The Waves Roll and the Jianghu is Stormy and Fierce, the Wind Shatters Mount Hua, Startling Dragons and Tigers, Fortunately, the Clouds Part to Reveal the Bright Moon

"Brother Chen!"

When Jiang Qiang saw three cultivators flying towards him, especially one of them whose spiritual power clearly indicated he was Qi Cultivation Seventh Level cultivator, he tensed up as if he were a stone, and his heart sank as if it were filled with lead.

Clearly, Chen Dengming's words had come true; there really were cultivators preparing to ambush the eldest daughter of the Luo Family. It's hard to say whether this was a jinx or just bad luck.

Don't panic!

Chen Dengming frowned slightly, sizing up the three people who were rapidly approaching, and his mind raced as he considered countermeasures.

While he was serious about these three people, he wasn't panicked. However, it was clear that if the other party had ambushed Lüo Bing, there couldn't have been only these three.

Chen Dengming's thoughts raced, and he suddenly unleashed the spiritual power of Qi Cultivation Sixth Level. The originally dull and lackluster Xuan Tie Golden Robe around his body suddenly shone with a metallic luster.

The northern wind carries the sound of the watchman's clapper, and the cold light shines on the iron armor!

The iron armor clattered, Chen Dengming's white hair fluttered at his temples, and his handsome face was framed by a pair of fierce eyes that radiated a menacing aura, giving him an almost sinister air.

His eyes, opening and closing, gleamed with a sharp light that seemed to flicker in and out, staring directly into the hearts of the three who had entered. His forehead was broad, and with the spiritual power of Qi Cultivation Sixth Level emanating from him, he naturally exuded an aura of authority without anger.

"Hmm? He's actually someone important. Could he not be Rogue Cultivator?"

The three who arrived on their magical artifacts were all taken aback.

The leading cultivator surnamed Ling frowned, slowing his flight as he sized up Chen Dengming's robust and imposing figure and the faint Sha Qi of killing intent emanating from him.

This Sha Qi was clearly the result of killing too many people or encountering too many Demon Beasts, and it had just been subdued by the other party.

Just as the cultivator surnamed Ling was racing with thoughts, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense and on the verge of breaking down.

Chen Dengming's solemn and imposing aura suddenly changed, and he smiled, adopting a humble and gentle attitude as he clasped his hands in greeting.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists! I am Gao Hu, a cultivator from the Merchant Alliance. This is my identification Waist Token. When we travel, we always strive to make friends and prosper through harmony. I wonder if you three have any misunderstandings about us?"

"Someone from the Merchant Alliance? Gao Hu?"

The cultivator surnamed Ling was taken aback. He had been about to lash out, but Chen Dengming suddenly lowered his stance and even introduced himself as a member of the Merchant Alliance, which made him hesitate. However, he quickly recovered and snorted coldly.

"Misunderstanding? What did you just say? Do you think we didn't hear you?"

Jiang Qiang's heart skipped a beat.

Chen Dengming immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? Hiss, I didn't expect that the three of you fellow Daoists would know about the path our Merchant Alliance has carved out in this area?"

Although that path might lead to encounters with Demon Beast, it still saves half the time compared to taking the main road to the Eastern Region. Our Merchant Alliance has always considered it a secret trade route; I didn't expect you to know about it too.

The cultivator surnamed Ling raised an eyebrow, while the two people beside him exchanged glances.

Chen Dengming was adept at reading people's expressions. Just by looking at the expressions of the two people beside him, he knew that these three had not heard his previous conversation with Jiang Qiang about the Luo Family, which put his mind at ease.

"A remote trade route."

The cultivator surnamed Ling muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Chen Dengming and said, "Let me see your Waist Token."

Chen Dengming immediately complied with a smile, and threw out his Waist Token.

"Your name is Gao Hu? There don't seem to be many fellow Daoists in the Merchant Alliance with the surname Gao and strength like yours?"

"Yes, not many. I only recently came from the Eastern Region and have been doing some small business in the Rainforest Village near the Xiong family. I plan to go back soon. You can just call me Xiao Gao, fellow Daoist."

Do you know Wu Hu from the Merchant Alliance?

"Wu Hu? I've never heard of him, but my cousin is named Lei Hu."

"It seems you really are from the Merchant Alliance. I've had dealings with Lei Laohu before."

