Breathing Room

"I thought we were going to die, but we were saved."

"Tell me about it."

"Many thanks, fellow cultivator."

The cultivators cast grateful looks his way.

Gu Qingshan clasped his fists earnestly. "My cultivation is low, and formations are all I have to offer. Please look after me during the battle ahead."

He had already seen that they were all at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Surrounded by demons in this perilous situation, facing them alongside a group of cultivators whose cultivation was higher than his left Gu Qingshan walking on thin ice.

He had experienced the depths of human malice.

Gu Qingshan's words were sincere enough to win the favor of several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

One of them replied, "No need to worry. We came here with General Gongsun. As long as we can hold out, the general will come to rescue us before long."

Another said ruefully, "We were careless, too. The demons appeared out of nowhere and discovered us, which is how we ended up in this state."

Gu Qingshan sighed inwardly but said nothing.

The others struck up a conversation with him. Gu Qingshan had a way with people, and he got along well with them.

Normally, Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't even spare Qi Refining cultivators a glance.

The main reason Gu Qingshan could get along with them was that he had saved them in a life-or-death situation, and he seemed to be a powerful formation master.

On the battlefield, formation masters were rare and highly sought after.

That was why the cultivators didn't treat Gu Qingshan like cannon fodder and shove him to the front of the group.

At another time, in different circumstances, these Foundation Establishment cultivators might have killed someone with a casual wave of their hands.

As they caught their breath, the leading cultivator asked again, "Not a bad formation. How long can it hold?"

At his words, everyone else fell silent.

Only then did Gu Qingshan get a good look at him.

The man was in his twenties, with a pair of cold, keen eyes. He wore pale green armor and held a long fan. He was impeccably clean; despite fighting for so long, not a drop of demon blood had touched him.

Cultivators with fire or wind Spiritual Power liked to use fans as weapons, but it was rare for cultivators with water Spiritual Power to do so.

His pale green armor shimmered with a cold light, and a faint mist of frost gathered around him.

What an exquisite suit of frost armor. The armor alone was worth hundreds of thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

A person of his stature was likely a direct disciple of a major sect.

Gu Qingshan silently revised his estimation of the man upward, then replied, "This formation can hold for another two quarters of an hour."

Everyone felt relieved.

Two quarters of an hour would be enough to recover some Spiritual Power, and ease their physical exhaustion considerably.

The man's expression relaxed slightly. "Everyone, meditate here and recover your Spiritual Power. We'll move out in two quarters of an hour."

He tapped his Storage Bag and distributed several pills brimming with Spiritual Power. When he reached Gu Qingshan, he gave him one without hesitation.

Gu Qingshan accepted the pill and held it beneath his nose, sniffing gently. He couldn't help feeling surprised.

"A pill this precious would be wasted on someone at the Qi Refining stage," he said.

"Think nothing of it. These are dire circumstances. Use it to recover your Spiritual Power," the man replied.

"Very well. Thank you." Gu Qingshan nodded slightly, accepting the kindness.

This was a top-grade Crimson Crane Qi Grasping Pill, worth a fortune—not a fortune, but a king's ransom!

It was an exceptionally rare pill that replenished spent Spiritual Power quickly and for a long time, without putting any strain on the body. It had always been highly esteemed among cultivators.

A single pill like this could save one's life in an ordinary battle.

The fact that he was handing such precious pills out to everyone spoke well of his character. His origins and background were even more beyond reproach.

The man was slightly older than Gu Qingshan. His words and actions were brisk and efficient, yet his eyes were quite indifferent, and a faint air of detachment always hung about him.

Noticing Gu Qingshan looking at him, the man thought for a moment, then clasped his fists. "I'm Leng Tianxing, a direct disciple of Yaoguang Sect. Thank you for coming to our aid."

Yaoguang Sect?

Just as I thought, Gu Qingshan said to himself.

It was a towering giant among the cultivation sects, with a legacy stretching back hundreds of thousands of years. Everyone in the Cultivation World knew of it.

And yet, in his previous life, such an outstanding person had never made a name for himself. He had probably perished here this time around.

And that was not to mention Gu Qingshan himself, who couldn't even be sure he would survive in this doomed world.

Gu Qingshan sighed inwardly and clasped his fists. "I'm Gu Qingshan."

