The Science ofCultivation

Chapter 227

Cold winds battering against his cheeks. That was the feeling that Wei Ping woke up to. However, it was only when he opened his eyes that he began to realize the situation he was in.

He was being carried on someone's shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. The dense foliage below rapidly passed by him. It only took a few moments for Wei Ping to go through the last things he remembered. He had been caught in some sturdy vines and had fallen off the Skyrunner in his struggle to break free.

While the fall had hurt, he was still conscious after it. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't all he had to deal with. A large group of deviators lurked around the nearby trees, and one of them noticed his descent. While they didn't dare to carelessly approach their targets, as they've proven their strength, a lone straggler was a different story.

It didn't take long before this deviator noticed Wei Ping was still a mortal, and they hastened their actions because of it. To them, he was easy pickings! They threw caution to the wind and whisked away the poor man. The kidnapper wasn't going to share his spoils with his companions, so he immediately summoned his Skyrunner and escaped from the area.

"It must be my lucky day," the man muttered. "It appears this feed practices orthodox techniques! What a pleasant surprise."

It was these words that had roused Wei Ping. He soon realized he had been captured by a deviator and not a weak one, so he judged it too dangerous to take any arbitrary action. Instead, he faked unconsciousness while focusing on the Tracing Origin Art he implanted on his friends to gauge their location.

His kidnapper was in the Foundation Establishment Realm, albeit in the early stage, but he still had to play his cards carefully. The best-case scenario was to wait for his companions. Mortals were just too weak in the face of a true cultivator.

They're moving towards me!

After some time, Wei Ping finally relaxed a little when he noticed his companions had started to head in his direction. It meant they had overcome their ordeal and were now in hot pursuit.

He calmly waited and waited, but unfortunately, before they could arrive, his captor arrived at his destination first. They went into some underground cave and the presence of many other cultivators could be felt. In order not to risk discovery, Wei Ping didn't even dare to open his eyes.

He allowed himself to be carried around until he was thrown into a cell. He waited until his captor had left before he dared to scour his surroundings.

A musty wooden smell hijacked his senses, and it only took one glance for him to know he was placed in a cell. The wooden bars appeared sturdy thanks to its enchantment, blocking his only escape path.

Beside him were other cells, but they were all empty.

Just as he was getting comfortable, two sets of footsteps could be heard. He immediately got back on the ground, assuming the same position he had been left in.

"Is this it? Just one?" a soprano-like voice rang out from one of the men.

"Yuan Kai, I know you're in desperate need of human feed. Just this one may be enough for you to finally break through. Just because I've known your master for so long, I'm willing to transfer him to you for the price of two Earth-grade feeds with a wood affinity."

"Listen to yourself. You want to trade this meager Mortal-grade feed for two Earth-grade ones? Have you lost your mind?"

"I don't haggle. We both know human feed has become increasingly hard to come by in recent times thanks to those sword freaks. You either take the deal or I go find other buyers."

"That—I'll have to ask my master first."

"Ha! I know him well enough to know he won't mind if you make a decision on such a small transaction like this. If you need more time to think, then I'd rather negotiate with someone more willing."

"Fine, fine. I'll let you rob me this one time, but I don't think we have two Earth-grade feeds with such a specific affinity on hand. I'll pay you back in a few days. In fact, I should be able to pay you back tomorrow as long as my breakthrough succeeds."

The man with a soprano-like voice walked toward Wei Ping's cell with a perverted look on his face. He was literally salivating as he approached his next victim.

"Leave me one of your artifacts as collateral, then," the other man said as he pulled his customer back.

"So stingy. Will my Skyrunner do? This way, you can be sure I won't be escaping, right? Just give me the key already!"

"Here. He's all yours."

Wei Ping tensed, as an inner turmoil between the ideas of fighting back or continuing to feign unconsciousness. He knew his allies were on their way, so taking action now may thwart their plans, but he also didn't want to allow this demonic cultivator to have free rein over his life.

Eventually, his logical side won, and he remained still as a rock. Instead of being directly carried this time, the man took out a sack from somewhere and threw him into it. He then slung the bag over his shoulders and got on his way.

They didn't go far. Through the tiny gaps in the sack, Wei Ping was able to make out a few things. A rough layout of this underground settlement and the position of various people they came across, and they weren't few in numbers. 

His new captor soon arrived at one of the many side tunnels, where a door curtain was used in place of a door. 

Inside, he passed by a messy bedroom and was forced through a small hatch in the ground. Despite only being a level down, the putrid smell of decay was overwhelming. It wasn't long before he was thrown out of the sack.

However, his new captor was much more thorough than his predecessor. He patted Wei Ping down for his possessions with well-practiced movements. He smoothly snatched the space ring off Wei Ping's finger. He then used some sturdy rope to tie up Wei Ping's limbs together. Once he was satisfied, he brought his new trophy, Wei Ping's space ring, up for a closer look.

"Hmm, it's going to cost a lot to get someone to open this," he grumbled.

Wei Ping didn't dare react to this blatant act of thievery or turn his head around to survey his new surroundings. The only thing he saw was the rotten hay lying in front of him. From what he saw, the layout wasn't all that much different from the dungeon he had just come from, except with worse conditions. One other thing soon stood out to him. He could hear people nearby! Someone was coughing up a storm in one of the nearby cells.

Whoever his captor was, it appeared he heard it as well, and he wasn't a fan of it. He charged out of Wei Ping's cell and yelled loudly at his other captives.

"I told you people to be quiet. Do you think you get to choose which of my words you get to follow? No! You follow them or you follow them."

He had sensed his new owner was only in the Energy Gathering Realm, like him, but from their conversations, there was a more powerful master that was lurking around. That was why he obediently allowed the man to restrain him instead of trying to break free.

Unable to move his limbs freely, Wei Ping carefully rolled his body around to sneak a peek at his new surroundings. There were a few silhouettes in the other cells.

How many people did this Yuan Kai capture or buy? There must be at least a dozen people down here.

He turned just in time to witness the man in question enter the cell a few cells down, where a scruffy man lay on his side. His captor proceeded to mercilessly kick the man again and again until he quieted down. He then grabbed hold of his forehead, causing his victim to scream out in agony. After some time, the man went completely limp as streams of blood leaked out from his orifices.

The man had evidently passed out, or worse!

The horrific scene matched the stories Wei Ping had heard since childhood about how evil demonic cultivators would suck their victims dry of their cultivation. It made him break out in a cold sweat as he realized he could be the next victim.

He was confident in being able to resist this Yuan Kai, but not while restrained like this. Even if he could move freely, he knew there was no way he was escaping from all the people he spotted along the way here. The gap between mortals and true cultivators was just too large for him to even consider the possibility of outrunning these demonic brutes.

This—Boss and the group better hurry up, Wei Ping thought as he sighed to himself. There's nothing a pathetic mortal like me can do in this situation but wait.

Chapter 228

Just as Wei Ping was praying for his allies to hurry to his rescue, he quickly shook those thoughts out of his mind. 

When have I grown so weak? Leaving my fate to others?

Wei Ping had grown up alone from an early age. He was once proud of his independence and resourcefulness, but he had at some point become reliant on his companions! The unwillingness to allow such a travesty to continue reignited his determination. His mind started to race in a different direction. He began brainstorming ways to survive, whether it be by escape or by buying more time. He had to stack the deck in his favor.

Having just witnessed a man being sucked dry of his life force nearby, all the passive plans were quickly thrown out. He needed to be proactive and do something quickly.

His captor, Yuan Kai, had returned upstairs after claiming the life of a victim. From the conversation Wei Ping had overheard, he believed he was trying to break past the shackles of mortality, like he had been desperately trying to do. The main difference was that these deviators had no scruples with taking other human lives to fuel their progress.

That meant he was like a human Foundation Pill to these deviators. Yuan Kai could return at any time to claim another pill to make another attempt to break through.

Even knowing his allies were on the way, Wei Ping had a feeling they might not make it in time. There were just too many Foundation Establishment cultivators in this stronghold. No matter how strong their two allies from Nightmoon Valley were, it was hard to defend someone else while fighting a life-and-death battle against overwhelming numbers.

