17: Chapter 17: Venturing Out for Training, Encountering a Cultivator Robbery

【The deacon looked at you, his eyes like he was looking at a fool who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.】

【"Kid, I don't care if you are Tang Xun or not, but this is not a task you should take. Harvesting fire sun flowers requires going deep into the Luoxia Mountain Range. There are Second-Order Yao Beasts, Red Fire Lizards, roaming there. One breath from them could turn you into charcoal! Even teams at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining have to be extremely careful when they go there. Are you, a First Layer of Qi Refining, going there to die?"】

【The deacon's voice was loud and filled with impatience. The surrounding Disciples also heard the noise and gathered around, pointing and whispering at you.】

【"Who is this guy? A First Layer of Qi Refining dares to accept the task of harvesting fire sun flowers?"】

【"It seems to be that caretaker from the No. 7 Medicinal Garden. I heard his brain has always been a bit slow. I didn't expect him to be this brave."】

【"This isn't bravery, this is stupidity! It's purely throwing his life away."】

【Facing the ridicule of the crowd and the scolding of the deacon, you maintained that honest appearance, scratched your head, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Deacon, Senior Brothers, you have misunderstood."】

【"I... I am not going to fight the Yao Beasts."】

【You took a small cloth bag from your bosom and opened it to reveal a few pitch-black seeds.】

【"I'm not good at anything else, but I have a bit of research on plants. I heard that near the fire sun flower, a companion plant called 'Yin Condensation Grass' grows. I want to collect some seeds to see if I can grow them. As for the fire sun flower, I'm just passing by. If I can pick it, I will; if not, so be it. It's mainly for the seeds."】

【Your words were reasonable and logical. A medicine farmer at the First Layer of Qi Refining, not thinking about frontal combat but instead trying to take a side path, fit perfectly with your persona of "a slow-witted person who likes to farm."】

【The deacon listened, looked at you suspiciously for a long time, and finally waved his hand impatiently, "Suit yourself! Don't blame me for not warning you if you die out there!"】

【He registered the task for you. You thanked him and left the Task Hall amidst the gazes of the crowd, who looked at you as if you were a fool.】

【You left the Sect and did not immediately head to the Luoxia Mountain Range.】

【You first went to the marketplace at the foot of the mountain.】

【You found an empty corner, changed your Outer Sect Disciple attire into an ordinary gray outfit, and used a low-level disguise technique to slightly alter your appearance, making yourself look more ordinary and inconspicuous.】

【After finishing all this, you walked into the marketplace and began a big shopping spree.】

【You bought a large quantity of Fasting Pills, enough for a month's consumption.】

【You bought dozens of low-level Talismans, like "vajra talismans," "speed Talismans," and "concealment Talismans." Although their power was not great, they had the advantage of quantity and could be used as smoke bombs at critical moments.】

【You also bought a Low Grade Magical Artifact level defensive inner armor, and a Flying Sword that was also a Low Grade Magical Artifact.】

【Although you had saved up tens of thousands of Spirit Stones over these twenty-plus years, the things you bought were all the most common, cheap goods.】

【You understood well the principle of not flaunting wealth. A Loose Cultivator who looked like a pauper was far safer than a fat sheep covered in Magical Artifacts.】

【After preparing everything, you leisurely set off on the road to the Luoxia Mountain Range.】

【You did not fly on your sword; that was too ostentatious.】

【You were equipped with 【Swift Steps】 and moved quickly through the mountains and forests. This green trait gave you endurance and speed far exceeding that of ordinary people; traveling a thousand miles a day was not an issue, and the consumption of magic power was minimal.】

【You traveled during the day and found a cave at night to sit and Cultivate, while also familiarizing yourself with the newly purchased Flying Sword.】

【Your incomparably pure magic power and powerful Divine Sense gave you a unique advantage in controlling Magical Artifacts. In just two days, you were already able to control the Flying Sword to take a person's head within ten zhang. Of course, it was the head of a wooden stake used for practice.】

【You walked for three days to cover the five-hundred-mile journey.】

【On the evening of the third day, you finally arrived at the outskirts of the Luoxia Mountain Range.】

【Looking from afar, flames soared into the sky deep in the mountain range, and the air was filled with the scent of sulfur and heat.】

【You did not rashly enter but instead found a hidden cave on the outskirts to use as a temporary base.】

【You spent half a day setting up a few simple warning Formations and illusion Formations around the cave.】

【Although these Formations were low-level, they were enough to deal with some blind wild beasts and low-level Cultivators.】

【After doing all this, you finally breathed a sigh of relief.】

【"Safety first, safety first. Sharpening the knife does not delay the work of chopping wood; preparation work must be done thoroughly."】

【You decided to rest for one night to recharge your energy and enter the mountains tomorrow.】

