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Chapter 307 Picking up dropped equipment
"boom!!!!"

After a moment of silence, countless sword energies poured down like a raging sea, and deafening explosions resounded through the night.

A violent shockwave exploded out in a ring, and people on and below the mountain covered their faces with their sleeves, using spiritual energy to stabilize themselves.

At this moment, beneath the sword waves, the Xuan Tian Treasure Seal emitted a dazzling golden light, and the hexagonal black pestle released crackling purple lightning. The two intertwined to form a net, forcefully resisting the overwhelming sword waves.

However, the overwhelming power of [Little Chongshan] caused Shang Que's bones to crack and pop, his sleeves to shatter inch by inch, and his face to contort in a ferocious expression.

"Everyone says that there is a private cultivator in the Heavenly Academy who acts eccentrically and unruly. I never expected that you would be so audacious as to openly oppose the five great immortal sects!"

"What am I supposed to do? Four people have already died..."

"?"

"Can you convince the other four not to be my enemies?"

Ji You spoke softly, her sincere yet helpless voice startling Shang Que.

This problem is actually the same one that the Dan Sect faced back then. Since the Immortal Sect wanted to capture alchemists, it didn't matter whether five or six sects came.

Just like now, Ji You has already killed four, so killing one more won't make any difference.

There's a big difference between not offending anyone and offending just one family, but there's not much difference between offending four families and offending five families.

While Shang Que was still in a daze, he suddenly felt a sharp aura cutting towards his face.

Before he could react, Ji You had already smashed through the three-zhang-long blue bricks and burst into action, with rubble and sand exploding out of the spiderweb-like cracks.

The gleaming sword hummed softly, reflecting a pair of eyes that were cold and piercing.

Then, the Sky-Ringing Circular Slash.

The surging energy directly flattened the dust and sand in front of him, cutting a clear patch of night, and then the sword energy crashed down.

With a loud clang, the treasure seal, suspended in mid-air, trembled violently as it was struck and flew out horizontally.

Shang Que gritted his teeth, grabbed the black pestle hanging in mid-air with a bang, and fiercely crashed into the pressing sword energy.

The howling sword energy collided with the lightning of the black pestle, and the resulting sparks were as brilliant as shooting stars, flying everywhere. The two were instantly sent flying several feet away, and the ground between them was now riddled with deep pits and cracks.

Of the five Boundless Realm cultivators who went up the mountain tonight, Shang Que's combat strength was considered top-notch, but his specialty was using weapons to fight rather than engaging in direct combat.

So, after just one exchange of blows, he realized that once he was caught in close combat, he would have absolutely no chance of winning.

Upon landing, Shang Que unleashed a surge of energy, recalling the treasure seal that had been severed, and simultaneously drawing a blinding beam of light into the black pestle.

The two magical artifacts spun and intertwined in the air, emitting a buzzing sound like the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers, before he shook them out with a flick of his palm.

Ji You, meanwhile, charged upwards, riding the lingering sword energy, his Dao sword unleashing a crescent-shaped, chilling light.

The moment they clashed, the explosive sound of metal striking metal shook the surrounding mountains.

Like the bronze disc, the incoming treasure seal also carried a terrifying aura, directly causing Ji You's Dao sword to groan in pain.

In that instant, the six-sided black pestle came flying through the air and slammed hard onto the treasure seal.

An explosive force instantly shook him violently, blasting him away and causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood mist.

Upon seeing this, a fleeting, almost imperceptible fear flashed in Shang Que's cold eyes.

The power of that treasure seal and iron pestle should not be limited to this.

“Buzz!!!!”

With a thought, Shang Que unleashed a ripple of ethereal light beneath his feet, and in an instant, he flew towards the Dan Sect's mountain gate.

Even now, he still doesn't understand why the situation has turned out this way. In addition, the killing of those of the same realm has made his Dao heart unstable.

Most importantly, the mission has failed.

Since he had no chance of taking any alchemists with him tonight, he had no need to continue fighting.

Ji You arrived on the ground at this moment, and looking at Shang Que who had turned into a phantom, he suddenly waved his sleeve. In an instant, the great formation protecting the entire Dan Mountain boiled up and turned into countless mysterious lights that broke out of the ground.

At the same time that the great formation rose, a pair of fists that made the air explode also came down.

"Thief! How dare you!"

"boom!!!"

In fact, the infighting within the Dan Sect had already ceased after Huo Yu's death.

In the lingering darkness before dawn, everyone was gazing in the direction of the mountain gate.

A beam of bright white light burst forth from the dense forest on the mountainside, tearing the night sky apart like the rising sun, illuminating the peaks and cliffs in every detail.

