Chapter 401 - 396: Second Wave of Attack
"Halt!"
Qi the Third obediently stopped in his tracks, allowing the other person to brazenly scan his entire body with Divine Sense.
His only worry now was whether the forbidden item on the automaton vehicle would be detected by the Divine Sense.
The other party had beaten their chest and sworn that the Purple Sandalwood Box carrying the item could fool the Divine Sense of anyone below a Core Formation Master.
But his legs still felt a bit weak.
If he were discovered, his life would be over.
He knew very well that the forbidden item, the Demon-Hiding Vase, absolutely could not be discovered.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be the only one to suffer misfortune.
The reward the other party had offered was generous—enough to buy his life ten times over.
But he still hoped he would live to spend those Spirit Stones.
Although his path on the Dao was hopeless and he would never reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime, he still had children and grandchildren.
He didn’t want his descendants to also lose their chance to attempt Foundation Establishment due to a lack of Spirit Stones and cultivation resources.
"What’s in the vehicle?" the Cultivator garrisoning the checkpoint demanded.
’Damn it, you already scanned it with your Divine Sense, so why are you asking!’
Of course, Qi the Third didn’t dare say this out loud.
He was just a Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer Cultivator. The squad leader garrisoning the checkpoint was at Foundation Establishment and could crush him with a flick of his wrist.
"Just some materials for repairing the barracks," he said respectfully.
At the same time, he reined in his thoughts.
Normally, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Divine Sense couldn’t peer into the mind of a Qi Cultivation Cultivator.
But it was better to be safe.
"Alright, go on."
The man trusted the results of his Divine Sense probe too much and couldn’t be bothered to get down and inspect the cargo container by hand.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed any lingering doubt.
The gate slowly opened. Qi the Third let out a sigh of relief and drove the automaton vehicle inside.
He deliberately drove at a steady, unhurried pace to avoid arousing suspicion.
After passing through the checkpoint, Qi the Third couldn’t help but wonder, ’The reward they gave me was so generous. How much are they making on this one job?’
The client had previously shown him that the Demon-Hiding Vase contained some weak but beautiful Three-tailed Blue Foxes and Long-tailed Golden Chickens.
Some Great Cultivators enjoyed keeping Demon Race slaves, a hobby Qi the Third couldn’t quite understand.
It was said that a Three-tailed Blue Fox at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, if it was of high quality, could sell for over 100,000 Spirit Stones.
The Long-tailed Golden Chickens were even more expensive. Their tail feathers were supposedly a favorite among Kun Cultivators. A single Long-tailed Golden Chicken at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage was worth 200,000 Spirit Stones, enough to trade for four or five Foundation Establishment Pills.
’So jealous!’
Qi the Third certainly wasn’t going to ask how much the others were making.
As long as he got his share on time, that was all that mattered.
"This is the place," Qi the Third could still see in the dark. "The Bingchou Squad’s barracks. They said the contact person would be here."
Though called barracks, it was actually a row of beautiful little courtyards, each with an exquisite building inside. Qi the Third could feel the powerful Spiritual Qi from a tributary of a Spirit Vein slowly emanating from them.
’So luxurious. If I had been able to cultivate on a Spirit Vein like this back then, I might have had a chance to reach Foundation Establishment!’
Qi the Third found the third courtyard of the Bingchou Camp. Seeing the dark and unlit yard that seemed uninhabited, he parked the vehicle, hesitated for a moment, then got out and knocked the copper ring on the door.
A woman’s angry voice came from inside the courtyard. "Who is it? It’s the middle of the night! Who’s disturbing my sweet dreams so late?"
"I’m here to deliver something for you." Qi the Third just wanted to hand over the goods quickly, so he knocked on the copper ring again.
"Coming, coming, stop rushing me! Are you trying to hurry me to my death?!" the woman cursed.
After the sound of hurried footsteps, the main gate was pulled open. A sleepy-eyed woman in a servant’s uniform poked her head out. "Delivering what?"
"This is the Sui Family’s courtyard, right?" Qi the Third felt a little dizzy.
"Yes, but my master didn’t say anything was being delivered." The woman mumbled, then looked up at Qi the Third, her expression turning to one of shock and uncertainty.
Qi the Third felt his face itch. He scratched it, seeming to scrape off a bit of grime. He paid it no mind and said in a low voice, "In any case, the delivery is specifically for you."
The woman covered her mouth, as if to stifle a scream, then abruptly pulled back inside and slammed the door shut with a BANG.
Qi the Third even heard her slide the bolt into place.
𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
"You crazy woman! What are you doing?! Hurry up and take the delivery!" He pounded on the door. His face was intensely itchy, and now his eyes were starting to itch as well.
He rubbed his eyes hard.
’How strange. Why do my eyes feel so soft, like rotten apples?’
「Inside the courtyard.」
"Master! Master! Something’s wrong!"
Du Youqian opened his eyes. He ignored the panicking servant and stared at the courtyard gate, a sense of crisis rising within him. ’I performed a divination this morning. It said I would run into big trouble today. So this is it. To think I waited all day for it.’
’Big trouble... Does that mean there’s a Core Formation Master among the attackers?’
’No, not a Core Formation Master... This aura, it’s the Demon Race!’
In a flash, countless thoughts raced through Du Youqian’s mind.
Outside the courtyard, Demon Qi erupted violently. The leader, a Tier Three Early Stage Demon King and grandson of the Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King, the Little Ape King, shouted, "We only have ten breaths of time! Whether we can kill him or not, we must retreat within ten breaths!"
