First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

After buying his things, Xu Mu quickly left.

Going back to the mortal realm to eat a state banquet is better than eating a bowl of noodles for 5 coins here.

Just as he walked out of Nanlian Valley, several figures quietly followed him.

Xu Mu had anticipated this, after all, he was followed when he left the sect, let alone the fact that there were so many independent cultivators here.

He had no interest in fighting them, so he summoned his flying sword and flew towards the mortal realm, disappearing into the mountains.

However, he underestimated the group's abilities and was quickly cornered.

"How did you pinpoint my location?" Xu Mu asked, puzzled.

"Haha, you look so old, yet you act like a greenhorn. You must have been in some sect before, right?" A man sneered.

The other three also surrounded him, looking smug and confident that they had Xu Mu cornered.

Xu Mu glanced at them and said, "You are from Nanlian Valley."

"Oh? How so?"

Now it was the other side's turn to be puzzled. They looked at each other, unable to see where their identities had been revealed.

Xu Mu, with his aged voice, said hoarsely, "Nanlian Valley claims to be safe, but I was robbed as soon as I left the valley. It's a slap in the face to the master of Nanlian Valley."

But you are not afraid at all that the people of Nanlian Valley will interfere, unless you yourselves are from Nanlian Valley.

The Southern Lian Valley is controlled by five families, with the Lian family at its head.

Even a hero like Valley Master Lian wouldn't risk damaging his reputation by robbing rogue cultivators for such a paltry profit. You're probably doing this behind Valley Master Lian's back, aren't you? Which family are you from? Aren't you afraid of being held accountable?

Seeing that he had hit the nail on the head, the four of them looked at each other in bewilderment, suddenly hesitant to act rashly.

"Hmph! Clever little thing. So what if you figured it out? You're just a rogue cultivator. What can you do if I kill you here today?" The leading man sneered, audacious and reckless, even the Valley Master couldn't frighten him.

Xu Mu quickly smiled, his old face crinkling with laughter, his expression as obsequious as Old Yu's back then.

"Oh dear, why make a mountain out of a molehill? Nanlian Valley started out as a small, independent sect. I know the Lian family, so let's talk this out."

"Oh? Really? Then tell me a name," the man said with a smile.

"...Lianchengbi".

Xu Mu had no idea about the Five Families of Nanlian; they were all just bragging.

All four of them were at least at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage. If he didn't find a way to escape, he would be in grave danger on his own.

"Heh, don't try to be clever. Just hand over the storage bag obediently, and maybe I'll spare your life." The man waved his hand, his face full of mockery.

"Very well, four heroes, please show mercy and spare my life."

Embarrassed by his exposure, Xu Mu nodded repeatedly, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and then took out a storage bag from his sleeve and tossed it to the other person.

This behavior made the four people lower their guard.

Just as the storage bag drew their attention, Xu Mu made his move.

The four of them felt a sudden flash of light before their eyes as the sword light instantly swung out in a semi-circle.

The two men to the right rear hadn't even reacted yet, their faces frozen in disbelief, blood gushing from their chests as they snapped in two along with the surrounding trees.

At the same time, the storage bag that had been thrown into the air tipped over, emptying its contents, including five flying swords.

The other two, regaining their senses, roared and launched an attack.

One unleashed a flying sword, while the other unleashed a fire-based spell, both aiming to kill Xu Mu in one strike.

Xu Mu's body immediately sank into the ground, avoiding direct confrontation with them.

Boom—!

The explosive flames shook the mountain, sending rocks and soil flying everywhere, leaving a large crater, but no one was in sight.

"Earth Release Technique!?"

The two were startled.

"Chase!"

The two men were enraged and attacked by the four of them, but two of them were killed in the ensuing counterattack.

Suddenly, the six flying swords launched a counterattack.

Xu Mu submerged underground, and six flying swords rushed towards the man using fire magic, weaving together in a somewhat chaotic but extremely fierce attack.

The man immediately summoned his magical artifact for defense.

Six flying swords came one after another, as if six people were attacking him at the same time, leaving him overwhelmed.

If it weren't for the all-around shield erected, he wouldn't have been able to withstand it.

However, such shields are often not very thick, and once broken, it takes a while before they can be erected again.

