Leaving Moon Gazing City

An old man with a hunchback, around sixty years old, named He Tuozi, at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, with a goatee, hunched over, appearing indifferent, merely cupped his hands at Lu Xiaotian as a form of introduction.

There was also a young man in his early twenties, Wang Ping, whose Spiritual Artifact was a dark Mysterious Iron Staff. It was a low-grade Spiritual Artifact, not particularly sharp, but likely suited for a strength-based path. He was at the Qi Refining Third Layer, and along with Luo Qing, they were the weakest in the team in terms of Cultivation. However, their Strength seemed considerable.

"Didn't you say there were only eight people? Why are there nine now?" Lu Xiaotian asked Luo Yuan.

Before Luo Yuan could speak, Fan Qing waved his Fly Whisk and said with a smile, "There were originally only eight people. He Tuozi had the Pill Recipe for the Origin Energy Pill, and used it as leverage to insist on joining the team before showing it. I considered Fellow Daoist Lu and took the liberty of agreeing. Fellow Daoist Luo should have no objections, right?"

"I naturally have no objections. One more person in the team means one more bit of Strength," Luo Yuan replied, shaking his head.

"If that's the case, why has the departure time we originally agreed upon been moved up by nearly a month?" Lu Xiaotian didn't take Fan Qing's overtures to heart. There was no free lunch in the world, and they weren't related. He didn't believe Fan Qing would do so much just for a Pill Recipe.

"He Tuozi also provided information about a Silver Winged Centipede. I am determined to obtain the Silver Winged Centipede's Yao Core. This trip, I will only take the Silver Winged Centipede's Yao Core, and I will not take any Spiritual Grass or Spirit Stones encountered along the way. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Lu?" Fan Qing said.

Lu Xiaotian remembered that the Silver Winged Centipede's Yao Core was required for a Savage Beast Sect sect mission. The Savage Beast Sect was also a sect with considerable Strength. It seemed Fan Qing's ambitions were not small. However, most of the Spiritual Materials in the Moon Gazing Mountain Range had already been discovered and collected by other cultivators. No one could be sure which direction would yield the desired Spiritual Materials, so where they went made no difference to Lu Xiaotian, or indeed, to anyone else.

"Give me the Origin Energy Pill's Pill Recipe, and I have no objections," Lu Xiaotian said.

"I heard Fellow Daoist Lu has quite a few Qi Gathering Pills. This Hunchback is very poor. I don't dare to hope for pills for the Mid Qi Refining Stage, so five Qi Gathering Pills will suffice."

He Tuozi's cold face finally showed a smile. Like most Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators, when there wasn't a suitable pill, they had to make do with slightly inferior ones.

Lu Xiaotian directly tossed a pill bottle to He Tuozi, clutching the Origin Energy Pill's Pill Recipe in his hand. A sense of joy welled up within him. At his current pace, he should be able to use this Pill Recipe in less than two years. However, he was curious about what deal He Tuozi and Fan Qing had struck.

The vastness of the Moon Gazing Mountain Range far exceeded the imagination of ordinary mortals, stretching for millions of miles. Within the mountain range, canyons, streams, lakes, waterfalls, and forests filled with towering trees were common sights, with a complex terrain. Even the map scrolls sold by vendors in Moon Gazing City only depicted a tiny fraction of this enormous mountain range. Based on the descriptions and records from other cultivators who had entered and exited, there were some details about the surrounding areas, marking the general terrain. However, venturing too deep could still lead to getting lost.

The mountain range was overrun with Yao Beasts, Yao Insects, and Demonic Birds. Even with hundreds of thousands of Rogue Cultivators scattered throughout, they were like pebbles thrown into the sea. Once lost, it wouldn't take long before they were swallowed by the Yao Beasts of the Moon Gazing Mountains.

Outside the city gate, thousands of Rogue Cultivators divided into hundreds of small teams, each heading into the mountains. Many ostentatious cultivators wore Spirit Armor that gleamed golden, making them quite conspicuous.

There were also cultivators who kept Spirit Beasts, riding ferocious Tiger Spirit Beasts and Wolf Spirit Beasts. Some even rode a giant Black Eagle with a wingspan of over ten feet, drawing sighs of admiration from those below. A second-tier Spirit Bird, in terms of Strength alone, was not inferior to most Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators, and it could fly. With a Spirit Bird, travel was convenient.

Lu Xiaotian suddenly felt a venomous gaze fixed on him from the crowd. After cultivating, his senses had become much sharper, especially sensitive to danger and clearly malicious stares like this.

Lu Xiaotian narrowed his eyes and looked. He saw a middle-aged man in a blue robe, carrying a giant sword, staring intently at him. The man in the blue robe looked vaguely familiar, but Lu Xiaotian couldn't recall where he had met him, nor why he harbored such strong hostility towards him. However, this person was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. His own Cultivation was higher than the other party's, so why should he be afraid? With this thought, Lu Xiaotian glared back fiercely.

Situ Yong was startled. Since his son's death, he had been immersed in grief every day. After collecting Lu Xiaotian's likeness.

He traveled through mountains and rivers to enter Moon Gazing City. The city was vast, and he thought he would never have a chance to see his son's killer again. Unexpectedly, he encountered him by chance at the city gate. While Situ Yong was surprised, he was also horrified to discover that the young man before him had a higher Cultivation than him by one level. What was he to do? Seeing Lu Xiaotian's defiant glare, Situ Yong averted his gaze and, at the same time, pondered his next move.

