Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Escape Light Pierces the Sky

Qingyouzi rode the wind, his clothes remaining perfectly still despite the rapid movement, only the flowing cloud shadows reflected in his eyes.

He separated a wisp of his divine consciousness and pierced it like a probe into the storage bag he had taken from Xie Ziyu.

The name of the fifth-tier cultivation technique, "Ink Dao Heavenly Origin Technique," lingered in his mind. If he could obtain it, it would pave another solid step on his path to Nascent Soul. Unfortunately, he had more than ten jade slips in his bag, containing recipes, formations, and secret techniques, but the inheritance was nowhere to be found.

Expected.

The Yin Xuan Sect must have placed numerous restrictions to protect this level of inheritance; how could they allow a disciple to carry it with them? He sneered inwardly, but his divine sense did not stop; he carefully checked it.

The bag contained a considerable amount of treasures: spirit stones piled up like a small mountain, numbering no less than fifty thousand after a quick sweep; in addition, there were all kinds of pills and talismans, as well as several specially made magic weapons.

Qing Youzi pondered for a moment, then with a flick of his sleeve, all the spirit stones and pills in his bag flew into his own storage bag. As for those magical treasures, their auras were deeply intertwined with Xie Ziyu's magical power, and it was hard to guarantee that they didn't bear the unique tracking marks of the Yin Xuan Sect.

He flicked his finger, and the storage bag, along with several magical treasures, transformed into a streak of light and plunged into the churning sea of ​​clouds below, disappearing within a few breaths.

Lu Zhou watched all this clearly from the side, his throat bobbing, but he ultimately didn't dare to utter a sound. His senior's actions had their own reasons.

Qingyouzi glanced at him sideways.

The young man's injuries were quite severe. Although the bleeding from the several wounds on his chest and back had stopped, his aura was three points weaker than before, and his escape light was also slightly sluggish. In this state, he might become a burden if he were to encounter a dangerous situation.

He took out a jade bottle from his bosom and tossed it over without even looking at it.

"Take the healing medicine." The voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "Do not betray my trust."

Lu Zhou hurriedly caught the bottle, uncorked it, and saw three emerald-green pills lying quietly inside. The fragrance of the medicine emanated from them, and with just a light sniff, his internal energy subtly began to stir. These were at least top-grade healing pills for the Golden Core stage; in the outside world, a single pill would be worth nearly a thousand spirit stones.

His heart warmed.

Since he left home to pursue his spiritual practice, no one, except his parents, has ever treated him like this.

"Thank you so much, senior!"

Lu Zhou bowed respectfully, his voice trembling slightly, and swallowed all three pills. The medicinal power dissipated, like a warm current flowing through his limbs and bones, and a tingling, itchy sensation came from the wound, which began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Qingyouzi nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

That was the right move.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Zhou's injuries had healed by 70%, and his escape technique was back to normal. The two flew towards the core area of ​​the second level, encountering several centuries-old fire spirit mushrooms and earth core flame lotuses along the way, which they picked, making it a small gain.

While Lu Zhou gradually relaxed, Qing Youzi remained vigilant and alert. The deeper one ventured into this secret realm, the greater the opportunities, but also the greater the dangers.

That afternoon, the crimson earth below was clearly marked by distinct veins. Qingyouzi suddenly stopped his escape and placed his right hand on Lu Zhou's shoulder.

"Senior?" Lu Zhou asked, puzzled.

Qingyouzi did not answer, his gaze fixed on an inconspicuous volcano below.

The crater was no more than thirty feet in diameter, with lava slowly churning and heat waves rising, just like the hundreds of volcanoes seen along the way.

but--

"retreat!"

He suddenly grabbed Lu Zhou by the collar and retreated a hundred feet like lightning!

Almost simultaneously, a crimson streak of light shot out from the crater, tearing through the air with incredible speed and emitting a sharp whistling sound, grazing past the spot where the two had just been standing! Where it passed, it left a lingering, scorching afterimage in the air.

Lu Zhou realized what was happening too late, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

If he had been even half a breath slower, he would already be decapitated.

Qingyouzi's expression was solemn. The "flowing light" missed its target and suddenly disintegrated in mid-air, turning into hundreds of crimson starlight points. These points moved nimbly like a swarm of bees, then reassembled, forming a spinning crimson drill that attacked once more!

"snort."

Ten thousand threads shot out from Qingyouzi's sleeves, weaving into layers of azure nets in the air, blocking his path. Each thread shimmered with a ghostly azure luster.

clang--!

The crimson drill bit struck the blue net, sparks raining down and a piercing screech emanating from it, resulting in a stalemate. The drill bit spun relentlessly, each impact carrying a scorching, malevolent energy that made the blue net hiss and crackle.

Qingyouzi's eyes narrowed slightly.

This thing... doesn't seem like magic, it's more like a living thing.

"System, identify."

"Ding! Two hundred spirit stones consumed. Appraisal successful."

Target: Swarm of Crimson Fire Demon Insects (semi-adult).

