Golden Core Cultivator

As Fang Chen spun, he ascended within the eye of the storm. The sword energy tempest grew larger and more powerful by the second.

"What kind of sword technique is this? It's so powerful!"

The guards were all stunned by Fang Chen's display.

Even a cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refining would struggle to withstand such a potent sword move.

At this moment, the Floating Immortal Sword vibrated intensely, and the airflow surging into Fang Chen's body immediately became scorching hot.

When Fang Chen rose to a height of five zhang above the ground, he burst out of the storm.

The instant he emerged, the sword energy tempest vanished.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The corpses of the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows rained down from the sky.

Fang Chen's body also plummeted towards the ground. The moment he landed, he executed the Misty Turtle Step. His toes lightly touched the ground, creating a faint ripple that dissipated the immense impact force.

With this single move, Fang Chen had killed nearly three hundred Bloodthirsty Evil Crows.

At this point, the golden flame within Fang Chen's Dantian extinguished, and the feeling of his body expanding subsided.

His True Qi, after its second transformation, was even purer and more potent.

Fang Chen felt as though he had undergone a complete metamorphosis. He looked at the surrounding Bloodthirsty Evil Crows, his eyes burning with intensity, ready to unleash another onslaught.

Just then, a golden light streaked across the sky, hovering above Fang Chen and the others. Fang Chen focused his gaze and saw a young man bathed in golden light. The man stood in mid-air, his collar and cuffs adorned with red cloud patterns. He exuded a terrifying aura that seemed to freeze the surrounding air, making even breathing difficult.

"Standing in mid-air? A Golden Core cultivator?"

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. Golden Core cultivators could levitate without any external aid. He hadn't expected a Golden Core cultivator to appear.

The young man waved his hand, and a golden gourd flew out from his sleeve.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

The gourd hovered in the air, vibrating and rapidly expanding. A terrifying suction force emerged, and the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows were drawn into the golden gourd one after another.

"Caw, caw..."

Sensing the gourd's terrifying aura, the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows desperately flapped their wings, trying to escape, but none could.

In less than ten breaths, all the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows were absorbed into the golden gourd.

The young man waved his hand, and the gourd instantly shrank. He capped it and put it back into his sleeve.

"So powerful! Is this the strength of a Golden Core cultivator?"

Fang Chen was astonished by the young man's power. In his presence, Fang Chen felt like an ant.

"It's Senior Brother Bai Yu!"

The guards immediately recognized the young man. His name was Bai Yu, the direct disciple of the Grand Elder of Azure Cloud Peak. He possessed a third-grade Golden Spiritual Root and was only twenty years old, yet his cultivation had reached the sixth turn of the Golden Core realm. His future was limitless.

The guards immediately cupped their fists towards the young man in the sky and said respectfully, "Greetings, Senior Brother Bai Yu!"

Fang Chen also quickly sheathed the Floating Immortal Sword and bowed slightly to the young man.

The other surviving Outer Sect Disciples also paid their respects.

Bai Yu's gaze swept across the scene. Seeing the river of blood and the devastation, he frowned and said, "Junior brothers, no need for formalities. Hurry and rescue the injured!"

"Yes!"

The guards and Outer Sect Disciples responded and immediately began the rescue efforts. Fang Chen joined them.

"Quick, save me!"

An Outer Sect Disciple lying in a pool of blood called out to Fang Chen. He was weak, covered in blood, and his intestines had been eaten by the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows. He clearly wouldn't survive.

Seeing this, Fang Chen took a deep breath and ignored him, knowing it would be a waste of time.

Half an hour later, people from the Medicine Hall arrived in a Shuttle. Accompanying them were five more Shuttles, carrying rescuers.

Shuttles flew incredibly fast, unlike the Spirit Boats Fang Chen had ridden before. Shuttles had no Spirit Sails, were shaped like olive pits, and were extremely expensive. Even the Glazed Sword Sect didn't have many of them.

They worked tirelessly until dawn before Fang Chen and the others managed to rescue everyone.

The entire outpost, including the stationed Handymen, had numbered over three thousand, but fewer than two hundred survived, most of whom were injured.

Some were so severely wounded that even if they survived, they would be crippled. Nevertheless, the Medicine Hall personnel still administered precious elixirs to them.

