Boom!!!
With a resounding roar, a huge impact immediately stirred up dust and debris, sweeping outwards in all directions!
Although Ji Yuan used this to send the middle-stage Qi-Bone Realm warrior blocking his path flying, he himself was momentarily held back. Immediately, several magic artifacts behind him seized this opportunity to descend.
However, he didn't look back. With a mere thought, the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda above his head instantly swept out hazy rays of light, repelling several magic artifacts.
After suppressing the surging blood and qi within his body, he quickly darted out. Two heavy water pearls flew back and, along with the other four, circled around him.
In just over twenty breaths, Ji Yuan, under the onslaught from all directions, reached the edge of the mountaintop.
He glanced downwards and then, without hesitation, leaped down, his figure plummeting rapidly along the mountainside.
Fortunately, the mountainside of this peak was not a sheer drop but had a slight incline. Otherwise, with his early-stage Spirit-Pointing Realm cultivation, a distance of forty to fifty zhang would have been enough to smash him to death.
"Stop him!"
"He has a great treasure!"
On the mountaintop, several cultivators who had rushed to the edge leaped down while shouting loudly.
Their voices, amplified by magic power, instantly boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the entire peak.
Some cultivators still climbing upwards immediately looked up, their gazes falling upon the young Daoist whose head was topped with a small pagoda radiating light, surrounded by six heavy water pearls and endless water.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, several cultivators immediately reacted. As they hastily approached, they raised their hands and unleashed spells.
Whether it was fireballs streaking through the air, water arrows shooting out, or wind blades and earth chunks falling together!
However, these hastily cast spells could not even cause the protective spiritual light of the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda to waver even slightly. They collapsed into nothingness amidst the beams of light.
Ji Yuan swept his gaze across them, seeing only a few cultivators in the early-stage Spirit-Pointing Realm with weak auras. He then violently swung his arms, drawing out the Yuan Chen Whip in his hand and lashing out fiercely.
The light blue whip body immediately broke through the air, lashing away the mountain and wild cultivators. He then flicked his wrist, intensifying the magic power infused into the long whip, and directly struck a disciple who was clearly from a major sect, causing him to spit blood on the spot.
Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out from not far away, accompanied by an immensely powerful aura.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan immediately turned his head and saw the middle-aged martial artist he had previously sent flying, chasing after him. The heavy saber in his hand swung down repeatedly, unleashing several astonishing saber lights.
Seeing this, he quickly dodged left and right, employing a movement technique like swirling clouds that he hadn't used in a long time. He used this to evade the several saber lights that were streaking through the air.
However, this movement technique was, after all, a relatively cheap and common item from the Ming Xin Pavilion. Even with his skillful execution, it was still quite a struggle to evade all the attacks unleashed by a mid-stage second-realm martial artist.
After more than ten breaths, a saber light struck him, fiercely chopping at his protective spiritual light. The wisps of light flickered erratically.
Ji Yuan's heart tightened. He secretly lamented the excessive power of this saber light. If it were to continue chopping at him, perhaps only seven or eight strikes would be enough to cleave through the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda's radiance.
At this, he quickly pushed his movement technique to its limit. While evading the incoming saber lights, he continuously flung out talismans. Although they couldn't threaten the attacker, they could prevent him from accelerating.
In this cat-and-mouse chase, he finally reached the foot of the mountain.
As soon as he burst out of a patch of woods, he saw seven or eight cultivators. The group was looking towards the mountain in anxious anticipation.
"He has a great treasure!"
Just as Ji Yuan met the gazes of this group, the middle-aged martial artist closely following behind him immediately shouted loudly.
Upon hearing this, the seven or eight cultivators reacted swiftly. In just the time it took to snap one's fingers, they unleashed their respective methods.
These cultivators either directly threw out magic artifacts, flicked talismans, or unleashed five to six spells, all directed towards this location.
"Scram!"
He grunted. The six heavy water pearls around him shot out immediately. Under the endless water light, the spells suddenly collapsed and dissipated.
Even two magic artifacts that were of decent power, under the weight of the heavy water pearls, developed numerous cracks on their surfaces, and their spiritual essence was severely damaged.
Two cultivators' eyes showed pain, but they had no time to be distracted. They quickly took out talismans and threw them into the air before them, transforming into small shields or screens several feet wide.
However, how could these talismans of no fixed rank withstand the power of the heavy water pearls?
The protective measures of each cultivator collapsed under the might of the heavy water pearls, and they were then sent flying several zhang away, continuously spitting out large amounts of blood.
Some two or three of them even had their chest bones shattered by this single blow, their lives completely extinguished!
However, it was precisely because of these people's obstruction that the middle-aged martial artist behind Ji Yuan caught up. The fierce killing intent made his back prickle.
He quickly turned around and then violently swung his arm forward. The heavy water pearls immediately flew back, passing by his side, and hurled towards the middle-aged martial artist with endless water light!
However, the opponent was not to be underestimated, possessing mid-stage Qi-Bone Realm cultivation and a saber that was no ordinary item. Under the surging qi, with just a few slashes, he forcefully cleaved apart each of the incoming heavy water pearls!
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's expression immediately changed. He clearly had not expected the opponent to be so fierce!
Without thinking, he fiercely drew the long whip at his waist and then repeatedly swung his arms, lashing out at the approaching middle-aged martial artist.
