Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation-Chapter 189 - 74: The Neighbor Squad
Duanmu Qin, Hua Hongling, and Tailor Zhou, as Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators hired for assistance, were not forced to the front lines like the family cultivators. They were patrolling in the northeastern direction.
That side mainly faced scattered Loose Cultivators from two provinces, making it relatively safe.
However, before Li Ji'an could figure out a way to contact Duanmu Qin, the situation here took a dramatic turn.
On the seventh day after the Upper Six Sects had dispersed the Loose Cultivators outside the barrier, the Biyun Sect compromised.
The Upper Six Sects agreed to compensate Biyun Sect for sixty percent of its expenses from excavating relics over the years, gaining roughly thirty percent of the unexplored northeast area of the relic, and they began jointly excavating.
Biyun Sect withdrew its defense line, moving entirely to the southwest side of the relic.
However, because the Loose Cultivators from the two provinces had long been oppressed by the might of the Upper Six Sects, and their roots were there, they did not wish to go against the Upper Six Sects. So they all gathered on the west side of the relic, and the number of Loose Cultivators following the Upper Six Sects was even more than before. Within the relic, the six sects were on guard against each other, and Biyun Sect had summoned most of its Inner Sect Disciples back into the relic, increasing the defensive pressure.
The silver lining was that with the Biyun Sect's Inner Sect Disciples moving into the relic, the external defense circle became much looser. Except for the Five Great Clans holding the frontmost position, most Foundation Establishment cultivators formed patrol squads with familiar faces.
"Alas, Fellow Daoist Li, it's truly a waste of talent for a Pill Master like you to be enlisted for patrol duties," Hua Hongling looked at Li Ji'an, clicking her tongue in sympathy.
Tailor Zhou, on the other hand, had seen many such cases and shook his head helplessly, "To the sects, whether we Loose Cultivators have skills or not doesn't make much difference."
"It's alright, the four of us can stick together for warmth," Duanmu Qin looked at Li Ji'an and smiled meaningfully.
The trio had just "coincidentally" encountered Li Ji'an today.
"I'm lucky to have run into you all," Li Ji'an said with gratitude.
The truth was, ever since Wumaoshan had been summoned back to the relic by Biyun Sect a few days ago, their temporary retirement team had disbanded of its own accord.
And the smaller patrol teams they encountered later mostly did not show any intention of accepting him.
"Rest assured, just stay behind me and no one will harm you," Hua Hongling patted her thick chest.
"I must trouble you three then," Li Ji'an thanked sincerely.
Having been neighbors for over a decade, Li Ji'an had a degree of recognition for them, although this relationship was built on him being a Pill Master with mutual needs for exchange, it was considered rare.
"Fellow Daoist Li, it's time to use Disguise," Tailor Zhou reminded.
Without sect cultivators leading them, they could easily forge enmities if they encountered Loose Cultivators from the two provinces charging in.
Li Ji'an followed the advice and utilized the Disguise Technique, though the intensity was reduced to a level where their Divine Sense could sense it, and he didn't use blood essence to alter his muscles and bones.
Subsequently, the four of them set off on patrol together.
In the days that followed, through private communication with Duanmu Qin, Li Ji'an learned about the general location of the cave mansion, which was precisely three hundred miles away from the Magical Barrier.
She must have been confident that Li Ji'an couldn't find it to tell him the general location.
Indeed, that area had already been scouted by Li Ji'an and Gugu, without any hint of discovery.
With the timing not right yet, they had to wait for a chance.
As time went on, the Outer Loose Cultivators finally erupted; with a large number of them, several slipped in from weakly defended areas.
"Huh?" That day, when the four were resting at a cliff, Li Ji'an's Divine Sense tingled.
A weak aura was approaching from afar, soon to enter their safety zone.
It was a Late Qi Cultivation Cultivator, adept at Earth Escape, having delved nearly ten yards underground, comparable to Gugu's Earth Escape when it was at Tier One Middle Stage with an innate talent.
Moreover, its Converting Breath Technique was adept enough that an Ordinary Early Period Foundation Establishment cultivator standing on the surface would likely not be able to sense it.
Li Ji'an silently commanded Gugu to follow him stealthily, ready to swallow him whole at any sign of disturbance.
Fortunately, he slipped away quietly from beneath the cliff without showing any hostility.
When Gugu finally drew near to the relic, Li Ji'an let Gugu return.
This situation wasn't the first they'd encountered recently.
A few days prior, there was even a Loose Cultivator at Early Period Foundation Establishment adept at Shadow Escape.
However, it seemed he was injured and was sensed by Duanmu Qin.
