Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 469 Arrival
"Gao Can, can you handle it?"

Li Xiangming walked ahead, glanced back at Gao Can who was carrying a load on his shoulders, and said with a hint of concern in his voice.

Due to the sudden attack, the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team, which was escorting supplies, lost two-thirds of its manpower, all six wagons were destroyed, and a large amount of supplies were scattered all over the ground.

These items are urgently needed at the front lines, so it's impossible for them to be sent back to Qingyang Temple.

Li Xiangming then put some of the valuables into his own storage bag, while letting the survivors manually carry the rest of the supplies, taking as much as they could.

The tall and strong Gao Can is undoubtedly the main force of this trip.

He had his arms bent, each holding a large box on his shoulder, and his body was covered with ropes made of coarse hemp, tied with countless cloth bags. From a distance, he looked like a moving small mountain.

"good."

Gao Canweng said in a low voice, "I ate very well at Brother Li's house and gained strength."

Li Xiangming smiled.

He could actually hear Gao Can's panting, but since the other party seemed to be able to hold on, he didn't say anything more and instead asked, "Is your condition still flaring up?"

"It's not happening anymore."

Gao Can scratched his head: "It's just that every time I apply the ointment, I kind of miss the chieftain and Ma Wu."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming's expression turned somewhat strange.

He had personally witnessed Gao Can taking the medication, and it was excruciatingly painful.

This suffering was entirely caused by Liu Xiongyu's attempt to force Gao Can to grow too quickly.

No matter how simple-minded Gao Can is, ever since he started following Liu Xiong Yu, he has been constantly carrying around a medicine pot, so it's impossible that he doesn't have some suspicions about his illness.

Even so, he still held Liu Xiongyu in high esteem and remained loyal to him.

What merit or ability does Liu Xiongyu possess?

Perhaps this is related to Gao Can's unhappy childhood...

Li Xiangming sighed softly.

Gao Can is a descendant of the Ling Clan.

The so-called Spirit Race refers to a group of human cultivators who once practiced the Blood Fusion Technique and seized the bloodline of the demon race.

Their descendants, with blood from both humans and demons, are born with extraordinary abilities. They can cultivate human techniques and unleash the innate supernatural powers of demons, making them extremely powerful.

However, due to some historical issues, the Spirit Race is regarded as a thorn in the side by both the cultivation world and the demon race.

They nearly went extinct in less than a thousand years.

The very few surviving members of the Elven race went into hiding, but they could not escape the ravages of time, and their descendants all became ordinary mortals.

Take Gao Can's ancestors as an example. Going back six or seven generations, none of them had any connection with the Spirit Clan.

Only Gao Can's bloodline suddenly reverted to its ancestral form, causing his physique to grow continuously larger.

This unusual phenomenon inevitably caused panic.

After all, mortals have no idea what a spirit race is.

They only regarded Gao Can as a reincarnation of a monster and rejected him in every way.

Ultimately, Gao Can's parents couldn't withstand the pressure from societal norms and abandoned him when he was only four years old.

How can a four-year-old child, even though he is a bit big, be able to take care of himself?
Fortunately, he had an older brother, a scholar determined to pass the imperial examination, who secretly sent him to the mountains and saved his own food and clothing every day to support Gao Can.

However, Gao Can's older brother suffered from malnutrition and became physically weak as a result, eventually passing away from a sudden serious illness.

Gao Can was completely unaware of this; all he knew was that no one was bringing him food anymore.

He didn't dare go down the mountain.

For him, the world down the mountain was too unfamiliar and too far away.

And so, Gao Can lived alone in the mountains for ten years.

With his bulky physique, he could never hunt prey and made a living by raiding ant nests. Only when he was lucky would he have the chance to catch one or two bamboo rats and taste their meat.

Until Liu Xiong Yu happened to pass by and took Gao Can away.

Gao Can didn't like being a savage living in isolation; he was just too timid.

Liu Xiongyu helped him out of his shadow and let him experience long-lost care and concern.

Although Li Xiangming felt that this concern and care had ulterior motives, Gao Can no longer cared.