I'm just too much of a burden! Wei Ping dejectedly thought.

This train of thought soon led him back to the wall he had found to be insurmountable in recent times. The wall to the Foundation Establishment realm. 

He believed his chances of survival would exponentially increase if he managed to break through. He wanted to do so right away to stop being a burden. This feeling had grown so strong that Wei Ping would've already consumed a Foundation Pill by now if his space ring was still with him.

His lack of resources made him beat his head against his knuckles as he tried to come up with alternatives.

"Hey, you," a voice whispered. "There's no use beating yourself up over the situation. If you make too much of a ruckus, our owner may come and punish us, so please stop."

Wei Ping glanced over at the source of the voice, a young woman from the adjacent cell. She had a full figure that seemed out of place for a prisoner, but her eyes were growing bright, like her auburn hair.

"You—y-you've been down here for a l-long time?" Wei Ping asked.

"Huh? Well yeah. For who knows how long."

"Why hasn't t-this Yuan Kai person, finish you off then? He b-brought us here to act a-as his feed, right?"

"You can survive as long as you follow the rules. He doesn't usually consume all of our life force at once. The side effects are too much for him to handle, so he only takes a bit at a time. This allows us to recover, which means he will be able to gain more in the long term, too."

This allowed Wei Ping to relax a little. It didn't appear he was in imminent danger. His cellmate continued with her explanation.

"Unless there's an urgent situation or you're an orthodox cultivator. Then he may consume all of our life forces at once to empower him or give him a chance at a breakthrough."

The caveat returned the tension back into Wei Ping's body.

"Um, what c-counts as an urgent situation? Would this p-place being attacked count?"

"Well, yeah. This place only has one entrance, so one exit. The last time those righteous people appeared nearby, he immediately took a few of us to help fuel his breakthrough attempt. It seems he wants to impress his master this way. Not that he's ever succeeded, though."

Once again, Wei Ping sighed. This meant Yuan Kai would soon go into emergency mode and desperately try to break through when his friends arrived. He knew he practiced orthodox cultivation as well. The double whammy meant the situation looked bleak for him.

"Do y-you know how to get out of h-here?" Wei Ping asked, his voice becoming more serious with every word. "Just temporarily is f-fine. I need to retrieve something."

Before his cellmate could answer, the hatch leading above opened, and the figure of Yuan Kai could be seen climbing down again.

"Haha, it's my lucky day to have come across another feed of the orthodox way. That last feed may not have satisfied me, but surely you would!"

Wei Ping's fear had come true. His new captor turned his fangs to him. He cursed how easy it was for the nature of his cultivation to be revealed. He desperately tried to break free from his restraints so he could put up a fight against his deranged captor.

However, no matter what he tried, the restraints wouldn't budge, and Yuan Kai got closer by the second.

He entered Wei Ping's cell and reached out a hand to his forehead. Just as he was about to make contact, the entire mountain suddenly trembled! The world stilled as everyone was confused at the sudden incursion.

Only Wei Ping knew what it signified.

Soon, Yuan Kai recovered from the sudden shaking and turned his gaze back to Wei Ping. His eyes gleamed with an animalistic shine.

"Yuan Kai, come up," an old and regal voice resounded from every direction. "Pack away some things to bring with us in case we need to escape before tending to other matters. Remember, we always need to set up an escape plan ahead of time. Otherwise, you'll come to regret it."

Whether it was thanks to a stroke of luck or not, Wei Ping exhaled upon seeing his captor disappear back up the hatch. To his surprise, his cellmate resumed their conversation as if that little ordeal he had experienced never happened.

"To answer your question, these cells are enchanted by our owner's master. There's no way out. At least not without them noticing. Just conserve your energy and keep quiet—is what I was going to say, but you're an orthodox cultivator? For real?"

Wei Ping nodded. The cat was already out of the bag. There was no use fooling some random captive in the adjacent cell. 

"I can't say you'll be able to survive much longer, then."

Despite the negative news, Wei Ping didn't react. His mind was drawn back to his earlier idea, but even more radical!

His mind constantly weighed the benefits against the risks. The logical part of his brain had to constantly reprimand its more reckless side by justifying how stupid his thoughts were. The more he tried to convince himself to take the cautious approach, the more he was reminded of how weak he was. He hated that even after becoming a cultivator, he still didn't have the ability to protect himself. It reminded him how far away he was from his goal. Even with all the help his boss had provided him, he hadn't made any progress in recent months.

The more Wei Ping pondered, the more he hated himself. He was desperate for change, to change himself for the better.

These mixed feelings eventually invoked an old memory of his past. One that he barely remembered.

On a sunny day in the central plaza of a regular village, several kids could be seen playing around. When kids socialized, both good and bad things could happen. On that day, it was regrettably the latter.

"Ha ha, Little Peng was the first to be tagged again! What a slowpoke!"

"Hey now, he can't help it. After all, he's the child of that Stuttering Peddler. I bet his brain stutters like his dad, so it's natural his reactions are slow."

When he was a small child, Wei Ping was as timid as could be. He had hated himself back then as well. There was a huge difference between him and his dad, who could speak his mind despite stuttering. As a result, he idolized him.

"Don't you dare badmouth my bad!" the young boy screamed as he charged his bullies. He flailed his fists randomly around, but his small stature meant there wasn't a lot of power behind each blow.

The two larger kids were easily able to push him back and wrestle him down. In a one-on-two struggle on the ground, the side that prevailed was obvious.

That day Wei Ping returned home in filthy clothing and a swollen face. His dad, who greeted him upon his return, said nothing and simply patted him on the head. He then sat Little Wei Ping on his lap as he got a piece of damp cloth and began wiping his son clean.

"Dad—aren't you going to ask me what happened?" the little boy grumbled.

"Hmm, do y-you want to talk about i-it?"

The young boy blinked blankly.

"If you force me to, I would."

"Hahaha. Forcing people t-to speak is one of the most u-useless things one can do. Words a-are just a tool used to communicate. If one i-is unwilling to do that, then forcing them to s-speak is a fruitless endeavor."

"Words are just tools?"

"T-that's right. Just like with all things in life, p-practice makes perfect. You can't g-give up, okay? It may be scary, but keep practicing until y-you get it right."

Unbeknownst to Little Wei Ping at that time, this was one of the last conversations he would have with his father. He had even mostly forgotten about it. That was because a much stronger memory had overpowered all other recollections of his past—one in which his father had been murdered.

Chapter 229

Wei Ping didn't lose himself in his memories for long. He was short on time. He had to act soon or else his captor, Yuan Kai, could return at any moment. 

Even if his friends were currently fighting outside, Wei Ping doubted they would be able to fight their way through in time before he had his life force stolen from him.

"It m-may be scary, but I have to p-press on!" He turned to the portly woman in the neighboring cell. "Can you help me get out of these restraints?"

"Hm, roll over here. I'll loosen them, but you have to remember to place them back on yourself when the owner returns."

Wei Ping didn't bother to reply and rolled his body over to the edge of the cell. The woman reached over and helped loosen his bindings, so he could break free himself. Without a word, he rushed back to the center of his cell.

Purging any hesitation from his mind, Wei Ping got into the lotus position and began executing a technique he had grown quite familiar with. It required him to move from stance to stance, causing him to appear as if he was performing some strange dance.

It caused confusion among all his cellmates, but they've seen enough people going crazy to bother with it too much. However, that soon all changed. That was because they began to realize what this newcomer was attempting to do.

Any sane cultivator would have the same reaction. Even Li Lang's eyes would likely bulge upon seeing the crazy stunt his friend was trying to pull. It wasn't because he was using the Ascension Technique he devised. That was something he had seen hundreds of times now among all his students. What truly surprised him was Wei Ping's audacity to attempt his breakthrough without consuming a Foundation Pill!

Few ever dared to do something so crazy. It was simply crazy to do so when a well-proven safeguard, like the Foundation Pills, existed.