Leng Tianxing returned the gesture. "A pleasure."

Neither of them was talkative. After exchanging pleasantries, they went their separate ways to meditate and rest.

Before long, everyone had closed their eyes and entered meditation.

Gu Qingshan tapped his Storage Bag, took out the Military Body Refining Qi Method, and flipped to the back.

He glanced at his Soul Power in the God of War Interface.

"Comprehending the seventh layer of the Military Body Refining Qi Method, the Divine Hall, will cost 6 Soul Power."

"Comprehend."

"Comprehension complete. Soul Power remaining: 21/7."

After that, Gu Qingshan put the precious Crimson Crane Qi Grasping Pill into his mouth. Then he took out some python demon blood and drank three large gulps.

If he didn't seize this chance to break through, he might well die here. He had to try.

Gu Qingshan made up his mind to rely on the abundant medicinal power of the Crimson Crane Qi Grasping Pill, paired with the python demon blood that heightened his sensitivity to Spiritual Power, to break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Time passed swiftly.

A faint ripple of Spiritual Power spread through the formation, like a small stone dropped into water, sending ripples dancing across its surface.

When Gu Qingshan used Soul Power to raise his cultivation, he could fill himself to the brim with Spiritual Power the instant he broke through.

This tiny change had a slight effect on the surrounding environment.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth shifted, and everyone opened their eyes in surprise.

Leng Tianxing's expression softened a little. "Congratulations, fellow cultivator Gu. Your cultivation has advanced."

Gu Qingshan smiled wryly and shook his head. "It's only the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. I should be thanking you for the pill."

"You're too modest. You saved our lives."

"Not at all."

Everyone offered their congratulations.

For a moment, morale rose by three points. The cultivators could see the delight in one another's eyes.

Whenever a cultivator broke through a level, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth washed over their body and replenished the Spiritual Power they had expended, until their dantian was full to bursting.

Pills worked too slowly. How could they compare with the swift gift of heaven and earth?

When Gu Qingshan broke through, his Spiritual Power was restored within just a few breaths, including what he had spent setting up the formation.

And upon reaching the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, his total Spiritual Power increased by another thirty percent.

What did it mean for a formation master to have his strength fully restored?

It meant Gu Qingshan could set up the formation again—perhaps even twice, since his total Spiritual Power had increased so greatly.

The cultivators present knew what was what. They recognized how miraculous that formation was.

To vanish from the sight of countless demons was nothing short of a life-saving formation.

With that, their chances of survival had improved once more.

They had no idea that Gu Qingshan didn't know the first thing about formations.

"In that case," Leng Tianxing said, rising to his feet, "we'll push northwest in one go. There's a cave there—a hiding place General Gongsun arranged for us. It has a permanent concealment formation, so we can rest and recover."

"Good!"

"Deputy General Leng knows best. I have no objections."

"Understood."

Everyone answered.

Gu Qingshan quietly checked his marching map. The direction matched what Leng Tianxing had said, and only then did he relax.

By now, seventy percent of the demons had scattered. Only a few stubborn ones remained, fighting among themselves.

Leng Tianxing began assigning people and tasks. "Wu Jin, Ma Liu, you two will break through at the front. Wang Cheng, Luo Xiao, you'll cover the flanks."

Then he looked at Gu Qingshan. "You're a formation master. Stay in the middle and protect yourself. Any objections?"

"None," Gu Qingshan replied without hesitation.

Breaking out through countless demons was dangerous in every direction, but staying in the middle of the group would be much safer.

Gu Qingshan's formation was so powerful that demons of all kinds couldn't locate them. At a critical moment, that could save their lives.

The sword cultivator named Wang Cheng suddenly asked, "Deputy General Leng, what about you?"

Leng Tianxing said impassively, "I'll be behind you, covering the rear."

Covering the rear was the most dangerous position, yet Leng Tianxing had reserved it for himself.

Everyone was impressed.

After arranging their formation, Leng Tianxing cupped his fists toward the group. "If we make it out of this alive, I'll make sure every one of you brothers can join Yaoguang Sect as an honored guest."

There'll be another chapter later. I'm truly sorry—I've been extremely busy these past few days. (Bows in apology.) I got home at ten last night, washed up, then wrote until four. At last, I can give you two chapters today. Yay!