In his mind, Liu Xiongyu was the benefactor who led him out of his suffering.

"Gao Can, what will you do if something happens to your chieftain in the future?"

Li Xiangming suddenly asked.

Gao Can was stunned for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly: "Ma Wu said that the chieftain is all-powerful and nothing will happen to him."

"I mean if."

Li Xiangming's gaze drifted into the distance: "Your chieftain entrusted you to my care precisely because he encountered trouble, didn't he? Ma Wu has been missing for a long time, and you may never have the chance to see him again."

Several years ago, Liu Xiongyu suddenly attacked the Mountain Moving Sect and framed the Shengyi Sect, which caused a sensation in Daishan.

Although the Li family did something similar, Li Xiangming had his mother-in-law cover it up, while Liu Xiongyu, being all alone, obviously did not have that luxury.

Ultimately, Liu Xiongyu was discovered by the Zhenhun Sect and was besieged by several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Gao Can was also seriously injured during this period and stayed with the Li family.

As for Ma Wu, he seemed to be fine at the time, but later he completely disappeared.

Judging from Liu Xiong Yu's attempt to retaliate against the Zhen Hun Sect, Ma Wu most likely died during his escape, but this news never reached Gao Can's ears.

Upon hearing Li Xiangming's hypothesis, Gao Can felt a sudden surge of anxiety.

But he didn't know how to express it, and a feeling of anger welled up in his throat, making his face grow increasingly sullen.

Seeing this, Li Xiangming didn't press further and said softly, "No matter what, if you call me Brother Li, I'll acknowledge you as my younger brother. You can always come back to the Li family if you have nowhere to go in the future."

"I see."

A smile appeared on Gao Can's honest face.

Soon, Monkey Valley came into view.

Looking around, Li Xiangming saw hundreds of uncollected monster corpses lying haphazardly at the entrance of the valley, the stench of which was nauseating.

The city gate spanning the valley entrance had been completely sealed off, especially the massive boulder blocking the entrance, an irregular sphere, entirely emerald green, its surface covered with intricate runes. In front of the boulder, the road had been dug out, forming a square swamp, surrounded by barbed wire and blood-red thorns shaved into sticks.

"Gao Can, be careful with these corpses."

Li Xiangming frowned and reminded him.

Clearly, Monkey Valley has entered a state of combat readiness.

Those deliberately left uncollected monster corpses are likely part of a trap.

"Oh."

Gao Can carefully controlled his steps, trying to avoid obstacles. His massive body and heavy footsteps made the ground tremble slightly with each step.

“Bang, bang!”

The noise grew louder and louder.

Yin Feng and Zhou Miao on the city wall became even more nervous, their eyes fixed on the direction of the valley entrance.

"coming!"

Zhou Miao reminded him.

Yin Feng held his breath: "Can you see its appearance clearly? What kind of monster is it?"

In terms of basic abilities, human cultivators are generally weaker than demon cultivators.

However, human cultivators are good at summarizing experience and using artifacts, so their combat power is often significantly improved on the actual battlefield.

If we could find out the details of the demon cultivators beforehand, that would be even better.

This way, human cultivators can use the experience of their predecessors to judge the weaknesses of the opposing demon cultivators. With this shift in power, it is not impossible for human cultivators to overcome the strong with the weak.

"It's round and plump, it must be a monster. It's just too far away to see clearly, and my divine sense can't detect it either."

Zhou Miao's expression was unusually solemn: "Brother Yin, you must be careful later, don't get hurt by this beast. The healing pills in our valley are almost exhausted."

“Okay.” Yin Feng’s expression hardened.

The beast horde surrounded them, making it impossible to move.

If one is injured and cannot receive medicine to heal, it could be fatal.

Other demon-hunting cultivators are better off; most of them will secretly keep a few Bone-Growing Pills.

The disciples of Green Cloud Cave were dirt poor.

Just then, a young man dressed in golden armor squeezed through, his sharp eyes fixed on the direction of the valley entrance.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly shouted, "Open the door!"

These words immediately caused an uproar among those around them.