When one tried to break through into the Foundation Establishment Realm, they were taking on a lot of risks. Huge amounts of energy gathered into one spot. The quantities involved were not something Energy Gatherers could ever hope to contain for long. If they slipped up, all the built-up energy would be released at once, causing a violent explosion to take place within their body!

Foundation Pills were the only tried-and-true method to mitigate this scenario. It allowed the gathered Qi to dissipate at a reasonable rate that wouldn't harm the user. 

By attempting to break through without consuming the pill, Wei Ping had set off on a path of no return. He would either succeed or die. It was a trial he couldn't afford to lose. It was as if he chose to climb a towering mountain without any equipment. Any slipups would cost him his life.

"Are you crazy? I didn't free you just so you can get us all killed!" the portly woman in the adjacent cell cried out in terror.

While few modern cultivators witnessed the aftermath of a failed breakthrough, they could speculate how terrible the explosions would be. Even with optimal estimates, they would definitely still be in the epicenter of it all. None of them wanted to die for Wei Ping's crazed attempt.

"You said t-these cell doors are enchanted," Wei Ping slowly muttered. "They should be able t-to handle most of the impact if I fail."

His words evidently didn't ease any worries, but he couldn't afford to bother with that anymore. They continued to cry out, trying to convince him to stop his suicidal attempt. He ignored them and refocused on his task at hand, to execute the specific moves of the Ascension Technique that were catered to his constitution.

He soon felt the familiar feeling of Qi rushing toward one point in his body. The number of spiritual roots he had was on the high end, among grade one aptitude, at fifteen. His meridian channel had four main pathways that converged at his dantian. On paper, his chances were much higher than Li Lang's, yet he had failed every single attempt so far while Li Lang succeeded.

At times, he couldn't deny he had some doubts. He wasn't sure if it was really possible for him to succeed. While he knew Li Lang was in an even worse position than him, he always thought his boss had a special quality to him that made different from regular folks. The lack of success from the other grade one aptitude students only gave more credence to this claim.

But right now, he didn't dwell on any of these details. His mind was only filled with the next steps he needed to take in order to complete his breakthrough. In no time, the Qi within his body had reached the critical point where it began to qualitatively change.

His stomach felt bloated. It only grew worse as time passed.

Light shone from his dantian, horrifying his cellmates. They all knew it was too late for Wei Ping to stop now. They all ceased their attempts to persuade Wei Ping right away, and the dungeon became deathly silent. Now that it happened, no one wanted to disturb Wei Ping.

Many of them believed they would get caught up in the explosion if he failed, so they could only do everything in their power to prevent that from happening. Those who feared death silently prayed. There was nothing else they could do.

The time it took for breaking through varied from person to person. Many took an entire day, while some took the same time one would need to make a cup of tea.

The only constant was how draining the ordeal was. Wei Ping's consciousness slowly but surely slipped away.

Just as Li Lang had theorized after his own breakthrough, Wei Ping eventually fallen into a dream-like state. Li Lang had explained it as the response of the human body during dire situations. The surge in stress hormones enhanced brain activity, particularly the areas involved in memory and perception. It allowed one to recall past experiences to evaluate possible actions that could help escape the current predicament. 

However, with the presence of a large amount of Qi, a substance he believed to be highly responsive to one's will and thoughts, Li Lang believed these dream-like states were a vital part of the breakthrough.

Unfortunately for him, his own recollection of the event was hazy at best. Like most dreams, one soon forgot about it after waking up.

Rubbing his eyes, Wei Ping found himself riding on a carriage through a forest.

"Tired? W-Why don't you lie down in the back?" a kind voice called out beside him.

"If anyone needs to take a break, it's you, Dad."

It only took a split second for Wei Ping to remember they were on a trip to a neighbouring town to conduct trade. He was happy to accompany his father and help him with his job. However, he had a strong feeling he had forgotten something. As their carriages continued to trek across the forest, he tried his best to remember it.

He never stopped until their carriage came to a stop due to the fallen tree in the distance blocking the road.

"What do we do now, Dad? Do we head back?"

"Hmm, no. We c-can still take the longer path that goes around the mountain in the south. I haven't t-taken it in many years, but it s-should still be usable."

"An old and secret route? So cool!"

The young Wei Ping suddenly froze up about uttering those words. His father failed to notice it as he busied himself with turning the carriage around, but he would likely fail to notice anything amiss even if he did. 

That was because Wei Ping suddenly remembered everything. This was all a dream. The father sitting beside him should be dead, so he was only a figment of his imagination.

No, even if this is a dream, I can't let this play out!

"We h-have to head back to town! We can come back o-on another day once the road is cleared!"

His sudden outburst surprised his father. His son was not one to usually state his opinion so strongly, but the most surprising part was his stutter. Only he had the speech impediment in the family. His son had never showed signs of it in the past. He also wasn't the type of person to make fun of him, so he found the entire outburst particularly strange.

"W-What has gotten into you, son?"

"Just listen to me! Return to town right now!"

Unfortunately, Wei Ping was not in the right state of mind to explain. That was because this was the day he lost his father. Even if he was only reliving that memory, he didn't want to let it happen again. 

Chapter 230

"I don't know w-what has gotten into you, but we c-can't delay our trip," Wei Ping's father patiently explained. "Like I had taught y-you before, breaking the terms of contracts is a last r-resort. We can't just give up at the first sight of a-adversity."

"But—"

Wei Ping caught himself before continuing his words. He wanted to yell that they had to return or he would die, but he knew how stubborn his father was. He couldn't exactly come out and say he would die if he continued this delivery. He had no proof to back up his words.

Wei Ping's mind worked quickly in search of a plan to avoid the ambush. He tested his current capabilities to see if he could invoke any of his cultivation, but for some reason, he couldn't access any of it. He was just a powerless young child. That's why he focused entirely on avoiding contact with the ambushers. If convincing his dad wouldn't work, then he had to take concrete action.

"I really n-need to relieve myself. Can you stop the carriage?"

"Umm, y-yeah. But are y-you sure you're okay, son?"

"Yes!"

He raced off into the treelines, out of sight from his father, but close enough to hear each other. As he pretended to relieve himself, he scoured his surroundings for anything he could use. He found a tree at the right height and immediately moved to climb it. As soon as he did, he didn't hesitate to jump off. As he landed, he purposefully shoved his left arm out to absorb the impact.

"Ouch!" he yelled out, following the sound of impact.

His dad noticed the commotion and raced over to assess the situation. He found his son lying on the ground, holding onto a limp arm.

"It h-hurts, Dad! I think I need to see a doctor."

Despite finding the scenario strange, he didn't need a lot of convincing to care for his child. He agreed to take his son back to their town. Their lone horse worked tirelessly to pull its masters back home while Wei Ping breathed a sigh of relief.

He had gotten them to head home. It may have hurt, but it was well worth it, in his opinion.

Unfortunately, his happiness didn't last long.

Sometime after traveling through the forest, a familiar scene played out. A lone figure lay in the middle of the road.

"Don't stop, Dad. It's b-bandits!" he called out.

It was too late. His dad, the driver, had already started to slow the carriage down. He was used to helping people in need, so abandoning someone had never crossed his mind. Before he could heed his son's warning, arrows flew out from all around them. The only saving grace was that Wei Ping had reacted in time. He tackled his dad into the back of their carriage, out of harm's way.

This—is it really unavoidable? These assassins that those scummy merchants hired will track us down whenever we go? No, this is just a dream! Maybe it's forcing me to face this part of my past.

Li Lang's words about the correlation of willpower and breakthrough resurfaced in Wei Ping's mind. His boss often went off on a tangent when discussing things that piqued his interest, but he had always listened to what others had to say. It was crucial for someone who stuttered like him. If he didn't pay attention, he couldn't reply back in a concise manner. If he couldn't speak concisely, people wouldn't bother listening to him.

Those talks about willpower made Wei Ping doubt whether his choice to avoid the ambushers was even the right one in the first place. He was running away. Such cowardice was often deemed as an undesirable quality among cultivators. However, if he couldn't get away, he would have to witness the traumatizing scene of his father's death again. He didn't want to relive the moment when he felt his father's body go cold again.

Memories of his past swiftly flashed by in his mind. As this happened, the scene continued to play out.

