Chapter 122: Taking Action—A Battle Between Foundation Establishment Cultivators

Qian Xiaoyue was in trouble.

She had not expected that simply helping her friend pack some belongings would coincide with the sudden eruption of chaos in the marketplace.

She did not blame her friend for the delay. As rogue cultivators, they lived by breaking every spirit stone into smaller pieces to make ends meet, reluctant to leave anything behind; if they were moving, everything had to go. Just as when she had moved from the outer perimeter of the market to the inner city, her friend Lu Wei’er had never complained, helping her carry all her pots and jars. At this moment, she naturally would not utter a word of refusal when her friend merely borrowed her storage pouch to pack a few items.

But who could have foreseen that the chaos would erupt so suddenly, triggering a massive battle?

Instantly, they were thrown into a panic. After some hesitation, they decided to risk running to the Shuiyun Pavilion to reunite with Sister Shen and the others. However, just as they reached the entrance, they noticed someone attacking the small courtyard. Amidst the thunderous sounds of destruction, three cultivators burst in. As they retreated in fear, they watched helplessly as the three intruders immediately slaughtered a female cultivator who had been sharing the rental with them and was in the courtyard hanging up laundry.

The female cultivator had not been weak—she was at the fifth level of Qi Refining—yet she had died instantly, without the slightest chance to resist.

The intruders then fixed their gazes upon them.

Just as panic began to set in, the side gate suddenly opened. A cultivator stepped out and unleashed several talismans, which exploded against the intruders, followed by a fierce strike from a flying sword. Although the attack did not score a direct hit, deflected by the enemy’s spirit shield, it successfully jolted them into action. They quickly activated their protective spirit talismans and drew their own magical tools.

The person who had intervened was none other than Lu Wei’er’s neighbor, the "cultivator-robber" Fang Shitong.

"Friends, we all live in the same alleyway; surely there is no need for such cold-blooded slaughter?" Fang Shitong said, his face stern as he stood beside Qian Xiaoyue and the others.

Those who could act immediately at the outbreak of chaos were naturally the cultivators living nearby. Having crossed paths in their daily lives, Fang Shitong recognized the three men instantly as residents of a small courtyard not far away. All three were at the mid-stage of Qi Refining; the strongest among them was at the sixth level, like himself, while the other two were at the fifth level. Their strength was not to be underestimated. He would have preferred to avoid a fight if possible.

"If you don't want to die, toss out your storage pouches," one of the men said coldly.

The other two fixed their eyes on Qian Xiaoyue and Lu Wei’er, their hands gripping their weapons. Should the women show the slightest sign of resistance, they would strike without hesitation. In the world of immortal cultivation, life and death were decided in an instant. They dared not be careless, nor would they show mercy simply because the two women were beautiful.

"Let’s forget about the storage pouches. You may be strong, but we are not to be trifled with. If we push this to a fight to the death, even if you win, you will surely lose one or two men. With the situation outside currently unknown, are you certain you want to make enemies of us?" Fang Shitong asked, his expression hardening.

"Three hundred low-grade spirit stones each. Otherwise, none of you will live," the leader replied in a chilling tone. He gestured slightly, and another cultivator stepped forward to loot the storage pouch from the body of the woman they had just killed.

"I don't have that many spirit stones on me..." Lu Wei’er said, her face deathly pale. Although she worked at the Liufang Pavilion, she was merely a receptionist, earning a monthly stipend of barely a dozen low-grade spirit stones. After paying rent, she had very little left and had never managed to save much over the years. She was the weakest of the three, at only the third level of Qi Refining. Hearing the demand for three hundred stones, she began to panic.

Just as Qian Xiaoyue was about to speak, Fang Shitong interrupted: "Don't worry, I have them." He looked up at the three men and asked, "We can give you the spirit stones, but how can we be sure you will keep your word?"

"That is none of our concern. Hurry up, we don't have time to waste on you," the leader snapped, his eyes glaring. Another man sneered, "Hand them over obediently, or the one on the ground will be your fate."

Lu Wei’er shivered in terror. The deceased woman had been the first person she had befriended; she was from the Tianxiang Tower and had often looked after her. Though Lu Wei’er had felt a sense of distance due to the woman's background, seeing her die right before her eyes was a massive shock. Fang Shitong stepped forward to shield her.