Du Youqian, of course, couldn’t understand the language of the Ape Race. He only felt an immense pressure—a Tier Three Demon King was a lifeform that could simply crush a mere Junior Cultivator who had just reached the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer.
Normally, if his opponent had cultivated a Pupil Technique or possessed an Innate Divine Ability related to it, a single glare would be enough to kill him.
If it was a physical Innate Divine Ability, they could kill him with a tremor from a simple stomp of their foot.
If it was a Wind Element Innate Divine Ability, a single breath could tear his flesh from his bones...
’A Qi Cultivator fighting a Core Formation-level opponent... I never thought I’d finally get to experience such a feat in this life! Escape is impossible; a Qi Cultivation Cultivator’s speed is like a snail’s before a Tier Three Demon King. I can’t block it, either. A single casual punch could turn me to dust, and I might not survive even with my Copper Skin Iron Bone Divine Abilities. I also can’t launch a surprise attack and slay it with my Swordsmanship. Not only would I pay a heavy price, but it would also expose some of my secrets. A secret that allows a Qi Cultivation Cultivator to slay a Core Formation-level opponent... I’m afraid even the Immortal City Alliance would drop all pretenses to get their hands on it.’
’But these members of the Demon Race must also be aiming for a swift battle. This is the main camp of the Immortal City Alliance. Even if they’ve schemed to hold up Lu Yao Master, and even if the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Bingchou Squad leave me to die, it would only take other Foundation Establishment Cultivators ten breaths to arrive.’
’So...’ Without a moment’s hesitation, Du Youqian took out a Treasure he had obtained in a fortuitous encounter and activated it—to self-destruct!
BOOM!
The power of the Treasure’s self-destruction was likely no less than that of a high-explosive detonation on Earth.
Not only were all the Tier Two members of the Demon Race sent flying, but even the Tier Three Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King was stopped for an instant.
More than half the courtyard was razed to the ground in an instant.
When the shockwave from the explosion reached Du Youqian, he instantly activated his Copper Skin Iron Bone Divine Abilities. He used the immense force to fly backward, mixing in with the flying timber and bricks.
"Cunning human!" the Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King, who had always been quite proud of its intelligence, roared in anger.
The chaos from the Treasure’s self-destruction not only razed half the courtyard but also made it impossible for its Divine Sense and sense of smell to lock onto its target—the young man with the Celestial Spirit Root.
’Yes, it had to be the young man with the Celestial Spirit Root!’
’If he weren’t a young man with a Celestial Spirit Root, how could he possibly have such decisiveness in the Qi Cultivation Stage, willing to self-destruct a Treasure without hesitation for a chance to escape!’
It swung its ape-like arms, swatting away the wood and stone flying toward it. Just as it was about to give chase, it suddenly froze.
’Where did that young man go?’
The Divine Sense of a Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape was no worse than that of a human Cultivator of the same level.
Its Divine Sense could cover a range of several thousand zhang, yet it couldn’t find a trace of the young man with the Celestial Spirit Root!
"Spread out and search! Regroup with me in five breaths and retreat!" the Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King ordered immediately.
Dozens of Tier Two demons immediately scattered to search. They all knew they were racing against time; a large number of Human Race Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and even Core Formation Cultivators, were on their way.
If they didn’t find the target right away, they never would.
The Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King ran in the direction the young man had been blasted.
It hurried through the ruins and across several other courtyards. It heard the shocked cries of Human Race Foundation Establishment Cultivators—beings it could normally kill with a single slap—but it had no time to deal with them now.
’Where on earth is that young man with the Celestial Spirit Root?’
’Three breaths have already passed. This isn’t working. I have to retreat immediately, or this whole elite squad from my clan will be buried here.’
Though it was a pity, the Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King knew it had already missed its chance to strangle the human genius in his cradle.
Just as it was about to turn back, rendezvous with the Tier Two demons, and use a Flying Treasure to break out, a horrifying feeling suddenly washed over it.
’Not good!’
The Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King didn’t know which powerful Cultivator had locked onto it, but it was obvious that a fatal blow was imminent.
It took a deep breath, its feet sinking deep into the ground. Its body suddenly swelled to several times its original size, becoming like a small mountain, giving off an impression of being majestic and indestructible.
This was its Defensive Divine Ability, Earthen Guard!
This was not an Innate Divine Ability of the Ape Race, but a Divine Ability it had comprehended on its own.
It was a genius of the Ape Race!
In the next instant, a terrifying Sword Intent pierced through its sturdy body, heading straight for its Demon Core.
The Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King staggered, its body deflating like a leaking balloon.
After a deep glance at the figure of the unfamiliar middle-aged man in the distance, the Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King let out a long, somewhat hoarse cry.
Although it hadn’t lost its life, its injuries were far from light.
Its arm suddenly stretched out, its palm enlarging like a Palm Fan as it swatted toward the unfamiliar middle-aged man.
It looked as if it was about to swat the middle-aged man to death like a fly, but when its palm reached him, it was always just a little bit off, unable to even touch the corner of his robes.
"A Divine Ability?" The Golden Silk Green-eyed Ape King made a split-second decision and stopped tangling with him. It released its Flying Treasure, leaped onto it, and fled.
As for its Tier Two elites, it couldn’t be bothered with them now. They would have to fend for themselves.
It didn’t see the unfamiliar middle-aged man dash back into the ruins, duck down beneath the rubble, and change back into the young man with the Celestial Spirit Root...