Wizards in the world of cultivation

Chapter 6 The Shadow of War
As soon as Su You stepped into the area of ​​Liushan Sect, he noticed something different.

The area, which was usually patrolled by disciples, was now deserted, and from a distance, it appeared that the sect's protective formation was fully activated.

Generally speaking, a sect's protective formation will not be fully activated; only some of its functions will be enabled to reduce the consumption of spiritual energy.

However, now that the sect's protective formation is fully activated, there is only one possible reason: to defend against enemies.

"It's only been a little over ten years since the beast tide, the monsters in the Flowing Cloud Mountains shouldn't be able to start another beast tide so soon, right?" Su You's expression was grave, with some speculation.

The last time the sect fully activated its protective array was ten years ago during the beast tide. At that time, the monsters came in an endless stream, and only the protective array could withstand them.

However, the beast tide was wiped out once ten years ago, and based on the timeline, it is unlikely to re-emerge so quickly.

The only possibility is that they encountered someone or some force that they could not defeat, forcing the Liushan Sect to activate its protective formation.

Without the twin talents of destiny, Su You would never have approached the sect.

Anyone with eyes can see that something is wrong with the current situation.

Forcing a sect to activate its protective formation is an extremely dangerous thing.

He was merely cannon fodder at the Qi Refining stage; in the past, it would have been tantamount to sending him to his death.

but……

With the ability to revive, Su You became much bolder and dared to try more dangerous things.

As the saying goes, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Outside the Liushan Sect's grand formation.

"Halt!" A shout immediately rang out from within the formation.

"Su You, an inner disciple of the Liushan Sect, has returned after completing a mission outside the sect." Su You immediately took out his identity jade token.

The voice inside paused for a moment, seemingly verifying Su You's identity, before slowly returning.

"During the sect's current lockdown, no disciple is allowed to enter or leave. You are now to go to Liushan Market and await the instructions of Martial Uncle Cao Ye."

This warning was only given after Su You was wearing the inner sect attire of the Liushan Sect and his identity was confirmed by the token. If it were anyone else, they would have already mobilized the power of the sect's protective formation to attack.

After all, during wartime, it is not uncommon for people to be killed rather than let go.

Su You did not approach any further. The power flowing through this great formation was somewhat alarming, as it stirred up the spiritual energy of the surrounding area, especially for someone with his strong spiritual power.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother." Su You cupped his hands in thanks towards the direction of the formation, then left without looking back.

He's still completely clueless about what's going on here and needs to find someone who knows the inside story as soon as possible to get some information.

but……

I just felt the surging power of that formation; it was in no way inferior to that of the Wizard Tower.

In fact, the main components of the Wizard Tower are also intricate wizard arrays, arranged at various nodes within the tower and eventually connected together.

"Array formations and witchcraft arrays definitely have something in common. I should study array formations more thoroughly in the future," Su You thought to himself.

If the power of the two formations could be combined to build a wizard tower, it would definitely be able to unleash even greater power.

……

Liushanfang City.

This market town, located not far from the Liushan Sect, facilitates trade between sects, independent cultivators, and cultivation families, allowing sects to earn spirit stones.

After flying for dozens of kilometers on his sword, Su You saw Liushan Market in the distance. Like the sect, it had also activated a large formation, and thick fog enveloped the entire market, making it impossible for outsiders to see what was inside.

Su You didn't get too close, but stopped at a distance and said loudly, "Su You, an inner disciple of the Liushan Sect, has returned from completing a mission outside the sect. In accordance with the sect's instructions, I have come here to follow the arrangements of Uncle-Master Cao Ye."

"Throw your sect token over to verify your identity." A deep voice came from within the mist.

Many disciples have returned in the past few days. Because the sect is under lockdown, they can only come here. Even he himself is trapped here and dares not go out.

Even Cao Ye couldn't be sure how long his Liushan Market could hold out.

The sect has made it clear that it will not send any Golden Core elders to help, and only asked him to hold out for a few days, with reinforcements to follow.

With the help of this third-tier low-grade array, we can buy ourselves a few more days.

With his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and the support of a third-tier low-grade array, even an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would be unable to break through it in a short time.

