Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 262 Retreat

"Xu Zibu!"

The two blurted it out almost simultaneously.

But soon, Pei Si frowned, a look of doubt on his face: "But isn't Xu Zibu already dead?"

“That’s right, news of Xu Zibu’s death is circulating all over Dendrobium Market. If this was intentional on his part, how many customers has he indirectly lost?”

Bai Shuo also shook his head slightly.

As one of the largest intelligence providers in Zhangning Prefecture, Xu Zibu has numerous clients.

Now that news of his death has spread, countless people are cursing him while also searching for a replacement for Xu Zibu.

If a similar figure were to emerge, Xu Zibu's status would plummet.

Even if he were to come back to life, he would never regain his former glory.

And Yanyumen is, unsurprisingly, a strong competitor.

That's why the Misty Rain Sect didn't try to hide the news of Xu Zibu's death.

The fact that Xu Zibu is still alive is of great significance to them.

But even if they die, it won't be a loss for them.

"Whether it is Xu Zibu or not is still inconclusive. But one thing is certain."

Li Xiangming smiled slightly and looked at Pei Si: "Fellow Daoist Pei, did you come here because you know that the Enlightenment Spring is hidden in the Green Cloud Cave?"

Pei Si shook his head: "The information I received was only fragmented and scattered. I came here through my own deductions."

Li Xiangming then looked at Bai Shuo.

Bai Shuo was the same.

The reason they believed their guess was because of Ouyang Zhen.

Ouyang Zhen is a renowned prodigy among the younger generation of Zhangning Prefecture, and his spiritual talent is well-known to the world.

Pei Si and Bai Shuo both knew that Ouyang Zhen was a water cultivator, and that he had always longed to find a spiritual water to protect his path of cultivation.

Now that the Enlightenment Spring has been created, Ouyang Zhen is determined to obtain it.

Since he was able to stake out Green Cloud Cave for several days, he must have obtained solid intelligence.

Based on this principle, so many cultivators have appeared around Green Cloud Cave.

Like the Li family, these people learned about the Enlightenment Spring by chance, but they did not obtain complete information.

Instead of wandering around like a headless fly, it's better to trust the long-established family of alchemists in Hao County.

That's why they're keeping a close eye on Ouyang Zhen.

Knowing this, Li Xiangming gradually sorted out some of his thoughts.

First of all, the news of the Enlightenment Spring undoubtedly came from Xu Zibu.

However, Xu Zibu charged exorbitant intelligence fees, which prevented the news from spreading completely.

Or perhaps he deliberately concealed something.

This perfectly captures the psychology of these people.

Everyone thought that the bits and pieces they had obtained were exclusive information, so they were making preparations in full swing while constantly inquiring about the exact location of the Enlightenment Spring.

Unexpectedly, Xu Zibu suddenly died at this moment, causing the source of information about the Enlightenment Spring to be completely cut off.

Having already dreamed of obtaining this opportunity, how could they possibly be content with it?

So these people eagerly followed Ouyang Zhen to the outside of Green Cloud Cave.

Do those who blindly follow the trend have any complete information about the Enlightenment Spring?

Li Xiangming was almost certain that there was absolutely no such thing.

Will Ouyang Zhen have it?
Li Xiangming also remained highly skeptical of this.

Throughout history, whenever an opportunity has been revealed, countless cultivators from lower levels have come to seek out treasures.

The Enlightenment Spring circulates only within a very small area, and every cultivator who comes to this place is an exceptional individual.

For example, Pei Si was able to silently investigate more than twenty cultivators in just a few days.

Bai Shuo, on the other hand, possessed extraordinary talent and had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining at the young age of twenty-five or twenty-six.

Even within the Li family, only Li Xiangren and Li Xiangyu, two dual-spiritual-root seeds who have poured the family's resources into him, can rival him.

If these two were considered rogue cultivators, they wouldn't even know how they died.

Ouyang Zhen and his group were all elite disciples from prestigious sects.

Li Xiangming had reason to suspect that these people were the top cultivators in the Qi Refining stage in Hao County.

Although Ouyang Zhen is famous, is he really much better than others?
Maybe not?

