who held a deep-seated disdain.
Mountain and marsh cultivators represented not only a lack of advantageous background but also humble cultivation and a seemingly fragile realm.
On the path to the Great Dao, it was rare to see mountain and marsh cultivators. In the eyes of others, they were merely a group of pitiful souls struggling in the mud, destined to never climb from the foot of the mountain to its slopes within their lifetime.
Let alone the scenery at the summit, which was almost entirely unrelated to them.