【However, the tree wants to be still, but the wind does not cease.】

【Just as you sat cross-legged and prepared to start Cultivating, the warning Formation you set up at the cave entrance suddenly transmitted a slight fluctuation.】

【Someone had triggered the Formation!】

【You opened your eyes instantly, and your gaze became sharp.】

【You immediately retracted all your aura, disguised your cultivation as a Mortal, and at the same time held your breath, silently hiding behind a huge boulder deep inside the cave.】

【Through the feedback of the Formation, you sensed that there were three people outside.】

【Their cultivation levels: one was Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and the other two were Fifth Level of Qi Refining.】

【"Damn it, is my luck this bad? Just arrived and already ran into people? And three of them?"】

【You cursed inwardly, your hand already quietly gripping a stack of Talismans and that Low Grade Flying Sword.】

【You only heard a rough voice coming from outside the cave.】

【"Big Brother, there is a cave here. It looks quite hidden. Shall we rest here tonight?"】

【"Hmm, let's go in and check." A voice that sounded relatively calm said.】

【The sound of footsteps grew closer, and three figures appeared at the cave entrance.】

【Leading them was a burly One-Eyed Big Man, Qi Refining Sixth Layer, with a face full of flesh; one look and you knew he was not a good person. Behind him followed two skinny men with shifty eyes, both at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining.】

【They all carried a scent of blood, obviously Loose Cultivators who had been licking blood from the edge of a blade for years, also commonly known as "Bandit Cultivators."】

【The One-Eyed Big Man walked into the cave, his gaze like lightning, scanning around. Finally, his single eye landed on the boulder where you were hiding.】

【He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.】

【"Friend behind the stone, come out! Do you need your grandpa to invite you?"】

【Your heart skipped a beat.】

【Discovered!】

【Although your Breath Concealment Technique was high-level, the Formation you set up was too low-level. The opponent was experienced; from the fluctuation of the Formation, he judged that there was someone inside, and it was a novice who didn't know the ropes.】

【You cursed yourself for a miscalculation, but since things had reached this point, hiding further was meaningless.】

【You took a deep breath and walked out from behind the boulder.】

【Your face carried a hint of just the right amount of panic and fear; there was no magic power fluctuation on your body, just like an ordinary Mortal who had wandered into this place by mistake.】

【"Three... three masters, who are you?" You asked with a trembling voice.】

【The One-Eyed Big Man saw you, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter.】

【"Hahahaha! Second, Third, come and see, there is actually a Mortal here!"】

【The two skinny men also surrounded you, looking at you as if looking at a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.】

【"Hey, in this godforsaken place, how could there be a Mortal?"】

【"Looking at his clothes, he doesn't look like a hunter either. Kid, what are you doing here?"】

【Your thoughts raced, but your face wore an expression of being on the verge of crying.】

【"I... I am a medicine farmer from the village down the mountain. I heard there is a kind of herb in the mountains that can cure my mother's illness, and I... I just wanted to come and try my luck..."】

【Your excuse was full of holes, but to them, it didn't matter anymore.】

【What was important was that you were just a Mortal.】

【A trace of greed and cruelty flashed in the One-Eyed Big Man's eyes.】

【"Kid, consider yourself unlucky. Hand over everything valuable on you. I am in a good mood today; perhaps I can leave you with an intact corpse."】

【You were "scared" into sitting on the ground, trembling all over.】

【"Masters, I... I am just a poor medicine farmer; I really don't have anything valuable on me..."】

【"Search him!" The One-Eyed Big Man couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with you and gave the order directly.】

【A skinny man stepped forward and roughly searched you.】

【Soon, he found a Storage Pouch from your bosom.】

【"Big Brother! This kid has a Storage Pouch!" The skinny man shouted in surprise.】

【The One-Eyed Big Man's eyes instantly lit up.】

【A Mortal using a Storage Pouch? This was not common.】

【He snatched the Storage Pouch, probed it with his Divine Sense, and his expression changed immediately.】

【"Damn it! It's empty!"】

【Inside the Storage Pouch, apart from a few ragged changes of clothes, there was nothing.】

【Of course, you wouldn't keep Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts on your person. You had long since hidden them in a more concealed place outside the cave.】

【"Kid, are you playing with me?" The One-Eyed Big Man's face darkened, and his Killing Intent was fully exposed.】

【You waved your hands repeatedly, saying with a mournful face, "Masters, I really don't have anything! This Storage Pouch is a keepsake left by my father; there was never anything in it..."】

【"I think you are refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"】

【The One-Eyed Big Man lost his patience and gave a wink to the other skinny man.】

【"Third, cripple one of his legs; let's see if he talks!"】

【That skinny man called Third grinned hideously, pulled a short knife from his waist, which gleamed with a chilling cold light, and stabbed it toward your thigh!】

【Watching the tip of the knife getting closer and closer, the disguised panic in your eyes was instantly replaced by a layer of cold Killing Intent.】

【The opportunity had arrived!】