The light blue whip body revolved with a layer of aquamarine luster, possessing both the ferocity of a surging river and the lightness of a mountain stream.
In terms of power, even though the Yuan Chen Whip itself was a supreme magic artifact with nine layers of innate restrictions and was a treasure cultivated with his life, it was far inferior to the six heavy water pearls.
Yet, its characteristics perfectly countered the middle-aged martial artist. With the softness of water, it prevented him from fully exerting his strength, and with the ferocity of a river, it blocked him from advancing further!
Under this inability to advance, the middle-aged martial artist's momentum weakened further and further. Under the continuous onslaught, he was even forced to retreat seven or eight steps.
Jianghu martial artists were like this. When fighting, they placed great importance on their own momentum. If their momentum was hindered and the circulation of their inner qi became obstructed, it would gradually dissipate.
Once a breath of true qi completely dispersed, it would take several breaths, or even ten or more, to potentially condense it again.
Seeing the opponent's momentum weaken and other cultivators surrounding him, Ji Yuan immediately retracted his long whip, allowing it to coil around his waist on its own. At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, and more than a dozen talismans immediately flew out.
As magic power was infused into the talismans, their cores were instantly activated, transforming into water blades that rained down upon the middle-aged martial artist.
Concurrently, he turned and smoothly darted out, taking out two lightness talismans and sticking them to his calves.
In just a short while, his speed drastically increased. In only a few breaths, he had already shaken off the group behind him by a considerable margin.
The reason he hadn't used these talismans in the mountains earlier was that the terrain was somewhat complex, with many trees and rocks along the way. If he had used them rashly, he would have run into obstacles.
Now that he had reached open ground with flat terrain ahead, he naturally had fewer concerns.
However, he was not the only one with such a method. After a brief period of quiet, several more auras rapidly approached from behind. They were, in fact, three or four mid-stage second-realm cultivators.
These individuals were shrouded in radiance. Some used talismans for speed, some employed secret techniques, and one even had the assistance of a magic artifact!
"Infinite heavenly lord! When will this end!"
Ji Yuan couldn't help but complain. As he pondered a solution, he saw more than ten cultivators ahead of him already closing in on him.
At this, he dared not hesitate for another moment. He quickly took out a talisman radiating spiritual light and then slapped it onto his chest.
A ranked Shen Xing Talisman immediately unleashed the full power contained within its core!
His speed multiplied several times, his entire body enveloped in a radiance, and he then transformed into a streak of light, instantly darting out dozens of zhang!
In just seven or eight breaths, his figure could no longer be seen. The numerous pursuing cultivators could only see a speck of light, no larger than a soybean, in the darkness through their spiritual eyes.
A moment later, even this speck of light could no longer be seen.
However, not a single cultivator stopped. Instead, they took out pills to restore their magic power, and some even held spirit stones, continuing to pursue without regard for their own consumption.
The cultivators could sense that although Ji Yuan's aura was powerful and his methods were inexhaustible, he was, after all, only at the early-stage Spirit-Pointing Realm.
Even if he came from a renowned sect, his magic power was finite. With so many of them, and many being at the mid-stage Spirit-Pointing Realm, if they continued to chase, they would eventually reach the point where his magic power was depleted.
At that time, the great treasure he had obtained would naturally fall into the hands of the pursuing cultivators.
As twenty to thirty cultivators chased after him, with even more following closely behind, Zhao Yuansong and the others finally descended from the mountaintop.
It wasn't that they were slow, but they were held back by disciples from the Wangyue Sect who had arrived. They had finally managed to break free, but this had also caused them to lose too much time.
"What should we do?"
Wang Xiaoxuan gazed into the distant darkness and instinctively murmured.
Hearing this, Zhao Yuansong pondered for a moment before saying to the people beside him, "First, let's pick up Lin Miaoyi and the others, and then quickly return to find the elder!"
Although he had enough confidence in Ji Yuan, he did not believe that the latter could hold onto the great treasure he had obtained while being pursued by so many cultivators.
Although informing the elder meant admitting that he couldn't secure this opportunity and would receive significantly reduced sect rewards, it was ultimately better than getting nothing or even losing his life!
"Then let's go together!"
Yu Qingling nodded and then said.
Upon hearing this, the group was slightly surprised. They had not expected him to be willing to join them.
Even if the elder arrived in time and the half-melted furnace was saved, he would not gain any benefits from acting this way.
This was essentially a wasted effort, consuming a lot of time and missing out on some opportunities.
Even if they were willing to share a portion of the rewards out of consideration for their fellow disciples and his past assistance, it would certainly not be much.
"Alright, stop looking at me like that."
Yu Qingling smiled, saying in a tone of assumed correctness, "Aren't we fellow disciples?"
The group exchanged glances, and smiles of agreement appeared on their faces.
While Zhao Yuansong's group prepared to quickly notify the elders of the Jiu Xuan Sect after picking up Lin Miaoyi and the others, Ji Yuan, on the other hand, had already rushed for over ten li using the Shen Xing Talisman and lightness talismans.
Upon reaching a secluded forest, he finally stopped, carefully putting away the Shen Xing Talisman from his chest.
The good thing about ranked talismans was that some talismans, if they hadn't exhausted their power, could have their cores extinguished and be put away for later use.
Although this Shen Xing Talisman had already consumed more than half of its spiritual energy, there was still a small portion remaining. It might play an unexpected role the next time he encountered an enemy.