[Description: An ancient and wondrous insect, it prefers to inhabit fire veins and lives in swarms. A hundred of them can spew demonic flames, their power comparable to an early-stage Golden Core technique; their combined attack amplifies their power, rivaling a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Their carapace is incredibly hard, difficult to break with ordinary magical artifacts. An adult swarm can rival a Nascent Soul cultivator. They are wild and difficult to tame. If a swarm appears, there is almost always a nest of larvae nearby. The larvae's minds are not yet fully formed and they can be tamed. Ranked eleventh on the Spirit Insect Ranking.]

Qingyouzi's eyes lit up.

Eleventh on the Spirit Insect Ranking!

If one could tame a swarm of adult Crimson Fire Demon Insects, even those at the late Nascent Soul stage would have to give way! What's even better is that these demon insects live in groups, and once tamed, they become a fearless insect army.

His mind raced, and his hand seals changed. The myriad threads suddenly contracted, coiling and strangling like living creatures, firmly trapping the insect swarm within the green net. At the same time, he shouted at Lu Zhou:

"Boy, go down! There should be larvae at the bottom of the crater; bring them all! I'll deal with the adult worms!"

"yes!"

Lu Zhou dared not delay, his body plummeting like a meteor straight towards the crater. As the light passed, the heatwave parted, revealing the churning magma below.

The swarm of insects seemed to sense something and immediately became agitated, trying to break free of the blue net and pursue them.

"Trying to leave?"

Qingyouzi sneered, his magical power surging forth. Suddenly, azure flames rose from the azure net.

This fire contains the vitality of wood; it appears gentle, but in reality, its vibrant life force is specifically designed to counteract the evil influence of fire.

Although the Crimson Fire Demon Insects love flames, when they come into contact with this blue demonic fire, they are struck as if by lightning. Wisps of blue smoke rise from their carapaces, and they emit a "squeak" of pain. The swarm of insects instinctively shrinks back, and their attack slows down abruptly.

Taking advantage of the situation, Qingyouzi launched a fierce attack, and the blue flames grew even more intense, firmly suppressing the swarm of insects.

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the swarm's attack gradually weakened, and the rotating drill began to disintegrate, turning back into hundreds of crimson star-like points, only now their light was much dimmer.

Qingyouzi seized the opportunity and suddenly unleashed a fierce attack with his myriad threads!

The insect corpses fell like rain, landing in the lava below, and instantly turned into blue smoke and dissipated.

Just as the last demonic insect was killed, something in his arms trembled slightly.

It was a jade slip given to them by the Seven Fiends.

Qingyouzi sent a wisp of his divine sense to probe in, and Qi Sha's anxious voice immediately came:

"Qingyouzi! What have you done?! Xie Changyuan has gone mad! He used some secret technique to find out about our alliance, and that's why he chased after me, demanding to know your whereabouts! How was I supposed to know where you were? I almost died at his hands!"

His voice was rapid and labored, clearly indicating that he had just been through a fierce battle.

After a pause, Qi Sha's tone softened slightly:

"Alright, hurry up and meet up at the second core level. There are many people and all sorts of forces gathered there, and with Jiang Taiyuan in charge, their Yin Xuan Sect doesn't dare to offend Tianxian City."

Transmission interrupted.

Qingyouzi looked embarrassed.

Seven Killers' luck... is truly terrible.

Having just formed an alliance with him, he ran into the enraged Xie Changyuan. Luckily, he was skilled at escaping, otherwise he might have truly perished.

At the same time, he became even more vigilant.

Xie Changyuan was able to detect his telepathic communication with the Seven Fiends, indicating that his spiritual strength likely far surpasses that of an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. We must be extra cautious when facing this person in the future.

"I must find a technique to enhance my spiritual sense..."

He secretly memorized it. In the world of cultivation, the strength of one's divine sense often determines life and death.

"senior."

Lu Zhou's voice came from below.

He emerged from the volcano, a bulging crimson spirit insect pouch now at his waist. Landing nearby, he offered it with both hands:

"There are 322 larvae in total, all in the bag. There are also 36 eggs deep in the nest. I took them all and would like to present them to you for your inspection, senior."

Qingyouzi took it and scanned it with his divine sense.

The bag contained tiny, reddish insect eggs, some trembling slightly, emanating faint signs of life and brimming with vitality. The larvae, like fine red sand, slowly wriggled at the bottom of the bag.

"Not bad." He put away the spirit insect pouch, looked at Lu Zhou, and showed a rare hint of approval. "You handled this matter well."

Lu Zhou bowed:

"I will never forget your life-saving grace. It was just a small matter, not worth mentioning."

Qingyouzi said no more and turned to look at the sea of ​​clouds ahead.

In the distance, the sky gradually turned crimson gold, a celestial phenomenon unique to the second core region. The essence of earth fire surged upwards, illuminating the heavens. At most three more days of travel would bring us there.

Xie Changyuan, Qi Sha, Hong Kaishan... and that group of righteous Nascent Soul cultivators.

The road ahead will not be peaceful.

With a flick of his sleeve, he unleashed another burst of light, carrying Lu Zhou as he sped toward the crimson-gold horizon.