The Road Home Is Not Smooth

Today was the day the Xu Family and several other Qi Refining families had agreed to withdraw.

In about two days, the Qingfeng Ridge Wang Family would also abandon their defenses and patrols, dismantle their grand formation, and leave this market to fall into ruin, no longer concerning themselves with it.

According to the gossip of other shopkeepers in the market, the Wang Family was using this move to shed a burdensome asset with thin profit margins, allowing them to consolidate their strength and strike out anew to "conquer mountains and seize lands" in the Wilderness, where they could plunder resources and establish a new market.

This would allow the family to take a step forward.

As long as they could cultivate a False Core cultivator within the clan and add two or three more Foundation Establishment experts, their current foundation of two standing Foundation Establishment cultivators meant it was not impossible for them to rise to the status of a "Great Clan."

Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; if you do not advance, you retreat.

This is true for cultivators, and it is equally true for families.

Lin Changheng had long since packed all the precious and useful items from his cave dwelling onto his person, but as he prepared to leave, he still slung a bundle over his shoulder.

He was posing as someone without a storage bag.

Once such a "pauper" encountered danger, bandit cultivators would inevitably give him less attention, mostly targeting those who appeared empty-handed but were known to carry storage bags.

The danger naturally faded by a few degrees.

When Master Mo came downstairs and saw Lin Changheng's appearance, he couldn't help but be stunned. He stepped forward and patted his shoulder, feeling a sense of admiration; the young man was truly meticulous and steady enough! He himself could not compare.

If he had possessed even a fraction—no, half a fraction—of this steadiness back then, he likely wouldn't have suffered such grievous injuries. Even after using every possible medicine, the hidden wounds remained, ultimately severing his path to the Dao.

Of course, only Master Mo knew that Lin Changheng possessed a storage bag; the other clerks, apprentices, and shopkeepers were unaware. Shopkeeper Xu Qianyou had even asked him cheerfully if he wanted to store some items in the shop's storage bags, which still had plenty of space, but he had politely declined. Seeing that his bundle was small, the shopkeeper had said no more.

Once the group exited the market, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator from the Xu Family had already prepared a sufficient number of half-spirit steeds.

Lin Changheng's eyes flickered, though he felt nothing wrong with riding a horse.

After all, aside from Foundation Establishment families who could bring out large numbers of spirit cranes or massive flying ships, the Xu Family was merely a Qi Refining family. They possessed only magical flying ships—or "magic boats"—which could only carry two or three people at a time.

With twelve people in the group, they had no choice but to ride horses.

However, these horses were exceptionally spirited and sturdy, more than half again as large as the legendary sweat-blood horses of his past life, and they were quite fast, capable of traveling five hundred miles a day.

They were a breed cultivated from the cross-breeding of demonic beasts and mortal steeds, known as Jiao Horses.

"Everyone mount up and stay alert! It will take about five days to return to the clan."

Xu Qianhuan, at the eighth level of Qi Refining, mounted his horse with agility and shouted.

"Understood." Everyone, including Master Mo, nodded in agreement. Without any hesitation or delay, they all mounted their horses.

"Maintain the established formation! Everyone else, follow me—move out!"

Scanning his surroundings, Xu Qianhuan wore a stern expression as he gave the order and immediately spurred his horse into a gallop.

The three mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators who had come with him reined their horses to occupy the left, right, and rear positions, following him as the group surged forward.

Lin Changheng was sandwiched in the center of the horse formation, the sound of hooves like thunder in his ears.

Moved by a sudden impulse, he looked back. Through the swirling, earthy-yellow sand mist, he caught a faint glimpse of the gray-brown silhouette of Zichuan Market, where he had spent twelve years. It was gradually fading into the dust, as if being slowly erased by an invisible hand.

So, the bonds of the immortal path are nothing more than a cloud of dust kicked up by horse hooves when they are severed...

After a soft sigh, Lin Changheng's gaze turned resolute. He looked only at the road ahead and spurred his horse forward.

