A high-level meeting was held at Mingfeng Mountain, and only a few cultivators in the Immortal City knew about it.

The next day, Sheng Liyue walked into the courtyard with a brisk pace and loudly announced:

"The latest news, various sects are dispatching a batch of high-tier cultivators to reinforce Mingfeng Mountain, and they will arrive tomorrow."

"Great!"

"It must be that the senior brothers who entered the Canglan Secret Realm are returning!"

"Haha, the city wall defense line will definitely become stable."

The cultivators cheered, their faces filled with hopeful smiles.

Compared to others, Ji An was quite stunned when he heard the news and thought to himself:

’Is there still a need for piecemeal tactics?’

The battles at Mingfeng Mountain have already consumed a vast number of demon beasts. What should be done now is retreat, right?

Then use space to disperse the demon beasts, and each sect should just hold their arrays to the death.

The number of loose cultivators is decreasing; any further consumption will just be consuming the lives of sect cultivators.

Mingfeng Mountain is only a tier two upper-grade spiritual vein, and the defense strength of the Mountain Protection Array is far inferior to the sect’s tier three array; the sect defense is more confident.

Moments later, the sun rose, the battle broke out again, and soon the first wounded was delivered below.

...

A cultivator greeted:

"Senior Brother Ji, this wounded person is seriously hurt, see if you can save him."

"Coming!"

Ji An no longer treated ordinary wounded, only dealt with seriously injured ones.

In the absence of pills, his magic technique has the best healing effect.

If he couldn’t save a wounded person, other cultivators had even less chance.

Later on, he treated all the seriously injured individuals.

Thanks to the magical power refined through the Evergreen Wood Skill, thanks to the Rejuvenation Technique at the Great Perfection level, and probably also due to the power of the Dao Seed, he healed a large number of severely wounded.

Of course, there were also many times he was powerless to reverse the situation and could only watch helplessly as fellow cultivators’ Light of Life dimmed and extinguished.

The injured person had a bulky frame, robust physique, and injuries that were truly shocking.

Half of his face was peeled back, exposing the gray-white brain with two distinct scars on it, while the other half was smeared with blood, hiding his features.

The injured person’s brain had indeed suffered damage, and even if the injuries healed, the original impact already existed.

Spirit elixirs and high-level magic can regenerate severed limbs but don’t have as effective an impact on brain trauma.

Besides the brain injury, the injured person had three deep claw marks on his chest, with bones exposed, revealing a beating heart.

’He’s done for!’

Ji An lamented silently, shaking his head.

Having witnessed so much life and death these days, many fellow cultivators died before him every day.

Now, his heart was as hard as stone, or perhaps somewhat indifferent.

The Dharma Seal in his hand shifted, his right palm quickly turned emerald, the Rejuvenation Technique activated, and emerald brilliance shimmered, covering the exposed brain, bringing forth a patch of verdant grass.

The brain matter rapidly healed, and the injured person’s rapid breathing surprisingly steadied quickly.

’A miracle.’

Ji An’s heart immediately filled with joy, hurriedly placing the lifted skull back and was about to cast magic, but he felt the other party’s spirit soul power quickly dissipating.

Ji An hesitated, then let out a long breath:

"Take him away."

He had encountered this situation before; when cultivators were delivered, they were already on the brink of exhaustion, dimly clinging to life. The Rejuvenation Technique merely triggered their final life potential, accelerating death instead.

It was fate.

Periodically, seriously injured individuals were brought over, keeping Ji An busy.

For some reason, there were especially many seriously injured today.

When he exhausted his magical power, he discovered the yard was still packed with wounded.

"Li Yue, I’m going to restore my magical power."

Ji An called out, quickly leaving.

He returned to his temporary resting place, took out two sect-issued pills for restoring magical power, swallowed them, and began exercising his cultivation technique.

After refining the spiritual power in the pills, he hurried back to the courtyard.

At that moment, he found a familiar cultivator lying there.

...

Chu River was torn open from the neck to the chest, exposing four finger-wide distinct claw marks, with deep wounds on the heart as well.

Blood mixed with froth "sizzled" outward, leaving a pool of fresh blood on the soil beside him.

He felt the pain on his body lighten, his body becoming increasingly light as if he were floating, his vision gradually blurring.

Ji An dashed to Chu River’s side, the Dharma Seal in his hand turned into afterimages, releasing the Rejuvenation Technique, and the Magic Intent of Growth spread.

Emerald brilliance shimmered, and the magic technique started to take effect, creating the phenomenon of a green tree growing.

As the green tree grew, the wounds on Chu River’s body rapidly contracted, flesh regenerated, and the wounds healed.

He clasped the other’s wrist firmly, stating determinately:

"Hold on."

Chu River’s blurred vision gradually gained focus, and after a moment of confusion, he clearly saw Ji An’s face.

His lips slightly curled open, murmuring indistinctly:

"Senior Brother, so cold."

After two heartbeats, his eyes lost focus again and utterly lost their luster.

The effect of the Rejuvenation Technique abruptly ceased, with only half of his throat and heart injuries healed.

Though Ji An had become accustomed to death these days, this was the first time someone familiar died before him, and this impact was a completely different level from strangers dying.

It felt as though there was a cold lump of mud stuffed in his mouth, the coldness creeping up to the top of his head, the chill seeping into his sea of consciousness.

The cold spread downward through his entire body, as if an icy hand were gripping his heart tightly.

Chu River was the first person he met after crossing paths, and he could still remember that sunny afternoon when the other person rolled up his sleeves and shook his fists in front of him.

