Returning and Returning

(It's almost been a month since the new book was released. Hammer knows this book has no new ideas, but after reading Cultivation Chat Group and Zifu, I've always wanted to write a similar book. This idea has been around for years, and I'm only writing it now. Although the data is terrible, I'll stick with it until the end. Seeing that some readers are still voting for recommendations and giving rewards, I can't help but feel a little excited. Here, I shamelessly ask readers for collections and recommendations. Even if it's going to flop, I should at least try to make it not flop too badly.)

The Big Forehead Monster grunted angrily, "What, out of Diamond Talismans? The Earth Spirit Shield won't last much longer, prepare to die!"

Though he said this, the Big Forehead Monster was secretly annoyed. This damned Alchemist had prepared so many Spirit Talismans for escape and defense, as well as a large amount of Spirit Stones to replenish his Method Power. He had killed nearly thirty of its Shadow Ants, and seeing the Shadow Ant corpses scattered all over the ground made the Big Forehead Monster's heart ache. It would take a long time to raise the number of dead Shadow Ants back to what they were.

Several of the Head Ants had also sustained injuries of varying degrees. To quickly restore the combat effectiveness of these Shadow Ants, a large amount of vital Blood would have to be paid. He had never had such a difficult time killing opponents before.

So many of the Spirit Insects he had raised with his vital Blood had been killed or injured, naturally making him hate Lu Xiaotian, the perpetrator, to the bone. He wanted to kill him as soon as possible.

"Fortunately, this kid is also running out of Spirit Talismans, otherwise he wouldn't be using the less defensive Earth Spirit Shield! Let's see how this guy dies later," the Big Forehead Monster thought viciously.

At this moment, Zou Xin, trapped by the Origin Guarding Formation, after a long period of fruitless attacks, was instead left dizzy and with ringing ears from the light barrier formed by the formation. The giant Ape, in pain, also sat beside Zou Xin, rubbing its sore head.

"Well done, Big Forehead Monster, kill that detestable fellow!" Fortunately, this formation only had the effect of trapping people and no offensive power. Zou Xin, looking through the light barrier, saw that Lu Xiaotian had clearly fallen into a disadvantage, surrounded by the Big Forehead Monster's ant swarm. Zou Xin's heart rejoiced. As long as Lu Xiaotian died, he should be able to break free soon.

At the same time, Zou Xin was also secretly amazed by Lu Xiaotian's ferocity. Not only did he trap him, but he could also hold off the Big Forehead Monster for so long. This kind of ability was not something ordinary cultivators possessed.

Fortunately, Fan Qing had run fast enough before. Otherwise, if they had been truly united, with him trapped and the Big Forehead Monster entangled by Lu Xiaotian, it would have been their team that was wiped out. Thinking of this, Zou Xin felt a wave of fear, and at the same time, he chuckled inwardly. This kid was truly hiding his depths. Even Fan Qing, who was in the same team, didn't know his background. It was truly a case of overreaching and falling into a dead end!

Although separated by the formation, he couldn't hear the sounds of fighting outside, but the light barrier formed by the formation did not prevent him from seeing the situation outside.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Lu Xiaotian's Spirit Talismans were depleted. Several Head Ants and the remaining Shadow Ants quickly tore apart the Earth Spirit Shield. Although he had fought his way towards the Big Forehead Monster during this time, the Shadow Ants' interference allowed the Big Forehead Monster to easily dodge.

Seeing that victory was hopeless, Lu Xiaotian turned and fled in panic, simultaneously using spells to try and sweep away the Shadow Ants attacking him.

"Trying to escape now is too late!" the Big Forehead Monster shrieked with malice. It quickly caught up, the Shadow Ant swarm clinging to Lu Xiaotian like maggots. How could the Big Forehead Monster let go of him after it had killed so many of its Spirit Insects?

