Crowds Surging

(There are only 63 recommendation tickets written so far. Fellow Daoist Feiyang J SEASON accounts for 48 votes. I am extremely grateful. I also thank Qing Chen Ting Yu for the reward, and other voting fellow Daoists. Happy National Day)

"Quick, everyone speed up! If we're late, don't even think about getting soup, we won't even get to drink the northwest wind," the one-eyed man leading the group urged loudly.

Following behind the one-eyed man were seven cultivators, four men and three women. Lu Xiaotian was surprised; the lowest cultivation base was Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. Two of them exuded a spiritual pressure that far surpassed his, indicating they were likely in the Late Qi Refining Stage.

"Fellow Daoist Ma, why the rush? That Crystal Toad is a Fourth-tier Yao Beast, equivalent to a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm. It's holed up in the small lake, so even if others find it, they'll only be able to stare. We'll probably just have to wait for the Foundation Establishment seniors in Moon Gazing City to take charge," a young man with a short saber, at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, said as they hurried along.

"You know nothing. Many ants can bite an elephant to death. Hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators can't do anything to that Yao Beast, but there are at least a thousand people gathered near the small lake, many of them experts in the Late Qi Refining Stage. If they really put their minds to it, taking down that Crystal Toad wouldn't be difficult. In the Moon Gazing Mountain Range, spiritual materials are always guarded by Yao Beasts. I heard there's a Cold Nether Stone in that lake. If we're late, we might have it snatched by other frenzied cultivators," the Bearded Man retorted.

The group of eight rushed past.

"Small lake, Cold Nether Stone, Crystal Toad?" After they left, Lu Xiaotian emerged from behind a tree and muttered to himself. Obtaining either the Cold Nether Stone or the Crystal Toad would be enough to join the Mysterious Ice Sect. No wonder these cultivators were so agitated. However, that Crystal Toad was already a Fourth-tier Yao Beast, far beyond his reach.

But he quickly reconsidered. Since thousands of rogue cultivators had already gathered near the small lake, it was bound to be a chaotic mix. He didn't need to worry about anyone deliberately targeting him. There were also many experts in the Late Qi Refining Stage and Great Perfection. Witnessing the might of a Fourth-tier Yao Beast and such a scene would be a pity to miss. Moreover, treasures were limited, and once they appeared, they would likely be fiercely contested. If he mixed in, he might be able to fish in troubled waters and gain some advantage.

With a thought, Lu Xiaotian followed the direction of the cultivator team.

Along the way, Lu Xiaotian encountered several groups of people. Each time, he tightly gripped his Spirit Sword, ready to flee. One or two groups glanced at him suspiciously, but they merely swept their gaze over him and didn't show any signs of wanting to fight. Instead, they hurried in the same direction. Lu Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief. In this chaotic place, he truly felt a sense of precariousness being alone.

After traveling about a hundred and fifty miles, passing through a forest of towering trees and a small valley, the scene before him opened up. A gentle breeze, moist and carrying abundant Water Spirit Energy, blew towards him, invigorating Lu Xiaotian.

Cultivators were everywhere, densely packed, even more than the one-eyed man had mentioned. There were likely close to three thousand people.

"Yow!" A sharp bird cry rang out.

"Flying Peng Old Man!"

The cultivators below exclaimed in unison.

Lu Xiaotian looked up and saw a Yellow Great Peng Bird with a wingspan of over thirty feet circling above. Even from dozens of feet away, he could feel the wind generated by its wings. The spiritual pressure descending from the sky made him uneasy. It wasn't just the cultivator called Flying Peng Old Man, but also the Yellow Great Peng beneath him. They were likely both peak Third-tier Spirit Beasts.

"Flying Peng Old Freak, you rarely leave your home. How dare you come to compete with us for spiritual materials now?" a young man in blue shouted from below.

"Who is this brat, some clueless youth from who knows where, daring to question Flying Peng Old Freak? Is he looking to die?" a middle-aged man beside him whispered.

"What do you know? That's the Young Master of the Liao Family, someone who walks all over Moon Gazing City. Although Flying Peng Old Man is powerful, he's nowhere near invincible in the Qi Refining Stage. There are quite a few experts in Qi Refining Great Perfection present, they're just not as ostentatious as Flying Peng Old Man. It seems this competition for spiritual materials is becoming even more unpredictable," another short, stout man argued.

"Everyone knows Flying Peng Old Man has a notoriously eccentric personality. He doesn't care about noble families or anything like that," the middle-aged man snorted.

"Seeking death! This old man comes and goes in the Moon Gazing Mountain Range as he pleases. Do I need your permission?" Indeed, Flying Peng Old Man on the Yellow Peng confirmed the middle-aged man's words. He flicked his hand, and a massive gust of wind swept down from the sky.

Lu Xiaotian was unlucky. He was not far from the young man in blue. Feeling the gust of wind descend, his footing immediately became unstable. The young man in blue, who bore the brunt of it, hastily conjured a Spirit Talisman, erecting a protective shield. However, the shield shattered instantly under the onslaught of the wind. The young man in blue's face turned deathly pale, veins bulging on his forehead, a clear sign he was about to vomit blood.

Lu Xiaotian was shocked. Flying Peng Old Man was incredibly powerful. The young man in blue was also a cultivator at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, yet Flying Peng Old Man's single strike had made him so uncomfortable he was about to vomit blood. This was too formidable. Lu Xiaotian had initially thought he had some skills after killing several people, but seeing Flying Peng Old Man's move, he realized he was like a frog in a well. Compared to these experts in Qi Refining Great Perfection, the gap was still significant. He would likely need to reach the Late Stage before he could contend with such experts.

As the middle-aged man had said, this rash young man in blue was going to suffer.

"You have cultivated for many years, is it glorious to bully a junior?" From behind the young man in blue, a stern, robust voice rang out. A broad-browed middle-aged man stepped forward, waving his wide sleeves and unleashing a gust of wind.

The air crackled and boomed like muffled thunder.

"I wondered who it was. So it's the Patriarch of the Liao Family. No wonder these juniors are so arrogant. However, I'm not here to pick a fight with you today. If you have the guts, we can settle our differences after this matter is concluded!" Flying Peng Old Man chuckled sinisterly. The Great Peng circled in the air, then landed on a large rock several dozen feet away from the small lake. Flying Peng Old Man leaped down.

Lu Xiaotian scanned the area around the small lake. A large number of cultivators had already gathered, including dozens of experts in Qi Refining Great Perfection like Flying Peng Old Man. He had been watching with amusement as Flying Peng Old Man clashed with the Liao Family, and was somewhat disappointed that they didn't fight.

Almost every expert in Qi Refining Great Perfection had dozens of cultivators behind them. Some powerful families even had over a hundred people. The Liao Family, previously mentioned, was one of the influential families in Moon Gazing City, with considerable strength, but they were unlucky this time, with few people able to make it. Among the leaders, Lu Xiaotian saw an old acquaintance, the Long Eyebrow Freak. The people beside him seemed to fear him, indicating he was quite a formidable individual.

In the Moon Gazing Mountain Range, there were occasional instances of large families clearing out areas. Although the rogue cultivators without influence were angry, they were powerless. However, while there were many experts present, the mixed crowd of rogue cultivators was even larger. No single faction or even two factions could dominate the situation. Lu Xiaotian thought that there was indeed a chance to fish in troubled waters.