"Brother Lu, do you have an enmity with this person?" Luo Yuan asked in a low voice.

"I don't know him." Lu Xiaotian sifted through everyone he had ever offended and found no connection to the man. However, the hateful gaze made him secretly take note.

"He's only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. If he's foolish, it won't be difficult to find an opportunity to deal with him in the mountains. How about Fellow Daoist Lu gives me a few Qi Gathering Pills, and I'll take his head."

A fragrant breeze wafted from behind him. Lu Xiaotian turned around and realized Wang Yuan's voluptuous body was very close to him. When he turned, he almost bumped into her bulging chest. Lu Xiaotian was a genuine virgin, and it was the first time a woman had been so close to him. His neck immediately felt hot, and he quickly took a step back, saying, "No need. If he seeks death, I'll handle it myself."

"Exactly. Brother Lu's Cultivation is no lower than yours, so there's no need for you to act," Luo Qing said to Wang Yuan with a hint of annoyance.

"She just wants to remind you that the deal between Fan Qing and He Tuozi is definitely not simple. These two siblings seem to trust you quite a bit. At a critical moment, only you can hold back Fan Qing, and then they will stand on your side."

Wang Yuan whispered a few words into Lu Xiaotian's ear, then glanced at Luo Qing, chuckled, and took a few steps back.

"That vixen!" Luo Qing muttered, warning Lu Xiaotian, "Brother Lu, this woman is very mysterious. Don't easily believe what she says."

"I won't," Lu Xiaotian said with a light laugh. Luo Qing seemed to harbor some animosity towards Wang Yuan, but Wang Yuan was indeed not simple. He also felt something was amiss, though he couldn't quite articulate it yet.

"Let's hurry. We must reach one of the Rogue Cultivator gathering points in the mountains before dark to rest. Otherwise, traveling at night is very dangerous," Fan Qing said.

Everyone nodded. Yao Beasts were more active at night. If they didn't reach the Rogue Cultivator gathering point, their team would easily be attacked by Yao Beasts.

The other Rogue Cultivators leaving the city clearly had the same idea. After passing the city gate, they all increased their speed, taking strides of several feet using Light Body Technique and Wind Riding Technique.

The leopard's speed was not slow, but Lu Xiaotian usually spent most of his time refining pills and cultivating. Within the barrier, Spirit Stones were abundant, so he wouldn't ride the leopard for convenience. This was a rare opportunity to practice spells.

After casting the spells, everyone's speed suddenly increased. The tall city of Moon Gazing City disappeared behind them.

After entering the forest, although other Rogue Cultivator teams passed by from time to time, there were many Rogue Cultivator gathering points in the mountains. Each had its own planned rest and supply points. As they walked in different directions, the number of Rogue Cultivators around them gradually decreased.

"There are too many Rogue Cultivator teams passing by on the way to the gathering point. Even if there are Spiritual Materials, most of them have already been collected by others. I know a small path that fewer people take. It's closer, but the road conditions are worse. For us cultivators, the difference isn't significant. Perhaps we'll be lucky enough to find some Spiritual Grass or Spirit Stones along the way," He Tuozi suggested after an hour and a half of travel.

"Alright. We haven't encountered anything on this journey, and it's been incredibly boring." He Tuozi's suggestion was quickly echoed by Zhang Guang, who was also entering the mountains for the first time and was already impatient with the tedious journey.

The others had no objections. There were many Rogue Cultivators entering and exiting this area, and the danger during the day was relatively low. At night, however, Yao Beasts from other areas might wander over.

"Okay, I'll lead the way. Although there aren't any powerful Yao Beasts, there are some troublesome Yao Insects and the like. It's best for everyone to activate their protective shields."

With that, a faint yellow halo appeared around He Tuozi's body – an Earth Spirit Shield. Its defense was inferior to Earth Spirit Armor, but it consumed less Origin Energy and could last longer, preventing attacks from some low-level Yao Insects and Yao Beasts.

Luo Yuan and the others activated their protective shields, including Water Spirit Shields and Fire Spirit Shields. Lu Xiaotian held a sword in his right hand, a Spirit Talisman in his left palm, and cast a Diamond Shield on himself, cautiously following the team.

He Tuozi led the group across a stream, over two small hills, and was on a hilltop. Many tea trees grew on the hillside. The cheapest Spirit Tea served in many restaurants in Moon Gazing City was harvested from these tea trees. A narrow sheep path wound down, bypassing a dense bamboo forest.

This time, the hot-tempered Zhang Guang ran ahead.

"Huh, Spring Condensing Grass!"

Luo Qing, with her sharp eyesight, spotted a Spiritual Grass hidden by a few tea trees near the bamboo forest. Her eyes lit up with surprise, and she dashed forward, plucking the Spiritual Grass. Turning to Lu Xiaotian, she asked, "Brother Lu, can you use this herb?"

"I should be able to use it in the future. This Spring Condensing Grass looks less than two years old, worth three Low-grade Spirit Stones. You can take this Qi Gathering Pill first, and you can make up the difference later."

Lu Xiaotian put away the Spring Condensing Grass and placed it in his Storage Bag, which was actually sent into his barrier. Spring Condensing Grass could be used to refine Rejuvenation Pills, which could heal many spell injuries and, in many situations, could even save a life.

"Thank you, Brother Lu," Luo Qing said happily, taking the pill.