Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 482 Heavenly Soldier Pill

"Li Xiangming!"

The middle-aged man's eyes widened in fury as he stared intently at the leader before him: "How did you end up here?"

"You seem to know me very well."

Li Xiangming stood tall and straight like a pine tree, looking down at the middle-aged man from a horizontal branch: "I know nothing about your origins."

"Know nothing?"

Qin Zhengzhi clutched his chest, poked his head out from behind the middle-aged man, and pointed angrily at the people around him: "Is this what you call being completely ignorant?"

He did indeed think he had been attacked, because everything happened so suddenly.

However, once he calmed down, he immediately realized that these beast-taming cultivators, with their familiarity with the terrain, had clearly been lying in ambush for a long time and were simply closing in on him in an orderly fashion.

That's why he and Uncle Kang couldn't get away.

"Just good luck."

Li Xiangming stretched out his palm, and the Black Water Serpent, which had shrunk in size at some point, climbed up his forearm from the thick tree trunk: "You must have heard the story of waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, right? It's all thanks to your prudence that you separated the camp from this dense forest, giving me the opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"you!"

Qin Zhengzhi was furious, his face turning as red as a pig's liver.

The other party mocked him for pretending to be clever, but he couldn't refute it. He had walked into a trap right on his own doorstep, and in this situation, he had undoubtedly become the biggest joke!

This sense of humiliation drove him to the brink of madness.

"Who! Who betrayed me?!"

Qin Zhengzhi, acting like a madman, his eyes bloodshot, roared incessantly, "Tell me, I want to kill him! The people of Xiaotang could not betray me, Qin Hai, yes, it's Qin Hai, only Qin Hai in Yetang knows this place!"

"Qin Hai, you'll die a horrible death!"

Upon seeing this, a strange look flashed in Li Xiangming's eyes.

Qiao Shun did indeed give up a name called Qin Hai.

However, Qin Hai should still be in the Demon Suppression Camp. Li Xiangguang was ordered by him to capture the traitor and has not yet returned, so there is no possibility that Qin Hai has betrayed Qin Zhengzhi.

The reason he was able to lie in ambush here was solely due to Qiao Shun's doing.

However, Qin Zhengzhi did not seem to believe that Qiao Shun could possess such a core secret as the rendezvous location.

It seems that there are still many secrets about Qiao Shun, this big fish, worth digging deeper.

Li Xiangming's mind raced, but his face remained unusually calm: "Young Master Jiu, there is no need to be angry. You have been lurking around Monkey Valley, repeatedly targeting my Li family and the innocent demon hunters of the Demon Suppression Camp. What's more, you even wanted to help the beast tide and ruin the fortune of my human race. I should be the one who is angry."

"What do you want?"

Qin Zhengzhi had lost his mind, and the middle-aged man took over the conversation, his voice steady.

Li Xiangming's expression shifted slightly. This person looked to be only in his thirties. Of course, his real age should be estimated to be ten or twenty years later, but in any case, being able to establish a foundation at this age is enough to be considered young and promising.

Judging from their strength, the opponent suppressed the Black Water Serpent with his bare hands. With a single punch, his magical power was immense and vast, forcing even him to temporarily avoid its edge.

What's even more remarkable is that the opponent remained calm despite being surrounded. Even though he seemed a bit agitated just now, his magical power didn't fluctuate, which shows his unwavering resolve.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for talent, and asked softly, "How should I address you?"

The middle-aged man frowned. Li Xiangming claimed to know nothing, but the fact that he could find his way here and recognize Qin Zhengzhi as "Ninth Young Master" meant that he had obviously obtained enough information from the traitors in the Night Hall.

He decided to stop hiding it and exhaled a breath of stale air: "My name is Qin Kang. I have long heard that the nineteenth young master of the Li family is a prodigy. He held a foundation-building ceremony at the young age of twenty-nine, ranking alongside the Li family's 'Renma' as a prodigy. He also has the title of 'Master Li,' which is awe-inspiring in Pudong. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is indeed well-deserved."

Is your surname Qin?
Li Xiangming immediately showed a look of disappointment.

Judging from this surname, the other party is either a collateral branch of the Qin family or a meritorious official who was granted the surname. In either case, they have received great favors from the Qin family and there is almost no possibility of them surrendering.

Qin Kang seemed to understand what Li Xiangming was thinking, and immediately said in a deep voice, "My Ninth Young Master has not yet established his foundation. In Master Li's eyes, he is probably of slightly lower value. You can let him go, and I will stay and do with him as you see fit."

Li Xiangming shook his head: "The Qin family has sent you to do despicable things, which means they have completely broken with the Li family. Whether it's Young Master Qin or you, you both have to stay here today."

Upon hearing this, Qin Kang snorted angrily, strode forward, and pounced on Li Xiangming like an eagle.

In an instant, magical power swept in, causing Li Xiangming's hair and beard to stand on end and his green robe to flutter wildly, as if he were in the midst of a raging storm.

"Such powerful magic!"

Standing beside the giant toad demon, Li Xiangyang was startled and quickly turned to look in the direction where Li Xiangming was.