After dodging the first volley of arrows, the assailants closed in on their carriage, determined to finish them off. They encircled the carriage. Running was no longer an option.

"Wei Bin, you have nowhere to run. Why don't you accept your fate and come out?"

"You k-know who I am, so that must mean Old Cane s-sent you—Understood! As long as you spare m-my son, I will do as you say."

Wei Ping sat there in silence as the scene unfolded. It was just like the events in his memories, but he didn't react.

While he struggled with what to do, he knew his father's demise was inevitable. His real father had already passed. He had to accept that. 

He only stood there and watched as the villains executed his father. Just like in the past, his dad accepted his fate without a fuss. He used his last breath to pat Wei Ping's head and encouraged him.

"Live freely."

Those words had made Wei Ping feel trapped for the years to come. He interpreted his father's last words as telling him to forget about revenge. It made him struggle between living up to his father's wishes or his own desire to punish the people responsible. His respect for him only made his dilemma worse.

This internal struggle made him pick up the way his father talked. He wanted to be like his father and also ensure memories of him wouldn't fade away in time. If he would have his revenge one day, he wanted those jealous merchants to realize who he was. It was personal. It only took a year before his stuttering became a natural part of his speech. 

After so many years had passed and all the new things he had experienced, revisiting the memory this time seemed to have made Wei Ping realize something. The constant doubts he had were likely what prevented him from breaking through. When the person himself didn't even know what he wanted to do, how could he possibly muster any willpower?

He decided to settle his doubts once and for all.

Perhaps his recent companions had affected him, but Wei Ping had learned to be more greedy. He wanted the best of both worlds. While he knew his dad wouldn't want him to dwell on things such as revenge, he decided to go through with it! He planned to hunt down those responsible, and then live out a life his father would approve of afterward.

He would accept himself for who he was.

With this new outlook, the world around him soon faded into the light. He found his consciousness brought back to his real body, in the cell located in the lair of demonic deviators.

His body was brimming with Qi, and it was screaming out in pain as it desperately tried to contain all the energy.

However, with his awakening, his new mindset had a drastic effect on the situation. His calmness spread, infecting the Qi within his body. The wild energy inside of him calmed down.

Within minutes, a crackling noise rang out, scaring everyone within earshot. They could sense an imminent wave of Qi about to break out from Wei Ping's body. In a breath of time, Wei Ping suddenly jumped up to his feet and slammed a palm at his cell door!

The violent release of energy had everyone nearby duck for cover. The sound of splintering wood rang out across the dungeon.

"It's all over. We're dead!" the neighboring lady cried out.

However, after a few moments, she realized she was still okay. She inspected her body, and no harm had come to her. She slowly recovered her courage enough to inspect the scene. She gasped in shock as she took in the aftermath.

Standing atop the pile of decaying hay and splintered wood, a lone figure lurched over with a hand covering the mask on his face. He was eerily still. 

This person was naturally Wei Ping!

He had survived his breakthrough—no, to be more precise, he had succeeded! 

Power at the level of Foundation Establishment emanated from him.

"You—Are you okay?" the portly woman asked. 

While she knew he was an orthodox cultivator, she was too used to being around demonic cultivators. On reflex, she asked about the well-being of an individual who had just broken through. For those on the demonic path, it was too common for their personality to become twisted after a breakthrough. It made them weary of anyone who had recently increased their cultivation.

"Y-yes. I am fine," Wei Ping said in a weary voice. "I'm going to g-get out of here. Do any of y-you want to come along?"

Chapter 231

The world around the mountain range constantly flickered between total darkness and bright flashing lights. It was accentuated by the occasional sound of metal clashing. Li Lang and Long Yi couldn't afford to look back at the scene of battle as they rushed away.

They had received the signal to retreat. While every fiber of their being wanted to ignore it and rush into the stronghold of the demonic deviators, they still complied in the end. They knew just because they wanted something didn't mean they could accomplish it. Being blinded by emotion was one of the easiest paths to downfall in both combat and cultivation.

They knew their chances were slim without the help of the two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from Nightmoon Valley, so they had to work with them. These experts decided that they should retreat. The only smart thing to do was follow their lead.

Having planned out this possibility prior to their arrival, the two young men knew just where to go. They retreated in the same direction they had come. 

Since they were running away, none of the deviators around bothered with them. They were too busy dealing with the two exceptionally powerful intruders.

The two got away without any incident, but the same couldn't be said for Zhu Yi and Ma Kong. Their opponents realized their formidable strength and wisely called for backup to abuse their numbers' advantage. Every second, the pressure they faced grew as more deviators joined the fight. Eventually, dozens of demonic deviators responded to the intrusion and surrounded the two.

"Ma Kong, this is enough. Let us retreat," Zhu Yi called out.

"Do you really think we'd let you come and go like this?" one of the deviators scoffed. "Especially after you discovered our hideout? Dream on!" 

The two didn't bother replying to their foes and began a fighting retreat.

No matter how much the deviators wanted, they could only do so much, despite their numbers. The two from Nightmoon Valley were just too strong. They may not be able to overcome the numbers difference, but there was no way to prevent them from leaving.

The nearby landscape changed as Qi arts were exchanged, and the deviators desperately tried to kill them. If they allowed these two to retreat with information about their hideout, they would be forced to leave and find another place. While that didn't sound like a big deal, it was undoubtedly a life-threatening ordeal for these deviators.

The wilderness had plenty of dangers. Qi beasts, cultivators from both the demonic and righteous path, and even other deviators. Without a place to retreat to, their chances of survival upon any encounters drop significantly. This was especially so if they had made any enemies.

Zhu Yi and Ma Kong didn't care about any of these considerations. They continued to retreat while fighting them off. They eventually neared the rendezvous point, where Li Lang and Long Yi were waiting.

Instead of regrouping with them, they indiscriminately unleashed their Qi arts all over the place. One such attack happened to land near the spot where the duo was hiding. A wall of darkness impacted the ground beside Li Lang before sinking beneath the earth. In its wake was a small piece of paper.

Wasting no time to pick it up, Li Lang found a message written on it. It told him to go rescue Wei Ping inside the stronghold and that Ma Kong would follow suit soon. Having both read the message, Li Lang and Long Yi nodded to each other.

"We likely don't have much time before those deviators give up on their chase," Li Lang commented. "Make sure you use the Wave Dampening Art to hide your cultivation, so we can surprise them. We'll take every advantage we can get."

"I still can't maintain it for long, but it should be enough until we encounter whoever is still standing guard inside. I'm going to need your help if it's anyone in the same realm as us."

"I'll try my best to help, but I don't know how much I can do."

After confirming the cultivators chasing after their allies had flown by them, the two raced back toward the hideout.

During the short trek back, Li Lang thought hard about how he could help in the upcoming fight. They knew the other party must've left somebody to defend their base, and Li Lang wasn't confident in confronting any Foundation Establishment cultivator.

While he was also in the same realm, he had yet to cultivate any Earth-grade cultivation technique. It was a commitment that he didn't want to take lightly. Selecting one of these powerful techniques could provide a huge power boost, especially when working with Qi of the respective affinity, but it weakened the mastery one had of other attributes. The last thing he wanted was to regret his decision.

All this meant Li Lang lacked the same enhancements that other Foundation Establishment cultivators would have. He would have to rely on Long Yi for any upcoming battles.

The two soon returned to the area where the deviator base was located. They had witnessed them emerging, so they immediately went to investigate the area they had come from. 

They soon found a hole in the ground. It was strangely dark, preventing them from clearly seeing what was below. If they didn't know better, they would've believed it was the burrow of some wild animal or Qi beast. 

Taking a deep breath, the two plunged into the opening. They landed on a stone-tiled clearing. It was completely different from what they expected before jumping down. They thought they would land on cold damp earth, not neatly laid tiles.

"There is some sort of illusion formation obscuring this place," Li Lang muttered.

"Come on, we don't have time to analyze anything," Long Yi rebuked. "There's a staircase here. Let's go!"

"Wait. We're going to use a talisman now."

