Liu Family's Employment

In a dense forest several dozen li west of Qinghe Market, more than twenty cultivators had gathered. Leading them was an elderly cultivator over ninety years old, dressed in a black-and-white Daoist robe, his face etched with the weariness of time, his brows and beard already snow-white.

This old man was Liu Tianlong, the current patriarch of the Liu Family of Jingyuan Mountain in Qinghe County. At the peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, he had once been a renowned genius cultivator in Qinghe County, reaching the Ninth Level of Qi Refining before he was fifty. Unfortunately, by the time he reached that stage, his family had already begun to decline, and he failed to achieve Foundation Establishment.

Before a Qi Refining Cultivator reached sixty, when their vitality and blood began to wane, was the best time for Foundation Establishment. After eighty, they had essentially lost all hope of it. At Liu Tianlong's age, unless he encountered a heaven-defying opportunity, he would have no further chance of successfully achieving Foundation Establishment.

For an old-established cultivator like Liu Tianlong, who had broken through to the Late Qi Refining Stage many years ago, his combat prowess was beyond question. In Qinghe County, apart from those few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, people like them were absolutely among the top fighting forces.

So long as he did not suffer any severe injuries, Liu Tianlong could maintain his peak combat strength for at least another decade or so. Only after a Qi Refining Cultivator reached one hundred and ten would their body's vitality and blood gradually wither, causing them to lose the ability to absorb Spiritual Energy. By then, they could no longer act freely. If they forcibly fought and depleted too much Spiritual Energy, at best their cultivation realm would fall; at worst, it would affect their final ten years of lifespan and cause them to pass away early.

"Patriarch, word has come from the Song Family. They've arrived." A Middle-aged Man beside Liu Tianlong reported the message he had just received.

Liu Tianlong stroked the beard at the corner of his mouth and said in a deep voice, "Notify the Wu Family and Du Family cultivators. Prepare to depart."

The Liu Family had once produced a Foundation Establishment Cultivator as well, and a hundred years ago, they had been one of Qinghe County's Foundation Establishment Families. However, fortune had not favored them. During the demonic beast turmoil a century ago, they lost the clan's only Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Although the Carefree Sect compensated them with a Foundation Establishment Pill after the war, the person chosen by the Liu Family failed to achieve Foundation Establishment. From then on, the Liu Family fell into the ranks of Qi Refining Families. They could only yield part of their family businesses in exchange for the protection of other Foundation Establishment Families, becoming a vassal family of the Huang Family to this day.

The Liu Family had planned this trip to the Floating Cloud Mountain Range for many years. So long as it went smoothly, they would obtain an opportunity to go to the Carefree Sect and exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill. As long as someone from the Liu Family successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, the glory of their former Foundation Establishment Family would be restored in his hands, and everything in the family would change with it! At this thought, Liu Tianlong's heart surged with excitement.

Following the two elders, the eight members of the Song Family raced westward for several hundred li in one go before arriving at this dense forest. By then, several dozen cultivators had already gathered there, including seven or eight Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators. They had not expected the Liu Family to place such importance on this trip to the Floating Cloud Mountain Range.

After Second Elder Song Changfeng exchanged greetings with Liu Tianlong, he led the Song Family members into the group of cultivators headed by the Liu Family. Once everyone had assembled, they left Qinghe County and headed north.

For this expedition, the Liu Family had invited three nearby families. Besides the Song Family, there were the Wu Family of Dragon Pool Mountain and the Du Family of Gemstone Peak. The Wu Family's strength was roughly equal to that of the Song Family, and their leader was Wu Xiyun, the Wu Family patriarch. The Du Family was somewhat stronger, with more than thirty cultivators in the clan. Leading them this time was the Du Family's Second Elder, Du Shaokang.

North of Qinghe County lay Pingyang County, the largest of the four counties in Jiangling Commandery. It alone had seven Foundation Establishment Families, and the territory and number of cultivators under its control were more than twice those of Qinghe County. Another hundred li north of Pingyang County stretched the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, extending for thousands of li.

Demonic beasts ran rampant throughout the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, making it unsuitable for ordinary mortals to settle and live there. Yet it was a gathering place for countless Rogue Cultivators of Wei State. Many Rogue Cultivators from the four counties of Jiangling Commandery liked to come to the Floating Cloud Mountain Range to hunt demonic beasts.

Many Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivators also occupied spiritual veins here and opened Cave Abodes. The Wulong River north of Pingyang County was also the boundary between humanity and the demonic beast forces of the Northern Frontier.

The vast Floating Cloud Mountain Range attracted numerous cultivators every year to hunt demonic beasts. At the same time, it served as a buffer zone whenever the demonic beasts of the Northern Frontier erupted into unrest.

Thus, the Carefree Sect attached great importance to this place. Not only had it established several Marketplaces near the Floating Cloud Mountain Range to gather all kinds of resources and earn the Spirit Stones of Rogue Cultivators, it had also assigned Core Formation Elders from the sect to guard the area year-round.

