Chaos erupted!
With the sky-blue watery array breached, Qingzhu Mountain Market descended into pandemonium.
Rogue cultivators, being both lowly and cunning, often exhibited the most treacherous and savage behavior among their peers.
Realizing that the Situ Clan had no chance of turning the tide today, greed took hold, instantly plunging the market into chaos.
Cultivators were slain everywhere, and shops were pillaged indiscriminately!
“Seriously, what absolute fucking chaos!” Fang Xi cursed under his breath as he swiftly fled from the market.
Now was the perfect opportunity to escape, with the tier-2 formation broken!
He didn’t want to risk directly crossing over within the market; who knew if any Foundation Establishment cultivators might be scanning the area with their divine senses? If discovered, revealing his ability to traverse worlds could lead to disastrous consequences.
Several other rogue cultivators, mostly seasoned and cautious ones, also chose to flee alongside Fang Xi.
Swish, swish!Fang Xi moved like lightning, aided by his camouflage robe, leaving no trace behind.
Although everyone present was a cultivator, few bothered to cast Spirit Vision Technique on themselves amidst the chaos.
Moreover, as he ran away, distancing himself from the epicenter of turmoil, the danger decreased significantly.
Along the way, Fang Xi passed through the shantytown, feeling somewhat regretful. “My planted spirit rice and buried wine…”
The shantytown was equally chaotic, with many cultivators anxiously gazing at the flames engulfing Qingzhu Mountain Market, their expressions filled with unease.
Meanwhile, more spirit farmers quietly returned to their rooms and picked up their magical artifacts.
“Grandpa… Grandpa, don’t go!” Outside a fence, a six or seven-year-old boy clung tightly to an old farmer’s pant leg.
“Good lad, Grandpa isn’t doing this for himself. Listen to your father, stay hidden, and wait for me to come back!” The old farmer’s eyes were resolute, holding a long-handled pipe artifact with a brass body and white jade mouthpiece. Without hesitation, he charged towards the market.
He had lived his life fully; this venture might lead to death, but it could also yield enough spirit items to significantly aid his grandson’s Dao path.
“Honey…” A woman’s wailing cry occasionally echoed through the shantytown.
After hearing such pleas repeatedly, Fang Xi’s expression gradually turned numb as he continued on his way.
His mind was made up - once far from the battlefield, he would immediately head for Great Liang!
He needed to wait until this chaos subsided before considering his next steps.
Boom!
Just as Fang Xi exited the shantytown, a deafening explosion sounded behind him. The terrifying surge of spiritual energy caused his heart to pound violently.
Subsequently, he witnessed countless streaks of light soaring out from the market, fleeing in all directions.
‘Flying with magical artifacts, big deal, huh?’
‘Well, alright, they really are impressive!’
As Fang Xi watched cultivators maneuvering flight artifacts and speeding past overhead, he couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of envy in his sarcastic thoughts.
After descending from Qingzhu Mountain, Fang Xi’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed.
Behind him, three streaks of light were entangled in combat… swiftly passing by and continuing ahead.
To his surprise, one of the cultivators controlling a dark cloud was someone he recognized!
Dressed in attendant attire with only an Initial Stage Qi Refinement cultivation base, this individual continuously drew paper talismans from a bag of holding, launching relentless attacks on a graceful figure piloting an iron leaf boat ahead.
It was none other than Qi Yingsong from Hundred Skills Pavilion!
This person had once hired Calamity cultivators to rob Fang Xi. If not for his breakthrough to the second stage of Body Tempering, he might have perished!
Such a grudge demanded retribution!
“Bitch, you won’t escape!”
Yingsong primarily provided support, aided by a burly man beside him who controlled a flying shuttle, boasting a Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivation base!
The muscular man glared at the fleeing figure, spewing continuous streams of vulgar insults.
Surprisingly, Fang Xi recognized the graceful silhouette as well - it was Situ Qingqing!
“So it’s her? Being pursued relentlessly?”
“It seems the Situ Clan’s situation has truly deteriorated. Is she trying to break through and flee for her life?”
Fang Xi gazed upon the Late Stage Qi Refinement brute, filled with apprehension.
Clad in coarse yellow robes, the man had eyes like copper bells and a twisted scar resembling a centipede across his face. With a cultivation base already at Late Stage Qi Refinement, he appeared exceptionally formidable and not someone easily provoked!
In comparison, Situ Qingqing’s Middle Stage Qi Refinement cultivation was hardly any help.
‘Is it really worth taking such risks for an enemy? Seems rather unwise.’
‘Should I just forget about this feud? Revenge can wait; wouldn’t it be better to target easier foes elsewhere, like in Great Liang?’
Fang Xi decided to make a wide detour, intending to quietly leave the scene.
As for Situ Qingqing?
Her fate held no concern for him.
Just as he began his diversion, the aerial battle took a sudden turn.
Ahead, Situ Qingqing, her face pale atop the iron leaf boat, glanced back at the rapidly approaching yellow-robed man and Yingsong. Gritting her teeth, she retrieved a dull gray sphere, roughly the size of a longan fruit, from her bag of holding and tossed it behind her.
Simultaneously, with a swift hand gesture, she launched a spirit talisman that transformed into countless green pine needles, hurtling towards her pursuers.
“Trivial tricks!” The Late Stage Qi Refinement yellow-robed man sneered, casually summoning a golden longsword magical artifact. With each flick, he deflected the pine needles before charging directly at Situ Qingqing.
However, upon spotting the black bead amidst the pine needles, his expression abruptly shifted. “Not good… Is that a yin thunder pellet?”
Boom!
A flash of pitch-black lightning streaked across the sky.
The charred remains of the yellow-robed man plummeted from the sky.
