Fishing in Troubled Waters

On this day, a Crimson Eagle swept rapidly across the sky above the Liu Family, scattering specks of origin energy in its wake.

Lin Yiqing stood at a street corner, looking up at the giant eagle of origin energy. A figure was vaguely visible upon it—none other than the head of the Liu Family, Liu Tiansheng, a master at the Lesser Form-Shaping Realm!

The cultivators of the Liu Family seemed well-prepared; having mobilized the vast majority of their core strength, they followed the figure in the sky and began their grand march toward the Tianyan Mountain Range.

At the same time, a massive spear of origin energy soared from the City Lord's Mansion not far away. It was the City Lord of Qingping City, Qiu Xuanxiao, also a master at the Lesser Form-Shaping Realm.

The appearance of these two legendary figures caused an immediate uproar throughout Qingping City, simultaneously extinguishing the plans of many who had hoped to fish in troubled waters.

The wrath of a Lesser Form-Shaping Realm master was not something an ordinary person could bear.

After watching from afar for a while, Lin Yiqing knew the time had come. He trailed behind the Liu Family cultivators, sauntering into the mountain range.

Since both the Liu Family and the City Lord's Mansion had entered the fray, they would surely clear out any cultivators near the mountain hollow with force to prevent anyone else from seizing the opportunity.

Therefore, rushing forward in a panic right now was unwise; an excellent hunter required exceptional patience.

Even so, the allure of treasure was intoxicating, and many figures were still sneaking in via different routes.

Faced with this situation, the two factions dealt ruthless blows, executing anyone they caught on the spot.

Before long, the bloody scent of slaughtered rogue cultivators drew the attention of the Storm Fierce Tiger at the mountain hollow.

Then, to the horror of the gathered cultivators, this incredibly ferocious demon tiger lunged out in an instant.

"ROAR!"

A deafening tiger roar shook the heavens. A pair of broad, black bone wings fanned out waves of wind blades, instantly engulfing the many cultivators; those in its path were either killed or maimed.

"You beast!"

Seeing this, Liu Tiansheng gnashed his teeth in fury. Origin energy surged within him, and a giant palm of origin energy, dozens of feet in size, slammed down toward the Storm Fierce Tiger.

"ROAR!"

The Storm Fierce Tiger did not show weakness. It gathered blood-colored origin energy in its maw and spat out a massive orb of energy, which collided violently with the giant palm in the air.

"BOOM!"

The shockwaves from the clash between the Form-Shaping Realm masters instantly leveled the surrounding trees. Cultivators in the dense forest fled rapidly; such a battlefield was far beyond their participation.

"Brother Liu, I come to assist you!"

Qiu Xuanxiao tapped his foot, and a massive phantom of a silver spear shot out. The Storm Fierce Tiger turned its body and swiped a giant claw, shattering the phantom in mid-air.

"Luo Heaven Fist!"

Taking this opportunity, Liu Tiansheng flashed behind the Storm Fierce Tiger and threw a massive fist imprint of origin energy toward its skull.

"BANG!"

Caught in a pincer attack, the Storm Fierce Tiger was struck by Liu Tiansheng's fist before it could react, slamming heavily into the ground.

"Form the array, quickly!"

Seeing the demon tiger grounded, Qiu Xuanxiao let out a sharp shout. The cultivators from both factions scattered instantly, finding their positions according to the formation.

As their origin energy resonated and surged, chains of origin energy shot forth, coiling around the Storm Fierce Tiger.

"CLANG!"

Though they were made of origin energy, the chains emitted a sound like clashing metal.

The Storm Fierce Tiger was massive, and suppressed by the combined efforts of Liu Tiansheng and his companion, it was bound by the origin energy chains in the blink of an eye, unable to move.

Clearly, the two factions had secretly practiced this formation in preparation for this day.

"ROAR!"

The sudden restraint of the formation made the Storm Fierce Tiger roar in fury. Waves of wind blades erupted from around its wings, snapping many of the chains on the spot.

"Sky-Splitting Slash!"

Qiu Xuanxiao surged upward, swinging a giant blade of origin energy dozens of feet long, which severed one of the Storm Fierce Tiger's wings.

Just then, hearing the miserable cries of the beast outside the nest, another Storm Fierce Tiger lunged out from the cave, its eyes filled with savage brutality.

"BOOM!"

A pillar of blood-colored origin energy arrived in an instant, engulfing Liu Tiansheng and his companion.

The intelligence of a Form-Shaping Realm demon beast was no different from a human's; it naturally knew that the two figures hovering in the air were the keys to the battle!

"What!"

"There is another one!"

Liu Tiansheng's face turned to horror. He threw a punch, and a massive ripple of origin energy exploded before him, blasting him away and sending him crashing into the mountain rocks.

"Overlord Spear!"

With a flash of spiritual light, Qiu Xuanxiao gripped a cyan spear and thrust it toward the Storm Fierce Tiger.