The cultivator surnamed Ling relaxed, smiled, and returned the Waist Token, waving his hand and saying, "It seems it was all a misunderstanding. You can go now, but don't take that side path. Just follow this road; that side path is ours now."

The cultivator surnamed Ling spoke, pointing in a direction.

"Oh?"

Chen Dengming was surprised. He glanced at the direction the man pointed to, smiled, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, and said, "Thank you for pointing out the way, Brother Dao. I, Xiao Gao, will respectfully accept your offer."

"Fellow Daoist Gao, you're too kind. I won't see you off any further!"

The cultivator surnamed Ling smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.

Chen Dengming immediately told Jiang Qiang to set off quickly in the direction indicated by the cultivator surnamed Ling.

The three cultivators surnamed Ling watched Chen Dengming and his companion walk a long way until they were completely inside the side path leading to the Eastern Region before turning their attention away.

"Brother Ling, why did you let them go so easily and even send them over there?"

The two cultivators were puzzled.

The cultivator surnamed Ling sneered, "You two obviously don't know that there are Zhu Family members lying in ambush there. The Zhu Family doesn't trust us, so they sent people to guard that canyon, ostensibly to supervise. If Lüo Bing is injured and tries to escape from there, they will naturally take action to kill her."

"Then these two..."

"Sigh!" The cultivator surnamed Ling straightened his collar and said meaningfully, "This Gao Hu is no simple man. If I had made a move just now, I could have killed them, but if Gao Hu had fought back desperately, you two might have lost your lives."

It would be better to send them to the Zhu Family. They won't interfere with our plans. If the Zhu Family wants to deal with the two of them, let them fight like dogs. If they don't, they're lucky.

Upon hearing this, the two cultivators suddenly understood and showed expressions of gratitude and admiration, saying that this Brother Ling was both righteous and intelligent, and had even taken care of their safety.

"Qiangzi, prepare for a fierce battle. I might not be able to take care of you later. Hopefully, after this, we'll have a smooth road ahead and can go directly to the Eastern Region."

"In the canyon with towering cliffs and sheer precipice, Chen Dengming suddenly transmitted his voice to Jiang Qiang."

"Yes, Brother Chen! You don't need to worry about me later. I'll do my best to protect myself. If we get separated, we'll meet again in the Eastern Jue Lin City."

Jiang Qiang had already been warned by Chen Dengming and knew that the cultivator surnamed Ling had ill intentions and that there must be something strange in this canyon. He immediately secretly activated his magic Law Artifact to send a telepathic message in response.

"Dao, Daoist friend, there are two people behind the ancient vines on your right, and three people inside a grotto behind the cliff on your left."

At the same time, within the Spirit Seizing Array Disk, the Little Array Spirit communicated with Chen Dengming telepathically.

The Little Array Spirit has keen senses and can detect the life force around it within a certain range, even if a cultivator has concealed their spiritual power.

"What are their strength levels?"

"My perception is not very clear, but there is one person among them who should surpass you, fellow Daoist."

Chen Dengming's heart sank, but he remained unmoved on the surface, pretending nothing was wrong, and quickly traveled through the valley with Jiang Qiang.

The valley is surrounded by serene mountains, with ancient vines climbing the stone walls on both sides, and the distant chirping of birds creates a scene of natural harmony free of any danger.

The two moved at an extremely fast speed, and soon approached the canyon area where the Zhu Family cultivators were lying in ambush.

The Zhu Family cultivators lying in ambush on both sides were all observing with restraint, their hearts also in turmoil. They were temporarily unclear about the situation on the other side of the cooperative forces, and did not know whether they should make a move or not.

The leading cultivator was also feeling troubled. He found the two people who had suddenly appeared quite suspicious, and the fact that the other side was leading them towards them made him wonder if they were meant to deal with them.

"Boom!"

At that very moment, a booming sound suddenly came from the main road, indicating that cultivators had already engaged in combat there, and that Lüo Bing, who had returned, had surely appeared.

The leader of the Zhu Family cultivators' expression changed drastically. He gritted his teeth and transmitted his voice, "These two are too suspicious. It's best to strike first. Make your move!"