After traveling north for several days, the group entered Pingyang County. They walked for nearly another ten days before crossing through Pingyang County and entering the Floating Cloud Mountain Range.

This was also Song Qingming's first time leaving Qinghe County to carry out a mission. Along the way, whether the cultivators he saw traveled in groups like theirs or moved alone in twos and threes, all of them shared the same destination: the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, a place fraught with danger yet brimming with opportunities everywhere.

Back at Lingyuan Mountain, Song Qingming had often heard Ninth Uncle Song Changxin speak of the strange and extraordinary events he encountered while cultivating at Purple Jade Mountain in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range. Song Qingming had long been deeply curious about this place. But since setting out with the others this time, they had done nothing but hurry onward, leaving him no chance to take in the sights along the road.

Half a month after entering the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, the group arrived at a dense forest within a mountain cove. Liu Tianlong announced that they would rest in place for the night. Their hunting target lay in a pond not far ahead: a Grade 2 Low-grade Silver Armored Crab Demon.

According to the Liu Family cultivators, this Silver Armored Crab had advanced into a Level 2 Demonic Beast only a few decades ago, and its divine abilities would not be difficult to handle.

After racing along like wind and lightning, the group finally had a rare chance to rest for the night. Once darkness fell, they lit bonfires and gathered in several circles. Laughter and chatter continued until midnight before gradually dying down.

Early the next morning, led by the Liu Family, the group arrived beside a pond. The pond was only several dozen zhang across. Near its center, a huge black reef jutted above the water's surface, with several low-grade demonic beasts lying atop it, leisurely basking in the newly risen sun.

Under the direction of several Liu Family elders, everyone began setting up the Golden Net Demon Trapping Formation in a patch of grass by the pond. This Grade 2 Low-grade formation had been purchased by the Liu Family from a Marketplace in Jiangling Commandery many years ago. As long as sixteen Qi Refining Cultivators activated it together, it could trap an ordinary Grade 2 Low-grade Demonic Beast for a short time. This was also the greatest source of confidence that allowed the Liu Family to set their sights on a Level 2 Demonic Beast this time.

Second-grade Array Formations were rather complex. The Liu Family had prepared thoroughly for this operation. Two High-grade Array Masters had come from the Liu Family alone, and together with two High-grade Array Masters from the Wu and Song Families, the four led Song Qingming and more than a dozen mid- and low-grade Formation Masters. It took them nearly an hour of effort to set up this Level 2 Grand Formation.

This was also Song Qingming's first time participating in the setup of a Second-grade Array Formation. His Formation Skill as a Low-grade Array Master was originally only at the beginner level, but following four High-grade Array Masters in jointly setting up this formation benefited him greatly.

Though he merely assisted with minor tasks during this formation setup, he gained many insights into the Way of Formations, and countless sparks of inspiration were kindled within him.

More than forty cultivators participated in this mission. Among them were nine Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, while everyone else was in the Mid Qi Refining Stage. Nor was the Level 2 Silver Armored Crab Demon the only creature in the pond; there were also quite a few Level 1 Demonic Beasts.

According to the Liu Family's arrangements on site, some of the Formation Masters would remain behind to activate the formation at any time. The other cultivators, led by several Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, would first slaughter the Level 1 Demonic Beasts in the pond.

Before the battle began, they had to kill as many Level 1 Demonic Beasts as possible. Otherwise, once the Level 2 Demonic Beast emerged, too many Level 1 Demonic Beasts would tie down the grand formation, making it difficult for the formation to fully trap the Level 2 Demonic Beast after it was activated.

"Qingming and Changyun, stay behind and help us activate the grand formation. Everyone else, follow Changfeng into action." Seeing the Liu Family cultivators already organizing people to attack the pond, First Elder Song Gubo swiftly made the proper arrangements.

Like Song Qingming, Twelfth Aunt Song Changyun was a Low-grade Array Master. Though she possessed Sixth Layer of Qi Refining cultivation, she cultivated a Wood Attribute technique. Her combat divine abilities were ordinary, and she rarely took part in such dangerous missions.

First Elder Song Gubo was the family's only High-grade Array Master, so naturally he had to remain behind to help activate the grand formation.

The other five had relatively abundant experience in demon hunting and combat. Under Song Changfeng's lead, they quickly assembled beside the pond.

"Kill!" At Liu Tianlong's command, everyone charged swiftly toward the pond.

A black-robed cultivator was the first to attack a low-grade Fish Demon resting by the pond. He was an old-established Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivator of the Du Family, his cultivation already at the peak of the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.

With several quick steps, he carefully crept behind the Fish Demon, whose eyes were half-closed. Catching it off guard, he swiftly sent out a black ring-shaped artifact from his hand, aiming it at the Fish Demon's neck.

The black ring suddenly expanded several times in midair and clamped around the Fish Demon's neck in an instant. Feeling the abnormality at its neck, the Fish Demon was about to rise when it suddenly became completely motionless in the next moment. A spray of blood scattered through the air, and its enormous fish head fell from its neck.

Song Qingming watched with shock written all over his face. What a formidable method.