So he hurriedly shouted, "Jianlin, save me!"

Chen Jianlin frowned, and without bothering to find Xu Mu's location, immediately flew off on his sword to help.

Suddenly, the six flying swords became very orderly because Xu Mu emerged from underground, making them easier to control.

With a clatter, Chen Jianlin severed one of Xu Mu's flying swords.

"Ha, you trashy flying sword, how dare you collide with my magic weapon? You're dead today!"

Chen Jianlin spoke fiercely, pointing to his sword, intending to knock down all of Xu Mu's flying swords first.

"Jianlin, I'm here to help you!"

Xu Nian was skilled in fire magic, and he spat out a fire snake that rushed towards Xu Mu's location.

"Xu Nian, be careful!" Chen Jianlin shouted urgently.

Just as Xu Nian launched his attack, the seventh flying sword pierced through like a venomous snake.

Xu Mu has a total of seven flying swords.

One was the beginner flying sword he received when he entered the Qinglan Sect, and the other six were bought by him when he left the Qinglan Sect, because he was worried that the beginner flying sword would be taken back, so he bought six of them.

In the end, they didn't accept the flying swords, so he ended up with seven flying swords.

Now one of them is broken and lying on the ground, unusable.

The art of sword control requires nurturing the sword before one can control it. The number of swords one can control depends not only on magical power but also on one's mental strength.

After the sword breaks, Xu Mu's mental connection is also severed, which will cause a mental backlash.

Fortunately, Xu Mu had extra mental energy, so the impact was minimal. He controlled the seventh flying sword to launch a sneak attack from among the miscellaneous items dumped from the storage bag.

Xu Nian quickly activated her defensive magic weapon again to protect herself.

However, it was too late; the flying sword pierced his lower back and went through his abdomen.

Chen Jianlin stared, his eyes wide with rage.

These four Qi Refining stage cultivators, who always picked on the weak and were successful, never expected to run into a tough opponent today.

Being able to control so many flying swords simultaneously and multitask is something that ordinary cultivators simply cannot do.

Xu Mu honed his skills by wielding a hoe for decades.

"I'll drag you down with me even if I die!" Xu Nian grabbed the sword tip with his bare hands, spitting blood as he roared.

The fire snake instantly swelled, transforming into a giant fiery python that lunged fiercely at Xu Mu, causing a deafening explosion!

But Xu Nian's eyes turned to despair.

Xu Mu also had a protective magic item, which Yan Qing had given him before, and he used it to create a shield that blocked the attack.

Xu Nian was unable to withstand the flying sword inside her body, and the next moment she was disemboweled and beyond saving.

Battles during the Qi Refining stage are often simple and straightforward, consisting of mutual attacks. The side without defensive magic items will inevitably suffer losses, and if they cannot defend themselves, they will surely die.

Unlike Foundation Establishment cultivators, who have protective qi to safeguard their bodies.

With Xu Nian dead, only Chen Jianlin remained.

Chen Jianlin was terrified. When he met Xu Mu's calm and indifferent gaze, he hurriedly turned and ran, summoning another flying sword and flying away.

"Dragon-Trapping Sword Formation, Lock!"

Xu Mu formed hand seals and used his last trump card.

"How do you still have so much magic power!" Chen Jianlin exclaimed in shock.

Within the same realm of Qi Refining, magical power is similar.

However, the efficiency of using magical power depends on one's own cultivation.

Xu Mu lived to be 182 years old. With the passage of time, his control over his magical power became extremely refined, allowing him to use one part of his power as if it were two parts.

As the sword formation was activated, six flying swords surrounded the enemy.

An invisible force bound Chen Jianlin's body.

Chen Jianlin was unable to move, but he could still defend himself by wielding his sword.

He roared and unleashed a sword technique, instantly creating three sword shadows that slashed upwards like claw marks, cleaving four flying swords in two.

The remaining two swords clashed with his; one severed his entire right arm, while the other lay across his neck.

"Spare me! Spare me! I am Chen Jianlin from the Chen family of the Five Families of Nanlian, you can't kill me!" Chen Jianlin screamed and begged for mercy.

The sword was pressed against his neck; he was powerless to resist.