210: Chapter 210 This place is not safe to stay.

Throughout the entire battle, he hadn't taken any spirit burst pills, relying entirely on Talismans and supreme grade Magical Artifacts to deal with Meng Li. Although his spiritual power consumption was significant, he still had many Medicinal Pills in his Storage Pouch. Taking a couple would quickly replenish it.

But for the others, it was a different story.

Zhao Shan, Li Shi, and the other two each had injuries of varying severity, and their spiritual power was completely exhausted.

And the condition of those dozen-plus Qi Refinement Stage Guards was even worse.

After the effects of the spirit burning pills wore off, the surged spiritual power receded, and they collapsed along with it.

Six with severe injuries were being supported by their companions; the rest could still stand, but their legs were weak, their faces sallow, and even breathing was an effort.

In the entire team, the only one with combat power still fully intact was Su Chengyuan himself.

"Mr. Su, we lost the trail," Li Shi said to Su Chengyuan, his voice hoarse.

"I know," Su Chengyuan didn't elaborate. "First, gather the items, then leave this place quickly."

He walked alone towards the seven corpses, crouched down, and deftly removed and collected each Storage Pouch.

The Tianyang Sect's robes were stripped off, crumpled into balls, and thrown into a fire. The seven corpses were also incinerated completely by Su Chengyuan using several fire-attribute Talismans.

After finishing this, he returned and surveyed the condition of everyone.

Zhao Shan and Li Shi each retrieved Medicinal Pills from their storage pouches and swallowed them. The other Guards also carried the standard-issue pills distributed by the Chamber of Commerce and took them out to consume.

Most of the pills distributed by the Chamber of Commerce were of limited quality. For the current wretched state of spiritual power depletion compounded with external injuries, the recovery speed was far from sufficient.

These Guards did have a few supreme grade pills issued internally by the Chamber of Commerce, but those were for life-saving situations, and no one was willing to use them lightly.

Su Chengyuan looked around and, without a word, pulled out a large handful of top-grade qi recovery pills and biling pills from his own Storage Pouch, distributing them to each person by headcount.

"Take them and consume them, don't hold back. Those who can stand up, get up for me. We can't stay in this place any longer."

Everyone received the pills, and upon holding them, they knew they were high-quality goods. The medicinal fragrance was rich and pure, far superior by more than one grade to what they carried on themselves.

The six severely injured Guards no longer had the strength to act on their own; those beside them helped break the pills and fed them into their mouths.

Once the pills entered their stomachs and dissolved, a gentle yet pure spiritual power spread throughout their bodies along their Meridians. The pain from their wounds eased considerably, and a hint of warmth returned to their depleted Dantians.

The Guards present all raised their heads, their gazes turning towards Su Chengyuan in unison.

No one spoke any words of formal thanks, but in those heavy looks, they recorded this debt.

Su Chengyuan didn't rush them, but he didn't give them much time either.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, most had barely recovered their mobility.

Their spiritual power was far from replenished, but at least they could walk.

The six severely injured Qi Refinement Stage Guards were supported by their companions; if they couldn't walk, they were dragged.

"And the spirit steeds?"

"They all ran away."

Su Chengyuan nodded slightly, no longer counting on them.

"This place is not safe to stay. Let's go quickly."

The team, dragging their wounded and disabled bodies, left the tunnel, not taking the official road.

Su Chengyuan led the group stumbling along for nearly five or six li before finding a naturally formed stone cave deep in a mountain hollow.

The cave entrance wasn't large, mostly obscured by several thick old trees, making the entrance almost invisible from the outside.

The interior, however, was spacious, more than enough to accommodate the entire team.

Upon entering the cave, almost everyone collapsed to the ground simultaneously.

Su Chengyuan stood at the cave entrance for a while, spreading his Divine Sense, carefully confirming that there were no abnormal spiritual power fluctuations within several li around, before retreating into the cave and sitting down on a flat stone.

"Meditate and regulate your breathing. Two hours. Recover as much as you can. We leave as soon as the two hours are up."

Li Shi sat leaning against the cave wall with his legs crossed. He had already swallowed two pills, his expression weary but methodical.

Zhao Shan simply lay flat on his back, eyes closed, circulating his energy, his chest rising and falling with his breath.