Without the suppression of the two Lesser Form-Shaping Realm masters, the previously bound Storm Fierce Tiger struggled and broke free.

"Masters of the Form-Shaping Realm are truly extraordinary; every move they make carries immense power!"

Lin Yiqing stood on the distant mountain peak, observing the entire battle. Watching the massive pillars of origin power erupt from both sides, he couldn't help but offer a word of praise.

However, this was no time to watch a show. While the two sides were locked in combat, a thief had already taken the opportunity to sneak up, appearing on the verge of slipping into the Storm Fierce Tiger's lair.

Watching that chubby figure, Lin Yiqing couldn't help but admire the fellow; to have managed to sneak all the way here, he certainly possessed some real skill.

One had to remember, this kid had been severely wounded twice in a row—first beaten and looted by Lin Yiqing, then caught in the path of the returning Storm Fierce Tiger. It was a miracle he had survived at all.

An ordinary person would likely be crippled or still lying in a sickbed; how could he be bouncing around like this, even trying to seize the chance to scavenge?

What a pity, you're just going to be making wedding clothes for someone else again.

Lin Yiqing watched the two figures tailing the Little Fatty, his deep gaze turning thoroughly cold.

The group hiding in the shadows has finally appeared.

After spotting the pair, Lin Yiqing scanned the surrounding terrain from the peak. He had already scouted the nearby mountains and forests, and he knew the most suitable routes for exiting the mountain by heart.

He worried that the opposition was working as a team, and sure enough, he soon discovered two unfamiliar cultivators at the Lesser Origin Pellet Realm lurking near a small path.

He had seen most of the men from the Liu Family and the City Lord's Mansion, but these two were strangers; clearly, they were the ones waiting here to provide support.

Deal with these two first to prevent any variables.

With a thought, Lin Yiqing dove down like a falcon, flashing in front of the two men within a few breaths.

Before the pair could even see who had arrived, they saw him flick his sword finger, and a ten-foot-long blade of origin power instantly shredded them.

To Lin Yiqing, cultivators of the same realm were no different from weeds!

After disposing of the two, Lin Yiqing doubled back. The Little Fatty would likely end up fighting those two figures, and the Liu Family cultivators nearby had already begun their advance toward the mountain hollow.

Therefore, he had to succeed before the Liu Family cultivators arrived and make a swift exit.

Otherwise, once the situation in the Form-Shaping Realm battlefield shifted, it would be difficult to resolve.

Pulling down his hood to conceal his face, Lin Yiqing used his mental energy to command the Azure Steel Sword, hurtling toward the Storm Fierce Tiger's lair with lightning speed.

"Boom!"

By now, the dim lair was a scene of utter chaos, with shattered rocks flying everywhere.

"You two bastards, actually ambushing me!"

Just as Lin Yiqing entered the lair, he saw the Little Fatty locked in a brawl with two middle-aged men, origin power flying as they traded lethal blows.

That is... a Grade Seven spirit herb, the Spirit Candle Fruit!!

Suddenly, Lin Yiqing's pupils constricted, his heart jolting. Deep within the lair grew a half-meter-tall jade-green tree, and hanging from it were two crimson fruits the size of longans.

From a distance, the fruits looked as translucent as red jade glaze, yet the heaven and earth origin power swirling around them was so dense it looked like white mist—truly miraculous.

Above the Spirit Candle Fruit was a narrow fissure, and the sunlight streaming down from above made the spirit herb look like a divine object.

"Thousand River Moon Reflection Sword!"

Lin Yiqing's eyes turned cold. He gripped his right hand, and the Qingli Ancient Sword instantly appeared. He unleashed his martial art without hesitation, aiming for a one-hit kill.

"Swish!"

A ten-foot-long white sword beam sliced horizontally across the entire lair, carrying an incomparably sharp aura that severed everything in its path.

"There's someone else!"

"Pfft!"

Before the two middle-aged men could react, the sword beam split them in two.

The Little Fatty's face paled with terror. With speed invisible to the naked eye, he rolled onto the ground, narrowly dodging the blade at the very last moment.

"Don't kill me! I'll pay a ransom!"

Before Lin Yiqing could get close, he lay on the ground and shouted in a panic.

The moment he saw Lin Yiqing, he recognized this terrifying fellow, so even after dodging the sword beam, he remained sprawled on the ground, not daring to stand up.

Hearing this, Lin Yiqing gave him a deep look but said nothing. He shot toward the Spirit Candle Fruit and plucked it in one motion.

He then tapped his toes against the rock and, like a white egret, soared out through the narrow stone fissure.

"Phew! What a star of misfortune!"

The Little Fatty had just wiped the cold sweat from his forehead in relief when his face collapsed, staring in horror at the entrance of the lair.

Outside, the Liu Family cultivators had already arrived to kill.