"Ah!" Lu Xiaotian cried out in panic. The last Spirit Shield disintegrated, and dozens of Shadow Ants pierced through the broken barrier, swarming and biting Lu Xiaotian. Lu Xiaotian desperately slashed at more than ten of them with his short sword, but there were too many Shadow Ants to repel them all.

After being bitten by the Shadow Ants, Lu Xiaotian's movements suddenly froze. His face was filled with fear and despair.

"If I fall into your hands, I have nothing to say. Kill me if you want!" Lu Xiaotian said coldly after a long pause.

"You killed so many of my Spirit Insects, I will make you wish you were never born and could never die. After I torture you enough, I will cut you into a thousand pieces!"

Seeing Lu Xiaotian consecutively bitten by more than ten Shadow Ants, the Big Forehead Monster breathed a sigh of relief. A cultivator who couldn't circulate his Origin Energy was no different from an ordinary person to it, posing no threat at all.

Lu Xiaotian simply closed his eyes and said nothing more.

Zou Xin, inside the Origin Guarding Formation, shouted at the Big Forehead Monster, but unfortunately, it couldn't hear him. Zou Xin couldn't help but scratch his ears and cheeks anxiously. If the Big Forehead Monster took Lu Xiaotian's Storage Bag, he wouldn't get any benefits, or at best, just some scraps that weren't worth much.

The Big Forehead Monster glanced at Zou Xin, who was still trapped by the formation, then chuckled. Zou Xin was trapped. Lu Xiaotian was someone it had captured at great cost, so it naturally had to choose the spoils first.

It was unknown how long this strange formation could trap Zou Xin. Seeing Lu Xiaotian appear ready to die with his eyes closed, the Big Forehead Monster, to avoid delays and complications, swaggered towards Lu Xiaotian and reached out to grab the Spirit Sword in Lu Xiaotian's hand, as well as the Storage Bag at his waist.

However, it was precisely at this moment that Lu Xiaotian's eyes suddenly snapped open, emitting a chilling glint. The Spirit Sword in his hand shot like lightning towards the Big Forehead Monster's chest.

The Big Forehead Monster was instantly terrified. In a hurry, it uttered an Incantation.

The Spirit Sword pierced the opponent's chest, but Lu Xiaotian frowned. What the Spirit Sword had pierced seemed to be a piece of wood. How was this possible?

Before Lu Xiaotian could be surprised for long, a dark shadow shot backward in pain. Lu Xiaotian looked closely and saw that the humanoid object pierced through the chest by the Spirit Sword was neither entirely metal nor entirely wood.

The two looked at each other in shock. What the Big Forehead Monster couldn't understand was that its Shadow Ants, which had never failed, had bitten Lu Xiaotian more than ten times. Even a cultivator at the Late Qi Refining Stage, or even Qi Refining Great Perfection, would be unable to circulate their Origin Energy and would have no Method Power available.

Yet Lu Xiaotian was completely unaffected, as if he had lured it closer before launching a surprise attack. However, Lu Xiaotian's expression after being bitten by the Shadow Ants did not seem fake. It had raised Shadow Ants for many years and knew exactly how enemies reacted after being bitten. Even if it was fake, it couldn't escape its eyes.

It was just that the Big Forehead Monster didn't know that Lu Xiaotian had been bitten by Shadow Ants before, which was why he could put on such an act.

What shocked Lu Xiaotian immensely was that his sword had been about to pierce the opponent's body, yet this Big Forehead Monster had used a crafted Substitute to escape death. Although it didn't know what kind of Treasure it was, it was definitely not ordinary.

Zou Xin, within the Origin Guarding Formation, was no less terrified than the two. He had no idea that the Big Forehead Monster possessed such a skill for escaping danger in critical moments. Neither of these two was easy to deal with. Now that he knew the Big Forehead Monster's secret, Zou Xin felt a sense of dread. He wondered if they would be friends or foes after leaving the formation. It seemed he would have to be more vigilant in the future, otherwise, he might be tricked to death without even realizing it.