As fellow Qi Refining cultivators, what reason did Xu Zibu have to favor him so much?
Is it simply because he shares the surname Ouyang? Li Xiangming now highly suspects that Ouyang Zhen and the others also lack conclusive information about the Enlightenment Spring.

Otherwise, why not just ask an elder in private to help and directly attack Green Cloud Cave?

Of course, doing so also carries significant risks.

Putting aside the pressure of public opinion, does the spiritual spring of enlightenment that the elders obtained necessarily mean it will be given to you?
The Ouyang family is different from the Li family.

In this generation of the Li family, only Li Xiangming possesses the outstanding water elemental root.

Therefore, Li Xiangming can ask his family for help.

Even if he did nothing, as long as he has potential, the Li family will most likely allocate the Enlightenment Spring to him if they accidentally obtain it.

The Ouyang family is different; with its large population and numerous cultivators, their internal conflicts are far more complex.

Even if Ouyang Zhen does his best, it is still uncertain who will get the Enlightenment Spring Flower once the elders intervene.

When it comes to family interests, there is no such thing as fairness.

Therefore, Ouyang Zhen secretly gathered a group of young masters to form an alliance and jointly compete for the Enlightenment Spring.

In Li Xiangming's view, this was a wise move.

However, it was precisely this idea that led to the absence of any Foundation Establishment cultivators outside Green Cloud Cave.

This is obviously abnormal.

Given the value of the Enlightenment Spring, it's impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator not to be tempted.

When Xu Zibu sells information, why does he only sell it to Qi Refining cultivators?

Li Xiangming could only draw one conclusion: there was an invisible hand controlling everything from behind the scenes.

Driven by these two giant hands, no one has ever truly seen the Enlightenment Spring.

Even the location where it was born is entirely based on guesswork.

Having figured this out, Li Xiangming had already begun to consider resigning.

The Enlightenment Spring is most likely a trap, a snare that lures numerous cultivators into killing each other.

I just don't know who this trap is mainly targeting?
Green Cloud Cave?
Or is it the Ouyang family?
Due to a change in mindset, Li Xiangming hastily ended the conversation that had puzzled everyone.

Afterwards, Li Xiangming and Pei Si continued to explore the area around Green Cloud Cave.

Bai Shuo acted alone.

Two days passed, and Li Xiangming became even more determined in his opinion.

Those who linger around Green Cloud Cave are like headless flies.

Ouyang Zhen was the same.

Pei Si, however, claimed that Ouyang Zhen might lose his temper and attack Green Cloud Cave.

Out of concern for his sect, Li Xiangming stayed there for a few more days.

As expected, Ouyang Zhen and his gang attempted to force their way into Green Cloud Cave.

However, a second-tier minor Xuan Yin Spirit Array was set up at the entrance of the cave, and it was clear that a disciple was controlling the array inside.

After several attempts, Ouyang Zhen and his team returned empty-handed.

Modern formations are divided into two types: magic formations and spirit formations.

A magic array, as the name suggests, is a formation driven by magical power.

The array master injects a large amount of mana into the array's core and uses array flags to control the distribution and changes of mana, thereby achieving the purpose of attack or defense.

This kind of formation is unpredictable and can be seen in the general sense; it can be found almost anywhere.

For example, the One Cycle Rebirth Formation, which Li Xianghua was skilled at, and the Quicksand Soul Burial Formation he set up when capturing the Black Water Serpent, both belong to the category of magic formations.

The large-scale formation "Six Harmonies Return to One Formation" set up by the Li family at the Maojing Mine is also a formation.

The magic circle is extremely flexible and can be turned off normally to save mana.

Once activated, it is not necessary to distribute all mana evenly across the formation.

When faced with an enemy attack, the one who wields the battle flag can concentrate their magic power to defend the most critical parts while ignoring other directions, in order to achieve the greatest defensive effect.

But this puts the skill of the flag bearer to the test.

Because once the formation changes, a flaw will inevitably appear.

The one who carries the battle flag needs to constantly operate the formation to conceal major changes beneath minor ones.

Although doing so will inevitably create more vulnerabilities.

However, as long as there are more changes, the original flaws will disappear in an instant, and the person breaking the formation will be dazzled, thus still being able to achieve the goal of "eliminating" the flaws.

(End of this chapter)