Chapter 510 - 363: Scavenging Hyenas (3)
"The price won’t be the same next time. I wonder how many more treasures you have to sell."
"So, about these Loose Cultivators following us... Sect Leader Fang, what do you think we should do?"
Fang Qingyuan glanced around. His eyes fell upon scattered ruins covering the landscape. A faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood wafted into his nostrils.
In the distance, bloodthirsty Loose Cultivators were scattered in small groups around the Camel-Ray caravan, trailing them from afar. At the same time, they were using their own methods to call for friends and allies.
A caravan like Fang Qingyuan’s was like a blue whale straying into unfamiliar waters, now targeted by the bloodthirsty tiger sharks that patrolled the area.
Of course, in Fang Qingyuan’s eyes, these Loose Cultivators were nothing but a disorganized rabble, even with Foundation Establishment Cultivators and a Golden Core Cultivator among them. He wasn’t the least bit worried about opponents who just wanted to rob them and run.
"They’re still waiting for more people. A few dozen of them don’t dare to make a move. They’ll need at least a few hundred Cultivators before they have the guts to attack the caravan. I suspect members of the Spirit Wood Alliance are among them, fanning the flames. Hmph. If they really dare to charge, I’ll have no choice but to be merciless."
White Mountain was in chaos. The great war had shattered the old order. Where once they wouldn’t have dared to plunder a large caravan, now the White Mountain People would attack without fear, so long as the prize was great enough.
They were like hyenas on the savanna; the moment they spotted prey, they would gather, swarm, and devour it completely.
Fang Qingyuan assessed his own forces. The twenty Qi Cultivation Cultivators steering the Camel-Rays had virtually no combat ability. The disciples riding the Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonflies were disciplined and well-practiced in their formations, so they had some fighting strength, but unfortunately, few of them had reached Foundation Establishment.
As for Han Ping’s men, their combat strength was even less noteworthy. Aside from Han Ping himself, who was at Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, his other disciples were just Qi Cultivation Disciples sent to take inventory.
’And my opponents are all battle-hardened fiends,’ he thought. ’If we really have to fight, it feels like my people would be outmatched.’
Despite the situation, Fang Qingyuan wasn’t worried. ’It’s a small matter if the disciples can’t win, as long as I can.’ In the Cultivation World, all true power resided in the individual. The impact a single High-tier Cultivator could have far surpassed the efforts of a thousand lesser men.
’Before a Golden Core Cultivator, any number of Qi Cultivation Cultivators are just lambs to the slaughter. Foundation Establishment Cultivators can only hope to survive. Only a Golden Core can face a Golden Core. I even took care of Yu Ran, a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator. Why would I be afraid of some nameless Golden Core Loose Cultivator?’
For someone to reach the Golden Core realm and remain a Loose Cultivator, rather than establishing a foundation and passing on their teachings, usually meant one thing: their Golden Core was "watered-down." They lacked the ability to put down roots and couldn’t withstand the pressure from other Golden Core Sects.
If a powerful Golden Core Cultivator wanted to establish a sect, others would surely seek to build good relations, not drive them away and force them to continue wandering as a Golden Core Loose Cultivator.
As he watched the enemy’s numbers swell, about to cross the five-hundred mark, the color drained from Han Ping’s face. He was deeply worried. If a fight broke out, how much of these life-saving supplies would be left?
It seemed as if every Tribulation Cultivator within a hundred-mile radius had been drawn here by Fang Qingyuan’s Camel-Ray caravan.
Other Cultivators who smuggled goods were familiar with the winding back trails, moving only a few storage bags’ worth of cargo at a time. Who else would be as ostentatious as Fang Qingyuan, using an entire caravan with such fanfare?
It was only because they recognized the banner of the Qingyuan Sect that the Spirit Wood Alliance didn’t dare to act openly, instead instigating trouble from the shadows. Otherwise, without the Alliance meddling, Han Ping refused to believe that five or six hundred Tribulation Cultivators could remain so patient.
He stole a glance at Fang Qingyuan, who was positioned above him. Seeing that Sect Leader Fang’s expression was unchanged, utterly dismissive of the vicious Tribulation Cultivators, a sense of admiration bloomed in Han Ping’s heart.
Not just anyone could remain as steady as a rock in such a situation. Most of the assets in the caravan belonged to the Qingyuan Sect; the death of even a few disciples or Camel-Rays would be a huge loss.
Fang Qingyuan had considered this as well. He couldn’t let the battle break out next to his caravan. If hundreds or even a thousand Cultivators attacked his people, he wouldn’t be able to protect them all in the ensuing chaos.
’The best way is to seize the initiative,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’I should strike first. I can’t just wait for them to reach a consensus and come up with a strategy. An organized enemy, even one with minimal coordination, would be far more troublesome than they are now.’
So, Fang Qingyuan patted Yinbao’s head, reassuring it to continue flying. He then turned to Han Ping at his side and said:
"Hold your positions. I’ll be right back."
The moment he finished speaking, Fang Qingyuan took a step forward. A ferocious, thirty-foot-tall White Tiger materialized from the void, head held high and tail swaying, landing at his feet.
As the White Tiger manifested, an ancient, savage intent from the Western Star Realm flooded the hundred-meter area around Fang Qingyuan. A vast, cold will erupted from the great beast’s eyes. The Tribulation Cultivators who met its gaze felt as if a massive boulder was crushing their chests, and for a few moments, they could hardly breathe.
This was the White Tiger Star Aspect’s spiritual pressure, suppressing the under-cultivated Tribulation Cultivators just as a High-tier Cultivator’s aura would. If their willpower and mental fortitude were insufficient, they wouldn’t even have the courage to fight back.
With each stride, the White Tiger crossed a thousand feet. This was Star Escape, a technique that drew upon the power of the stars. Even in broad daylight, the stars in the Celestial Domain above seemed to shine with exceptional brilliance.
The next moment, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from the largest group of Tribulation Cultivators.
It was the tragic wail of a man on the brink of death. ’How melodious,’ Fang Qingyuan mused.
A smile played on Fang Qingyuan’s lips. Within his spiritual senses, he felt the crowd’s fear spike the moment the White Tiger Star Aspect struck. It was like a tidal wave rising from a calm sea, and under his guidance, it crashed down upon the Tribulation Cultivators who were still managing to hold their ground.
Some in the crowd were already descending into madness. They didn’t understand why they were so terrified, but when the tide of emotion directed by Fang Qingyuan washed over them, no Cultivator below the Golden Core realm could resist it.
Furthermore, the White Mountain Tribulation Cultivators had never focused on mental cultivation, leaving them with little resistance to Fang Qingyuan’s Mind Divine Techniques. Thus, a technique that gathered the fear of many and was directed by Fang Qingyuan could spread wantonly through their hearts.
Fear is contagious. And this unknown, infectious terror was even more devastating than the dread inspired by the White Tiger Star Aspect itself.
From his distant vantage point, Han Ping could only see that the moment Fang Qingyuan arrived at the Tribulation Cultivators’ location on his White Tiger, the group broke into chaos, crying out as they fled in all directions. Some even swung their Magic Swords at their own comrades, desperate to vent the terror in their hearts.
Everywhere Fang Qingyuan went, a chorus of wails followed.
The scene of chaos was only slightly contained when the Golden Core Loose Cultivator finally stepped forward to face him.