That was a technique of the Dao Seeking Sect. For Dao Seeking Sect disciples above the ninth level, it was undoubtedly familiar and shocking.

However, the sword energy of the Heaven-Reaching Circular Slash was by no means weak, instantly tearing apart the wild immortal light, and the huge sword mark even made the Dan Sect's protective formation shake.

Then another beam of divine light shot out, piercing directly through the nearby cliff.

The roar and light continued to tear at the heavens and earth, accompanied by the explosive force of fists, until at a certain moment, all the sounds seemed to be extinguished by an invisible force.

The booming explosions continued, the magical light and the sword energy clashed repeatedly, finally coming to an abrupt halt in an instant.

At this moment, before everyone's eyes, atop a hundred-foot-high earthen wave, Elder Shang of the Dao Asking Sect burst into a cloud of blood mist, then plummeted horizontally from the hundred-foot-high earthen wave.

The swordsman, covered in blood, fell into the surging waves, the remaining sword energy causing his iron sword to still whistle wildly.

Amidst the howling mountain winds, the vast Dan Mountain fell into silence.

As the dust settled, the group spotted two figures, one sitting and one lying down, downstream in the mountain stream.

That old dog from the Immortal Sect is truly difficult to kill.

Ji You was sitting on the rock, panting heavily, with blood dripping down her arm that was draped over her leg.

After catching his breath for a long time, he swallowed and immediately felt a sweet and fishy smell in his mouth, which made him gag. His eyes then glanced at Shang Que of the Dao Asking Sect.

The gray-haired Shang Que was lying on the ground, breathing weakly, but he couldn't even blow away the fallen leaves in front of him, only stirring up some fine dust.

Before long, his breathing began to slow down, and his eyes gradually dimmed.

Only when those aged eyes became completely cloudy did Ji You endure the pain in her body, bend over, and reach out to touch Shang Que's waist.

As he touched them, his eyes widened in surprise, and three storage gourds appeared in his hands.

This old dog is indeed a treasure-hunting immortal.

Ji You suddenly remembered that there were still four old dogs he hadn't petted, so he propped himself up, dragged the Dao sword in his hand, and walked towards the Ninth Step.

After a night of fierce fighting, dawn had already quietly arrived.

The eastern horizon was the first to loosen, first turning a deep blue, then slowly seeping into the grayish-white of a duck eggshell.

As the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, the mountain ridgelines gradually became clear, as if someone had used a brush dipped in gold powder to gently trace the undulating contours.

On the mountain and below, everyone stared at the figure that emerged from the dawn, speechless for a long time.

Danshan, being semi-closed off, had only heard about the battles between cultivators from Qingyun Tianxia; they had never witnessed them firsthand.

But tonight, they witnessed a one-versus-three kill.

And those who died were three powerful beings at the Boundless Realm.

This was a once-in-a-century calamity for the Dan Sect, and many people had already prepared to die for the sect before nightfall.

As Chu Hong and Chen Ke gracefully ascended the mountain, and as the bronze disc was being ground towards the sect leader's palace, many female alchemists in Yaoguang Palace had already placed their pills to their lips, ready to take them.

Unexpectedly, as swords rained down from the mountain, everything vanished without a trace.

Just then, the trembling of the weapons suddenly produced a clattering sound, and the deathly silent nine-tiered staircase suddenly began to make noise again.

However, this time it wasn't an attack on the mountain, but a retreat.

Seeing that their elders had died, the immortal sect members retreated down the mountain in fear and unease. First, two or three of them went down, then a dozen or so, and then everyone surged toward the mountain gate like a tidal wave.

Thus, the scene at dawn became Ji You climbing the mountain, while all the disciples of the immortal sects hurriedly descended, avoiding him.

Ji You had already found six gourds. When he saw the immortal sect members blocking the mountain gate formation, he waved his hand and dispersed a beam of light, letting them go down the mountain.

He no longer had the strength to speak; only his initial resolve sustained him as he picked up the dropped equipment, unable to fight any longer.

Moreover, some of those immortal sect members are at the Yingtian Realm, and they are not easy to kill.

"Son!"

"Brother-in-law!"

"?"

Ji You turned around and saw Yuan Caiwei rushing down the mountain, followed by Yuan Chen, whose hair was disheveled and whose red eyes were staring at him in a daze.

In fact, Ji You's killing of three Boundless Realm cultivators was unimaginable even for this daughter of the Pill Sect.

Her affection for Ji You stemmed partly from his actions and partly from Yan Shuyi.

Although she and Yan Shuyi grew up together, Yuan Caiwei had always harbored admiration for this appraiser who single-handedly supported an entire immortal sect.

After leaving Qiling, the first time she became curious about Ji You was because she discovered that the aloof and powerful appraiser's sister actually liked him.