Hearing this, Long Yi didn't rush down the staircase right away. Li Lang came up to him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and took out a talisman from the space ring. The talisman quickly disintegrated, but its effects were immediate. Their figures quickly disappeared from view.

It wasn't the first time they used such a talisman. It was their trump card that allowed them to escape from dangerous foes, the Concealment Talisman! This time, they used it offensively instead of defensively. Its duration was short, but its ability to remain concealed was top-class. They didn't dawdle and sprinted down the staircase.

They previously weren't sure when to use this trump card of theirs, but upon noticing the illusionary formation that protected the stronghold, Li Lang decided to use it right away. He hadn't had the chance to study formations yet, but he knew it was capable of doing many things. He would be a fool to believe these deviators wouldn't include a detection function in the formation that protected their residence.

Just as he suspected, two sets of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs as they descended. They carefully maneuvered around them and continued their way down. They soon arrived at the bottom of the stairs, where a small camp could be seen nearby. One man sat there by a fire, occasionally stealing glances at the staircase.

The two intruders didn't have time for any sightseeing and treaded past this checkpoint as fast as they could. With the Tracing Origin Art as their compass, they made their way deeper into the tunnels.

The entire place was like a maze. Numerous side tunnels split off to their sides. Many of them had drapes covering the entrance, but the place was eerily quiet for its size. Evidently, a majority of its occupants had gone outside to chase after Zhu Yi or were hunkered down in the chambers at the end of these side tunnels. Either way, it worked out for the two intruders as the duration of their Concealment Talisman quickly ran out. No one was there to see them appear out of thin air.

Racing down the main corridor, they eventually came to a stop when Tracing Origin Art pointed them down one of the side tunnels. Just as they pushed past the cover at the entrance, a voice suddenly called out to them from behind.

"I don't believe we've met before. I am Xie Zhi. Do you care to introduce yourselves?"

Chapter 232

Li Lang and Long Yi both snapped around upon hearing someone calling out to them. They were both caught off guard by the sudden newcomer, but they didn't panic. They had accounted for such situations.

Cultivators had many tricks up their sleeves. It wasn't unusual that they possessed some technique that could avoid detection, as their Concealment Talisman did.

They were thankful that this new person before them didn't ambush them with the initiative he had. It could've gone a lot worse, but they were still on guard.

"Now, now, boys. You should realize we're currently busy with something, so I'd like to resolve this swiftly. I understand you may want to escape during this chaos, but do realize that just isn't possible for mortals like you. You should quietly return to wherever you came and I won't tell you owners about this."

Li Lang and Long Yi exchanged glances, as they were both unsure how to respond. They had anticipated many situations, but not one like this. Whoever this deviator was, he obviously believed they were escaped captives!

It was likely due to both of them concealing their cultivation with the Wave Dampening Art. They had done so in order to catch enemies off guard with a sudden outburst of strength. They hadn't expected the defenders to mix up intruders with their captives instead.

As much as Li Lang wanted to perfectly respond to the new situation, they didn't have the time to deliberate. He nodded at Long Yi to get him to follow his lead and raised both hands up to surrender.

"We get it, sir. We don't dare to escape. We were only going to confirm if our friend is here, but we'll return as you say," Li Lang said in a frightful voice.

They submissively walked back out to the main corridor, like children caught in the middle of mischief. Just as they passed by the parent who had caught them red-handed, they abruptly struck out at the same time!

Weapons materialized from thin air, as they pincered the deviator from two sides. However, to their horror, their sneak attack was completely ineffective. Worse, their enemy had roots sprouting from their hands that entangled their arms. In an instant, they went from taking the initiative to being subdued.

The two orthodox cultivators realized their perilous situation at the same time, and each responded in their own way. The only thing they had in common was that they didn't hold back.

Li Lang unleashed his Primordial Star Fire at full strength, burning the vines at the maximum output he could sustain.

Long Yi crumbled the earthen layer of armor he had donned and shot the resulting pieces of earth in every direction. Expelling the armor created enough space for his arm to slip out of the vines while using the residue part of his defensive technique as a powerful means of attack.

Xie Zhi, the deviator who was completely carefree until now, opened his eyes wide at the sudden development. He never expected the two seemingly harmless mortals to lash out with such voracity all of a sudden. Things became worse when he realized one of these men, who he had allowed to come so close to him, controlled a heavenly fire!

As a cultivator who specialized in the wood element, he naturally was aware of one of the greatest nemesis for wood cultivators like him. Fire cultivators were the bane of many of his techniques, so his panic was understandable when he sensed the aura at the Foundation Establishment level coming from the owner of the heavenly flame.

There was no way for him to know that Li Lang had only recently broken through. Not only that, he had yet to select a proper Earth-grade cultivation technique to practice. That would normally mean he was flexible with the attributes of his Qi arts, but it would also be significantly weaker than what Xie Zhi would expect. The disparity was great enough to overcome the natural attribute advantage that fire had over wood.

However, the miraculous existence of heavenly fires equaled this playing field. It allowed Li Lang's flames to eat away at the wooden vines, but it wasn't as rapid as Xie Zhi had feared.

Still, Xie Zhi couldn't relax. Li Lang wasn't the only one he had to worry about. A split second after freeing himself from the bindings, Long Yi also unleashed the strongest attack he had in his arsenal.

At such a close range, the Terra Moon Slash Long Yi let loose could be more accurately described as Terra Moon Thrust. The thrust of his sword was reinforced by the secondary force of a sharp spear of stone bursting out from the tip of his blade. It punctured through the hasty roots Xie Zhi summoned to defend himself.

Blood was drawn at the scene, but both parties opted to create some distance from each other at the same time. One party was injured, while the other was cautious. Oftentimes, those who were cornered were the most dangerous.

"We don't have time to waste," Long Yi whispered to his companion. "You go on ahead!"

Li Lang frowned, but quickly accepted his offer. He knew he had only been able to contribute because he was allowed to close the distance. If that wasn't the case, he currently didn't possess the ability to deliver his flames to his foes from range. He would rather not become a burden, so he decisively ran down the side tunnel toward where Wei Ping should be.

With him gone, the two remaining men stared at each other without a word. They took a few steps and circled each other, but didn't engage. Whether they knew it or not, they were both trying to buy time. Neither wanted to take any risks, so a stalemate quickly formed.

-----

After having broken through his cultivation and the cage that imprisoned him, Wei Ping stood contemplatively, staring at his hand. Beside him was a small group of prisoners he had freed. They were all waiting quietly below the hatch that led to their freedom.

None of them dared to make a noise as they strained their ears for any sounds coming from above. They had all heard their owner, Yuan Kai, being commanded by his master to prepare their belongings so they could escape at any time. That meant it was likely he would return after completing this task. It was also likely that he was just upstairs, so they waited.

"Do any of y-you know where his master's place of residence is?" Wei Ping asked in a hushed voice.

They all shook their heads, except for the portly woman who was Wei Ping's ex-neighbor. 

"It shouldn't be nearby if that's what you're getting at. Every time he says he's going to visit his master, he takes quite a long time."

Hearing this, Wei Ping climbed up against the hatch and pushed his ear against it. He carefully listened for any sound or vibrations from people moving around. He noticed neither, so he proceeded to open the hatch.

It caused his companions to scurry away, but he didn't care. He knew time was of the essence. He felt his rescuers were nearby, so it was now or never. While he didn't have complete control of his new powers, he was confident he could solve a mortal like Yuan Kai. His only worry was Yuan Kai's master.

Climbing through the hatch, he found the bedroom he had previously passed by in disarray, with clothes scattered about. No one was in sight, so he quickly called up his compatriots. The group wasted no time and began escaping from this hell hole. They arrived in the main corridor and found the place eerily quiet.

"They m-must be fighting outside. We should hide somewhere and p-prepare to strike when their enemy fights their way here."

"What if no one comes? They're dozens of cultivators living here who are in the Foundation Establishment Realm, like you. Who's to say they're willing or capable enough to reach this place?"

"They will," Wei Ping resolutely stated. "I can sense them drawing near."

