On the seventh day of entering the mountain range, a magical light barrier, two thousand miles in circumference and shimmering with turquoise water patterns, came into view.
That was the magical barrier and temporary restriction formation set up by the Azure Cloud Sect.
The water-like light encompassed the ancient ruins at its core, enveloping everything within a thousand miles.
However, it was now evident that the water-like light was quite dim, with multiple breaches.
Soon after Xiao Changfeng led the group into the barrier, a Pseudo-Core Elder emerged from the ruins.
"Fellow cultivators of Azure Cloud State, rogue cultivators from other states seek to seize the ruins within our territory. This matter concerns not only the prestige of our Azure Cloud Sect but also the path of every cultivator within the state. We invite you all to join us in opposing the enemy. Merits will be rewarded accordingly afterwards."
"On behalf of the sect, I promise you that those who achieve top merits will receive spiritual herbs, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, secret manuals, and inheritances of various arts... everything you could wish for. At least ten Foundation Establishment Pills will be offered as rewards, ensuring that none of you feel disheartened."
Among the nearly two hundred rogue cultivators recruited this time, besides the six Foundation Establishment cultivators, most were Late-Stage Qi Training cultivators. Upon hearing the reward of Foundation Establishment Pills, their expressions turned excited.
Those who remained in the Immortal City until now were mostly those who sought stability and dared not venture into the forbidden zones of the ruins.
Compared to the rogue cultivators who entered the ruins early on, they were not necessarily less courageous or weaker, but either had attachments or were of a more stable temperament. Most importantly, they were unwilling to become enemies with the Azure Cloud Sect.
Now, having received such a promise, they immediately had hope.
"Changfeng, arrange for these fellow cultivators to stand guard. Besides considering the defensive pressure at each location, also understand each person's wishes. Do not force them unless absolutely necessary," the Pseudo-Core Elder instructed before hurrying away.
Xiao Changfeng accepted the order. He was straightforward and not good at making empty promises, so he didn't say much, only asking those willing to contribute and earn rewards to step forward.
The sect could not directly command rogue cultivators as it did family cultivators. After all, family cultivators had bonds, attachments, and weaknesses, while rogue cultivators were rootless and unattached. If pushed too hard, they would simply become another enemy.
Therefore, they still had to put on a show of respect.
To Li Ji'an's surprise, more than half of the Qi Training cultivators stepped forward, more than he had anticipated.
The reinforcements were all defending outside the core ruins and were not allowed to enter without sect orders. Li Ji'an was the first to be let off.
This place was still located in the southwestern part of the mountain range, five hundred miles from the core ruins, mainly to prevent local rogue cultivators from Azure Cloud State from entering. This was also considered the second line of defense. Xiao Changfeng said that the first line of defense was five hundred miles further west at the edge of the magical barrier.
Qi Training cultivators were stationed at one location, while Foundation Establishment cultivators like Li Ji'an were in teams of several, patrolling an area, all under the command of sect disciples.
The leader of Li Ji'an's team was an elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator from the sect, very easygoing, the type who was old and weak and contributing from the rear.
After receiving Xiao Changfeng's secret message, he was even kinder to Li Ji'an.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li. I am Wu Maoshan. I hope you will work hard with us on patrol in the future," Wu Maoshan said with a smile, without the superiority of other sect disciples.
"Fellow Daoist Wu is too kind. I will have to rely on the three of you for guidance," Li Ji'an replied humbly, bowing to the three in front of him.
"I have heard of Alchemist Li's great name within the clan. A pleasure to meet you," another Foundation Establishment old woman nodded.
"Little Friend Li's extravagant scene at the auction is still unforgettable to this old man," the last wine-nosed old man took a large gulp of wine, stroking his gray beard as he greeted.
Xiao Changfeng had already informed Li Ji'an of the three's identities. Wu Maoshan was an elder of the sect, the old woman was a clan elder of the Beast Taming Liu Family, and the wine-nosed old man was a clan elder of the Tianquan City Zhao Family, one of the five great families.
All were in the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment and were old and frail, at the age of retirement.
Xiao Changfeng's arrangement of him with these three elders was truly considerate of Li Ji'an.
Xiao Changfeng had asked Li Ji'an why he gave up back then, and Li Ji'an had given him the same answer as he had given Yan Qingwan.
Therefore, he understood Li Ji'an's philosophy of safety first.
"Fellow Daoists are too kind. Li is only slightly accomplished in the Dao of Alchemy," Li Ji'an replied with a smile.
Then, the Liu Family old woman added with a smile, "Since coming here to guard three years ago, not a single person has sneaked in."
Li Ji'an nodded in satisfaction.
He had no doubts about what they said. After all, there were sect Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed on the front lines, and there was a sect magical barrier and temporary protective formation.
