"The Lingxuan Sect is not strong, possessing only one cultivator at the third realm." Elder Hong Tian mused.
They possessed a rough compilation of intelligence regarding the various sects and powers within the Chongyuan Prefecture, as well as more prominent independent cultivators and lone practitioners. This was especially true for the forces in Fengming County who had aligned themselves with the Rebirth Tower and the rebel army.
The Lingxuan Sect's own foundation was not formidable, but its renown within a prefecture stemmed from its sect leader, an elder named Duobao, whose talent in treasure hunting was astonishing. Rumor had it that this was due to the cultivation technique he practiced, which allowed him to sense treasures within a certain range. Many powers also speculated that he might simply be innately blessed with profound luck.
"However, despite their lack of strength, he is still a third-realm cultivator." Elder Hong Tian paused, shaking his head slightly. "It was for the best that you did not kill him."
After all, killing a third-realm cultivator on the spot would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Rebirth Tower. Being in enemy territory, if they were targeted because of this, it would lead to considerable trouble, if not a near-certain death. The Rebirth Tower and the rebels, in their struggle against the imperial army's encirclement, depended on every cultivator of the second realm or higher as a vital force, let alone those of the third realm and above.
While animosity had indeed been formed, it was ultimately a private matter. Elder Duobao of the Lingxuan Sect, even if he sought revenge, would likely rally his allies, just as he had done this time. As for the others, they would most likely maintain a detached stance, perhaps mentioning it in casual conversation but not specifically informing the Rebirth Tower. They were merely allies, not utterly loyal, and each had their own calculations. Even if they encountered suspicious individuals, they would not exert themselves too diligently.
Listening to Elder Hong Tian's words, Ji Yuan also entertained a thought: the reason he hadn't delivered the killing blow was his intuition that the elder might bring him unexpected surprises in the future. This was purely a whim, without any concrete basis, yet sometimes, cultivators placed great importance on such sudden notions.
The following days passed uneventfully and smoothly. With the aid of their flying artifact and the deliberate expenditure of magical energy by Ji Yuan and Elder Hong Tian, they successfully reached the border of Fengming County. Once they passed through the rebel checkpoints, they would enter Jinyang County, which would, in a sense, offer them much greater safety. At least they wouldn't face a situation where, upon discovery, they would have nowhere to flee.
"Where is your sect's headquarters?" Ji Yuan asked, directing his gaze towards a young man among them as they neared the border of Fengming County. This youth was named Ren Feihong, born into an ordinary family in Jinyang County. He had stumbled upon a partial cultivation technique in a dilapidated courtyard, which unexpectedly awakened his spiritual potential, setting him on the path of cultivation.
Youths are always full of dreams, and Ren Feihong was no exception. He left a letter and ran away from home to 'venture into the martial world.' He yearned to become a swordsman roaming the land and an immortal soaring through the skies. The result was that he was captured shortly after entering the martial world and was forced to become a member of a bandit group. Over the years, this group, secretly affiliated with the Rebirth Tower, had plundered extensively throughout Jinyang County. His cultivation progressed rapidly, and at the age of not even twenty-three or twenty-four, he had already reached the early stage of the second realm. Such talent, even within a sect with a proper lineage, would be considered that of a prodigy. Even in the Jiuxuan Sect, he would have been accepted by the various peaks, receiving ample attention and resources.
"They are in Jiulang Mountain," the young man meekly stated the location, a look of bewilderment on his face. He had expected that after being captured, he would surely face death, perhaps even endure torture to extract information about his cultivation technique and other secrets. However, after such a long time, these individuals had done nothing. Moreover, after the incident with the Lingxuan Sect, they had even removed the restrictions on him, seemingly unafraid of him suddenly retaliating. In reality, under the watchful eyes of the inner disciples of the Jiuxuan Sect and two third-realm cultivators, it was nearly impossible for a mere early-second-realm youth to launch a successful surprise attack.
"You wish to take revenge?" Elder Hong Tian's expression shifted as he seemed to grasp something. Ji Yuan nodded in response; he did indeed harbor such thoughts because that particular group of bandits had pursued them for a considerable distance through Fengming County. If their cultivation realms hadn't been sufficiently high and their strength far surpassed that of ordinary third-realm cultivators, it would have been difficult not only to rendezvous with Zhao Yuansong and the others but Ji Yuan himself might have been forced to send a distress signal to the Jiuxuan Sect. However, these were secondary concerns. The true reason he wished to act was that Ren Feihong's parents were held captive by those bandits.
Through their conversations during this time, Ji Yuan had learned much from the young man, including the fact that his parents were imprisoned as leverage. Ji Yuan had also developed an interest in this young man, who showed exceptional aptitude in the realm of the void. While he couldn't formally take him as a disciple, recruiting him to Xuantian Monastery would be a good option. He conveyed his thoughts to Elder Hong Tian via divine sense transmission, adding, "His cultivation technique is not particularly remarkable, but relying solely on a partial scripture and rudimentary void arts, he nearly evaded my detection." The implication was that the young man's talent far exceeded their initial estimations. If Ren Feihong were to acquire a complete and profound cultivation technique in the future, along with appropriate magical artifacts, he would certainly not be weaker than the top-ranked inner disciples of the Jiuxuan Sect.
Upon hearing this, Elder Hong Tian nodded. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "In that case, you shall lead Xue Yang and the others on this task. It will serve as a valuable training experience." He would absolutely not have agreed to this if they were still within Fengming County. However, since the bandit group was in Jinyang County and had indeed incurred their wrath, allowing the sect disciples to gain experience in that area was not an overly troublesome matter.
As the two conversed, the flying artifact carrying them appeared over the border of Fengming County. This area was a vast expanse of continuous mountains and forests. Apart from cultivators and martial artists seeking spiritual herbs, ordinary mortals never set foot here. However, with the Rebirth Tower rising to prominence and the rebels initiating their uprising, the once sparsely populated region was now occupied by an endless army. Furthermore, large numbers of cultivators constantly patrolled the deep mountains and old forests, guarding against any enemies who might bypass the army and infiltrate Fengming County.