A moment before the room was due, Li Xuan checked out of the room and left the inn. He didn't disguise himself; firstly, he didn't have the skill, and secondly, if he wore a bamboo hat or something, it would only make him more conspicuous.
In the market, one couldn't use Flying Swords or other flying Magical Artifacts to fly. After leaving the market, he found a secluded corner, activated his spirit boat, and quickly flew towards Lingxu Mountain.
"No good, the target is escaping! Second Brother, Third Brother, quickly pursue! Remember, do not harm his life."
Not far behind him, a voice came, and the other party seemed not to be suppressing their voice but rather amplifying it.
Li Xuan's expression tightened, thinking to himself that he was indeed being targeted. He took out a wind riding talisman and affixed it to the spirit boat, increasing its speed by another 20%. In an instant, he shook off the Rogue Cultivators on Flying Swords behind him.
"It's a Medium Grade spirit boat! Brothers, we've struck it rich this time!"
Three people were pursuing him on Flying Swords. One of them, an old man at Qi Refining sixth layer, his eyes lit up, and he licked his lips as he spoke to the two middle-aged Cultivators beside him.
The two middle-aged Cultivators were both at Qi Refining fifth layer and were also overjoyed at the news.
"Big Brother, Second Brother, after we finish this job, let's just escape. We've already received the deposit anyway. Since this Bingxuan Sect Outer Sect Disciple has a Medium Grade spirit boat, he probably has other treasures on him. That Zhou fellow is definitely no good. Why don't we kill this person, pin the blame on him, and then find another place? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Big Brother, Third Brother is right. This person is, after all, an Outer Sect Disciple of the Bingxuan Sect. Harming him would be a slap in the face to the Bingxuan Sect. Given how ruthless that Zhou Lin is, we might be silenced afterward."
"Do you damn well think I don't know that? But he's still a Bingxuan Sect member. I heard he's protected by a Saintess. Do you really think nothing will happen if we kill him? This entire area is Bingxuan Sect territory. Where can we escape to then? God knows what mysterious detection methods they have."
The old man cursed.
The old man's words silenced the two middle-aged Cultivators beside him; the power of the Bingxuan Sect was ingrained in the bones of these Loose Cultivators.
As they pursued, they gradually reached the halfway point of the mountain, where clouds and mist swirled.
"Split up and pursue him. Don't let him slip away."
The old man said in a deep voice.
The two middle-aged Cultivators spread out, and the three of them formed a pincer movement to encircle the mountaintop.
Just then, the old man vaguely saw a golden light through the mist, and then he saw several Talismans thrown over, with fire blazing everywhere.
A golden light emerged from the old man's body.
"Pah, Low Grade Fireball Talisman, wasted one of my Medium Grade Vajra Talismans for nothing." At the same time, his Flying Sword also shot in front of Li Xuan. The Vajra Talisman in front of Li Xuan let out a loud bang, deflecting the Flying Sword.
Li Xuan calmly retreated. With his Medium Grade spirit boat, he was much faster than them. His optimal choice at this moment would have been to escape to the market, but after hearing these people's conversation, he chose to fight head-on. If he hid this time, there would only be more trouble later. The forces in this area would all think he was an easy target to bully, and by then, it would be difficult.
Moreover, what good would escaping to the market do? Would he really give up Lingxu Mountain and hide inside, living in disgrace?
He fled, and the Rogue Cultivators pursued.
He did not go up the mountain but instead circled in the misty area. While fleeing, he found another opportunity and threw several Fireball Talismans at the old man, all Low Grade, but the old man still used a Medium Grade Vajra Talisman.
Thus, cursing could be heard in the air again.
"This kid is tricking us with Low Grade Fireball Talismans. Second Brother, Third Brother, act flexibly."
He instructed the other two Rogue Cultivators.
Just then, Li Xuan targeted the third brother. First, two Low Grade Fireball Talismans were thrown over. After a golden light appeared on his body, three consecutive Medium Grade Fireball Talismans struck the golden light.