Most importantly, this southwestern area mainly faced local rogue cultivators from Azure Cloud State. There were very few Foundation Establishment cultivators. Hua Hongling was discovered and injured in the first line of defense in this area back then.
However, this only represented the previous situation.
Now, the largest wave of attacks brought by rogue cultivators had ended, and it had not shaken the Azure Cloud Sect's defenses. Next, the sects of the two states should be launching an attack soon.
At that time, the northern front would have the sects confronting each other, restraining most of the Azure Cloud Sect's core strength. After those rogue cultivators were deterred by the sect, they would likely collectively circle around.
The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ said ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ book ⊥ ⊥ bar ⊥ ⊥ first ⊥ hair!
However, the pressure would mostly be on the front, and there would be no major problems here.
For the next period, Li Ji'an rested here in peace, while also exploring the secret cave mentioned by Duanmu Qin with Guagua during his patrols.
According to the information given by Duanmu Qin, and judging from the place where Hua Hongling was instigated and injured, the secret cave was likely in the area he was currently patrolling.
"Ga~" That day, a hawk's cry came from the sky, and then a falcon shot down and landed on the old woman's arm.
This was the old woman's spirit bird, also a Rank Two spirit beast, extremely fast and with excellent eyesight.
"Alchemist Li, this old woman's treasure has confirmed that there are no intruders."
Li Ji'an thanked her with a smile, "Then Li will go out and patrol again."
Wu Maoshan nodded, "Good, this old man will record it for you."
This was also considered Li Ji'an's merit, which naturally needed to be recorded for future sect review.
When leaving the Spirit Gathering Array, Li Ji'an looked at the wine-nosed man again. He was always fast asleep. He had only spoken to Li Ji'an on the day Li Ji'an first arrived, and he had been drunk almost all the time since then.
"Unfortunately, I wonder where Duanmu Qin is patrolling?" Today, he changed another direction, but still found nothing. Li Ji'an estimated that the cave had some kind of extraordinary concealment method, and it would be difficult to find it just by searching like this.
He came to the front line station, but Li Ji'an still found nothing.
"Senior Li?" Just as he was about to leave, a familiar voice came from the front line station.
Li Ji'an recognized the person as Yan Qing.
And the few people stationed with her were all from the Yan family.
This surprised Li Ji'an a bit. After all, family cultivators were controlled by the sect and were likely to be sent to more dangerous areas, while this place was relatively safe.
That was the magical barrier and temporary restriction formation set up by the Azure Cloud Sect.
The water-like light encompassed the ancient ruins at its core, enveloping everything within a thousand miles.
However, it was now evident that the water-like light was quite dim, with multiple breaches.
Soon after Xiao Changfeng led the group into the barrier, a Pseudo-Core Elder emerged from the ruins.
"Fellow cultivators of Azure Cloud State, rogue cultivators from other states seek to seize the ruins within our territory. This matter concerns not only the prestige of our Azure Cloud Sect but also the path of every cultivator within the state. We invite you all to join us in opposing the enemy. Merits will be rewarded accordingly afterwards."
"On behalf of the sect, I promise you that those who achieve top merits will receive spiritual herbs, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, secret manuals, and inheritances of various arts... everything you could wish for. At least ten Foundation Establishment Pills will be offered as rewards, ensuring that none of you feel disheartened."
Among the nearly two hundred rogue cultivators recruited this time, besides the six Foundation Establishment cultivators, most were Late-Stage Qi Training cultivators. Upon hearing the reward of Foundation Establishment Pills, their expressions turned excited.
Those who remained in the Immortal City until now were mostly those who sought stability and dared not venture into the forbidden zones of the ruins.
Compared to the rogue cultivators who entered the ruins early on, they were not necessarily less courageous or weaker, but either had attachments or were of a more stable temperament. Most importantly, they were unwilling to become enemies with the Azure Cloud Sect.
Now, having received such a promise, they immediately had hope.
"Changfeng, arrange for these fellow cultivators to stand guard. Besides considering the defensive pressure at each location, also understand each person's wishes. Do not force them unless absolutely necessary," the Pseudo-Core Elder instructed before hurrying away.
Xiao Changfeng accepted the order. He was straightforward and not good at making empty promises, so he didn't say much, only asking those willing to contribute and earn rewards to step forward.
The sect could not directly command rogue cultivators as it did family cultivators. After all, family cultivators had bonds, attachments, and weaknesses, while rogue cultivators were rootless and unattached. If pushed too hard, they would simply become another enemy.
Therefore, they still had to put on a show of respect.
To Li Ji'an's surprise, more than half of the Qi Training cultivators stepped forward, more than he had anticipated.