Simultaneously, his desperate final strike with the golden longsword pierced through three of Situ Qingqing’s green shields. As the sword’s gleam struck her, her face grew even paler, almost devoid of any color. The iron leaf boat wavered precariously and, after Yingsong unleashed another paper talisman attack, finally crashed to the ground.
“That woman was truly troublesome… Damn, one of the Three Heroes of Kou is dead here. This will bring immense trouble for me later… His two elder brothers aren’t ones to be trifled with.”
Yingsong descended on black clouds, eyeing the unconscious Situ Qingqing ahead, blood seeping through her clothing at the chest. He hesitated, still wary of approaching too closely.
“Something’s off about this woman. Despite being only Middle Stage Qi Refinement, she possesses such wealth. Could she be from the direct lineage of the Situ Clan? Wait… Considering she used yin thunder pellets, capable of threatening even Foundation Establishment cultivators, might she be the granddaughter of a Situ Clan patriarch?”
Analyzing the situation, Yingsong’s expression turned exhilarated: “Capturing this female would be a significant achievement within my clan, ha ha…”
Initially, when the Hundred Skills Pavilion formally severed ties with the Situ Clan, Qi Yingsong was quite taken aback.
After all, strategic decisions of the clan leadership wouldn’t be disclosed to someone at his lowly position, and the ensuing battle erupted unexpectedly swiftly.
Upon witnessing the activation of the sky-blue watery array, Qi Yingsong genuinely believed he was doomed.
Yet, against all odds, their side gained the upper hand, decisively defeating the Situ Clan.
In the chaotic aftermath, members of the Situ Clan scattered, attempting breakout maneuvers. His uncle pursued one particularly important figure.
Being somewhat timid, Yingsong chose to follow the Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator, targeting a female cultivator in Middle Stage Qi Refinement.
It seemed like an effortless victory within reach, but he never anticipated such a dramatic reversal.
“This woman…”
Just as Yingsong prepared to advance, suddenly, a blue jade pendant on him emitted a loud rumble.
Instantaneously, a shimmering azure shield materialized, enveloping his entire body.
Before Yingsong’s expression could change, he felt an immense force strike the protective barrier, causing the jade pendant to emit a mournful cry!
“Hmm? A self-activating defensive artifact? The Hundred Skills Pavilion truly has considerable resources…”
A somewhat familiar voice echoed out.
Yingsong glanced over and saw a masked Calamity cultivator slowly retracting his fist. Strangely, that voice seemed recognizable.
In an instant, drawing upon a cultivator’s uncanny memory, he recalled: “Aren’t you the cultivator who sells mythical beast meat?”
Initially, when the two Calamity cultivators failed to return after their encounter, Yingsong had nearly suspected they fled with the plundered wealth! Now it was clear that his uncle had grossly misjudged them.
This cultivator was unmistakably ruthless, forged amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
Fang Xi showed no hesitation, unleashing punch after punch, mercilessly striking the protective barrier.
“Daoist friend… let’s discuss this calmly!”
“I represent the Baiqiao Qi Clan!”
“I…I can compensate you!” Yingsong pleaded fearfully while attempting to tear several paper talismans.
However, Fang Xi wouldn’t give him a chance. With a furious roar, he concentrated his True Force intensely.
“Secret Technique - Limitless Primordial!”
Bang!
An overwhelming force, far greater than before, slammed into the aquamarine shield.
Crackling sounds erupted!
The blue jade pendant cracked extensively and instantly crumbled to dust.
Unrelenting, Fang Xi’s two fingers directly pierced Yingsong’s throat.
“Ughh…” With terror in his eyes, Yingsong slowly collapsed.
His hands loosened, allowing several paper talismans to gently flutter down.
“This is another advantage of body cultivation - swift strikes at a moment’s notice… The speed allows no time for enemies to react.”
Fang Xi conjured fireballs to destroy the evidence, ensuring complete obliteration of the corpse. He swiftly grabbed Yingsong’s bag of holding, mentally assessing the gains from this battle: “Of course… the camouflage robe’s concealment feature is crucial too. Few cultivators constantly maintain spiritual sight, so hiding effectively from ordinary perception greatly aids in executing surprise attacks for a body cultivator…”
While the bag of holding was valuable, Fang Xi had no time to gradually erase its magical energy imprint.
Moreover, the real significant spoils were the Late Stage Qi Refinement expert’s magical artifacts and bag of holding!
After finishing everything, Fang Xi turned towards Situ Qingqing’s prone form and suddenly asked, “Have you slept enough, Daoist friend?”
“I truly can’t hide anything from you!” Situ Qingqing slowly rose, her hair disheveled and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Despite her state, she maintained an extraordinary presence.
“I have no intention to be your enemy, Daoist friend. There’s no need for you to reveal your final safeguard,” Fang Xi chuckled openly, maintaining his disguise without fear of being recognized by Situ Qingqing.
“Indeed, I am Situ Qingqing and must express my gratitude for saving me, Daoist friend.” She smiled gently and gracefully bowed.
Situ Qingqing was remarkably astute; noticing Fang Xi’s masked face, she understood his intent to conceal his identity and refrained from further questioning. Instead, she produced a token, saying, “This is a symbol of trust from the Situ Clan. Please accept it, as we shall surely repay you in the future!”
As she tossed the token towards him, Fang Xi did not catch it, allowing it to fall to the ground. The moment grew awkward.
“It wasn’t specifically done to save you…” Fang Xi watched the token, representing a significant debt owed by the Situ Clan, land on the ground, envisioning its symbolic collapse.
Yes… what use was a favor from a clan nearing annihilation?
He preferred tangible benefits instead!
Thus, Fang Xi smiled and said, “No need for formalities, O Fairy Maiden. If you wish to reciprocate, simply tell me what happened here. Honestly, I’m utterly bewildered by this chaos at the market…”
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