The group brushed that up to the powers of the Foundation Establishment Realm. They were all mortals that Yuan Kai had collected in order to challenge his bottleneck. They treated Wei Ping as their leader and began finding a suitable hiding spot. 

There were dozens of side tunnels to choose from, but before they could pick one, the sound of something approaching startled them. They quickly funneled into one of the nearby passages, but their movements were too sloppy. The newcomer easily spotted them before they could all hide from sight.

A furious bellow followed as the newcomer rushed down the main corridor.

"Move q-quickly! We can't afford to fight near the m-main corridor lest we want more of them to come."

Wei Ping didn't forget to circulate the Wave Dampening Technique as they retreated. Despite having been stuck in the mortal realm, he hadn't neglected to practice the technique they had made their students learn. While he could be weaker, he couldn't excuse himself for not being knowledgeable enough to guide his pupils.

Like that, Yuan Kai relentlessly chased after them, completely unaware of what fate had in store for him.

Chapter 233

Li Lang rushed down the dark passageway, heading exactly where his Tracing Origin Art directed him. The depth of the tunnel made him anxious, as the possibility of this being the wrong path was not zero. There could have been other routes that snaked around to where he needed to go, while the one he was on led to a dead end.

If that was the case, he would have to backtrack and come across the hostile deviator Long Yi was holding off again.

Thankfully, he soon heard a noise coming from up ahead. Then, some lights could be spotted. He could tell Wei Ping was just around the corner, so he fearlessly charged straight into the chamber before him.

He had both his spear and silver needles out, prepared for a fight. Long Yi had entrusted the task of rescuing Wei Ping to him, so he had to live up to his expectations. He only prayed that whatever he encountered, it was someone he could handle.

Determined to face a powerful foe, Li Lang was completely caught off-guard by what he saw as he neared the end of the corridor. Instead of his companion being held in a cage or bonded with chains, a group of poorly dressed people were rummaging through cabinets and sacks inside the chamber.

This group noticed him as well, staring at him warily. The stunning scene only became more confusing when he spotted his target of rescue, Wei Ping, amidst them. He was standing over an unconscious man, tying up his limbs. If Li Lang didn't know any better, he would've believed a group of bandits were ransacking the place after restraining the guard.

"Wei Ping? What's going on here? I thought you were captured, not raiding this place…"

"Um, we w-were just trying to deal with this g-guy here." Wei Ping pointed at the unconscious man lying on the ground. "We just h-happen to come across this storeroom of theirs and g-got carried away."

"Carried away?"

Seeing Li Lang's judging gaze, Wei Ping quickly and succinctly explained what had transpired. However, his explanation only got him reprimanded when Li Lang learned that he had forgotten to fight their way out once he sensed they were closing in. They were supposed to pressure their foes from both the outside and inside, but they got distracted by the treasures before them.

"I have a thing or two to say, but I'll save that for later. Here, hurry up and get your new friends into the Crucible. It's the only safe way to get them out of here. In fact, you should go inside as well. I'll take it from here."

Li Lang unfolded his Spirit-grade artifact, allowing it to expand to the height of an adult. He then turned toward the pile of treasure in the room, leaving everything else to Wei Ping. It caused the man in question to grin awkwardly, upon seeing Li Lang getting just as distracted by the loot as he did.

The storage room they chanced upon didn't contain the most valuable items they had ever seen, but it was well-stocked with various low-level pills and cultivation manuals. It wasn't surprising, considering the existence of space rings. The valuables would be stored near their owners.

It appeared the storage room only contained the less valuable items meant for training up the younger generation and for the bulky miscellaneous items these deviators collected. With their constant raiding of both the Luminescent Domain and the territory of various righteous sects, they had a rich collection of trinkets and their likes.

"B-Boss, they're all in the Crucible. You can stow it away now," Wei Ping called out to the busy Li Lang. 

He was skimming through the cultivation manual, but when he heard his companion's words, he quickly folded the book away and stowed it in his space ring.

"What about you? Head inside already."

"Boss, look. I c-can defend myself now."

Wei Ping stopped suppressing his cultivation, allowing the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator to freely emanate.

"This—you've broken through? What in the world? Are you sure you didn't come to this place just to gain inspiration to get past your bottleneck? That's no good. It's reckless and put us all in danger."

"No, no, boss. I r-really did get captured."

"Hmm, really?"

While he cast a doubtful look at the man wearing the wooden mask, Li Lang retrieved his artifact and began using it as a space ring. There was no need to inspect what it was. He simply threw everything that seemed slightly valuable into his Spirit-grade artifact. He only paused when he arrived at the shelf with miscellaneous trinkets because he didn't know if they were worth taking. The last thing he wanted was some cursed or dangerous item.

He picked up a large piece of crystal of some sort and carefully examined it. Then he moved on to a bucket-sized jade token with the word 'Sun' inscribed onto it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make out what the items did or how dangerous they were.

Just as he was about to reach out to continue his inspection, the sound of metal clashing rang out in the distance. It was only then he was reminded that Long Yi and likely the two seniors from Nightmoon Valley were still fighting outside. He decided to delay making any judgment and just toss everything into the pocket realm. He just needed to tell the artifact spirits to keep them somewhere safe, away from his curious students.

He believed he could then find someone more knowledgeable about these trinkets after they got out of there to determine their worth and danger level.

"Okay, let's go. There's no time to waste. Our companions are fighting outside to buy us time!"

"B-boss—"

Wei Ping wanted to retort and tell him he was the one to waste time, but couldn't go through with it. It would only waste more time arguing, so he swallowed his words.

The reunited duo made their way back toward the main corridor to reinforce Long Yi. On their way, Li Lang shared the latest information he had of their situation. The sound of fighting grew louder the further the two traveled.

They soon arrived back at the main tunnel. They glanced around for traces of Long Yi. The sound of fighting was coming from one of the nearby corridors, so they listened carefully. 

The sound grew louder and then a figure was sent flying toward them. It narrowly missed them, colliding with the wall behind. A cloud of dust was kicked up as parts of the wall crumbled. As the dust settled, another two figures emerged from the same side tunnel while the figure, who had been sent flying, regained their footing.

"Long Yi? Are you okay?" Li Lang cried out upon recognizing his friend. He quickly realized it was his companion who was on the losing end of the exchange. It made him snap his gaze toward the two nearby threats. "Stay close. We can't afford to get isolated."

Wei Ping nodded while Long Yi strode over to them. The three readied their weapons, prepared to fight their way out of this lair of demonic evil-doers.

"Ha, I thought things were getting a little too rowdy, so it turns out there is more than one intruder," a middle-aged man said with a chuckle as he sauntered toward the trio.

"Senior Yuan Tao, that kid with the mask is one of the feed I sold to your nephew! Tell us, what have you done to Yuan Kai?" the other man shouted at the trio.

It only took a split second for Li Lang to realize they were talking about the person who Wei Ping had beaten up. He was easily subdued, as he was just a mortal. A plan quickly formulated within Li Lang's mind.

"Oh, that guy. He's hurt pretty bad down in that cave over there. I'd hurry to his side if I were you. Otherwise, he may not be able to survive for long."

"Youngster these days," Yuan Tao muttered with much amusement. "Don't think you can get your way through threats. People like us are most unafraid of threats!"

The older man then lunged straight at the trio. It caused Long Yi to form an earthen wall, but it abruptly shattered. Roots sprouted out from within it, breaking it apart. It allowed the middle-aged man to close the distance.

In response, Li Lang summoned his flames and sent them on an interception course, but just as it was about to make contact, a torrent of water enveloped Yuan Tao. It shielded the man from both the fire and the following wind strikes Wei Ping unleashed.

The scene caused the trio to grimace. They realized they were at a disadvantage from that short exchange despite outnumbering them.

The new enemy they encountered turned out to be at the very peak of early-stage Foundation Establishment. He was very close to breaking through to the next stage, but that wasn't all.

Yuan Tao and Xie Zhi were experts who specialized in the water element and wood element, respectively. Water beat Li Lang's fire while wood countered the earth element. On the other hand, fire could also beat wood, while earth contained water, so there wasn't an attribute disparity at first glance. 