"Open the door?"

"Didn't they say the monsters were coming?"

"what's the situation?"

Discussions arose one after another.

The golden-armored youth remained unmoved.

The two armored soldiers beside him carried out the order without hesitation.

Soon, the huge blue stone blocking the doorway slowly moved away, revealing a passage leading into the valley.

Yin Feng and Zhou Miao looked at each other in bewilderment upon seeing this scene.

"Brother Zhou, you must have misheard me, right?"

"How could this be? It was clearly the sound of a demonic beast's footsteps..."

Before the words were finished, a loud voice echoed at the valley entrance: "Li Xiangming has arrived. Who is guarding this place?"

"Master Li?"

Zhou Miao suddenly stuck her head out.

There were more than ten people who did the same thing as him.

"It's Hall Master Li!"

"It really is Hall Master Li!"

"Master Li is back!"

The solemn city gate instantly erupted in excitement.

Countless eyes turned to the figure in green robes in the distance, their eyes gleaming with barely suppressed joy.

The tense atmosphere that had hung over Monkey Valley seemed to be gently wiped away by an invisible hand. Everyone knew that as long as Master Li was there, Monkey Valley was safe.

The golden-armored cultivator flew out of the city gate immediately and landed in front of Li Xiangming, cupping his hands in greeting: "Luo Silin of the Demon Suppression Camp greets Hall Master Li!"

Li Xiangming nodded with satisfaction: "Silin, thank you for your hard work."

Luo Silin's cultivation level is at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. Although it is unknown why the Luo family sent him out, his arrival is undoubtedly a major positive development for the Demon Suppression Camp.

Last time at Jinlinpo, Luo Silin and his elite cavalry formation played a crucial role.

After a brief look around, Li Xiangming quickly asked the question he was most concerned about: "I received news that Monkey Valley was besieged by a beast tide, so I rushed over immediately. What is the situation in the valley now?"

Luo Silin organized his thoughts and replied, "Strictly speaking, Monkey Valley did not encounter a beast tide. The beast tide surged out from Puyin Mountain, first attacking our two forward positions. The Mad Lion and Vicious Dog Demon Hunting Teams stationed there could not withstand it and retreated one after another. Afterwards, the beast tide split into two and swept towards the northeast and southeast, just avoiding our Monkey Valley. The ones that actually attacked Monkey Valley were only small groups of demon beasts, which were annihilated by us in less than half a day."

Li Xiangming immediately frowned: "I heard from Ji Hu that Monkey Valley is in dire need of elixirs, talismans, and various defensive weapons. I thought you were surrounded."

Luo Silin explained, "The problem lies with the Vicious Dog Demon Hunting Team. They were the last to leave, and the demons probably sensed something was wrong. They only retreated halfway before their tunnel was dug up. The horde of beasts that followed quickly tracked them down and began a frenzied attack on the underground. Fortunately, the tunnels we dug had escape routes, so we still had some room to maneuver. In short, after receiving the distress signal, the two leaders of the Li family decided to send reinforcements to confront the horde of beasts head-on, but they suffered heavy losses."

A head-on confrontation?

Li Xiangming frowned even more deeply.

Of course, he also understood Li Qianshi and Li Xiangyu's decision.

Eighty percent of the members of the Demon Suppression Camp are pure demon-hunting cultivators.

If the entire Demon-Hunting Team were wiped out, that would be one thing, but some members are still struggling in the tunnels. If the Li family stands idly by, what will the other Demon-Hunting Teams think?
With the people's hearts scattered, the Demon Suppression Camp could no longer raise its banner.

However, if the Demon Suppression Camp were to intervene in the rescue, it would inevitably suffer heavy losses, which would play right into the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes.

This is a conspiracy!

Indeed, Li Xiangming believed that this was all a meticulously planned scheme. Just like the previous attack by the men in black on the Crimson Flame Demon Hunters escorting supplies, it was a series of interconnected events, each step a relentless pressure.

Otherwise, how come the tunnels of the Mad Lion Demon Hunters were intact while the tunnels of the Evil Dog Demon Hunters were dug up?
Do you think monsters can read the menu and eat the food they want?