Upon hearing the sound, the cultivators on both sides immediately mobilized their Law Artifact to attack.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Dengming and Jiang Qiang moved like rabbits, charging forward on their weapons, quickly covering more than ten zhang in an instant, while the shadows of trees and stone walls on both sides receded rapidly.

"Boom!--"

Several Law Artifact missed their target and crashed to the ground, shaking up the soil and chiseling through the rocks.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

The leading cultivator roared and suddenly leaped out, summoning a flying sword.

In an instant, the sound of swordsmanship and the wind and thunder seemed to move, transforming into a long rainbow that struck Chen Dengming directly in the back.

Chen Dengming snorted coldly, still Blade Control past. He patted his Storage Bag, and instantly Wu Ling Duo flew out, transforming into countless claw shadows that collided with the flying sword in an instant.

Several clanging sounds!

The sword and claws clashed more than ten times in a flash!

"Qi Cultivation Sixth Level!?"

The leading cultivator's expression turned slightly serious.

At that moment, a magical Law Artifact shaped like an arrow suddenly shot towards Chen Dengming, as fast as lightning, without making a sound.

With a flash of cold light, Chen Dengming's iron armor trembled, and with a clang, he shook the arrow Law Artifact away, sending it flying into a nearby rock, the exposed fletching still quivering.

"High-ranking robes?"

As the cultivator who fired the arrow cried out, a Golden Light suddenly appeared from his side, piercing through the hastily erected Spirit Shield barrier with a 'whoosh,' and a worm's mouth, filled with sharp teeth and venomous fangs, bit into the back of his neck!

"Ah!--"

A scream rang out instantly.

But it was quickly drowned out by the roar.

Chen Dengming unleashed several Golden Spear Techniques and Gold Touch Technique Techniques in quick succession, his hand seals and spells executed flawlessly, dazzling onlookers. Combined with Jiang Qiang's Law Artifact and talismans, he barely managed to break through the intertwined attacks of Daoist magic and Law Artifact and escape the encirclement.

Seeing that one of their own men had been inexplicably killed, the leading cultivator roared in anger, and his spiritual power surged.

Suddenly, he rose up on his sword, transforming into a silver streak that stirred up a burst of snow-white light.

"Whoosh!--"

The Sword Qi, like a soaring dragon or snake, struck Chen Dengming with lightning speed.

"Qi Cultivation Seventh Level"

Chen Dengming's heart sank slightly, but it was also expected. Suddenly, Blade Control with his mind, and the Ice Spirit Blade transformed into a flying knife that flashed and whistled through the valley. It was like a thunderbolt that flashed and disappeared in an instant, shooting out like lightning.

The leading cultivators almost simultaneously formed hand seals, and sword light flashed, suddenly transforming into two dazzling cold beams in the air. One of them struck the Ice Spirit Blade with impeccable precision.

One of the swords struck Chen Dengming to the left. As the Sword Qi reached him, a figure appeared within the sword light, like a human-shaped Sword Qi. The spiritual power approached, and the air seemed to be torn apart, giving people a feeling of being torn apart.

But in that instant, Chen Dengming's face shone brightly, and he had mobilized his Spiritual Qi to its limit.

Suddenly, a finger was pointed out, and a Golden Light instantly enveloped the newcomer.

At the same time, he spat out a dark shadow from his mouth, which emitted a foul stench.

With a hum, the Golden Silkworm Gu transformed into a golden thread and swept in from the side at almost the same moment, directly attacking the enemy.

The charging cultivator was startled, feeling the invasion of Metal Elemental Spiritual Energy, which made his sword light sluggish. The black shadows and golden threads attacking from the left and right also posed a strong threat. He could only let out a long roar and wildly sweep his sword.

The Sword Qi hummed and flashed, like a sudden gust of wind, transforming into countless points of cold light.

With two clanging sounds, both the black nail Law Artifact and the Golden Silkworm Gu were repelled.

However, at that very instant, the surrounding Spiritual Qi energy trembled violently, and an astonishing sword aura several meters long drew upon the Metal Elemental Spiritual Energy, causing it to solidify like iron and steel, and crash down in a raging torrent.

The blade's energy was sharp and surging, as ferocious as an enraged dragon baring its fangs and claws!

"Ah!--"

The cultivator roared and made hand seals, his fingers forming a sword shape, unleashing a powerful burst of Spiritual Qi, his hair disheveled.

