Under the moonlight, Ji Yuan stood in the courtyard, tilting his head slightly to gaze at the expanse of stars in the sky.
At this moment, his mind was replaying the words Elder Hong Tian had spoken to him earlier that day.
Even though he had been mentally prepared beforehand, he truly hadn't expected to still be targeted by various forces after having already given up his fortune.
The situation had become so severe that if he were to step out of the Nine Xuan Sect's mountain gate, someone would surely attack him.
And this person wouldn't just be the external forces lurking around, but could also come from within the Nine Xuan Sect itself.
After all, if he were to perish, the sect would naturally select someone else to take charge of Xuan Tian Peak, one of the ten core inheritances.
But if he stepped out of this mountain gate, someone would definitely make a move, unless he possessed the cultivation of the Three Realms, or the Nine Xuan Sect had successfully advanced and thoroughly stabilized its fortune.
However, if he hid within the mountain gate, he wouldn't be able to contact the Ming Xin Xuan branch store, which was dozens of miles away, and thus couldn't receive the annual offerings.
And without this sum of resources, it would have a considerable impact on his cultivation.
As a night passed, Ji Yuan still hadn't found a way to break the deadlock.
Helpless, he could only temporarily set this matter aside and, taking Zhao Yue Bai, who had finished his night's cultivation, they continued towards the lecture halls of various peaks.
The two soon arrived at Tian Ding Peak. Today, what the elder here lectured on was not about cultivation, but rather about methods and insights concerning artifact refining.
The lectures at each peak and lineage weren't solely about cultivation; sometimes they also touched upon the four paths of cultivation, divine abilities, and other profound techniques.
After listening to lectures for a month, Ji Yuan had discerned a pattern. Although the elders of each peak mostly lectured on matters related to cultivation, after about four or five sessions, they would shift to areas their respective lineages excelled in.
For example, the elder at Tian Ding Peak at this moment was lecturing on artifact refining, an area he was skilled in.
After attending the lecture, Ji Yuan gained considerable insight into artifact refining, but compared to this, he still preferred alchemy and talisman crafting.
When most of the disciples at this location dispersed, he, along with Zhao Yue Bai, rose from a corner and leisurely walked back towards Xuan Tian Peak.
Along the way, he seemed somewhat absent-minded, clearly still pondering how to establish contact with the Ming Xin Xuan branch store in the town several dozen miles from the mountain gate.
The resources provided annually by the Qian family were no small sum. If they were lacking, it would undoubtedly affect his cultivation speed.
And what he lacked most at present was time. To condense a Golden Core within thirty years would certainly not be an easy task.
"Who?!"
As Ji Yuan and Zhao Yue Bai walked along a small path leading to Xuan Tian Peak, he suddenly looked towards a patch of woods.
He immediately stepped aside, shielding his disciple behind him, while simultaneously his internal magical power surged, and the Xuan Tian Spirit Devouring Pagoda in his dantian glowed brightly, ready to be summoned at any moment.
However, before him, all was calm, as if his earlier unease was just an illusion, and there was no anomaly in the woods.
But he did not let down his guard, utterly convinced that his spiritual senses would not be mistaken. Someone had indeed harbored killing intent towards him just now.
In the next breath, a streak of light shot out from the woods. Pure spiritual energy enveloped an object, without carrying the slightest trace of aura.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. He then stepped forward, his palm reaching out to grasp the incoming light, and torrents of magical power poured out, enveloping the streaking light.
At the same time, a tremendous force emanated from it, almost shattering the magical power he had released.
Fortunately, having cultivated both the Xuan Tian Sword Art and the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture, coupled with the presence of the Xuan Tian Spirit Devouring Pagoda, his magical power was far more profound and pure than that of cultivators at the same level, allowing him to barely withstand the immense force.
"Disperse!"
Ji Yuan let out a low growl, and his palm tightly gripped the void. His magical power shattered the pure spiritual energy, revealing a bamboo strip within.
He dispersed the magical power and spiritual energy before him, sweeping his gaze across the nearby woods. Once he was certain no one was secretly observing, he took a few steps forward with Zhao Yue Bai, reaching the bamboo strip.
This bamboo strip had clearly been freshly cut. Someone had used a sharp object to carve a few words on it: "Ming Xin Xuan branch store, in danger."
"Master, someone wants to trick you into leaving the Nine Xuan Sect!"
Zhao Yue Bai, standing beside him, saw through the hidden conspiracy.
"Let's go back first."
Ji Yuan glanced around, and with Zhao Yue Bai, he quickly departed.
As for the bamboo strip on the ground, it was pulverized by his magical power before he left.
As soon as he returned to Xuan Tian Peak, he summoned everyone and instructed them not to leave the peak for the time being. Even Guo Tao, during the day, did not need to stay at the foot of the mountain, lest someone act in secret.
"This is within the Nine Xuan Sect, and someone actually dares to kill?"
Liao Qi Ming couldn't help but ask after hearing the entire story.
However, as soon as he spoke, he realized the seriousness of the matter.
With just the strength of a few of them, coupled with the lack of people around Xuan Tian Peak, if someone truly wanted to strike secretly, as long as they were careful, they could ensure they weren't discovered.
Killing a few martial artists and cultivators who had just entered the First Realm was something any Second Realm cultivator could do silently.
On the contrary, to harm Ji Yuan would require at least a cultivator of the Third Realm or above, otherwise, the commotion created would be enough to attract the perception of other cultivators.
And there weren't many Third Realm cultivators, even in the Nine Xuan Sect. Openly, there were only a little over ten, and those who usually stayed within the mountain gate were even fewer, only five or six.