Therefore, carefully verifying identities can also prevent external enemies from infiltrating and disrupting the formation.

Now, with one more disciple, there is one more source of assistance.

This alone was enough for him to gather his disciples.

This order was issued by the sect in the hope that Liushan Market could hold out for a longer period of time.

Without hesitation, Su You threw his token into the mist.

After a while, seemingly after verifying Su You's identity, a passage appeared in the swirling mist, just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Come in through this passage, and don't wander off or touch anything, or you'll be attacked by the formation and I won't be able to save you." A deep voice came from the other side of the passage.

Su You quickly entered along the winding path. Finally, as the mist dissipated, a middle-aged man in a blue robe came into view. He had a burly face and sharp eyes.

Behind him stood dozens of disciples at the peak of Qi Refining, each holding a different kind of magical artifact, their eyes fixed intently on Su You.

If a problem is discovered, he won't be able to withstand not only the power of the formation, but also the attacks from these cultivators.

Only after Su You passed through the passage unharmed and the formation closed again did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

"Eighth level of Qi Refining, your cultivation is not bad. Next, you will lead the members of Group Yi-Ding to patrol the three streets of Qingling Street, Jinxi Street, and Guyue Street in the market to prevent any rogue cultivators from causing trouble. Wang Jun, take him to Group Yi-Ding to give him instructions." Cao Ye instructed.

Now is not the time to relax. There are enemies eyeing us covetously from the outside, and restless rogue cultivators causing trouble from within. If any of them makes a mistake, it could lead to the collapse of Liushan Market.

The reason we can suppress these rogue cultivators now is twofold: firstly, the remaining prestige of the Liushan Sect, and secondly, the array formations we control. These are the reasons why the rogue cultivators dare not resist.

When Su You arrived at the location where Group B and Group D were stationed, he saw several familiar figures.

It was one of his fellow disciples from the same period at the Liushan Sect. It seems that Cao Ye had some considerations in arranging him here, so that he could immediately take control of the power here.

After gathering everyone together, the senior brother instructed, "This junior brother will be your team leader from now on. He will keep a close watch on the rogue cultivators here. No matter day or night, they are not allowed to step out of their own courtyards. If they do, kill them on the spot!"

The senior brother's words carried a cold tone, but in this situation, if any rogue cultivators caused trouble, it would put enormous pressure on them and could even lead to the collapse of the entire situation.

Therefore, it is better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free.

This ban has been notified to all independent cultivators. If anyone still dares to come out, they are all people with complicated thoughts. Dealing with them in advance can be considered as reducing the root cause of unrest.

After the senior brother who delivered the message left, Ren Yue and Ji Cheng were the first to approach.

"Senior Brother Su, I thought you were still in the sect. I didn't expect to meet you here." Ren Yue approached quietly with a happy expression, her every move carrying the fragrance of jasmine.

"I took on a mission from the sect and traveled for over a year before returning to the sect," Su You said without changing his expression. "How come so many things have happened in just one year since I last returned to the sect? Junior Sister, could you tell me in detail?"

Upon hearing this, Ren Yue also showed a look of fear, and then said calmly, "Junior sister doesn't know much either, so please forgive me if there are any omissions."

Su You nodded and began to listen attentively to Ren Yue's detailed explanation.

Two weeks ago, a cave was discovered in the Liuyun Mountains.

At first, all the sects thought it was just an ordinary ruin or cave, and only sent some disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, upon arriving there, they discovered that even those at the Foundation Establishment stage couldn't shake the formations of the ruins.

News of a cave dwelling suspected to belong to a Nascent Soul cultivator spread immediately.

As the sect closest to the Liuyun Mountain Range, Liushan Sect naturally has the advantage of being able to take the initiative.

The Supreme Elder led five Golden Core Elders and an Elder skilled in formations to the Flowing Cloud Mountains.

Until three days ago, the Supreme Elder rushed back with three other elders, and then, under the Supreme Elder's order, the sect's protective formation was fully activated.

There is no doubt that the Supreme Elder retrieved the treasures from the ruins; otherwise, he wouldn't have activated the sect's protective formation.

However, the disciples had differing opinions about what treasures they had obtained.