The flying sword 'whooshed' and transformed into an unparalleled and astonishing Sword Qi aura, soaring into the sky.

It collided with the massive blade energy that slashed fiercely, bursting forth streaks of silver sword light that tore open gaps in the surrounding ground and stone walls.

A moment later, Sword Cultivator suddenly shot out from the smoke and dust. His face was gloomy, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, his hair was disheveled, blood was spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were full of surprise and uncertainty.

"How could Qi Cultivation Sixth Level possess such combat power? And have so many mid-grade Law Artifact, and even... wait, that was... Gu Worm? And that claw-shaped Law Artifact looks like Xu Ning's Wu Ling Duo. Who exactly is this person?"

He took a step forward, but suddenly felt his energy surge, a wave of belching rising up, and he almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

He had just cast spells and manipulated Law Artifact in quick succession, and then hastily used sword techniques to clash with the opponent's terrifying blade energy, which had greatly damaged his vital energy, causing him to suffer some minor injuries.

"Fourth Uncle!"

"Fourth Uncle, Xiao Lan is dead. It was poisoned by Gu."

"Fourth Uncle, are you alright? Should we give chase?"

At this moment, the sound of wind breaking approached, and four Lineage cultivators drew near, their voices filled with grief and anger.

After calming his breathing, the Sword Cultivator looked back at the distant Battlefield where the roaring sounds still echoed, and then at the direction where Chen Dengming and the others had fled. He realized that they had probably fought a wrongful battle and that innocent people had died.

Although these two individuals were of unknown origin and possessed formidable strength, making them seem particularly suspicious, it was as if they knew the purpose of our ambush. However, their first move was to flee rather than fight back, clearly indicating that they did not want to get involved in the trouble.

But they deliberately brought trouble upon themselves; weren't they just shooting themselves in the foot?

"Damn the Lin family cultivators! They didn't make a move, but dumped the tough stuff on us without even explaining beforehand."

The Sword Cultivator cursed inwardly, his face grim as he shook his head.

"The important matter is paramount. Collect Xiao Lan's body and provide compensation later. Now, quickly assess the battle situation over there. If Lüo Bing escapes severely wounded, pursue him to the death!"

"Fourth Uncle, what if Lüo Bing wasn't seriously injured?"

The Sword Cultivator froze, clutching his chest where his Qi and Blood was churning and he felt like he was about to vomit blood, feeling utterly depressed.

He had thought about this problem before, but felt it was impossible.

The Lin family cultivators dispatched two Qi Cultivation Tenth Level, three cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level or above of Qi Refining, and other cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, to jointly besiege and kill Lüo Bing.

Even if she made a mistake, Lüo Bing would still be seriously injured.

Therefore, Zhu Family only sent him to lead the team, mainly for observation and supervision, and also to intercept and assist Luo Lüo Bing when he was seriously injured and tried to escape, adding insult to injury.

"Lüo Bing is doomed this time!"

The Sword Cultivator gritted his teeth and said fiercely. Just as he finished speaking, the sounds of battle suddenly stopped, as if the outcome had been decided.

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

Chen Dengming wrapped himself in the Blade Control and Swift as the Wind and Lightning for more than ten miles before his Spiritual Qi gradually ran out.

Unable to withstand the flight any longer, he had no choice but to land. He used his lightness Movement Method to speed away, nurturing his Xiantian True Qi with a wisp of Spiritual Qi, and sped off with all his might.

With unwavering willpower, he ran for dozens of miles until he was almost exhausted. Without hesitation, he chose a river flowing eastward, jumped into it, and let the current carry him with him.

As for Jiang Qiang, he couldn't afford to worry about him for the time being.

The two had agreed that if a fierce battle broke out, they would each look after themselves, do their best to break through the encirclement, and then flee eastward separately.

The affairs of the world are truly as chaotic as a dream, and the gatherings and separations of people are as fleeting as clouds and mud.

One moment they were walking side by side, the next they were going their separate ways.

Fortunately, the Zhu Family cultivators clearly realized they didn't want to pursue, and they managed to fight their way out completely. The Little Array Spirit deserves much credit for this.

In the river.

Chen Dengming closed his eyes, his mouth holding the pearl he had dug out from the body of the blue-scaled monster fish he had hunted years before.