However, Li Lang's strength was too weak to take into the equation. He didn't practice any specialized Earth-grade techniques yet, and the same could be said about Wei Ping. The wind element techniques he often showcased were even more underpowered than Li Lang's flames.

The trio could only rely on Long Yi, while the other two could only play a supporting role.

"Haha, you three really are too young. Your immaturely shows in your skills. I advise you to give up. I'm merciful enough to give you a quick death. You'll be more useful if you become my sustenance!"

The trio ignored the middle-aged man's provocations and talked amongst themselves.

"Should we call for our backup?" Long Yi asked.

"Hmm, Senior Ma Kong doesn't seem to be here yet. We may just have to."

"Hey!" Xie Zhi, the young man who had captured Wei Ping, yelled. "It's useless to bluff now. This is the heart of our base. If anything, our reinforcements are more likely to be the ones showing up first. Prepare for your deaths, mongrels!"

The hot-headed man charged forth, brimming with confidence as he had a powerful helper behind him. This was a decision that he would soon come to regret.

Several lights shot out from Li Lang's chest, marking the beginning of a new phase of the fight.

Chapter 234: Numerically Superior

"This…" Xie Zhi and Yuan Tao were at a loss for words.

Facing three opponents may have posed a challenge to them, but it was one they believed they could still handle. The two could tell the intruders were inexperienced, and they knew how to exploit that to their advantage. They had them figuratively against the wall, so they disregarded their bluffs about reinforcements.

However, they never expected to be proven wrong within the next moment. They really did have backup, and they arrived immediately as well. Just as Xie Zhi taunted his foes about how his fellow deviators were more likely to arrive first, half a dozen figures suddenly appeared and surrounded him.

The fight quickly turned into a nine-on-two. From their aura, they could tell none of them were mortals. No matter how inexperienced they may be, against such odds, the chances of victory were slim for the deviators. Both parties knew that.

"I'll give you a chance to surrender," Li Lang offered. "We're not here to take your lives."

It was a fact that they were in the heart of a deviator base, but they were only here to rescue Wei Ping. Wasting time fighting would only endanger them needlessly.

Li Lang and his students slowly tightened their encirclement as they waited for a reply. Contrary to what they expected, the two men didn't say yes or no. The older gentlemen stayed stoic, but the younger Xie Zhi burst out laughing maniacally.

"You, offering us a chance to surrender? Hahaha."

Xie Zhi covered his face with both hands as he tried to contain his laughter. 

Li Lang's group exchanged glances and was just about to take action when the ground suddenly trembled. Thick roots shot out from the ground, splitting the earth apart. There were dozens of them, each as thick as a human adult.

The wooden tendrils shot out in all directions, causing the inexperienced group of cultivations to hastily cast their Qi arts in defense. Unlike Li Lang and Wei Ping, their students had selected and practiced an Earth-grade technique.

Various techniques of different attributes were unleashed. The presence of so many Qi arts combined with the confined space resulted in a chaotic scene. The powerful moves ricocheted around when they collided, causing multiple techniques to crash into each other. It was plain to see that Li Lang's group wasn't used to cooperating.

It couldn't be helped. Li Lang was focused on research regarding cultivation and Qi arts. They neglected individual combat, not to talk about group combat. They were incomparable to sects and organizations who spent a lot of effort training team play and practicing a unified set of techniques that complemented each other.

All this gave some reprieve to the deviators. It allowed the two an opportunity to slip away. However, it wasn't to escape, but to reposition themselves near the entrance of a side tunnel, where they could funnel their enemies toward them.

They did this quickly and immediately counterattacked when they got into place. 

Yuan Tao charged forward while Xie Zhi stayed back and took out a pouch. He was just about to scatter its contents around when a large figure suddenly loomed over him.

He sensed it immediately and dove forward to get out of the way. A split second later, pieces of debris flew everywhere from behind him. He turned around to find Long Yi, recovering his sword from a small crater on the ground.

Before he could make another move, more attacks came from the opposite direction, where Li Lang and his students were. They had the leeway to not only deal with Yuan Tao but also target him!

If Xie Zhi was a normal person, he would've uttered curses at the unfortunate situation he found himself in. However, deviators were known to have a few screws loose. Xie Zhi widened his smile at the prospect of life-threatening danger.

Half of a dozen attacks landed at the same time. It kicked up a storm, obscuring visibility within the tunnels.

"Don't let up! Keep attacking!" Long Yi roared.

Li Lang and the students obliged, and each shot out more attacks before the dust settled.

The nine cultivators continuously cast powerful moves, one after the other. The sound of impact rang out without stopping. It was a testament to the large reserve of Qi, cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm had. It was at least a few orders of magnitude more than Energy Gatherers.

"Long Yi!" Li Lang cried. "That should be enough. Let's get out of here while we still can!"

With some hesitation, Long Yi agreed.

"You guys, it's time to return!"

At his beckoning, his students promptly followed the sound of his voice and gathered. Li Lang then summoned a man-sized Crucible again. Just as his students were about to enter, dozens of tiny needles shot out from the opposite direction of the smoke. To be precise, they were needles made of water. Their thinness made it hard to spot and their speed allowed it to strike Li Lang's group before they could respond.

Thankfully, Long Yi reacted quickly. He slashed down his sword, casting his Terra Moon Slash toward the approaching cultivator. It prevented the newcomer from attacking again. Using this opening, Li Lang ushered all his students before retrieving his Spirit-grade artifact.

"Let's go. We've overstayed our welcome. They've either got backup coming or one of them who had been hiding in their room had decided to show up. We have to leave before even more decide to join."

Their students had gotten hurt. Li Lang and Wei Ping did as well, but none of the injuries were serious. It could be solved within a few minutes by consuming a Recovery Pill. Still, it wasn't a good idea to fight the newcomer as well.

Just the short encounter had already revealed a plethora of their weaknesses. They had poor teamwork, poor combat experience, and lacked a breadth of techniques to deal with various situations, like when visibility was poor. Now, even several students were injured.

What seemed to be an assured victory on paper turned out to be a tough encounter. While they could replicate their victory against this new deviator, they couldn't discount the possibility of more reinforcements coming. It was time for them to make their escape.

With their students now safely returned to the pocket realm, the tunnel became a lot less crowded. It gave the trio more room to maneuver, which was vital for them to slip away.

Just as they steeled themselves to get past this new enemy of theirs, a bright light appeared in the distance. Within the next second, a huge hole had opened up in the chest of their foe. He tilted his head to inspect his wound, only to fall down face first into the ground.

"This way!" a familiar voice shouted.

Having seen the display of power, the trio already knew who it was. It wasn't the first time the Nightmoon Valley disciple, Ma Kong, had showcased his deadly Qi art. It was almost invincible at their current cultivation level. Perhaps the only shortcoming that could be observed was its lack of coverage, unable to target multiple foes at once. 

The trio ran down the main corridor of the underground stronghold, straight toward the figure of their ally. A sense of safety spread among them as they spotted the reliable late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

From what they saw, Ma Kong and Zhu Yi were some of the most powerful people in the Foundation Establishment Realm. One specialized in single target attacks while the other in area of effect. They complimented each other so well that they literally took on an army of deviators of the same rank by themselves.

This sense of comfort made their astonishment all the greater when their supposed ally shone with light once more while staring straight at them. It was the precursor to his deadly Qi art. It caused the trio to stiffen as they came into the crosshair of such a powerful technique. There was nothing they could do. They could only stare, like a deer caught in the headlights.

Ma Kong finished casting his Qi art quickly, leaving the trio wondering who the target was. They inspected their own body for wounds before turning to each other.

"What are you doing? Hurry up!" Ma Kong shouted.

It was only then that the trio realized the target of his attack wasn't one of them. Looking behind them, they found the two deviators they had been fighting, Xie Zhi and Yuan Tao, leaking out fresh blood while they remained motionless on the ground. 

Hmm, we need a technique to sense if a cultivator is really incapacitated or not, too. Maybe techniques for low-visibility situations can do that as well. I need to talk to more cultivators at this level to find the means they use to deal with these issues.

