Chapter 11: Preparing to Escape [Seeking Recommendation Tickets]

Over the next two months, Lu Qingfeng devoted himself to refining Fasting Pills.

Every morning and evening, he would refine two batches, yielding twenty-four Fasting Pills.

Before logging off, he had refined a total of 1780 Fasting Pills. After deducting the portion exchanged for the required medicinal ingredients for refining Fasting Pills, he made a profit of 1234 Fasting Pills.

The standard exchange rate between Fasting Pills and Yellow Dragon Pills was five to one, but the Fasting Pills Lu Qingfeng refined could be exchanged for Yellow Dragon Pills at a rate of four to one.

Thus, the 1234 Fasting Pills were equivalent to 308 Yellow Dragon Pills. There was still a shortfall to reach five hundred; he would have to make up for it after two months when he logged on again.

...

Time flew by rapidly in "Primordial." Only one night had passed in Black Wood Village.

Traveling back and forth through a hundredfold time difference, Lu Qingfeng would feel a surreal sense of being worlds apart each time he logged on and off, growing more amazed at the mighty force of time.

This day.

It was time to go to Yellow Ganoderma Mountain again.

It had been over five months since Lu Qingshan joined the Returning to Truth Sect. Time had hurried past in the blink of an eye.

At the foot of Yellow Ganoderma Mountain.

"Big brother, a few days ago, an Inner Chamber Disciple named Wu Yuan came to the Households to select servants, and I was chosen. There were six servant disciples selected in total, and Wu Yuan told us to prepare provisions and follow him to Chengyang River in three days to collect Spiritual Medicine."

Over the past five months, Lu Qingshan's frame was still lean, but he looked a lot sturdier. Alone within the Returning to Truth Sect, his character underwent subtle changes, no longer as timid and indecisive as before.

However, no matter what happened in the Returning to Truth Sect, Lu Qingshan would share everything with Lu Qingfeng every seven days and seek his opinion.

This time, he was taken as a servant by Wu Yuan, and they would even be going to the opposite side of Chengyang River. Lu Qingshan thought it might be an opportunity, but he was still somewhat apprehensive.

Every one to two years, official disciples of the Returning to Truth Sect would advance their Returning to Truth Technique to the Fourth Level and become Inner Chamber Disciples. Inner Chamber Disciples have the right to choose servant disciples to serve them obediently.

Additionally, the Returning to Truth Sect would assign tasks to newly promoted Inner Chamber Disciples, mostly to collect Spiritual Medicine on the opposite side of Chengyang River.

The opposite riverbank, seldom visited by humans, was exceedingly dangerous.

Various wild beasts loomed there, and poisonous creatures such as snakes, insects, rats, and ants were not in short supply.

Inner Chamber Disciples often take newly acquired servants with them, but less than ten percent of the servants survive to return. Even Inner Chamber Disciples who had reached the Fourth Level of the Returning to Truth Technique might not come back and remain forever on the opposite shore.

However, if one could follow an Inner Chamber Disciple to complete the task and return together, they would usually receive careful cultivation from the Inner Chamber Disciple and become a trusted confidant.

"The opposite side of Chengyang River?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingfeng's brows couldn't help but furrow.

Although he had never been to the other side, he had heard since childhood that the beasts there were even more ferocious, and demons not inferior to the 'Immortals' of the Returning to Truth Sect existed there.

It was only because the Chengyang River formed a barrier that these demons could not threaten Black Wood Village.

Cross the river?

Not a single person in Black Wood Village dared to!

And more than five months ago, when he heard Lu Qingshan was selected as a servant for the Returning to Truth Sect, that was why the two brothers were so affected.

The mortality rate of servant disciples in the Returning to Truth Sect was extremely high!

Out of every hundred servant disciples admitted, fewer than ten would survive after three years. Among the ninety who died, about ten died on Yellow Ganoderma Mountain due to various issues. The remaining seventy or eighty all perished on the other side of the river, ending up as demon fodder!

"How were things in previous years?" Lu Qingfeng asked, hoping for some luck.

"Such tasks usually involve one Inner Chamber Disciple taking six servant disciples across the river. When lucky, four or five servant disciples might return. But if unlucky, it's also possible that all will be annihilated, nothing is certain. According to the elders inside the Returning to Truth Sect, such tasks largely depend on luck."

Actually, Lu Qingshan was still scared.