Some say they seized a powerful magical artifact, while others say they obtained a mysterious cultivation technique.

"Senior Brother Su, this matter is no longer a secret among the higher-ups. Perhaps the sect will announce the news in a few days."

A disciple named Liu Qing suddenly interjected.

Su You glanced at the fat man next to him, who seemed somewhat familiar. He finally realized that he had met this man a few times at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant.

Liu Qing's father was a Foundation Establishment stage deacon, but unfortunately his offspring had poor spiritual roots, being a person with four spiritual roots.

He spent a lot of spirit stones, but his cultivation progressed very slowly. He often spent spirit stones to go to places of leisure such as Drunken Immortal Pavilion to have fun. In the end, people just let him be, as long as he didn't cause trouble.

The other party has a butler father, so there might be more inside information.

"The ruined cave dwelling within the Flowing Cloud Mountains was the dwelling of a fourth-level alchemy master, and it contains many pills."

But the most precious item inside is the Nascent Soul Pill, which can increase the success rate of nascent soul formation by 30%.

"This pill has already been seized by the Supreme Elder, who is now attempting a breakthrough. Before long, our sect will have another Nascent Soul Ancestor. Once the Ancestor breaks through, the Golden Extreme Sect and the Liyang Sect will be nothing more than grasshoppers in autumn." Liu Qing's expression was somewhat proud.

Once the sect's patriarch breaks through, the status of their entire sect will rise accordingly.

Indeed, the Liushan Sect is considered a dominant force in its small territory on the outskirts of Qingzhou.

However, there have always been two Golden Core sects that have hindered the development of Liushan Sect. Although these two sects do not have any experts at the late Golden Core stage, the number of Golden Core True Persons combined is three more than that of Liushan Sect.

This also resulted in the Liushan Sect being trapped and unable to expand beyond the Liuyun Mountains.

Once the Supreme Elder of the sect breaks through to the Nascent Soul realm, the Liushan Sect will be able to unleash its full potential and easily destroy those two sects. At that time, its sphere of influence will likely increase several times over.

After learning about the situation, Su You returned to his room.

Then he took out a blood-red jade tablet from his storage bag and transmitted the information about the Liushan Sect to the Blood Abyss.

Anyway, these messages are about to spread widely, so sending them to Blood Abyss can be a way to make use of them and see if we can get some merit rewards.

"It's a pity we didn't get to join the fun at the ruins cave." Su You shook his head, somewhat regretfully.

Since it's the cave of a master alchemist, there must be plenty of pills inside, and perhaps we can find some that can enhance the soul.

"I wonder if our sect has inherited the legacy of this alchemy master?" Su You pondered to himself.

If one were to obtain a lineage, it might be easier to do so here than at the Void Heaven Sect.

In the following period, Su You divided Group B and Group D into two shifts, one shift patrolling and guarding during the day and the other shift patrolling and guarding at night, alternating between them.

"You will take turns on duty in this order, and issue an early warning if anything happens," Su You instructed.

He assigned Ren Yue, Ji Cheng, and Liu Qing, who ultimately provided the inside information, to patrol during the day, which could be considered a way of taking care of them.

Patrolling during the day was alright, but nighttime was the most dangerous. However, he had the mental power to probe outwards, so there was no need to worry. Although it was during the war blockade, Su You still used his authority to go to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the center of Liushan Market, sell his spoils from Jie Xiu, and then buy a few bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills to enhance spiritual power.

After a year of cultivation, his Qi Refining cultivation is almost at the ninth level. He only needs to take some more pills and cultivate for a while to break through.

Three days passed quietly.

Although some rogue cultivators occasionally caused trouble, they were quickly suppressed.

……

Rumble!
Ripples spread across the entire earth. Su You immediately channeled his spiritual power and roared, "Quick! Fly on your swords! Get into the air!"

The massive collapse of buildings below, with such a huge commotion, definitely meant that the market's formation had been forcibly broken.

Moreover, it was broken from the inside. If the formation had been broken from the outside, there would have been a huge commotion, instead of the formation being broken without any disturbance.

This was something Su You had anticipated, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

Although they kept a close watch on the independent cultivators here, strictly forbidding them from leaving.

