178: Chapter 178 Returning to the Sea of ​​Clouds

The group continued their search along the ridgeline. Lin Tian followed behind Zhao Yue, his steps never faltering as his gaze swept across the dense forest on both sides.

An hour later, a dull rumbling sound suddenly echoed from ahead. It wasn't the roar of a Vicious Beast, but the distinct shockwave of clashing fists and palms. Even through layers of dense forest, they could feel the air pressure being compressed to its absolute limit.

Zhao Yue abruptly raised his hand to halt the team. He closed his eyes to sense the vibrations for a few breaths, and his expression suddenly shifted. "It's Transcendent experts fighting. The Qi fluctuations share the same origin as the Demonic Cult Elders' Cultivation Techniques. It must be Elder Wu or Elder Sun still locked in combat with the Demonic Cult."

"Everyone, follow me!" Over a dozen figures leaped into the air simultaneously. The clanging of unsheathed sabers and swords echoed through the dense forest as they rushed toward the source of the battle.

As they burst out of the dense forest, they were greeted by a rocky hill ravaged beyond recognition by the shockwaves. Several bluestones as large as millstones had been shattered into pieces by palm strikes, and an ancient pine tree as thick as a man's embrace was severed at the waist, its cut surface as smooth as a mirror.

Elder Wu was locked in combat with two Demonic Cult experts. A section of his left sleeve had been torn off, and a bloody gash on his shoulder was seeping blood, yet his palm strikes remained incomparably fierce. His opponent was an Elder in a gold-trimmed black robe,

whose cultivation was also at the Fifth-Grade Transformation Realm. The other Demonic Cult expert was at the Peak Fourth-Grade, prowling the flanks to launch sneak attacks.

Though Elder Wu was not at a disadvantage fighting one against two, he was pinned down and unable to break free.

"Hold on, Elder Wu!" Zhao Yue bellowed. His broad-bladed golden saber was already unsheathed, the Transcendent Qi glow infused into the blade shining blindingly bright in the sunlight.

Taking a step forward, the bluestone beneath his feet split directly in half. He soared into the air, slashing down with his saber toward the Peak Fourth-Grade Demonic Cult expert who was prowling for sneak attacks.

This strike was incredibly heavy, the saber light drawing a golden ribbon of energy. The Demonic Cult expert hastily raised his weapon to block, but the strike sent him and his weapon flying. He crashed against a cliff face and slid down, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

At the same time, the dozen or so Sect experts brought by Zhao Yue swarmed forward, their flashing sabers and swords completely surrounding the Peak Fourth-Grade Demonic Cult expert.

Seeing the reinforcements arrive, Elder Wu's spirits were greatly lifted. He shifted from defense to a fierce offense, unleashing palm strike after palm strike with overwhelming, fierce power.

Seeing that things were turning against them, the gold-trimmed Black-robed Elder feigned a palm strike to force Elder Wu back, then flickered and fled into the dense forest.

Seeing that his Elder had fled, the Peak Fourth-Grade Demonic Cult expert who had been injured by Zhao Yue's strike gritted his teeth, endured two slashes to tear open a gap in the encirclement, and fled into the dense forest as well.

Zhao Yue sheathed his saber. "Elder Wu, how are your injuries?" Elder Wu tore off a section of his robe's hem and crudely wrapped the wound on his shoulder. "Just a flesh wound, nothing serious. The others were all scattered. How many did you find?"

Lin Tian stepped forward and briefly recounted what had happened before he met Zhao Yue. After listening, Elder Wu clapped him heavily on the shoulder. "Good lad! To be able to escape unscathed from the Demonic Cult, you didn't disgrace our fishery."

Over the next day, the three rescue teams searched back and forth deep within the Taixuan Mountain Range, retrieving all the captains who had broken out in different directions.

Captain Jiang He was found in a rock crevice in the eastern rocky hills. His left leg had been slashed by a Demonic Cult Martial Artist's blade, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone. He had lost a lot of blood, but his life was not in danger.

When Captain Liu Yun was found, he was hiding in a large tree downstream of a creek. He had multiple injuries on his body, but fortunately, they were all flesh wounds.

Captain Meng Ping was the most severely injured. He had been ambushed by two Peak Fourth-Grade Demonic Cult experts on the southern slope and had to endure several palm strikes before finding an opportunity to jump off a cliff to escape. Although his life was saved,

he had broken two ribs and had to be carried back on a stretcher. Fortunately, these captains were all quite strong. Although every single one of them was injured, not a single one had perished.

After briefly treating the wounded, the rescue teams escorted everyone as they quickly retreated toward the Yunhai Fishery.

Upon returning to the fishery, Field Master Zhou personally stood at the entrance of the bamboo building to welcome them.

His gaze swept across the faces of the captains, who were wrapped in bandages and leaning on crutches, and then fell upon the blood-soaked cloth on Elder Wu's shoulder. Without saying a word, he simply nodded heavily and turned to walk into the main hall of the bamboo building.

Incense was lit once again in the bronze censer, sending up curls of blue smoke. Field Master Zhou sat behind the long desk, listening as Elder Wu and Lin Tian reported everything in detail—from the Demonic Cult's beast taming outpost in the valley and the Beast Taming Technique, to how they were ultimately chased by a team led by a Demonic Cult Elder.