The reinforcements were all defending outside the core ruins and were not allowed to enter without sect orders. Li Ji'an was the first to be let off.
This place was still located in the southwestern part of the mountain range, five hundred miles from the core ruins, mainly to prevent local rogue cultivators from Azure Cloud State from entering. This was also considered the second line of defense. Xiao Changfeng said that the first line of defense was five hundred miles further west at the edge of the magical barrier.
Qi Training cultivators were stationed at one location, while Foundation Establishment cultivators like Li Ji'an were in teams of several, patrolling an area, all under the command of sect disciples.
The leader of Li Ji'an's team was an elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator from the sect, very easygoing, the type who was old and weak and contributing from the rear.
After receiving Xiao Changfeng's secret message, he was even kinder to Li Ji'an.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li. I am Wu Maoshan. I hope you will work hard with us on patrol in the future," Wu Maoshan said with a smile, without the superiority of other sect disciples.
"Fellow Daoist Wu is too kind. I will have to rely on the three of you for guidance," Li Ji'an replied humbly, bowing to the three in front of him.
"I have heard of Alchemist Li's great name within the clan. A pleasure to meet you," another Foundation Establishment old woman nodded.
"Little Friend Li's extravagant scene at the auction is still unforgettable to this old man," the last wine-nosed old man took a large gulp of wine, stroking his gray beard as he greeted.
Xiao Changfeng had already informed Li Ji'an of the three's identities. Wu Maoshan was an elder of the sect, the old woman was a clan elder of the Beast Taming Liu Family, and the wine-nosed old man was a clan elder of the Tianquan City Zhao Family, one of the five great families.
All were in the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment and were old and frail, at the age of retirement.
Xiao Changfeng's arrangement of him with these three elders was truly considerate of Li Ji'an.
Xiao Changfeng had asked Li Ji'an why he gave up back then, and Li Ji'an had given him the same answer as he had given Yan Qingwan.
Therefore, he understood Li Ji'an's philosophy of safety first.
"Fellow Daoists are too kind. Li is only slightly accomplished in the Dao of Alchemy," Li Ji'an replied with a smile.
Then, the Liu Family old woman added with a smile, "Since coming here to guard three years ago, not a single person has sneaked in."
Li Ji'an nodded in satisfaction.
He had no doubts about what they said. After all, there were sect Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed on the front lines, and there was a sect magical barrier and temporary protective formation.
Most importantly, this southwestern area mainly faced local rogue cultivators from Azure Cloud State. There were very few Foundation Establishment cultivators. Hua Hongling was discovered and injured in the first line of defense in this area back then.
However, this only represented the previous situation.
Now, the largest wave of attacks brought by rogue cultivators had ended, and it had not shaken the Azure Cloud Sect's defenses. Next, the sects of the two states should be launching an attack soon.
At that time, the northern front would have the sects confronting each other, restraining most of the Azure Cloud Sect's core strength. After those rogue cultivators were deterred by the sect, they would likely collectively circle around.
The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ said ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ book ⊥ ⊥ bar ⊥ ⊥ first ⊥ hair!
However, the pressure would mostly be on the front, and there would be no major problems here.
For the next period, Li Ji'an rested here in peace, while also exploring the secret cave mentioned by Duanmu Qin with Guagua during his patrols.
According to the information given by Duanmu Qin, and judging from the place where Hua Hongling was instigated and injured, the secret cave was likely in the area he was currently patrolling.
"Ga~" That day, a hawk's cry came from the sky, and then a falcon shot down and landed on the old woman's arm.
This was the old woman's spirit bird, also a Rank Two spirit beast, extremely fast and with excellent eyesight.
"Alchemist Li, this old woman's treasure has confirmed that there are no intruders."
Li Ji'an thanked her with a smile, "Then Li will go out and patrol again."
Wu Maoshan nodded, "Good, this old man will record it for you."
This was also considered Li Ji'an's merit, which naturally needed to be recorded for future sect review.
When leaving the Spirit Gathering Array, Li Ji'an looked at the wine-nosed man again. He was always fast asleep. He had only spoken to Li Ji'an on the day Li Ji'an first arrived, and he had been drunk almost all the time since then.
"Unfortunately, I wonder where Duanmu Qin is patrolling?" Today, he changed another direction, but still found nothing. Li Ji'an estimated that the cave had some kind of extraordinary concealment method, and it would be difficult to find it just by searching like this.
He came to the front line station, but Li Ji'an still found nothing.
"Senior Li?" Just as he was about to leave, a familiar voice came from the front line station.
Li Ji'an recognized the person as Yan Qing.
And the few people stationed with her were all from the Yan family.
This surprised Li Ji'an a bit. After all, family cultivators were controlled by the sect and were likely to be sent to more dangerous areas, while this place was relatively safe.
