Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

For the next few days, the team traveled by day and rested by night.

Along the way, they encountered several small monsters and scattered natives. Li Xiaoyao used the same method to first seriously injure or restrict them, and then let Li Chijing finish them off to gain experience.

The young man's swordplay gradually became less hesitant and more decisive.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, Han Mo's listening insects sent back a message:

Forty miles ahead, traces of a small group of indigenous people, about seven or eight, were discovered collecting some kind of dark purple moss.

"It's 'Bone-Eating Moss,' a material used to refine certain insidious talismans."

Li Xiaoyao scanned it with his divine sense:

"These natives are at most at the fourth level of Qi Refining, they're not much of a threat. Chi Jing, you lead the attack this time, with Scarface bringing up the rear."

The squad quietly surrounded them.

The seven or eight natives were dressed in animal skins, their skin was dark gray, and their faces were painted with strange white patterns.

They were carefully scraping the moss from the cracks in the rocks with bone knives, completely unaware of the danger approaching.

Li Chijing took a deep breath, drew his longsword, and moved with it, rushing straight at the leader of the local tribesmen who had the strongest aura!

"Enemy attack—!"

The natives were startled and, with strange cries, raised their bone staffs and stone spears to fight back.

However, the difference in their cultivation levels was obvious. Li Chijing's sword light fell like moonlight, and he stabbed down the two men in just a few moves.

Scarface stood with his sword in hand, his aura locking onto the entire area. If any native tried to escape or launch a sneak attack, a blast of sword energy would force them back.

The battle ended quickly.

Of the seven indigenous men, six died, and only the youngest was captured alive after being kicked in the back of the knee by Scar Wolf.

Li Chijing stood holding his sword, blood dripping from its tip, his breathing slightly rapid.

This was the first time he had personally killed a humanoid intelligent being. Although these natives had strange appearances and primitive civilization, they were still "humans".

"How does it feel?"

Li Xiaoyao walked to his side.

"I feel a little... nauseous."

Li Chijing honestly said:

"But I know that if I don't kill them, they will kill us."

"Tongya said that these natives regard outsiders as 'blasphemers' and will kill them without exception."

"Good that you understand."

Li Xiaoyao patted him on the shoulder.

"This is the law of survival, regardless of right or wrong, it's all about staying alive. Go and meditate, leave the rest to Han Mo."

Han Mo stepped forward and used a soul-searching technique on the captured native. A moment later, he reported back with a grave expression:

"Second Master, these natives come from a small tribe called the 'Grey Teeth Tribe,' and their settlement is located eighty miles southwest of the sanctuary."

"Their mission is to collect 'Bone-Eating Moss' to offer to the 'Gatekeeper Priest' in exchange for permission to enter the outer perimeter of the 'Slumbering Land of Ancestral Spirits'..."

"In three days, a new 'Little Blood Moon' will appear!"

"A small blood moon?"

Li Xiaoyao frowned.

According to Tongya's account, the Blood Moon comes in different sizes.

"The Great Blood Moon appears only once every ten years, and at that time, there will be unusual activity in the core area of ​​the Sanctuary."

"The Lesser Blood Moon occurs approximately once a year, with only the surrounding area experiencing surging malevolent energy and intensified whispers."

"But this is also the only opportunity for a few permitted tribes to enter the outskirts to collect 'sacred herbs' (i.e., evil spirit herbs)."

Li Xiaoyao and Scarface exchanged a glance.

"So, in three days, the area around the sanctuary will be relatively 'lively,' with representatives from various tribes coming?"

Scarface licked his lips.

"Yes. And the 'Gatekeeper Priests' will patrol during this time to maintain order."

"That priest... the memory is vague, but the natives felt he was extremely dangerous, far beyond an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Li Xiaoyao pondered for a moment:

"The plan remains unchanged, we will continue. But we need to be more cautious and try to avoid the routes used by indigenous people."

Two days later, the group arrived at a point a hundred miles outside the sanctuary.

The scene before me was chilling.

It was a vast, scorched plain, as if it had been turned over by a giant plow.

The ground was covered with bottomless ravines, some of which were filled with dark red, blood-like mist, while others were as silent as an abyss.

In the center of the plain, the outline of a massive, indescribable ruin loomed in the thick, malevolent fog—that was the "Defiled Sanctuary".