Thus, even if someone succeeded, they would inevitably be discovered, leading to the intervention of Golden Core cultivators to suppress them.
"Master, why is there such danger even within the Nine Xuan Sect?"
Zhao Yue Bai asked, puzzled.
Jiang He and Xu Qi Qi had told him more than once that although there was much competition among the inheritances and disciples of the Nine Xuan Sect, they would never harm fellow disciples or act in ways detrimental to the sect's interests.
Although they weren't disciples of the Nine Xuan Sect yet, attacking them would inevitably harm the sect's interests.
"Who says the one doing this must be a disciple of the Nine Xuan Sect?"
Ji Yuan snorted, speaking with hidden meaning.
In any sect in the world, once the number of people exceeds a certain threshold, it is impossible for it to remain monolithic. It will inevitably be infiltrated by other forces.
Even if the Nine Xuan Sect were extremely careful in this regard, it was hard to avoid people sneaking in, or inciting disciples to betray.
Not to mention that among those who could reside within the mountain gate, besides the members of the Nine Xuan Sect, there were also some guest elders and enforcers they had recruited.
These people, despite bearing the identity of the Nine Xuan Sect, were secretly affiliated with other forces or sects, and naturally had no qualms when acting.
"In short, from now on, absolutely do not leave the peak."
Ji Yuan warned.
At least on this peak, there were the formation flags he had set up, which could provide a certain degree of protection. At the very least, a Second Realm cultivator could not break through them silently without creating any disturbance.
And he refused to believe that the Nine Xuan Sect had not dispatched elders to secretly monitor all movements on Xuan Tian Peak!
To this, the few of them naturally had no objections. They usually had nothing that required them to leave Xuan Tian Peak.
As for Zhang Zhi Ya, although his body was still healthy, climbing up and down one hundred and fiftyzhang would be life-threatening for him, so he would not leave without reason.
"Master, what about the Ming Xin Xuan branch store in the town?"
Zhao Yue Bai asked.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan paused for a moment, then shook his head helplessly. Now, even within the Nine Xuan Sect, people were targeting him. If he were to leave the mountain gate, the situation Elder Hong Tian had described yesterday would inevitably occur.
And when his own safety could not even be guaranteed, he naturally couldn't concern himself with other people and matters.
For the next several days, Ji Yuan didn't even take Zhao Yue Bai to listen to lectures from Third Realm elders on various peaks. Instead, he stayed on Xuan Tian Peak and cultivated on his own.
Although this place had formation protection, and there were surely Nine Xuan Sect elders watching from the shadows, he dared not take risks. What if, when he left, some bold individual quietly crept up and attacked everyone here?
During these days, his cultivation focus shifted from his techniques and the refining of magic treasures' restrictions to the Daoist scripture volume of the Xuan Tian Dao Scripture, as well as the spell techniques recorded in the Sword Art chapter and the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture.
If he relied solely on the power of magic treasures, Ji Yuan felt that his killing power, although not weaker than that of ordinary Spirit Sensing Realm mid-stage cultivators, and even capable of fighting against late-stage ones, was still somewhat lacking in other aspects.
Fortunately, the two cultivation techniques he practiced contained quite a few spell techniques. It was sufficient to select a few for comprehension in most situations.
It was also fortunate that in the county seat of Luoxia Commandery, he had not only obtained a large sum of wealth but was also well-prepared. Even if he stayed in seclusion for several months, there would be no shortage of cultivation resources.
However, this was ultimately not a long-term solution. It not only had a significant impact on the thirty-year deadline but also gradually made him feel a simmering anger.
After all, for cultivators who embarked on the path of cultivation, besides seeking eternal life, what they pursued was freedom.
Now, being forced to stay on Xuan Tian Peak, even though his cultivation improved daily, he had no freedom at all.
In just a few days, Ji Yuan had accumulated quite a bit of resentment.
On the seventh day, a disciple from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall ascended Xuan Tian Peak, stating that there was someone from Ming Xin Xuan outside the mountain gate.
After repeatedly confirming that this was indeed a jade token from Qian Ni Shang, Ji Yuan, after much deliberation, had to go to the mountain gate.
To prevent any unexpected events, he fully activated the formation he had laid out before leaving, handing the formation disk to Zhao Yue Bai. He instructed that unless he returned, or Elder Hong Tian arrived, it must not be deactivated on their own.
After completing all these preparations, he then hurried towards the mountain gate.
Upon arriving, he immediately saw a person wearing a colorful mask standing outside the mountain gate.
As a flicker of doubt arose in his heart, he felt a close connection between himself and this person, as if he could control the other's life and death at any moment.
In an instant, a person surfaced in his mind: it was Chen Rong, a disciple of the Shen Xuan Sect, on whom he had planted a restriction in his sea of consciousness!
Only then did Ji Yuan remember that after capturing this person and setting the restriction, he had hidden him in the Qian family's ancestral hall to avoid discovery by the Shen Xuan Sect.
As a result, after a period of time, even when he was about to leave Guan Xia City, or when he was cultivating in the Nine Xuan Sect, he hadn't been able to recall this person.
"Why are you here?"
He quickly stepped forward, greeted the gatekeeping disciples, and asked.
Hearing this, a wry laugh came from beneath the colorful mask, "If I don't come to find you, where else can I go?"
Ever since the restriction was planted, he had been inextricably linked to Ji Yuan. He could definitely not return to the Shen Xuan Sect. Anyone who discovered the restriction on him would suspect him of betraying the sect.
And if he were to wander outside, once discovered by his former sect, at best he would have his cultivation crippled and be imprisoned on the Cliff of Repentance until his lifespan ran out.