Fang Chen and Wang Zheng sat on a large rock, both covered in blood and utterly exhausted.

Looking at the outpost, now reduced to ruins, Fang Chen finally understood the brutal nature of the cultivation path. In just one night, over two thousand lives were lost, including many Outer Sect Disciples whose cultivation had already reached the Qi Refining realm.

Although Qi Refining realm cultivators were much stronger than ordinary people, they were incredibly fragile against a swarm of Demonic Beasts.

Spirit Flame Valley was within the territory of the Glazed Sword Sect, and Fang Chen had assumed it would be safe. He hadn't expected to encounter such a bird attack. If his own strength hadn't been considerable, his life would likely have been forfeit.

The path of cultivation was fraught with peril, yet people continued to flock to it like fish crossing a river.

Although the path to immortality was uncertain, Fang Chen had no intention of backing down. He was alone in the world, with no one to rely on. Since he had embarked on this path, he would never turn back.

Wang Zheng took out a water flask and offered it to Fang Chen. "Have some water!"

"Thanks!"

Fang Chen took the kettle and took a drink.

Wang Zheng said, "Fang Chen, I didn't expect your strength to be so great. Especially that sword move that turned into a tornado, it was so cool!"

Wang Zheng had also seen the scene of Fang Chen killing the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows last night.

"It's just average. Compared to Senior Brother Bai Yu, I'm far behind!"

Fang Chen appeared very humble. Last night, they had to fight for their lives just to kill a few Bloodthirsty Evil Crows, while Bai Yu, with just a gourd, had collected all the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows that filled the sky.

Before this, Fang Chen had heard that cultivators were very powerful, but he had never truly witnessed a powerful cultivator in action. Last night, Bai Yu collecting all the Bloodthirsty Evil Crows with a golden gourd had truly shocked Fang Chen.

At the same time, Fang Chen also felt a sense of regret. If Bai Yu had arrived a little later, his cultivation might have increased by one or two levels.

However, Fang Chen now finally knew that killing demonic beasts could help his cultivation improve faster. He had already made up his mind that after completing the mission here, he would find a way to go out and kill demonic beasts.

"You're too modest. Senior Brother Bai Yu is a Golden Core Cultivator, while you are only a Qi Refining Realm cultivator. With your cultivation at the third level of Qi Refining, you could kill so many Bloodthirsty Evil Crows. Such strength is definitely top-tier among Outer Sect Disciples!"

Wang Zheng said to Fang Chen with admiration.

Fang Chen looked at the devastated outpost and shook his head, sighing, "What a shame. The outpost is destroyed now. I don't know if my mission can continue?"

Wang Zheng couldn't help but chuckle. "Brother, you're really endearingly naive. You're still thinking about the mission at this point. Don't you understand what happened last night means for you?"

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Wang Zheng. "Is the Sect going to punish me? The Bloodthirsty Evil Crows destroyed this outpost!"

Fang Chen now knew that the red giant birds that attacked the outpost last night were called Bloodthirsty Evil Crows. They were a very terrifying type of demonic beast that usually appeared in flocks. Wherever they passed, life was devastated, and they were extremely difficult to deal with.

Wang Zheng looked at Fang Chen and shook his head helplessly. "You really don't understand anything. You killed so many Bloodthirsty Evil Crows last night and even participated in the rescue. How could the Sect punish you? They'd be too busy rewarding you! This time, both you and I have made contributions, and they are not small ones. As for the specific rewards we'll receive, it depends on how the Merit Hall assesses them!"

"Rewards?"

Fang Chen was stunned. If Wang Zheng hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have thought in that direction. This might have something to do with his past experiences of being oppressed and bullied. Even though he was now an Outer Sect Disciple, his mindset and habits were difficult to change all at once.

Wang Zheng nodded slightly. "Yes, we will definitely receive rewards this time. The Sect has rules: punishment for mistakes and rewards for meritorious deeds!"

Just then, two huge Spirit Boats arrived above the outpost and slowly descended.

A guard walked to the side of a Spirit Boat and announced loudly, "All Outer Sect Disciples, listen up! Gather immediately and board the Spirit Boats to leave this place!"

"Let's go! We're heading back!"

Wang Zheng stood up, patted his butt, and walked towards the Spirit Boat.

Fang Chen also got up and walked towards the Spirit Boat.