"The family territory is just ahead. We will arrive in less than an hour, so keep your spirits up for this final stretch!"

The four-plus days of travel had passed in a flash.

Xu Qianhuan remained as vigorous as ever, showing no signs of fatigue, his voice ringing out like a lion's roar.

The cultivators were fine; their constitutions were strong, and while the jolting of the horses was uncomfortable, it was bearable.

But the clerks and apprentices were different; they felt as if their bones were about to be shaken apart, their thighs and buttocks bruised and black, their suffering indescribable.

Even so, they dared not ask for a rest and could only grit their teeth and endure.

Throughout the journey, there had been none of the chaos rumored to be rampant; it had remained calm and peaceful, with nothing happening.

Even the three mid-stage Qi Refining Xu Family cultivators had become somewhat relaxed and weary, which was why Xu Qianhuan had issued such a reminder.

As soon as he spoke, everyone felt as if a thunderbolt had struck their ears. Startled, their bodies trembled, and they instantly became alert.

Just at that moment, "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sudden sound of air being torn apart shattered the silence of the mountain path. The leaves in the forests on both sides shook violently, and dozens of magical lights poured down like a torrential rain.

Water arrows, fireballs, wooden spikes, and ice blades surged toward the Xu Family's procession on the path.

"Ambush!"

Xu Qianhuan, at the eighth level of Qi Refining, roared, his reaction swift.

The jade pendant artifact at his waist instantly expanded into a cyan light barrier, pushing outward toward both sides and colliding directly with the incoming spells.

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

By the time the first violent explosion rippled across the surface of the cyan light barrier, the three mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators had only just managed to unleash their first wave of spells.

Golden Light Talisman, Water Wall Technique, Rock Shield Technique...

They attempted to shield the people in the center.

But the barrage of incoming spells was too dense; the collisions erupted like fireworks.

Seeing that they could not block them all, they hurriedly continued to deploy shield artifacts and talisman-generated barriers.

They focused their efforts on protecting the two alchemists and the shopkeeper.

"Sshhh!"

A Golden Light Talisman barrier at the very front was breached, and an ice blade slipped through the gap, striking the young girl named Xu Ruolan.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a sharp, piercing cry of agony, she was cleaved in half, falling from her horse into a pool of blood, her eyes wide with the shock of an untimely death.

As this brutal scene unfolded, the already chaotic formation of the Xu Family members fell into even greater disarray.

One shop assistant was so terrified that his wits scattered; he tumbled from his horse, his leg snapping with a sickening crunch as it was trampled, leaving him wailing incessantly.

Master Mo and Shopkeeper Xu were startled, yet they remained disciplined, deploying artifacts and talismans to bolster their own defenses.

Master Mo, still having energy to spare, scanned the area for Lin Changheng and shouted urgently, "Changheng... do you have any talismans for protection?"

He saw that Lin Changheng had already slid halfway off his horse, his feet still in the stirrups, tucking his entire body beneath the protection of the horse's belly.

A Golden Shield Talisman flicked from his sleeve, turning to ash before it even hit the ground, manifesting as a golden shield that blocked the other side and protected his vitals.

Such... quick reactions! Such agility!

Master Mo's aged eyes widened in surprise, clearly stunned by the youth's swift decision-making and appropriate response, yet he still channeled his mana to flick a low-grade Water Curtain Talisman into Lin Changheng's hand.

"Many thanks, Master Mo. You take care as well."

Lin Changheng shouted back, tucking away the other mid-grade Golden Light Talisman he had hidden in his sleeve and opting to grip the Water Curtain Talisman instead.

Life-saving measures must not be wasted; they had to be used at the critical moment.

In his heart, he already had a suspicion about the situation—

Although these ambush spells were only low-level techniques, they were coordinated with such precision that this was clearly a long-planned assassination!

He wondered if these were old enemies of the Xu Family, or if they had followed them from the market to set up this ambush.