Later, upon hearing that he had sheltered many children and saved many people, he naturally couldn't help but be moved.

But she really didn't expect that when the Pill Sect was ravaged, he would be able to protect the entire Pill Mountain all by himself.

Ji You reached out and put her hand on Yuan Caiwei's body: "Help me up, I can't stand up straight."

"I'll take you back to heal your wounds."

"There are still two people's storage gourds on the mountain that I haven't touched. Find someone to help me touch them, and don't let anyone else take them."

"Alright." Under the dawn's light, as the sect leader's decree was issued, the disciples of the Dan Sect descended the mountain from Yaoguang Palace and immediately began rescuing people.

When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, they witnessed just how fierce the battle of the previous night had been.

The hillside was shattered, countless rocks piled up on the mountain path, and three of the seven halls of the Dan Sect were destroyed, leaving only ruins.

The most horrifying thing was that the completely destroyed nine-tiered staircase was littered with limbs and remains, and large amounts of blood flowed down the steps, a truly shocking sight.

The disciples of the Dan Sect, together with the members of those aristocratic families, hurriedly carried all the wounded to the undamaged Tianquan Hall.

They then fed the wounded pills and sat together, using the energy of the pills to catalyze the healing process for everyone.

Yuan Li and the elders also arrived at the Tianquan Hall, instructing their disciples to clean up the mess and working together to stabilize the injuries of the aristocratic patriarchs.

After doing all this, Yuan Li took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Danyangzi: "Give this to Caiwei and give it to Ji You."

"Nine Profound Liquid?"

"It can help him recover from his internal injuries quickly."

Danyangzi reached out and took the jade bottle: "As you command."

Yuan Li watched Dan Yangzi leave, then walked out of Tianquan Hall. Looking at the devastation below the mountain, he remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Issue the order that the Dan Sect will close its mountain from today onwards, and will remain secluded from the world, no longer welcoming guests."

The protective formations of the seven great immortal sects are extremely strong. To break through them from the outside, one would need to be personally present at the Immortal Realm.

Therefore, even if those immortal sect disciples returned empty-handed, after the mountain was sealed off, the Pill Sect did not need to worry about them making a comeback.

This is the best solution Yuan Li can think of at the moment.

Dan Xunzi couldn't help but look up at the sect leader and ask, "How are the medicinal herbs transported up the mountain? How are the pills transported?"

"Stop it all."

"This……"

"This is not just a calamity for my Dan Sect, but merely the beginning."

Yuan Li did not explain the cause of this calamity or how long it would last, but insisted on closing the mountain.

However, before closing the mountain, they had one more thing to resolve.

So, as the sun began to peek over the mountaintop, they all went to the back of Yaoguang Palace.

When they arrived at the back of the mountain, they found Yuan Bingqing, Hong Zhen, Wen Bin, and four others walking forward through the forest.

Upon seeing this, Danyangzi called out to the six of them, "What are you doing here?"

The six turned around upon hearing the voice: "Greetings, Master, greetings, elders. Junior Sister Caiwei asked us to come here to find something."

"Looking for something?"

"It was said to be a storage gourd, found on a corpse near the great formation."

After hearing this, Yuan Li looked at the mysterious light rising from the cliff, and then walked towards the cliff with his six disciples.

However, before they even got close, they stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on each other.

Amidst the towering array, Chu Hong and Chen Ke's corpses lay motionless on the ground, their blood already congealed.

Upon seeing this, Wenbin, Hongzhen, and the others couldn't help but clench their fists.

They had actually seen Chu Hong and Chen Ke coming down the mountain when they were in Yaoguang Hall. At that time, not only the female alchemists in the hall, but even they had already put the Blood Dove Pill to their mouths.

But the two never went up the mountain again, and never appeared again.

What happened next caused everyone to forget about the two men. It wasn't until this point that they realized that these two were the first to be killed.

So he didn't kill three Boundless Realm cultivators by himself, but five by himself.

The most crucial element is the array base.

Everyone couldn't help but look at the dozen or so unremarkable black rocks neatly arranged along the mountainside.

He connected the sacred artifacts, securing the mountains with array bases that weighed as much as the entire mountain range, and moved them one by one from the foot of the mountain to the summit.

"It seems he wasn't confident he could take on five opponents at once, so he left a way out for the disciples of Yaoguang Palace..."

Upon hearing Yuan Li's words, Yuan Bingqing suddenly came to her senses.

Until just a moment ago, she thought that the moved array base was nothing more than a trap to kill people, but now, after being reminded by a single sentence, she finally understood.

The moved array base was used to protect the disciples in Yaoguang Palace so they could escape.

"What exactly is Ji You's realm?"

Yuan Li stared at the array base below the mountain for a long time before finally asking a question.