But an Inner Chamber Disciple's status is far above the official disciples, let alone more noble than these servant disciples. Being chosen by Wu Yuan as a personal servant left him no room to resist.

In the past, he would be completely at a loss.

Yet now, he was able to steady his mind and ask Lu Qingfeng's opinion, having truly matured a lot during this time.

"Luck—"

Lu Qingfeng shook his head, "We cannot entrust life and death to the elusive will of luck."

"Big brother."

Lu Qingshan didn't understand what Lu Qingfeng meant.

He carefully glanced around, then leaned close to Lu Qingfeng's ear and whispered, "Big brother, actually I've been very lucky. Two days ago I found a jade pendant on Yellow Ganoderma Mountain, accidentally cut my hand, and blood dripped onto the jade pendant."

Lu Qingfeng listened, startled.

This plotline, it felt so familiar!

He didn't interrupt Lu Qingshan, but continued listening.

"This is the jade pendant." Lu Qingshan took out a cyan-purple jade pendant from his chest, carved with complex patterns, "After the blood dripped on it, the jade pendant seemed to understand my words, and it can control a corpse under Yellow Ganoderma Mountain. I can feel that this corpse is very strong, I wonder if it's the zombie Dad once told us about."

"But when I control the corpse with the jade pendant, all my strength gets drained. I guess it's probably because I'm too weak now to control it."

Lu Qingshan spoke softly, then stuffed the jade pendant into Lu Qingfeng's chest, "Big brother, keep this jade pendant for me. If I don't come back from across the river, you might be able to avenge me with this pendant!"

Lu Qingfeng felt the cool breath emitting from the jade pendant against his chest, and looked at Lu Qingshan.

Although his brother was doing his best to conceal it, the panic and fear in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

After all, Lu Qingshan was just a fourteen-year-old boy.

"Big brother."

"If I... if I don't come back, you must tell Qingyu that her second brother bravely faced his fate without shedding tears or feeling fear."

Lu Qingshan's eyes shone, he pursed his lips, then lowered his head, his voice barely audible, "Big brother, I kind of miss Qingyu."

"It's alright."

"In three more days, you'll see Qingyu."

Lu Qingfeng ruffled Lu Qingshan's hair, smiling as he said.

"Ah?"

Lu Qingshan looked up, not understanding his older brother's meaning.

"Qingshan, we won't be crossing to the other side of the river. You tell me now, when are you leaving in three days, from which location will you cross the river, and is anyone seeing you off?" Lu Qingfeng asked quietly.

Relying on luck to survive, how could he let Lu Qingshan go!

The current accumulations might not be sufficient, and their strength wasn't strong enough. But as long as they were careful and plotted, there might be no possibility to overthrow the Returning to Truth Sect, but escaping with Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu should not be difficult!

"Big brother, Wu Yuan has cultivated the 'Returning to Truth Technique' to the Fourth Level, and he can defeat dozens of servant disciples by himself. This time besides me, there are five other servant disciples, I won't be able to escape!" Finally guessing his big brother's intentions, Lu Qingshan's face flushed with panic as he hurriedly spoke.

"Don't worry, when have I ever done something without assurance?"

Lu Qingfeng's expression turned serious, "I can kill that Wu Yuan. After killing Wu Yuan, the other five servant disciples definitely won't dare to resist. At that time, we'll seize the boat and head directly downstream along the Chengyang River. Once we're out of the Jiuzhai County's area, the Returning to Truth Sect won't be able to find us!"

"But that Wu Yuan—"

Lu Qingshan, seeing that his big brother really intended to take him away, and even claimed he could kill Wu Yuan, became even more anxious.

Wu Yuan was an Inner Chamber Disciple of the Returning to Truth Sect and held quite a reputation within the sect. How could his big brother possibly kill him?

"There's not much time, tell me quickly."

Seeing that his brother didn't believe him, Lu Qingfeng grabbed Lu Qingshan's arm tightly!

"Hiss!"

Lu Qingshan's eyes widened in pain as he inhaled sharply, feeling as if his arm was about to break!

"Qingshan, you encountered something wonderful on the Yellow Ganoderma Mountain, and I also had my share of fortune in Black Wood Village. Now you can tell me Wu Yuan's arrangements in three days, right?" Lu Qingfeng, fearing that his brother wouldn't believe him, squeezed hard and then channeled his Inner Breath.

A Burning Heart Palm Print directly left a three-inch-deep handprint on the tree that their backs were leaning against.