Chapter 235: Brewing Storm

Li Lang's group, led by Ma Kong, quickly evacuated from the deviator stronghold. They followed the lead of their strongest ally without hesitation during these critical moments.

"If we're in such a hurry, does that mean Senior Zhu is in trouble outside?" Li Lang asked as they climbed out of the hole that connected the underground base to the outside world.

"No. She's fine for now, but she can only last for so long."

With a few words, Ma Kong explained the situation they were in prior to coming to get them. The two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were in a stalemate with dozens of deviators. When a stalemate occurred between two parties with such stark contrast in numbers, the side with superior quantity usually had the advantage. That was because they could cover for each other while their allies rested or consumed pills.

A lone powerful cultivator would never win a war of attrition against a large group that was capable of containing them.

For that reason, Ma Kong hurried them along, rushing away from the area on his Skyrunner. Once they made some distance, he took out a jade of some sort and crushed it. Not long after, a lone Skyrunner rendezvous with them mid-flight. It was naturally Zhi Yi returning.

"It seems your side has been successful. Good."

"It's all thanks to you two Seniors," Li Lang politely replied as he clasped his fist to them.

Zhu Yi smiled.

"I'd glad nothing irreversible happened, and you had the opportunity to experience real combat against human cultivators as well."

"Your meaning is—you purposefully orchestrated a plan where we would fight them? I'm sorry Senior, but wasn't that too risky when we couldn't confirm the safety of Wei Ping at the time?"

"Cultivators should be no stranger to risk. The plan we came up with was also one with the highest chance of success. We didn't go out of our way to select it, only to give you experience. It just happens to work out nicely."

"I see." Li Lang nodded to himself as he calmed down and thought it through. "Sorry for questioning you like that."

"No need to apologize. We know what it is like to be young. Isn't that right, Ma Kong?"

Looking over at the stoic man, his expression remained unchanging. He glared at Li Lang wordlessly.

"B-Boss, shouldn't we check on the injured?" Wei Ping called out, trying to defuse the awkward silence.

"Right. If you'll excuse me, Seniors."

"Go ahead. We'll take care of driving the Skyrunner for the rest of the day. We should be able to make it to a town before night falls."

Heading inside the Skyrunner with his companions, Li Lang quickly summoned the Crucible and enlarged it so they could enter. The three went in together and found themselves in the main lobby, where there were dozens of thick red pillars.

It didn't take long for them to locate their students. They were in the clearing in front of the private room area, sitting around. All the ones who had stepped past the Energy Gathering Realm were meditating with serious expressions on their face. That was why the younger disciples in the mortal realm noticed the arrival of their teachers first.

"Teachers, we gave those people you rescue their own rooms. They're resting now. Do you want us to get them?"

"Teacher Wei is back! I was sure you guys would be able to punish those evil cultivators!"

"Teachers, all the seniors came back injured with gloomy expressions, so we were worried about you!"

Seeing the excitement in his students, Li Lang felt a restless part of him calming down. It finally sunk in that the rescue mission was a success. He was no longer taut like a string, and Wei Ping was safe.

However, his moment of relief was brief. Several new things quickly came to mind as soon as he relaxed. Their group had many shortcomings. There was a lot to do before they could truly stand independently with their meager strength.

His mind was focused on the upcoming event taking place on Sword Saint Isle. It was an opportunity to remedy all these weaknesses they had. Having exchanges with other cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm would allow him to learn a lot. It was only with enough knowledge that he could start coming up with proper methods to strengthen themselves.

A cultivator's time was limited. They had to curate their arsenal of techniques carefully, as they couldn't afford to split their attention too wide.

Artifacts, cultivation techniques, Qi arts, martial arts, and so much more. Am I ever going to have enough time to resume my research on topics like alchemy or brushweaving?

Back in the deviator stronghold, deep within the mountain ranges where neither demonic cultivators nor orthodox sects laid claim, a large gathering of cultivators was in the middle of fierce discussions.

"You imbeciles! We left you behind as guards and you somehow allowed intruders to invade deep into our home?" a man bellowed.

"Dong Guang and his group were standing guard at the entrance. That is usually enough. How would I know that they would fail at simple guard duty so easily?" Yuan Tao retorted. "And before you continue to yell at us, don't forget your group failed to catch the invaders as well, Xi Jin!"

Moments ago, Yuan Tao had been found with his life hanging by a thread, but he swiftly recovered after ingesting some high-quality pills. Anyone who saw him now would've never suspected that he had been so severely injured that he was only a step away from death just moments ago.

"No need to be so hasty in deflecting responsibility! You may be weak, being defeated so easily, but at least you still put up a fight. The same couldn't be said for the lot behind you. They are either cowards or stupid imbeciles who can't even step away from their hobby of torturing their feed for a few moments! Did you know you people cost Master Min his entire collection? You're all going to have to explain yourselves to him when he returns."

"What?!"

A commotion quickly spread among the crowd of deviators. It was the first they had heard of this for many of them. Only a few of them bothered to investigate the entire base after the invasion. Most of them were too tired after fighting with a formidable foe to care or were already holed up in their rooms in the first place.

However, before the commotion could get out of control, one of the lookouts outside came rushing.

"Report. Our guests from afar are finally here!"

"Hmm, welcome them in. We can't afford to offend them at all. It's unfortunate, though. If they weren't late, they would've been here when this mess happened. These invaders never would've survived if that were the case."

The news about the guests calmed everyone in an instant. They all adjusted their clothing, trying to make themselves as presentable as possible as they awaited their arrival. 

A few moments later, a small group started filing into the main corridor of their base. They consisted mostly of young men and women, except for the one leading them.

She was an old woman with wrinkles all over her, but stood straight as an arrow. The most eye-catching thing about her was several coffins floating around her. Combined with her formidable aura, her presence sent chills to all who laid eyes on her.

Their entrance silenced the entire venue as no one dared to speak in the presence of such a powerful expert without their permission. They even breathed lightly in fear of making a noise that drew that wrong type of attention to themselves.

The old woman went around to each deviator present and carefully regarded their face before moving on to the next. This made her victims even more nervous than they already were.

Thankfully, there were more level-headed people within this group. A young man stepped forward toward the interim leader of this stronghold and clasped his fist.

"Greetings. We hope you're all doing well. Please do forgive our teacher's antics. We'll be out of your way tomorrow morning, so I hope you won't mind too much."

"No, no. It's fine," Xi Jin said. "It's important for people like us to assist each or else we'll be letting those arrogant bunch outside win."

Deviators who could still retain their cognitive functions formed groups. These groups had a tacit arrangement with each other to provide shelter for each other, so they could weather any pursuits and escape the clutches of the orthodox sects or great organizations. With prior notice, this arrangement encompassed lodging when a group traveled.

That was why this old lady's group was welcomed into the hideout. Otherwise, no matter how strong she was, most deviators would rather die than compromise.

"Umm, is there something troubling you?" the young man asked, upon noticing the strange expression of his host. "Feel free to ask. I'll answer what I can."

"Well—if it's okay. We heard your group is planning something big out east. If you're traveling here now, is the target what I think it is?"

The young man nodded. "That's right."

"What?! Have they finally slipped up and offended your teacher?"

"That's about right. I won't go into detail—" the man looked over at the old lady. "—for obvious reasons, but things aren't far from what you are thinking."

"Then, do you think we could join you as—"

Before Xi Jin could finish his words, hysteric yelling cut him off. He turned to find the old lady staring down one of the nearby side tunnels with an enraged expression.

"Is something the matter with your mentor?" the man fearfully said. "Just tell us and we'll strive to fix it immediately."

"Oh man, I think it's a little too late. Our teacher is sensitive to such things." The man turned around to face his companions, holding up a hand to them. "Let's do this quickly. I want to get everything cleaned up before dinner."

Before the confused host could inquire further, the young man suddenly grabbed Xi Jin's throat, and sparks of blue electricity were unleashed, frying the man until smoke rose from his body, spreading the scent of charred flesh. Behind him, his fellow disciple did the same, launching a surprise attack of their own on their hosts. They were ruthless and decisive, striking for the kill. The deviators native to the base stood no chance.