The Big Forehead Monster clutched its bleeding chest. Time had been too short, and the Wooden Puppet hadn't been able to block all the damage. The Spirit Sword had still pierced nearly an inch into its chest. Any deeper, and it might have injured its internal organs.

"Your trick has failed. Let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve!" It seemed a tough battle was inevitable. The Big Forehead Monster took out its Meteor Hairpin, its face extremely grim as it faced the charging Lu Xiaotian.

"I don't need tricks to kill you!"

Lu Xiaotian sneered. Since the Big Forehead Monster discovered something was wrong and retreated, he had abandoned the humanoid puppet and quickly rushed towards the Big Forehead Monster, holding his sword in his right hand and secretly preparing a stack of Low-grade Spirit Talismans in his left. To lure the opponent into a trap, his "Diamond Talismans" were almost all used up, but he hadn't used any of the offensive Spirit Talismans.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Take advantage of its injury to kill it in one fell swoop, or severely wound it, without giving it a chance to breathe!

The Big Forehead Monster swung its Meteor Hairpin, striking at the Spirit Sword in Lu Xiaotian's hand. Its cultivation was ultimately higher. Even though it had sustained some injuries, they were not fatal, and it could still deal with this infuriating and extremely troublesome enemy.

"Now's the time!" A sly smile appeared on Lu Xiaotian's lips, and he suddenly unleashed the Spirit Talismans in his hand.

"Fireball Talisman!" "Golden Spear Talisman!" "Ice Arrow Talisman!" "Earth Thorn Talisman!" "Wind Blade Talisman!" "Entangling Talisman!" "Rocket Talisman!"

Dozens of low-grade Spirit Talismans unleashed their spells, sweeping towards the Big Forehead Monster.

With a crackling sound, amidst explosions of fire and ice, the Big Forehead Monster's face, filled with disbelief, rage, and shock, could be vaguely seen. The Earth Spirit Shield the Big Forehead Monster hastily formed couldn't last a moment before being torn to shreds by the violent spell attacks.

With no time to react further, the Big Forehead Monster roared and brandished its Meteor Hairpin, forcefully cleaving apart the Ice Arrows, Fire Arrows, and Golden Spears. The Big Forehead Monster's face, slightly darkened, turned red from circulating too much Method Power. Its Meteor Hairpin was swung to its limit, forming more than a dozen afterimages, forcefully blocking all attacks from the outside. However, a Golden Spear and an Earth Thorn still pierced its left arm and abdomen. With a boom, the exploding Fireball scorched its clothes, and most of its hair and beard were incinerated. The Big Forehead Monster cried out in pain, blood gushing out like pillars.

Ugh. A figure flashed past it. The Big Forehead Monster felt a coolness in its throat, and its movements abruptly stopped.

As Lu Xiaotian retracted his sword, blood spurted from the Big Forehead Monster's throat like a fountain. It fell to the ground with an unwilling expression.

Dozens of low-grade spells erupting at such close range, managing to withstand more than half of them and only sustaining injuries could be considered impressive. The fatal blow was Lu Xiaotian's sword strike when the Big Forehead Monster, in its attempt to block these spells, had exhausted its old strength and not yet gained new strength.

If it were a true one-on-one fight, Lu Xiaotian felt he had no confidence in defeating the opponent. He had taken the antidote beforehand, and his most reliable Shadow Ants were useless against him. Even with injuries, and ambushed at close range by dozens of his low-grade Spirit Talismans, Lu Xiaotian felt the Big Forehead Monster was quite wronged.

Finally, he had killed the opponent. Lu Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief, retrieved the gourd containing the Shadow Ants and the Storage Bag from the Big Forehead Monster's waist. Without checking the contents, his attention shifted to Zou Xin, who was still trapped by the formation.