Now, Lu Qingshan finally believed.

...

On the way back to Black Wood Village, Lu Qingfeng continuously pondered the potential problems this action could bring.

Lu Qingshan's strength was too weak; he hadn't even entered the threshold of cultivation.

His accomplishments in the 'Returning to Truth Technique' were nil, and his only combat ability was a method called 'Barbaric Bull Fist'.

Without the boost of Inner Breath, how effective could such a straightforward fighting technique be?

Therefore, when Lu Qingfeng heard that Lu Qingshan was going with an Inner Chamber Disciple of the Returning to Truth Sect to the opposite shore of the Chengyang River, and survival depended merely on luck, he was determined to take Lu Qingshan away from the sect.

If so, sticking around Black Wood Village naturally wouldn't do!

"With the 'Returning to Truth Technique' at the Fourth Level, equivalent to the Fourth Level of Fetal Breathing Realm. With my current strength, by taking advantage of the Fire Bomb Technique unexpectedly, killing him wouldn't be difficult. After killing Wu Yuan, we'll take their boat for crossing the river, go downstream, and just dive into any mountain forest. Searching for us would be like finding a needle in the sea."

"There are a few points to be cautious of."

"Firstly, when Qingshan and the others are crossing the river in three days, there can't be other Inner Chamber Disciples or stronger masters from the Returning to Truth Sect present. I can deal with one Wu Yuan, but more than that would be problematic!"

"Secondly, I only have enough Inner Breath to use the Fire Bomb Technique three times. I absolutely cannot miss!"

"Thirdly, I don't know how to row a boat, so I must learn from the 'Primordial' within these three days!"

"Fourthly, when abandoning the boat to enter the forest, I must be mindful of wild beasts and prepare enough medicine for repellent and detoxification!"

"Fifth, …"

...

Lu Qingfeng thought through everything, listing all potential situations they might face before and after the action, and came up with preemptive solutions.

To avoid panic during the critical moment.

This action was quite hasty and sudden, something Lu Qingfeng also did not expect.

"It's better this way, to avoid constant anxiety!"

Lu Qingfeng secretly thought.

In the initial months after Lu Qingshan entered the Returning to Truth Sect, the 'Primordial' game hadn't appeared, and the three siblings were completely powerless and couldn't resist.

Two months later, due to not noticing the hundredfold time difference, and resulting in the death of his game character, two months were wasted.

During these two months, although Lu Qingfeng had started cultivating, albeit slowly, always hovering at First Level of Fetal Breathing Realm, he had no means to confront enemies.

Only in the last ten days, after reincarnating and rebirth in the game, did Lu Qingfeng finally gain some strength.

Whether it was Alchemy or spells, it was all done in the effort to rescue Lu Qingshan.

Lu Qingfeng had initially intended to make use of the hundredfold time difference to better prepare before planning for Lu Qingshan, along with himself and Qingyu, to escape Yellow Ganoderma Mountain and Black Wood Village.

But now, with Lu Qingshan about to risk his life crossing the Chengyang River, there was no room for delay!

Even if the preparations were not sufficient and far from meeting Lu Qingfeng's expectations, he simply couldn't stand by and watch Qingshan walk to his death.

"This is also an opportunity."

"Normally, aside from allowing Qingshan to stay at the foot of the mountain for thirty minutes every seven days, he has to be on the Yellow Ganoderma Mountain at all other times. If he leaves for too long, he would be immediately hunted down. With the Returning to Truth Sect's response speed, it's probable that Qingshan would be intercepted and killed before he even made it to the riverside."

"This time, with that Inner Chamber Disciple Wu Yuan leading the team, we can naturally reach the riverbank smoothly. As long as we can kill Wu Yuan, there's a great chance of escaping."

"Escaping from Black Wood Village and the Returning to Truth Sect, I wouldn't need to disguise myself every day and could spend much more time cultivating."

Fortune depends on misfortune, and misfortune lurks within fortune!

Between fortune and misfortune, who can predict?

This situation might seem perilous, but it could be an excellent chance to break free from the cage. Escaping Black Wood Village, and the Returning to Truth Sect would mean the sky's the limit!

With the various Secret Techniques inheritance from 'Primordial', even with weaker Root Bone, it wouldn't hinder making a name for himself in this world.

Who knows, he might even find a path to the long-lasting Immortal Dao!

...