Qian Xiaoyue, though pale, remained somewhat composed. Her heart steadied when she thought of the talismans gripped in her hand. These had been gifted to her by Zhou Changwang. Having "studied" talisman-making for a time, she knew these were not ordinary items; several were finished talismans of significant power. With these and her own abilities, she felt that even if she couldn't win, she could likely escape. Her only concern was her friend, Lu Wei’er.

As she hesitated, her eyes suddenly lit up with disbelief. "Am I seeing things?" She felt as if she were hallucinating—could that really be Zhou Changwang? How was that possible?

Her reaction caught the attention of one of the intruders, who spun around just in time to see a figure standing at the entrance. As the man turned, the figure smiled and raised a hand.

The intruder saw a flash of golden light, then felt his protective talisman shatter. His head reeled as if struck by a heavy blow, followed by a searing pain, and then his consciousness slipped into an abyss of darkness.

"Third brother..." the adjacent cultivator gasped in shock. He turned, only to see a flying sword rapidly enlarging before his eyes.

*Boom!*

With a resounding crash, the flying sword shattered his defensive light. It paused for a fraction of a second, but before he could counterattack, the sword turned with agile precision and struck again with even greater speed.

*Pfft!*

Before he could react, the sword pierced through his skull.

Finally, the last of the three, the strongest at the sixth level of Qi Refining, realized what was happening. Unlike the others, he possessed a defensive magic tool. Seeing the crisis, he immediately activated his shield and launched his own flying sword. Simultaneously, he slapped a talisman onto his body, felt his weight lighten, and prepared to flee.

As a sixth-level cultivator, he was no fool. The newcomer was clearly immensely powerful, having killed two fifth-level cultivators in the blink of an eye. The situation had reversed. Moreover, facing him were three others—the two women were negligible, but the other man was a solid sixth-level practitioner. Trapped in a pincer, he knew he was outmatched. He had to run.

"Want to escape? Too late!"

Just as he moved, Fang Shitong reacted, immediately summoning a pagoda-like magic tool. The iron tower expanded in the air to three zhang in height, emitting a cyan light that descended upon the fleeing cultivator. The man’s body froze, as if bound by an invisible force. Fang Shitong then sent his own flying sword to strike him hard.

At the same time, Qian Xiaoyue acted. Seeing Zhou Changwang had killed two of the robbers, she immediately activated the talismans in her hand.

*Boom! Boom! Snap!*

Fireballs and bolts of lightning reached the intruder in an instant. Though he fought to maintain his defensive shield, the barrage of lightning tore it apart, and the subsequent fireballs caused his remaining defenses to dim rapidly. Under the combined onslaught of Fang Shitong’s sword and Zhou Changwang’s assault, the magic tool shattered and was sent flying. Then, another flying sword swept past, and the intruder’s head flew into the sky.

It all happened too fast. From Zhou Changwang’s appearance to the death of the three robbers, only three to five breaths had passed.

"Brother Zhou, why are you here?" Qian Xiaoyue walked forward, her eyes fixed on him.

Zhou Changwang retracted his sword and said, "When I reached Shuiyun Pavilion, I heard you had left early this morning, so I followed. Thankfully, I arrived in time."

Zhou Changwang truly felt a sense of relief. When he had seen from a distance that the courtyard's defensive array had been destroyed, his heart had sunk. Fortunately, he had arrived just as they were at a standoff.

"Yes, thank goodness for you!" Qian Xiaoyue felt a surge of emotion. She knew the market was in chaos, and that Zhou Changwang had been willing to leave the relatively safe Shuiyun Pavilion to find her was a rare and precious gesture. She couldn't help but offer a sweet smile.

"I truly thank you for your help, Brother Zhou. If it weren't for you, we would have been in grave danger," Lu Wei’er said, bowing in gratitude. She wasn't overly surprised by his strength; catching the robbers off-guard had clearly been the key. However, she was deeply impressed by Fang Shitong’s swift ability to restrain the enemy, and a strange emotion stirred in her heart.

"Just a small effort," Zhou Changwang said with a smile, though his gaze shifted to Fang Shitong. He had always been wary of the man due to his status as a "cultivator-robber." Even in the inner city during this chaos, he did not believe traveling with such a person was wise.

"I didn't expect that in just a few months, your strength would have undergone such a transformative change. Thank you as well, Brother Zhou," Fang Shitong said, bowing.

"Just a minor breakthrough. I am no match for your profound cultivation, Brother Fang," Zhou Changwang replied calmly.