Even from a hundred miles away, one could still feel a suffocating atmosphere that sent chills down one's spine.

Faint whispers began to appear in my ears; I couldn't make out their contents, but they went straight into my mind, making me restless and uneasy.

"Apply calming talismans to everyone and circulate your energy to protect your mental center."

Li Xiaoyao gave the order in a deep voice:

"Liu Gu, release rats to scout the areas where the Soul-Slaying Grass might grow; Han Mo, keep a close eye on insect activity and watch for any approaching signs of life."

The squad spread out and carefully searched the edge of the area.

Li Xiaoyao led Chi Jing to a high rock, where they could see the sanctuary in the distance.

"What did you figure out?"

Li Chijing stared intently for a long while before saying:

"The layout of that sanctuary... doesn't seem to be entirely a natural ruin. The direction of some of the remaining walls vaguely resembles the base of some kind of massive array."

"Moreover, the flow of malevolent energy is regular, seemingly converging and sinking towards the center of the sanctuary."

"Your observation skills have improved."

Li Xiaoyao praised.

"Although the evil energy here is strong, there is a strange sense of 'purity' at the core."

"It's like some kind of 'origin' formed after all the turbid energy has been refined and settled? Anyway, something's very wrong."

At this moment, Aunt Liu transmitted her voice:

"Second Master! Three miles northeast, on the shady side of a fissure in the ground, a small patch of Soul-Slaying Grass has been discovered!"

"There are about a dozen trees, but three 'Bone-Eating Wolves' are guarding the area, their auras are at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining."

"Walk!"

The team quickly assembled and rushed to the scene, where a fissure three zhang wide and bottomless was visible.

On the shady side of the stone wall, there grew clumps of strange grass with dark purple leaves that looked like ghost claws. The surface of the grass leaves shimmered with an eerie light; it was the Soul-Slaying Grass.

A three-headed monster, resembling a hungry wolf with exposed skeleton and burning emerald flames in its eye sockets, was lying in front of the grass.

"Chijing, this time you and Scarface will lead the attack, with Aunt Liu and Han Mo providing support. The rest of you will keep watch around the perimeter."

Li Xiaoyao quickly assigned tasks.

"The Bone-Eating Wolf is extremely fast, its claws and teeth are infused with putrid poison, and its weak points are the third vertebra of its spine and the Soulfire in its eye sockets. We must finish this quickly and avoid attracting attention."

Battle is imminent.

Scarface Wolf pounced first, his blade flashing like a bolt of lightning as he slashed at the lead wolf.

Li Chijing's sword moved with him, working in perfect harmony to entangle the other end.

A swarm of fine needles flew out from Liu Gu's sleeve, blocking the third wolf's movement, while Han Mo commanded the insect swarm to interfere with its perception.

Li Xiaoyao stood at the rear, his divine sense fully activated to monitor the entire scene, with "Four Seasons Mirror" hovering beside him, ready to provide support at any time.

Just as Scarface cleaved the wolf's head in two with a single blow, Li Chijing pierced the wolf's throat with his sword, and the third wolf was also brought down by Liu Gu's poisoned needle—

"Buzz—"

The entire scorched plain trembled violently!

From the cracks in the ground, dark red malevolent energy shot into the sky like a fountain! From the depths of the distant sanctuary ruins, a muffled roar, like the beating of an ancient heart, resounded!

"boom--!!!"

The sky suddenly darkened, not because night had fallen, but because a thick, blood-red color quickly spread!

The perpetually dim "moon" turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye!

"No! This isn't the 'Little Blood Moon'!"

Han Mo lost his voice:

"Feedback from the swarm... there's a massive awakening of life underground! A lot! Very strong!"

Li Xiaoyao's expression changed drastically.

In his divine sense, countless eerie auras that had been dormant underground or in ruins within a radius of dozens of miles were rapidly reviving along with the "heartbeat" sound and the blood moon phenomenon!

"Withdraw! Retreat immediately via the original route!"

He made a decisive decision.

"Scarface, lead the way! Liu Gu and Han Mo, protect the flanks! Chi Jing, stay close to me, don't look back!"

The team sped back the way they came.

But the earthquake intensified, and all sorts of twisted, half-rotten monsters, made of malevolent energy and bones, began to crawl out of the cracks!

The sky was filled with countless eerie flying insects that shimmered with blood-red light!