Lu Xiaotian's expression flickered. To kill the Big Forehead Monster, he had used all his trump cards. The Brocade Clad Man was not weak, his cultivation was similar to his, and he also had a Black Ape equivalent to a Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator. Fighting them might not guarantee victory. However, more than half of the allotted time had passed, and the Brocade Clad Man would soon break free. If he left now, the Brocade Clad Man would think he was significantly weakened and would pursue him more fiercely. Moreover, the previous fierce battle had also consumed a lot of Origin Energy. It was uncertain if other unexpected situations would arise outside the small grove.

More importantly, this time, they were able to break the predicament solely relying on the Origin Guarding Formation to escape the pursuit of the two.

The Moon Gazing Mountain Range was fraught with danger, and he could encounter other cultivator teams at any moment. Now that he was alone, if another team discovered him, those with lower cultivation wouldn't be able to catch him, while those with higher cultivation wouldn't let go of a lone prey. He might even encounter similar pursuits.

Returning to Moon Gazing City after leaving the mountain wouldn't allow him to find a reliable team to join again in a short time. This would mean giving up the opportunity to join a Sect this year. His own aptitude was mediocre, and every year he delayed would lower his chances of successfully establishing Foundation by a fraction. He would never give up easily. Therefore, this Formation couldn't be discarded either.

"I can't give up!" Lu Xiaotian smiled faintly, took out two Low-grade Spirit Stones from within the Barrier, held one in each hand, and sat down cross-legged.

As expected, Lu Xiaotian's confident actions made Zou Xin, who was inside the Formation, feel a chill run down his spine.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the Origin Energy consumed within his body had recovered about seventy to eighty percent. At this time, the Spiritual Power of the Origin Guarding Formation had also been depleted, and the light shield gradually thinned.

Seeing this, Zou Xin was overjoyed. He swung his wolf-tooth club and smashed open the fragile light shield, leaping out with the black ape, and then quickly fled without looking back.

"That saved me a tough fight."

Lu Xiaotian also felt relieved. Avoiding unnecessary trouble was always good. He meditated for a while longer until his Origin Energy was fully restored. Lu Xiaotian then got up and collected the Formation Flags. However, at that moment, the hairs on his body stood on end. He focused his gaze and saw that the Brocade Clad Man who had left not long ago had actually returned. It seemed his escape earlier was just a probe of his capabilities.

Zou Xin gloomily sized up Lu Xiaotian, recalling how Lu Xiaotian had severed He Tuozi's arm and poisoned him. And now, even the Big Forehead Monster had died at the opponent's hands. However, apart from this Formation and the Spirit Talismans he now held, this young opponent didn't have many formidable means, only a rather deep cunning.

Under normal circumstances, Zou Xin would never have been willing to engage in a life-or-death struggle with such an enemy. However, putting aside the fact that Lu Xiaotian himself was an Alchemist and quite wealthy, just the Spiritual Materials in the Big Forehead Monster's Storage Bag made him salivate.

The Big Forehead Monster had already collected several Yao Cores and Spiritual Grasses needed to join the Taiqing Sect. Combined with what he had collected himself, it might not be far from the Taiqing Sect's mission requirements. With these, it was enough for him to risk his life. His escape just now was also a form of probing. Lu Xiaotian hadn't pursued him, indicating that Lu Xiaotian was also unwilling to fight him again, likely because his Spirit Talismans were almost depleted. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to let him go so easily.

Having figured this out, Zou Xin gathered his courage and turned back to Lu Xiaotian, chuckling in a low voice, "Actually, I don't want to fight you either. Our Strengths are similar, and a fierce battle would likely result in mutual destruction. However, the Big Forehead Monster had a few items I wanted. If you can share some with me, then we can all live in peace."

"Since it's in my hands, there's no possibility of it being given away," Lu Xiaotian scoffed, thinking him a fool. Although he didn't want to fight this Brocade Clad Man, their cultivation levels were similar. He had already killed the Big Forehead Monster, so why would he care about adding one more enemy?