Qin Kang advanced with unstoppable momentum, and the giant tree beneath Li Xiangming's feet instantly shattered, sending countless wood chips flying and dust filling the entire area, obscuring the view.

"Watch out, he's trying to escape!"

Li Xiangyang shouted, and the surrounding disciples of the Guardian Hall reacted, scattering and forming hand seals. In an instant, all kinds of spells and talismans erupted simultaneously, like a sky full of meteors, densely packed from the outside in.

Even though Qin Kang was highly skilled, he was unable to forcefully break through the encirclement with Qin Zhengzhi and was quickly forced back to their original position.

At the same time, a cold glint shot out with lightning speed, taking advantage of the cover of the firelight.

Qin Kang's pupils suddenly contracted, and his magical power was instantly mobilized to form a protective shield in front of him.

However, the cold light broke through the shield and went straight into his arm.

"This is……"

Feeling the stiffness in his arm, Qin Kang gasped. Just as he was about to suppress the incoming magical power, a strong sense of crisis suddenly struck him.

He whirled around and saw Li Xiangming behind him, who thrust out a palm strike, sending hundreds of water columns shooting up from the ground, transforming into towering waves like a man-eating sea monster.

"Go away!"

Qin Kang was furious. His magical power surged, and his fist struck the "sea monster" like a thunderbolt.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, the giant wave collapsed, sending countless streams of water gushing out. Towering trees, as fragile as paper, fell in droves amidst the torrent.

"Roar!"

A barrage of roars followed.

The giant tiger leaped three zhang (approximately 10 meters) in one bound, its fierce gaze fixed on Qin Kang's unsuspecting back.

Qin Kang caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, and his face turned somewhat pale.

The continuous use of powerful spells meant that the mana he drew from his dantian could not keep up with the rate of consumption.

However, the Li family's attacks were relentless. The giant tiger was just one of the spirit pets that pounced on him. The poisonous toad on the east side, the snow leopard behind him, and the green parrot in the sky were all threats. He had no chance to catch his breath.

When exactly did the Li family cultivate so many beast-taming cultivators?
Before he could think it through, the giant, striped tiger had already lunged forward, its claws carrying a fierce gale, its intent to devour him obvious.

Qin Kang took a deep breath, snatched the string of Buddhist beads from Qin Zhengzhi's wrist, crushed them, and a soft white light bloomed, transforming into an indestructible barrier.

Whether it was the giant tiger or any other spirit pet, they were all flung away, letting out miserable howls.

"nice one."

Li Xiangming exclaimed in admiration and landed in front of the white light.

Li Xiangyang and the others also adjusted their positions, forming a new encirclement around Qin Kang and Qin Zhengzhi.

Seeing this, a hint of despair finally flashed in Qin Kang's eyes.

If it were just Li Xiangming alone, he would still be confident that he could take Qin Zhengzhi away.

However, the other nine beast-taming cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining were clearly not to be trifled with.

Qin Zhengzhi's "Heavenly Light Heart-Protecting Chain" bought him a brief respite, but that was all. This one-time use talisman ultimately couldn't turn the tide.

"Your Excellency should surrender, lest we all become enraged and lose control."

Li Xiangming said calmly.

His words were not merely meant to put pressure on the other party; they were also the truth.

For this operation, he did not hesitate to distribute the supplies originally intended for dealing with the beast tide to the disciples of the Guardian Hall.

Let alone Qin Kang being a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage, even if he had the cultivation of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he would still perish in the midst of the barrage.

The reason why the disciples of the Guardian Hall did not go all out, and even almost allowed Qin Kang to break through, was simply because they wanted to capture the two of them alive.

After all, the dead are worthless.

"Uncle Kang, I can't be captured!" Qin Zhengzhi could easily see through Li Xiangming's intentions.

His face was already deathly pale, and now his lips were completely bloodless. He spoke in a trembling voice, "Uncle Kang, please find a way to save me, I have to leave!"

Qin Kang turned his head, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

He knew what Qin Zhengzhi was afraid of.

As a direct descendant of the Qin family, Qin Zhengzhi knew too many of the Qin family's secrets.

If they were captured by the Li family so easily, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Kill Qin Zhengzhi!

This thought suddenly flashed through Qin Kang's mind.

If Qin Zhengzhi dies, he alone might be able to break through the encirclement. The Qin family's losses will also be minimized.

However, looking at Qin Zhengzhi's incredibly familiar face, he felt a wavering for the first time.

"Zhengzhi!"

After hesitating for a moment, Qin Kang finally made a decision. He pinched a dark red pill between two fingers and said in a hoarse voice, "From now on, you can only rely on yourself."

Qin Zhengzhi was taken aback, his gaze falling on the pill, his expression suddenly changing: "Uncle Kang, you..."

"go!"

Qin Kang's tone was calm, yet brooked no argument.

Qin Zhengzhi seemed to understand something, his heart trembled, and he slowly stood up.

"Stop him!"

Just then, Li Xiangming's loud shout rang out.