Fortunately, he showed no hostility and retreated slowly, and the four of them watched him leave.
These Loose Cultivators who slipped in were either truly skilled at Escape Techniques or were mainly given leniency by patrolling cultivators who turned a blind eye.
All being Loose Cultivators held no grudges from the past or grievances today, so they could all understand.
Moreover, for the four of them, the reward for capturing a Late Qi Cultivation cultivator was 500 Spirit Stones, and for an Early Period Foundation Establishment, it was 2,000 Spirit Stones, not worth their effort.
However, Li Ji'an never let down his guard, nor did he believe that these Loose Cultivators risking their lives for a slim chance of fortune were gentle people. He remained vigilant at all times.
A few more days passed, and the breaches at the front became increasingly intense, with more Loose Cultivators breaching the barrier.
That day, Li Ji'an sensed four Early Period Foundation Establishment auras from afar.
Gugu immediately followed close behind him.
Initially intending to let them slip away, unexpectedly, the four of them, upon seeing Li Ji'an and his group from a distance, developed malicious intent for some reason.
One of them even released a Spirit Snake, silently slithering to their feet, releasing a thread of toxic mist.
Li Ji'an didn't think much and had Gugu launch a sneak attack on the four, soon after which Duanmu Qin detected them.
Meanwhile, the poison-releasing Spirit Snake was forced out of the ground by Gugu.
Hua Hongling immediately flew into a rage, wielding a Gilded Heavy Hammer, charging forward to attack.
This was the first time Li Ji'an witnessed Hua Hongling's combat style; she was clearly a Dharma Cultivator using her top-notch Lifebound Magical Artifact, but her combat resembled more of a Body Cultivator's up-close brawl.
It inspired Li Ji'an that with his Second Tier Body Cultivator strength, wielding an artifact in close combat would amplify his power.
If he could develop a cultivation technique combining Body and Magic techniques, his combat strength might double.
Just as Hua Hongling charged forward, Duanmu Qin suddenly emitted a sharp shriek, sending sound waves to disrupt their mind, somewhat akin to a Primordial Spirit attack, which momentarily stalled the four.
Taking advantage of this moment, Hua Hongling's heavy hammer broke through the air, instantly turning the foremost person into a pulp.
Before the remaining three could react, Tailor Zhou had already silently leapt onto the tree top and shot an Embroidery Needle at the rearmost one, blocking his retreat.
"Clang~" The Embroidery Needle Spiritual Artifact struck the opponent's Body-Protecting Dharma Shield, emitting a light chime, failing to break the shield.
As he was about to turn around, a barrage of embroidery needles came at him face-first.
...
Li Ji'an stood behind Duanmu Qin, symbolically casting a few Blast Flame Slashes and Fire Snakes.
For these Loose Cultivators, the attacks were still effective, at least dimming one individual's Body-Protecting Shield noticeably.
However, aside from Hua Hongling and Duanmu Qin's initial cooperative lethal strike, the other three quickly became cautious and employed their tactics.
Suddenly, Magical Artifacts and Talismans erupted.
Having experienced true inheritors' Magical Combat from a sect, this kind of combat looked increasingly like chickens pecking at each other.
In the midst of this Magical Combat, Li Ji'an's Divine Sense detected several powerful auras within the relic flying towards them.
In a blink, four figures hovered above them.
"Hmph! How dare shameless Thief Cultivators covet our Upper Sect's relic, courting death!"
Swish~ Following the voice, a blood-red blade shadow descended.
Hua Hongling, who was just about to crush with her hammer, suddenly saw the figure before her being split in two by a blade light, the cut smooth as a mirror.
This single strike had wiped out the last two together.
The residual blade Qi sent shivers down Hua Hongling's spine from close range.
Raising their heads, they saw familiar faces. The one who sheathed his blade was Jiang Yunzhou, accompanied by Fu Hanxing, who had previously defeated him, and true inheritors from two other sects.
Now they were such close allies that they called each other brothers, fated to meet late.
Jiang Yunzhou, after sheathing his blade, scanned the four below with a gentle expression, "Thank you for your efforts; all four will be credited to you."
After his words, without further pause, the four casually chatted as they moved on.
Hua Hongling snapped back to reality, staring at the dazzling blade mark before her, a breath stuck in her chest. If this strike had landed on her, the outcome would have been the same.
Tailor Zhou drifted down to the ground, sighing secretly in envy, "So, this is what true inheritors from sects are like!"
Duanmu Qin's eyes narrowed slightly, her face holding an unusual expression, and she looked at Li Ji'an with a determined gaze.