However, there are tens of thousands of independent cultivators here, and among them are always some who possess extraordinary abilities or high levels of cultivation.

They couldn't possibly kill all the rogue cultivators; one reason was that it would damage their reputation, and the other was that they didn't have the ability right now.

The Liushan Sect only has a few hundred disciples in the market. If they provoke resistance from the rogue cultivators, the situation will collapse even faster.

Su You rode his sword through the air, and what he saw was a scene of utter chaos.

Because it was nighttime, most people were resting and didn't realize what was happening.

Fortunately, cultivators are physically stronger than ordinary people, and most of them managed to crawl out of the ruins.

"All Liushan Sect disciples, evacuate at your own discretion!" A sharp voice echoed around.

Su You looked into the distance and spread his spiritual power. He could vaguely see that Cao Ye, the steward who had been in charge of the formation and was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, was bleeding from all seven orifices and was obviously not long for life.

Several monks dressed in black robes and wearing masks surrounded Cao Ye.

This was not only the backlash from the formation, but also the enemy's sneak attack that left him seriously injured.

However, the other party still had a conscience and gave the order to evacuate before dying, so that even if other disciples returned to the sect later, they would not be held accountable.

……

Liushan Sect.

"Senior Brother Zhao, are you really not going out to rescue them?" Qi Yuan asked, unable to bear the sight of the tragic scene at Liushanfang.

“Junior Brother Qi, what we need to do now is wait patiently for news from Senior Brother Sun. The fact that the enemy has broken through Liushanfang may well be a trap to lure us in,” Zhao Qin said calmly.

He was clearly used to this kind of scene and had no doubt about going to help.

Since the fall of Liushanfang, bad news has been constantly reaching the Liushan Sect.

The Liushan Sect's resource points in various places were also seized and plundered.

The Jinji Sect and Liyang Sect merely acted as a pusher behind the scenes, and countless rogue cultivators were blinded by money, ultimately becoming nothing more than vanguards paving the way for the two sects.

……

Liuyunfang Market.

Upon hearing this telepathic message, Su You didn't hesitate at all, simply saying softly, "Fellow senior brothers and junior brothers, take care of yourselves."

After saying that, the longsword beneath his feet suddenly grew tenfold, like a streak of light streaking across the sky and disappearing into the horizon.

As for the expected enemies, not a single one was seen.

This is quite normal. If you don't kill a weak, rogue cultivator, or plunder the vast wealth of Liushan Market, why would anyone want to chase after someone who could bring you unknown gains and who might even get killed in return?

If it happened in the market town, killing them would be fine, but if they've already escaped, no one will chase them.

After flying a distance, Su You changed his appearance, concealed his cultivation level, and disguised himself as a rogue cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining. He then used his lightness technique to quietly return to the market.

As the saying goes, wealth can be very tempting.

In particular, Su You is currently facing a severe shortage of funds.

Whether it's purchasing two Foundation Establishment Pills or considering building a Wizard Tower in the future, this undoubtedly requires a considerable amount of wealth.

In just a few dozen breaths, Su You quietly returned to the market town, where the turmoil was still ongoing.

Only the few time-honored brands that had spread throughout Qingzhou remained unmoved, and no rogue cultivators or members of the two major sects broke in to snatch them.

Countless lessons throughout history have proven the power of these stores' back-end systems.

Su You naturally wouldn't choose those shops, but instead chose those that were masked and disguised as disciples of the two major sects of the Tribulation Cultivator.

After all, they are a major sect. If they want to establish themselves in this land in the future, they cannot openly commit robbery. Although covering their faces is a bit like burying their heads in the sand, as long as no one exposes their identities, they will live in peace.

The worst off are naturally the various families, minor sects, and independent cultivators who run shops here.

Just after turning a corner, Su You saw a masked cultivator.

"It's you I've decided on." Su You made a swift decision.

After confirming that no one was around, he unleashed a mental attack, then quickly moved forward and looted the other party's wealth.

The five storage bags hanging from his waist indicated that he had made a considerable haul on this trip.

Next, Su You continued to ambush several cultivators in secluded corners, killing them before quickly making his escape.

He had a vague sense that the other side's forces were closing in, and if he didn't leave soon, he wouldn't be able to take his spoils with him.