"Damn it, Big Brother, this guy is indeed cunning, tricking us out of our Medium Grade Vajra Talismans. Luckily, this time I used a Low Grade Vajra..."
"Bang!"
A huge explosion rang out, and the third brother's words abruptly stopped. In mid-air, the third brother was burned to ashes, and his masterless Flying Sword fell, which Li Xuan then pulled towards himself.
The old man roared and flew rapidly on his Flying Sword towards Li Xuan's location, clutching a stack of Fireball Talismans in his hand.
Li Xuan did not linger in battle; after one strike, he quickly fled, leaving the old man to hit nothing but air.
"Second Brother, absolutely do not let this kid escape! Even if we are held accountable afterward, today we must tear him to shreds!"
"It's my fault, I shouldn't have said so much..."
The old man's eyes were bloodshot as he roared, but he did not receive a response from the second brother.
"Bang."
Another loud bang came from a distance.
The old man, however, forced himself to calm down. He flew on his Flying Sword to the mountain peak, hid in Li Xuan's small courtyard, and waited quietly. He didn't believe Li Xuan wouldn't return home.
At first, he had underestimated his opponent, thinking that with three against one and a difference in Realm, he was sure to win. But he didn't expect the other party to have so many Medium Grade Talismans. Medium Grade Vajra Talismans alone appeared 3 times. He had underestimated the wealth of a Bingxuan Sect Outer Sect Disciple, which led to the failure of this expedition.
"Second Brother's Storage Pouch was most likely taken by him. Even if I escape, without Spirit Stones, it will be difficult to make a comeback in the short term. I might as well give it my all. If I win, I'll find a mortal place to marry and have children. If I lose, then I'll just go with them. I'm not as skilled, so I can't blame anyone."
To prevent other Rogue Cultivators from attempting a decapitation strike, all their valuables were kept with the weakest, the second brother. Normally, the second brother rarely left the market. This time, he came out because he believed Zhou Lin's words and personally witnessed Li Xuan's strength, which was only at Qi Refining third layer.
Among the clouds, Li Xuan found another spot to quietly hide. He sat cross-legged on the spirit boat, a Flying Sword resting on his lap, and in his hand, the Storage Pouch of the second Rogue Cultivator.
The Storage Pouch contained 51 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, as well as some Medicinal Pills and Talismans. Li Xuan did not touch the Medicinal Pills; he only took out the three Medium Grade Fireball Talismans and two Medium Grade Vajra Talismans from inside, clenching them in his hand.
After a quick check, he sensed his surroundings for a moment. After not detecting any trace of the Rogue Cultivator, he focused on the better-looking Flying Sword, and a faint light screen appeared before him.
【First-Order Low Grade Flying Sword (Upgradeable): In perfect condition, crafted from First-Order High Grade materials.】
【Can be upgraded to First-Order Medium Grade Armor-Piercing Flying Sword, which cannot be upgraded further, or upgraded to Medium Grade ordinary Flying Sword, which can be upgraded again to First-Order High Grade Flying Sword after half a month.】
【Upgrade Effects: Armor-Piercing Flying Sword — Flexibility increased by 10% compared to Flying Swords of the same grade, comes with an armor-piercing effect, capable of breaking defensive Talismans one grade higher, and capable of causing severe damage to defensive Magical Artifacts of the same grade.
Ordinary Flying Sword — Flexibility increased by 10% compared to Flying Swords of the same grade.】
【Upgrade Conditions: Armor-Piercing Flying Sword — 30 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, upgrade time one hour.
Ordinary Flying Sword — 20 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, upgrade time half an hour.】
"Upgrade to Armor-Piercing Flying Sword."
Li Xuan took out the Spirit Stones and silently thought to himself. Although upgrading to an Armor-Piercing Flying Sword would exhaust the sword's potential, he had no choice at the moment. God knew if the other party had High Grade Talismans or other means.
At this moment, he had 7 Medium Grade Fireball Talismans and 4 Medium Grade Vajra Talismans in his hand. His previous stash was almost depleted, but there was still one Rogue Cultivator left to deal with. He was waiting for the Flying Sword upgrade to complete.