With this pearl in his mouth, he can breathe freely in the water, and his skin pores can absorb air from the water like a fish. His ability to sense water flow is also significantly enhanced, allowing him to clearly sense changes in the water flow and identify his location and surrounding creatures.

This continued for the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn.

His Spiritual Qi had also recovered by 30%.

He immediately broke through the water and came to a hillside, where he looked out over Yunhua Dao and the situation of the Luo Family in the distance.

Upon discovering that the Zhu Family's spirit boat had already departed, they breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Yunhua Dao, he couldn't see the specifics and couldn't guess whether the group lying in ambush had actually targeted Lüo Bing, or whether their target was really Lüo Bing. After all, it was all just his guess.

However, now that the Zhu Family's spirit boat has been returned, it's clear that the Luo Family isn't in too bad a state, which brings Chen Dengming some comfort.

But aside from offering comfort, he could offer no further words. He could only pray that the Luo Family patriarch would step up his game. If he couldn't, then he should stop being stubborn, bow his head and admit his mistake, call himself "Little Luo," put on a smiling face, and then quickly move his entire family away.

"Now that we've left the Southern Region, hopefully there won't be any more trouble. Qiangzi has also escaped via some side path for the time being; his ability to escape is top-notch, so there's no need to worry about him."

Chen Dengming pondered to himself, then turned his gaze to the lush mountains and forests around him. After carefully checking his location on the map, he immediately chose a small path to follow.

Several days later.

Chen Dengming turned from the narrow path in the deep mountains Old Lin, which was teeming with Demon Beast, onto the main road of Yunhua Dao. He gradually felt that the Spiritual Qi in the air seemed to become more abundant the further he went into the eastern region.

Of course, this feeling is very subtle, and it's hard to say whether it's just an illusion.

He continued speeding along, maneuvering his vehicle.

Along the way, they also encountered some caravans and cultivators, and some cultivators even turned into bandits, threatening and extorting the passing cultivators.

Chen Dengming didn't want to cause trouble and avoided making enemies if possible. He originally planned to just pay a toll and be done with it, but as soon as he got close, he aroused the suspicion of a group of bandit cultivators and was subsequently let go.

The bandit cultivators who robbed him seemed to have exceptional eyesight, immediately recognizing his Qi Cultivation Sixth Level Refining cultivation and the high-grade robes he was wearing. Not wanting to invite trouble and fight to the death, they let him go on the spot.

As for the other cultivators at the second or third level of Qi Refining who were stopped, they fared much worse; they couldn't even think about passing through unless they were stripped of all their money.

Five more days passed.

Chen Dengming finally entered the Eastern Region and gradually saw signs of human habitation, including towns, villages, and cultivated farmland.

The towns and villages here seem to be under the jurisdiction of cultivators, and the living conditions of ordinary people are obviously much better than in the Gathering Place. At least they can still cultivate farmland and have enough to eat.

Chen Dengming saw a mountain in the distance, brimming with Spiritual Qi, with streaks of light flashing by. Many cultivators had gathered there, making it quite lively, like a Marketplace.

Upon closer inspection of the map, it turned out to be a Marketplace called "Bright Moon Workshop," controlled by the Ming family, a Cultivation Family with a Foundation Establishment Late Stage ancestor. This area of five hundred li was all considered Ming family territory.

The map even includes a note explaining that the Ming family's trade routes are prosperous, their reputation is excellent, they make money through harmony, and they rarely fight with others. Therefore, Bright Moon Workshop often attracts many cultivators to trade and linger.

Chen Dengming felt relieved. Looking back on his journey from the Southern Region, he realized it had been a long and arduous journey filled with bloodshed and danger.

Fortunately, things are temporarily on hold now. Compared to the dangers, he still prefers the territory of the Cultivation Family with a good reputation and less fighting.

He immediately set off on his weapon, intending to rest temporarily on the Ming family's territory, first breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level, entering the ranks of Qi Cultivation High Level Refining cultivators, before setting off to seek out sects and schools, pursue divine skills and fortune, and break through the Foundation Establishment to achieve immortality.

I've written over 5,400 words, please vote for me! I'll continue updating this afternoon or evening!! Now the protagonist has finally left the turmoil in the Southern Region and arrived at Bright Moon Workshop in the Eastern Region. It's like the clouds have parted and the moon is shining through. Now I need to prepare for Foundation Establishment.