Thinking of those men in black, Li Xiangming felt a surge of anger.

However, he quickly suppressed his emotions and continued to ask, "Is Li Xiangyu in the valley?"

"Commander Li is here. He fought against the Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators in the Beast Tide many times, which greatly depleted his energy. He is currently resting."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming breathed a sigh of relief and then instructed, "The supplies I brought can solve our immediate problem. Arrange for them to be stored properly. Also, take the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team down to rest; they were attacked on their way."

Luo Silin glanced at the dejected members of the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team behind Li Xiangming and nodded in response, "Understood."

"Gao Can, put your things down and come with me."

Li Xiangming turned back and gave another instruction.

This wasn't Gao Can's first time visiting Monkey Valley. He couldn't forget the delicious food at Taibai Restaurant, so he immediately let go of his burden and followed Li Xiangming eagerly.

On the city gate, Yin Feng nudged Zhou Miao lightly with his shoulder and teased, "Brother Zhou, is this the Bone-Merging Demon Cultivator you were talking about?"

Zhou Miao stared in disbelief at Gao Can's enormous size: "What kind of deity is this?"

"That's a person, a living, breathing person!"

Yin Feng corrected him irritably, "He has a name, Gao Can. Hall Master Li treats him like a younger brother, and many people in Monkey Valley have seen this little giant. But you, you directly gave him the title of Bone-Melting Demon Cultivator, causing panic in the valley, making everyone think that a beast tide was coming."

"I didn't know..."

Zhou Miao said awkwardly.

"do not know?"

Yin Feng chuckled: "You'd better think about how to explain this to the deputy commander."

Thinking of Li Qianshi's stern face, Zhou Miao shuddered and grabbed Yin Feng's arm: "Brother Yin, I heard that your senior sister can participate in the decision-making of the Demon Suppression Camp. You have to save my life..."

"piss off!"

Yin Feng laughed and cursed as he shook off his hand.
-
"So, the beast tide is still nearby?"

Taibai Restaurant, a secret room in Dongfu District.

More than ten people sat around Li Xiangming.

"Yes."

Li Qianshi pointed to a spot on the map: "After the beast tide from the north entered this area, it fell silent, and we don't know what it's planning."

Then, he swiped his finger to the other side: "And the beast tide to the south is attacking Dingfeng Village, the situation is still unclear."

Li Xiangming glanced at the map, his expression grave: "So, neither of the two beast tides intends to move westward, nor do they show any sign of moving northward or southward?"

"exactly."

Li Qianshi nodded in agreement: "Especially the beast tide to the north, there are no cultivation forces nearby to plunder. I predict that it won't be long before they discover Monkey Valley."

"We must not let them get near Monkey Valley!"

Li Xiangming interrupted in a deep voice, "Once the beast tide from the north attacks, the beast tide from the south will surely follow suit. Monkey Valley cannot withstand the pincer attack of the two beast tides."

"You want to fight another battle at Jinlinpo?"

Li Xiangyu suddenly interjected, "Although Jinlinpo's terrain is treacherous, things are different now. The Demon Suppression Camp's forces are already limited, and the Evil Dog and Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Groups have suffered successive losses, making the situation even more dire. Meanwhile, the beast tide to the south is gaining momentum, threatening to sweep across Pudong. Dingfeng Village is merely a Qi Refining force; even with the aid of formations, it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. If we divide our forces at Jinlinpo, with fewer troops, we not only won't be able to deal with the beast tide to the north, but we might also be completely annihilated; with more troops, Monkey Valley's defenses will be weak, and once the beast tide to the south attacks, Monkey Valley will undoubtedly fall. At that point, even if we win at Jinlinpo, it will be meaningless."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming fell into deep thought.

He had to admit that Lee Sang-woo's analysis was spot on.

Despite his painstaking efforts to make Jinlinpo the main battlefield, the beast tide split in two, completely disrupting his plans.

Now he is faced with a stalemate, unable to move forward or backward.

(End of this chapter)