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Not long ago, outside the Lingshi mine, a large number of disciples from the six sects were locked in battle with demonic cultivators.
The two sides fought fiercely, with dazzling magical weapons colliding in the air, sending sparks flying.
"We're being ambushed by the six factions. They outnumber us and are stronger. If this continues, we'll all die. Let's go, Junior Sister Lian," an elderly man in his seventies or eighties, dressed in a yellow robe, spoke anxiously to a plain-looking girl in red.
Under Nangong Wan's leadership, the six factions had improved their intelligence network. While they still couldn't match the Demonic Path's information network, they were no longer blind. If they couldn't even track the movements of the demonic cultivators in Yue State, the six factions would be beyond saving.
The girl in red wore a grim expression. The people she brought with her had almost all been killed by the six sects. As the only daughter of the Demon Flame Sect's leader, she wouldn't face harsh punishment, but she was still furious.
"Burn a path for me!" she ordered coldly.
At her command, several disciples dressed in red took formation, standing in strange positions with fiery red flags in their hands. The flags bore the image of a golden crow surrounded by blazing flames, shining with an intense red glow. It was clear these artifacts were no ordinary items.
The six sects' disciples, ordered to ambush the demons, watched the scene unfold with fear in their eyes.
They knew the power of the Qingyang Demon Fire. Even a touch could melt anything instantly.
"Run! If you can't escape, use every defensive measure you have!" shouted the six sects' leader.
Seeing their panic, the red-clad girl, Lian Feihua, smiled cruelly. To her, they were just arrogant fools who had overestimated themselves.
The Qingyang Demon Fire would destroy them all. Had the enemy not outnumbered her forces, they wouldn't have been forced to retreat so miserably.
A ball of green flame formed on the flag held by one of her disciples. With a slight shake, the Qingyang Demon Fire shot out in a beam as thick as an arm.
Miserable screams echoed from the six sects' disciples caught in its path.
The old man in yellow saw an opening and shouted with relief, "Junior Sister Lian, let's go!"
Lian Feihua quickly flew out of the encirclement. Before leaving, she paused briefly and tossed down two mid-level Earth-Shaking Talismans.
The talismans activated with a loud rumble. The earth trembled violently, and the entire spirit stone mine collapsed before their eyes.
Hundreds of mining disciples lost their lives in an instant.
The old man in yellow grimaced. Such precious talismans, gone in an instant. Still, he understood that Lian Feihua needed to vent her frustration. If she didn't, they would suffer for it when they returned.
Lian Feihua snorted coldly, satisfied, and quickly disappeared into the distance. The remaining demon disciples followed suit.
"Senior Sister Hua, should we chase them?" a disciple from Yellow Maple Valley asked a green-robed woman.
The woman's eyes narrowed. After working so hard to corner the demonic cultivators, she couldn't let them escape so easily.
"Chase them. We can't miss this opportunity," she ordered.
"But I heard Senior Brother Xuanle and his group were in the spirit stone mine. There was also a disciple from Senior Uncle Hongfu. Could they have been caught in the collapse?" the Yellow Maple Valley disciple reminded her.
The green-robed woman paused, then spoke decisively. "Send someone to report this at the base camp and ask for a rescue team. Our mission is to ambush the demons, not rescue people. No one will blame us when we return."
"Senior Sister Hua is wise. I'll take care of it right away," the disciple replied eagerly.
Many of the fleeing demonic cultivators were badly injured. If the six sects kept up the chase, victory would be inevitable. This was a rare chance for glory — who wouldn't want to seize it?
More than twenty disciples from the six sects, led by Senior Sister Hua, pursued the fleeing demons.
Meanwhile, in the ruined spirit stone mine, silence lingered for a long while before a stupid-looking pangolin emerged, sniffed the air, and then disappeared back underground.
Moments later, a young man dressed in sky-blue robes burst through the earth's surface, dusting off the soil.
Qi Yuan glanced at the ruined spirit stone mine. Judging by the depth of the collapse, it seemed impossible for anyone to have survived.
He noticed signs of a skirmish nearby and paused, deep in thought.
"Damn it, Lian Feihua... is your family so rich that you can waste resources like that?" Qi Yuan muttered. "If I get the chance, I'll visit her place and give her a nice surprise... payback!"
Xuan Le and Lu Tianmeng were dead, leaving only Qi Yuan alive.
To avoid suspicion and ensure he could move around Yue State freely in the future, he needed to come up with an explanation.
For that, Nangong Wan's help would be crucial.
Determined, Qi Yuan summoned his Dragon Spirit Shuttle and flew toward the front-line base camp.
If he passed a larger market along the way, he planned to stop and buy a dozen larger storage bags to consolidate his treasures.
That night, he also took time to recover the two flying centipedes left behind by Lu Tianmeng.
He refined the Hidden Spirit Veil and the Sun and Moon Bag — valuable treasures. The Sun and Moon Bag, used by Lu Tianmeng to store spirit beasts, was especially useful. The Hidden Spirit Veil was even more precious. Once worn, it concealed both the wearer's presence and aura — a powerful tool for staying out of danger.
As for the Zhatian Bell, he wouldn't refine it yet. He planned to gather some dark energy with it and offer it to Madam Lan later.
With spirit stones and talismans already plentiful, Qi Yuan now had enough resources to feel secure.
He smiled smugly.
"I, Qi Yuan, am not interested in spirit stones!"
Still, Xuan Le's golden Tian Ge talisman and Lu Tianmeng's Ping Tian Chi talisman could be improved.
The golden Tian Ge talisman had been partially depleted, but with the help of the Chaos Cauldron, he could restore it to perfect condition.
Soon, Qi Yuan would carry three powerful talismans — Gold Brick, Tian Ge, and Ping Tian Ruler — ready to use at a moment's notice.
The next day, at the Jinguyuan base camp, Qi Yuan reported his return. Due to the chaotic state of war, the leaders of the six factions were busy with strategy meetings and unable to see him immediately.
Jindan cultivators could endure long discussions without eating or resting, so these meetings could drag on for days.
Unbothered, Qi Yuan decided to rest.
While exploring the camp later, he unexpectedly ran into Han Li, who had been missing for a year.
"Since the Yanling Fort incident, I didn't expect to see Junior Brother Han again," Qi Yuan greeted him.
Han Li flinched. Meeting Qi Yuan again was never a good thing. Resigned, he said, "Senior Brother Qi... are you here to fight on the front lines?"
Qi Yuan briefly explained his situation.
Han Li silently congratulated himself for having avoided Qi Yuan until now. If he'd been caught by this troublemaker earlier, life would have been far worse.
(End Of Chapter)