72: Rescuing people

A few hundred meters away on a small hillside, Li Qinghe and Li Qingfeng, the two brothers, were leaning comfortably beside their Flying Shuttle.

Li Qingfeng held a handful of melon seeds, cracking them with a satisfying 'ka cha ka cha' sound, occasionally taking a slurp from the nearby tea bowl.

Li Qinghe was also leisurely sipping tea, but his eyes were fixed on the distinct figures down by the distant cliff.

"Hey! Fourth Brother," Li Qingfeng spat out two melon seed shells, nudging his chin impatiently.

"What are those people down there babbling about? So slow! If it were up to my temper, I'd have already shot two arrows—'chua chua'—and taken down that guy leaning on the tree gasping for breath (Man En), just to stop their noise! Why all the nonsense!"

Li Qinghe swallowed a mouthful of clear tea and glanced helplessly at his Third Brother:

"Ha! Third Brother, what are you asking me? How would I understand what they are saying? It’s probably some dialect from some forgotten corner."

He put down the teapot and asked with a bit of curiosity:

"By the way, Third Brother, when you were in the Sect, didn't you learn any skills, like understanding a few foreign languages? Or chatting with Yao Beasts or something?"

When Li Qingfeng heard this, he spat out the melon seed shell in his mouth with a 'pu' sound, wearing an expression that suggested his Fourth Brother thought too highly of him, and replied crossly:

"Fourth Brother, what are you thinking! Chatting with Yao Beasts? That first requires the Yao Beast to possess sentience and Divine Sense! It’s not like us humans, who can slowly approach the threshold of Divine Sense by the Qi Ling Late Stage."

"Yao Beasts? Most of them have to struggle until the Foundation Establishment Stage to get that thing! Only a very small number of cubs from extremely noble Bloodline variants, whose ancestors were powerful for eighteen generations, can awaken Divine Sense and speak human language during the Qi Refinement Stage!"

"Chatting with Yao Beasts? That's a feat for Foundation Establishment mighty figures! You think too highly of your Third Brother; I don't have that ability!"

Just as Li Qingfeng was enthusiastically explaining basic cultivation world trivia to his younger brother, he suddenly heard Li Qinghe gasp:

"Third Brother, look quickly! Those people are glowing red! They're about to fight!"

"Hmm? Red light?" Li Qingfeng sharply turned his head and looked in the direction Li Qinghe was pointing.

Indeed! A dazzling red light instantly burst from the bodies of the five Barbarian tribesmen below the cliff! Even more astonishing, several blood-red pulse gates clearly appeared on everyone's arms and legs!

Li Qingfeng's eyes narrowed, and he immediately released his Divine Sense, sweeping over them carefully to investigate.

"Hiss... Good heavens! Such powerful vital energy!"

Li Qingfeng was somewhat surprised, "The pulse gates appearing on their bodies are completely different from the path we Cultivate! Our power circulates hidden inside the body, but theirs is displayed directly on the outside!"

"Three at Qi Ling Third Layer, one at Qi Ling Fourth Layer... Hey! The injured one leaning on the tree is actually Qi Ling Fifth Layer! If they hadn't actively erupted, I wouldn't have been able to see through their depths just by sweeping them with my Divine Sense!"

"Third Brother, it's more than that."

Li Qinghe's voice carried a hint of solemnity.

Li Qingfeng looked at him and saw his face was unusually serious. He was looking down at a water mirror condensed above his palm—the Water Mirror Technique!

Li Qingfeng's gaze shifted to the water mirror. On its surface, the distant cliffside vegetation was clearly reflected, but the five people confronting each other, glowing red, were completely absent in the mirror! Nothing at all!

What did this mean? It meant that regardless of their strength, these five people had not the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Root energy on them! They were purely Body Cultivators! Or rather, they followed an entirely different path of Cultivation that did not rely on Spiritual Roots!

Li Qingfeng's pupils instantly constricted! Their eyes met, and they instantly understood each other's meaning!