Back then, the robe of the Daoist School was worn by the other person as a tight-fitting suit, bringing an inexplicable sense of humor.

This was the first time a familiar cultivator had fallen on the path of cultivation. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, only a helpless sigh escaped.

The other cultivators nearby, seeing his expression, immediately guessed that the deceased was known to him and let out a collective sigh of lament.

...

As the sun set, Ji An arrived at the entrance of the grotto mansion of a Chao Origin Stage cultivator, speaking to the guarding disciple:

"Please help me inform Junior Martial Uncle Lin Qiu Bai that Ji An from Red Flame Peak has come to discuss an urgent matter."

The disciple immediately cupped his hands, "Junior Martial Uncle, please wait, I will notify you immediately."

The disciple jogged into the grotto mansion and quickly came back out.

"The Junior Martial Uncle invites you in."

Ji An entered the grotto mansion, cupped his hands and said:

"Disciple Ji An, pays respect to Junior Martial Uncle."

Lin Qiu Bai sat cross-legged on a pudun, without opening his eyes, and said indifferently:

"For what matter?"

The name "Ji An" was familiar to him, Junior Brother Jia Yu had mentioned it, so he had arranged for the person to stay at the back.

In his heart, he felt a faint disdain for it.

A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator hiding at the back doing healing tasks, such a waste.

A cultivator at this level, with enough magical power, could easily control a spiritual artifact and play a significant role in battle.

Now, with demon beasts overwhelming, magical combat experience was unnecessary; only magical power needed to be unleashed.

At the very least, wouldn’t it be easy to slaughter several hundred low-tier demon beasts each day? This would greatly alleviate the pressure on the walls.

Though the other party was a very potential high-tier spirit farmer, for a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the danger level on the walls was not high.

Chao Origin Stage demon beasts were handled by Chao Origin Stage cultivators, while other disciples dealt only with Foundation Establishment Stage demon beasts.

Lin Qiu Bai remembered that after breaking through to late-stage Foundation Establishment, he slaughtered Foundation Establishment perfection level demon beasts like slaughtering dogs.

"Disciple has been at Mingfeng Mountain for two months, doing only healing tasks.

Every day, witnessing fellow disciples die tragically in front of me, my heart grows increasingly anxious.

I implore Junior Martial Uncle to allow me to guard the walls of the Immortal City tomorrow and battle with the demon beasts, to avenge the fallen disciples."

"Oh?"

Lin Qiu Bai opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his sharp gaze.

He and Ji An locked eyes, and he stated word by word:

"Battling will always accompany the danger of falling. Do you fear it?"

His tone carried a murderous sound, and a chilling atmosphere emanated.

The room was filled with a desolate feeling, as if endless fallen leaves were rustling down.

Feeling the manifestation of Metal Technique Intent, Ji An faced it calmly, without changing his expression:

"Matters of life and death, claiming not to fear would be false.

But as a late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple, seeing many early-stage and middle-stage Foundation Establishment junior brothers injured and even killed every day, I always feel that I should do something, and not let them shield me from the wind and rain."

He had a deep understanding of Metal Technique Intent, after all, during the enhancement of his Metal Dao Seed with Dao Rhyme, he had been subjected to a ’thousand cuts’ by the currents formed by the Geng Metal Qi Radiance, containing a hint of spirit-slaying soul-destroying killing intent.

Because he had witnessed such intensity, he remained unfazed by the other’s pressure.

"Good, it’s right to have such awareness, a Senior Brother should act like a Senior Brother.

Let me ask you, are you prepared for combat?"

Seeing the disciple’s demeanor, Lin Qiu Bai’s lips curled into a slight smile, and his tone softened somewhat.

Though he had only revealed a fraction of the Autumn Sword Intent, the other party handled it with composure, unexpectedly.

The other was a spirit farmer, cultivating a Wood Element Technique, theoretically should be heavily suppressed.

He continued to maintain the Sword Intent, wanting to see how long the disciple could hold out.

"Disciple has two spiritual artifacts, the Flame Light Banner and the apricot yellow Banner, one for attack and one for defense, sufficient to handle Foundation Establishment Stage demon beasts."

With that, Ji An activated the magical power within him, a vigorous aura burst forth, resisting the endless invasion of magic intent.

In the room, as spring returned to the earth, the desolate atmosphere of falling leaves immediately faded significantly.

A burgeoning vitality coexisted with a killing deathly atmosphere, the two streams of magic intent ebbing and flowing.

"Good!"

Lin Qiu Bai’s eyes suddenly brightened, the disciple’s understanding of the cultivation technique reached a relatively profound level.

Inspired to test him further, he gradually increased the output of Sword Intent.

Ji An responded with equanimity, a gentle smile on his face.

Gradually, pieces of yellow leaves manifested, fluttering and falling.

It seemed as if a northern wind arose, threads of piercing chill attacking the spirit soul relentlessly.

Lin Qiu Bai used Sword Intent Transformation!

Ji An instantly felt the pressure, losing ground in the exchange of magic intent.

The Wood Element Qi Mechanism was being continuously weakened, growing dimmer.

Seeing the disciple beginning to falter, Lin Qiu Bai prepared to retract his Sword Intent.

Suddenly, green grass sprouted on the ground, green trees budded, an exuberant aura surged like a mighty river.

The killing atmosphere continued, yet the green grass and trees seemed to undergo a cruel process, rapidly withering.

However, green life, seemingly like wild grass, could not be extinguished; when the spring wind blew, it sprouted anew.

The changes of life and death, withering and flourishing, that burgeoning intent never ceased.