When Elder Wu mentioned that the remnants of the Demonic Cult had experienced a resurgence and established a beast taming outpost deep within the Taixuan Mountain Range, Field Master Zhou's brows furrowed deeply.

"To think there are remnants of the Demonic Cult deep in the mountain range, and they can even control Yao Beasts—no wonder the Black-Armored Lizard and the White Bird were able to launch a coordinated attack on our fishery two months ago.

Someone, report this news to the Qixia Sect immediately, and present the captured Beast Taming Technique along with the other spoils to the Sect Master for a decision!"

The deacon Disciple took his orders and left in a hurry. Field Master Zhou turned to the captains present, his tone softening slightly. "During this Taixuan Mountain Range investigation mission, you ventured deep into danger and survived against all odds. The intelligence and evidence you brought back are of vital importance to the Sect, a great contribution.

Each of you is rewarded with two Treasure Fish and half a month of leave. Go back, nurse your wounds, and rest well."

The captains clasped their hands in gratitude, while Elder Wu and Elder Sun nodded with smiles.

Lin Tian returned to his bamboo cottage at No. 7 Fish Pond, closed the door, and placed his bundle on the table.

The two newly acquired Treasure Fish were leisurely wagging their tails in a wooden basin.

First, he sat cross-legged for nearly an hour, regulating the surging Qi inside his body and gradually suppressing the fatigue accumulated from the successive fierce battles. Only then did he take out his spoils from this trip to the Taixuan Mountain Range one by one and arrange them on the table.

The first set consisted of the Vicious Beast Materials they had hunted together. The scales of the Black-Armored Lizard, the fangs of the Iron-Backed Gray Wolf, and the bones and claws of the Red Flame Tiger were divided equally among everyone upon their return, and his share was piled in the corner of the table.

The second set was the spoils collectively distributed after killing the Demonic Cult Martial Artists in the valley. The banknotes and Medicinal Pills were divided according to each person's contribution, and he received his share as well.

The third set was his exclusive haul—the spoils searched from Moying's body, which included over five thousand taels in banknotes, three bottles of Medicinal Pills, and three scrolls.

Lin Tian stacked the banknotes from the three sets of spoils together and counted them; they totaled eight thousand taels.

He wrapped the thick stack of banknotes in oil paper and stuffed it under his bed. Then, he picked up the medicine bottles and unplugged them one by one, carefully identifying them by the moonlight filtering through the bamboo window—six bottles of Medicinal Pills. Three were qi gathering pills recovered from ordinary Demonic Cult Martial Artists, of average quality;

The other three bottles were obtained from Moying: one bottle of High Grade qi gathering pills, one bottle of Blood Coagulation Pills specifically for internal injuries, and one bottle that he sniffed carefully for a long time before confirming—

it was the Essence Condensation Pill, which only Fifth-Grade Transformation Realm experts were qualified to use, and was more than a level above the qi gathering pill.

He carefully put away the Medicinal Pills and finally unrolled the three scrolls on the table. The first scroll was a copy of the Beast Taming Technique obtained from the valley, which was basically identical to what he remembered.

The second scroll was the complete version of the Beast Taming Technique obtained from Moying, which had an extra section at the end regarding how to use a blood essence Restriction to control Vicious Beasts from afar.

He compared the two scrolls once more, then wrapped Moying's copy in oilcloth again and pressed it into the very bottom of his bed—this thing was too sensitive to let anyone know about for now. As for the third scroll, he hadn't had the chance to look at it closely while in the mountains.

Unrolling it now under the oil lamp, three blood-red characters leaped into view—Blood Shadow Saber Technique.

He read the entire saber manual from beginning to end. After finishing, he unrolled a thin piece of silk next to Moying's scroll that he had originally thought was a map—

the fourth scroll, which had four characters written at the beginning: Shadow Movement Technique.

Lin Tian lined up the four scrolls on the table. The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently, reflecting a faint gleam in his eyes. Although the banknotes and Medicinal Pills from this trip into the mountains were indeed bountiful, the true prize lay in these scrolls.

Although the Beast Taming Technique could not directly boost his combat power, the methods recorded within were of priceless value. And while the Blood Shadow Saber Technique was unorthodox, the techniques of force exertion and energy routing within were entirely worth learning from.

As for the Shadow Movement Technique—he recalled Moying's eerie footwork as he moved through the dense forest, blending into the shadows without a sound.

If he could integrate it into his own movement technique system, combining it with the Cloud Shadow Step and the White Dragon in the Waves, there would be nowhere on earth, in the sky, or under the water that he could not go.

He wrapped the scrolls back up one by one and tucked them under his bed.

Then, he walked to the bamboo window and pushed it open. The night mist over the lake had already dispersed, and the moonlight spilled unhindered across the shimmering water.

The two Treasure Fish were still wagging their tails in the wooden basin. Tomorrow morning, he would stew them into fish soup and use this half-month leave to properly digest his gains from this trip.

Once his leave was over, his cultivation would also need to reach a new level.