"In the world of cultivation, strength is king. My cultivation level is just empty numbers; I cannot compare to the genuine power you just displayed," Fang Shitong said, looking at Zhou Changwang with a thoughtful expression. He remembered well that at the market outskirts, Zhou Changwang had only been at the third level of Qi Refining—a mere, unremarkable spirit farmer. But how long had it been since then?

Not only had he moved to the inner city, but he had reached the fourth level and displayed combat skills that were terrifyingly precise. His "Geng Metal Finger" and sword control were flawless—he knew how difficult it was to kill a fifth-level cultivator with a single spell, even with the element of surprise. The power of Zhou Changwang’s spells and his sword techniques were far beyond his own capabilities. He felt a mix of shock and apprehension.

"What are your plans now?" Fang Shitong asked.

"We intend to join Sister Shen at the Shuiyun Pavilion with Qian Xiaoyue, and then leave the market immediately. Brother Fang, why not come with us? It would be safer to travel together," Lu Wei’er suggested.

Zhou Changwang’s expression cooled, but Qian Xiaoyue tugged his arm gently. "Brother Fang’s intervention really did intimidate those three; we would have been in trouble otherwise."

Zhou Changwang said nothing more. "This place is not safe. Let’s go."

Fang Shitong gathered the storage pouches from the three men and handed them to Zhou Changwang. "You killed them; the spoils are yours."

"The last one was mostly your doing, so keep that one. And this pouch belongs to the woman from your courtyard; you should handle it," Zhou Changwang said, only taking two.

Fang Shitong nodded and handed the remaining pouches to Lu Wei’er and Qian Xiaoyue. He knew Zhou Changwang was wary of him, so handing out the spoils was the most prudent way to build trust.

"Sister Yuru was a pitiable person; she had no friends in the market..." Lu Wei’er murmured, though she ultimately accepted the pouch. She lacked one herself, which was why she had asked for help moving. Qian Xiaoyue looked at Zhou Changwang, and seeing his slight nod, she took the final pouch.

"As for these weapons..." Fang Shitong noted that the robbers had possessed decent gear, including a defensive spirit armor.

"Let’s split them, one for each," Zhou Changwang said, taking a flying sword. To him, these low-grade items were of little use other than to be sold for spirit stones. Lu Wei’er chose a flying knife, and Qian Xiaoyue, already possessing a blade, opted for the defensive armor. The remaining sword went to Fang Shitong.

The group left the courtyard and headed toward Shuiyun Pavilion.

"Wait, this road is blocked," Zhou Changwang suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Lu Wei’er asked, her face changing.

"Brother Zhou, is there a problem?" Fang Shitong asked.

Qian Xiaoyue, however, stopped without hesitation. She remembered that night of chaos when Zhou Changwang had guided them through the safest paths using his miraculous intuition.

"There is danger ahead," Zhou Changwang explained. The market was now crawling with high-level cultivators, and the battles were intensifying. He remained cautious, maintaining his "Derivation Art," which revealed the surrounding dangers like a red fog of peril.

*Boom!*

Just then, a thunderous sound erupted ahead, and a figure soared into the sky.

"A Foundation Establishment cultivator?" Lu Wei’er whispered.

"That is Bai Zhanheng of the Bai family, who reached the Foundation Establishment stage ten years ago," Fang Shitong identified, his face pale with shock. He marveled at how Zhou Changwang could have sensed the danger from over a hundred meters away, through the buildings and amidst the noise.

"It's them? The late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the performance troupe," Zhou Changwang muttered in shock. "Flying Rat Wuyun Tian, Fairy Zhao Yueqing, Beast Tamer Zhuge Hongyu, and Spider-Silk Fairy Chen Xiao’er... are they actually ambushing a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

The clash was intense. Five or six late-stage cultivators were attacking Bai Zhanheng simultaneously. Yet, the Foundation Establishment master held his own, his every movement radiating immense power. Whenever he unleashed his tools, the attackers were forced to defend frantically.

*Boom!*

The destructive power was terrifying. Huge swathes of buildings collapsed under the pressure.

"Is this the destructive power of a Foundation Establishment master?" Zhou Changwang felt a surge of longing, though his arrogance regarding his own strength vanished. He was still far too weak compared to such beings.

"Go! Retreat!"

He sensed a shift in the battle and immediately led the group back the way they came. Moments later, Bai Zhanheng broke through the encirclement and landed exactly where they had been standing just seconds before. The performance troupe gave chase, unleashing waves of power that leveled the entire area.