Suppressing his greed, Su You quickly rose and fell with his feet, disappearing into the vast wilderness.

"What about people?"

"How could it have disappeared?"

"Could he have been killed by one of my senior brothers?"

Only a group of people were left searching aimlessly in the surrounding area.

……

After leaving, Su You quickly headed towards the Liuyun Mountains, the most dangerous place being the safest.

Moreover, the other party would absolutely not dare to go in and search.

In a secluded cave, Su You set up a concealment array before taking stock of his spoils.

There were thirteen storage bags in total, containing not only the group's own wealth but also the wealth they had plundered from various shops.

However, most of them are various materials, including various monster bones, spirit iron, spirit medicine, etc., in large quantities and of various kinds.

After all, some small shops sell all sorts of things mixed together.

Preliminary estimates suggest that this batch of materials is worth over ten thousand spirit stones.

In addition, the wealth belongs to the individuals themselves. Selling the various magical artifacts would probably net them over two thousand spirit stones.

As expected, I became rich overnight. With so many spirit stones, I can almost collect enough Foundation Establishment Pills for the Twin Clone.

This is the wealth Su You acquired on the outermost edge. If he could kill a few more Tribulation Cultivators closer to the inner edge, his wealth would probably double, but the danger would also be much greater.

Su You's principle has always been to play it safe and develop his character peacefully. Although he may gain less profit, he can still secure what he wants.

……

After that, Su You stopped thinking about the Liushan Sect and had no interest in returning to it.

Now that Liushan Sect is in such a huge vortex, he would only be a scapegoat if he went there, so he might as well stay here and cultivate in peace.

During the day, they practice breathing exercises to cultivate their inner energy; at night, they meditate to train their mental strength. As for learning various witchcraft techniques within the wizarding tradition, that is left to their twin clones to comprehend.

Since there's no way to improve the Twin Clone Techniques now, it's better to study witchcraft to help oneself master it.

Su You devoted all his energy to cultivation.

The effect...

It's only so-so. In terms of Qi refining, with the three spiritual roots of his body, the speed is still relatively slow if he relies on his own breathing techniques.

Fortunately, he had purchased a batch of pills in the Void Heaven Immortal City beforehand, which would temporarily satisfy his cultivation needs for half a year.

In terms of mental strength, progress is even slower; breaking through to become a formal wizard is indeed not easy.

Moreover, there are no mental energy potions available as an aid.

Su You is already considering raising his cultivation level to the Foundation Establishment level first. At that time, his soul will be further enhanced, and he should also increase his spiritual power considerably.

Whether or not a breakthrough can be achieved is hard to say.

……

Just three days later, the twin clones at the Void Heaven Sect learned of a major piece of news.

"What? They actually managed to persuade the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Void Heaven Sect to mediate?" Inside the cave, Su You's face showed surprise.

This was something the twin clone overheard from a disciple of the Alchemy Peak while learning various basic knowledge there.

The Liushan Sect sent a Golden Core Elder, offering a complete inheritance of a fourth-tier alchemy master and a batch of pills that could increase one's Nascent Soul cultivation level, in exchange for persuading the sect's Nascent Soul ancestor to mediate the war.

As for how to mediate, Su You had no idea.

Ordinary persuasion is definitely not going to work, since once the Supreme Elder of Liushan Sect breaks through to the Nascent Soul Realm, it will be a huge threat to both of their sects.

The Void Heaven Sect would not help the Flowing Mountain Sect stop the other side simply because of this inheritance and some pills.

The Liushan Sect will definitely need to pay some price to persuade the two sects before there is any possibility of mediation.

"I thought there would be a war, and I was sure I would gain something from it," Su You sighed helplessly.

After all, war is the easiest time to make a fortune.

Especially in wars between two forces, whether it's plundering the other side's wealth or the wealth of their sect, it can be a huge source of income.

However, this is undoubtedly the best choice for the Ryuyama Sect.

The fact that the Supreme Elder has not yet broken through shows that breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm is not a simple matter.

Once war breaks out, anything can happen.

Giving up some benefits to achieve a breakthrough is undoubtedly the best choice.

(End of this chapter)