"Move!"

Li Qingfeng grunted and unhesitatingly threw away all the melon seeds in his hand! He snatched up the large bow beside him, and the bowstring vibrated with a 'weng' sound!

"Star Chasing!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three brilliant golden arrows, like meteors tearing through the air, instantly left the bowstring!

Their targets were the four pursuers surrounding Man En! The arrows even slightly adjusted their trajectory in mid-air, locking onto their respective targets!

Almost at the same moment Li Qingfeng drew his bow, Li Qinghe had already moved!

He drew the cold iron sword from his back, circulated his spiritual power rapidly, and a layer of ghostly blue light instantly covered the blade, emitting a bone-chilling coldness! He tapped the ground with his toe, his figure turning into a blurred blue shadow, closely following the three golden arrows, rushing straight towards the battle below the cliff!

Golden arrows in front, whistling as they broke the air! A blue shadow behind, swift as a phantom!

...Man En's desperate roar and fighting stance had indeed stunned Man Tu and his three subordinates for a moment, and for a time, none of them dared to charge forward first.

A subordinate swallowed, leaned close to Man Tu's ear, and said viciously:

"Big Brother, why waste words on this stubborn Man En! Since he refuses a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, let's just finish him! We'll take his head and that brat's head, collect the reward, and let us brothers enjoy the wealth and future!"

Man Tu stared intently at the blood-soaked Man En, his eyes flickering with complex emotions. He suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, only icy Killing Intent and greed remained!

"Open!" Man Tu roared like a wild beast!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Four muffled explosions, like drums beating! Four blood-red pulse gates instantly appeared on Man Tu's limbs! Raging vital energy surged out, making his entire body seem to swell by a circle, his muscles bulging!

His three subordinates behind him also roared simultaneously:

"Open!"

Another three successive 'bang bang' sounds, and three blood-colored pulse gates lit up on each of them! Four fierce auras locked onto Man En in the center, like four awakened savage beasts!

Man En looked at the four people before him radiating Killing Intent and knew that today was the final stand.

He smiled bitterly, also taking a deep breath, squeezing out every last bit of his strength, his loyalty, and his grief and indignation!

"Open—!!!"

A roar more violent and bloodthirsty than Man Tu's exploded from Man En's throat!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Five pulse-opening sounds, heavier and louder than before, struck the heart like five heavy hammers!

Five blood-colored pulse gates, even more solid and dazzling than Man Tu's group, appeared on Man En's four limbs and chest!

The wounds on his body instantly burst open, blood gushing out, but he seemed unable to feel the pain; his eyes only held the madness of burning everything! He hunched his back, like a grizzly bear completely enraged, preparing to take a few others down with him using his last strength!

At this critical moment!

Just as Man En was about to perish together with his enemies!

A sudden change occurred!

Three golden beams of light, like spears of judgment descending from the sky, appeared before Man Tu's three subordinates without warning, accompanied by a screeching sound that tore the air! The speed was too fast! So fast that they only saw the golden light before their bodies couldn't react at all!

"Puchi!" "Puchi!" "Puchi!"

Three muffled sounds of a Sharp Weapon piercing flesh sounded almost simultaneously!

One subordinate had his throat pierced by the golden light and collapsed with a gurgle!

One had his heart pierced and died instantly!

The last one reacted slightly faster, only managing to shift slightly to the side; the golden arrow violently stabbed into his shoulder blade, and the huge impact sent him flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground!

"What?!"

Man Tu was utterly shocked and looked up sharply in the direction the arrows came from!

However, before he could look towards the sky, a young man in a green robe with a cold and stern face appeared before him like a phantom!

The long sword in the youth's hand was already enveloped in an icy, piercing light, swinging towards his neck faster than lightning! Before the blade even arrived, the terrifying coldness had already frozen his limbs stiff!

"A... Cultivator?!"

Man Tu only managed to flash this single thought of horror in his mind.