The man was as fast as lightning, rushing to Qin Kang and striking Qin Kang's left shoulder with a palm.

But Qin Kang still possesses magical powers; how could he allow Li Xiangming to act so recklessly?
He raised his head slightly, his expression as calm as ever. He extended his right hand, his five fingers gripping Li Xiangming's forearm tightly, and then calmly swallowed the pill in his left hand.

Upon seeing this, cold sweat broke out on Li Xiangming's forehead.

He had seen that pill before!

It was the Heavenly Soldier Pill that was seized from the Tongbi Sect.

According to Yuan Bin's confession, the Heavenly Soldier Pill is an extremely powerful secret medicine that can allow cultivators to raise their cultivation level in a short period of time.

Of course, the side effects are also extremely terrifying.

Without exception, all those who took the Heavenly Soldier Pill died from their bodies exploding.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming immediately knew that this secret medicine was specially prepared for assassins.

He never expected that Qin Kang, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would actually take this thing.

"call……"

Qin Kang was unaware of the shock Li Xiangming was feeling.

His breathing became erratic at a visible speed, his hot breath accompanied by a pale red aura surrounding his body, and an unnatural flush rose on his face.

"What a wonderful feeling."

Qin Kang closed his eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

At the same time, his magical power surged wildly, and the pale red aura gradually turned crimson, spreading around like blood mist, appearing eerie and terrifying.

Li Xiangming's face was gloomy.

Qin Kang is already a veteran early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. After taking the Heavenly Soldier Pill, his strength will at least break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Moreover, according to Fang Renkui, Yin Feng, and others, Tongbei Sect disciples will temporarily gain "immortality" under the blessing of this secret medicine.

In other words, even if he had the disciples of the Guardian Hall frantically throw talismans in the next few breaths, they might not be able to restrict Qin Kang's movements.

"Zhengzhi, you should leave now, I will cover you."

Qin Kang released Li Xiangming's arm, and the crimson aura spread backward like a tide, forcefully clearing a path.

He didn't have much time. If he got entangled with Li Xiangming, who was also at the Foundation Establishment stage, he wouldn't be able to take care of Qin Zhengzhi.

But as long as he stands behind Qin Zhengzhi, no one can get past him—unless it costs them their lives.

"Uncle Kang!"

Qin Zhengzhi swallowed hard, unable to resist the urge to escape, and suddenly darted backward.

The nearest disciple of the Guardian Hall immediately became alert and gave a command. The enormous spider demon beside him slithered sideways, its white silk like arrows shooting straight at Qin Zhengzhi.

However, as the crimson current swept in, the white silk disappeared into it, as if it had vanished into thin air, without any further reaction.

"return!"

An anxious call rang out.

The spider demon looked up in panic, but before it could react, Qin Kang had already arrived in an instant and slammed a palm down on its back.

"Oh!"

The ground cracked and dust flew everywhere.

The spider demon was blasted into the deep pit, its eight long claws were knocked away and stuck into the surrounding broken wood like sharp blades, trembling incessantly.

The disciple from the Guardian Hall who was controlling the spider demon also vomited a mouthful of blood, collapsed to his knees, and became weak and listless.

"Equal!"

Exclamations came and went.

The disciples of the Guardian Hall hurriedly changed formation, with some rushing towards Li Xiangping to prevent Qin Kang from launching another attack.

Li Xiangyang moved closer to Li Xiangming and asked anxiously, "Master, what do we do now?"

Li Xiangming's expression was solemn.

Qin Kang's magical power and speed have undergone tremendous changes. If Qin Zhengzhi is forcibly stopped at this time, it may cause unpredictable casualties.

"Have everyone move aside!"

Li Xiangming immediately shouted.

Li Xiangyang was stunned and subconsciously asked, "Then Qin Zhengzhi..."

As the two were talking, Qin Zhengzhi had already disappeared from sight.

If the disciples of the Guardian Hall do not stop them, the other party may really escape.

"A cooked duck can't fly away."

Li Xiangming sneered and slowly walked up to Qin Kang, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Your loyalty is more than enough, but your wishful thinking is to try and save Qin Zhengzhi from my clutches."

"What do you mean?"

Qin Kang questioned in a deep voice, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

Li Xiangming did not answer. Since Qin Kang had taken the Heavenly Soldier Pill, there was no need for him to continue fighting.

If there is any delay, Qin Kang will explode and die.

Moreover, this speed is absolutely astonishingly fast.

Because the crimson mist emanating from Qin Kang's body had become thinner.

Perhaps for this reason, Qin Kang gradually became restless, his gaze sweeping over the disciples of the Guardian Hall beside him, showing signs of making another move.

Just then, an explosion was heard in the forest.

Then came the familiar wail.

Qin Kang turned around abruptly, glaring at Li Xiangming: "You still have an ambush?"

Li Xiangming stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze cold and stern: "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. The Qin family of Red Stone Valley is renowned for its prestige; how could I dare to show the slightest disrespect?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a hunched, one-eyed old man slowly walked out of the woods, carrying the unconscious Qin Zhengzhi in his hand.

(End of this chapter)