This is something many people have wanted to know. It has been on everyone's mind ever since the bronze disc was snatched away empty-handed last night, and it has only been asked now.

Upon hearing this question, the elder of the Dan Sect seemed dazed for a moment before finally shaking his head.

Judging from his aura, Ji You is at the Tongxuan Realm, but the human race has a history of thousands of years, so how could he kill five Tongxuan Realm experts from Wujiang Realm?

After a long silence, the sect leader of Danzong temporarily lifted the great formation at the back mountain and ordered his disciples to move the corpse out.

Yuan Bingqing, entrusted by Yuan Caiwei, took out the storage gourds from the waists of the two of them.

As the sun rose high, steam rose from Yuan Caiwei's medicinal pool behind the bamboo grove courtyard.

Ji You was completely naked, immersing himself in the medicinal liquid, constantly absorbing the medicinal power from the pool.

He had honed his body to an extremely hard form through body tempering, so his external injuries were not obvious. However, after killing five Boundless Ones in one night, his internal injuries were already extremely severe.

Especially the battle where Shang Que was killed.

Unlike the previous four battles, this one didn't offer enough opportunities for clever maneuvers. It was a head-on clash, with the narrow victory achieved by constantly seeking opportunities to get close, including many risky moves that involved trading blows for injuries.

After soaking in the pool for a long time, Ji You's surging breath gradually subsided, and his tense muscles began to relax.

After this calamity, the Dan Sect will most likely close its gates.

But this is still much better than the destruction of the sect or the disciples being captured and enslaved.

Moreover, today's outcome is perhaps the best-case scenario that the Dan Sect never even imagined.

Ji You suppressed her injuries with the help of the medicine and turned to look at the two piles of spoils in front of her, which looked like small mountains.

Among them were spirit stones, weapons, and magical artifacts, all gleaming brightly and clearly extraordinary.

In particular, the Dao sword that Yan Jingfu had secretly kept had a sharp aura that was spreading even before it was drawn.

The other group was discussing the Daoist Duobao.

His belongings alone piled up into a small mountain, which Ji You placed in a separate pile, alongside the bronze disc, the golden seal, and the hexagonal black pestle that had been confiscated beforehand.

Of the five Boundless Realm cultivators who came up the mountain this time, Chu Hong and Chen Ke should be the strongest, followed by Yan Jingfu, and then Huo Yu.

As for discussion, he found it somewhat strange.

Judging from the power of his sacrificial weapon in killing enemies, his strength should far surpass that of the other four. However, when Ji You was chasing him down, he found that his combat strength was not that strong.

At that time, he felt that the combat power that surpassed his own must be related to the artifacts he used.

He lowered his head and began to examine the three artifacts closely.

To his disappointment, both the round treasure seal and the black pestle were made of rare and precious metals, but had no other unusual features. The only difference was that they were engraved with dense and intricate lines.

Ji You couldn't figure it out, but she put it aside and continued looking through other things.

As he flipped through the pages, he suddenly spotted an old book among a pile of spirit stones.

After clearing away the spirit stones, four large characters on the book came into his view—The Great Canon of Celestial Patterns.

Ji You picked up the book, then gently opened it, her gaze sweeping over it before returning to the disc.

It is a battle formation diagram.

The bronze disc, the seal, and the hexagonal black pestle are all engraved with the killing formations recorded in the book.

According to the book, these killing formations can draw spiritual energy on their own and operate with tremendous killing power.

Upon seeing this, Ji You instantly understood, thinking to himself, "No wonder it took so long to recover after Shang Que used the bronze plate once."

He inscribed the formation onto the weapon, using himself as an energy source to enhance the weapon's destructive power.

However, after the lineage of array masters was wiped out hundreds of years ago, the array techniques are said to have been lost.

Ji You continued flipping through the pages and saw all sorts of killing formations appearing before her eyes.

Just by glancing through it briefly, you can't really figure anything out.

Not long after, Ji You put down the array diagram and turned to look at the teapot on the tea table by the pond.

The temperature in the medicinal pool was very high, and he felt a bit thirsty.

However, the medicinal effects are said to need to circulate through the meridians, so he could not use his spiritual energy at this moment. He could only stand up from the pool with a splash and reach out to take it.

Just as he shakily got up, a cracking sound came from the small house opposite the medicine pool, like the sound of porcelain accidentally shattering.

Upon hearing this sound, Ji You's expression turned strange.

Women's minds are complex.

Yuan Caiwei had just brought him to the medicinal pool, prepared the medicine, and put him in. Then she took Jiyue to the small house across the street.

The feeling was like being completely innocent, never having been filled by him, so one couldn't watch him bathe.

So, you've been spying the whole time, haven't you?

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(End of this chapter)