The two Foundation Establishment Mid-stage Guards helped settle the six severely injured brothers, using pills and healing Talismans to suppress the injuries first.

The stone cave was very quiet.

Occasionally, someone would ask in a low voice, "Is it enough?" and, receiving an "It's enough" in reply, would say no more.

In this period of quiet, Su Chengyuan reviewed today's events from beginning to end.

In Tianlan Province City, in Qinghe Prefecture, in Pingling Prefecture, the sign of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce was a brand, a reputation, a travel pass; it worked with anyone you met outside.

But here, far in Canglan Prefecture, waving this banner right under the noses of the remnants of the Blazing Fire Sect was no different from holding a lantern telling your enemy, "I'm here."

This was an intelligence loophole, though no one could have predicted the Blazing Fire Sect would shrink back to Canglan Prefecture and reinvent itself.

The matter of the Blazing Fire Sect's Rebirth by borrowing a shell to become the Tianyang Sect needed to be told to his son quickly.

But communication Jade Slips have distance limitations. From here to Tianlan Province City is tens of thousands of li apart, crossing the territories of two prefectures in between. The spiritual power of a Jade Slip simply can't sustain such a distance.

To send the message back, they could only wait until the wounded in the team had mostly recovered, then send someone specifically to make the trip.

Su Chengyuan withdrew his thoughts. This matter couldn't be rushed.

"Meditate and regulate your breathing. Two hours."

As soon as the two hours were up, Su Chengyuan was the first to rise.

"Let's go."

No one complained. The six severely injured Guards were supported by their companions; those who couldn't walk had their injuries suppressed with hibernation pills first and were carried.

Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators couldn't use sword flight, but they knew lightness techniques. Pushing themselves, covering two to three thousand li in a day wasn't a problem.

The team emerged from the mountain hollow, not taking the official road, deliberately choosing complex terrain and mountain forest paths to traverse.

For the next several days, no more Tianyang Sect Cultivators appeared.

Su Chengyuan felt slightly relieved in his heart, but he didn't relax his pace in the slightest.

This journey still had tens of thousands of li to go to reach Xuanhuo Ridge. Ahead, they still had to pass through an entire prefecture's territory to leave Tianlan Province and reach their destination. The road was still very long.

On the fifth day, the three most severely injured Guards in the team could already walk on their own. The efficacy of the supreme grade pills was indeed potent.

Su Chengyuan called Zhao Shan aside and gave him instructions in a low voice.

"You personally make a trip back to Tianlan Province City to find Fang Zhenhai."

Zhao Shan was startled. "Mr. Su, if I leave, what about here..."

"With Li Shi here, and Brothers Liu and Wang, it's sufficient," Su Chengyuan interrupted him. "This matter is too significant. I'm not at ease entrusting it to anyone else. 'The Tianyang Sect is the Blazing Fire Sect'—these words must be told to Fang Zhenhai by you personally, and then have Fang Zhenhai relay them to Chenger."

Zhao Shan was silent for a breath, then nodded.

Su Chengyuan added another instruction, "On your way back, detour around Tongbao City. Even if it adds several thousand li, you are not to set foot in Canglan Prefecture again. The Tianyang Sect has been operating there for three years; they won't lack informants. You alone, isolated, are easier to target than the whole team. Choose an obscure route. If you encounter anything uncertain, hide; don't try to be brave."

He retrieved a sealed Jade Slip and several supreme grade pills from his Storage Pouch—among them was a spirit burst pill—along with over twenty second-rank Talismans, and stuffed them all into Zhao Shan's hands.

"Tell Fang Zhenhai everything that happened today exactly as it was, not missing a single word. Be careful on the road."

Zhao Shan took the items and stored them away. He cupped his hands in salute towards Su Chengyuan and said nothing more.

That evening, he left the team alone, traveling light, and soon disappeared into the mountain forest.

Su Chengyuan watched his figure being swallowed by the dusk, standing for a while before turning around.

"Let's go, continue on our way."

The team was now short one Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, but at the moment, they couldn't afford to worry about that.

Li Shi led the remaining personnel following behind Su Chengyuan, continuing their advance towards Xuanhuo Ridge in the southwest direction.

(The fight scene is written averagely, but the general idea is there, folks. They definitely can't return by the original route; later, when going back, someone will need to provide support.)